The Daily Sentinel from Grand Junction, Colorado • 13

THE DAiry Sentinel SPORTS SECTION TODAY, APRIL 26, 2002 Fleeing The Rain Relative of Blaggs finds i peace despite futile search Flan asks feds to ax access fees State lawmakers to debate merits of public lands By MIKE WIGGINS Tlx Dady Sentinel Every day for the past 10 days, David Loman walked into the building that was transformed from an old youth hangout into a snapshot of the lives of his sister and niece. Each day, he looked at the bright yellow poster with bold, capital letters ENDANGERED The search for Jennifer and AbbyBlaggwill end Saturday. To volunteer, call 244-3280 or show up at search headquarters at Fellowship Church, 765 Road 24. PORTER Sentinel tee was that the message to Congress really needs to be that you need to adequately flmd these programs so that federal public-lands agencies do not need to spend energy and resources looking for alternative sources of funding," Alexander said. The committee heard testimony and debated the controversial program for a largely unheard-of three hours before voting.

Congress au- thorized the program in 1996, allowing the U.S.For- MRCiAThe Daily Sentinel est Service and Bureau of Land Management to impose daily and annual fees for recreation on federal public lands. The program has been reauthorized by Congress every two years since its inception. Controversy over the program reached a head in western See FEES, page 10B ADULT emblazoned above- his sisters picture, knowing those words imply what many are afraid to say. He tried to sign the back of the poster. Each day, he couldnt muster the strength.

Sometimes he cried. In that time, he witnessed generosity and dedication from strangers who stopped living their lives to try to find something that would help him regain his. When he leaves today for home in Oklahoma, he wont have his girls back. But he will have something that wasnt with him when he arrived: peace. I think Im going to be able to leave here with my signature on that poster, and that is directly because of the love of these people, Loman said.

Hundreds of volunteers have turned out daily to look for Jennifer and Abby Blagg, missing for more than five months. The volunteers have taken days off of See SEARCH, page 12B By AARON The Daily DENVER State legislators will debate a resolution that opposes access fees on federal public lands. Rep. Kay Alexander, R-Montrose, is sponsoring the resolution that asks Congress to abolish the Recreational Fee Demonstration Program and restore full funding of public lands agencies in Colorado. If it passes, Colorado will be the fourth state in the country to do this and it will be more and more obvious in Washington that they ROBERT havent listened to, the people," said Kitty Benzar, a member of the Western Slope No-Fee Coalition.

The House Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Resources Committee voted unanimously Wednesday to pass the resolution to the full House for debate, Alexander said. The consensus in the commit- Juiy finds Fruita man not guilty in dog deaths Carol Hunt, the development director for the American Lung Association of Colorado, laughs as she moves posters and napkins after a thunderstorm Thursday causes her and others from her office to seek shelter. The group was having a fund-raiser downtown when the rain broke loose. Zoning; change for car wash Please don't think were insensitive. We cannot refuse to act.

We must do our job. JOHN PAULSON, Planning commissioner OKd ROBERT GARC(AThe Daily Sentinel By MARIJA B. VADER Ttie Daily Sentinel Despite opposition from neighbors, the Grand Junction Planning Commission on Wednesday approved a zone change for a car wash at the intersection of Redlands Parkway and Colorado Highway 340. Roxanne and Mikel Lewis asked the city to change the zoning from residential to business for a car wash. In November, planners rejected the request.

The Lewises appealed to the Grand Junction City Council, which approved a growth-plan amendment in January, paving the way for commercial zoning. The Lewises requested a B1 zone, the least-intense business zone. That zoning allows for a car wash, a liquor store or a convenience store. Drivers will enter the car wash from Kansas Avenue. Paul VonGuerard lives off Kansas Avenue and objected to increased residential.

Most customers will use the car wash during the weekends, when people are most active in their neighborhoods, Larson said. I have a feeling every traffic study we do will not satisfy jhe neighborhood, said Mike Joyce, a consultant hired by the Lewises. See ZONING, page 12B traffic in his neighborhood. Eventually, traffic will be prohibited from turning left onto Kansas from Highway 340, so. many drivers will instead opt to access the car wash from South-Rim Drive, through his Kansas Avenue neighborhood, VonGuerard said.

The character of the neighborhood has not changed, said neighbor Doug Larsen. Its still Teen pleads guilty to tying up boy for video By MIKE WIGGINS The Daily Sentinel By MIKE WIGGINS The Daily Sentinel A Fruita man was justified in shooting two dogs to death along a highway last fall, a jury decided Thursday. Richard Gonzalez, 35, was found not guilty of theft, criminal mischief and cruelty to animals in connection with the Sept 23 shootings of a mastiff and pit bull that belonged to two Fruita families. A jury deliberated for more than two hours before acquitting Gonzalez on all counts, ending a three-day trial. It was awesome, Gonzalez said of the verdict.

It was just awesome: Common sense prevailed. The daughter of Terri Martinez, the owner of the pit bulk yelled and made obscene gestures toward Gonzalez after the verdict was read and had to be escorted from the Mesa County Justice Center. Gonzalez was arrested after he shot the two dogs to death along Colorado Highway 340 south of Fruita. The dogs had jumped into the back of his truck while he was eating at Starvin Arvins, 555 Raptor Road. He tried to get the dogs out the truck in the parking See JURY, page 12B A former Grand Junction High School student pleaded guilty Thursday to tying up a 14-year-old boy after the boy resisted being videotaped nude along with two other students at the school.

Chris Rasmussen pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of third-degree assault and false imprisonment after reaching a plea agreement with the Mesa County District Attorneys Office. Another misdemeanor charge of harassment was dropped. The plea bargain calls for Rasmussen, 19, to receive a two-year deferred judgment and sentence in which he must meet with a probation officer-twice a month and undergo a psychosexual evaluation that will determine whether he needs counseling. Mesa County Judge Tom Deis-ter could also order Rasmussen to spend 10 days in jail. Rasmussen will, be sentenced June 25.

He was arrested Nov. 21 after a 14-year-old boy told Grand Junction police that Rasmussen tied his wrists together with a bungee cord at the high school and kept him from leaving the school. The boy was tied up after Rasmussen insisted he be filmed naked and he objected, said Deputy District Attorney Jon Levine. The boy was tied up at the time Rasmussen videotaped two other male students naked at the high school Nov. 16.

In one videotape, See TEEN, page 12B CHRIS RASMUSSEN.