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Show 13 years ago... THE ZEPHYR ARCHIVES Ht was a different town and a different world...Here's the way The Zephyr saw it in Apai/May 1989 people’s private ownership. But on the other hand, we all need to look toward making things a little nicer. We've tried these cleanups in the past and hopefully, if people leave a mess, we do have an ordinance that we can implement to make them pay a fine and clean up the property...It’s better if everybody cooperates, than fight about it. There are a lot of Editor's Note: It’s been 13 years since the first issue of The Canyon Country Zephyr went to press on March 14, 1989. So much has changed since then, I thought it might be interesting to some of you ‘newcomers’ to see just what this town was like in a different time and a different world. In 1989, Reagan had just left office, the Soviet Union was still a powerful adversary, George Brett still played baseball, and on the day we printed the first issue, Ed Abbey died. What follows are excerpts people in this community who go over and help their neighbor. from the first two issues (we printed every four weeks for the first seven years)... “Hard Times in Santa Fe" Ed Abbey's last story was published in The Zephyr on the day he died. Ed wrote, "The Chamber of Commerce calls it The City Different.’ Different from what? Different from the typical American city, the Chamber means. But more and more Santa Fe comes to resemble every other American city, and not only American cities in general, but any From “Page Two" by Jim Stiles : This is the first issue of The Canyon Country Zephyr, a monthly publication of news, opinion, information, and entertainment for Grand County and southern Utah. According to the Webster's dictionary, a "zephyr" is defined as "any warm, western breeze.” As it applies to this newspaper, the definition may vary. To some The Zephyr will represent a _ breath of fresh air; to others it might sound like a lot of hot wind. At one time or another, T hope that every ‘reader reaches both conclusions.;.we’re not here to cater to or patronize town where the blight of our techno-industrial age has laid down its heavy hand." From "Spandex Means any one constituency, or anger and provoke another. But we would like to stimulate intelligent discussion of the issue that concern the citizens of Grand County... We wondered about the whereabouts of conservative troublemaker Joe Stocks and said, "If anyone cah get Joe Stocks to put pen to paper, it may be author, environmentalist Pe CANYON. Spring. It still comes in a rainbow of colors, spread brilliantly before our eyes, but it’s = _hot the same anymore. I was eating lunch at the Main Street Broiler a few weeks ago.when the proprietor, Carl Rappe, dashed in the front door, pointing excitedly to the street. "It’s Spring. Look out COUNTR Y there!" Sure enough. A young couple from Boulder or Aspen or Park City, or Somewhere were pedaling their mountain bicycles up Kane Creek Blvd. They were wearing matching Moab, Urah Nines © Volume royal blue, skin tight, spandex bicycle suits (I’m still not sure of the terminology), and to tell you the truth, they looked to me like two naked blue people. Aliens, I thought...we’re being invaded. Which, in a sense of course, was true... la BN. by Jim Stiles But now. But now in 1989, in our beloved Moab, there comes a. new color to:define and well-known troublemaker Ed Abbey. Mr. Abbey will hopefully become a dedicated, if irregular contributor to The Zephyr. = THe Spring" Thave always.associated the advent of Spring with color--brilliant bursts of pigment that tell us the grim days of winter are behind us. Colors come in different forms. Maybe it was the sight of an irridesecent mountain bluebird flying across the sagebrush meadow near _ Sand Dune Arch. Or the first splash of Indian Paintbrush that caught my eye. TX, Ken Sleight was a contributor from the get-go. “Around the Bend" with Ken Sleight With the advent of this column, it’s fitting to spell out some thoughts I have concerning the environment and protection. It is with much gratitude thatI have been able to spend most of my life in the canyon country. Having gained many experiences, positively came negatively, I wish to draw from them for this column. Glen Canyon was especially rewarding to me. I regret. that future generations will never have that opportunity. They: will never-be able to hike up:Forbidding Canyon to Rainbow Bridge or enjoy the spirit of Music Temple or Cathedral in the Desert... ... There are a number of continuing threats to the canyon environment...Many probes are ee for the Burr Trail development. Projected power line development is but oneoe them. The ease of access will endanger adjoining wilderness qualities... ... Lhe State of Utah has placed great emphasis on Lake Powell. The state has used fundb to build a ferry boat to be used by the Lake Powell marinas. This cost them $900,000: And it’s just begun. Governor Bangerter is pushing the National Park Service to exchange 'lands that lie within the Glen Canyon NRA for adjoining state land sections on the shores of Lake In the May 1989 issue, Ken Sanders wrote: Powell.These would be for Lake Tahoe-type developments... ..Now from many quarters comes a great hue and cry that the environmental Comqrumty should cease its "radical ways" and once again sit down at the bargaining table.To bargain what? To bargain off our canyon heritage as Glen Canyon was bargained away? There comes a time, for each of us, that our conscience—-or inner soul-—rises up to "Edward Abbey died today. Here in Hong Kong, where Tam, printing my 1990 calendars, it’s already tomorrow, March 15th--the Ides of March...In a.place Ed had never known (or would have wanted to go to) I know already, instantaneously. The facsimile bearing the news was waiting for me at the printer's this morning... "The best history is mythology, Wallace Stegner wrote. In life, Abbey was a mystic figure. In death, his presence on the land and in our hearts can be felt all the more keenly." say, "I'VE HAD ENOUGH. NO MORE!" As masochistic as it might seem now (to me included) I used to interview the County Commissioners and the Mayor every four weeks...we almost drove each other nuts. Here are some samples... With the advent of this column. it’s fitting to spell out some thoughts I have concerning ‘The Aephyt Interviews...April & May 1989 Zephyr: Springs benefits Ferne: the environment and protection. There are currently two major road projects proposed for Grand County--the Trough Road.and the Book Cliffs Highway. Do you support these projects and will the economic justify the cost? Yes, | support both of them. The Book Cliffs Highway will provide a road from Ken Sleight northern Utah and Yellowstone, where they can come directly to the Canyonlands...And the Trough Springs Road, the one proposed by the BLM will make a nice loop for people to take to the Anticline Overlook and return to Moab... Merv: On the Book Cliffs Highway, it seems to be a sound scheme...Trough Springs isa good idea. Right now, we have two dead end roads. Connecting two 9 Toads to make loops sounds like good sense to me. Dave: I do support both of them. The cost for the Book Cliffs will be borne by mineral lease - monies that are going to the road districts. Back in the Good Old Days, when The Zephyr got itself deeply involved in. local issues, questions were also thrown at the Commissioners on a variety of other topics, including: the hiring an assistant building inspector, the county attorney's salary increase, ethics violations on the road board, dumping asbestos at the landfill, widening 400 West and Apple Lane, a proposal for the Fine Arts Department of the University of Utah to move to Moab, and using mineral lease monies for. education instead of roads. In April 1989, we asked the mayor a question that is just as timely in Moab 2002... The Mayor Stocks Interviews. Zephyr: Where do you draw the line on what's an eyesore and what's private property? Tom: You try to trim somebody’s tree and they'll get upset. You take away an antique, in their eyes, and they’re upset. So I think. you have to be cautious about not infringing on March 14, 1989 - We also recruited Red Rock Four Wheeler and articulate conservative John per of Milt's Stop n’ Eat, to make a monthly contribution... "Over Easy" with John Sensenbrenner eree owner Everyone in SE Utah has become aware of the large number of bicyclists that have ech using our (jeep and 4WD) trails. We're glad to see them come on the scene. We welcome them and feel that we share a common bond in using this beautiful country and seeing that it is not degraded in any way... The key is in impressing all users of the area with the importance of respecting its beauty...Part of the problem i is that each year there is anew group of enthusiastic folks ready to go out and enjoy the land, unaware of our efforts, Hing last to want to go out on the trail... they are the first and And finally we ele Where Are You, Joe Stocks? by Jim Stiles Now to be honest, Joe Stocks and I have rarely agreed about anything, siheugh I sensed something different about his contrariness to my point of view.I was always the ardent environmentalist; Joe was the miner, the developer, the multiple-user of public lands. And yet, in spite of his insistent concern that tree huggers and Feds represented an inherent _ |