Show Wednesday May 29 1991 Vol 82 No 128 Covering Bridgerland Northern Utah and Southern Idaho Logan Utah 50 cents 20 pages 2 sections Garn won’t seek Ranger considers closing roads a fourth term By John J Wise staff writer By John J Wise staff writer Utah's senior Washington lawmaker Sen Jake Gam announced today in Salt Lake City that he will not seek to a fourth term in die US Senate Gam's present term expires Jan 3 1993 said Mary Tluriot Gam's director of community relations in Utah Gam made his announcement today at a 10 am press conference in the governor's board room at the State Capitol Thiriot said her boss does not intend to step down from the Senate with plans to move into the Utah governor's office She said Gam cited two reasons for not seeking a fourth term "He had two reasons for that The first one being his fondly ' die said “He struggled with the decision for some tune and said 'Jake Gam die senator would love to be a senator and run again' But Jake Gam die husband fofher and grandfather won out" His second mason die said is concern about Gam's long-helelected officials “becoming career politicians" by continually seeking Gam isn't out of the running for another elected post some time in the future But it isn't Utah's chief executive post he is after die said At least not now "He is not running for governor At this point he has absolutely no plans to run for public office again" she said “But he in no way plans to stay out of the public sector" Gam will fulfill his current term she said “and he still has a lot of work to da" Thiriot said Logan District Ranger Dave Baumgartner opened the heavy steel gates and roads on die Cache National Forest when he took die head ranger's Job back in 1984 But now he is is ready to slam die gates shut again and motorists lock out who he said have erased seven yean of progress on die district And Baumgartner dans to take the issue to the public to win support for the closures instead of simply making an administrative decision to lock gates and eliminate vehicle access to the parts of die national d Garn plans mud-slingi- ering asking die public to support dosing roads" Baumgartner arid explaining that damage to forest roads and other areas this year is the wont he's seen since taking over in 1984 Baumgartner said die success of his 1984 plan to open gates and keep roads open yeaxnound was proving successful until this spring — a particularly wet season compared to the put four to return to Washington this week “to fight for the space station" currently being discussed in congressional committees Gam 38 was elected to die Senate in 1974 after defeating Democratic candidate Wayne Owens now die 2nd District See GARN on page 2 “They just killed us this ' year" Baumgartner said “Most of die (dosed) roads were healed but this spring they were opened backup" quarter WASHINGTON (UH) — The today’s revised figures and finalnation's totd output of goods and ly a second revision due to be services fell a revised 26 perA Commerce Department cent or $269 billion during die said die change re- -i first three months of die year — an less than die upward revision to net government slightly had initially estimated last exports which were up $42 month die Commerce Depart- billion as both exports rad imment reported today ports foU dramatically Exports were down 42 percent The government's first rean estimate of a 07 following vision to die nation’s decline and imports' percent gross national product snowed were acalod back in the revision output shrinking 02 percentage to a 19-percent drop from an points less than die 28 percent 117 decline percent decline die department reported the upward reOffsetting April 26 visions was a The government issues three in die heavy machinery sector different versions of its GNP with a decrease in producers’ figures — an initial estimate durable equipment of 19 7 which was released last month percent instead of 166 percent ng forest “We're very seriously consid- GNP drops during first 1991 ' Unofficial or “pioneered roads” that were recently barricaded and posted dosed were churned up again this year in daces such as Temple Fork and Cowley Canyon Baumgartner said As in past yean die heavy sted gates on forest roads were kept open this raring on (he assumption — and trust — that die motoring public would again use discretion and not drive on wet easily rutted and damaged roads nor drive off of them Under die district's travel plan all vehicles are essentially restricted to roads or designated trails Driving off of roads is prohibited districtwide But this spring there is plenty first-quart-er 4 Deep fire tread marks left by vehicles off-ro- ad fill with rain water at Temple Fork See ROADS on page 2 City county OK deal on dispatch center ByKeftyLangpap staff wmer The final consensus i morning was “We did the i It is now just up to the individual municipalities in die county to approve an interlocal agreement establishing die and “Cache Valley Com- long-await- ed residents Providence served j by! die f city 1 water system should take precao-tionar-y steps and boil their drinking water before j use’ S according to Bear River Dia- ’ trict Health Department Sanitarian Leona Lundstram A boll : order i went out Tuesday afternoon after city residents noticed tikdr water was less than crystal dear And that order remains in effect today Preliminary water test results have turned up negative for cdiform bacteria but it's still too early to tell if the murky water turning up in city taps is contaminated by other oras such ganisms guudia Lundstnom said Final test results should be available late “We don’t really know (yet) if die water is contaminated so we’ve issued die boil order as a precaution" Lundstram sahL y Providence Public Works Director Dee Barnes said he is uncertain about the source health-threateni- ng ' todayC- of contamination ’ but explained that a mudslide far an upper reach of Providence Canyon drainage may have washed mud and sediment into a spring that supplies part of die city’s water supply Abundant and frequent rain storms in recent weeks may also have contributed to sediment entering the spring and subsequently the town’s culinary water supply See WATER on page 2 long-debat- ed with die municipalities That contract is now being drawn up by the Cache County Executive's office and Allen hopes it will be signed by all die cities and towns by July 1 The new dispatching technology to installed in a new communications center will better rforve all county residents Allen said “We have to have a funding for the and it is my hope the $1 (monthly fee) improvements will not ever have to go up" he said The interlocal agreement states that an operations board ‘definite improvement" over die current joint dispatch It will give Logan City more say in — consisting of the Cache County Sheriff Logan City Police Chief Logan City Fire Chief North Park Police its running ana aauy operation provide for a full-tidispatch center manager and fairly distribute the funding Chief and a lieutenant of die Utah Highway Patrol — will to all who benefit from its services he added The agreement meant some cnmpmmfoe on both die budget That budget recommendation will then go to die governing board for approval then to the city and county city and county's part he added bodies for final approval “This Is (he best way to go but when you do that you legislative “The board will be responsible for operations give up your own identity There were those in die administration operations and procedures of department who wanted to see die city do its own thing” die center shall recommend allocations and expenditures Bench explained and shall otherwise provide for the efficient and effective The current agreement does not specify die amount operation of the center" the agreement states county residents will be dunged for the service But both See CENTER on page 2 Logan City and Cache County have agreed upon a $1 per nw-hni- This week both Logan City and Cache County officials signed an agreement detailing the operation and funding of a joint public safety dispatch center hi its regular meeting Tuesday die Cache County Council passed a resolution raproving County Executive Seth Allen and County Attorney Gary McKean’s signature on the agreement Now the Logan Municipal Council and councils representing other municipalities in die county must formally pass a similar resolution to approve (heir involvement in die center's funding and services Logan City Police Lt Jerry Bench who has been involved in the joint dispatch negotiation process between Logan City and Cache County said after three years of discussing the issue there is finally a contract “everybody can live with" The new contract will provide for a center that's a m me day-to-d- ay Panel picks accounting firm Audit to begin of hospital finances Nearly time months after local mayors called for an official investigation of Logan Regional Hospital's billing and accounting practices that process is about to begin The Salt like City-bascertified public ed paying for the investigation die panel will be responsible for paying for die services through an escrow type of account Panel Chairman Roy Larsen said after the panel identified what it wanted an auditing firm to investigate it reviewed several firms’ proposals and selected one that is both accomplished and mafiffliateri with LRH or IHC The panel wanted die audit's credibility to be beyond question We think that Coopers and Lybrand will do exceptionally well" Larsen said in a press release The release states that the auditing firm's tasks will include: Evaluatine die charcinc hilling system of LRH to find if fraudulent billing practices occur Determining the error rate in die billing process and recommending methodology to improve die system Determining die extent to which charity i billing practices The investigation was requested by LRH to determine whether it delivers enough “charity care" to qualify for status and to answer questions about whether its billing practices are fair The local citizens panel was charged with identifying an independent auditing firm and its scope of investigation after die Cache Mayors' Association passed a resolution in March charging LRH with fraud Though die hospital — and its parent company Intermountain Health Care — is tax-exem- pt care is provided and determining whether the level is sufficient to warrant a property tax oxer option Conducting a statistically significant sampling of patients suppliers and other people or groups that have legitimate dealings with LRH — including an analysis of prices paid to suppliers prices charged patients interviews with former patients The citizens panel wut a sfrkv piflwbff of die auditing team will hold private confidential interviews beginning at 7 pm Monday in die Cache Chamber of Commerce Board Room 160 N Main Logan The interviews will be restricted to anyone who has been treated at Logan Regional Hospital Larsen said Interested persons can make appointments with the firm by calling the Chamber at Interviewees should be able to bring copies of any pertinent information to leave with die auditing firm the press release states five-minut- e 732-21- 61 Need we sayJMiudy and cootMip bre chance of thundefshowr er&ISure efteedthef waterbutthlffilList jmay ba a bit |