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Show T uX '060, UT rum m The post is but the beginning p o?e.2eo3 Uintah Basin nnnrrr,, 500 Santa needs your address! ? 1 i Tuesday Santa Oausis busy asusual December 12, 2000 answering his Christmas mail at the Myton and Roosevelt Roosevelt. Utah this Christmas season r.t . 3 ' 4 $ ? aW'W.uuWvwf.1' a lw.ii ANIMAL MUTILATIONS. UNEXPLAINED SIGHTINGS jw Alleged cemetery plot plot" The Uintah County Sheriffs j office hasfiled 93 more felony i fraud charges againstaVemal I man who is accused of i keeping most of the money he was paid for burial plots when he worked for Uintah ? County as a cemetery sexton. -- Seepage I is 'I 87, Number 50 www. ubstandard.com Vol. Post Offices, but he needs return addresses! --See page 2 . N 10 J- - t The right Connection Basin no longer a UFO "hot spot," but agency says information is still needed By Letleo E. Whiting Its been about Tour yean since a Las Vegas millionaire purchased a ranch in Uintah County and established a scientific outpost to research reports of documented, but unexplained UFO sightings and cattle disappearances on the property. Robert T. Bigelows National Institute of Discovery Science, still maintains a presence in the area these days. The ranch, located southofFort Duchesne, is regularly staffed by KIDS researchers and the organisation remains vitally interested in what goes on in Duchesne and Uintah counties when it comes to suspected animal mutila tions and possible sightings of unidentified aircraft. In fact, it is very serious business Las Vegas-base- d for the privately-funderesearch organisation which is staffed with 15 scientists and consultants holding PhDs and equipped to investigate such anomalies. KIDS focuses on scientific exploration that d KIDS ia asking for help from Uintah emphasises emerging novel and sometimes unconventional observations and theories, explained Colm Kelleher, deputy administrator for KIDS. Before any scientific research can begin, however, cases of animal mutilation and UFO sightings must be quickly reported, and that's where ! Beginning in January nine area schools in the 4 will start after school 1 programs funded by a federal 1 grant. Coordinators for the t Connections program are ty x i parents to determine what type of after school activities are needed. - See page 13 Cats rope Cowboys Unions boy hoopsters whip CrantsviOe last week and then lose a close game to 4-power Cypress in a heated A contest Seepage 16 ... (K3PS3W& . JOINT EFFORT Dump trucks from Duchesne County haul offloads of old cement from vacant property to the wot of the new Utah State University Uintah Basin branch campus addition. Roosevelt city work crews will dispose of the refuse. Those in charge of building the facility sav the new addition never would have been a reality without the help of the county and Roosevelt DASTRUP. SAYS BOARD FAILED TO. WORK WITH HIM UBA0G: Firing .. was the result of the need for new leadership ty Dastrup said he feels (he 1 board should have worked with him if they felt there was a problem. main tai ns hs was not notified of meetings he Id by a special ezecu live committee formed by the board specifically to work with him oa concerns the board had with his management style. AccorduigtoDnstnip,afew months ago he sold his livestock sale business, and had hired others to help run his towards Dastrup and wishes him a farm in order to devote more tune to great deal of suoceee in whatever he hi job aa UBAOG executive director. decides to do, but maintains that the Duchesne County Commission Chairman Guy Thayne, who is assisDastrup knows why ha was terminated and prefers not to review anyof tant UBAOG Board chairman, said he the related issue in the public arena. did not want to comment further on The board has the responsibility the termination. of determining the value of leaderUBAOG Laurie employe ship and if they decide unanimously Bnimmoud waa appointed by the that they need to develop new leader- board to serve a interim director. The ship for the total oftheir organisation board meets in their regular monthly then they certainly have the right to session this Thursday m VeraaL do so, said Dickisoa. Any person in The Uintah Basin Association of that particular circumstance is an Governments, based in Roosevelt, employe and that's how weehose oversees a 13 5 million budget which to handle it. disperses state and federal grant Dart rup said he feels the board money to various local agencies It should have srorksd with him if they employs 36 full and part-timemfelt there waa a problem. He also ployee. r ments said the termination last month ofUBAOG Executive Director Curtis Dart rup came about aa the result of the need for new Icedership of the organisa lion. Chuck Dkkieon, of Manila, said Dastnip's termination wa not done hastily, but came about after a great deal of thought, along with the advice of legal counsel. Daetrup had been heed oflheAOG since his appointment by the board in 1997. Prior to that time he had served asa Duchesne County Commisaioaer. In a letter to the editor published in the Standard last week! Dastrup said that on Nov. 9. the board of directors met in executive session for 1 W hours and returned to vote in an open meeting to terminate his employment He said they failed to give him a reason for their decision. Dickisoa said ha beam no ill will at-er- ill e INTERNET SITE IS NOW ACTIVE 43 sex offenders listed in Basin A controversial listing of Utah sex offenders, which ia currently pasted on the Internet, available for perusal by anyone who wishes to access the its, include names of 43 Uintah basin residents. OTthose listed. 20 are residing in Duchesne County, and 23 in Uintah County. In 1998, a smaller version of the offender listings was mad available on the Internet. However, since the publication of these names prompted legal action to be taken against the practice, the porting was suspended. Although the publication of such a list of offenders was challenged in court, a federal appeals court ruled last summer that the list constitutes a legal tactic to prevent and investigate sex Crimea. Since that ruling, a database of offenders in the state ha bean compiled by the Department of Corrections, with a total of more than 4,700 names. Under state law, the name ofconvicted sex offenders are posted on the ; Tune is of the essence when it comes to reporting unusual animal deaths or sightings of unusual report continue to be active, they are no where near the amount experienced 30 and 40 yean ago. In the part year NIBS hu received calls regarding six mutilation rases involving cattle and bones in the Uintah Basin and Utah. Tbe problem is that the calls have come too late to conduct any real scientific analysis, Kelleher related. "Once it goes behind 72 to 96 houn after death it becomee very difficult to do any meaningful sampling, he sdxL We would really prefer a system where rancher and farmer would be more aware ofus and able to inform ua sooner than a week after tbe event. Pete Pickup live in Randlett and e field investigator works as a for KIDS in the Uintah Basin. Whenever a suspected mutilation or unusual aircraft fighting in the Uintah Bum is reported to NIDS, Pickup is immediately dispatched to investilaw enforcement vetgate. A eran with years of experience when it comes to probing possible animal mutilations and rrports of LTOw. Pickup goes to the scene and begins taking blood samples, photographs, wwue samples, takmgcost-pas- s eolWrt leadings, and interviewing the 26-ye- ar : The chairman of the board of the Uintah Basin Association of Govern- restrial object in the night sky. While full-tim- , By Leslee E. Whiting Burn resident. In the I960 and 1970a. the Uintah Bum was a recognized hot spot when it came to fightings of extrater- aircraft. surveying students and 5 of a beginning. -- HG Wells clude 21 in the Vernal Naples area, and two in Whilerock. By way of comparison, other cities residing in Duchesne ia rural Utah were checked to see how they rank with our own area. Ia CarCounty, and 23 in bon County for instance. Fric show Uintah County. a total of 1 5 listings, while Helper ha 6. Moah, in Grand County, shows 10 database as part of their sentence. offenders, while Richfield has 13. and Considerable information ia in- Heber has 10. cluded with each name, including Although sum opponents of the nddneses, photographs, physical de- listing suit contend that it is tantascriptions, vehicle t)pea, and criminal mount to public shaming. Judge David records. A second phase of the proM. EbeL writing for the federal apgram sail compile and include a peals panel. said. 'Under Utah's law, ion of the offender's method of registry information made widely operation. available, but it w not broadcast ia a Internet users can visit the site at manner approaching the historical http JVrsrw crex state ut.ua. example of public shaming Interla Duchesne County, offenders ate ested individual still must make an lislsd in five different communities. affirmative effort to rvtneve the inEight names are listed each for formation Roosevelt and Durheenr. Bluebell and Even with the Web site now in Altamontearh have one name listed, operation, Utahns may request in and Myton show two offenders. writing the complete 1st of offenders Uintah County's 23 offenders in living u or near their ZIP code. Of those listed, 20 are de-aen- pt , . ,4 city, as well as other entities who made financial donations towards the crastracthm ef the building. The new t'SU Uintah Basin branch campus facility will be open for classes in January. Look for an open house later this spring, mt SEE UFOHOTSPOr on page 3 MOST FELT TIMING OF JOB ACTION INAPPROPRIATE Duchesne District teachers rr blackout," but don't "walkout Bv Katie Nelson and Rachel Mitchell Enshrouded in black, many teachers in the Ducheane County School District showed their support for the Utah Education Association's call for a one-dajob action last Tuesday.Dec. 5, while continuing to teach their classes. The majority of school district statewide supported the walkout by leaving the classroom and shutting down schools, but teachers in Ihichesne County's 13 public schools remained in the classroom how. ever, many dressed in black to call attention to theur cause. The UEA called for aone day "job action after a legislative task force fendfailed to produces long-tering proposal acceptable to the Association's 19,000 members. Clew to 200 teachers in Duchesne County are UEA members. Teacher in the Uintah School District participated ia the walkout, spending the day taking part in hem k and waves on strert corners, passing out flyers, and visiting ith community members and neighbors about the need for along range fending plan for public schools. Susan Bellon. President of the Ducheane Education Association, said a good nmonty of the teachers supported the purpose behind the call for the job actum, but said that at this time, a walkout was something they didn't want to participate in. Bellon feel that, although teachers ia the neighboring school district look diffenrnl paths, the educators are not at crow purpose. W are very suptvrtivTofUinlah County I teachers ' and they art very supportive of u. It is interesting to nee how the unity ran stay, but leave a bill bit of individualiiy, she Stated. However. Bellon said sh firmly believes that if nothing happens by February, after the 2O0L Legislative Sewuon concludes, there may be some teachers who change their minds about striking Amber Gordon. Puchvsn representative Hr East Elementary ia Roosevelt, said the teachers she represents felt that right now it wouM be better to be with our children We are calling it our blackout day rather than our "walkout day. Bellon said she was pleased with the response to the "blackout. Tb superintendent is wearing black, the seavUrMW are weanngblack just to show their support ofthe UEA Like their counterparts acroes the state, Duchesne County teachers also wore red Utah Students Deserve More ribbons and hung door knockers during the week. Vicki Jeseen, a teacher from Altamont High, said the fight for the concrete developmentofa long-terfending plan for schools should not be a fight conducted by teacher alone. Where are the principle, the school boards, and the parents?" she questioned, adding that efforts by teachers art being made for the future education of the students. Some teacher from Altamont. Duchesne andTshions said they were disappointed in the lack of input from the community and felt that last Tuesday' actions were misunderstood. that of Utah's teachrrs retire over the next ten years. This is a concern to the UEA because 4.000 new teachers w ill be needed to leech the increase in students. Utah Students Deserve More is ITA'i proposed fending plan that would grantee schools a certain amount of money each year. Outlined goal for this plan includa: one-thir- d will long-ter- Gordon said that last Tuesday's walkout was not about teachers wanting more pay.bul instead cncomfwiwed a variety of issue. We need quality teachrra we need o textbooks more money for and supphsaand smaller das sues, she staled. District teachrrs received prais for staying in school from Rep Gordon Snow (R - Roosevelt). 1 was pleased that they recognized their responsibility to their students and to the community It showed that they are professionals." Snow said lawmakers want to work with teacher and the community to design an appropriate fending plan, but noted that Irptlalors are reluctant to consider increasing taxes. Within the next ten years research shows that there will be an increase of 100,000 plus students m Utah's school. To complement the increase of students it is estimated ..vew-TBe- rs SEE WALKOUT on page! " f Amber Gordon trachea music at Rocwcveh Fast STILL TTACHING . She is also the Ehtchesne Education Assn, representative for Element) Fast. She uid Fast teachers fch that last Tuesday was not the time to walk out of their classes. They fch a more appropriate time would be when the legislature h in session, if state leaders cannot come up with a v table longterm fending plan fie public education. i |