The Dominguez-Escalante State Federal Bicentennial Committee this week selected Architects Planners Alliance of Salt Lake City to do interpretive planning for the Dominguez-Escalante Trail. The committee, consisting of representatives of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Arizona, reviewed proposals from four architectural planning firms during an all-day meeting Thursday at the airport Ramada Inn in Denver.

Ninety percent of the membership of the Snobos Snowmobile Club recently completed a Red Cross First Aid Course with Colorado State Patrol officers, Bill Wright and Bob Myers as instructors. The club has formed a Search and Rescue team and the names of the team members, their various modes of transportation, possession of CB radios, etc. have been listed with Montezuma County Sheriff Bobby Hampton and they are now on call to the Sheriff's Dept. in the case of emergency where their help could be used.

In a report from the County Commissioners meeting this week, the county received a check for $2,500 from the BLM local advisory board to help pay for work and materials on the stock driveway west of town. The bridge across McElmo Creek is finished and the driveway is now open and ready for use. However anyone using the driveway has to have a permit since they will be crossing BLM land. These permits are available free of charge at the County Commissioners room at the Courthouse.

There were many accidents over the holidays in the Montelores area, marring the happy holidays for many persons, most of which were caused by slick roads following a winter storm. According to the Colorado State Patrol, accidents in the immediate Dolores area included mostly fender-bender with open three car accident but only one with any serious injuries. The serious injuries came to 17-year-old Quinn Swope, of Cortez, who received a broken neck in a two car accident a the river bridge on Highway 145 on Dec. 26. He and his brother, Kirk, 13, were returning to Cortez after skiing at Stoner when he lost control of his car on the icy road. The vehicle spun around,reversing direction and sliding backwards into the northbound lane. Richard Tibbits, of Dolroes was coming down the hill and was unable to avoid hitting the back of their vehicle with the front of his pickup.

On Dec. 19, 1974, Colorado-Ute Electric Association notified Empire Electric of a proposed increase in the cost of electricity. The increase of 15 percent has been filed with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission with a requested effective date of Feb. 1, 1974. Previous increases in the cost of electricity to Empire Electric were an 8 percent increase in Feb. 1974 and a 7 percent increase on October 15, 1974. These increases and the proposed increase represent a 32.89 increase in wholesale power costs to Empire Electric in one year.

Two months after the outbreak of diphtheria in a Cortez religious sect, health officials are breathing a collective sigh of relief that the highly contagious disease was contained in the sect and did not spread to the community at large. Whatever the reason for Colorado's relative good fortune, the Cortez outbreak, which claimed the life of a four-year-old girl and caused illness in four other children, serves as a somber reminder that the specter of communicable disease in epidemic proportions still stalks the state.

Mr. and Mrs. Mark Nielson from Rupert, Idaho spent Christmas and Mr. and Mrs. Art Nielson and Dart. Mark and Dart reportedly got in some good skiing while they were here.

Nihla Lincoln spent the afternoon of Dec. 31 visiting with Lisa Berry then spent the evening baby sitting for the Pat Norths.

Mr. and Mrs. Don Majors and sons enjoyed Christmas dinner at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Goode.