OCR Text |
Show X ' , f Volum Brigham City, U tah 84302, Thursday Morning, Soptombor 23, 1976 69, Number 39 Whitewash the 'B' pomp . Utah State Press PO Box 1327 Salt Lake City, Utah84ll0 30 Pagos On a total basis uTCsl'DDOInl mmsiii (si2X Box Elder countys recently initiated progam of car registration by mail is headed for extinction. This was the word Tuesday from County Assessor Clifton G. M. Kerr who said the response simply hasnt been sufficient to justify the cost involved. The program was started seven months ago. It involved mailing car owners a r1 pre-printe- i action provided a students were but intent upon making messy picture the traditional block letter look good from the valley. A CLOSE-U- P OF THE WHITEWASH Reaching the steep slope and climbing over the rocks at least for the easy task representing the Box Elder Journal. no reporter-photograph- THIS WAS the "B" as it appeared after the work from the valley below was done. It's a busy place six-mon- ' Problems few, solvable n Box Elder's new jai for school spirit Recipe for school spirit: Take 150 gallons of water, 500 pounds of sack lime and 480 pounds of white cement, mix well, add about 40 eager students from Box Elder High plus two teacher advisers and the principal. These were ingredients Tuesday afternoon as the familiar B on the mountainside overlooking Brigham City received a fresh coat of white. It was the first renewal of the traditional block letter almost since anyone can remember. Some say it was last done in 1961. But that hasnt been confirmed. Faculty member Gary Christensen and student teacher Roger Minert who did some research on the subject, said it appears the B hasnt been painted since 1951 when it was first established. At any rate, it had taken on a washed-- . out look, something similar to students after final exams. Under the enthusiastic leadership of Christensen and Minert, a new whitewash was planned. And Tuesday students representing the German and Key clubs, Navy JROTC and student council filtered up the rocky hillside with straw brooms and paint brushes to do the job. District Fire Warden Lloyd Robinette helped out by hauling water to the area and Principal Carroll Nichols navigated his pickup truck loaded with lime and white cement to the mixing site. He even mixed it, after a while exclaiming between beads of perspiration, Thank goodness we do this only every 25 years or so. They started the project after school and were finished in time to descend the mountainside at sunset. The B appears considerably more prominent for the effort, standing out white and clean against its brownish rock background. So, when the sophomores make their traditional trip to the B to illuminate it Oct. 6 with flares on homecoming night of two or a bucket take along theyll whitewash for touchup. That old phrase of never a dull moment could have been coined expressly for the Box Elder county jail. The jail, now almost 20 months old following a vast remodeling effort costing some $250,000, is a hive of activity 24 hours a day since the county took over jailing services for all agencies in the county. Sheriff Arthur F. Redding reports that most of the unforeseen problems encountered in a new facility have been met and overcome but a few still remain. Redding took office the same day the jail was officially opened to prisoners. During his first year, 1,184 prisoners were booked into the facility. Of these, 940 were adults. Through the first six months of 1976, some 851 prisoners have been booked and the peak criminal activity months are just beginning. Will Exceed Indications are that last year's total booking will be far exceeded by those this year. Redding pointed out that the jail has been approved by the Federal Bureau of Prisons to accept federal prisoners in tran Parents are reminded that' The total property tax rate imposed for city, county, school, and other purposes in Brigham City increased by 2.08 mills this year, according to an analysis prepared by Utah foundation, the private tax research organization. Brigham Citys overall property tax levy in 1976 is 68.46 mills ($68.46 per $1,000 assessed valuation). This compares with a total levy of 66.38 mills in 1975 and 77.95 mills in 1970. The following tabulation shows the trend in Brigham Citys total rate for selected years since 1950: Total Mill Levy 44.35 68.75 80.35 77.95 66.38 68.46 Box Elder Junior High schools annual night will be conducted7 this evening (Thursday) beginning at p.m. Parents should go to their childs first hour class for orientation, according to PTA President Mary Allred. back-to-scho- Redding said the jail was built without for security purposes but that makes the facility rely on a complex heating and ventilation system. Only once has the system broken down and it was quickly repaired, he related. windows Money-Savin- g Features features jail has two an infirmary room where sick prisoners may be treated, and a meals system that uses the Pioneer Memorial Nursing home kitchen to prepare prisoner meals. In the past, a deputy had to take a handcuffed prisoner to a doctors office for treatment. It was uncomfortable for the The money-savin- g prisoner and the other patients in the waiting room. We have a hospital bed in the infirmary and we can move a prisoner there where the doctor can come and examine him as needed. We have no problems with security this way, also," the sheriff stated. The nursing home dietary staff can provide 15 different diets and should a prisoner need a special diet, its readily available. The use of the nursing home (Continued on Page Three) d system. They report about 20 perent response to it. But they have waiting lines. We dont have lines here anymore, Kerr explained. The assessor said his office will continue to send forms out by mail to outlying communities such as Grouse Creek and Clear Creek. And theyll do this also for other citizens who request it by mail or telephone. But Octobers mailing, already prepared, will signal the end of the program on a total basis. Kerr informed the county commission of this intent Tuesday. In response Commission Chairman Don Chase agreed that the results have not justified the cost. Commissioner Ted Burt wanted to confirm, however, that those who prefer to handle registraion and payment of taxes by mail can still do it upon request. Only Box Elder county residents are being accepted at two county nursing sioner Chase. He explained that the county nursing home board recommended a observance of this exclusivism (Continued on Page lOJ y Hearing set in s laying Three Box Elder county men charged in the Sunday pistol slaying of a migrant worker will undergo preliminary hearings Oct. 19 at 1 p.m. in Brigham City court. Judge Robert W. Daines set the date for Thomas Riojas Balderas, 58, of 705 South 150 West, Tremonton; Frank Joe Renteria, 24, West Corinne; and Clemente Sanchez, 20, Corinne. They are being held in the Box Elder county jail without bail. All three are charged with criminal homicide which carries a maximum death penalty. Dead in a bar room shooting is Rafael Mendoza Orozco, 34, of Franklin, Idaho. He was shot twice as he sat on a bar stool in the basement Bomb Shelter bar, 57 West Main, Tremonton. Also shot twice was his brother, Victor M. Orozco, 28, who was hit in the shoulder and face. He was treated at Bear River Valley hospital, then transferred to an Ogden hospital. The dead man was shot in the' head and apparently died instantly, according to police. Another shot struck the wall. Police said the bar was crowded during the early Sunday morning shooting, but few patron apparently saw the shooting. Brigham City crime lab was called to the scene to process for evidence. An argument and fight arrarently precipitated the shooting. Three men left, came back a short while later with a pistol and began shooting, firing five shots. After the shooting, the men fled and three suspects were caught by noon Sunday, police said. Two witnesses, who reportedly were illegal aliens, were also taken into custody Sunday morning, police said, and were questioned on details of the shooting. Total property tax levy up in Brigham 1950 1960 1965 1970 1975 1976 at junior high sit. The Utah Council on Criminal Justice Administration has rated the facility the best of its type in Utah. The jail serves good meals," has recreation facilities that include ping pong and television, its own paperback library and clean, sanitary surroundings. A staff of specially trained jailers handle all bookings for virtually every law enforcement agency in the county. Few logjam problems have evolved in the booking area, but it has gotten crowded when multiple arrests have been made. The jail has a maximum capacity of 28 and usually has between 13 and 15 prisoners at all times. Last summer, the jail reached overflowing and caused some concern until the prisoner load was diminished. And the inmates themselves give a thumbs up vote for the jail facility. One, who claimed hes been a resident in seven jails in Utah, believes the Box Elder jail is the best hes seen. Another, using the Weber county jail and the Utah State prison for comparison, says theres no comparison. This is way ahead of those two places," he said. ' Sept. 29. This was disclosed Tuesday by Commis- From last year Year Back-to-scho- ol registration form plus an d indication of the tax due and an instruction sheet. These have been sent out each month as new registrations became due. Owners have had only to complete the registration, enclose the necessary money and mail them back in a return envelop. The new registration and license decal then would be received by mail. It was intended as a convenience, saving residents a trip to the county courthouse. But Kerr said for the most part theyve not taken advantage of it. Over a period (through August) some 4,248 were mailed out. And only 375 or 8.8 percent were received back via the postal service. Most of the car owners visited the assessors office to secure the new registration in person. Kerr said some $549.64 was spent for postage along to send out the forms. This amounted to $1.50 each for those which responded by mail. In addition it represents a tremendous lot of work putting them in envelopes and dispatching them, he pointed out. Asked why owners would choose not to use the convenient mail method, Kerr said he wasnt sure but theorized that perhaps it's a matter of habit to visit the courthouse in person. He noted that neighboring Weber and Davis counties are continuing the mail homes at the present time, a situation that will continue at least until Wednesday, Approximately 62.1 percent of the total property taxes charged in Brigham City this year will go for school purposes. The foundation report indicates that 12.89 percent of the property tax collected Brigham City will go for municipal purposes, 16.8 percent for county purposes, and 2.3 percent for special district purposes. A comparison of the 1975 and 1976 levies in Brigham City by purpose is as follows: Purpose Municipal School County Special District TOTAL 1975 11.62 41.76 11.50 1.50 66.38 197$ 12.89 42.52 11.50 1.55 68.46 According to the study, four counties (Iron, Juab, Piute, and Utah) were affected this year by the continuing reappraisal program. Local valuations in these four counties nearly doubled in 1976 as a result of the program. Utah law requires that operating levies for local units must be reduced whenever assessed valuations are increased because of the tax commissions revalutaion program. As a result, the total overall levy charged by local units in these four counties declined by amounts ranging up to 30 mills in some taxing jurisdictions. Foundation analysts emphasize, on Page Three) DORMITORY CELL at the Box Elder county jail can house as many as 10 prisoners. Inmates have rated the local jail "the best" they've been in, while the Utah Council on Criminal Justice Administration agrees tne fail would be the one in which officials would choose to spend time. |