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Show HAVE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING Inside Shopping Guide 73rd Year , Wednesday, November 26, No. 48 1986 Roosevelt, Utah 24 Pages 50 Cents Supreme Court to review Jurisdiction case today The Supreme Court is reviewing the Ute Jurisdiction case today and we should know by Monday if they win hear .oral arguments on the case. The Solisitor Generals amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief was given to the Supreme court over a week ago. The Supreme Court had asked the S.G. for their opinion of the case last summer. The conference committee of the Supreme Court, the initial step in getting on the court calendar, is set for today, to November 26, according Duchesne County Attorney Dennis Draney. The case will then be reviewed and if found to be of sufficient importance, the justices will announce when they will hear oral agruments. This announcement is expected on Monday, December lawsuit . 1. Raymond Randolph, SANTA'S COMING TO jolly old elf will be in Roosevelt on Friday, November 28, at Sprouse Reitz at 2 p.m. and on Saturday, November 29, at First Security Bank from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. TOWN-T- he for the states attorney efforts with . the Supreme Court, said the process of filing more legal briefs and replies to briefs before the oral arguments could take months. Then there will be a further wait until the decision is issued from the Supreme Court. This case comes from the 1975 bonds for projects Duchesne County School Board is pursuing to acquire $2.9 million in lease purchase bonds to begin construction at Union .and Alta-moHigh Schools, according to District Clerk PhQ Thompson. Thompson said they will be amortized over 10 years but will possibly be paid off in five. He said board members would like the construction bid to be open April 1987 and completed projects by fall 1988.. Because the bonds are lease purchase, a formal bond election is not necessary, Thompson said. nt The lease works like a loan, if payments are not paid, the lendor owns the building unpaid for. A special meeting will be held Wednesday, December 3, at the district office to discuss the projects at 6 p.m. Thompson said the board is receiving the bond money from a from the Utah State School Board Association, which has allotted money for capital outlay projects. The board is hoping that 10 new classrooms and a gymnasium at Union along with eight to 10 co-o-p ' ruling from the Solicitor General wishy-washywas somewhat Even Randolph, in his reply to the S.G.'s opinion, said it was far more precise in a Court of Claims case against the Ute ." Indians. Randolph said the reservation boundary cases tend to be complex." This is because of the nature of the animal. These type ' of cases must rely on congressional intent and the documentation of that "One cannot tell from the brief of the United States whether it contests either of these essential propositions (that the Uintah Reservation was restored to public domain and it therefore ceases to be part of a reservation)," Randolph aaid, in his reply to the S.G. When the S.G. said the case lacked importance, Randolph wrote The United States can not be more mistaken. It is certainly important how hundreds of Continued on page 3 . $2.9 MILLION District to acquire over the increased Ute Indian jurisdiction, undertaken when they their Law and Order Code. They are seeking increased jurisdiction over their own members in the original reservation boundaries, an increase of territory to almost five million acres. The case has already been , heard and decided upon by the District Court in Salt Lake City (for the Tribe), twice by the Appeals Court (once for the state and once for the Tribe) and now goes to the U.S.Supreme Court. If the Supreme Court fails to grant the writ of ceriorari" (or review) the latest decision from the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals will stand. This decision gives the Ute Tribe jurisdiction of the land from Strawberry Valley, in Wasatch County, to Sand Ridge, in Uintah County: from the tops of the Uintah Mountains to the Book Cliffs and a stretch of territory well into Grand County. They would not have jurisdiction over the federal reclamation projects, or take ownership of any land that is owned fee simple. They would have the jurisdiction over the forests and have owner--. ship of federal and state lands within those boundaries. One of the issues the Duchesne and Uintah Countiea are attempting to make dear to the Court in their briefs is the impact this will have on other areas of the communities as well. This could possibly have an impact on planning and zoning issues, land use permits, hunting and fishing .rights, taxation and issues. The Tribe denies the case has this wide of repercuaions. Although the Tribe's attorney, Martin Seneca, was unavailable for comment the concerns of the Tribe have been voiced in several meetings over the past months. Tribal leaders, who were also unavailable for comment this last week, are concerned that the are being emotionally fanned. They don't see the case as being as wide ranging as attorn ies for the state and counties see it. Uintah County Commissioner Neal Domgaard, who has been in office through most of the litigation over this issue, said the Tribe's : ! many-othe- 't new classrooms and gymnasium at Altamont High will both' combined come under $4 million. With $1 million saved each year in capital outlay, along with $2.9 bond money, the board plans to retire the debt in five years. Presently the district has been r non-India- building projects as a pay as you go philosophy, but because both projects will be built in conjunction with each other, the finances were not for both projects. School board member Art Continued on page 3 Senator Orrin Hatch visited the November 24, and stopped by STANDARD for the a radio interview with KNEU's News Director, Lezlee Whiting, and to answer questions of the STANDARD. He said he was concerned with the jurisdiction case and the state of the CUP. He hoped both would be settled to the best of all parties concerned and for the benefit of all the Uintah Basin. SENATOR SPEAKING Uintah Basin Monday, Believe it or not, taxes are decreased . Tentative 1987 budget for Duchesne County has been set with tax revenue down 10.18 percent and total budget decreased 2.6R percent over last year and the total budget set at $5,791,523.00. A public hearing has been set for December 9 accident sent 22 year old Duchesne resident, Brian Leisure, and his three-yeold son to Duchesne County Hospital last Friday about 3:15 p.m. According to UHP Trooper Tim Trujillo, Leisure was traveling about 50 miles per hour and fell asleep, waking just before he hit the Antelope creek bridge abutment. He suffered a broken cheek bone and his son had a bruised rib, very lucky for two people not wearing seat belts. He was cited for driving over the center line and not wearing seat belts, Trooper Trujillo said. NOT FATAL ar This at 5:30 p.m. in the court house in Duchesne City. A general breakdown of departments show a decrease in this years budget. Commissioners, which took a lot of debate during the elections, show a decrease from $89,076 to $82,503. Salaries dropped $57,456 to $54,576 along with benefits dropping $18,720 to $18,027. Travel took a serious drop from $12,800 to $9,800. Auditor's department stayed constant at $85,900. Salaries, which were frozen some time ago, are the same as last year's budget at $55,000. The department receives $17,900 in benefits and $2,000 for travel. The clerk's department saw an increase of $83,010 to $83,450. Salaries stayed the same at $58,560 but benefits jumped $300, however, equipment plunged from $1,600 a year ago to $100 this year. Treasurer from droped $108,026 this year to $103,334 next year. Salaries dropped $58,056 to $57,146 and benefits dropped $22,000 to $21,836. Temporary employees, which received a. number of decreases in all departments, dropped $10,200 to $6,000. Recorder's budget dropped $111,900 to $106,155. Salaries dropped $71,500 to $69,888 and workers dropped from $7,900 to $3,000. Benefits jumped from $24,000 to $21,767 but travel stayed constant at $1,500. Attorney's budget, which too took some complaints during the election, decreased substantally from $98,800 this year to $86,772 next year. Salaries dropped $67,300 down to $59,272 and benefits dropped $20,000 down to part-tim- e ly $15,500. However, telephone bu$1,200 up to $2,500. but equipment dropped dget increased $1 ,000. Assessor's budget increased substantally from $171,628 this year to $319,560 next year. The increase is do to the cost of appraising all the county land next year. It will cost in the neighborhood of $140, (XX). Saladid jump though from Continued on page 3 ries Coastal takes reins at 7 a.m. Monday As of December 1, 7 a.m., Coastal 03 & Gas will be the operators of the Altamont Gas 140 Plant and approximately wells in the Altamont and - Bluebell field. According to Jim Bailey from Coastal's Houston office, the organization was pleased to get the approval for the transition from the Federal Bankruptcy Court and is looking forward to being the operator of these properties. "Coastal is an experienced well financed operator of wells in Utah, Bailey said. He said the operation covers wells from West Virginia to the West Coast They have been in Utah since 1969 and maintain an officer in Vernal with 11 employees. They also have about 400 employees in a mining operation in Salina and Schofield area, with an operations office in Salt Lake City. They plan to work with Utex through the transition and have already had meetings with most of the employees, offering them employment on a temporary basis starting December 1, he said. Bailey said there would be a determination down the line as to who would be offered permanent jobs. The Coastal interest in Northeastern Utah extends to a total of 600 wells of their 4500 nationally. Bailey said it was important .to insure the proper and safe operation of the wells at current levels both to protect the investment as well aa. the interests of the other owners. |