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Show r 7 October 20. 1998- - Pace An 13 Basin LIFE i Uintah Basin Standard Different Agencies Combine Forces plex. The compound, built by inmate labor, is nearing completion. When finished, work on the homes will begin. When it came time to take applications for qualified inmates willing to build homes for 50 cents an hour, there was no shortage of interest among the majority of the 104 inmates, said deputy sheriff Bird, who oversees the housCindy ing basis, and those working on the ing project for the jail. first prqject ofits kind to be done at We put out a job announcement aruraljail.saythey believe a and got back 70 applications. foot house can be built, usAppliesnts were carefully ing inmate labor, for an estimated screened and selected based on pri-o- r $45,000. construction experience, how long The house would be available to they will be serving their sentence a qualified income at the jail, and on good behavior family who take out a loan for the throughout their incarceration. cost ofmaterials and labor. If everyAbout 14 inmates, some of them to more thing goes according plan, state prison terms, and othserving will be available for more money ers from the area ordered to serve homes and more families in the comjail time, have been chosen to conmunity will be aided, says Nielsen. struct the homes. Each inmate is "If we dont become creative in required to complete a basic conwhat we are doing, there will not be struction course, and thats where any more funding given to us for the UBATC comes in, explained income housing." Duchesne County Sheriff Ralph Stansfield. Because affordable housing is Since Sept. 1, UBATC Trades chronically out of the grasp of and Industry Instructor Les Bennet clients, and due to the small ' has been spending five days a week labor costs involved, the agencies at the jail teaching classes, as well maintain the state-funde- d pilot as working with die inmates who wont in housing prqject compete are erecting poles and assembling the same arena as private enter2,000 feet ofsecurity fencing around prise. the perimeter of the work area. The homes will be built inside a These men are good workers, secured compound - with they dont want to be sitting around. an eight foot high fence topped by Those fence posts are straight as an rows of razor wire - adjacent to the arrow and they have to dig through new Duchesne County Justice Com Continued on page 24 Inmate labor to provide new homes & spin-of- f for benefits low-inco- me The substandard homing condition that extit for numerous Uintah Basin families make it impossible to rehabilitate a home, therefore, new homes are needed. low-inco- By Lezlee E. Whiting residents in need ofaffordable housing in Utah, mix it with county and state prison inmates with plenty of time on their hands and the developers of a unique housing prqject say they believe theres a definite formula for success. The can not afford a decent older home, much less a new one at today's going rate, says Uintah Basin Association of Governments Housing Specialist Lisa Nielsen. On top of that, because the list of homes in need of dwindling government funding for housing improvements is long, the hope of renovating an existing structure in deteriorating condition is practically nil. Extreme housing conditions that exist for low and moderate-incom- e families in the Uintah Basin mean that in many cases homes are in such poor condition that its a waste of money to rehabilitate them, say officials with the Housing Division for the State of Utah. The solution to the problem, says UBAOG Director Curtis Dastrup and representatives from the Department of Community and Economic Developments housing program, is to supply money to buy materials for a new home, have it constructed at very little cost and then make it available for purchase to prospective home-buyer- s. low-inco- Take an area with one of the largest percentage of low-inco- Spin-of- f industry to sip children, UBATC truck driving program Spin-of- f industries that are anticipated to result from a pilot prqject in which inmates will build income homes for residents will have a ripple effect. The state agency that gave the Duchesne County Justice Complex $60,000 to use to build a new home for a family has also given their approval to use the scrap wood left over from construction to make wooden toys for distribution to needy children in the area. Inmates will also be allowed to use the hard wood from crates and pallets to make jewelry boxes to be donated to community organizations for Christmas. Plans on the drawing board also include having inmates make quilting frames. Whenever possible supplies for the housing prqject will be purchased in the other , but when supplies are needed outside the area, the Uintah Basin Applied Technology Center will put their truck drivers who are in training, to work. They will receive driving experience needed to complete the course by driving to pick up necessary materials. low-inco- HEAT program to begin in November In November the HEAT (Home Energy Assistance Target) Program will begin. This is a foderally-fiind-e- d program designed to help eligifamilies pay a porble tion of their winter home heating bills. The HEAT Program will begin Monday, Nov. 2 for the elderly and disabled. The general public will be helped starting Monday, Nov. 16. e HEAT offers a payment for the heating season that runs from Nov. to March. Hie amount paid depends on the type of fuel used, household size and income. Applicant is responsible for paying any cost above the HEAT payment. Applicants need to have personal identification, Social Security cards for everyone in the household 18 years and older, their most recent utility bills, proof of income during the past calendar month for all household members, and also proof of medical bills paid during the past calendar month, including receipts for prescriptions and medications. The local HEAT office will be established in the Uintah Basin Association of Governments Office in Roosevelt at 855 E. 200 N. Anyone may call starting Monday, Oct. 26 to set up an appointment as applications will be received by appointment only. low-inco- one-tim- low-inco- low-inco- So thats just what UBAOG, Duchesne County Commissioners, the Duchesne County Sheriffs Office, and the Uintah Basin Applied Technology Center havejoined forces to do. The State of Utah has already provided the jail with (60,000 in demonstration money to construct the first house, end pay for utility hookups and transportation to the site where the home will.be located. The fund will be set up on a revolv 1200-squa- re low-inco- 10-ac- re There's still time to register to vote! If you are qualified to vote in Duchesne County in the Nov. 3 general election, but havent taken the time yet to register, heres your chance. The time and place for satellite registration for Duchesne County will be Monday, Oct. 26 and Tuesday, Oct. 27 at the following two locations: Duchesne County library at 70 East Lagoon Street in Roosevelt, or at the Duchesne Coun- ty Administrative building in the office of the county clerk, at 734 North Center in Duchesne. You can register at either location, on either day between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Golden Key Awards honored for helping physically challenged By Mary Wertz A truck-drivin- g instructor, two driving schools and a man who works with people with disabilities were all recognized at the Golden Key Award luncheon Tuesday, Oct 13, at the Weston Plaza Hotel in Vernal. Sponsored by the Utah State Office of Rehabilitation and the Utah Governors Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, the awards recognize those who have made outstanding contributions to others with disabilities. Longtime truck driver Robert Meeks, of Mountain Home, was in an accident in 1983 that severely disabled him. After a three-mont- h hospital stay, he went through a year of intense rehabilitation and started driving again. About one year ago he accepted a teaching position with the Uintah Basin Trucking program, a course taught at Uintah Basin Applied Technology Center (UBATC). Meeks not only instructs students who are physi but as a certified examiner, administers driving tests. Robert has a special empathy for those he teaches truck driving, said award host Keith Neilsen, UBATC assistant superintendent. His personal experiences help him to teach others about what kinds of problems they might have and how to deal with them. He said those Meeks work with describe him as pleasant and effective, with contagious enthusiasm. Meeks accepted the Outstanding Citizen award simply, saying, The people I work with make it cally challenged, Road Blocks Prqject. He said, The people who deserve the most credit are the people who work most closely with the students and really the crew, that make it all possible for us." The Community Employment Placement Project helps people with disabilities make the transition from high school to the real world. They are taught life skills such as meal planning, budgeting, safety and personal skills. In addition they are given the opportunity for outside work and permanent employment. "The training program allows people with even the most severe disabilities to perform in jobs, said Neilsen. The Employer of the Year" award went to Darryl B. Taylor Transportation ofRoosevelt, and the Ace award went to the UBATC 's Uintah Basin Trucking Program in OUTSTANDING CITIZEN-Dis-abledTr- uck Driving Instructor Robert Meeks was awarded the "Outstanding Citizen" award during the 1998 Golden Key Awards sponsored by the Utah State Office of Rehabilitation and the Governor's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities. abilities hosted the event in conjunction with the Utah State Office ofRehabilitation. Among the speakers was Mayor William J. Kremin of Vernal who said that, several years ago as an undergraduate psychology student, he took a class and came away with a gem. He said he learned the greatest problem people with disabilities face is not the disability, but the attitudes of others, including employers, toward those with disabilities. He said that he is glad the attitude in this community is one of Tops Club Tops Club will hold their annual Free Open House at the Ballard City Hall, 5 p.m. on Oct. 21. All interested are invited to attend. Questions? Call Singles Fireside Singles over 30 Fireside will be Sunday, Oct 25 at the Roosevelt East Stake Center at 7 p.m. Volleyball Activity Singles over 30 will be having an activity with Chili and Volleyball on Friday, Oct 23 at the Roosevelt East Stake Center at 7 p.m. 1925-193- COPY tors must be prepared to understand and respond to those conditions which affect our cooperative. It is in this context that Directors learn and develop skills through courses offered by NRECA. Mr . Moon has served on the Moon Lake Board for the past 12 years and provided leadership and oversight concerning the companys policies and overall goals. In addition, he also served as President of Deseret Generation & Transmission Cooperative. He and his wife, Carolyn, are the parents of seven children and have owned and operated a cattle, sheep, and fanning operation for many years in Duchesne County. Prior to serving on the Moon Lake Board, Mr. Moon served on the Duchesne County Commission, the Utah Wool Growers Association, and the Governors Advisory Board. AWARD WINNER--Alto- n Moon of Duchesne, left, is given a Certificate of Completion of a specialized training course by Kent Olsen, Moon Lake Electric Board of Directors president. Ft. Duchesne history offered in Virginia Parkers Memoirs By Mary Wertz As a young girl, Virginia Parker, now 74, spent her summers living in barracks at old Fort Duchesne. Her father worked as superintendent on the first experimental alfalfa seed research form established in 1925. Each summer for ten years, Virginia and her brothers and sister would travel with their parents from Logan to Fort Duchesne and stay until fall. In a book that is part history, part memoirs, Virginia shares her experiences of being a child living at the fort. Her book conveys the excitement and mystery offered by living in the native culture, framed by large skies, desert, red rocks, sage, sand and rivers. It offers a rare look at an earlier time in this reservations. Although not part of the Indian Agency, Virginias family lived in a converted barracks. Written in essay and story form, Parker primarily wrote the book as memoirs for her family. After her brother died in World War II and her mother passed away in 1972, she no longer had family present to reminisce about those years. I began to write these stories; I had been telling them for years. It is a personal point of view because it was originally written for my family, said Virginia. "The Basin was a wonderful place to grow up if you like spending time by yourself. It Continued on page 24 area when Native Americans camped in tepees along the rivers and irrigation canals and stabled their horses in log cabins built for 789-969- 5 Indian Summers: A Memoir of Fort Duchesne by Virginia Carlson Parker is available from Agreka Books in Sandy, Utah. Alton Moon of Duchesne, a Director on the Moon Lake Electric Board, has received his Certificate of Completion of specialized training courses designed to educate and train directors in their roles as policy makers in todays Rural Electric Program. The courses are offered by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) and cover the complex issues involved in the electric utility industry. Grant J. Earl, General Manager of Moon Lake, stated that the electric utility industry faces unprecedented changes. New demands such as industry restructuring and competition are creating the need for Directors to have competencies and skills not previously required. Directors are responsible for the long-randecisions necessary to assist Moon Lake in meeting the needs of our growing membership, commented Earl. Our Board of Direc nity Employment Placement Blue Mountain Artists will meet Wednesday, Oct. 21, 1998 at 5:00 p.m. at the Moon Lake Electric building in Roosevelt. For information please call 4 at or Susan Bellew at Jean Taylor-Sta- rr Book Look Moon Lake Director completes training Roosevelt. 22 247-225- OUT--Duches- ne Similar sentiments were voiced by Vernal resident Josh Graham who accepted the Service Provider of the Year award for the Commu- The Utah Governors Committee Blue Mountain Artists County jail inmates pose for a picture and take a break from their work on the security fence that will enclose 10 acres of land adjacent to the countys Justice Complex. To be eligible to work outside inmates must remain free of write-up- s for bad behavior. easy. on Employment of People with Dis- Hunters and anglers should be prepared for short delays as wildlife officers inspect licenses, permits, equipment and animals in possession during the fall and winter hunting and fishing seasons throughout the Northeastern Region. The roadblocks are held to collect biological information from harvested fish and game and to check hunter and angler compliance with the regulations. The Division would like to thank you in advance for your patience and cooperation during these roadblocks. TIME EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR-Dar- ryl B. Taylor accepts the Golden Key Employer of the Year award from Keith Neilsen during a luncheon in Vernal to honor those who strive to employ Uintah Basin residents with disabilities. The Darryl B. Taylor Transportation Company provides training and adapts trucks to suit the needs of disabled drivers. them. The old fort was converted from a military stockade to an Indian Reservation for the Uintah and Ouray Indians in 1883. In 1905, Indian lands in the Uintah Basin were opened to white settlement. An excerpt from the book reads: Every aspect of Native American life was shattered by the reapportionment, distribution and readjustment of their vested rights to their homeland. Whites criticized them as formers who did not care for their land. No one bothered to explain to me that they lived on allotments granted in lieu ofland. Many leased their land to white farmers while they themselves worked as common laborers. It was unrecognized that the male Native Americans traditional role had been totally obliterated by confining them on BOOK LOOK--"India- n Summers: A Memoir of Fort Duchesne 1925-193by Virginia Carlson Parker is 5" available from Agreka Books in Sandy, Utah. |