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Show r T ri r No r 'JVau' ''07 r F ( "alt - o ,;:; lTinn 00 ' ' Asop r ' l,n ril; 11 r n4l 0; Serving the residents of Duchesne and Western Uintah Counties (Jl) Sentencing doesn't ease Iintah Basin Altamont defeats Duchesne in Wrestling i act ondadamu, no maftar bow omall Is mr ratted. heartache for family seepage page 14 11 Uintah & Duchesne boards Tuttday, lanuary 23, 1996 Boomv1L Utah 83rd Ttar No. 4 18 Pagtt to discuss crossover in Feb. seepages 50 DUCHESNE COUNTY TO BE AT HEART OF DISCUSSIONS state leases Colorado River water local leaders say they want the money returned If By Lezlee E. Whiting Thepossibility of making millions through the lease of Utah's than of the Colorado River it an idea one Duchesne County commissioner says he hat concerns about, but isn't totally against In fact, commission chairman Larry Rosa, says if such a lease agreement ever materialised, Duchesne County, along with other eastern Utah counties whose tributaries feed the Colorado River, expect a good share of the generated revenue to come back to the counties of origin. MIXED-BLOOD- Ross says unlike past issues which nave affected Duchesne County - particularly the Central Utah Project -this time the county plans to organize under the authority of a water conservancy district to ensure the countys rights are protected. (See related story) "When it comes to water leasing we intend to be right at the heart of the matter, whatever the discussion is," Ross stated. I dont think one knows if leasing will ever place, but we need to influence that decision - what the water will be sustains a TO FILE SUIT S spar over water rights and land, and also with 27 percent of the "net proceeds" not susceptible to Attorneys representing various equitable mr practicable distribution. While oil and gas resources, along mixed blood factions are in the process of filing federal court papers with hunting ana fishing rights have and other documents to ensure their typically been identified as clients have a voice when it comes to nondi visible assets, mixed-blood- s any decisions regarding water rights, also maintain water rights are inor water-relate- d projects for the Ute cluded in that group. Kent Higgins, an Idaho Falls atIndian Tribe. Earlier this month the governing torney retained by a group of mixed-bloo- d tribal Business Committee approved Utes, says the Termination a resolution to "oppose and counter Act clearly says water rights of mixed-bloowere preserved. any and all efforts by the mixed-blootoaaaert ownership oftribal Higgins is preparing to file a "relands, water, wildlife, minerals or quest for mediation" of the terminated Utes water rights to the Actmoney." In 1964 490 mixed-bloo- d Utes ing Committee on Indian Water were voluntarily terminated from Rights in Washington, D.C. The efmembership iri the tribe as part of fort is an attempt to mediate rather the Ute Termination Act Through than litigate the issue, says Higgina. the subsequent Partition Act they The Department of Interior recwere provided with their share of ognises the mixed-bloowater right. divisible tribal assets such as money ds da STATE WAITING FOR JUDGES RULING status puts merchants, county at odds Tax exemption By Lezlee E. Whiting Members of the Roosevelt Merchants Association are urging county and city leaders to put a halt to efforts urging the state to the sales tax on Ute Tribe members. But elected officials contend they are just doing their job by making sure the state follows their own tax laws now that Roosevelt is no longer considered tobe on the Uintah-Oura- y Reservation. In a meeting last week with Duchesne County commissioners Charlotte Zufelt, president of the ct merchants association presented commissioners with a petition signed by over 80 local business people requesting the city and county leave it up to toe state to decide when to reimplement the tax. I dont think tones any doubt that someday the tax will be reinstated, but at this time we need to back off the issue, give it more consideration and let the state handle it, Zufelt expressed. She said Rooseveltmerchants fear a boycott of area businesses by tribal members should the state decide to reinstate the tax at the request iff the local government entities. Tax Commission spokesperson SEE TAX EXEMPTION on page 8 JAIL BOOKINGS UP 41 PERCENT arrests in county attributed to drug use More Bv Cherv) Macham "minor" infractions. End ofyear statistics compiled by the Duchesne County Sheriffs office for 1995 show that jail books are up at an increase of 41 percent over made a more concentrated effort on the highway to intercept drug traffic, as well the Uintah Basin Drug SEE 1996 ARRESTS on page 3 1994 bookings. Accordingtofigures listing the total number of arrests by local law enforcement agencies within the county, 1,154 adults were book into jail last year, compared to 676 the previous yea.. According to Sheriffs Deputy Jail Commander Jerry Foote, the boost is due to an increase in drug and alcohol-relarrests, coupled with criminal jurisdiction now exercised over Ute tribal members arrested off trust lands. al Furthermore, Foote says the high numbers dont include citations and releases by deputies for traffic violations or misdemeanor offiaises such as shop- lifting, illegal consumption and other multi-billio- n dollar economy by Mixed bloods, Tribe By Anne Colton leased fir and what the money will be used fir." Ideally Ross says, hed like to see at least 50 percent of the revenue generated for leasing returned to the area and used fir the construction of water projects, but not restricted to such use. Approximately 14.6 million acre feet of water flows through the Colorado River annually. The river Hiis year the sheriffsdepartment County Arrests for 1995 providing irrigation and culinary water to over 20 million people throughout the western United States. In County Duchesne the Rock Water conservancy Dist essential to county clout By Lcxlee E. Whiting ' : Duchesne County commissioners say that ifa e water conservancy district had been in place years ago, the county just may have had a great deal mine success in obtaining water storage projects they were promised 30 years ago and later denied. To correct future occurrences iff being left dry when it comes to water development, commissioners are moving forward with plans to create a water conservancy district "Historically, in retrospect if we had been at the table on water discussions during the Central Utah Project planning stages we would have been much better off than we are today, ex- -. pressed Larry Ross, commission chairman. The time is right for the establishment ofsuch a district Ross says, particularly in light of the fact that the Uintah Basin is one of two places left in the state ripe for water development TTieres the Bear River and us, as the population grows it grows around water. WeVe got water and weVe got a good place to live. We need to protect our water resources and the growth I management of water use." In order to have the proper authority in place for the county to Tie at the table" in all future water talks with any entity, the establishment of a water conservancy district is a must, Ross county-wid- Creek, Lake Fork, and Yellowstone Rivers all flow into the Duchesne River which flows into the Green River which winds its way to the Colorado River. Gov. Mike Leavitt favors leasing a porbelieves.- tion of Utahs 23 perUte Indian CELEBRATING NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURE-The- se "We would have a legal entity to do business cent share of the Colodancers performed during last year's first Native American Culture day. water-relatefor Duchesne (on rado River to ths lower issues), County The event was such a huge success that organizers are bringing it back this basin states of Califor- we do not have that right now. We hove had and had we've committees never but a NeArizona and year to include a full day and evening of activities, demonstrations, groups, nia, educational enlightenment and Native American food. The second Native vada. As a result, varilegal entity to Mow through with any plans ous concerns by water American Culture Celebration will be held this Saturday, Jan. 20 from 10 SEE DISTRICT on page 8 leaders and elected of-a.m. to 10 p.m. at Union High School. finals throughout the state have been heightened. During a meeting on the issue $170,000 ALREADY ALLOCATED TO PROJECT held recently in Price, Ted Stewart, director iff the state Department iff Natural Resources, said there are no immediate plans to introduce legislation in regards to the leasing of Colorado River water in the 1996 session iff the Utah State Legislature, but there are numerous investigations being conducted into the feasibility iff water leasing. When the Colorado River ComBy Lezlee E. Whiting Street project have envisioned hap- quest a grant for approximately pact split the river system into uppening in their downtown district $350,000 to begin phase two - the per and lower basins in 1922, it apImagine downtown Duchesne for the past five years, and engineers design and construction phase ofthe portioned in perpetuity to each ba- City filled with planter boxes for say the project is expected to move a multi-millio- n dollar project The resin the exclusive and beneficial con- flowers, poles, step closer to fruition with antici- development of Duchesnes downlight sumptive use of 7.5 million acre feet sidewalks paved with bricks, fountown area is ranked second in priorpated funding awards. In March the city will approach ity on the countys CIB funding list BEE WATER on page 3 tains and benches under trees. That's just what promoters iffthe citys Main toe Community Impact Board to re for this year. In October city officials expect to hear whether the Utah Department of Transportation will allocate a requested $350,000 in grant money through "enhancement funds set aside forsuch landscaping and downtown renovation projects. In addition the city has a total of $170,000 in funds which were previously obligated by the CIB and forest service. The Duchesne County Area Chamber iffCommerce has also allocated $9,000 to the project for "bricks and mortar." Vem Fisher, administrator for Sunrise Engineering, toe company selected to develop the project, says if the city is successful, their total acquisition iff dose to $800,000 in grant monies will pay for toe complete removal of all sidewalks and landscape construction from one end of Main Street to the other. The city must obtain the money completely through grants because there is no taxing mechanism or revenue source to repay a debt, Fisher stated. So far, $20,000 in grant money obtained earlier has been expended to complete phase 1 of the initial planning process. Now Fisher says officials have confirmed plans to replace the Duchesne River Bridge just SLATED FOR REPLACEMENT-UD- OT work on the "detailed design" is well east of Myton this fall. UDOT originally intended to build a new bridge over toe Duchesne River last year, but had underway. Fisher- - a former Mount Pleasant to delay the $16 million project due to budget constraints. city manager oversaw a similar Main Street development project in CONCEPT IS RESURRECTED BY COUNTY, CATTLEMEN that city in the early 1990's. Although it involved years of hard work, toe expense and effort was well worth the end result, he stated. "At the beginning of the project Mount Pleasant had a sales tax base of $90,000. Construction took place from 1991 to 1992, by 1995 we had almost doubled our sales tax revenue and that was due to the Main Bv Lezlee E. Whiting building in Roosevelt to discuss the County too is ranked as one iff the Street upgrade and related prqjects." Fisher has been involved in the feasibility of a very large feed lot and state's major cattle producers. stages of Duchesne Citys planning that no Theres The concept ofa large feed lot and cattle agriculture question processing plant - one of the mainstays of the Uintah Mainf project for the past three cattle processing plant in Duchesne for the area. be capitalised years. He says the nice thing about "Several times in the past this Basin-shoul- d County is one that has been batted the endeavor is that all three counabout for years, sometimes in all subject has been brought to the fore- fully. Ross says hes entering into dis- ties in the Uintah Basin hove enseriousness with plans being laid, front iff economic development discussions "without any preconceived dorsed toe effort. and other times as an economic de- cussions," Ross detailed. "However, "All three counties have provided ideas that it will or wont work. and realwith dream cattle the current that isnt velopment prices just of support for this. It's not letters inderailed been had Efforts the in now other Duchesne County istic. But threats to the local cattle past Commission Chairman Larry Ross dustry a value added discussion be- - early on, he felt, because they lacked viewed as a Duchesne City project, to the Uintah Basays he believes cattle procedures comes much mine critical. Simply the crucial support of the cattlemen, it's the gatewsy and agriculture industry represen-d- y put, we can no longer afford totallow but he says their interest in such an sin, he noted. Phase three of the downtown reto take tatives are unprocessed cattle products to leave economic development concept has development project will consist of been rekindled lately. look at the possibilities. the Uintah Basin. In 1994 Duchesne County ranked Ross and toe Duchesne County Any effort to establish a feed lot building restoration and facade reArea Chamber iff Commerce have first in the number of beef cows in and processing plant will be ex- - structuring. He says right now the estimated cost for the final phase is called for a meeting this Thursday, the state, last year they were ranked SEE FEED LOT on pagt 3 unknown. Jan. 25 at 7 p.m. at the Moon Lake second behind Rich County. Uintah d ' Design phase of Duchesne City Main Street project underway Potential for feed lot & processing plant to be discussed at meeting e new S3 |