OCR Text |
Show Page A2 (The tTinifS-.3lubrpenbr- May 31, 2001 nt County OKs corridor plan Continued fropi Page A1 and professional offues Hofhine said the proposed zone is similar lo zoning that already ex ists along the corridor except that it allows the result ntial list s while of busilike nesses tire recapping stiops that t linnnatir.g ton-truiti- are less tourist oriented The second promised zone, call the -- Siet tally Planned Area iSI'A', w ould apply sjat tu ally to the Atlas tellings site The plan nu'es that while cleanup is in process at the site, it will Is- liojsirtant to screen these ailivilies Irtirn view along the highway" The ret oniinended Is I A out establishes mssihle luture uses lor the 1 in ai re site int ludmg sirigle-fainildwellings, home occ upations, arid parks and ojen space The plan sets maximum density for development at one unit per five acres. i L1 A Look Back in Time ing with the Itah Department of Transportation to help sec ure funding for widening the highway and the s Muab bn ige, and working w ith in the area to help them understand and cope with any adverse effects that might result from implementing the plan Establishing a GaU-waTask Force comprised of city and county officials, citizens and landowners is also cor side red a high priority The task force w ould take a lead role and serve as a catalyst" for implementing the plan Recommendations included in the North Corridor Gateway Plan arose from a two-dapublic workshop More than h0 area held last CAtoU-residents attended all or part of the workshop to express their wishes, ideas and concerns for futuie dev el Those opment along the corridor comments served as guidelines for developing the recently adopted plan. based on the minimal residential density already permitted in other county districts It also recommends that sut h developments be clustered in planned unit developments to preserve ojien space on tbe site Hofhinc said zoning for the Atlas area will likely lie among the most controversial ss uon of the- plan be lau-a- siim in th countv would like to bight r density requirements, and others have called for lower density than the proisal sets forth An i silt stresses! that the new ly merely a guideline adopted plan None of it has been implemented." she said "This is just a plan, and the council a, id planning commission will have to adopt changes to the land use code in order to implement the recommendations here " The prossal recommends a series of stes be-- taken pnor to implementation Those steps include work Historic pictures of Moab and Grand County Have a picture you would tike to share? Submit it to The land-owner- - Times-Independe- nt r Denver museum on dinosaur dig at remote spot near Moab Franklin Seal by utaff writer At a location near Moah, a dozen men a. id women are spending seven days in the heat and wind and dust ul the desert, huddled under tarps, ... Making grazing decisions painstakingly puking away at the gray c lay, and m the process, untangling a massive twisted pile of bones along with a minor mystery in the study of dinosaurs and amaof teur (wileontologists from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science has been visiting tin- dinosaur dig, called Dimes a year since Bom Bed, two or its discovery three years ago. Between visits, tlie location is kept secret, and in the 1 930s, which created allotments on public land grazing, livestock numbers. Each Grazing District was supervised limited for and provided range improvements was as taken whose boards advice gospel by the U. S. Grazing Service, later the Bureau of by advisory Land Management. This board, which served southeastern Utah is shown at a typical meeting in the old Grand County Courthouse in 1 951 . Seated, left to right, are John Allies, Claude N. Taylor, Lester Taylor, H. C. Rowe, Emmett Elizondo and Roy L. Holyoak, along with Dale Kinnaman of the Grazing Service. The l passage of the Taylor Grazing Act Photo courtesy of D. L. Taylor. thru-time- Holyoak is co -valedictorian watch over it to keep lone hunters from stealing thelix-a- authontu-- s treasures So far, the group fins pulled individual bones from fussilizi-ddmusau- the approximately out 900 Hite, says Dilead investigator Dr Ken ('arjx-nter- , nosaur Pali-o- tologist for the Denver Museum But it isnt the shier number of fossils theyve collected that makes Dime's Bone Bed sieciai to these scientists What fias grablied their attention is that almost all of the fossils are from one-acr- e the same family of dinosaur Ankylutiaurus. Heavily armored, with nasty spikes sticking out its sides, Ankylosaurus is somewhat puny by Jurassic terms, measuring on average about nine feet long and 2.5 feet tall at the hips In fact, Ankylosaurs are relatively common" in the Cedar Mountain geologic formation where the site exists. But before the discovery of Dimes Bone Bed, they hud been found only individually or in small groups there was no evidence the animal traveled in herds. Cars-ntesays after three years at the site, his team estimates there are fossils from 24 or 25 separate individuals, and there may he more It's valuable because we have a whole bunch of individuals that died together, and we don't know why The site- was namid after team memlier Dime McVVhinney, who found the site while the museum group was in r - tlie area working another dig She and two others were combing the area on their hands and knees, hunting for fossilized dinosaur eggshells It was the last day of a weeklong trip, McWhmney remembers. It was an extremely dark day; there was an approaching storm " As her group turned to head back to camp, Lome noticed an abundance of float" fossil fragments of dinosaur bone She immediately showed Carpenter, who marked the area to examine later But it wasnt until the group's return months later that the extent of her find became known Having arrived from Denver and Provo on Saturday, most members of the group were hard at work Sunday carefully unearthing their buried treasures. Greatly complicating their task, however, was the fact that before the bones turned to stone, they were jumbled and heaped on top of one another. Per Volunteer paleontologists Diane Siebrant, left, and Brenda Johnson, right, discuss their site mapping efforts with Ken Carpenter, Denver Museum of Nature and Science Dinosaur Paleontologist, center. The team was using a newly designed Geiger counter (on the grid, center). Photo by Franklin Seal. haps they had been swept down some ancient stream and deposited, one volunteer surmised. Removing the fossils without damaging them is a slow, process. Despite the highly roman ticized view of archaeological digs prevalent in Hollywood movies, the actual work appears to be uncomfortable and, often, tedious. Volunteers sit hunched for hours over somelimes-fragil- e fossils barely visible in the dusty soil. The workers explain that often, the bone they've been slowly working to expose and release turns out to be trapped" by other bones newly revealed as they chip away. Now they have to remove the over-lyinbones before they can remove the first one. Its like a game of pickup sticks, says DMNS Research Associate Frank Sanders, as he closes in on a prized ischium, part of the animals hip. Earlier that day, the ischium lay trapped by several overlying bones; now, after hours of work, it is almost ready to remove. Sanders and five others toil under canvas tarp erected to a back-strainin- g g wind-whipjie- d protect them from the desert sun. Meanwhile, other team members prospect the surrounding area using a newly designed Geiger counter that Sanders and two others built. Surface evidence suggests other Ankylosaurs lie buried in a one-acr- e area surrounding the current digs, Carpenter said. In order to know precisely where to dig next, or simply to map where the bones lie, his group is using Geiger counters to see if they point to the buried bones. Sometimes fossils collect radioactive elements Buch as uranium as they are being turned to stone, he explained. Geiger counters have USFS conducts Continued from Page A two-fol- d been used with some success in mapping one or two other digs. But on Sunday, after its first day on the job, Sanders new Geiger counter apparently wasnt working as well as had been hoped. Were still working out the kinks, said volunteer Alan Shaw. The group was set to test a second Geiger counter the following day. Shaw is working on a geology masters at Brigham Young University and is writing his thesis on the question of why so many Ankylosars died at Lorries Bone Bed. Carpenter says that because so many individuals died at the same time, they hope to identify males and females, and make other comparisons be- tween individuals, which until now, scientists have been unable to make. But that opportunity could be lost if bone hunters those who find and sell dinosaur bone disturb the fossils after the group departs. In order to keep collectors from stealing the specimens, Carpenter takes pains to keep the location of Lomes Bone Bed a secret. Were going to be coming back here for years, he said. Bone hunters could disturb our studies. They could possibly take bones that could be important in diagnostics. It could skew our results." When his group departs the site later this week, they will backfill the holes theyve been working and remove all visible signs of their camp. All that will remain are yellow hills and ridges standing over a desolate, gray, dusty valley dotted by blackbrush plants, stones and the occasional fossil. Local authorities are aware of the site and keep a watch out for unauthorized digging. Carpenter asked The to avoid revealing details about the location in this story. Cassie B. Holyoak, this year's GCHS says she wants to be a Pediatric Physical Therapist, but the realization of that goal seems difficult and far away. Even though she has relatives who donated land for the local hospital and who work at the hospital, she didn't consider a medical profession until recently. But now, despite her awareness of how tough that career may be, she is determined to see it through. A member of the GCHS Student Government for three years running, and former Junior Class President, Holyoak has been involved in planning many school events, including the Lip Sync and talent show, Junior Prom, Sadie Hawkins Dance and a school conference featuring visiting Utah Gov. Michael Leavitt. Graduating with a cumulative G.P.A. of 4.0, she was a Sterling Scholar nominee, a member of the Christina Elizabeth White National Honor Society, a recipient of the Presidential Education Award, Outstanding Academic Performance Award from the Utah State Board of Education and has been voted Student of the Month. Lefebvre is salutatorian neering State. He has been selected Grand County Student of the Year, participated in Colorado Outward Bound, and been an employee of Bucks Grill House. The accomplishment Alan is most Photo proud of is the offer of Pages B4-- 5 appointment to attend college at the United With a 3.99 GPA, Alan DTebvre will graduate as salutatorian of Grand County High School's Class of 2001. Alan appreciates and has taken full advantage the unique opportunities that living in Moab has afforded him. As a captain of the GCHS soccer Class and cross-countr- y teams, Alan has learned much about leadership, teamwork, discipline and commitment. Involvement in mathematics competitions, orchestra, and other school activities has added an important dimension to his life. Alan has attended the Governors Honors Academy, Utah National Guard Freedom Academy, University of Utah Youth Academy of Excellence, and Utah State Universitys Engi- - States Military Acad- emy in West Point, New York. Alan, the son of Cheryl Jenkinson and Thomas Lefebvre, is extremely grateful to all of the teachers, coaches, and community members who have given him their time and support. He believes that they have given him a love of learning and a commitment to excellence and service that will always be an important part of who he is. Thank goodness for coupons. . . study of La Sals sprucefir forest naturally moves in and takes over. But some people love aspen groves and might not want them to gradually disappear from the La Sals. The aspen is especially important in the fall when they paint the mountains with a broad bright brush of golden color. One way to forestall the process is to employ proscribed bums in the aspen groves. But that means smoke, fire, and a bum scar for a season or two on a highly visible part of Moabs scenic landscape. Cassamassa said he wants to know how the community values the aspen groves vs. the temporary scenic 'liabilities. Other topics the study will look vehicle use, priat include off-roa- d vate property protection plans and water issues. Cassamassa said public opinion would play an important role in determining how his agency deals with what some might think are purely biological issues. You cant separate one component from another. Its all integrated." The community has expectations, whether they know it or not, Moseley said. The human dimension is going to dictate whats going to happen up there. Christina Elizabeth White, this is the years GCHS of David White. and Betty daughter She was bem in Moab and has always attended Grand County Schools. Her favorite classes were A.P. Calculus and A.P. English. She said, I've always loved English, and Calculus made me think. I like that. There were a lot of really neat applications of math that I"d never seen before." Christina has always enjoyed writing and has been encouraged throughout her schooling. She was chosen to participate in the River of Words writing workshop with Terry Tempest Williams and Primus St. John. Her natural autobiography was chosen to be published. Chnstina was the General Sterling Scholar this year and participated in a wide variety of school events. She tutored elementary students, was in the recycling club, the editorial staff of the literary journal and acted as secretary of the seminary council. Christina was involved in sports throughout high school. She lettered in soccer, and was in debate, indoor track, and track. She received an academic award at the state track meet this year. She enjoys being part of a team and being physically active. Being successful in sports is all about dedication, she said. Some of her best high school memories were of long J.E.T.S. (Junior Engineering Technical Society) trips where she had a lot of fun wiih her friends along with working together to solve complicated problems. She also enjoyed Spirit Week. She has a lot of school spirit and loves showing it, whether its dressing silly or painting her face. She was voted most spirited. One of her greatest fears about leaving high school is that there wont be enough school spirit next year. Having a great team is only part of being great. The rest depends on the crowd. Christina received an academic scholarship from Weber State University where she plans to attend college next year. all-sta- 1 Mostly, theyre going to attempt to identify trends, he said. One of the top issues facing local forest managers one theyre hoping the study will illuminate concerns the fate of the La Sal aspen groves, encroaching sprucefir forests and public attitudes about management options. District Forest Ranger Glen Cassamassa said hed like to know what the community thinks. The encroachment of the spruce fir forest into aspen groves is part of a natural, successional process. As the aspen ages, the surrounding White is covaledictorian spent all day at work, went home to loads of dirty laundry and dishes, and barely had a minute to read the newspaper. It's a good thing clipped those coupons, otherwise would have bounced enother check. . . I I I 4 f niiniM ? fi F iMMr.aiiMiffmiUM ir ' mm- if - '' i |