Explore Escalante
Jana@exploreescalante.com
We proudly report Wrestling Results from the regionals. Benny Carrizosa 3rd; Ryan Brooks 3rd; Neil Owens 3rd;Keaton Durfey 2nd. By the time you read this the State finals will have finished. I’ll include those results next week.
Cell Phone – do not call list. Cell phones can now be called by telemarketers, to remove yours from their list, call 1-888-382-1222 and listen to directions. It takes 30 days before the telemarketers can’t call anymore. Be sure and write down the date you registered. When you get a call that is a live person simply tell them you are on the do not call list and to remove your name from their list. If they call again, turn them in. If you get phone message solicitations, write them down, who, when and any information you can glean from the message. File a complaint after your 30 days. Remember, business phones are not eligible. I hear from merchant services at least once a day and there’s no way to get rid of them. Sigh!
In Oregon the school system received nearly half it’s revenues from the O&C lands, federal lands that paid the state royalties for any timber harvests and historically picked up a fairly large share of the costs of schooling in the bigger cities. When timber harvesting on public lands went away so did the school funding. You can imagine the results. Well Utah, here they come for the Oil and Gas royalties. Kevin Carter, the director of the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration responded to the announcement of the Oil and Gas Lease cancellation by the Obama Administration by saying, “Secretary Salazar took $3.5 million from Utah’s School fund today.” Perhaps President Obama will replace those monies from the state’s bailout money? Don’t count on it. And in Escalante, we’re extremely fortunate that the funding for the water project and the Fire Station are committed. The state removed $6 million uncommitted dollars from the loan fund last week. For those waiting in line to receive funding for their projects it’s not good news. There’s a meeting of the New Escalante Irrigation District coming up. They are listed in the State’s website as receiving a $7 million grant for the Dam Replacement from the Division of Water Resources Dam Safety Revolving Construction Fund. On the State’s website it reports construction in ’09. I hope their funding is committed as well.
House Bill 272 Utah Scenic Byway Designation Amendments, is awaiting a vote in the House. The amended code will require Legislative designation for a byway instead of just a committee. It also would prohibit a non-scenic area (i.e. commercial district) from being designated as state scenic byway or nominated for National Scenic By-Way or All-American Roads. If you have any opinion on this bill you might contact Rep. Mike Noel - Work Phone: 435-644-3996 Cell Phone: 801-647-8853. If it passes the house you might contact Senator Dennis Stowell Home (435) 477-8143 Cell (435) 559-8143.
Punxsutawney saw his shadow so it’s six more weeks of winter, two down and four to go. The official report is Escalante is at average rainfall for 2009. Until next week - – -