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Show tC8 QT -- P8KS08T H H? C UTAH 307 SLC, PRESS ASSOCIATION Seven day forecast See 200 S 5005 UT 84101 W A7 Mostly cloudy Ute softball players Chamber history revealed See page A12 Thursday dance See Page B8 Partial Partly cloudy Single Copy 50$ lMSHrdlsDinieini WoinrasaQ a By Steven R. Wallis Express Editor Tuesday morning, members of the Venial 1457 Engineer Combat Battalion were deployed overseas. Their location is not known, but it was reported to be somewhere in the Middle East. February 14, this year 44 members of the Vernal detachment arrived in Fort Lewis, Wash, where they underwent intensive training and preparations. To support the families of the guardsmen, a local chapter of the the Family Support Group of the Utah Army National Guard has been organized. "This organization is in place to help the families of our deployed troops, said Marcie Young, Family Assistance Center coordinator, in a letter to local businesses. We are launching a fundraising effort to assist us with any financial needs. Although family situations vary, having one of the providers in a family away from the home for many is a lesson in a hardship. Rachelle Colorado resident, Kettle, a recipient of help from the center and wife to a guardsmen from the Vernal detachment, has been threatened with eviction from her home, suffers from a debilitating disease and has had several bouts with cancer. In her case, some businesses have helped out, but there is still much that needs to be done, Young said. We still have care packages which havent been sent out because we dont have the finances to do so. irsoas always wet and cold, but the training is good and the mission at hand is real. medicaldental. Been through Shots and more shots, briefing after briefing, gas chamber, more shots, qualification, weapons M60, M249 and the big 50 caliber. We have moved supply rooms one or two times maybe more, I lost count. The guys are doing outstanding. Regular army seems to think we might be as good as they are. We seem to think we are better, but thats just a man thing I guess. Got lots more to do before we can deploy. Been to language survival training. Want to guess what language? Arabic. You try some of this. Its all Greek to me. I have learned that three shots to the head keeps us from having to use this book. I think this will be the last one for me. Going to come home and retire after this one and spend time with my sweethearts, go fishing with my son and grandson. I have been out to the field for the last few days. My guys are up and running with the cats, loaders, graders and backhoes. They love it. The class on terrorism has to be one of the best. My family is everything to me. I miss and love them more than anyone could understand. We all feel the same way up here, that we want to get this over with. Do the job we been trained to do, and come home to a better world. Skeet Richardson Its a huge sacrifice to leave behind your loved ones and all that you know and love. So I have to thank the great men and women standing next to me. Its a great honor to serve this great nation. I want my son, to know I love him. Sgt. Cody Mitchell So far, the training weve been conducting has been challenging but rewarding. Weve been sharpening all of our soldiering skills and have been working long hours. As busy as weve been, its hard to think of anything else but the reason we are here. In my spare time, I take time to think of the loved ones we left behind and hope they are doing well. I would like to send them my blessings and love. Jess Sgt. Dude Schurz It has been a real good experience for me. Its something that I have M16-M495A- money, she said. It is crucial that we have a strong Family Support Group in place for these families. The group will be at the National Guard Armory every other Tuesday starting May 6 at 6:30 p.m. When I received word of their deployment overseas, I got a big pit I in my stomach, Young said. scrubbed a dirty pan and felt a lot better. It was so nice to be able to call them at Ft. Lewis. Now we have been told to not expect to hear from them for a month. This weekend the support group will be selling a discount card at the Wal Mart Parking lot. They will also be .giving away a big screen television and DVD player. All proceeds will go to the support group. Those who would like to become volunteer are urged to contact Young or SGT Shannon Pass at 789-369- 1. As the guardsmen leave, they express fond memories at Ft. Lewis. Fort Lewis, Wash. In a nut shell! Rain rain, and rain and more rain, 25-2- 7 degrees and cool. So far, for the most part, we are See Guardsmen on page A3 Ed Rhoades, present Utah Police Chief of the Year award to Mike Hamner, Vernal City Police chief. Odamrairaeir Duamed (Sfaleff off Year Vemal City Chief of Police Mike Hamner was the recipient of the Utah Chief of Police of the Year Award during the Vemal City Council meeting last Wednesday. In 1991 Hamner stepped into the Chief of Police position which had been the target of much criticism, said Ed Rhoades, Utah Police Chiefs Association. the department He turned around, improved morale and has been crucial to the success of the Department. The award is bestowed annually by the Utah Chiefs of Police Association to the outstanding police chief in the state. This means a lot to us," Hamner said meaning that his officers had a lot to do with him receiving the award. Bruce Todd, manager of UBTA- UBET, presented the council with an update on the proposed new rate structure. Although the new rates still must be approved by the Public Service Commission, the council voted to give formal support to the proposal. In other business, the council members approved a bid for the 2003 streets project from Burdick Construction. The project wall be funded with $1.7 million from the Board. Impact Community Burdicks bid was $1.13 million. Vemal City Council will hold its starting budget meetings for 2004 at 5 p.m. May 5, 6 and 7 in the city offices. These meetings are open to the public. Vemal City Manager Ken Bassett said these meetings are a good opportunity for citizens to express their suggestions and Vemal City and Uintah County firemen extinguish fire that demolished approximately 495 East 3000 North on Monday. v Couimfty ffaces ftax By Virginia Harrington Express Writer During the April 29 meeting of the Uintah County Commission, the members were infomied by the office that the refund must $164,158.73 in county taxes collected for 2002. The refund is owed to EOG Resources and is based on a reassessment of the value of the oil and gas wells owned by the company. After considerable discussion, the commissioners voted to approve the refund as directed by the Utah Tax Commission. However, the Uintah County Commission does not intend to drop the issue and Commissioner David Haslcm will take the first steps in preparing to appeal to the state. The problem faced by the county apparently stems from the wording of the laws concerning the establishment of tax rates. The value of property owned by oil and gas companies is assessed centrally rather than locally and is based on the average value over a three year period. Therefore, if a companys Clerk-Audito- rs assets increase in value in Uintah County but decrease across all the holdings of the company, the tax rate in Uintah County must reflect that overall decrease. Commissioner Jim Abegglan commented that this problem is exasperated by the fact that the companies do self assessment and there are only two state employees verifying those assessments. With this situation, oil and gas companies are nearly guaranteed a decrease in ireffimdi taxes of five to 10 percent every year. This creates a huge budget problem for the counties involved when they must refund monies that have already been allocated oi even spent. Uintah County Michael W. Wilkins said he believes there are two membeis of the Utah Tax Commission tb.it are sympathetic to the problem faced Clerk-Audit- See Refund on page A3 Vemal man dies in shooting The Uintah County Sheriffs Department responded to a report of a gun shot victim at approximately 8:30 p.m. on Monday in a remote area southwest of Vemal. Deputies responded with the assistance of Cross Gold Ambulance. Several subjects were at the location shooting at some targets when the victim sustained a gun shot wound and was later pronounced dead at Ashley Valley Medical Center. The incident is still under invest! galion by the Uintah County Sheriff's Department and the identity of the victim is being withheld at this time. Cassidy should remain an outlaw Historian Doris Burton would like Butch Cassidy to remain a wanted man because it would detract for the legend left by the outlaw who had many friends and acquaintances in Vemal. Doug Lowe, president of the Partners of the Americas, is circulating a petition to Gov. Mike Leavitt to pardon the bandit, who was bom Robert LeRoy Parker, April 13, 1866 in Beaver, Utah. Lowe has sent the petition forms to every Chamber of Commerce in the state, but hasn't received any responses yet. I dont believe the governor of Utah can pardon him (Cassidy), Burton said. He was careful not to commit any of his robberies in Utah. Burton has been the Uintah County Historian for 30 years and is the head of the Outlaw Trail Regional History Center in Vernal. The Center publishes a quarterly journal about outlaws and historical events. He Cassidy was friends with many people in Vemal and Browns Park, including Sheriff John Pope, Utah-Boliv- ia because he treated people fairly, Burton said. About the only person who didnt like him Cassidy was my grandmother, Elizabeth Boren, who lived on Diamond Mountain in the early 1900s, she said. Her grandmother was a pretty straight laced woman and it was customary for her to see a traveler in the distance and set another place for them at the table for dinner. During one such instance, the man never introduced himself and neither did her husband while he was having dinner at the house. When he left, she asked her husband about the man. He told her it was Butch Cassidy. When she asked why she wasn't told who he was," Burton said. She was told by her husband, If I told you, you wouldnt have fed him. There are dozen of sure stories about Cassidys in the Vemal area. The only crime I know of was when he robbed the Colthorpe Store, and gave the items to Mrs. Colthorpe because she was in dire need, Burton said. To pay for the defense of Matt Warner, a member of the Wild Bunch, who was in jail in Vemal for shooting a local person. Butch's gang went out of state and robbed the bank in Montpelier, Idaho, Burton said. Over the years, interest in Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch has diminished and Burton suggested that the effort to have the outlaw pardon could be an effort to revives interest. Burton is a firm believer that Cassidy returned from Bolivia and lived out the rest of his life in Nevada. Speculation about the death of Butch and the Sundance Kid were popularized in the 1969 movie staring Paul Newman and Robert Redford. A 1983 DNA test of some bones in Bolivia long thought to be those of the outlaws proved otherwise. Now they believe they tested the wrong bones and returned to Bolivia to do more testing, Burton said. The petitions to pardon Cassidy in Utah, may be asking something beyond the scope of the governor as the power to pardon lies with the Board of Pardons. A L an abandoned wood home at Butch Cassidy Beaver County is Lowes petition to pardon the out- law. A problem they are encountering is the current owner of the Beaver home where Parker was bom does not want any extra publicity. Still every July the county holds its Butch Cassidy Days and promotes it Territorial Courthouse and Jail. |