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Show InTI SUMMIT COUNTY dedicATEd . . M . Senior News CUssifiEds to servivq summit county 50 Coalville. UT 84017 .4A 2 & 5B Friday, December 16, 1994 Volume 62 Number A Section 8 pMS Forty-eig- ht B SeciIon 4 pQES anaamaoDBaBBanHanai Commission Endorses Campaign Safe and Sober Avalanche Training Held Avalanche: A simple word but one that conjures up a myriad of thoughts in the mind. The dic- tumary offers us the description: A large mass of loosened snow, earth, etc. sliding down a mountain," "an overwhelming amount" Due to the Act that Utah is blessed with some of the greatest snow on earth" means we are also) faced with the prospect of avalanche danger. On Friday, Dec. 2, several members of the Summit Couhty Search and Rescue Unit met at the county courthouse for thqar annual review of avalanche rescue techniques by instructor, Steve Erickson, of Hoytsville. Saturday morning, bright and early, the group of volunteers assembled once again for more training, only this time it was the variety. .Meeting by the Coalville Fire Station in the crisp morning air, the group was told to begin by placing snowshoes on their feet and to climb the south hill behind the station. Some of the members had no trouble with this maneuver as they had previously "hands-o-n tried the shoes; however, a few spent some time "sitting down during the attempt. Next on the program was learning to use transceiver units to locate someone buried who had been wearing one of the devices. When arriving on the scene of an attempted avalanche rescue, the first thing that is done is to evaluate the area as to the level of safety concerning the rescue personnel and looking for an escape route in case of an emergency. A person called a spotter is then placed to watch for possible occurring danger. Rescuers forspan the area using the zig-za- g transmall while a mation carrying sistor like device with a plug in me ear to listen for "beeps being transmitted. When a sound becomes louder, the person listening will turn down the volume to hone in' all the classes is available by on the signal. Awareness will be presented on Dec. 13 at REI (Recreational Equipment Incorporated) located at 3283 East 33rd South in Salt Lake at 7 p.m. On Jan. 24, a class of Avalanche Awareness Course 2 will be held at the same time and location to learn about how hazardous avalanche danger really is. The rescuers form a square pattern of 90 degrees in each direction and then continue in die space until it becomes smaller and the exact location is noted. Then the shovels are (nought out and the digging begins. It is amazing just how fast this procedure really works. liiese are two forms of probing which can take place. A line is formed at which time the searchers take long poles called probes and insert them into the ground and, upon finding nothing noticeable, a step forward is taken and the process begins again. In a fine probe, the poles are inserted into the ground on the persons left, center, and right side before taking a step and moving forward. "There is a definite feeling if a body is located, said Mr. Erickson when asked how he could tell. He continued by saying that There are many marvelous stories concerning the successful rescues of people who have been buried for several days. After being buried for 30 minutes, there is a 30 percent survival rate. Steve says there are many good training classes available in the area. Stability of snow pack courses are available at the control centers. Back country are at the highest risks of being involved in an avalanche and 0 percent of approximately serious skiers wear transmitting devices. If you go, try not to put yourself in situations where cross-skie- rs calling 486-210-0. Basic Avalanche Mr. Erickson has been a member of the Search and Rescue Unit for eight yean and a professional all-seas- guide for 20 yean. He was employed for a two year span in New Zealand where he worked in avalanche control and as part of an ambulance team. Steve was one of many who searched for a downed plane in the Uintah region, and flew in the Army Huey copter aiding in the search using floodlights until approximately 2 off until daylight. Riding in helicopters is not one of his a.m. when the search was called favorite things to do. One time he lost eight and friends in a crash. When asked what he liked most about helping with the training programs, he stated, I like community involvement. It is a break in the everyday routine. It is nice to know that there are those who like to become involved in worthwhile causes for the betterment and safety of mankind. Left to right: UHP Officer (Jraig llicken, Commissioners Sheldon Richins. Sheldon Richins, Ron Peny, and Gene Moser endorsed Campaign Safe and Sober on Monday, Dec. 12, and set goals to raise safety belt use to 80 percent and lower alcohol-relate- d fatalities to 25 1997. percent by Motor vehicle crashes cause unsold personal suffering and cost Utah millions of dollars each year. This is a national campaign that reflects the concerns of people in every state and community in the U.S." national highway This two-yesafety campaign is aimed at reducfatalities to 43 ing alcohol-relate- d and increasall fatalities of percent belt use rate national the safety ing to 75 percent from the current 66 percent use by 1997. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pena recently spelled out the benefits the campaign can have in reducing health care costs. Secretary Pena observed that. ar Further improvements in highway safety will be powerful medicine in the war to contain health care costs. Preventing many of the deaths and injuries on our roads can reduce health care costs by $1 billion each year. We save $35,000 in health care costs for each serious injury prevented." Secretary Pena has charged the department's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to work with states, communities, and private organizations to encourage strict enforcement of state seat belt and anu-drudriving laws, and through intensive public information activities to alert Americans to die savings in lives and dollars that will accrue from these activities. nk Motorists in Summit County will begin to see the results of this campaign as the local organizations joins forces with NHTSA and other law enforcement agencies across the country to heighten awareness of Gene Moser, Run Perry, and the risks of driving drunk and not buckling up every time you get behind the wheel. According to NHTSA, motor vehicle cradles are the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 6 and 33, and the fifth leading cause of death overall. In 1993, approximately 3 million people were injured in motor vehicle crashes and 39,830 died. Much of the $14 billion that is spent every health care year on crash-relatcould be saved by changing public attitudes and behavior, a trend that is already underway. ed Here at home, we have a responsibility to do what we can to spare our community from the needless suffering and expense of preventable highway death and injury. We hope our Campaign Safe and Sober efforts will help to do just that. 70-8- "peeps are needed. Information can be obtained by calling the Forest Service Forecast Center. A recorded message is available by calling The Utah Avalanche Forecast Center will be presenting several classes and a sheet listing 364-138- 1. ftast weekp Bjns gbntafoed pho--- :; toson thefroot pagewithbut' rUcle.?,ne article bn Avalanche training , fappears' thfcweefc Wo apolo- -; confusion this may ; gize for - i have bmuecy 5 V V' ' Commission Notes Roger Morphew, constable, gave his annual report to the commission members. The operation has been successful in revenue and service to the county. The purpose of two prisoner transporters and the upgrading of the computer system has allowed for expansion of operation. It is now possible to clear more warrants and collect fines faster. With the aid of the computer system, the location of individuals who are needed to have warrants served or involved in civil process can be located easier and faster. In order to pay off the judgment, pfimnal furnishings are seized first. This includes items such as furnishings, vehicles, televisions, livestock, etc. These items are held in storage units and are later sold. Sale notices are posted in public places such as the post offices. Training for the department is made easier by a state of the art computerized link-u- p with the FBI unit of the Kansas .training center. Mr. Morphew and two deputies at tended a three day survival training seminar in October in Kansas. Each deputy is issued a copy of the requirements, rules and regula- tions of the department. Others working in the department include Kevin McMillan, of Heber City, and Craig Kirtman, part-tim- e of Salt Lake. Each person in the on Page 3A Left to right: Rex Hallem, Jaren Honsel, Brad McNeil (Mayor), Attorney Joe Teach, Michelle Card, and Tricia Gerlach. - Summit County '95 Budget: $14 Million Summit Countys 1993 budget was approved by the County Commissioners Monday, with a total of $14,030,243. That figure is a $1.6 million increase in expenditures over the 1994 budget. The majority of the 93 budget expenses come from the general fond, which operates the various departments of the county. The general fond for 1993 is budgeted at $11,153,285, an increase of 11.1 million from 1994. The increases are fairly well split across the county departments, with the administration and public works Francis Town Meeting Held departments actually taking budget cuts. Also experiencing cuts are the state circuit court, public defender, county development, sheriff communications and historical s society. ( the public safety aepartment experienced the greatest budget increase, an additional $501,811 in expenses, mostly to the Park City ambulance and fire warden. Other increases crane from the planning and zoning and building inspection departments, with budget increases of $256,200. Francis residents will soon be able to enjoy their new recreation building located oh Springhollow Road near the town park. The building will undergo an inspection on Wednesday from the contractor and engineer. Richard Walker, from the State Office, will do a further inspection next week. Due to more expansion and development, a resolution was passed to condemn a certain portion of land presently used for water usage, to look for enough ground for proper water usage and safety. To protect the drinking water, a well- - sealed reservoir is neeueu. A 150 degree circumference from the well head is needed, according to the Division of Water Quality of Utah. Several concerned townspeople turned out to discuss the possible placement of a gravel pit at a site located on Springhollow Road, belonging to the Fitzgerald family. At one time, a similar facility was located nearby and was closed down due to problems caused by not upholding conditions set forth by the conditional land use permit For this reason, there has been some concern about having another pit located in the area again. The new operator has assured that there will be minimal noise and guarantees proper water and air quality. A franchise fee will be paid to the town which may approved or due to the financial aid it would be to the town. In order for the gravel pit to be placed in the area, an annexation ordinance needed to be passed which would annex the land into Francis (AG-1- ) allowing for conditional use with a permit. The board members voted to pass the annexation ordi- - contiaued on Page 3A |