The Yuma Daily Sun from Yuma, Arizona • Page 3

NO NAMES YET Mixing of Pesticides Cited for Yuma's Wafer Poisoning OUTDOOR CONCERT The Summer Sing Thing Singers drew some 150 Yumans their final performance Friday evening on the library 'lawn. Two young fellows moved to have their own front row seat. The young chorus, taught by Taylor McBride, is sponsored by the Yuma Recreation and Park Dept. (Sunfoto) YHS Winners Announced for Sfafe FFA Meeting SHE'S A WINNER Lisa Fugate proudly holds the plague she won for finishing first in the state FFA creed speaking competition. The YHS freshman was the first girl ever to win the title.

(Studio 35 Photo) 14-Yeor-Old Gal Shows the Way A pretty Yuma High FFA student, has shown the fellows of the chapter how to win in a state contest. The first place for Lisa Fugate, 14-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Orvis Fugate of the Yuma Valley, turns out to be the first time in Arizona FFA history that a gal has won the state creed speaking contest. The FFA State Leadership Conference was held Aug.

7-9 on the UA campus. Lisa also participated in the public speaking contest which was won by Kofa's Dennis Hanson. Lisa received an award for her 3rd place finish and is said to be the first freshman ever to place a high in the annual state competition. Asa first, year FFA member, Miss Fugate's FFA activities i i chapter's agronomy a served as freshman parliamentary procedure team secretary, served as greenhand a i of the chapter information contest, winner of District creed speaking contest, 1st runnerup for chapter and district public speaking and received the a i Sweepstake judging award at the 1st National Bank Field Day. She also attended the National FFA convention in Kansas City, Mo.

Miss Fugate maintains a 1.3 grade average. Her ag instructors and FFA advisors are Ralph Bernal, Willis Kimbrough, John Zamare and Sterling McCann. Professor of Vocal Music Announced for AWC Jeffrey A. Low, who holds bachelors and masters degrees in music from the University of Arizona, has been named professor of vocal music at Arizona Western College. In his new position, Low will teach class voice, private vocal students, and possibly music theory.

In addition he will direct the AWC Singers, and is planning to organize a new group, the AWC Concert Choir. At the U. of Low earned a master's in music theory, and a bachelor's degree in vocal music education. He has been a graduate assistant at Arizona, teaching music theory, and conducted the University Singer; Choral Group as well as assisting with a popular music performing group. Low's i a directing experience is impres- sive.

He has performed in of A productions of "The Merry Widow," "Show Boat," and "Die Kluge," and sang leads in "Ikigadoon," "Trouble in Tahiti," and a civic production of "The Fantasticks." He has served as assistant musical director of university productions of "Guys and Dolls," "Camelot," and "Manic," and has sung professionally and recorded i a Street. Singers. A native of New Jersey, Low has worked as a camp counselor in Masschuscttsand Maine, and is graduate of Rincon High School, Tucson. "We feel lucky," says Dr. Carroll Carruth, chairman of the Division of Fine Arts at AWC, to have found a man of Mr.

Low's caliber. He will fit right into our plans for both music a i and performing groups." A full list of the winners from Yuma High has been announced for the Future Fann- ers America State Leadership Conference. Twenty-three members of thu gruup attended the conference Aug. 7-9th. Taking honors on the state level were Bill Britain, star state greenhand: Jeff Slade.

state star farmer (runner-up); Chris Ott, star agri-business- man (runner-up): and Yuma Chapter, parliamentary proce- dure (3rd place). Members of that team included Danny Long, president: Mike Tudor, vice president; Cathy Sommers. secretary: Ray Struckrneyer, treasurer: Steve Ladig. sentinel; Joyce a a Shane and Tony Didway. For Lisa Fugate's story see additional story.

Proficiency award winners were as follows: Gold awards Audrey Moi-nk, horse husbandry; Bill Britain, beef production; and Karen Schmidgall, sheep production. Silver awards Chris and services: Ray Struckmeyer, placement in a i a i Tony Didway. agriculture processing. awards a Schmidgall, production: Richard Hollis. home improvement.

Eight persons from the Yuma chapter were awarded the coveted State Farmer Degree, awarded to outstanding a i a a i s-t u- denls. Recipients were John Randel Fanner. Steve Ferguson. Ron Gissendaner, Richard Hollis: Chris Sladi- and Bill Turner. Carol Anderson represented the Yuma chapter at the Sweetheart Dance and Contest.

She was also in charge of the chapter scraphook and won a gold award for the book. Neil Bowman, past chapter president and past state FFA president and candidate for a i a president, will be awarded the American Farmer Degree, the highest award given to a student in the FFA. He will receive the award in Kansas Citv, Mo. ASU Offers Extension Course Here An Arizona State Univerity Extension Course, S.F. 544, Philosophic Foundations of Education, will be taught this fall on the Arizona Western College campus as a residency cou rse.

That is, successful completion of the course will count toward ASU residency re- i degree The course will be offered beginning Thursday, Sept. 51 from 4 to 7 p.m. in LA 14 at AWC. The i will be Dr. Nelson L.

Haggerson, professor of education at ASU. The course is one of tin' core courses for the master of arts in education degree at ASU. Since Dr. Haggerson is a regular faculty member, the course can also be accepted at both the University of Arizona and Northern Aizona University toward degree programs. Registration will be at LA- 14 on the AWC campus at 4 p.m.

Sepl. 5. Fees are for the three semester hours. Students not already holding a BA degree may register for the course with special permission of the instructor. Aug.

18, 1974 Kofa Grad Gets Award From UA A graduate of Kofa High School has been awarded a S1000 scholarship to the University of Arizona. Carl C. Kircher 3099 Arizona has been named one of threy winners of the Cy Rubel Memorial Scholarships to the UA for the 1974-75 academic year. Kircher is the son of Harriet and Carl Kircher. He will enter the UA as a freshman this fall.

The Cy Rubel Memorial Scholarship is a renewable award given to three freshmen each year on the basis of character and ambition, said J.J. Humphrey, director of the UA Office of Scholarships and Financial Aids. The scholarship was set tip by the Union Oil Co. of California in memory of Albert Chatfield "Cy" Rubel, twice president of the company and a 1917 graduate of the University of Arizona. Barbecue To Help Open AWC Students and staff are invited to a barbecue on the AWC campus Friday, Aug.

23, from (i to 8 p.m., according to Nanette King, Associated Students Commissioner of Publications. The dinner, which will be held in the dormitory patio, will feature a menu of barbecue chicken and with all the trimmings. It will be free to AWC students and staff with ID cards. Dinner entertainment will be provided by Vida Long and Rusty Griffen. Following the dinner, the band "Eight Miles High" will play for a dance in the Conference Activity Room of the College Union from 8:15 to midnight.

The dance, according to Charlotte Ortlund. coordinator of student activities, will free with ID cards, and $1 without ID cards. The dance will a Charlie Chaplin movies and a light show. Ms. Ortlund urged students who will be entering AWC for the first time this fall to attend.

"It will be a good way to sjart getting acquainted," she said. Alcoholism Treatment To Be Taught Arizona Western College will offer a three-credit course in alcoholism treatment as a part of its continuing education program this fall, according to Glenn Mayle, assistant dean of instruction for contin- uingeducalion. The course, to be taught at Kofa High School, will begin Tuesday, Sept. 10th, and will be taught Tuesday evenings from 8 to 10:30 p.m.' Taught by alcoholism rehab i i a i counselor Shcri Long, who holds a masters' degree in the field, the course will present a comprehensive coverage of the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of alcoholism. Foe for the course will lx the regular continuing education fee of S10 for the semester.

By DUNCAN OSBORN The Yuma Daily Sun The pesticide contamination of Yuma's water source last week apparently occurred through careless use of pesticides while mixing the poisons with canal water. That is the explanation that Rich Wagner, deputy agricultural commissioner in charge of pesticides, gave The Sun Friday from his El Centra office. Wagner is heading the investigation of the hidden t. He explained that a pesticide applier was mixing his chemicals on the bank of the Yuma Main Canal near Indian Rock Rd. in Bard Valley last Sunday morning.

The chemicals were deadly parathion and Thiadon. "There was some water taken from the canal for mixing, and that is when 1 think the material got into the canal," Wagner stated. "As far as I can determine, it was a matter of mistaken action, i i was no intent to mix anything into the canal water." He explained that the persons working with the pesticides, whom he will not identify, were apparently taking water 1 from the ca.nal with equipment contaminated by the chemicals. Wagner stated that criminal prosecution against the contaminators is unlikely. "More than likely, what will happen is that there will be some action taken to suspend their license to operate in California," he said.

That action is awaiting chemical lab reports that will take another week, he added. is clear that no one intended to poison the residents of Yuma. It has further been explained that while the contamination was strong enough to kill, thousands of fish, it would not a a humans even had it infiltrated our water system. Last Sunday morning. Tom Tyan, a ditchridcr for the Yuma County Water Users Association, saw the dead fish in the Yuma Main Canal near the 900 block in Yuma and smelled the pesticide.

He called the police, who called city water officials. It was discovered that the poison had leaked into only the initial phases of the water treatment plant. The plant was shut down for a day and many a found themselves without tap water for several hours Sunday night. The treatment plant went back into full operation Monday morning, producing some 15 million gallons-per-day during peak summer use. The questions that remain are: Why does Yuma get its city water supply from an irrigation canal? And, what will protect the city from conceivably catastrophic contamination in the future? City Administrator Jim Clevenger, a water system expert, explained, "Up until about 1952, Yuma got is water directly from the Colorado River through an intake located right at the treatment plant.

POISON CANAL HERE LA3UNA DAM ARIZONA HWY. SO WHERE IT HAPPENED Map shows approximate point on Yuma Main Canal where toxic material entered the water. From this point, it is about two miles to the siphon which carries the water beneath the Colorado River. After the water passes through the siphon, it is a very short distance to the Yuma water intake, immediately north of citv of Yuma. "Then the i switched over to the Siphon under the Colorado River because of the high salt content of the river.

The present intake is right behind City Hall, just as the water comes out of the siphon." The city pays Yuma County Water Users Association a fee to use water that comes through thesiphon. The a a i Canal, which runs through tlie siphon under tho river, is drawn from the All-American Canal on the north end of Bard. The Ail- American Canal is drawn from the Colorado River at Imperial Dam. and is of a higher quality than the river water at Yuma where the old intake was located. As a result.

Yuma's. water source is an open canal a runs from the All-American. through Bard Valley and the Quechan Reservation, under the river and i Yuma. But the situation in Yuma is not uncommon. Clevenger noted.

"I i a most water supplies in the country comes from OJXMI sources," he stated. He explained a lakes, streams or reservoirs are all susceptible to contamination. "Right now we're in the process of answering questions and talking to other cities that are in the same situation that we are." he said. "1 think a lot of good will come of it." The city is also working toward an early warning system for projection, Clevenger stated. One idea is being considered is to place an aquarium in the room of the water treatment plant.

If contaminated water passes through the raw water intake, the fish, super-sensitive to pesticides, will die. That method would insure a warning of poisoned water and not depend upon a concerned citizen. Another idea is a loud audible warning siren in Yuma to warn residents of emergencies. When the siren sounds, residents would on their radios to learn of the emergency. "The siren could be used for any emergency at all." Clevenger observed.

Clevenger also noted that Yuma may some day get its water from a closed pipeline from the All-Amcrican Canal. "The Bureau of Reclamation Continuing Education Classes Set Continuing classes offered by Arizona Wertern College will begin Monday. Sept. 9th. according to Glenn Mayle, assistant dean of instruction for continuing education, and a schedule will be published in area newspapers within the next two weeks.

Students will be able to register during the first class period, and registration will be open during the week of the 9th to the 13th. Mayle has urged anyone interested in a continuing education class to watch for the schedule of classes to be taught in their area. reconnaisance study has indicated that a pipeline would be a good way supply the city," he said. An appropriation of some S100.000 to finance a feasibility study for various ways of getting water to Yuma's treatment plant. After that study.

Clevenger explained, the federal may construct the pipeline as a reclamation project. Yuma would repay the federal government for the pipeline and eventually own it. Clevenger explained that the a a a of ground pipe would be the lack of weeds, no loss of water to evaporation and a reduced potential for contamination. "The more water you can put in closed conduit the better off you arc. But you still have the ultimate source that is open, in this case the All- A i a a a course, any contamination would IK greatly diluted," Clevenger stated.

Carver Pool Closes Monday The Citv. of Yuma Recreation Department announces that beginning Monday. Career Pool will le closed for all swimming. All of those people normally swimming at Carver Pool are encouraged to swim at Marcus Pool. Both Marcus and Kennedy Pools will remain open until Labor Day.

For further information call 783-8364. READY TO VIEW Jacohson Development Co. opened its new Vista del Valle condominium subdivision at an open house Friday with city and Chamber of Commerce officials present (o do the honors. Here (left to right) are Goldie Giss of the Yuma City Council. Cecil Jaoohson, genera! administrator of the Jacobson Mayor Krsel C.

Ryrd; Jerry Breinholt, vice president of the company and Jacobson Construction chief; Floyd Watts, general liaison Jacobson Dick Uomig of the Chamber of Commerce; and M. Larry Jacobson, president of the Jacobson Co. TV unit OXMW! Friday is first 10-acre development of a planned 80-acre project with more than 500 units. (Sunfoto).