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Show USPS I32&4-000- published weekly for $15 00yor in Sonpete $18 00yar outside Sonpeie by Metsengof'lnterprite. Prison proposal heading the state Corrections Departments efforts to locate a new regional prison facility somewhere off the Wasatch Front. Shulsen said his staff met on Tuesday morning at 8 a.m. in a conference to put the finishing touches on the proposal request, and added that he hoped the RFP would find its way into the mail by Tuesday afternoon, and into the hands of someone in each county in the state by Thursday. Shulsen noted that now that the gestions for possible sites to accommodate the facility. Especially welcome, committee members said, would be expressions of interest from property owners holding 200 or more acres, who feel their property might be suitable for such a site. Such property owners are invited to contact Mrs. Keeler or councilman Larry Cox with their proposals. The committee agreed that construction of the corrections facility must not "detract from the significant architectural structures already located within Manti City and its environs, and commended the Corrections Department for its avowed intention of constructing a facility with regard to the surrounding terrain and with a perception of seclusion away from cor- request for proposals is official on the States part, state corrections officials will be actively involved in assessing and evaluating the proposals from various parts of the state concerning the site for a regional prison facility. He added that he was looking forward to making a trip to Sanpete County soon as part of that evaluation process. Both Shulsen and Assistant Inspector General Haze Locke sounded a cautionary note, observing that no county had preference over any other at this stage of the prison site selection process and adding, as Locke put it, We have learned from bitter experience in the past, and were not going to force this facility down anybody's throat. populated areas. The Manti Economic Development Committee feels that this opportunity to enhance not only job futures, but the overall business climate for Manti, is simply too good to be overlooked and should be a committee pursued seriously, member said Tuesday. Bill Mickelson, a member of the county corrections facility committee, said committee members had investigated the experiences of other communities hosting corrections facilities and had found that no community could cite any instances of "welfare families moving into the area to be near inmates, nor could any community cite adverse effects on school population, economic development or property values. Manti City Mayor May Peterson endorsed the decision of the economic development committee and said she planned shortly to participate in a meeting of Manti businessmen to discuss the proposed prison construction, adding, "This meeting will be called in the near future to discuss this important aspect of Manti Citys economic survival. An interview with Corrections officials BY PAT MELLOR Two administrative staff members of the Utah State Department of Corrections recently discussed with a e staff member, Messenger-Enterprissome of the concerns which have been raised in Sanpete County regarding the possible construction of a regional corrections facility here. One of the two, Haze Locke, assistant Inspector general, said he e had been mailed a copy of a Locke said concerns. flyer of citizens he received his copy from Mrs. Cindy Beck, Ephraim, and had found several misconceptions in the printed material. Ken Shulsen, former warden for the Point of the Mountain facility who presently is spearheading the effort to construct a new prison facility away from the Wasatch Front, said he had not received a copy of the material, but addressed several two-pag- For pwMoal opinions on prison proposals, see Letters Page 2. UT 84642 2nd doss posioqe paid ot Mon, Utah POSTMASTER Sendoddresschonqesto Monti Messenger 35 landfill project. At the March 19 meeting, mayors of Sanpetes cities and towns met with members of the Sanpete County Commission to work through some of the issues associated with the county-wid- Manti actively pursues project Manti City will actively pursue bringing a correctional facility to the vicinity, the Manti Economic Development Committee confirmed in a Monday night meeting. The committee, chaired by Diane Keeler, discussed the proposed correctional facility and indicated that members would appreciate input and questions from residents of Manti and would also welcome sug- Monti BY PAT MELLOR Requests for site proposals in mail Official state requests for site proposals for the construction of a corrections facility initially housing 500 to 750 inmates are now completed and in the mail, according to former warden Ken Shulsen, who is spear- Mom S Mom Monti UT 84642 Public hearing Friday will discuss sanitary landfill comes to head as officials seek site As state officials issue requests for site proposals for a new rectional facility, the issue draws more and more attention. Stories below address various facets of the issue. n. 35S of the issues it presented. The first issue raised was the allegation that prison supplies would be purchased through state contracts from businesses on the Wasatch Front, and not from local merchants. Locket A few things are purchased on state contract for the prison. Those are things that ordinarily wouldnt be available in Sanpete, anyway. But so far as food and other things go, we try to be a good neighbor, and purchase as close to the facility as we possibly can. Besides, where else would we get turkeys, except Sanpete? There has Messenger-Enterprise- ! been a concern expressed that the facility proposed for Sanpete would house 500 prisoners and "quickly grow to 2,000. Lockei By "Quickly," I assume the writer means in the next 20 years or so. To believe the legislature is going to fund a facility and then in the next year or so fund it to hold 2,000 inmates is incredible, and 500-inma- (Continued on Page 4) Sanpete County will hear public comments on a proposed countywide landfill on this Friday evening, April 3. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in the Sanpete County. Courthouse. In a March 19 meeting, the mayors and commissioners of Sanpete County unanimously agreed to form a special service district to operate the landfill, with all of the countys respective mayors as members of the governing board of the special service district and a county commissioner chairing that body. The hearing will be held for the purpose of determining public support for the selected site o', the proposed landfill, which is on approximately 80 acres of property owned by Ralph Lund, west of Ephraim. Discussion at the hearing will be limited to this topic, according to the minutes of a meeting of mayors and commissioners held March 19 to discuss the organization of the e landfill. Although the landfill is referred to as the "county landfill, its establishment was not instigated by Sanpete County government but by the mayors of the various cities in Sanpete which operate dumps which are not up to state specifications. A few years ago a study was conducted which stated that every dump currently operating within the county fell far short of the state health standards for solid waste disposal. In response to this pressure from the state, the various city and town leaders agreed that construction of one sanitary landfill to serve all Sanpetes communities. Mt. Pleasant City first applied for a grant to fund construction of the landfill on behalf of all the cities and towns, but it was discovered that Mt. Pleasant was ineligible to apply for the grant in question, and at that point the county commission agreed to assume responsibility for the application on behalf of the cities and towns. Richard Walker represented the state of Utah at the March 19 meeting and suggested that the county study the feasibility of creating a special service district to operate the landfill. Commissioner Wendell McGarry objected, saying the county is not desirous of raising taxes, and Walker responded that taxing is not necessary, fees should cover the costs of operation and maintenance. The law requires daily coverage of the landfill site, Walker noted, and equipment sufficient to do the job should be purchased at the outset. Walker suggested that the county hold hearings to determine public acceptance of a special service district, which would be a management and operation unit and would not be operated w ith tax funds, although taxing ability would be in place. The group discussed various options for operation and mainten ance of the landfill facility. It was generally agreed that cities would operate their own garbage collection systems with little change. The special service district would cover the operation of the landfill. Walker said site development and shelter along with equipment must be in place at the outset of the landfill use. Accurate cost estimates must be made, and amortized over a period of years to arrive at operational use fees. The fees, Walker advised, must include a reserve fund for purchase of replacement equipment. Although fees vary slightly from one area to another. Walker estimated Sanpete residents could reasonably expect a fee of $4 to $5 per household per month. Dr. McGarry noted that public opposition to the concept of a countywide landfill had subsided since the State Department of Health cited John Bangford, the county's only independent landfill operator, for being out of compliance in the operation of his facility. Sheriff nomination moves ahead Sanpete County Republican Party chairman Nancy Jensen says she is planning to expand the number of people active in nominating a new sheriff, but the Democrats say shes probably not expanding enough. Mrs. Jensen issued letters on March 27 to all Republican voting district chairmen in Sanpete County, saying she wants them to come to a meeting on April 2 to elect four of their number to serve as a central committee along with herself, vice chairman Bob Bessey, and secretary treasurer Bob Allan, in selecting three candidates for the sheriffs post. We do not have a central committee per se, says Mrs. Jensens letter, "so we are asking (each voting district chairman) or vice chairman to attend a short meeting, on Thursday, April 2 in the Circuit Court Room ... to elect four people to be on the Central Committee. "This committee, plus Robert Bessey, Robert Allan and myself, will meet the following Monday evening (April 6) to select the three names to be submitted to the (Sanpete County) commissioners. There will be one vote per district for Central Committee members," Mrs. Jensens letter continues, and only a chairman, vice chairman, or secretary-treasurmay cast this er vote . . . County Democrat Chairman Howell charges that De-mo- the central committee' envisioned by Jensen is not the type of central committee mandated by Mrs. law. "While the law does not provide for a direct vote (of the electorate), it for a does make a provision county-wid- e grassroots input through local voting district chairmen and Dr. Howell asserts. "The Utah Code stipulates that vacancies in all elective county . . . offices shall be filled by appointment of the county commissioners (from) one of the three persons nominated by the central committee of the same political party as the prior office Dr. holder. (Utah Code Howell says the law also clearly defines central committee as "the of each chairman and voting district. While the county chairman and are not members of the Dr. Howell central committee, do a have opined, they responsibility for calling the central committee into session and reporting the action of the central committee to the commissioners. Mrs. Jensen said despite the inability of her proposed committee to meet to review applications until April 6, she is fairly confident that the county commission will name a new sheriff the following day, based on the anticipated three nominations to emerge from the Monday night meeting. "Weve all received letters, petitions, phone calls, Mrs. Jensen said. I think the commission will just want to get the issue laid to rest. Mrs. Jensen said she had received five resumes, and said she believed Commissioner Bessey had received one or two. At least one applicant for the position lives outside the county at present, the chairman noted: I checked with the county attorney, and an applicant does not have to be a resident to be appointed, however, he would have to live in the county for a year before he would be eligible to run for the position. Mrs. Jensen said the appointee to the sheriffs post will be required to run for election in November, 1988, and again in 1990 if successful. I asked all of the applicants if they understood they'd probably have to Kite-flyin- twice in the next run for three years, and they said they did. Personally, I think I'd find that intimidating, but it didnt seem to discourage anyone. Ther sheriff's position is a four-yea- r elected position, but because Bailey resigned after only two months in office, the post must be opened for election in the next county election, scheduled to take place in 1988. The appointee to the sheriffs post will hopefully serve until the winner of the 1988 elections takes office, and then the successful candidate for sheriff will fill a two year term. In 1990, when Bailey's original term of office would have expired, the sheriffs post will once again be a four-yea- r elected position. time g can be dangerous Kite string is a conductor of electricity and parents need to caution their kids not to fly their kites near utility wires, says Manti Power Superintendent Gene Rogers. Mr. Rogers says after a recent snowstorm, linemen found two places where kite string had been entangled in power lines and could have caused electrocution. Kids (and adults) whose airborne creations get tangled in the lines should be taught to leave the string untouched and walk away, Rogers says. Kite strings fluttering from a power line that can be easily reached, should be reported to the Manti City power department promptly so they can be removed instead of remaining to present a hazard for passers-by- . MHS musicians score high at Region 10 Festival BY BILL THOMPSON Manti High School Music Department participated in the Region 10 Solo and Ensemble Festival held at Wasatch Academy on March 17. The Manti High Schools 29 entries, involving approximately 45 students, were entered in the competition for two trophies, one for vocal and one for instrumental (including piano). The students in the vocal section took first place, bringing home the trophy for the school. This is the first time since 1979 that they have been able to accomplish this feat. Emery High School took 2nd place and Delta High School placed 3rd. The Manti High School orchestra, band, and piano students took 2nd place in the instrumental division. Emery High School won 1st place to take home the trophy, with Gunnison taking 3rd place honors. Besides Manti, there were 1 1 other schools participating in the festival. Those students going to state from MHS include Jerry Cluff, vocal solo; John Liddell, vocal solo; Melody Hansen, vocal solo; Karen Nielson, Melanie Rasmussen, Stephanie Faatz, Joyce Guff, Valerie Hall, Rachelle Tervort, accompanied by Amy Anderson, ladies double trio; Daniel Jackson, Jerry Guff, Kent Bean, Kevin Thompson, Manny James Mellor, Willmore, John Liddell, Roger Boyer, accompanied double male by Jill Petersen, quartet; Thlt group of MHS mutlclam won top honor ot rocont Region i 10 Guff, Gmstine Meg-ga- n Beach, Manny Mellor, James Willmore, accompanied by Amy Anderson, double mixed trio; John Hales, piano solo; Melody Hansen, George Bench, Kim Shand, flute trio; George Bench, flute solo; Melody Hansen, flute solo; Dustin Hansen, cello solo. Three music teachers accompanied the students to the festival: Roseann Highajn, strings; Vance Larsen, band; Bill Thompson, vocal. Of Manti Highs 29 entries, 11 received a I (superior) rating, allowing the 22 students involved the right to go on to the Utah State Solo and Ensemble Festival to be held April 11 at Woods Cross High School. Another ten entries received a I (also superior) rating, just barely missing the state competition. The remaining entries received II , II, or D (excellent) ratings, with no one receiving III (good), IV (fair) or V (poor) ratings. Joyce Holman, Melanie Rasmussen, Ftlvol. |
