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Show p IIWIIV'WV 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 able length (two typewritten double spaced pages) Letters must be submitted exclusively to the Express and bear the writer's 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 at editor vernal.com. or through The name or names of those submitting 789-869- 0 letters must appear on all published letters All letters are subject to condensa-- ! Letters express the opinion of the writer arid are not necessarily the opinion of the Express Editor. tion X Wildlife I Jc.if ililnr I was deeply disturbed pulling out of saw ,i deer ili.it li.id been hit and left dnvew.iy nr dc .id I. iv mg try the broken parts of the truck. I would like lo address the people who live up Dry ort Has anyone unlived that we have half the nurn-H- r of deer that we did Iasi year Vve all need to slow lown and watch lor wildlife that might be crossing save tin- held o! deer so your children and many lo come, can still see and feel wildlife instead Oik- morning I I iv - gen-ralio- just being a dream or something their grandpar-ril- s lold them ati ml Making up for lost lime at the expense of another leaulilul. living, breathing life is not worth it ! il Jenifer Me Inure Deep Creek Clarification xpress Hack to School section two xeeks ago some readers may have interpreted a photo-rap- h and article about buying back lo school clothing o discourage some people from purchasing from a ocal merchant I apologize lor tins confusion. It has e ilways been and will coniinue to be a primarily ol tins newspaper to urge people to shop locally. Sieve Wallis I ahlor In the Venial f pur-ros- More spending not buying secruity LABOR encouraging. On the domestic front, there is also cause for major concern. The Congressional Budget Office is predicting a $4X) billion deficit for the year ending Sept. 30. That deficit could actually be closer to $600 billion. Either way, it will be the largest in our history. Over the past two-plu- s years, a projected federal budget surplus of $5.6 trillion over 10 years is now projected to be a $4 trillion deficit over the same period, for a negative turnaround of $9 6 trillion. A whole range of domestic needs (health care, schools, transportation, sanitation, clean environment, alternative energy and, yes, even homeland security) will not he satisfied as the administration tries to control the hemorrhage of cash flowing from the U.S. Treasury. Only the Defense Department appears to be free to spend at will. Military spending next year will be $400 billion, well above the Cold War era average. By 2009, in just five more years, the military budget will grow to $503 billion unless reality takes over. Most of the defense budget goes to personnel (justified) and procurement of Cold War weapons (not justified) and small allocations for homeland security and other costs. To correct this misallocation of scarce dollars, funds should be shifted from the Pentagon to those agencies cmailto BLSPlAOL.com. Construction... Continued from A1 large new parking facility has been designed and completed just west of the hospital. The new parking lot will be available for patient use beginning Sept. 1. A On the northwest corner of the hospital, you can see the construction on the new ER. ICU and surgery area is also moving along, with the foundation of the new square foot building now being constructed. The first phase of the construction is expected to be finished in the summer of 2004. 18, (XX) Pul, I, J c'l (ISSN fpry W'lnS').,y lo, 0892-1091- ) $Z4 pet year in shopping area and $16 jarr year out ol shopping area within stale and $19 per year out ol atate W'lhin UCA Py tho Vernal Express Publishing Company 54 North Vernal Avenue Vernal Utah 84078 Periodicals postage paid at Vernal, Utah 84078 POStMAMf n Send address changes lo VERNAL EXPRESS. PO Bos I'Zi Vernal Utah 84078 5lvfri R WdHs V'Dj'Mia Mtjffifiy Ufri Cojftny Editor Sftfjfifef Miiifjram J h uue Turn l evarton Tihd B'd k Tatfia J Circulation A rvj Publisher Guest Writer Feature Writer Feature Writer Public Notices Advertising Advertising Classified Ads Advertising end Layout Ptmne 4 15 789 3011 FAX 4 789 8690 Wetarte www vrnaUorn a mad editor vernal com ARE. SUPPOSED TO WORK HARDER. self-avow- BLSPlAOL.com Express MEANS DAY IT MEANS THAT YOU by Vice Admiral Jack Shanahan (USN, ret) For decades during the Cold War, the United States faced a powerful and unfriendly Soviet empire. While holding off the Soviet Union, we even fought a couple of messy and expensive hot wars in Korea and Vietnam, not to mention combat in Lebanon, Grenada and Panama. During the Cold War, from 1946 to 1991, the United States spent about SI6 trillion (that's $16,000 billion) or an annual average of $344 billion, to defend against powerful and dedicated enemies. Now, fast forward into the 21st century. The "Evil Empire" collapsed from within, leaving the United States as the only superpower to deal with the "Axis of P.vil," formerly consisting of Iraq, Iran and North Korea. (With Iraq under U.S. control, the Axis of Evil has been reduced to Iran and North Korea.) While alienating most of the Western world with our preemptive unilateral "in your face" style of military and diplomatic actions, we have achieved the following gained a regime change, succeeded in locking down at least I40,(XX) U.S. troops, and succeeded in creating a guerrilla war environment in Iraq; succeeded in further exacerbating relations with Iran and North failed to get Korea; failed to stabilize Afghanistan; Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein; and failed to organize an effective international coalition to rebuild Iraq and to wage war against radical Islamic fundamentalist groups bent on worldwide terrorism. As a result of our militarized foreign policy, the outlook for stability in the international community is not ' actually responsible for homeland security. Is such action doable without endangering national security? Yes, in fact, it will enhance national security aS sufficient funds are made available for defense at home and other pressing domestic needs. The United States survived the decades-lon- g Cold War on a defense budget that averaged $344.1 billion per year. And since we have been told that major combat operations are over in Iraq, why are we about to spend $4(X) billion next year on the Pentagon? Why? Because the president and members of Congress don't have the guts to stand up and say what most military budget analysts already know: The Pentagon is rife with waste and mismanagement and continues to be a feeding ground for defense contractors and other special interests. Its time for our leaders to exhibit some of the same bravery as our troops in Iraq and, for the security of our nation and world, straighten out our nation's mixed-u- p budget priorities. Vice Admiral Jack Shanahan (USN, ret) is a former commander of the U.S. Second Fleet and heads the Military Advisory Committee of www.Truemajority.org http.www.Truemajorily.org, a project of Business leaders for Sensible Priorities. For more information, Kerrie Shahan recives certificate of apprecatiation from the Vernal Area Chamber of Commercie for tier dedication to the Chamber NO YOU CAN'T HAVE LABOR DAY OFF don't you know what PWELL. The building will house a new Emergency 2 a trauma rooms), new Department (including intensive care unit with larger, private rooms, and new outpatient surgery area. One additional surgical suite I) f -- t r x if 7 Y Gins Gems Goodbye, dear friend By Virginia Harrington Express Writer This week I said goodbye for the last time to a dear and loyal friend. We shared our love and our lives for five years before her death brought this final parting. She slept at the foot of my bed every night and greeted me with a wagging tail every morning. I am filled with sorrow for the loss of this gentle animal but I am comforted by the memory of her devotion and by the knowledge that I did these things for her: - She was spayed so as not to produce unwanted, homeless puppies. - She received her shots every year. - She was protected against heartworm. - She carried an identification chip under her skin and her tags on her collar. - She was properly licensed. - She was never left in a crate for hours on end with' out attention. ) , - She did not live at the end of a short chain with little protection from the elements, left to run in hopeless circles while barking and crying for someone to bring her food, water and a gentle pat on the head. - She didnt ride in the back of an open truck bed, risking injury and death from a fall into traffic. - She had a safely fenced yard in which to run and ' play. - She was not hit, kicked, yelled at or abused in any way while she lived with us. Her life was not always so before she became part of our family. She had been badly mistreated, beaten and left in the desert to die. She was a greyhound that didnt win. She didn't line her owner's pockets with winners gold. She didnt bring glory to her trainer. Her failure on the track brought her misery and suffering. How unfortunate they didnt see her for what she was, a playful dog that wanted nothing more in life than someone to love. How fortunate for us that we found her in time to add five years of her devotion to our lives. Greyhound racing is a national embarrassment. Even those dogs who are not beaten, who do not suffer physical abuse and desertion, are mistreated. They spend 23 hours of each day of their racing lives in a cage. They never touch another dog in play nor run free with their favorite people. The tragedy of the greyhound breed should be stopped. Now. But greys are not the only animals to suffer needlessly. Ixxik around you. Notice your animals and the conditions of their lives. Wlfcn tKeyfpA; gonwfiffiydfiT be comforted by (he fact that you gave them a good home with all the' care and attention they need and deserve? Or will you feel pangs of guilt for leaving them unat- tended, lonely, hungry, thirsty or even deserted in the mountains or on some farm road in the country? It isn't too late to take your dog off his chain and into your home. It isnt tx late to spay you cat and let her curl up on your lap to purr contentedly. It isnt too late to brush the dust from your horse and give him the pleasure of your company. It isnt too late while there is still life. Do it now and find the tremendous rewards of a companion whose main purpose in life is to bring joy into yours. Sewing center holds grand opening What started out with the purchase of a serger has turned into management of Vernal sewing and material store Nuttalls. After Gaylia Leavitt brought the serger several years ago, she started teaching sewing classes. With her husband, Greg, they began to manage a Nuttalls store on the Wasatch Front. When the opportunity came for them to manage a new store in Vernal, they jumped at the opportu- S- jy Authorlgttf Sa(fi A ILftrfl bittdw? MttfjKf SrWu Hi nity. The store, one of five of its kind in Utah, had a grand opening Aug. 11. The other stores are located on the Front: Wasatch Sunset, Roy, American Fork and Centerville. Norman Nuttalls started the stores 45 years ago, and they arc now owned by Rhonda Lopez. The Vernal Store, kx:ated near Oak House, carries popular lines of embroidery, quilting and sewing supplies. They carry and service Bernina, Brother and Janomi sewing machines. They also offer classes in the use of the sewing machines. The 4,000-foo- t store opened last November. Fabric Center holds grand opening. We feel very comfortable in Vernal, said Gaylia. We enjoy get- ting to know the people of this com- - munity. Nuttalls is located at 30 South 40 West. j designed for larger orthopedic cases, will be added and and post operative care area the entire will also be redesigned in this first phase. appreciate the patience of our neighbors, patients, visitors, and staff, said hospital CEO Si Hutt. While things arc a little tom up outside and are looking different, there is no disruption to the normal medWe ical services that we provide to our patients. This expansion, along with other modifications we are actively making, will improve the already good experience that our patients have at Ashley Valley Medical Center. M W News tMffay Advertising Ctassrfted Advertising Pub1 Nutes 1)1 ADI ISI S Monday 12 noon Monday 2pm Monday 2pm Monday 2 pm The construction project will continue throughout most of 2(X)4 with Phase II beginning sometime during the summer of 2fX)4. Phase II will include the renovation of the radiology department and the renovation of the OB department. f Construction is complete on AVMC parking lot. .5 POOR C |