Elko Daily Free Press from Elko, Nevada • 12

A12 ELKO DAILY FREE PRESS, Elko, Nevada Monday, November 16, 1998 Wire neics summary: Israel suspends troop piillback V. (Itdl; Trac Fra) YOUTH? niOtlftPrS Third graders Garrett Bodie (left) and Chelsea Smith from Sage Elementary School practice writing with quill pens as their teacher Mary Lou Armuth looks on. The Friday event at the Northeastern Nevada Museum allowed children the opportunity to practice pioneer techniques such as churning butter and spinning wooL mm waiter law apptekl in conference JERUSALEM CAP) In yet another blow to the Mideast peace accord, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suspended a West Bank troop pullback today and demanded that Yasser Arafat retract threats to use force to bring about a Palestinian state. Palestinian officials countered-that Israel was making just as many inflammatory remarks and accused Netanyahu of inventing excuses to avoid carrying out the agreement The escalating tensions came on the day Israel had been scheduled to begin pulling its troops out of West Bank areas and crippled U.S. envoy Dennis Ross' efforts to get the Mideast peace accord off the ground.

Netanyahu said the suspension was a result of Arafat's statement yesterday promising to declare a Palestinian state in May and telling supporters "our rifle is ready" to take Jerusalem, Gibbons committee WASHINGTON (AP) Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev, and Shelley Berkley, are vying for seats on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. Because Nevada will lose a seat on the tax-writing committee with Rep. John Ensign's departure, gambling industry leaders have persuaded Gibbons to campaign for the job. Gibbons acknowledged he was reluctant to leave his posts on the national security, intelligence and resources panels.

But he agreed to lobby for a seat on Ways and Means after pleas from Steve Wynn, chairman of Mirage Resorts, Inc.v and Frank Fahrenkopf, chief of the American Gaming Association. "I have a deep and abiding interest in my current committees, but I was elected to serve the people of Nevada in the best way I can," said Gibbons, who was re-elected to a second term Nov. 3. The panel would oversee any potential tax on gambling, the leading industry in Nevada. Ensign, sat on the committee but gave up his House seat to make an unsuccessful run for the Senate.

"It is critical for Nevada and the gaming industry to have someone from the state on that committee," Fahrenkopf said. House Minority Leader Richard A. Gephardt, said last year he would appoint Berkley to the panel if she won and Democrats regained control of the House. Although Republicans held control in the Nov. 3 elections, Gephardt spokesman Erik Smith said it's still a priority to put Berkley on Ways and Means "if not in this term, then as soon as possible." Committee assignments will be doled out sometime after new Republican House leaders are elected this week.

There are at least three vacancies for Republicans on Ways and Means, giving Gibbons a chance. But Gibbons said competition for seats is keen because Ways and Means is a high-profile panel that handles such issues as taxation, Medicare, Social Security and welfare. "My expectations are not that high because it is an extremely difficult committee to get on to, and it is sought after by almost everyone in Congress," Gibbons said. Deer attack FALLON (AP) A 77-year-old Fallon woman is on the mend after being attacked by a deer at her rural home. Churchill County Sheriff Bill Lawry said Harriet Peraldo was working in her yard last week when the yearling buck began chasing her.

The deer knocked her down and roughed her up before finally wandering off, he said. Her nephew, Mario Peralo, told deputies that he was forced to fatally shoot the deer when it charged again, preventing him from taking his aunt to the hospital. She was treated for cuts and bruises, and held overnight at Churchill Community Hospital. Nevada Division of Wildlife manager Richard Heap said such attacks are rare and it appears to be a case of a young deer with no fear of humans turning mean. 'This is the time of year when bucks are breeding and aggressive," Heap said.

Pedestrian killed RENO (AP) A Sparks man was arrested and booked on suspicion of drunken driving after he struck and killed a 71-year-old man who stepped out in front of his car. Ricky Leroy, 27, was being held in the Washoe County jail Monday in lieu of $20,065 bond. remains By Adella Harding A second settlement conference is planned in the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's appeal of a state district court opinion upholding Nevada's law that prohibits BLM from holding sole stock watering rights, Humboldt River Basin Water Authority Executive Director Michael Baughman reported last week. He said he checked with Marta Adams of the state attorney general's office prior to last Thursday's authority meeting in Elko and learned that BLM will get a chance to present a couple proposals at the conference, but the state doesnt expect to settle.

Judge David Gamble ruled in Douglas District Court in June that the state was in the right for prohibiting BLM from holding sole water rights for livestock because the agency doesn't own livestock. The federal government claimed the state law was unconstitutional. Baughman told the authority one of BLM's proposals for the second settlement conference is that the attorney general's office rewrite its opinion on the state law "apparently to make it more BLM friendly." The other idea is that BLM issue a statement that the U.S. Department of Interior's Rangeland Reform 94 program didn't affect state water rights. The BLM's appeal will be heard by the Nevada Supreme Court unless a settlement is reached.

The state's Tax take slipping in Eureka ByMarkWaite Eureka County mines paid taxes of $12.7 million on net proceeds of mining in the fiscal year that ended June 30, according to an audit of Eureka County finances prepared by McMullen McPhee accountants. The county received $2,033,904 of that $127 million and Eureka County School District $L92247, while the State of Nevada received $8329,457, or 69 percent of the taxes, the audit summary states. That county enjoyed $336 million in taxes from net proceeds in the 1995-1996 budget year. All told, Eureka County took in $12.4 million hi revenues during the 1997-98 fiscal year, down from $1288 million in 1996-97, according to the audit Property tax revenues were up 5.8 percent from $4.9 million to $5.6 million, an increase auditors attributed to additional taxes paid by Homestake Mining Co. But sales tax revenues dropped 25 percent from $4,199,709 to $3,118,640, as auditors said mining companies cut back on purchases due to lower gold prices.

The county spent $13.85 million in the fiscal year, a 329 percent decrease from 1996-97 spending levels. The budget reduces the ending fund balance to prevent a deficit, reducing that reserve from $21.5 million to $19.6 million. Based on the current budget that's enough to fund the county for more than a year and a half. The audit report also notes: Atlas Gold Mining which filed for bankruptcy, owes $115,767 in delinquent taxes. The county had $59,837 from the federal government for oversight of theYucca Mountain nuclear waste project that weren't covered by pledged securities or the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

Newmont Mining Co. was the largest taxpayer, with $183 million in assessed valuation, 49.1 percent of the total. Barrick Goldstrike Mines was second with $138 million, 37 percent Homestake Mining had $6.5 million in assessed valuation, 1.75 percent Atlas Gold, $5.67 million; Tonkin Springs mine, $2.78 million. Among livestock producers, Elko Land and Livestock had $1,089 million, or 29 percent; Zeda $1,068 million. Spring Creek budget talk Wednesday The 1999 Spring Creek Association budget including proposed increases to weekday golf rounds for property owners, will be discussed by directors Wednesday during a special meeting at 7 p.m.

at Spring Creek Elementary School. The original agenda also called for discussion of an increase in assessments for owners of commercial and multi-family properties, but an opinion letter from the association's attorney, Brett Hansen, caused the issue to be dropped, said Gene Marchetti, chairman of the board. The board had been served notice of an impending lawsuit should it move forward with the increases on selected properties when the association's bylaws call for all propertyown-ers to be treated equally. Marchetti had said previously that the bylaws meant they could treat all owners of commercial property equally and, all owners of multi-family residences equally. But Hansen's letter said he wasnt sure if the association could impose different standards for owners of property that wasnt zoned for single-family dwellings; "We've decided to drop the issue," Marchetti said.

Wednesday's agenda also calls for consideration of raising the weekday golf fees for property owners from free to $3 per nine holes and $5 for 18 holes. The construction of a new Spring Creek Golf Course club house also will be considered in the budget's capital reserve plan. Department budgets for the golf course. Horse Palace, trap and skeet range, Ryan Ranch, parks and ponds, landscaping, maintenance, security, roads, campground, rifle range and administration also will be discussed. Lou Wright dies in Elko at age of 9 0 Lou Short Wright longtime Elko County resident died Saturday at her home here.

She was 90 years old. She was born April 6, 1908, in High River, Alberta, Canada, to William and Maude Brown Short The family moved to Elko County approximately 83 years ago. She worked in the real estate business for many years and she had enjoyed remodeling and fixing up homes and reading. Survivors include sons, Mike Wines of Roseville, Calit, and Pat Wines of Bunbridge, West Australia; four grandchildren; and one great-grandchild She was preceded in death by her parents, two husbands and two sisters. Private family services are scheduled.

Cremation will be at Sunset Crematory, under the direction of Burns Funeral Home. Room ttxiiw high court orders settlement conferences prior to a case moving forward. On another water matter, authority members agreed they would review issue papers on a proposed state water plan, but they expect to wait until the plan is presented to the Nevada Legislature before providing their comments. State Water Planner Naomi Duerr expects to have a plan ready to present in February. Authority member Rita Stitzel of Carlin said that in her quick glance at the issue papers, it looks like Duerr is promoting interbasin transfers of water, something the authority has been opposing.

Talk about the state water plan led the authority to discuss the retirement of Pete Morros, director of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Elko County District Attorney Gary Woodbury said it might be worth the authority's time to try to get some input into the appointment procedure so whoever is appointed to succeed Morros will be "someone the authority doesn't have to watch closely." Although the authority agreed Turnipseed might be their favorite for the job, they decided to write to Gov-elect Kenny Guinn with a request to receive a copy of the short list of possibilities for a replacement on which the board could comment Meanwhile, Elko County is working on its own water plan, and ex collected $110,805.52, compared with $134,924.78 in July 1997. In August the tax brought in $119,422.15, compared with $162203.37 during the same month last year. Wages and benefits at the center, meanwhile, increased 4.4 percent from 1996 to 1997, Nelson noted. "I think that's pretty close to what we targeted," he said.

Salaries and benefits make up 44 percent of the convention center's general fund expenditures, Echegaray said, a figure he described as typical of a government agency. Beulha Garity dies at age. 80 in Owyhee Beutha Harney Garity, a lifelong resident of Owyhee, died Saturday at her home there following a long illness. She was 80 years old. She was born Sept 23, 1918, in Owyhee and had been an active participant in community activities.

She was a skilled crafter and enjoyed the outdoors. Survivors include three sisters, three brothers, four sons, one daughter, 25 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and "several nieces and nephews. Funeral services are scheduled at 2 p.m. (MST) Wednesday at the Human Development Center in Owyhee. National weather The AccuWeather forecast for noon, Tuesday, Nov.

17. 1 I I 0 1 20a 40s Bands separata high tsmparatura rone tar day. pects to have a draft ready for release next summer, according to Elko County Water Planning Commission Chairman Jon Gorman, who told the authority "we've been in the data gathering mode." He also said the commission plans to meet with Wells, Wendover and Carlin officials soon on the plan and has already met with Turnipseed. It was a letter from Turnipseed last year recommending that the county relinquish water rights for additional local developments that gave impetus to development of a county plan, Director of Planning and Zoning Randy Brown said. Turnipseed said at the time there was potential to overdraft the Elko Segment Ground Water Basin.

"It was a warning shot across our bow," Brown said. The state requires counties with populations of more than 50,000 to do their own water plans. Elko County isnt there yet, but Brown told the authority the county was "growing rapidly, so we thought we would get a jump on it" The county has spent $10,000 so far, and probably will spend $10,000 next year on its plan. "Our plan is totally public. I would suggest other counties may want to take a look at it," Elko County Commissioner Tony Lesperance said.

The next Elko County Water Planning Commission meting is 7 p.m. Wednesday at city hall. On the plus side, the center's debt service fund no longer exists because the debt has been paid off, Echegaray said, and the capital projects fund finished the 1997-98 fiscal year with a balance of $770,435, $167337 more than the $608,098 the board budgeted. The board has budgeted a $200,000 transfer from the general fund into the capital projects fund this fiscal year, Barnes pointed out No capital projects fund money was spent in 1997-98, according to Echegaray's audit while general fund expenditures totaled $1251,580. That figure is up from $784,000 five years ago, the auditor said.

In other business, the board directed Michelle Engleman, marketing and special events representative, to book a production of "Cinderella" for two performances on Thursday, Dec. 3, the final night of the Festival of Trees. L.B. Roundy dies at age 61 Lamont B. Roundy died Saturday at a Wendover casino of natural caus-'.

es at age 61. He was born Oct 25, 1937. The body was transported to Tremonton, Utah, where funeral services will be conducted. Burns Funeral Home handled local arrangements. Heinze of Colorado and Raymond Jensen of Iowa; two aunts and two cousins.

She was preceded in death by husbands, Emanuel "Manny" Heinze and Raymond "Pete" Jensen. Funeral services will be conducted at 10 a.m. Thursday at Burns Funeral Chapel. The Rev. Whitney Dempsey of the First Presbyterian Church will officiate and burial will be in Burns Memorial Gardens.

In her memory, contributions are suggested to ARF, P.O. Box 1333, Elko 89803. 0 ED ltd Budget projections prepared by Comptroller Wanda Barnes show Elko Convention Center operating at a deficit of about $199,000 for the 1998-99 fiscal year, members of the Elko Convention and Visitors Authority learned last week. However, board member Norval Nelson pointed out the board had planned operating at a deficit of $146,000 for the year, so the figure Barnes provided is only about $53,000 off budget Revenues are projected to be down about $91,000 for the year. Nelson said, but expenses also are anticipated to be $38,000 less than the board budgeted.

"Room taxes are taking an enormous bite," Chairman At Bernarda said. Auditor Rich Echegaray said the current fiscal year is showing room taxes down overall, while his audit of the 1997-98 budget reflected only a six-month drop in room tax revenues. In 1997-98, the board budgeted $350,000 in tax revenues, Echegaray reported, while taking in $338,419. According to the city clerk's office, room tax revenues have dropped each month so far this fiscal year, compared with the same months in 1997. In July, for example, the city Dow Jones (AP) Closing Dow-Jones stock averages for Monday, Nov.

16. Opn High Ltw Cmc Chg Mini 8921.14 J08.12 88S.MMU.2S 2tTra 2S71K 24C.7S 83.7(911(5 IS Itl 30U5 311J7 305.71 3M.S4 ISl C5Stk rSM 281145 2747.71 RSt.K 33i Indus 68.031.200 Tran 9.073500 Utils 7514500 65 Stk 84,620.000 Big Board volume at 4 p.m. EST totaled 610.08 million shares, against 60025 million last session. The 500 rose 10.14 to L135.86. the Nasdaq composite index rose 13.73 to 1,861.72, the NYSE composite index rose 4.11 to 56028 and the American Stock Exchange composite index fell 0.64 to 667.72.

NATIONAL SUMMARY: 3ouds. showais and mountain snow shower wi per moon WashnJOrnqonrnxi Ufa tomorro lha wake of a storm moving into western Wyorrwv Dry war weaOw exnd fron Scwern ia and Arizona to Oklahoma, what tie Sout) iwcena planly of aunahiw. Ram arid soma nountain snow tat in New England. Ma to 70s Ma KM 100 110 fi, FRONTS: cold warm snncNwr Qfe nom lea at Cindy Ooudy Local summary Weak high pressure wii move over the Great Basin through the day today. Another Pacific storm system will move onto the California Coast overnight bringing another period of unsettled weather to Northern Nevada early Tuesday morning and through the afternoon.

Temperatures wil cool to below normal readings by Tuesday. High pressure wi move into Nevada late Wednesday bringing dry condrtions. Elko Statistics Record rgh- 661961 Rscordtow- -91955 Monttft pfvxtoHflfiun Wa ftm pradp- 1 1T ToworrawaunriM- Tomorrow! a Hat- 424 NC OTrowdcondWom 738-8888 Elko FORECAST Low YMSsrr-y-s high, today-1 tow and prt-ctoHstton to? tha 24-hour ported end 28Hi9h 52 Partly Cloudy Twylah Jensen dies at 71 Twylah Elaine Jensen, a resident of the Elko area for more than 30 years, died Thursday at Mountain View Care Center. She was 71. She was bora Dec.

26, 1926, in Upland, Neb. and was reared and schooled in Nebraska and California. She had worked as a music teacher, airline stewardess for TWA, as a waitress at the Commercial Hotel and in the offices of Read and Powell Accounting. She and her first husband built their home in Osino 30 years ago. Survivors include stepsons, Jim tog at ntiolpJght: Eta- 5711 Austin- 5631 By- Las Vegas- 6844 Reno- 6228 Tbnopah- 6328 Wkfwrse- 4422 Wimernucca- 57-23 SdtLateCiy- 5630 San Francisco- 5950.02 Boise- 6139.