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<br />
<br />~hale boom sounds uneasily
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<br />SlanleighMegargee, left, and Tony MacChione
<br />Anliripllfin, ~;Iy problem" more mom .rod e~'~.
<br />(('''nlilll"'d'r''rtll'l\,,..6)
<br />('Ol'Tl('r of h('f ("ombinl'rllhing- room !lnd motel
<br />ort'k(", E1>limfllf"ll 100~;n eXI-'t-"Il(Hlurt'll for 19;4
<br />will be et'w)\J! $2R,OOO. S"f'<"{lin~ ticket revenues
<br />flrf' PXI>t'rtt'd to fllb(' twtwe-en $9,000 and $W,-
<br />O<<!.
<br />Tht' 1010\11 mnrslllll movpd therl' 10 get away
<br />from rro....'r1~ Rnd big ('itil's. ^ s('r...lre station
<br />Q\\Tlf'r mo\'ffi ftleore from nparby Rifle hf.('au~p
<br />l'\'l'n thaI lown (pop. 2.1501 was 100 big and
<br />nois~'. TIlr' ~roc('r movf>{! there in 1911 to lakl'
<br />advantag(' of Lhl' oil shall' boom. None of Lhl'm
<br />"''fInll> to Sf'P any drastic ..hanKes.
<br />But lnler thill year, barring l\ rhan~e In
<br />plans,a cl>nSf>rtiurn ,)f uil firms known as thE"
<br />Cokmy De\"f'I<l[>nlf'nt Ofl('ration will bl>gin ....,ork
<br />on Iht' first commerdal oil shale plant _ II
<br />mining and rl'tnrtinlo: of>eratlon 20 miles north
<br />of Grand Vallt')' nrar ParachutE' Crr{'k,
<br />Last month, Co]on)' IHlnc"'lnl,ed it wlll build II
<br />"nf'W town" dl'\'('I"ptll('nt on Battlemffit "fe$8
<br />dln:'cl]y al"rl)SS the ri\'t'r fn,m Grand Valley.
<br />Colony nrtirials told Garfleld County com.
<br />mi~~iont'rs they exr,.-dt'd to Sl>e 4.000 Pt'rsons
<br />Jiving in tht' nf'W devt'lopment within four
<br />Yf'ars. They brandished two df'tallt'r1 planning
<br />f;tudif's but dt'oC]inl'rl to make them ImbUc _ a
<br />refusal in ke..ping WiUl the curtain of silence
<br />whkh surrounds the decisions made by most
<br />oil companies,
<br />"We'n' ~Iad to heal" ab01ut thl' dt>yc]ol'-
<br />ment," sllid :'ofrs. Klf's]er. h\\'p'rf' glad It \\i11
<br />lit' llCross th.. rivpr so it Wtn't affect Grand
<br />VallE'y."
<br />Sh{' concf'll..s, reluelant],r, that a 4,ooo..per-
<br />lion sl!'ltlemt'nt a stone's throw away_a sellll"-
<br />m..nt which is prlljectl"d to grow 10 20,000 b)'
<br />]985 - "prohably will have some Impact on
<br />this tCMIl. But not ror a whi](', nol until . 101 or
<br />the oldl'r fl(>(Jpll' hl'rl' havl' gone,"
<br />Ano\'t' all. !\Irs. I{ieslpr and II nurn!J.f'r of
<br />Grand Valley's dtilt'ns don't Sl'em tt'rrib]y
<br />conl'N11ed that tlleir homl' probably will bl'ar
<br />thfo bruntofthl'firstwa\'eot oil sha]edcvl'lop.
<br />mt'nl.
<br />Thf')i'\'e tx>tkt'd that land prkes are going
<br />up, thaI a lar~l' AoIflf'n--basl'd de\.'E'loJ.fllent
<br />~roup is Ilvyin/!: up potential comml'rcial ]ots
<br />find that t.herl"s Iwfon ~lmt' actl\'lty up Para.
<br />chutl' Crl'l'k. But thl'y'\e looked the other way.
<br />1-"'\11 SI'~:{l'l.A'fI().\'S
<br />In RifT.., filt{'ffi mi]e~ t'a~t aloog thl' road
<br />which will l'vl'ntually hi' I-70, the sam!' signs
<br />IIr!' gl'ttlnj; Il lot mon' atll'ntion, Acrording to
<br />10<.'81 rt'allors, land sJlf'culation ran wild aftl'r
<br />two oil comp.an'e~ bid more than mO mllJion
<br />00 thl' first fl>dt'raloil shale tract Jan, 8.
<br />"L'ntif thl'n, hiliI' or no commercial PfOlll'rty
<br />\'oI'S bcine suld," said Allen R, Koenl'<'ke,
<br />pl'f'sit!ent ul the nrst National Bank aI. Rifle,
<br />"N'M' )'ou tan hardly kl't'p track. It', out or
<br />~ighf."
<br />Koent'ckl' i~ an arlh'ist, He helie\'u II si/l:n
<br />011l'l' postp,j on the I"Ilge ot tU\\11 proclaiming
<br />Riflt' liS !tIe "Oil shale capital of thl' world" has
<br />enml' or age, ~lOd hl"s worried Ihat nolxxty Ls
<br />taking 11 c10sc look III thl' problems to com{', Not
<br />1t1Og II!:O, h.. reclI1I5, he was harangUing Ow
<br />chamller 01 commerce aoout the nel'd lor
<br />Rction.
<br />$QmPlme laid a lrap and unCurled pari or a
<br />newspaper headline Ilrojedinlo': WI irnminrnt oil
<br />~hall.' lxl(lm. Thl.' \'lipping was from 1925.
<br />HUI Kr>l'nl'eke is unrlaunted by the skl>ptlcs
<br />- certain tilt' boom is ror real Ihis time. He's
<br />wtlrri('d h{,l'11use sl'hlXlls ah't'ady are o\'erlu,ad.
<br />ed and \\llll'r treatmf'nt lacilities are Ojlcrating
<br />nt'arcapacily.
<br />More than a bluek 01 prime eommerda1
<br />land in Ihe Cl'nter ot Rifle rec!!ntly was pur.
<br /><'llMl'rl by It", $Ilme Asp'en ~roup ~tlich has
<br />bou)o:hl up a nurnher ul lots in Grand Vall!!y,
<br />Till' !l:fOI.lP a]so bought out the arl'a'liI largl'st
<br />realtyfinn.
<br />Uob Mebner, an a~ent rormf'r]y with that
<br />tirm, Is irritated by the rt'tkence 01 the oil
<br />~ial1ls, "UI)l,\' can you prepare for something If
<br />they don't .....:1nl 10 r1iscus$ It or tl'lI you any-
<br />thinK about it or let you st'e their p]ans~ Wl"re
<br />In the dark," he said, rchoing many in the
<br />ft'gion.
<br />.....~ .~_,. _" ._.___....__ ,_ _._H...'..' ,
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<br />bling to aty Mgr, Stlln]elgh J, ~Iegargt'l', from
<br />whosl' jumbled and papl'r-crammed otlice
<br />must come some or the pla!Jl1ing initiatives
<br />n~ded to prt'pare Rifle ror thl' future, 1\fegar-
<br />gel' and Ole ICM11'S 19 other munklpal E'm-
<br />p]o)'es arf:' n('gl.ltiatin~ to annex a 63--acre tract
<br />north of to\O.'n for n 300.unlt trailer I,ark, :>;'orth
<br />ur thai is a ~O--acre plot suitable 10f anotJlt'r
<br />traiJ",rpark.
<br />frll'gargef' has mixed fl't'lings about 011
<br />shale. 11(' point~ out Ihat Rille Is !l "semi.{\l"-
<br />pres~('d area," lhat business Is dropping oft
<br />and thaI shoJ]e is a kt'y hJnf'f'ded prosperity,
<br />Aut hl"s ~~lrrie'l. He l'l't'ently commlssionl'd
<br />an inH'"tOTy of HVl,ilahlt' ....ater. sf'.....a~l', ho.~pi.
<br />tal. school and wastp disJl()!;al facilities ~hich
<br />indkaf('s that to support a population of al)(Jut
<br />7,500, RiCle wtluld nt'l'd to sl,,'nd llenr]y $9 mil-
<br />Jil,n,
<br />STl~OIF:S l'nO,Jt~(.r
<br />SIlIl:lil'S h a v e fU'ujecI"d tnllt undf'r an
<br />inT"n~ive oil shalf> progrllm. Rill!! would have
<br />10 llc"ommoollle 20,000 )wrsuns by 1987,
<br />A hl()(:k from ~1t'gllll':l"l"S office Is ~1C's
<br />cart' and ROJlmlu/" tht' local IIrtion ~r.ot, In
<br />het~et'n Ci/-!,Bl"t'tll'S 8nd coffel', !hE' o....lIrr, Tony
<br />.\la('Chiul\p, ~l'l"f'~ lIho'lt the ta)(l'!I he has to
<br />pay as propt'rty va]ul.'ssollr,
<br />"WI' can't aHaI'd that kind 01 mont'Y," he
<br />~ald. "Let Ihf' oil (,ompani('s flay tor U)e honds
<br />andschuu!ll, l1wY'l'elalkinj( all('JUt millions and
<br />mHlions of dollars, and we're ta]king about
<br />ham and eggs,"
<br />Like many bUslnf'SSOlen In RiOf', Mac-
<br />C'hiont> Is hoping thf' uil shale Influl( will gl\'l'
<br />business a hensl. HI' t'xpeds II gradual and man-
<br />ageab]l' Jo(rov.1h and doe'sn't look at thl' details.
<br />Ill' want~ to ~('t' his eaff' jalTUllCd all }'f'8r
<br />J'(\IJ]l(l, nul jll~t durinI:' the fl'w weeks 01 the fan
<br />h\l1tingsf'ason.
<br />Better husine~~ is IIn lh(' minds or locals In
<br />M~l\er and Han.';f'l)' as .....ell. But any r!!s('m-
<br />blallce hpl"'een tl1e Iwu 10\\'115, which togelhf"r
<br />contain two-Ihirds of Rlu B]anco County', poj'Ju-
<br />18ti~, ~topstht'l'e,
<br />Merker is a quil't, rf'sidenlia] community.
<br />Old Mmf'S are kf'pt up Wf'lI. Many sport nt'w
<br />coob of paint, The 10\\11 lies west 01 wealthy
<br />ralwnl'S and of the lush, Iimllt'r('d countryside
<br />oC fhe F1at TOI's Primitive Area, It', a homE'
<br />for sU/Tl'ssful llhl'cp ranl,hl'fS, a comrortable
<br />community with a comlortahlt' economy,
<br />Hans=e]>', 57 mill's down tnf' Whilf> River. III
<br />an oil 1<,"11, Slreel.. UI' 1I1rpady CT<M'dffi wilh
<br />lraiJ('rs, and black 011 [Jumj>ll dot Ule country.
<br />side fOI'klng up and dO\\n likE' giWlt Ilt'eking
<br />birds. Drilling rigs Interrupt thl' horizon, and a
<br />)'I'IlO\\ish cloud ot petro]t'tJln \'apors frt'quenlly
<br />hangs o\'t'r the valley, On stili days thl'rf'" a
<br />'smt'1I of ~s s~ping Crom WI'Il heads and plpe-
<br />Iinl'junclions.
<br />II isn't particu]arly l'omlortabl!'.
<br />Both to\\''JlS haH' pOpulations or about 1,600,
<br />but thl' people and their Aspirations Sl':'l'm very
<br />difff'rt'nt, And as oil shale is df>\'rlorJl'd they're
<br />going tl) chart \'ery dllferent courses,
<br />Han/o:f>I)' is gt'tlinJl: N'arly. !,ev,' trallf'f parks
<br />IIrt' laid oul I\aitinJo( for mobile humf'll and their
<br />lenants, C't'cil Lollar, thl' twm's mayor, Its only
<br />la~Yl'r and Its main relll estate broker, says
<br />,\(1) mobile-home sil('s can be ayaiJable by the
<br />end or the year, The t'.....TI council has decided
<br />to permit traill'rs to makf!' up 50 to 60 per cent
<br />of the lotalhollslnK,
<br />IJfllar eXpl"cts a $300,000 to $400,000 bond
<br />Issue to bl' approvf'd soon to fund an expansion
<br />uf thf' town's water-trl'atmt'nt facilitlf's. Srhoo]s
<br />are large l'ool1j(h t-O hllnrllt' twice thl' present
<br />student populatioll, and thO:' sewage system I~
<br />adequate for 6,000 cuslom..rs,
<br />TIll' oil fit'Jd providt's a hllndy tax blls" 10
<br />fund improvements nl'eded before oil shalf>
<br />plants CM makl' th..ir "(,nlributi')fls to ]oca]
<br />taxI'S,
<br />MOIIF. l'Io:OI'U;, H'JSI~t;S~
<br />Lollar is talking with molel IInd Jl:rocery
<br />chains about opl'nlng brancht's In Rangely.
<br />He's,MOfJl'ralur, mllstersinvestmf'ntlo':roups,
<br />puts togeth('r land deals and dreams of mol't'
<br />people and better husinl'ss, Although he may
<br />f-'xilg~t'ralt' thf' town's preparedness, RanJl:e]y
<br />Is bettt'r bract'd fur chllnJ.:'p than its nelj::hbors.
<br />EsJlt'cially Ml'f'ker. But the ]oca] officials
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<br />Cecillollar. left, and Ed Jirak
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