www.tooeletranscript.com THURSDAY Rockets of all shapes, sizes to take flight over ‘hellish’ salt flats See A2 TOOELETRANSCRIPT BULLETIN August 4, 2005 SERVING TOOELE COUNTY SINCE 1894 VOL. 112 NO. 21 50 cents ‘Some Pig’ At mayor’s request, public works boss agrees to step down by Mark Watson water, sewer and street issues a STAFF WRITER major concern. Tooele City Public Works The city is currently in an Director Gerald Webster imbroglio with some residents resigned this week after work- on Coleman Street whose base- ing 12 years for the city. Mayor ments were flooded with raw Charlie Roberts said he asked sewage last Memorial Day. Webster to resign. Tooele was hit with record-set- “He was a great public ser- ting rainfall that day and water vant and put his whole heart apparently seeped through man- into the job. He was doing the hole covers and overwhelmed best he could.” the mayor said. the sewer system in some sec- “We are just looking at making tions of town. some changes in that area.” Tooele City leaders recently Webster’s department has held a meeting with residents recently faced a string of chal- on Coleman Street to hear about lenges. their grievances, and the city Tooele City has spent millions attorney has been submitting of dollars acquiring water rights claims to the city’s insurance over the past few years and is company on behalf of some of experiencing tremendous resi- those residents. dential and business growth. The The city has also experienced city has also seen an increase in building permits, which make SEE CITY ON A5 Utah GOP wants burner off base closure hit list by Alleen Lang “This large investment should not CORRESPONDENT be abandoned,” the Utahns wrote. In a bid to save Deseret Chemical “It would be a more responsible Depot from closure, Utah’s use of taxpayer funds, as well as Republicans have sent a letter to more environmentally friendly, to the Base Realignment and Closure consider converting the chemical Commission suggesting the facility destruction plant to a conventional be converted for disposal of con- munitions disposal operation rather ventional weapons. than completely dismantling and “It’s a great facility and the folks tearing down this facility.” there know what they are doing Keeping the facility would be better than most,” said Scott Parker, “good for our state, because it keeps spokesman for Rep. Rob Bishop jobs, and good for the military.” in an interview with the Tooele Parker said. Transcript-Bulletin. Current recommendations do not The Pentagon recommended to expect Deseret to shut down until the Base Realignment and Closure at least 2012 when the stockpile of Commission (BRCC) that the Rush weapons has been destroyed. Valley incinerator close and be torn However, making the change down once it finishes burning about from a chemical to a conventional 45 percent of the nation’s chemical weapons incinerator would require weapons stockpile. Congress to change the existing But Republican Senators Orrin law, which requires the incinera- Hatch, Bob Bennett, Rep. Chris tor to be decommissioned and torn Cannon and Bishop have sent a down. Negotiations with the mili- letter to Anthony Principi, chair- tary would also be involved in mak- man of the BRCC commissioners to ing the change, Parker said. The photography / Troy Boman consider leaving Deseret Chemical commission is scheduled to meet Pondering the finer points of pork at the Deseret Peak Complex, Kolbi Jo Meno (right) watches as Rylie Matthews of Grantsville squirts her Depot in operation to destroy old Aug. 22 to make changes to the clo- pig’s snout with cool water during Thursday morning’s weigh-in for Friday’s livestock show at the Tooele County Fair. rockets and shells. sure and realignment list. Ambulance service G-ville plans to replace delapidated station by Alleen Lang concerns firefighters CORRESPONDENT Grantsville’s City fire station is crowded and crumbling, but EMTs who want to be on-call by Mark Watson if the city can get a loan via the in Grantsville has recently STAFF WRITER Permanent Community Impact dwindled. The Grantsville Fire Board (CIB) a new station will “Tooele’s roster is around Department would like to be up and running by October 35-40 and Grantsville’s is about operate its own ambulance of 2006. 15,” said Roy Boland, direc- service instead of relying upon More than a dozen citizens tor of emergency and critical Mountain West Medical Center in attendance at a public hear- care services for Mountain in Tooele. ing on the matter Wednesday West Medical Center. “There is Currently, the privately- raised their hands in a show a big dip in numbers right now, owned and operated hospital of support for the proposed probably one of the biggest in Tooele oversees ambulance low-interest loan of $1.5 million dips I’ve seen,” he said. service throughout Tooele available via mineral monies Grantsville Police Chief Dan Valley and some Grantsville available to seven Utah coun- Johnson also sees the problem residents feel their city receives ties. basically as lack of numbers in a low priority when it comes to The CIB is charged with Grantsville. services. loaning money raised by the “The hospital has been real Another problem for extraction of minerals such as good to work with, there is just Grantsville is the lack of trained coal, oil and gold throughout a lack of manpower,” he said. EMTs who want to work with the state. Tooele County repre- “If qualified people are not Mountain West Medical Center sents a small percentage of the available in Grantsville then to keep an ambulance opera- statewide mineral extraction, an ambulance has to come tional 24 hours a day, seven with Carbon and Emery coun- from Tooele or North Tooele days a week. That can make ties producing a much larger County.” it difficult from the hospital’s share, said Wendy Palmer, city photography / Troy Boman perspective. Photographs of previous fire chiefs relate the long history of the Grantsville Fire Station. The building The number of qualified SEE EMTS ON A9 is packed to the brim with equipment and suffers from a number of structural problems. Grantsville is SEE STATION ON A9 making plans to build a new station. WEATHER OBITUARIES A7 JUST 4 KIDS C3 INSIDE Mostly clear tonight. Lows SPORTS A10 TV LISTINGS C4, C5 West Nile Virus now detected in the upper 60s. Mostly sunny in counties across Utah Friday. Highs in the mid 90s HOMETOWN B1 CROSSWORD C4 See A5 Complete Forecast: A2 DOINGS B4 CLASSIFIEDS C6 A2 THURSDAY August 4, 2005 G-ville council requires Rockets will soar over ‘hellish’ flats developer to pave road by Audrey Rock STAFF WRITER by Alleen Lang opers do not improve roads as the Hellfire. Such a descriptive STAFF WRITER subdivisions are built, residents word. And one that sets the In a split vote Wednesday, eventually demand better roads at hearts of rocketeers skipping Grantsville City council agreed taxpayer’s expense. a beat. It denotes a voracious to require John Clay of Western “We have road standards so we need for speed, the possibility of Technology to apply a three-inch have something to follow,” agreed danger and maybe even a little asphalt overlay on the road adja- Paul Rupp, councilman. bit of violence. cent to his seven-lot subdivision at Councilman Robin Baird agreed, It’s the word that’s come to on Clark Street. saying the ordinance is “in black define the Utah Rocket Club’s “I’ve got mixed emotions,” about and white already.” (UROC) largest and most antici- requiring a paved road, said Wayne But Clay’s attorney Don Young pated yearly event. Hellfire 11 Butler, city councilman and the sole argued councilmen have the power will be held on the world-famous dissenting vote on the motion. to “make appropriate adjustments Bonneville Salt Flats, a four-day Butler said he is an advocate for so subdivisions can come in.” event beginning Thursday, Aug. keeping the town’s roads in good He added. ‘The strong attitude of 4, and running through Sunday working order, but added, “I want the people in the neighborhood is Aug. 7, 2005. to keep Grantsville as rural as pos- they don’t want the (road) develop- Oddly enough, the term sible, and the public wants to keep ment. … They would just as soon “Hellfire” didn’t actually come rural roads.” have the rural dust as have the from anything associated with Residents of the subdivision are speed that paved roads bring.” rockets. It has more to do with “horse people,” Clay said. He added, City Attorney Ron Elton pointed the site of the launch. The “They will be rural or I won’t sell it out that with seven units, the area Bonneville Salt Flats stretch (land) to them.” in questions is considered “a major over 30,000 acres at an altitude Clay said the cost of the road subdivision.” of approximately 4,320 feet improvements would be included While unwilling to give the roads above sea level. Bonneville’s on the price of the lots, so “money is a pass, councilmen agreed to allow heat, they say, can literally cook not the issue. It’s my neighbors that septic tanks on the 2 1/2-acre lot anything living that wanders are the issue. They asked me not to subdivision. However, they said, a onto it. UROC says that’s where pave the road.” notice should be put on the plat that they got the name “Hellfire.” Kyle Matthews, city councilman, the state will require homeowners But in spite of the blister- said residents of new subdivisions to be connected to the sewer sys- ing heat, the flats ensure crys- do want roads improved.