FRONT PAGE A1 www.tooeletranscript.com TUESDAY Keeping pets safe through summer See A3 TOOELETRANSCRIPT BULLETIN May 18, 2010 SERVING TOOELE COUNTY SINCE 1894 VOL. 116 NO. 101 50¢ TEACHER OF THE YEAR Supreme Court clears way for G-ville vs. Tooele trial by Tim Gillie STAFF WRITER Grantsville City’s nine-year-old breach of contract lawsuit against Tooele City may go to a jury trial after all following a decision by the Utah Supreme Court to return the case to 3rd District Court. In a unanimous opinion issued Friday, the Supreme Court granted legal standing to Grantsville and returned several issues in the lawsuit to the district court, while also upholding a portion of the district court’s dismissals in the case. Overall, the decision represents a small victory for Grantsville in the costly and long-running legal battle between Tooele County’s two largest municipalities. Tooele City officials had hoped the case would end with the Supreme Court. The lawsuit stems from Tooele’s sale of 1,700 acres of former Tooele Army Depot property for $15 million in 1999 and centers on ques- Maegan Burr tions of what Tooele promised to do in a Grantsville Junior High School teacher Corey Grua talks to his first-hour class Tuesday morning about the core test that they took the day before. Grua was named Tooele County written agreement the city signed with the School District Teacher of the Year. Tooele County Council of Governments, the Tooele County Economic Development Corporation, and Tooele County before tak- ing possession of the property. In the Supreme Court opinion, authored by Justice Jill Parrish, the court states that A Learner First the 3rd District Court erred in 2007 when Judge Mark Kouris dismissed Grantsville’s claims for breach of contract. The opinion County’s top educator brings passion, creativity and a lifetime also said the district court erred in limiting Grantsville’s contractual claim to Tooele’s of experience to teaching language and literature failure to share the proceeds of the prop- erty sale. by Tim Gillie Salt Lake City, was studying tele- he wanted work that involved help- He said the honor could have gone to Parrish wrote, “However, Grantsville STAFF WRITER communications at the University of ing people and set his heart on a any of his colleagues. argues that its breach of contract claim was Utah with dreams of owning his own career in education. “There are so many fine schools based on the broader premise that Tooele Corey Grua might never have radio and television stations before Last week, that career culminated in this county and each one is full City and the [Tooele] redevelopment agen- become a teacher if he hadn’t served he left on his mission. But his time in being named the Tooele County of outstanding teachers,” Grua said. cy breached the interlocal agreement by an LDS mission among the American with the Indian tribes opened his School District Teacher of the Year. “At least that is the corollary I make failing to conduct any development on the Indians on the plains of Oklahoma eyes to their social issues, financial Grua has taught school for 17 when thinking about the teachers base property and by improperly retain- back in 1969. struggles, and fight to preserve their years, the last six at Grantsville Junior ing the proceeds from its sale. The district Grua, who grew up in Vernal and culture and traditions. Grua decided High School teaching language arts. SEE LEARNER PAGE A6 ➤ SEE COURT PAGE A3 ➤ Realtor numbers A PRETTY GREAT STATE stop declining Statistics could be another indicator housing market is strengthening Maegan Burr SUN AND MOON SEVEN-DAY FORECAST FOR TOOELE UV INDEX by Tim Gillie Banker Residential Brokerage. Dugway High School The Sun Rise Set WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY Wednesday 6:09 a.m. 8:42 p.m. STAFF WRITER “Some Realtors9 that weren’t senior Bre Nichols Thursday 6:08 a.m. 8:43 p.m. selling homes7 got out of8 the7 (center) clears a Friday 6:08 a.m. 8:44 p.m. 6 6 6 Saturday 6:07 a.m. 8:45 p.m. Realtor ranks that were thinned business.” One of the newest hurdle during the Sunday 6:06 a.m. 8:46 p.m. dramatically by a housing market agents to start selling homes in UHSAA state 1A 300- Monday 6:05 a.m. 8:47 p.m. slowdown in recent years appear Tooele CountyWed Thu isFri Terry Sat Barton.Sun Mon Tue meter hurdle finals Tuesday 6:05 a.m. 8:48 p.m. The higher the AccuWeather.com UV Index™ Saturday at Brigham The Moon Rise Set to be holding steady this year. Barton hasnumber, been the greater selling the need for homes eye and skin Wednesday 11:45 a.m. 1:13 a.m. At the end of 2007, there were now for protection.two months0-2 Low; 3-5 with Moderate; Equity 6-7 High; 8-10 Young University. Thursday 12:58 p.m. 1:45 a.m. 179 Realtors in Tooele County, Real EstateVery High; - 11+Hoff, Extreme a Salt Lake- Nichols became the Friday 2:09 p.m. 2:14 a.m. reigning champion in Saturday 3:20 p.m. 2:42 a.m. according to the Tooele County based Real Estate firm. ALMANAC the event. Two other Sunday 4:31 p.m. 3:09 a.m. Board of Realtors. That num- BartonStatistics manages for the week Cottage ending May 17.Glen, Sun and areas of low A blend of sun and Mostly cloudy and Breezy and colder Cool with times of Considerable Monday 5:42 p.m. 3:38 a.m. ber fell Cloudyto 160 to partlyin May sunny 2008, and an assistedTemperatures living facility during Tooele County high Tuesday 6:53 p.m. 4:10 a.m. clouds clouds breezy with sun and clouds clouds and sun cloudiness school track athletes dropped further to 140 by May the day, High/Lowand works past week part-time on 78/39 First Full Last New Normal high/low past week 71/45 were crowned state 64 47 71 48 69 41 50 35 54 402009. However,60 45this spring68 the 48evenings and weekends selling Average temp past week 53.3 champs. See related count held relatively steady at real estate.Normal average temp past week 57.7 story on A10. TOOELE COUNTY WEATHER142 Realtors. “It is aDaily second Temperatures income for me,”High Low May 20 May 27 June 4 June 12 Shown is Wednesday’s “Last year we went through Barton said. “I haven’t sold my75 78 Forecasts and graphics provided by weather. Temperatures are 67 Wednesday night’s lows and a shakedown,” said Brad first home yet, but I 61have listed AccuWeather, Inc. ©2010 54 58 Wednesday’s highs. Sutton, managing broker of 49 the Tooele office of Coldwell SEE REALTOR PAGE A5 ➤ 53 UTAH WEATHER 39 42 40 42 45 43 Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Logan BULLETIN BOARD A8 Grouse 63/41 Wendover Precipitation (in inches) INSIDE Creek 69/51 Knolls Clive WEATHER Lake Point CLASSIFIEDS B5 65/39 68/51 66/49 66/49 9.23 HOMETOWN B1 Ogden Stansbury Park 7.04 65/48 Erda 66/49 Getting dirty New Tooele OBITUARIES A6 Grantsville Vernal 66/48 Pine Canyon 0.63 0.55 1.10 1.35 OPEN FORUM A4 Salt Lake City 66/39 66/49 55/40 wi th a County Fire Tooele 66/49 Bauer 64/47 Last Normal Month Normal Year Normal SPORTS A10 63/46 Tooele Week for week to date M-T-D to date Y-T-D rockhound Warden blazes Provo Roosevelt 64/47 69/40 See forward 64/45 Stockton See B1 Price Complete 64/46 66/41 High See A2 Nephi Forecast Rush Valley 65/41 64/44 Ophir Moderate on A9 55/39 Low Delta Manti Absent 71/43 64/41 Green River Tu W Th F Sa Su M 74/47 Dugway Source: Intermountain Allergy & Asthma Richfield Gold Hill 66/45 67/42 Moab 66/41 RIVERS AND LAKES Hanksville 73/47 Beaver 76/46 Vernon In feet as of 7 a.m. Monday 69/40 Ibapah 63/42 24-hour 68/40 Stage Change Vernon Creek at Vernon 0.99 none Cedar City Blanding South Willow Creek St. George 68/40 66/41 at Grantsville 1.37 -0.01 83/58 Kanab 73/45 Eureka 61/40 Great Salt Lake Elevation at Saltair Boat Harbor 4194.52 A2 A2 TOOELE TRANSCRIPT-BULLETIN TUESDAY May 18, 2010 New county fire warden to fight for firefighters by Sarah Miley Forestry, Fire and State Lands. incident management courses STAFF WRITER Christensen, 36, who grew up in and function as an incident com- Sandy, drove garbage trucks for mander on a lot of different types Tooele County’s new fire war- about 8 1/2 years before getting of fires.” den hopes to enhance firefighter into firefighting a decade ago. Christensen said his main training and increase compensa- “Fire is what I always wanted focus as county fire warden is tion for local fire departments. to do,” he said. “The opportunity emphasizing training for fire- Paul Christensen took over just never presented itself and fighters. as county fire warden last when it finally did I took advan- “I’m a firm believer that with March after his predecessor, tage of it. I knew that I wanted fire you practice how you play,” Roice Arnold, was promoted to to be a firefighter, but honestly he said.