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Show GSCEIEECi ' " 0? GSCKJuO 03 CE33D rr f , . . .' Jf T -- Primary election is June 25 Voters go to the polls on June 25 to narrow the Republican field in two races for the November general election. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 18 San Juan County precincts. Voters in the Spanish Valley and Cedar Point precincts will vote entirely by absen- tee ballot. One race generating interest is between Republi- cans Chris Cannon and fill HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER FOR SAN JUAN COUNTY, UTAH V0I8O 30 No 38 cents SINCE 1915 June 19, 1996 Settlement reached in jury selection bias case Attorneys representing the parties involved in a jury selection bias suit have reached a settlement designed to address the historic lack of Native Americans on Seventh District Court juries in San Juan County. Loren Crank, Jr., a Navajo from Montezuma Creek, alleges that Native Americans have been unfairly represented in jury trials and the evidence appears to support the contention. A recent study shows that in 1996, Native Americans, with approximately 52 percent of the population in San Juan County, make up ap- proximately 34 percent of jury lists. The defendants in the case, the Utah Judicial Council, counter that the disparities are the result of administrative and jurisdictional difficulties and are not the result of a systematic attempt to deny jury rights to Native Ameri- cans. The full text of the agreement is contained in a legal notice beginning on page 17 of this newspaper. The agreement sets up a mechanism to implement a plan to assure that Seventh District Court jurors are chosen from sources reflective of a cross section of the community of San Juan County. Names on a jury selection source list shall be within five per cent of the estimated percentage of adult Native Americans in San Juan County in any given year. The case will be maintained as a class action, with Attorneys Eric P. Swenson of Monticello, and Jensie L. Anderson of the American Civil Liberties Union representing prospective Native American jurors in the case. The settlement calls for explanatory documents to be posted at the Navajo Chapter Houses, at the Ute Mountain Reservation at White Mesa, at the Seventh District Court and in the San Juan Record and Navajo Times. The puilies agree to engage in reasonable discussions to resolve their differbefore ences informally resorting to further litiga- tion. The agreement provides for also the routine use of compulsory process and to encourage compliance by jurors with jury selection procedures. Compulsory process is not sanctions currently available. Monticello threatens to pull plug The City of Monticello has to threatened condemn Loyds Lake, in effect nullifying a contract that provides water to the Monticello millsite repository. Contracts have sold approxiof water mately 180 acre-fethe millsite clean up proApproximately 45 ject. acre-fehave been used thus far. The council made a draft of an emergency declaration to condemn Loyds Lake at a hastily called meeting after the June 12 council meeting. Loyds Lake currently holds approximately 1,300 acre-feeaccording to a meter at the site. Capacity when full is 3,800 acre-fewith a conservation pool (minimum storage) of 500 et for et Colorado or the City of Blanding. In another matter at the June 12 council meeting, Monticello Police Chief Kent Adair reported on the ongoing investigation into a series of burglaries at local businesses. Adair also discussed alleged mistreat- ment of the police department by a city councilman. Adair states that the councilman badmouths the department and threatens police budgets, but makes numerous calls requesting department services. t, et acre-fee- t. Officials from the cleanup project are negotiating with city officials and are inves- tigating alternatives, in- cluding purchasing water from the Dolores Project in ffigtiZESBEEJ is between Republicans Julie Davies and Will Marshall for the District 27 seat in the Utah State Senate. The winner of the primary will face incumbent Mike Dmitrich in the November general election. Marshall is a fiscal conservative from Big Water who vows to revive the Sage- Third Congressional Seat in the United States House of Representatives. The winner will face incumbent Bill Orton in the November general election. brush Rebellion, return federal lands to the State of Utah, and avoid tax increases. Davies has not sent campaign information to the last-minut- The San Juan Record tics on both sides. The other race in question Tom Draschil for the Utah the sky each afternoon, providing much-neede- d moisture to Draschil was scheduled to some areas and nothing to other areas. Official precipitation measures in appear in Blanding early Monticello and Blanding were low, even though more than half an inch of rain this week on a fell as close as one mile from the measuring station in Monticello. Leon Yost photo swing through southeastern Billowing clouds to heat up, with increasing criticism of campaign tac- e Utah. After an initial focus on a united effort to defeat Orton, the race is beginning San Juan Record. The deadline to request an absentee ballot via the U.S. mail is June 21 and via walk-iat the San Juan County Courthouse in Monticello on June 24. n Blanding city council approves $5,462 million annual budget by Ruth Tibbitts The Blanding City Council cut more than $150,000 from original budget requests, but ended up approving a $5,462 million budget for the new fiscal year, set to begin July 1. Funds and program re- quests that were cut include golf course improvements, a Fire Department request for a new pumper truck, a Police Department plan to take over the DARE program, the RISE city beautification program, and pay increases for city employees. Approved was leases for two new cars for the police department. In other matters at the June 12 council meeting, the proposed golf course land swap was tabled. The council previously approved the swap of 90 acres south of town for approximately 75 acres surrounding the existing course. However, the decision was revisited after it was discovered that the portion surrounding the existing course was not 75 acres. The council discussed a recent appraisal of the two parcels of land. Robert Muir and Larry Richmond appraised the vacant land by the current course at $4,000 per acre and the vacant land on south Highway 191 at $1,500 per acre. Many water users north of town were surprised to receive water bills for their raw water taps this month. The council recently approved a rate schedule for use of the raw water taps by land owners which provide for a large amount of free raw water before fees are charged. However, the rate schedule states that if the city is pumping water from Recapture Reservoir, there would be no free water from the taps. Rental rates for hangers at the Blanding Airport will increase from $600 to $800 a year for small hangars, and from $800 to $1,000 a year for large hangars. Blanding City is offering to trim trees that are next to, or touching, power lines. This service is free of It is for electrical safety only, not for landscaping or aesthetic purposes. To sign up for these services call the City Office charge. at 1. Three killed It was like a practice drill designed to overwhelm emergency services, but local personnel responded well to an early morning accident involving a single car with 18 occupants. Three of the 18 occupants of a van were in the accident, which occurred June 12 on near the Arizona border. Many of the injured were taken to the Blanding Medical Center for initial treatment. Overall, victims were treated at hospitals in Monument Valley, Monticello, Grand Junction, Colorado, and Farmkilled US-19- 1 ington, New Mexico. The group was in the United States illegally, and did not have the financial resources to pay for the emergency response treatment. and |