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Show THE SAN JUAN RECORD Wednesday, March 9, 2005 - Page 6 What happened in Bluff? r The San Juan Record welcomes letters from our readers. Letters to the Editor must be: No more than 350 words Signed Include the authors address and phone number The San Juan Record reserves the right to edit letters for length, clarity and to eliminate libelous or tasteless 'The Dear Editor: This is not the first time I find myself writing about a dead dog. Since moving to the Southwest 13 years ago, I have realized dead dogs are as integral to the landscape as red rocks and barbed wire fences. It came as a hard lesson when I lived in Tuba City that over population of dogs led to a lackadaisical attitude of the carnage they left behind. But all that is another story, though closely entwined with why Im writing this today. Somewhere along the way after countless bags of cheap dog food, countless trips to countless shelters with car loads of malnutritioned misfits, and dump runs that uncovered pups thrown out with the trash, I too learned to turn my head. I pretend it doesnt exist or at least that it doesnt bother me. I pretend its not my problem. So, the road kill piles up, as dot's the scattered canine corpses of many a mercy killing. This brings up another personal quandary, are they better off dead? I wish I had the heart to take them home or take them out. All in all I feel helpless in my newfound ignorance (its bliss). Which brings me to my purpose here today. I live in Bluff. I have a small child and I love it here. It is the perfect place to raise a child: safe, beautiful, clean, and a community that seems more like a hodgepodge nuclear family than the town of far away transplants it largely is. The other mothers and I seem to share just about everything; jobs, heartaches, laughs, and at times our children. All of this is what keeps me here when I feel like I might be missing out on something in the real world. Recently, on a Saturday morning, my phone gave1 one of those rings as it sometimes does. Dawn, slow yet panicked, soft yet urgent. Something weird just happened and Im freaking out. It was a good friend, another mother, someone who I would generally describe as calm. Her story continued. I listened, told her not to worry, and agreed she might alert the police. Now I have to admit the "America's Most Wanted showdown with the Dollars (or lack thereof) had happened just the day before. The fact that potentially dangerous persons who allegedly caused harm to children were apprehended near our essentially crimeless hamlet sent a ripple of unease through us all. What does any of this have to do with a dead dog? Here it is. My friend was out walking that very morning when she stumbled upon the body of a recently expired dog. Not too unusual around here as 1 have mentioned, except for how it seemed to have happened. It appeared as though he was strangled right where he stood, which ironically enough, was atop Cemetery Hill. Around his neck the fur had been rubbed off and the kicker, a pair of gloves, as though used in the act, were callously thrown onto his lifeless remnants. Other than this he could have been someones pet. The scene was suspicious. The police were informed. The town was somewhat abuzz. And some of you are wondering, whats the big deal, after all its just a dog. (enter apathy here) Many possible scenarios were discussed. Animal lovers were appalled; others just shrugged their shoulders, while young moms voiced their bigger fears. Did someone randomly and cruelly kill a defenseless dog by hand and then proudly display the proof? Or maybe someone was defending their own from an attack? My friend was right to a degree of alarm considering the implications of the former act. Maybe its just a simple overlooked explanation tainted with lingering hysteria from the horror we felt when hearing the accusations against the Dollars. I'm just wondering if anyone out there can tell us exactly what happened hen. T$ecorb uh-o- h HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER FOR SAN JUAN COUNTY, UTAH SINCE 1915 AN AWARD WINNING NEWSPAPER Publisher Editor BILL BOYLE Office Manager TERRY CRAMER Ad Design p Office Assistant ANDREA MONTGOMERY Proofreader DAWN BOYLE Insertion Specialist ALICE EPPLE Writers NELL DALTON MAXINE DEETER LEO PLATERO GARY TORRES DORIS VALLE TERRI WINDER News Writers ANNATHAYN SCOTT BOYLE PHONE & FAX 435-587-22- SPECIAL Hand-me-down- s, dan Juan Paste-u- LOCAL APPRECIATION 77 IL Open for Breakfast & Chinese Buffet Friday Nights Lunch 7 days a week MONTICELLO Ceoss moads restaurant 133 E. Central Monticello (435) 587-504- 8 7 DaysWeek 8am-2p- Fri Nights YARQIWORK 5Xs BgwgytMaaair Wwaiijfcil f 4i !H? 7 W SAN JUAN BUILDING SUPPLY 1050 S MAIN 435 - 678 - 2000 BLANDING Dawn Dilego net SjrnewsSfrontiernet off Breakfast, Lunch or Chinese Buffet Come in for 10 Bluff Devils Canyon living up to its name SUBSCRIPTION RATES San Juan County Outside County - USA APO or FPO address Newsstand Sr Citizen Sr Out of County S18 S26 S26 50c S17.50 S25.50 To have a sample copy sent to a friend, send us his or her address. Write to PO Box 879, Monticello, UT 84535. Copyright, The San Juan Record, 2004. All rights reserved. Reproduction, reuse or transmittal of all matter herein is without prohibited prior written permission by the publisher. ISSN Dear neighbors: We, at Weeminuche Construction Authority in Devil's Canyon, are writing to let you know how were doing so far and about our upcoming changes. Please feel free to share this letter. Devils Canyon has certainly lived up to its name. We've dealt with a flash flood, two mud slides and a couple of boulders made their way abruptly to the bottom of the canyon early one morning. Thankfully, none of these occurrences have caused injury. The hauling of material from Devils Canyon and construction of the berm to support Recapture Dam is 30 percent completed. We hoped to be further ahead and plan to add a night shift March 15, 2005 (depending on weather) to get us back on schedule. This means that instead of stopping north and southbound traffic between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. we will be stopping traffic up to 20 minutes, day and night. We plan to work Monday through Friday and some Saturdays to make up for inclement weather during the week. There have been no changes made at access roads (turnoffs) adjoining the highway. Feel free to contact our Public Information Manager, Dan Raisor, at with questions and problems. Our public service line is and our email address is wcautahCTrontiernet.net. We wish to thank the anonymous caller that alerted us to an inherent road problem the other day. Sand and twigs had built up over the years, causing a large pool of water to back up on the road at the bottom of Devils Canyon. This created a hydroplaning hazard. We jumped right on it and had the problem corrected in 20 minutes. Well keep you posted as to upcoming changes. 435-587-10- 0894-327- 3 435-587-10- Published weekly at 49 South Main, Monticello. Utah Periodical postage paid at Monticello Utah 84535 Postmaster: Send (ISSN0894-3273- to P.O. all ) address Box 879, Utah 84535. The Monticello, San Juan Record is a member of the Utah Press Association and changes National Newspaper Association Sincerely. 29th Annual Sale Saturday, March 12th, 2005 1 :00p.m. Delta Sales Yard Delta, CO 874-461- 2 (970) Free delivery within a 300 mile radius with the purchase of five bulls or more. bulls will beTB, Bangs, Fertility, Most will have a PAP test. All BVD and Trich tested. Over 40 progressive breeders from Western Colorado will be participating in this sale! For Information: sale listing: www.westerncoloradoangus.org Mike J. Dan Raisor, Weeminuche Construction Authority - Goscha-(970)704-104- 1 Mike Ripp - (970)874-512- 7 |