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Show . ( ' ' f ' I . " i r i ' Curiosity is one oi the permanent certain character!r tic -' 'i- i'4 j ' ' ii', : ; ) intellect. Samuel Johnson Vi jhzv wt- .- ju Serving the residents of Duchesne and Western., Uintah Counties . Are city sewer lagoons Uintah Basin Duchesne High School's Cody Moat wins meet to blame tor odor? tee page 9 Drug trial halted; defendants plead to reduced charges tee page 3 14 ipage at a vigorous Tuesday, September 24, 1996 Roosevelt, Utah 83rd Tear No. 39 19 Pages 50g .CRIMINAL AND TRAFFIC CASES UR 77 SINCE 1 993 Mounting caseload spurs request for more assistance for westside Justice Court By Lteriee E. Whiting . The numbers speak for them- selves. Last year Duchesne Countys westside Justice Court handed an average of 264 traffic and criminal case filings a month. This year that figure has jumped to 288 cases per month, if the trend continues that will mean the Justice Court will handle 3,456 cases this year.- - The numbers post a year-ovincrease of and show a jump of 78 since 9, there are mounds of paperwork which company each case, particularly when fines are neglected and bench warrants have to be issued. When those charged with the class B or C misdemeanor crimes and traffic infractions plead not guilty trials must be held, another time consuming ac- full-tim- dune. drug-relate- READY FOR CONSTRUCTION-- Duchesne County commission- ers John Swasey (left) and Larry Ross (right) turn the first shovels of dirt to mark the groundbreaking of the $2 million Crossroads Centennial Senior Center next to the Roosevdt City complex. Construction foreman Chad Peatross, from Valley Builders is pictured in the center. Work on the new facility is expected to begin within the next few weeks. At right is a replica of what the Crossroads Center will look like. i CRECK CASHING Wifi ager who will oversee the effort The request came about after HB 295 - the affordable housing bill was passed in the last legislative session, mandating that all communities within Utah devise a plan for the development of affordable housing. Walker said Roosevelt was selected because leaders have demonstrated interest and taken their own initiative to address the issue of affordable housing regardless of the law being passed. Roosevelt's initial project shoifid be completed by the end of October, -- maieilF County prepares to apply for grant money By Uriee & Whiting When it comes time to dole out approximately $445,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds area Duchesne in the County will do their best to see that a portion of the federal funds are earmarked for remodeling a building for Duchesne area senior citizens. County commissioners list an application for $60,000 as their find ty priority for CDBG Binding. The money would be used to remodel rooms and addakitchen in the former Bureau of Reclamation building to serve as the senior citizens center. The county expects to move their administrative offices into the building next year, and along with them the Duchesne Senior Citizen program. They already have $32,000 in place for the needed remodeling. BEE GRANT MONEY on page 3 . Vi) "i - i X. Jv -- ..'V i Enrollment drops in County Schools m V irtV n 1 rrf -- i, A.c -i . according to Walker. When autho- rized Roosevelts demonstration project will be distributed with the six other projects to the rest of the states communities as innovative examples to provide leaders with a blueprint in developing their own plans. All completed plans are due by December 1, 1998. Each plan submitted to the state must meet five requirements: Determine the number of affordable housing units currently in place in which rent costs are compatible with 80 percent of the county or statewide median income. Ascertain the expected affordable housing need in the next five years, with expected population growth. Evaluate current zoning fin: affordable housing by examining population density allowable in existing zoning ordinance. Evaluate how future affordable housing may affect current zoning density with possibility of adjusting ordinances. Determine what the community will do to provide for projections. The citys project will be funded with a portion of the $250,000 allocated by legislators to assist in implementation of the program. Walker said city officials can expect technical assistance including procurement of a private consultation service to develop and complete their project. Walker expects that by the middle of next year, half of the plans will be done for all the cities in the state. He said because its anticipated that small communities without professional planning staffs may need financial assistance, law makers will be asked for additional fiinding in 1997 mid 1998. School enrollment comparison: School 1995-9- 6 It should be pointed out that in Altamont Elementary Con Amores case the statistics are Duchesne Elementary Much to the relief of parents who based on enrollment at the end of East Elementary feared even larger class sizes this last year rather than at the beginBy Janey Hokett , - year, the enrollment in Duchesne County Schools appears to be stabilizing. Although changes are too small to be declared a trend, many schools actually showed a very slight decline this year. Dont get too excited though, the registration at Union was up by 19 students for a total of 1,121. Drops in enrollment occurred at East Elementary Myton ElRoosevelt Middle ementary School Altamont High and Con Duchesne High Amore . Statistics Filings Per Month Tissue ft Cbimmal . 1995 - 264 2 . 1994 - 211 1996 - 288 This is an increase of 9 over 1993 78 over 1993. 1993-16- , . ! DaucFimca ft ; 1995 - 273 (23 per month) 1996 - 315 to date (39 per month) i 70. This is an increase of CaiMiMAL Casks , 1995 -- 356 (30 per month) 1996 - 410 to date (51 per month) . This is ah increase of CnUJBCnOM Total Mmno ; ' . ,$140,405. $11,700 1993 171360 14,280 VJ994; 1995; . 17,805 213,658 1996 an Aug. 201,458 25,182 -- 70. n area, and new UIIP troopers now patrolling the Upper Country. At the same time case filings are heading upward, so is the amount of revenue collected by the court through fines. In 1995 the westside justice court reported a monthly average of $17,805 in collected fines. This year that figure has jumped to an average of $25,182 each month, an increase of 38 over 1995s figures, and a vault of 134 since 1993. The county keeps approximately 70 of the fines collected, said Poulson, the remainder is remitted to the state. County commissioners have asked Poulson to compile costs associated with a new employee and new equipment for them to review. V Now: Collections up 38 over 95. Up 97 1 34 ewer 13 at same time. 94. Up f Over . a kv a $ A , . I. i ; i ; JjSiXP Roosevelt City to pilot prototype for affordable housing projects by the State of Utah Department of Community and Economic Development as one of seven communities in Utah to participate in creating an affordable housing demonstration project. The demonstration project" is actually a plan regarding the development of affordable housing, with five mandated requirements according to Richard E. Walker, Community Development Block Grant man Justice Court Resident aliens target area for forgeries and thefts ifY lTHwaaaidatefiii Roosevelt City has been selected i SCHEMES By Lezlee E. Whiting By Cheryl Mecham .. full-tim- er 1993. As with any court system .To further complicate matters, Clair Poulaon, Westside Duchesne County Justice of the Peace, told county commissioners last week that his caseload is expected to rise again soon because small claims cases previously handled in 8th District Court will now fall under the jurisdiction of Justice Court Poulaon asked commissioners to e consider hiring another secretary and purchasing additional equipment so the steadily increasing workload can be handled more efficiently. The Justice Court office located in the Duchesne County building is currently staffed by Poulson e and clerk Zara Sorenson. Their small office has just one computer work station. The steadily rising caseload seen over the past three years can be attributed to several factors: The boom being experienced in the countys western! population, the increase in d activity - mainly by young adults passing through the ning. Last years enrollment figures far the other schools are for the 1995-199- 6 school year. Increases in enrollment are found at Altamont Elementary (14), Duchesne Elementary (3), Neola Elementary (3). Tabiona (1), Union High (19) and Thompson (4). The total number of students for 6 equaled 4,600 while the is 4,528a enrollment for 1996-199- 7 decrh.se of 72 students. See related chan for details. 1995-199- . 96-9- 312 601 176 186 170 576 .161 .189 302 Myton Elementary Neola Elementary . Tabiona , Roosevelt Middle Sch. 360 :Roosevelt Junior High 454 319 Altamont High : Duchesne High .. , 330 Union High 1102 171 . , - Jhompsen Con Amore : ' 7 298 299 31 . 332 455 301 311 1121 35 ; 62 74 4528. 4600 laiaL l.'Dmvn 77. students frnm last vear .Lqst month aRoopeyelt business was burglarized, and while thats not all that uncommon the repercussions should make the community take note. The theft of about $3,500 in tools and construction equipment from Haslem Construction on June 5 was immediately apparent. What wasn't as evident upon inventory was the theft of several of the businesses blank payroll checks, taken from inside a stack of checks buried inside a drawer. Police say it wasnt until about a month later that it became evident the thieves who stole the tools, had also forged about $6,500 in payroll checks in three Vernal stores. In each case the person cashing the check showed the store clerk a resident alien card as identification. According to investigating Roosevelt Police Cpl. Steve Hooley, the thieves had professionally recreated the checks so that cashiers taking an unassuming glance would believe the checks had been issued by a machine and signed by a company official. Store cashiers and customers are asked to be aware of authorization signatures on checks and get positive identification, he stated. They need to watch out specifically foe resident alien cards. This seems to be a trend. Police believe that about three suspects were able to get $6,500 in cash in just two days using six different aliases while working two Vert. nal supermarkets and Because banks now require fingerprint identification the suspects weren 't able to cash the forged checks at a bank, but they were able to tell store cashiers they worked for Haslem and produce fake identification cards. Wal-Mar- If there is any question on identification please call the police and dont cash the checks, especially for those from out of the country. Migrant workers are usually paid in cash so when they have a check and a resident alien card it should raise suspicions. Hooley says those who are legitimately working as resident aliens will aim have a temporary social security card to produce as identification. Police believe forgeries and falsification of identification by Mexican Nationals, some in this country illegally, is a trend that is beginning to penetrate into rural parts of the state. Last month in Vernal 21 illegal aliens had to be released from the Uintah County jail after U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service officials refused to pick them up. Prior to that incident several other illegal aliens from Mexico were ar-- there is any question on identification please call the police and dont cash the checks.. -- RPD Cpl. Steve Hooley If rested in the Vernal area for making forged documents. Last week in Roosevdt two Hispanic men from Ogden were arrested and jailed after officials with the Division of Motor Vehicles became suspicious as the pair was applying for Utah Identification cards. DMV officers contacted police who determined that the taro men had alleg- - Alfonso Sandoval edly traveled from Ogden to Roosevelt for the purpose of obtaining false identification cards. One man confessed to police that the social security card he showed to drivers license officials had been purchased at a mall in Salt City, another had a falsified resident alien card which actually belonged to a woman in New York City. The men, Alfonso Sandoval, 26, and Jorge L. Fernandez, 23, were each charged with a third-degre- e felony count for recording false or forged documents and jailed on $5,000 bond. Each man allegedly had several forms of identification hearing different names. Although there are resident aliens in the area who are Hooley says those who claim resident alien status who have several different forms of identification are a legitimate concern. I don't know what their motive is, with one I.D. they just want to live here, but when they have different LD.s I think their intent is to defraud. g, ITIMEJO STUDY.UP. BEFORE VOTING Six propositions to appear on Utah ballots in November to veterans who served in international conflicts and military training. The purpose is to allow the exemption to apply to any military activity instead of just wars. This proposition also limits the exemption to disabilities that occurred while in the "line iff duty which the Constitution currently does not Resolution Proposition 2 tution. amending the revenue and taxation The six propositions would make article. This proposition basically changes to five constitutional ar- involves housekeeping measures ticles. Below is a short summary of and would make a few minor technical and grammatical changes to three each of the propositions. Proposition I - Resolution sections of Article 18 of the Constiamending veterans property tax tution and removes one section which exemption. This section of the Utah is now obsolete. Constitution currently provides a Proposition S Jury trial resoproperty tax exemption to disabled lution. If passed, Proposition 8 will veterans who served in any war. change tin Constitution so the type The proposition would amend this iff esse, not the typo of court, will section to allow the exemption to determine the size of the Jury. In all When polls open just six weeks from now on Nov. 5 Uintah Basin voters will have the opportunity to cast their ballots for president of the United States, candidates for UJ3. House of Representatives, and candidates for county commission and school board seats. In addition to these elections, voters will also have six propositions on the ballot that propose changes to the Utah Consti- also apply capital cases, the number of jurors will be set at 12. In all other felony cases, the number of jurors can be no fewer than eight. In all other cases (misdemeanor, civil, etc.) the number of jurors is established by the Legislature but there can be no fewer than four for any case. Proposition 4 - Resolution on states authority to guarantee the debt of school districts. Proposition 4 amends four different articles in the Utah Constitution so that the State of Utah's high credit rating can be used by the states 40 school districts in braiding for capital facilities By allowing the districts to have their bonds guaranteed by the fill faith and credit of the state, districts can obtain lower interest rates than they otherwise could and thereby SEE PROPOSITIONS on page 3 |