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Show - At The San Juan Record ". r HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER FOR SAN JUAN COUNTY, UTAH 4 Vol 74 i h -- - ' : wi Ar' 'V' ' V, t ' ? p V ir . y '. -- Nv t . f?yVx li . :J? 5 - . , j 4 . ' -; '- v? v ,. " a ? 4 , 4 J? .a CM , , A -- I . I , i' ' ?'-- , .V, - V ' ' & ; A 'r ; San Juan County commissioners agreed Monday to accept a $100,000 grant to study feasibilities and hazards of building a monitored retrievable storage facility in San Juan County. Commissioners Bill Redd and Ty Lewis voted in favor after passing the chair to Commissioner Mark Maryboy, who declared to be against the motion. In voting his support, Redd stated that the commission would be remiss, in light of the countys economic position, not to consider every rea- sonable opportunity for growth. Heading down a road in canyon country. Alvin Reiner photo First radiation exposure compensation check presented Senator Orrin G. Hatch presented the first Radiation Exposure Compensation check on May 11 in the Governors Board Room of the Utah State Capitol. Family members of ra- diation exposure victims are finally being compensated for some of the grief and hardship they endured as a result of the devastating cancer that afflicted their families, said Hatch. The federal government has finally acknowledged its duty to provide relief to these people. The first compensation check went to G. Val Snow, of West Valley City. After all the years we worked so hard, its good to know that these families are beginning to see this compensa- tion, added Hatch. Snow is the son of Chesney Q. Snow who was a uranium miner in Marysville, Utah, and died of cancer in 1970. In attendance at the cere- mony were Helene God-berdirector of the Torts Branch at the Department of Justice, and Tim ORourke, g, council to the Assistant U.S. Attorney General. Navajo trust fund still frozen A state board appointed by Governor Norman Banger-te- r to oversee the Utah Navajo Oil Royalty Trust Fund has decided to extend the freeze on expenditures from the fund. The board, however, has agreed to use the trust fund to pay emergency health care costs and to pay for Navajo students to attend the College of Eastern UtahSan Juan Campus. The fund has now been frozen for more than four months because of allega- tions by state auditors that millions of dollars were mismanaged by officials of Utah Navajo Development Council and its Board members are Edward Alter, Utah state trea- surer; Gordon Crabtree, rector of the Utah Division of Finance; and, Dale Hatch, associate commissioner of higher education di- for Utah and one time Utah State Budget director. Alter said the board still knows too little about the way the trust fund operated to make informed decisions on how the money should best be used. The state has distributed a request for proposals for a professional trust man- ager. In addition, attempts are being made by Peterson Zah, Navajo Nation president, to get the fund turned over to the tribe to handle. cents May 13, 1992 Commission votes to accept MRS grant ,, rv 30 No 15 Maryboy said his opposition is based on his constituency of Utah Navajos, who are against any nuclear activity. He said, however, if he is given solid information indicating the operation would be safe, he will reconsider. Maryboy recounted a recent discussion with commissioners of Apache County, Arizona, which has Navajos in their voting body. Apache County is also an applicant for the MRS study grant, and, if accepted, would place the facility on the Navajo Reservation with the endorse- ment of Navajo Nation President Peterson Zah. Maryboy has invited Zah to Juan County mission meeting to explain his position. Before voting to accept the application, commissioners heard comments against accepting the grant. Ken Sleight, speaking for some San Juan County Democratic party members, was critical. He said much of the study on nuclear waste has already been done and time involved with this study could be spent on other county business. Sleight said an MRS facility would injure tourist a San business. com- Commissioner Lewis countered that San Juan County cannot survive on tourism alone, and, in any case, some environmentalists are proposing a limit on the number of tourists to the area. In response to questions about commissioners being paid extra salaries from study grant funds, Lewis said the names of commissioners were used to expedite filling out the grant apHe explication form. plained that any grant funds directed to commis- sion officials would be verted into the county general fund. Sheriff Claude Lacy met di- with commissioners to dis- cuss problems of running the jail within budget while meeting changing regulations of the State Department of Corrections. The jail was built to accommodate at least 50 state inmates plus county prisoners. Currently, there are 30 state prisoners in the jail. Unforeseen regulatory changes, salary increases, and efforts to avoid liability suits with prisoners are causing budget over-runLacy said. s, In other business, commissioners approved an agreement with the U.S. Forest Service that will al- - low completion of the HartC Draw' Road, - approved a permit for a $455,000 expansion of a compression station owned by Northwest Pipeline, - reported receipt of a $29,000 grant from the Community Impact Board for use in the La Sal community center project, - approved a beer license for the San Juan Inn and Trading Post in Mexican Hat, and, - noted that the Com- Impact munity Board granted $110,000 to fund ar- chitectural services for tlu county hospital. Schafer and Barrett will run for commission seat in Demo primary Vernon Schafer of Monti-cell- o or Alyse Barrett of will be the Democratic 01-jat- o candidate for San Juan County Commission, District Number One. Delegates at the Democratic Convention this past Saturday gave Schafer eight votes and Barrett four. The winner of the primary will face Republican incumbent Ty Lewis of Monticello in the November general election. Fifteen state delegates and three alternates were chosen to attend the Democratic State Convention on in Salt Lake June City. The delegates are: 12-1- 3 Linden Young, Mary Lou Kosanke, Joe Nakai, Rebecca Benally, Mark Maryboy, Alfred Nez, Vernon Bedonie, Oaine Foy, Alyse Barrett, Lee Reynolds, San- dra Fletcher, Sue Halliday, John Evans, Ken Sleight and Norman Begay. Alternates are Eric Swenson, Albert Atene, and Bufaye Reynolds. The delegates will meet Saturday, May 23, at White Mesa to put final touches on the party plat- form. Fourteen candidates spoke at the convention, which began with a flag song by White Spotted Wolf, a Towaoc drum group. Ken Sleight, party chairman, paid tribute to Arvilla War- Maryboy -- .aid the Demo- crats can win in San Juan County if they remain focused. He called for an I must win" attitude. Maryboy is a San Juan County commissioner and Navajo Tribal Council egate. a del- Candidate speakers included Congressman Bill Orton; Mike Dmitrich, candidate for the Utah Senate, District 27; and Dan Nakai, candidate for the Utah House of Representatives. Other candidate speakers were: Doug Anderson, candidate for the U.S. Senate; Stewart Hanson, Byron Marchant and Pat Shea, gu- bernatorial candidates; Scott Daniels and Jan Gra- ham, candidates for Utah attorney general; Gary Bowen and Art Monson, candidates for Utah state treasurer; Harold Black, candidate for state auditor; and, Alyse Barrett and Vernon Schafer, candidates for San Juan County commissioner. Merlyn Worthy represented Congressman Wayne Owens, candidate for the United States Senate. Party Chairman Sleight said the Democratic Party Convention in San Juan County had never before been honored with the pres- serren for her long-tim- e vice as San Juan County recorder, and to Bufaye Reynolds for her years of service as county Democratic chairman. Art Mon-socandidate for state treasurer, paid tribute to Jean Melton for her work as an advocate for Native American Indians. Keynote speaker Mark n, ence of so many political candidates. Also speaking were Louise Hensen, candidate for as national re-electi- on committeewoman, and Dr. Marie Tso Allen, Arizona candidate for Congress. Allen advised the convention of work in progress to form a Northern Arizona Democratic Party. |