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Show TW 3V 19lV SINCE January 3, 2001 il Busy time for lawyers representing Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance continues to keep a host of attorneys busy in a variety of legal actions. In the past week, SUWA filed an action to include San Juan County as a defendant in its lawsuit regarding the road to Angel Arch in Canyonlands National Park. San Juan County Sheriff Mike Lacy recently opened the road Frost on the cottonwood trees in a timeless photo by Alvin Reiner Utah State Tax Commission questions health care taxes - The Utah State Tax Commission has notified San Juan County that the county may have overstepped its bounds when it raised property taros for the health care district . In December, County Com- missioners approved the concept of increasing the subsidy to. the struggling district by $500,000 a year. Instead of advancing the subsidy through the general county fund, the Commissioners placed the amount in the health care property tax. The Commission agreed to forward $250,000 in December, with $250,000 more in June if the .district can show signs of stemming a string of financial losses. Commisioners anticipate that the high prices for petroleum products will translate into a higher assessed valuation for the county when the new valuation is released in July. The hope is that the higher property values will allow room under state law to raise the property tax for the health care district. The State is apparently argu- ing that the county budgets should be based upon the previous year valuation and not upon speculation ofthe upcoming year valuation. Apparently, the County Com- - to the popular arch, which threads through Salt Creek Canyon in the Needles District of Canyonlands. Because of snow and ice at this time of year, and a threat by Park Service officials to arrest anyone who travels on the road, the road opening was largely a symbolic act Jerry Banta has stated that the park would prefer to wait until the original case is heard in court or until an environmental review is completed before reopening the road. San Juan County Commissioners disagreed, claiming that the county owns the road under federal law and sending Lacy to the park to open the road. In other legal matters, a federal court rejected SUWAs petition to close a number of Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs) in southern Utah to vehicle access, including lower Indian Creek and Behind the Rocks in San Juan County. Following six days of hear- ings, District Judge Dale A. Kimball denied a preliminary The act apparently caught the attention of SUWA, as the motion by SUWA to ban vehicle county was added to the list of use in nine popular recreation defendants in the SUWA legal areas managed by the Bureau action to close the road. Afed- - of Land Management. Accord- eral judge closed the roadjwinE to multiple use advocates, 1998, arguing that the road, Kimballs deSsion went a step further by granting a recreationwhich crosses Salt Creek numerous times, was damaging ist motion to dismiss SUWAs the ecology of the streambed. A claims regarding the areas. Both recreationists and the federal appeals court overturned the ruling in October, BLM opposed the injunction, 2000 and sent the case back to arguing that SUWA was atthe original judge. tempting to close access to the areas by judicial fiat. Park Service Superintendent the Tax Commission to argue for the change. Commissioner Bill Redd states that San Juan County is the only county in the state that has faced a dramatic TIUSWYEEKfl Bluff Ballon Festi- val nears - See page 2 Lessons of Life - See Life in a Nutshell, page 6 Cave Man sets his New Year Resolutions My -- See My View, Cave, page 16 gubbsk The San Juan Record reviews 2000 this week by taking a look at our editorial cartoons for the past year. The cartoons are a collaboration between Artist Amanda Hillhouse and Editor Bill Boyle. The popular political cartoon is in need of a name. Send us your suggestions and we will have a vote in future issues. Send your suggestions by calling or faxing to 435.58.2277, to sjrnewsOaol.com, mail to PO Box 879, Monticello, UT 84535 or simply drop off your suggestions at 49 South Main Street. e-m-ail i decrease in property values. The property tax base for San Juan County has lost more than half of its value in the past 20 years. "M mm I As of the press deadline early on January 2, the New Years Baby had yet to arrive in San Juan County. LWEATII ER Monticello Blending Dec Hi Lo Pr Hi Lo Pr 25 35 20 .50 40 26 tr. 26 35 19 45 22 27 43 16 43 22 28 45 18 51 20 29 44 18 46 25 30 45 19 46 25 31 42 20 54 25 Monticello end Blending eech bed e trece of enow on December 25. San Juan County's p to the Information superhighway on-ram- October A bad internet connection causes Rep. Keele Johnson to miss a deadline and be disqualified from the Utah House race. POOR COPY NEWS ROUNDUP 2 LETTERS 4 SOCIETY.... SPORTS. a COMMUNITY NEWS 10 REAL ESTATE. 13 1 FCAI S 14 ...ZZ.....M CLASSIFIEDS. |