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Show Page A5 (life Interested in the "real" news from the community Letters to the Editor Corny over Sam's column Dear Sam, My husband and I were visiting my youngest sister last week in Moab (Val and Mike Mutt) and v. hile we were there, got to read The Times. We were especially interested in your editorial about the Shaker corn that you had gotten a few kernels of while on one of your many trips. Your last few lines indicated that you might be willing to share some of the kernels from your crop with interested people willing to keep the strain pure. Would you be willing to mail us a few of those kernels? We live in the Northwest (we could try it out in our climate) .and every summer have a 6mall garden. We would like to try the corn and would be willing to not mix it with other corn . Even after the death of both my parents (Les and Sue Graves' I love to visit Moab (need my Moab fix each year). Love to visit with friends, family and see the new address changes in Moab. Now that we have the Thursday, August 9, 2001 imrg3nftrpmftfnl can stay more connected with for The Moab via the Internet. Let me know about the com kernels most willing to send the address and willing to pay for postage. Sincerely, Sandy Holster, (Vancouver, WA) PS. So glad that both you and Adnen continue to write for the paper. Those are my favonte sections to read!!! note: Dear Sandie: Good to hear from How I could refuse a request from a daughter of you. two of my favorite people in the world. We ate one ear Sunday, just to see how it tasted. It was great. But we are going to let the rest of the row mature, since we have had so many requests for seed from avid local gardeners. Send your address. You will get your kernels. If it worked for Mr. Jefferson in muggy Virginia, Im sure it Sam will work well in the Northwest. Hello Mr. and Mrs. Taylor! Its been a month since I left Moab for work here in Boulder Colorado. I get your paper weekly and I'm current on the big news, but what about the really important stuff? Do the birds still celebrate before the nm turns pink? Is a pancake with John and Ruby still the best start? Is Dale back in the saddle yet? is the grass thick for Bobs herd? Has he seen the bear this summer? How many dogs does Ralph have now? Has Dave got his bike running? Is Mill Creek still cool? How big are those lobsters now Do my neighbors, Bill, Kary, Rees and Lee still go into the desert? Is someone still counting them back at night? Are Becca and Jedson still feeding the horses7 Is Lynn at home at all times this summer? How did the 200 North dikes hold up to the down pour7 Can we still catch up on news at Dave's? Do Soma ar.d John remember how to make a Carl of a Jim? Do the Turner Barbie Twins still entertain? Is Maryone keeping things lush? Has Wayne found cool work this summer? Has Joe started another weird beard yet? Are Dotys gardens happy? Ill be back when Im done here. In the meantime, I think of you every day. Be well. Jim Walker Boulder, Colo. Co Publisher's note: Thanks for the letter, Jim The answ er to most all of your questions is a resounding YES. But youve given me a good idea about a trivia column describing w hy Moab is so special. The greatest response to any of my columns thus year has been the one about my special antique com. These are important things to those of us who love to live here. Now all we at the T-- I need is someone to write us a weekly column about these Sam important issues Comments Highway hazard Dear Editor, Several months ago, when Highway 191 south of town was resurfaced, an additional northbound lane was added north and south of where Spanish Trail Road meets the highway. South of Spanish Trail Road, this new lane is a right turn lane, while north of Spanish Trail Road it is a merge lane. Since the creation of the right lane, 1 have had several close encounters wdth northbound Hwy. 191 vehicles. While stopped at the stop sign on Spanish Trail, I have seen vehicles using the turning lane as a through lane, using the lane to drive by at fast highway speeds. One of these vehicles was a semi truck going about 65 mph. I believe this is a dangerous situation now as it seems some drivers think there are two through lanes instead of one through lane and one turning lane. I suggest that the county identify this lane as a Right Turn Only lane where it approaches Spanish Trail Road from 'he south. R. Ridges Moab Stucki wants lower taxes, not more services Dear Editor, Property taxes are a hard tax to swallow. You can save and sweat for decades, to finally pay off a mortgage, only to be saddled with a new, never ending and ever increasing tax mortgage." For the retired and elderly, and those on fixed incomes, this is an especially heavy burden. My parents live on 10 acres in Castle Valley, in a modest log home we constructed 25 years ago. Im not sure what their property taxes were back then. But today, their property tax costs them as much as what paylot. ments were on a I figure that in about 25 years Ill be slowing down a little and looking to retire. I should have my house paid offby then. Im growing more and more concerned about the tax mortgage I will have to deal with at that time. Like my parents, Im afraid I wont ever see full retirement, because of this substantial, ongoing expense. increased property taxes for 10 years. But if you stand back from the tree and view the broader picture, reality is very different. Two years ago my assessed value rose $7,000 on my property. This year my homes value increased $30K. That increases my taxes $140 With the proposed rate increase it will be $183. The business I manage has seen even more astronomical increases. In 1999 our property taxes increased $700 on one of our lots. This year the second lot and building will increase even more! All this even without the 15 increase! Is there anyone out there who hasnt seen similar kinds of increases in the last few We read the headline, County Proposes 15 Tax Hike," we all gulp hard! It goes on to say, Taxes on a home with a value of 100K would increase $18... on a business of the same value, $33. Well, its only $18 a year and we are all aware of things that need to be fixed and improved. So we years? It seems to me that growth and increasing property values should more than offset any increased expenses due to cost of living or inflation. There is no good reason for the countys expenses to be growing faster than the population base it serves. There are all kinds of worthwhile things that people want the county to do and be involved in. But as for me, I dont want more services, I want lower taxes! Respectfully submitted, Gregg Stucki hasnt Moab grumble a little and let it go. Besides, the county If Great Lakes can't provide service, get another vendor the Editor, This letter is to complain about the service Moab is receiving from Great Lakes Aviation. Two months ago, the DOT approved substantial subsidies to Great Lakes for service from Moab to Phoenix, Page and Denver. Last week, a friend of mine drove an hour and a half to the Denver airport only to be told his full fare flight had been canceled. He wasnt notified. When I called the Moab Airport to inquire, the staff there told me this happens all the time" and the regularly scheduled service is indeed very irregular. So what the blazes are we paying for? Who would dare to book a flight that might not leave and is almost a sure bet not to get you home on time? As a business person here and member of the economic community this especially disturbs me. How can we possibly expand tourism or develop some light industry without regular, reliable air service? What future do our destination resorts andor businesses have To 259-560- 2, on their list. There was a lot of support for the southwest look stucco and no brick or block construction. Most residents favored a low-keunobtrusive building that blends in with the valley. There was also a lot of interest in a modest design with the potential of adding on at a later date. y, The committee sent advertisements to architects throughout the state and has already received some responses from a few local and Salt Lake City firms as the closing date nears. The project is really moving with some speed," the mayor said He is confident they will have a basic plan in time for an application to the Per- manent Community Impact Fund Board due later this month. There have been no applications filed for the three seats on the Castle Valley Town Council so far, according to Town Clerk Dorothy Harding. The Grand County Service Area for the Castle Valley Fire Protection District has also not had anyone file for the two positions on that commission. Aug. 1 5 at 5 p.m. is the deadline to file for a position on either board. Town Clerk Dorothy Harding can be contacted at 8 to fill out a declaration of candidacy for the town council. The same declaration for the fire district can be turned in to any of the present commissioners, Floyd Stoughton, Jim Smouse or Ron Drake. Copies of the Declaration of Candidacy for the fire district can be found on the town bulletin board. Although no one has filed for a seat on the town council yet, Mayor Keeler has indicated his intention to run for another term and Councilman Robert Ryan will probably run again. Councilman Dorr Hatch was not sure of his intentions as of a couple of weeks ago. 259-982- Seven people took the course last without a way to get clients, vendors and customers in and out of town on schedule? Coine to Moab for a weekend of golf and you may get home sometime before Wednesday? Schedule a conference for clients and have half of them stranded at airports? Everyone who lives here and tries to make a living should be concerned about this. (For those who are not, may I congratulate you on the size of your trust fund.) There is absolutely no way Moab can develop any sort of d economic base without consistent air service. We are paying for it through our tax dollars and its a farce. Im sending a copy of this letter to the Department ofTrans-portatio- n and I hope youll all join me. We NEED this service. If Great Lakes cannot supply it, we should get another vendor. At the very least, they should not be receiving subsidies for services they are not providing. Thank you, Rose Fryer year-roun- Moab Car seat checkpoint cut short by weather Dear Sam and Adrien, Due to severe weather conditions, the Car Seat Check Point at the Grand County Fair Ground was closed early. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused our patrons. For anyone who is still interested in having their car seat installation checked or if you were interested in purchasing a new car seat from us, please contact Tamie at the Health Department at Car seat checks and purchases will be ar- - Castle Valley Town Mayor Bruce Keeler reported this week that the town was issued a sole source aquifer designation from the Environmental Protection Agency Several months ago, the town applied for such a designation as another step toward watershed protection. Sole source aquifer simply means the valley has no other source of water except what we receive through our wells from the La Sal Mountain aquifer. The designation will work hand in hand with the towns watershed ordinance and will restrict federally funded projects that would endanger our watershed. The committee that was formed to collect information for the building of a new town hall and community center has received and tallied all of the results from the questionnaire sent out last month. The biggest need, according to the residents was for a community meeting center and space open for various types of public functions and indoor recreation. Many even favored a gymnasium incorporated into the building, a luxury probably far above the limited budget. Office space for the clerk, mayor and others apparently wasnt very high ranged by appointment only. A huge thank you to Bill Zonotti, City Market, KCYN, KZMU and The Trading Post, Channel 6 News, and of course the . Without your help, the Car Seat Check Point would have been impossible, Thanks for getting the word out. Sincerely, Tamie Mosher, RN Certified Car Seat Technician, SEUDHD T-I- Times-Independe- week to qualify as CPR Professional Rescuers with the AED modular, according to Doug Caylor, coordinator for the valleys first responders team. He said he was impressed with how many showed up for the training and indicated that they are off to a good start. Those who attended the first session included Eddie Morandi, Melody Taylor, Dahus and Theresa Roberts, Cane Miliatano, Jennifer Redding and Floyd Stoughton. Those who were certified before or would like to join the first responders team is encouraged to contact Caylor at The next class is scheduled for Saturday, Aug 18 259-538- from 1 to 5 p.m. Twenty years ago, the old Architectural Control and Planning Committee of the property owners association had some anxious moments as a very large tent was erected on the corner of Castle Valley Drive and Shafer Lane. They probably feared a new family was taking up permanent residence on the prominent corner. Instead, it was Ralph Miller and Stanley Morrison preparing to hold a revival meeting in the valley. They were here a couple of days before pitching their tent elsewhere. It was unknown if their preaching produced any converts. A warm hello from the Castle Valley homestead1" wrote columnist JoAnna Ehlers in the first writing of the Castle Valley Comments 25 years ago this week. The column featured the Stucki family and their eight children. guest editorial nt e our programs, adults have been encouraged to d it becomes easier their senses. As life gets more to let go of the clear vision and curiosity we had as children, to tune out noise and sounds we might want to hear and take our sense of smell for granted. The Manti- - La Sal National Forest is a place of unique beauty as well as vast extremes. The Abajo and La Sal mountains are laccolithic; meaning they were created by hot magma pushing up from the earth that did not break the surface. The Castle Country desert region of Utah surrounds the Wasatch Plateau. As you enter the Price Ranger District of the forest you leave the rocky, dry desert. The landscape turns into green trees, running streams and flourishing canyons that erupt with life. On Thursday Sept. 6, we will be at the Moab Information Center at 7 p.m. presenting a program entitled Two Women in the Wild". We would be happy to present programs to interested groups. Contact Angie Brown or Stephanie Powell at the Price Forest Service office at We are also connected to Canyonlands Natural History Association (CNHA). CNHA is a organization that assists the educational and scientific efforts of the Forest Service, BLM and National Park Service. Contact Brad Wallis at Canyonlands Natural History Association in Moab at fine-tun- The Voice of the Forest fast-pace- by Angie Brown Sal Interpreter Mantl-L- a partnership between the Forest Service and Canyonlands Natural Hstory Association What is the significance of a National Forest? Do we A need them? Should the public explore them more? Trying to answer and explain these questions is the task of my job this summer. My partner, Stephanie Powell, and I have taken on the challenge of being the first Manti-L- a Sal National Forest Interpreters. The Abajo and La Sal mountains make up the southern part of the foiest, and the Wasatch Plateau near Price is the northern most point of the Manti-L- a Sal National Forest. We have designed and presented programs for local children and adults as well as people passing through the area. Our younger audiences have been given opportunities to explore the forest using their sense of touch, observing the many shapes and colors found in a forest and becoming wildflowers. While on a journey through the forest older kids were shown examples of the interconnectedness of life, competition between trees and the diversity of wildlife found in the National Forest. Through CENTER CAFE & (FOR HOAR AREA RESIDENTS) AT a Family Pass for $ 0 any time Buy GLOBALLY INSPIRED CUISINE 1 during the month and your family rides free for the rest of that month . Plus, your out of area guests wiil each get $ I off when riding Center Ca ft will be opening at our new location Friday, August 0,h Please come and enjoy dinner in our fabulous new dining room and courtyard. We've added a retail market to offer a selection of fully prepared and ready to finish at home dishes, plus those hard to find ingredients. Come see how we've grown at 60 North 100 West! with a member of your household. 1 60 North 100 West Moab, Utah 435.259.4295 State Liquor Licensee Dinner daily - 5:30-1- 0 Market - 11 close -- M i i |