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Show A2 Opinion and Commentary Wednesday, July 9. 2003 PUBLIC FORUM LETTERS TO THE EDITOR What is your opinion? The Express welcomes letters from its readers concerning any subject pertinent to the Uintah Basin. There are no restrictions as to contents, if not libelous or vindictive and of reasonable length (two typewritten double spaced pages). Letters must be submitted exclusively to the Express and bear the writers full name, signature, phone number and address. Letters for the sole purpose of expressing thanks to individuals or groups will not be printed in the forum. Letters may be mailed, faxed at 789-869- 0 at or through editorvernal.com. The name or names of those submitting letters must appear on all published letters. All letters are subject to condensation. Letters express the opinion of the writer and are not necessarily the opinion of the Express Editor. I Fireworks by the Elks Dear Editor, Many, many thanks In the dedicated, selfless team of Elks wlio provide our community with such a wonderful firewmks display each year, l or many years my lias spent the evening at the park on family Independence Day in anticipation of the firewoiks. We have never been disappointed. In fact, we believe the display gets lugger and belter each year. We would like to thank both those who give ol their time to launch the show and those who piovide financial support. Let this not lie another thankless job we appreciate you. For a small town the sie of Vernal, we think our fireworks arc spectacular. You do a great job!! Thanks again. Hid & Teri Marshall and Family Vernal be given' It never ccusex to am.ie me how people serve others. This is not the only items thiit have been donated to us. We have received lots of knit hats from a lady in Tabiona. Really cute stocking caps for each baby. At Christmas, the hats were red. white, and green. At vaster, the hats were pastel colors. She always keeps us well stocked. I here are Relief Societies in Roosevelt and Vernal that continually bring in receiving blankets and quilts. Mind you. these are all hand made. Young Women also bring in items as part of their projects as their Womanhood work to earn Young they Recognitions. The wonderful volunteers at our hospital answered the call when (here was a need for bereavement gifts. White gowns, white blankets, keepsake boxes, books, etc. are now given to parents whose baby died before it was born. No one will know what these items will mean to parents in years to come. Residence at Park Side Manor make quills all week and then bring them to the hospital one day to he given to the moms and babies that tire here. They do this so that their hands are 1 1 Karen I.. Vernal Itice Helping Hand Dear Fditor, I would like to publicly thank those citizens in our community who have offered a helping hand. They will never know the parents that received their contributions, but their time and effort will never be forgotten. I am the Ob Nurse Manager at Uintah basin Medical Center. About a week ago, our department received four large boxes of donated layette set. These sets are to be given to parents who were just not prepared to take a baby home. In each sets there is an outfit, a Onesie pajamas, a pair of socks, a receiving blanket, 14 diapers, wet wipes and baby bath. These sets were made and given to us with love from the Ashley 2nd Ward. In all. we were given 40 sets. What a great gift to (ISSN 0892-1091- ) Published every Wednesday lor $24 per year m shopping area and $36 per year out ol shopping area within slate and $39 per year out ol slate within USA by the Vernal Express Publishing Company. 54 North Vernal Avenue, Vernal. Utah 84078 Periodicals postage paid at Vernal, Utah 84078 POSTMASTER Send address changes lo VERNAL EXPRESS. PO. Box 1000. Vernal Utah 84078 Steven R Wallis Editor and Publisher Feature Wnter Feature Writer Feature Writer Public Notices Virginia Hamnglon Maureen Spencer Mandi Oaks R Patrick Bostick Richard Harnngton Advertising Advertising Tom Leverton Tern Black Circulation $ Classified Ads Advertising and Layout Mindy Morgan Phone Website www vernal com M FAX editor 0 vernal com W DEADLINES News Monday 12 noon Monday 2pm Monday 2 pm. Display Advertising Classified Advertising PubHc Nonces Monday2pm f toAlNsQ . lROTATE MY TIRES Vernal Forest Service probably wont find gold at end of the rainbow Spencer Express Writer reminds me a bit of the moths we had in Vernal a few weeks ago. At first there were just a few of the cute little things. The grandkids enjoyed catching the fluttering bugs and making faces at the dusty residue left behind on their hands. By the time the cute little things had finished gathering, it was haul to breath from the wing dust, houses and windows were stained from moth ooze and even butterflies were being looked at with distrust. Monday, June 30, the Forest Service put out a one-paDAILY UIDAIH about the Rainbow Family Basin Region. National Gathering-Grea- t l ew of us the noticed insignia on probably the update, a lightning boll with National Incident Management Team" piercing its heart. Rainbows" and families" are warm, fuzzy words. And it said they were gathering". Nice family reunion kind of touch, don't ya think? You had to read a little ways to notice that "Currently, there arc approximately 3,400 participants at the gathering." Minin. That family tree must have had a few polygamists in its branches. The Update also mentioned that parking was extremely limited and approximately four miles away from the site. Aunt Edna and her walker would never make it in time for lunch and family pictures this year. July 2. and two days later, the friendly little Update realized that there were 6.0(H) folks gathering. As far as safety was concerned, the Forest Service said that It left-han- d parking was still four miles from the site. With 3.2(H) more family strung along the same four miles, it makes one wonder if they were stacking cars mark! on top of each other at the four-mil- e 24 hours later, folks) the National July 3, (that's Incident Management Team recognized 7.800 at this years (Treat Basin Region (lathering. We should have remembered those moths. A drive safely" admonition was included in this Update. The question flits through the mind, that with I,2(X) more family wandering the rough, winding road with narrow places" with sharp curves, speeding" must mean the vehicle had been taken off of the four-mil- e stack and was being pushed down the road by children. Express WAS WAITIN& FOR THAT STUPID U&HT TO CHAN&E, I'D I The caring el fort does not just include women. The A.l.i. donates money each year so that layette sets similar to the ones already described could be purchased. We always have a supply of items on hand to give to those who aie in need. It sounds like a lot of stuff and yet we always give everything we have been given. Sometimes young families, just starting out, really need some help. There arc lots and lots of people out there that are willing lo help. Again. I say Thank You, Thank You, Thank You. F.ach of you are amazing and will be greatly rewarded for your service. Christy Thacker By Maureen place for the kids to ride. Our community needed a place like this and know the motorcycle association would and will appreciate support from our community. and a lot of companies here in Venial and surrounding aieas have donated a lot of time and equipment and land for this Hack. I he association is a great thing for the area and am sine the street bikeis as well as dirt bikeis would agree. So Uintah basin do you want to have a fun day of racing? He at the motocross races on July 12, 2003 and support our youth and otlieis in this great sport. It's fun to see. so be there and help support our community Foi these races do bring in other races from outside the basin. And that is good lot our economy. (live these riders support and you won't regret it. THOUGHT WHILE not idle. Motocross Dear Fditor. As many now know the new motocross track up at Honda Hills is complete and the first races took place on Memorial Day Weekend. I would as a grandmother of a racer like to encourage the people here in Vernal and surrounding communities to support the track. They are trying to get something going here for not only the young people but, for others who enjoy dirt bikes. A lot of time, money and work was put into this track. Racers ages start as young as 4 and as old as you want. It is a clean (lot of dust) environment with no drugs or alcohol allowed there, Anyone caught with either of these will be banned. It's a clean, fun, and usually safe I July 3 also says that the U.S. Magistrate is holding court in Bear River (in a shed) to adjudicate some citations involving resource damage, drug, alcohol and traffic violations. July 5 tilings sound even uglier than most of my family reunions. The U.S. Magistrate held court for 50 cases, 14 of the citations issued. The temporary court saved the Salt Fake City court system the strain of hearing those cases." the Update says with pride. Yeah. Right! It kept this mess from taking up residency on the pretty courthouse grounds in the big city. July 5 the Update says approximately 9.000 people participated in the Rainbow Gathering. By now, the water has been declared unsafe to drink, bathing is a thing of the past, food has run out, dry beds, cots and water are being hauled in by humanitarian groups. July 6 the final Update arrives. Theres still 6.800 at the site and vehicles are breaking down along the road. A lot of similarities between this family gathering" and those miserable moths. Im still picking up after the moths, too. t Put m By Steven R. Wallis Express Editor Nothing can be more aggravating than a persistant telemarketer. Sometime they just dont get the message that you will not do business with them. I took the pledge: just hang up on them. I hope you have, too. I know there are many young people trying to make their way through college with their telemarketing job. I still dont like the calls. In response to an increasing flow of consumer complaints about telethe Federal marketers, Communications Commission (FCC) has joined with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to create a national registry that to the consumers promises give power to reduce the number of unsolicited telemarketer calls they receive. It was time to our rules to ensure that they created a proper balance between the consumers right to privacy and the valid efforts of businesses to market their products, according to K. Dane Snowden, Chief of the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at the FCC. Snowdens office had the responsibility for crafting the new rules limiting telemarketer calls, rules which include the new do-ncall registry that will become effective October 1, 2003. Telemarketing has long been a part of the American business scene, providing consumers with the opportunity to consider a wide range of products and services without leaving their homes. I recently logged a number of calls at home ranging from an offer to refinance my mortgage to a chance to purchase premium steaks, all within one hour, Snowden said. For me, its a little like eating at a smorgasbord all the choices are laid out before you. Along with legitimate telemarketing activity there has been some abuse of calls and faxes to consumers homes, and in 1992 the FCC adopted comprehensive national rules governing telemarketing under authority granted by Congress in the 1991 Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). The FCCs rules included the requirement that individual telemarketers maintain company-specifi- c lists, along with restrictions on the time of day allowed for calls and other practices. In the past decade-plu- s, however, the telemarketing industry has significantly changed the technologies and methods used to contact consumers, enabling companies to cast an ever-widnet with features like predictive dialing. While telemar18 keters contacted million Americans each day in 1990, today they may make as many as 104 million calls. The increase in calls has led to a corresponding increase in consumer frustration. ot odd tilhie Dost The Commission heard the American consumer and responded, Snowden said. The new FCC rules will give the consumers the tools they need in deciding whether or not they want to receive marketing calls and from what sources. The FCCs broad authority extends to all commercial telemarketers, including those making in: . calls. state or Wireless telephone ..numbers may also be placed on the national registry, and there is no fee for consumers to register their numbers in the registry, which will be maintained by fees charged to telemarketers. A consumer can elect to receive calls from certain companies even if his or her residential phone number is in the national Its all about registry. consumer choice, Snowden said. The FCCs action has given consumers back their telephones, their privacy, and their choice." There are exceptions to the prohibition of the national registry, however. If a seller has an established business relationship with a consumer, through a former purchase or financial transaction, for example, the seller can contact the consumer for a period of 18 months after the transaction. During this period, a consumer can ask to be added to the companys state-to-sta- list when the seller calls, calls must stop. it organizations, which may include charitable, religious, and political organizations, are also exempt. Violators of the new rules can face stiff penalties. The effectiveness of the national registry will depend in some measure on enforcement, and we already have an excellent record of enforcSnowden ing our 1992 rules, and the Tax-exem- pt non-prof- pointed out. In January of this year, the FCCs Enforcement Bureau issued thirteen citations for violations of the TCPA and corresponding FCC rules. While these citations are warnings that involve no monetary damages, a company that continues to violate the rules after receiving a citation can receive a fine in the form of a Notice of Apparent Liability, which can be up to $11,000 per violation. Nearly $7 million in forfeitures were proposed or issued since December 1999, Snowden said. Consumers can get further information on the new rules and can add their names to the national registry on the FCC web site, www.fcc.gov. Know your community Last weeks mystery mailbox is located at the Anderson residence, 250 S. 1500 W. Those who know their community and correctly identified the horseshoe mailbox are: Sharon Vciyra, Mary Vigil, Bill Hall, Derick Ixnt, Ginger Borges, Taylor Tomlinson and Tucker Tomlinson. If you want to be listed with those who know their community, correctly identify these trees-a- nd theyre not wind damage. Call the Vernal Express at 1 before 2 p.m. on Monday, July 14. 789-351- er 1 Recognize these trees? Call the Vernal Express at before 2 p.m. on Monday, July 14 to prove that you 789-351- know your community. I |