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Show JfJ NT? I mmistmaim mxTm H .Uhn S"-W- mmm " Ul WK J The w or st sin tow or our fellow creatures is not to hate them, hut to he inJiJJerent to them: thats the essence of inhumanity. George Bernard Shaw Uintah Basin 500 Kings Peak Asking for help V West Junior High needs money andstudents to remain viable when it comes to graders. It educating will be up to the Uintah School Board has to make some big decisions soon. See page 2 1 eS M 709 T Tuesday fvA M. 'A "Y':J May 16, Vi f;( 2000 Roosevelt. Utah c'X Vol. 87, Number 20 www.ubst3ndard.com DIGNITARIES ON HAND Age-ol- d healing remedy They i are mentioned numerous times in the Bible and now more and more people are finding out that the ancient healing art which uses essential oils can be good for what lor aits you. Seepage ; r v. Tf Air - 13 Thespians soar VW'S Duchesne High drama students won the region : championship in their bracket and went on to claim 2 place at state competing against 19 schools. other i c - 2-- A 14 Jfc. NEWCONSTRUCTION UNDERWAY Ground was broken during ceremonies forUBTAUBET Communications last Tuesday morning at the comer of200 Nonhand MamStrect(Highway40)in Roosevelt. Pictured left to right are: Kirk Bostick. Bill Fausett. Max Fabrizio. Lynn Haslem, Joann Winn, Lynn Pinegar. Jerry Goodrich. Gregg GarfF. Kim Bastion. Bill Kremin, Chad Peatross, Dennis Jenkins, and Brace Todd. BILL PENDING BEFORE CONGRESS Duchesne water quandary nears resolution 1 00-year-- old By Lrzlee E. Whiting long Duchesne city oflicials have worked on and off to clear up the title ' Duchesne. Ahamont and Tabiona athletes take top honors at state and region meets. to the city's water rights. The 16 17 testify before congressional committees in the precedent-settincase. Their efforts have paid off. Abill seeking the official change in owner-shi- p the water-rigtitle wall soon be voted on by the full House and full Senate, said JJ. Brown, an aide toSen.Orrin Hatch Ifthe measure is passed, as is expected, the bill will go to the President for signing. The city could have a in hand by the end of the year, making it all oflicial. "There are some mi- Seepages Duchesne City Council has been work- ing in earnest on the project for the past year, hiring their own attorney and trawling to Washington, D.C. to g ht nor details being worked out. but it has strong support, every-one(t- n Congress) wants to make sure this happens. The city has done a very good job and the Ute Tribe has really worked to make it happen. Brown revealed. The case stems clear something." At the conclusion of Jenkins's remarks, Ken Peatross then initiated the physical portion of the ceremony by asking all those with shovels toy "throw a little dirt and we'll start building." Cove residents told ts back to May 27, 1902, when the city's water rights were put in the name of the old U.S. Indian Service.The wjtcr nght waa initially granted for the purpose of irrigating Indian allot- mentson the Uintah Indian Rcserva- tion, and fur an irrigatingand domestic water supply for the town. In 1920, achangr in the application slated that the entire appropriation was to be used for municipal and domestic purposes in the town of Duchesne, Utah." Despite the change, the title remained in the name of the UB. Indian Servire, preventing Duchesne fromobtaining dear title even though the federal agency no longer exists. Duchesne Mayor KimHamlin said the city was told by the state engineer over the years that they could not utilize the water for anything except city use because officially they could not claim the water right. Aboutayear ago, Hamlin contacted Department oflnterior Attorney William McConkie who researched the issue and found the citv to be the correct owner. The Ute Tribe Business Committee and their attorneys looked into the legalities of the claim and were also in agreement It appeared all that needed to take place to secure the water rights would be the signing of a new document officially putting the title in the name ofthe city of Duchesne. But bureau- - he would like to believe so. "We used to gas up here, bought flowers here. There was a home and a life lived here on this corner. It'ssad to see it change, but for us it's important to see it change as well." said UBTAGeneral Manager BruceTodd. Todd said that the commitment of PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE seeking the official change in the water-righownership title will soon be voted on by the full House and full Senate. A bill If something is worth it, you have to expect to put some time into it oh, say at least 46 years. That's how Tracksters shine other businesses and organizations to the community encourages their pursuit of excellence. "We are committed to provide serUBTAUBET Communications representatives could not have vice and excellence to this comm unity planned a more beautiful spring day and to this area beyond w hat lias been to hold last week's groundbreakingon done in the past." Todd stated, adding Tuesday. May 9, when dozens of folks that the new building will be a physical sign of UBTA's commitment. gathered to observe the ceremony. UBTA Board President Kent Lynn Puur . project architect, said Peatross opened the proceedings by he is p! used to work with UBTA in recognizing Sen. Beverly Evans developing plans for the comer, not) and Rep. Gordon Snow t ing that he has been impressed with t, as well as city and county the board ' concern for t heir subscriboflicials, community leaders, past di- ers in providing a nice building, and rectors and employees in attendance. yet. spending their money wisely. Peatross said that at one time "A year from nowwe hope to unlnrk UBTA thought building their facilithe door and have this project ready ties on Flattop was the move to end for use. Pine gar concluded. all moves," but since the excavation of Roosevelt Mayor Dennis Jenkins the new site and the direction the addressed the audience, stating. This company is going, he couldn't say with is a historic day for Roosevelt. We're certainty that the new building would excited as a community to work with be the"inovetoend all moves," though UBTAand see this comer develop into By Cheryl Mecham Duchesne Seepage breaks ground for new construction UBTA cracy took over and the city found out it wasn't going to be that simple. .VJ the time the tribe assumed that tiwa ours also. Tbe only lcm was that, when the Interior meat took it to the BIA in Phoenix, they said you can T do that, theres no precedent," Hamlin explained. Thi'oty discovered thrv would have to approach Congress to make the changenffirial andpermanent,sothey hired a water-right- s attorney to lead the charge. "We figure by the time we are through h will cost about 640,000 to 650.000. That's pretty expensive to get a title on something we already own, but when it's done, when anyone needs a fairly good amount ofwater we can say.Ves. Utah's entire congressional delegation is pushing the bill to give Duchesne clear title. The Ute Tribe will benefit from the legislation pending before Congress as well, since they hare substantial holdings of undeveloped land in Duchesne City. In recognition oftheir cooperation, Ute tribal members wanting to hook up to the city water system would not be assessed normal connection or development foes. "sooner the better" for sewer system Roosevelt's offer to cnatuxt to their sewer system, the cost for Hancock While there are numerous ques- Cove residents to operate their own tions remaining, there is one thing sewage treatment system would be that's certain: sooner or Later Hancock astronomical, he noted. Cove residents will need to abandon Grantsand low-i- n terestkiuns could backyard septic systems to hook up lo be obtained from state and federal a sewage treatment system. And now agencies to help ease the financial may be the right time because burden of constructing a sewer system Roosevelt city is offering to accept an to connect with Roosevelt's existing estimated 150 Hancock Cove resilines, but before a dime could be apdents onto their wastewater system. plied for, a special service district must be formed. And for that you need for the conPreliminary price-ta- g struction of a sewer system in the public support and possibly a vote of growing area northwest of Roosevelt those included in the service district is 62.4 million, said Rex Wilkerson of boundaries- s The increasing number of new Horrocks Engineers. estimates put hook-u- p fees for residents homes being built closer toget her has at between 62.000 to 62.500. A placed pressure on the groundwater, monthly user foe. estimated at around making levels nse. The problem 630. would also be charged. prompted the need to delve into the "As fares feasibility, with the lavof feasibility of creatinga special service the land and everything, it's a viable district to bnnga sewer system to the project, Wilkerson told about 30 Cbve area. residents who attended an informaI n some areas, grounds aler lewis which used to be at nine feet are tional meeting last Thursday to learn now one foot deep, said Cove resident more about the proposed sewer sysBjr Lrzlee E. Whiting Best-gues- tem. If the proposal did not include SEE SEWER PROJECT on page 3 EFFORTS PAIDOFF Duchesne Mayor Kim Hamlin and the entire city council made a trip to Washington. DC. tomcetwilh congressional leaden to lobby for legislation that would secure the city 's water rights. The mo c paid ofT. said Hamlin. They were quite impressed that the whole council was there they knew it was very important to us. INFORMATION MEETING WEDNESDAY Roadless plan for Ashley Naional Forest to be discussed By Lrrloe E. Whiting Forest Service oflicials will be in Roosevelt Wednesday night to meet with the public to provide details of a roadless plan that would impact about 192,000 acres inAshley National For- est. According to figures obtained from Duchesne County, there are 700.000 acres of forest land in the county, 250.000 of which are in existing wilderness areas in the High lintas. Under the federal government's pro- Pored roadless initiative for National Foresta. that leaves just 66.000 acres of forest land in the county that would not be s tothe general public. F orest Service official are holding some 300 meeting! across the nation to discuss release of the Draft Environmental Statement for managing roadless landscapes on the Forest One of those meetings is slated for this Wednesday tMav 17 1 in Roosevelt at the Crossroads Center from 7- - 9 p m "The intent of the rule is to keep inventoried propp'd roaJlew area off-limit- - - Copyf The "information sharing" meeting in Rooseveft will be designed for people to review the proposal and ask questions. roadies and manage them and other unloaded area for thecharartrnstica that nuke them special. The rule would not change current uses. Future uses in roadless areas will he determined through forest planning," explained Diane Augustus, information officer for Ashley National Forest. The "information sharing" inerting in Roosevelt will be designed for peuple to review the proposal and ask questions. A "public comment forum" has been scheduled to be held in Vernal on June 2A at the Golden Age Center flwn 6- -8 p m The public comment meeting will provide an Pfw u nity for people to express their opinions for the record. Duchesne County Commissioners are on record a being vigorously opposed to the roadie initiative. A groupofthichrenearea residenuhive also voiced opposition to the initiative saving it ignores the critical need to allow access and utilization of forest lands in the areas of oil and gas development, mining, timber, and recrrwiMn. Forest Service oflicials say the proposed roadless initiative is in response to "public desiresabout conservation and use of national forest and grassland resources." The National Forest system has an existing 380,000 miles of roads across some 192 million acres of forest and lac ks the funding to keep up with maintenance and operations. There is currently about 63 4 million worth of barklnfired road construction and maintenance work on forest lands. JE ASHLEY FOREST ca pi-- e .1 FIXING THF TRCIULM Construction ecvk on High-- ) 40 m front of D ii Jubilee ifowcd traffic asl'POTanJ RocKcvck c it crews msu'kd pipe underground to sij w ith drawagr problems. At the same linn; work was being done 1 he improvement to repair dctcrwvsiirg sidewalks and make the curb near Oik. km 1 ime handic apped sccc-roN- e art posable thanks to fundi-- t I LOT S.Jo alk Salvri pfty sm and matching contributions from Roosevelt. g |