Casper Star-Tribune from Casper, Wyoming • 13

-r -r ctor mm Bl Tuesday, August 30, 1988 Star-Tribune, Casper, Wyo. Right-to-Work no 'litmus test' this year: AFL-QO Mostly Democrats endorsed i i is mm il 1 i iE. -4 tin 1 1,31 'i iPk I i Recycled building About 4,000 people have toured the new Rock Springs Historical Museum, opened this summer with chiefly volunteer efforts, an official says. The museum is located in the old City Hall, depicted in this oil painting by Rock Springs artist Rick Jones. The painting is used on postcards distributed at the museum.

would have allowed unions to collect from non-union members the cost of representing them in collective bargaining and in handling grievances. The bill died in the house but Faunce said the union hopes to find a lawmaker to sponsor it again in the 1989 session. Under the RTW law, the unions cannot require non-union members to contribute to the costs of their representation. Democratic candidates to receive AFL-CIO endorsement were; Albany County; Senate, Lisa Kinney; House, Sheila Arnold, Matilda Hansen, Carole Homer. Big Horn; Senate, Francis Hecker.

Carbon; House, Fred Harrison and Patrick O'Toole. Converse; House, Fred Stein-bach. Fremont; House, Eli Bebout and Scott Ratliff. Laramie; Senate, Liz Byrd; House, Guy Cameron, Steve Freu-dcnthal, Edith Garcia, Patrick hacker, Shirley Humphrey, Bernard Phelan, Mary Kay Schwope, Donald Sullivan and Carol Watson. Natrona; Senate, Lowell Stephens; House, Jesse Guidry, Julie Hamilton, Wes Kuhn, Gene Medley, Chris Peterson, Barbara Reese and Shar Wilkes.

Platte; House, Ruth Bookout. Sheridan; Senate, James Banks; House, Lynn Dickey, Jim Perkins, and Tom Smith. Sweetwater; Senate, Carl Maldonado; House, Sam Black-well, Mark Harris, Richard Honaker, Chris Plant anhd Louise Ryckman. Uinta; Senate, John Fanos. The union also endorsed Democrat Mike Dukakis for president; Democrat John Vinich for the U.S.

Senate, and Democrat Bryan Shar-ratt for the U.S. House. By JOAN BARRON Star-Tribune capital bureau CHEYENNE The Wyoming State AFL-CIO's endorsement of two incumbent Republican legislators along with 40 Democratic candidates for the Legislature did not hinge solely on their stands on repeal of Wyoming's Right-to-Work law, the union's executive director said Monday. Although RTW repeal still is the union's top legislative priority, it was not used as a "litmus test" in determining which legislative candidates to endorse, John Faunce said. The endorsement of the two Republicans, Reps.

Nyla Murphy of Natrona County, and Mary Odde of Fremont County, was based on their voting records "and how they treated people in general," Faunce said. Fie said legislative incumbents were rated on their voting records over the past two years on about 30 bills, ranging from worker's compensation improvements to collective bargaining rights for teachers to tort reform. The 15,000 member union supports the first two issues but opposes tort reform, he said. The candidates also were rated according to their responses to a questionnaire with an 85 percent score earning endorsement But Faunce said the absence of an endorsement does not mean union opposition. He said some candidates didn't return the union's questionnaire and some incumbent legislators don't want the endorsement because they're from very conservative counties.

Although no bill to repeal the so-called Right-to-Work law has been introduced for several years, the union tried to get through a bill two years ago that would have amended the 1963 law. Faunce said the bill, entitled "Payment for Services Rendered," Fayette firefighter force works to save elk habitat 'Heavy fuels' push B-T fire Fires close much of Teton Wilderness JACKSON Over half the Teton Wilderness has been closed to the public due to the risk of fire "and to allow fire fighters now battling three fires to do their job," according to a release from Bridg-er-Teton National Forest Supervisor Brian Stout. The Mick, Huck, and Emerald Lake fires are burning in northern half of the 900 square mile wilderness and the potential exists for new fires to break out and rapidly spread throughout the area endangering wilderness users, the Forest Service said. While noting that no open fires are permitted anywhere in the wilderness, the Forest Service says several areas remain open for public use. Still open are the Buffalo Forks drainage including Lava, Box and Clear creeks; the Pacific drainage south of Gravel Lake and west of Mink Creek; and the Pilgrim Creek drainage.

Fire district forms as forest fire burns CODY The Park County Commissioners will conduct a public meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Hunter Peak Ranch to discuss fire district annexation. It is coincidental, fire department officials say, that nearby the Clover-Mist and other forest fires are burning. The meeting will deal with the annexation of the Squaw Creek area into the Cody Fire District, a commission spokesman said. The proposed annexation has been in the works about three years, but has been stalled because many residents have summer homes in the area and are not available year-round, according to a Cody Volunteer Fire Department spokesman.

BLM eyes new tag for Red Desert ROCK SPRINGS (AP) The Bureau of Land Management is moving ahead with a proposal to give the Red Desert a specific environmental designation, a BLM official says. Bill LeBarron said the Rock Springs District met with environmental groups recently. Plans for a so-called Red Desert Resource Area will be submitted to the state BLM director in Cheyenne. LeBarron said the proposal calls for multiple use of the desert administered through BLM districts. Various BLM management plans for each district would not overlap, he said.

Bureau managers in Cheyenne will draw up a map outlining the desert's proposed designation and the documents may be used for public comment. LeBarron said as long as a Red Desert resource area is designed for multiple use he would support the proposal. Laramie judge faces DUI charges LARAMIE Second Judicial District Judge Arthur Hanscum is scheduled to be arraigned Sept. 8 in Laramie's municipal court on charges of driving while under the influence of alcohol, according to court records. Hanscum, who was appointed to By KATHARINE COLLINS Southwestern Wyoming bureau PINEDALE About 700 firefighters nearly double the number on duty since last Thursday have been mobilized to battle a blaze east of Pinedale in the Bridg-er-Teton National Forest.

The Fayette fire has grown to 15,045 acres, largely within the bounds of the Bridger Wilderness. It stretches from Fayette Lake which is east and slightly north of Half Moon lake south to Boulder lake and west towards Florse-shoe Lake. Recreation specialist Dave Hohl said Monday that the Fayette fire was threatening a forest service campground and private property at the east end of Boulder Lake.aBut he said danger to that area has been largely contained. Fire activity slowed Sunday, thanks to higher humidity, little wind and clloer temperatures, according to fire information officer Keith Thurlkill. The Forest Service's Boulder Lake campground was closed last week because of fire activity, and is EQC extends comment period on air rule change fe) Roark sets 'vision' speech in September LARAMIE University of Wyoming President Terry Roark is scheduled to deliver a "state of the university" speech Sept.

14 in Laramie, university officials said. Peter Simpson, UW's vice president for communications, said Roark's speech, scheduled for 4 p.m. in the Arts and Sciences Auditorium, will be a "major visionprogram statement." Federal trial begins in Fremont assault CHEYENNE Trial began in federal court in Cheyenne Monday for a Kinnear man charged with assault with a deadly weapon at an April beer party where a Riverton High School student was allegedly killed by another man. Troy Alan Chiles was indicted by a federal grand jury in May for allegedly firing a .22 caliber pistol at Leland Henry Black during an April 10 "kegger" held southeast of Riverton. Chiles faces a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison and a $1,000 fine if convicted of his assault with a deadly weapon charge.

Chiles' trial before the 12-person U.S. District Court jury is scheduled to continue Tuesday. The trial of Dalco Gabriel Whiteman, who is accused of shooting and killing Jody Thomas Stransky, 19, at the same party, is scheduled to begin Sept. 19. Whiteman, of Arapahoe, is charged with voluntary manslaughter for allegedly shooting Stransky with a rifle "upon a sudden quarrel and heat of passion," his grand jury indictment said.

Whiteman is also charged with two counts of assault causing serious bodily injury for allegedly shooting and wounding two other men attending the party, Donald Anthony Devish, 18, and Larry James Luster, 19. Chiles' and Whiteman's cases are being heard in federal court because the incidents occurred on the Wind River Indian Reservation at an area known as the "Double Dives" where the Big and Little Wind Rivers converge. Dubois schools stable despite L-P closure DUBOIS Fremont County School District No. 2 trustees meeting last week in Dubois were told that school district enrollment is nearly unchanged from last spring in spite of the Louisiana-Pacific lumber mill closure. A school district spokesman said that school district officials reported to the board of trustees that the district has only three fewr students this fall than it did last spring.

UWMA goes to court over grievance arbitration issue By KATHARINE COLLINS Star-Tribune staff writer CHEYENNE An Environmental Quality Council spokesman said Monday that the public comment period on adoption of a less stringent air quality standard for Wyoming has been extended from Sept. 3 to Sept. 30. The council is considering adoption of a less stringent air quality standard suggested by federal regulators. The new standard would allow industry to emit greater quantities of dust, and would do away with Wyoming's efforts to preserve visibility of the state's broad vistas.

EQC spokesman Terri Lorenzon said she was contacted on Monday by Rep. Carl Maldonado, D-Sweelwater, about the possiblity of allowing more time for public comment on whether the state should abandon its old air quality standard, which regulates the total amount of particles that industry emits. "He said there was a lot of interest in getting more public comment," Lorenzon said. "So I talked to the hearing examiner (EQC member John Darrington of Gillete), and Chuck Collins (air quality administrator in the Department of Enveronmental Quality) and we all agreed if the public needs more time to comment, they should be afforded that time." now being used as a "spike," or remote camp, for fire crews battling the Fayette fire. Thurlkill said fire managers could use more air support, but that competition from the number and size of other area fires means that air tankers and helicopters are sent where the need is deemed to be greatest.

He said the remote and inaccessible terrain in which the fire is burning makes the lack of constant air support particularly difficult. "The big change (Monday) is that we are starting to work inside the wilderness. We're putting crews into the wilderness supported by pack strings and by helicopter. We're trying to protect the elk habitat in the area as well as back country outfitting facilities." On Monday "the winds came up, and it got a little hotter and drier," and began burning more actively again, Hohl said. But he said he could not say how much the fire area increased over the course of the day.

"There are still heavy fuels ahead of it before it starts running into areas where fuels are sparse," Hohl said. miners offered an unconditional return to work June 27. A that time 153 miners were placed on a strike misconduct list loading them to file the grievances, Deeds said. Although three steps in the grievance process were completed, last week Decker Coal Co. officials refused to enter arbitration to settle the grievances, Deeds said.

However, UMWA officials believe such arbitration should take place. "We think that since they started the grievance (process) that they should now arbitrate," Deeds said. "Decker just doesn't want this dispute to end," Deeds said. The recent lawsuits are the latest moves in the 10-month-old strike by about 200 UMW members against Decker, a joint venture of Peter Kiewit Sons and Nerco that began in October when contract negotiations collapsed. The company has said the grievances are not arbitrable.

"Our suit is a move to compel them to arbitrate. What (Decker officials) did is they saw the weakness of their case" and refused to arbitrate then filed suit against the union, Deeds said. contributions, but committee officials have not determined yet how to distribute the funds, the spokesman added. Federal law allows the Democratic committee to give a maximum of $17,500 in cash to Senate candidates, plus another amount of in-kind funds. The campaign may be eligible for a maximum of another $92,200 of in-kind money, he said.

But St. Dennis said a decision will not be made on that until Sept. 7 when the committee will use poll results to determine how competitive the Wyoming race is. By CANDY MOULTON Star-Tribune correspondent SHERIDAN The United Mine Workers of America have filed suits in Montana and Wyoming seeking to compel Decker Coal Co. and Big Horn Coal Co.

to enter into arbitration to settle grievances filed by 153 miners. UMWA Local 1972 filed suit in U.S. District Court in Billings Friday asking that the court compel Decker Coal Co. to arbitrate more than 300 grievances, Union President Larry Deeds said. A similar suit was filed in U.S.

District Court in Cheyenne Monday by UMWA Local 2055 to compel Big Horn Coal Co. of Sheridan to arbitrate grievances filed by miners, Deeds said. Last week Decker refused to enter arbitration with the UMWA and also filed suit in U.S. District Court in Cheyenne asking the court to determine that since the grievances filed on behalf of the workers by the UMWA did not arise under the contract with workers that expired in October their grievances should not be arbitrated. The grievances were filed after No further public hearings will be held, she said, but noted that written comments are given the same weight as comments given at hearings.

An EQC hearing was held Aug. 4 in Gillette. The existing state standard regulates total suspended particulates (TSP), while the new federal standard would concentrate on fine airborne particles those that penetrate the farthest into the respiratory tract. Known as the PM-10 standard, the new EPA standard regulates only particulate matter that is 10 microns or less in diameter. In setting the PM-10 standard, EPA experts determined that it would protect the public health and also the public welfare.

That is, they determined it would protect the public from the nuisance and soiling associated with high levels of dust. So they eliminated TSP as a secondary, or welfare, standard. The federal Clean Air Act states there must be a "primary" air quality standard to protect the public health. In addition there must be a "secondary" standard to protect the public welfare from known or anticipated adverse effects assocated with the presence of an air pollutant in the ambient air. Comments on the change in air quality regulation may be sent to Environmental Quality Council, 308 Barrett Building, 2301 Central Avenue, Cheyenne, WY 82002.

at 6 percent. Each percentage point equals about 12 tons of emmissions per year. To meet the 60-day deadline, city officials must present their plan to the DEQ at its next meeting, which is scheduled for Oct. 20 in Sheridan. Sean McKnight, chairman of the Sheridan Air Quality Committee, has recommended a three-part solution to the northeastern Wyoming community's air problems.

Suggestions include that the city limit the streets it sands in winter with washed sand and that it begin paving or oiling all unpaved roads, beginning with roads in areas more sensitive to air quality. Paving Sheridan's 13.7 miles of unpaved road would cost $7 million, said McKnight. DEQ tells Sheridan to devise an acceptable clean air plan Vinich gets national party funds the bench in 1982 and retained by Albany and Carbon county voters for a six-year term in 1984, was arrested Aug. 3 by Laramie police, the records show. Police reports said Hanscum declined to take a alcohol breath test at the time of his arrest.

He will enter his plea to the charge at his arraignment. Conviction of drunk driving carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $750 fine. Arts council gauges economics of art CHEYENNE The Wyoming Council on the Arts will soon be completing its second annual survey on the financial contribution of the arts to Wyoming's economy. Questionnaires have so far been sent to more than 1,500 individual artists, 250 non-profit arts groups and 110 art galleries in Wyoming, anyone who may have been missed may request a questionnaire by contacting the council at 2320 Capitol Avenue, Cheyenne, or by calling 777-7742. SHERIDAN (AP) Sheridan city officials have been given 60 days to prove to the state Department of Environmental Quality that the city is complying with government-regulated air quality standards.

David Searle of the Sheridan office of the state Department of Environmental Quality, said the bulk of the city's problem centers on road dust billowing up from sanding streets in the winter and from unpaved roads in the community. A report from the Sheridan Air Quality Committee from 1986 lists "fugitive road dust" as making up 69.7 percent of emissions measured by air monitoring devices. Woodburning for space heating comprises the next highest percentage, at 14.9 percent. Automobile emissions were listed I CHEYENNE (AP) A $10,000 check from the national Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is in the mail to U.S. Senate nominee John Vinich for his bid to unseat incumbent Republican Malcolm Wallop, according to a committee spokeswoman.

Cathy St. Dennis, deputy communications director for the Senatorial Campaign Committee, said panel chairman U.S. Sen. John Kerry had authorized payment of a total of $17,300, which may be used as the Vinich for Senate campaign chooses. The remaining $7,300 will be distributed both in cash and in-kind.