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Show 70th Year ' No. Thursday January 6, 1983 1 Roosevelt, Utah 20 Pages 25 Cents Strawberry River floods; alarms area . Flooding of the Strawberry River just west of Starvation Reservoir left Merv Gustin is a recent resident of the area as he just finished part of his home last August. It was this home that brought about concern two homes surrounded by water with the threat of flooding eminent Sub-ser- a weather has an effect on .and help from neighbors, County, the Strawberry River as mushy ice ' and the Bureau of Reclamation. started forming, and flowing on the Dump trucks, front end loaders, fiver. This much ice stacked up as it and tractors were used to build a dike hit the already frozen Starvation around his new home to keep the 'Reservoir, started darning the river, flooding waters nut that came within tast Friday December 31, it had five feet of his home. "I always wanted to know what it backed up sufficiently to flood the would be like to live on an island, Lott Charles of the west river just now Im not so sure I want to," residence. Mr. Lott commented that the river stated Gustin as he surveyed the ice has flooded in the Spring on a couple and water that was still flowing of occasions since he moved there in around his house Saturday morning. Mr. Gustin explained that about 1933 but never in the middle of the 10 or 11 a.m. Friday, the waters winter. His home sits higher than the started flowing across his road and continued up from there. He flooding waters and as he surveyed the water between his home and the explained that the Bureau had highway he said that it may be a few reduced the water flow out of the days before he gets out of there but Strawberry Reservoir by half on Friday. This water flow reduction that they would be alright. would take 24 to 36 hours to reach the homes where it was flooding. Gustin expressed his thanks to Skrwes and Hamilton, Kent Peat-msthe County and the Bureau for their help in diking around his home. If one looked across the flooded field, the Gustin house was much lower than the ice and flowing water around it. s, . ' . ROOD DIKESI- -A dike big enough to drive a truck on has now been built around the Gustin home on the Strawberry River. Blasting of big chunks of ice thought caus- - jng the doming of the River were blasted out Wednesday in hopes the water would . then continue down to Starvation Reser- - vior. Gust ins parents were visiting from Ogden and his mother said that Friday evening after the worst of the flooding was over for the day, one of came running her from the kitchen yelling, Come here, come here quick! The family ran to the window expecting more flooding waters to appear. Instead they saw a moon light frozen field, sparkling in the winters cold. I guess there are some silver linings to all problems, she said. It was beautiful. . grand-daughte- . e Johnson District is tormd aftr tall& A lawyer, an engineer, and members the Johnson Water Association met .with the County Commissioners December 80,. in s public hearing to form a new water district in Duchesne The district has bfen divided into four voting sections and the County Commissioners has appointed the first board. Charles Thompson will represent the Ioka area. Paul Foote the south Roosevelt area. Blaine Brokaw is County., .'After more than two hours of the north Myton bench representative !LdisCHMl9P jyiplwtioneand obje$: ..with Roy Hicken to serve " tions, the Commissioners met briefly to ' Valley area. The fifth member of the decide the fate of the proposal. It was board can be selected at large from the moved by Cbmmissioner Ross to form district and has not yet been appointed the new district and the motion died by the commissioners. from a lack of a second. Commissioner Application has already been made Reidhead was not present Commissioner Moon explained after the meeting that be did not support the proposal at that point because their boundary included too much land that would never be served with water and I dont think they did their homework as they were unable to sufficiently answer questions about the new of to the state impact board and the new. district representative will be at their next meeting January 6. This will be the last meeting that board member Karl Shisler will attend. District spokesmen say the new district should meet the water needs of thecounty .aqd distrki-witb.--itformation. Growth is expected to continue that will increaae the property tax and sales tax base in the area and this increases the Cbunties e . Continued on page 8 On hurt in Nw Years district The issue did not die at this point as plans to meet with the Commissioners on the following Tuesday were made. Boundaries were trimmed and this time on January 4, the Commissioners passed the proposed Johnson Water accident District Those in attendance at the December 80 public hearing did change the course of the new district Melvin White presented a petition protesting land owners in Upalco of being included in the new district White explained that they already had a good supply of water from their own wells and that they did not want to be obligated to pay additional taxes in a A New Years Day accident has left Betty Poowegup hospitalized in the Duchesne County Hospital. According to Ute Tribal Police officer Johnny Arrowchis, Mrs. Poowegup left Bottle Hollow time between 12 midnight and 2 a.m. January 1. She proceeded to her home in Farm Creek. As she was approaching the bridge crossing the Uintah River just before Whiterocks, water district they wouldnt buy water Also there were four landowners at the same meeting that petitioned not be included in the new district. These four families were also deleted from the newly formed district They are Thomas Gentry, Hugh Perdval, John Jorgensen, and Bob Crowley. Their reasons for not wanting the Johnson water was that they also had good water already. One mentioned they did not want to see growth in the area by offering more water hookups. In the meeting Tuesday, about me third of the land had been omitted from the proposed district There was also an explanation made to the commissioners as to their plana for the district f before it was accepted. They proposed to still develop new and better water sources in the Upalco area. This would be piped in a new 10 or 12 inch trunk line that would go down tiie Ioka bench past Lemon's and across Hiway 40 to the present storage tank. Another storage tank is proposed on the North Myton Bench area just south and west of Roosevelt This 'would add and storage capacity to the aes and businesses in that area. The new district was formed to give ft identity as a political entity and it would then be eligible to apply for grants and low interest loans by the State. It would also be able to plaee a mill levy on the taxable property within the district to raise revenue to upgrade and expland the present system. The original system wu designed .in l Mrs. Poowegup said she fell asleep and apparently rah off the road. She left the highway just before the bridge and entered a deep hole in the river half way submerging the car. It was about 4 p.m. the next afternoon that she was located by a passerby. She was helped from her vehicle and was then transported by ambulance, to the Duchesne County Hospital. had formed around the car in the river and according to Arrowchis, because she was in the deeper part of the river, the ice did not form around her inside the car. She lay half Ice NEW WATER Water District DISTRICT! The Johnson was passed by the Duchesne Tuesday, but not before some changes were made. Pictured County Commissioners submerged in the water inside her car for 12 to 14 hours. Her 'son commented Monday that feeling and movement was returning to her feet and legs. The hospital reported her condition as good and stable. is still under The accident investigation by the Tribal Police department , owners have discussed subdividing their land if toatei' capacity was available. Lanny areas to as they discuss which delete from the orignal map. Ross Nw park may be built in Roosevelt velt City and the Duchesne County The park would use approximately four acres the school district now owns near the elementary. Jackson said the development of this park would be a very positive move on the part of the City and School District because the Citys master plan calls for such a park in that area of town. centered around the concept that Superintendent Lowell Caldwell stressed that final plans have not been developed. He said the old school board was strongly in favor of the project, but he said the new board must now decide. Caldwell said the District had planned to develop the area about three years ago, but because of a drastic increase in the cost of water, it was decided to delay the project. The cost of the development of the park was estimated by Caldwell to be roughly $10,000. He said they would use District equipment and crews, thereby reducing costs. However, water has been the major factor in the decision to construct. He said, the realization of the park continues to depend on the Citys willingness to provide water for the park. has been progressing between Roose- School District. A park committee was established some time ago which consists of individuals from the City, the school, and community. Those on the committee are Gerald Mitchell, East Principal; Sheldon Robb, teacher; John Huiiin-ge- r, Basin Lions Club; Wendy Earl, PTA President, Ralph Shield, Garth Sorensen, Ellen Rawlings, and George Jackson, City Recreation Director. According to Jackson, the discussion began some time ago but plans have never been, finalized. He said the present plans call for the installation of three ball diamonds, a picnic area, a jogging track and an exercise area. Jackson said the discussion between Roosevelt City and the old school board Roosevlet would provide the water for the maintenance of the park and the School District would install the. 1971 capacity. Another eight property Paul Foote, Keith Goodspeed, Blaine Don Brokaw, Charles Thompson, and Roosevelt residents living near East Elementary could possibly find themselves with a new park under construction this summer. The final plana have not yet been formulated, but for the past few months discussion . for 196 hookups and now is serving 870, almost double of what the system was designed for. Almost 20 requests for connections have been denied to date because of limited are and . car that was being driven by Betty Poowegup of Form Creek went off the road and into the Uinta River just South of Whiterocks early NEW YEAR'S ACCIDENTI This Januajy !. She remained the icy waters for almost 14 hours before she was found and taken to the Duchesne County Hospital. in facility. The Roosevelt Recreation Director emphasized that the finals hsve not yet been worked out, but added that water may come from irrigation sources or culinary water. He added that they would like to get started on the project this summer. said the District in February and March regarding their summer projects. He said he suspects the projects will be way up on the districts The Superintendent will be making decisions project list. The groups involved will continue to meet. Jsckson said they will be contacting various equipment companies to obtain information regarding supplies for the park. ( . |