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Show Page A9 (Df t Thursday, June 20, 2002 Tung-3nftrpnthr- nt Disagrees with President Bush Letters to the Editor An asset to our community Dear Sam, I just want to take a moment to say what an asset Russell Pierce, like his father (Mr. Ron Pierce), is to this community. His attitude does not go unnoticed. So often we overlook the simple things in life, like the people in our community who are working hard and sacrificing not just themselves but their family to make a difference in other peoples lives. Mr. Russell Pierce, we should not overlook; his smile brightens peoples hearts, his compas- - Likes dog park plans Dear Sena, Adrien & Sam, was delighted to see that Randy I Zimmerman had presented his plan for a dog park (within the Swanny City Park) to the city council! I think that it is a brilliant idea, the perfect solution to evicting dogs from the park. Many cities have solved the (obvious) problem that dogs in parks can create by doing just what Randy is proposing. Clarifying land swap story Dear Editor: In her account of the county council's consideration of a proposed forest land swap, Lisa Church states, the Forest Service contends that the ranch has no valid agreement with the agency, and has been using the land illegally since the 1950s." This sentence was not presented as a quote and is not how I said it, but I apologize for using the word illegally". Stories of how this situation came to pass vary. But what is clear is that during World War II cowboys working for what is now LaSal Livestock Company and the forest ranger agreed upon the site for what later became permitted as a management cabin. So now we hav eanother of those innocent events from the past coming home to haunt. The usual solution would be costly and possibly harmful to the community. But this time Dear Editor, sion touches peoples lives, his respect for the human race no matter where society has categorized you is a love that not very many have. I wish I could bottle it and give it away. I am a firm believer if people are treated with respect and felt like they are listened to it will make a difference in time. Russell has undoubtedly made an impact on not just my life but also the children in our home. May God bless him and his family, and all the people young and old who will take the time to watch, learn and apply. Tammy Jackson Moab People like Randy are a real asset to the city and should be applauded for their efforts to make life pleasant for all, while harming none. In the few dealings I have had with him, I have always found him to be a caring and compassionate person whose love of animals is admirable. Sincerely, Sara Melnicoff Moab are lucky. Both the Manti-L- a Sal Forest and owners of La Sal Livestock Company are considering a creative, amicable land exchange that will work to the publics benefit. Because the acreage is on the edge of the forest, transferring it to private ownership will neither create a new nor hinder forest management In return the forest will gain elimination of five that seriously hinder management of the Miners Bachelor Basins area. In the same paragraph the article states the other land parcel the Forest Service is considering for the trade is on Elk Ridge. I said down off Elk Ridge, but in fact it is about nine miles away, low on the southwest slope of Mt. Linaeus. And, as I explained to the council, it does not create a new forest but ininto one. stead joins two current Craig Bigler The Grand Canyon Trust, Moab we There already is a medical transportation service Dear Editor: Your June 6 issue featured a letter to the editor from Wm. T. Cunningham suggesting Moab needed a medical shuttle to Grand Junction. There already is one in Moab. Since January of 1996, through the nior CitizensCommunity Center, the District Department of Health has operated a medical program providing transportation services. Supported by is manned by volungrants, who donate their time and receive a teers mileage reimbursement and meals when applicable for taking individuals to and CARE-A-VA- N n to appointments when they cannot receive medical attention locally. Program Director Patsy Hough tells us more than 600 people from the area have been served since the program started. y serves a area that includes Grand, Carbon and Emery counties. From January to December 2001, 50 of the miles driven were done by Grand County volunteers. Local doctors make the referrals when necessary. Aa a community, Grand County has shown its support in realizing that transportation is definitely a problem for rural areas. The local manager is Alberta Knight. Her office is at the Senior CitizensCommunity Center. She can be reached at For more information about the program you can contact either Ms. Knight or Ms. Hough out-of-tow- CARE-A-VA- from medical appointments in Price, Provo, Salt Lake City, and Grand Junction. They also transport patients to local appointments in Moab. Unless they are covered by Medicaid, individuals are assessed fees on a sliding scale basis. Those using the service must consider the difficulty in getting on-si- N te 259-916- 2. at Sincerely, Norma S. Stocks Grand County Council on Aging, Moab Im against fencing out the average citizen from a section of Swanny Park.. There is a fenced-i- n pool and building, a gazebostage, picnic tables, a designated playground area, and a skate park. Now fences .... ? So people can let their dogs off a leash? Ive seen many neighbors walking their dogs. Its great exercise for both the dog and person. How many have you seen carrying bags to clean up after their dogs? If they dont do it six-fo- semi-finishe- ot EDITOR POLICY Ttw TlmS'lndependmt does not neces- sarily endorse the opinions published in tetters to the editor and guest editorials. The 1 welcomes opinions from its readers concerning any subject pertinent to Southeastern Utah, letters should be to toe point and must include the writers name, address and telephone number. Letters may net be used to replace advertisements, or to Bst and thank sponsors or participants to a particular event Letters to the editor wtS be not be accepted from any candidate who has filed for political office or from anyone writing to support of a filed candidate. Anything unsigned, of a nature, or containing defamatory statements wifl not be considered tor publication. Al SeQere must be typed or tegWy written, and be 400 words or teas. Letters are subject to editing. Mai to Tetter to toe Editor, P.O. Box 123, Moab, Utah, 84532. Deadline is Monday, 5 p.m. Letters may also be T-- sere via The e-m-al rsmes-lndepertcf- to eftoremobtimes.com. may not accept on their own streets, will they continually do it away from home? Swanny Park is being used occasionally for eventa such as Rod Benders, which is already pushing the room available. We dont need to make it any smaller. Such events potentially bring in money for the city and its merchants. We do have land on Center at the old Middle School. There are trees and one or two walls could be used to save on fencing. Barbara Fincham Moab Cows in poetry Letters to the Set-to- re from persons who wit more frequently ft tan ones wary four weeks. Hussein from using weapons of mass destruction, but an attack on Baghdad could push Hussein to do just that. Our militarys top officials say that Hussein might pull out all the stops and use biological and chemical weapons against U.S. troops, and who knows what else. If our President truly wants to protect Americans (as he Bays he does), he would do well to listen to his generals in this case. They have predicted that a war in Iraq would only Wrong location for a dog park Dear Sam, Adrien and Sena, Im sure Randy Zimmermans heart is in the right place, but his proposed location for a dog park in Swanny City Park is the wrong place. Anywhere in a people park would be a wrong place. Safety is one logical reason. Dogs do fight and bite. Who will pay the bills when someone gets injured? Or, reimburse the owner when a pocket poodle gets killed by larger dogs. It happened in my own yard, it certainly could happen in a public park. Sanitation is another reason. After spending years cleaning dog debris from my lawn, I cant Times-Independe- Dear Editor, A Michael Scherer of Moab, wrote something about meeting Elvis on Venus riding a cow that pooped. Or Efforts to discern whether Scherer spewed parody or paroxysm failed, then ended noble response intended. So, I'll turn it over to Samuel Hoffenstein, when he wrote: like the country very much: The trees, the grass, the birds and such; The crickets chirping in the dark; s The with their sudden spark; I like the sturdy hills that rise In gracious worship of the skies; The grove, the field, the church-likwood. The sweet, adventurous solitude. I like to watch the cattle graze Silent in the sunny days: The cows, that waking seem to sleep; The wooly and untroubled sheep. So simple and so unaware They seem to blend into the air. And yet should be quite cast down To see the country come to town. I like the country best for this; Because they put it where it is.m Roni Bell Sylvester La Salle, Colo. glow-worm- e -- imagine enjoying a picnic adjacent to a dog park especially if the wind is in the wrong direction. We have gone to great expense to provide entertaining facilities for young people. What happens when kids make their noisy fun? Dogs, too, get excited and bark. Hardly the setting for a pleasant day in the park. There is lots of wide open space in this area where owners may exercise their dogs. It seems unnecessary to share one of our few coveted parks with them. Sincerely, Maxine Newell Moab guest editorial nt A century of water for the West by John W. Keys, III, Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation On June 17, 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt signed the Reclamation Act, creating the agency now known as the Bureau of Reclamation. As we celebrate a century of supplying water for the West, am reminded of our many accomplishments over the years and am encouraged by the ones yet to come. President Roosevelt said in 907 the work of the tion Service in developing the western half of our country for irrigation is more important than almost any other movement What if Teddy Roosevelt could see us now? I think he would be amazed at all we've accomplished. know am. For 100 years, the Bureau of Reclamation has provided a consistent, reliable source of water to citizens of the 1 7 Westr, ern states for irrigation, 1 enough for about 9 million out a doubt, our projects are here to stay. Western water demands are increasing, and the industries that power the Western economy will always need the water and power from Reclamation facilities. From the beginning, Reclamation has served the values and needs of the people. And when those values and needs changed, so did we. Congress authorized every Reclamation project for the good of American citizens. That is the principle they were all built on, and that is how they are being operated today. While Reclamation began with single-purpos- e projects designed primarily for irrigation development, our program communities. The West has literally grown up around Reclamation projects the farms, the cities, the way of life all made possible with Reclamations help. Look at the great cities like Boise, Salt Lake City, Spokane, and Phoenix ad were built around and in conjunction with Reclamation projects. Today, our dam safety program is one of the best to the world. We are constantly improving our facilities and training pro- spawned additional benefits like flood control, recreation and municipal water. Though we started as a water development agency, our present and future is water resource management. Today, Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier in the United States, with operations and facilities across the West. These facilities include 348 reservoirs with the capacity to store 245 million acre-fee- t of water. Reclamation projects supply one out of five western farmers with irrigation water for approximately 10 million farmland acres that produce 60 percent of the nations vegetables and 25 percent of its fruits and nuts. Reclamation facilities also provide water to about 31 million people for municipal and industrial uses. In addition, Reclamation is the nations second largest producer of hydroelectric power, generating more than 42 billion kilowatt hours of energy each year from 58 hy- fessionals around the world. With droelectric power plants I I hydro-powe- drinking water, industry, recreation and wildlife habitat. Structures like Grand Coulee, Hoover and Shasta dams were and still are engineering - - masterpieces. Projects Against fencing off another portion of City Park Sam, if necessary to prevent Saddam options I three-count- Se- According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a war in Iraq might provoke just the disaster President Bush says he wants to avert. Our illustrious leader has said that he will pursue all increase the danger to U.S. citizens. I know that public opinion polls regarding our president have been positive; however, I would like to go on record as one U.S. citizen who does not agree with either his domestic or foreign policies. In my opinion, his decisions and his statements continue to be misguided and hypocritical at best, destructive and murderous at worst. And I do not appreciate being made to feel, by the media nor by my elected officials, as if speaking publicly about my disagreement with his policies puts me (and the many others who agree with me) at risk of being monitored by my own government. Sincerely, Alison Kennedy Moab like these not only led to new technologies, they created entire - people. Those power plants annually return about $600 million to toe United States Treasury. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Reclamation is not an agency stuck in the past. We will continue to discover and employ innovative, ways to meet the increasing demands for the West's limited water supplies. Now and in the foreseeable future, this agency will be a central participant in a multcost-effecti- itude of new, strat- address the West's water needs. In particular, egies to working with irrigators, cities and towns, power users, environmental interests and others, we will devise strategies to use water more than once before it gets to the end user. Partnerships like these are something we pride ourselves on at Reclamation. By working at toe local level, we build strong relationships which enable us to come together to address the issues. This is what Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton likes to call the 4 Cs" and its an accurate guideline of how Reclamation operates and where we are going in the future. We use communication, cooperation and consultation al! to serve the cause of conservation. Although we are celebrating our past throughout the year, we are now, more than ever, focused on the future. Reclamations commitment is unwavering. We are dedicated to finding solutions to the complex water issues facing us today. What started as an agency of engineers has grown into a diverse and talented workforce that is forging ahead and laying the groundwork for the next 100 years. |