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Show i J 1 J I gi Suflmmmmiit ttn Sonmmmmnit Aspen unhappy over EPA designation Jackson Hole News Jackson Hole The Wyoming Supreme Court will review a suit which is the largest civil case in Teton County history. The plaintiff's attorney, Larry Hartnett, has charged that District Court Judge Robert Ranck, presiding pre-siding in the case, should be disqualified. Michael and Rebecca Kobos sued four doctors for malpractice in early 1983, charging they failed to properly diagnose a hip ailment in their son. As a result, they allege, he is now permanently crippled. Hartnett Hart-nett says Ranck has a medical association with one defendant. Ranck publicly wondered why the motion wasn't filed long ago. He says it is a stalling tactic. by 60 percent of the voters. He also said the city will appeal and ask for a legal stay in order to keep collecting the tax. It may be appealed to the Idaho Supreme Court, which would not meet on it for a year or longer. In nearby Hailey, the city council fired Officer Richard Williams, Wil-liams, who has said he is under fire from city police chief Dan Norton for political reasons. Williams said he refused to support Norton's favored candidate in the recent election for county sheriff. Williams said he will fight the firing, which was done by the council in closed session. Norton said W illiams' charges are completely false. He even offered Williams a promotion and a raise as an incentive to improve his work, but the effort was futile, he said. Neither side, however, was commenting on the specific issues behind the firing. THE ASPEN TIMES Aspen Officials in Aspen and Pitkin County aren't happy that a mine-tailings site near Smuggler Mountain has been designated a hazardous-waste hazardous-waste site by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). EPA Superfund money may be spent there. A consultant hired by nearby developers said the EPA action presented two problems: (1) the designation tended to link the tailings, waste from pioneer mining days, with hazards like Love Canal and nuclear refuse; and (2) the EPA could charge the cost of the clean-up to so-called "responsible parties." Aspen Mayor Bill Stirling complained com-plained the EPA played politics when it designated Smuggler as a site while failing to inform the city of testified the bar had sustained nine police incidents this year, including the stabbing of a minor. He said he found minors in the bar four or five times and said the Tippler could try harder to keep them out. The bar owner said teenagers sneak into the bar by using fake IDs and even climbing through the windows. His attorney also presented pre-sented 370 form letters signed by supporters, saying the bar tries to keep out minors. Observers said the real problem is that Aspen teens have no place to go after movies or concerts. The Aspen City Council rejected a proposed six-month moratorium on "lot splits." Property owners said the move would hurt several old-time residents who have not previously divided property, but counted on being able to do so to get additional income. KctchumSun Valley Sun Valley's local option tax has been declared void by a District Court judge. The tax brings in 42 percent of the city's revenue, including money for police and fire protection, the bus system and land acquisition. Mayor Ruth Lieder said the city is just starting to think about what to chop if the tax is lost. The judgement came from Judge George Granata Jr. in response to a lawsuit by Sun Valley Co. The judge said the tax does not have certain safeguards set up by the state constitution. It does not set a maximum allowable tax, allows more than one tax to be imposed and allows the municipality to decide how the money shall be spent. Sun Valley attorney Mark Russell said any option tax must be approved THEkl TRAIL Vail Vail officials are debating the amount of money the town spends for employees' convention and travel costs. Vail Councilwoman Colleen Kline said sizeable money increases for travel in some departments have to be explained. Town manager Ron Phillips said he will screen future trips and will cut off such excursions as two EST-sponsored seminars that were attended by two department heads. Eagle County asked the state for money to fund traffic signals at Vail's four-way intersection. The request came at a hearing before the Colorado Highway Commission. The county listed the intersection lights as its H2 priority, the first being money to widen Highway 82 between Aspen and Carbondale. the repercussions of the designation. County commissioner Michael Kinsely said the county and Aspen have faced the health problem adequately with efforts to cover the tailings. He said people are threatened more with a political problem than a health problem. However EPA spokesman Tom Staible said the tailings were only partially covered. "Just because there aren't dead bodies doesn't mean there aren't public-health problems, or potential health problems," prob-lems," he said. A Vietnam veterans group has withdrawn its plan to place a war memorial in a vacant lot near the Wheeler Opera House. The idea was unanimously opposed op-posed by the Wheeler Board and the t Commercial Core and Lodging Commission. In a letter to the city council, both groups said they had no money to maintain the artwork. They also said the vacant lot was purchased for possible expansion of the opera house. The veterans group said they will consider other sites. ... ; --A-local bar did not lose its 3iiJ lioensaiafterid.'city council ;heanng into alleged juvenile violations. But Aspen's mayor Bill Stirling suggested sug-gested the Tippler bar should pay a fine to help the city's police handle its juvenile problem. City attorney PaulTaddune said he had suggested the bar make a financial contribution to police. The Aspen Times editorialized that the city was practically "shaking down" the bar by its suggestions. , At the hearing, an Aspen detective TAHOE WORLD lake Tahue The recent symposium on the "Lake Tahoe monster" has drawn another person to report a sighting. Shirley Fuller, from Bakersfield, California, said she had seen a "hump-backed creature" which left a large wake in the water last July 7, while visiting her son here. Her description is similar to other reports last summer, but she said she had not read about them before her experience. She came forward to the North Lake Tahoe Bonanza paper after reading about the recent scientific symposium on the monster, which concluded the creature, if it existed, was probably not prehistoric. A trailer park housing 300 people and several businesses have been notified to vacate a 64-acre parcel in Tahoe City owned by the Forest Service. The Service has different plans for the area, and is looking at several options such as a parking lot, picnic area or community com-munity center. Most businesses must vacate in 60 days. The trailer park and Tahoe Tree Company can stay up to two years, but they must pay a fee of 5 percent of the land's value, which has been estimated in the millions. In addition, the Forest Service will not fix a bridge, collapsed since last summer, which is the main access to the park. The residents, already irritated, are charging harassment. |