Bear Lake at Christmas

Bear Lake on Christmas Day
Photo by Bobbie Coray

Rich County School Board Meeting

Anita Weston, Reporter

Rich Civic Times

RANDOLPH, Utah.  December 18, 2013.  Principal Rick Larsen introduced Tonya Stratton to the School Board.  She will be doing her student teaching during the next month or two.  She will probably be given experience in both Randolph and Laketown.

Brandy Johnson reported on the expenses.  She indicated that the bond payment was included in the expenses this month.  Also, she noted that the new bus has been purchased.

Principal Kip Motta requested that Dusty Mills be appointed as head of the wrestling activity at the middle school with Quin Sidaway as his assistant.   Motta noted that 15 young men have signed up for wrestling and started practice on Monday.

Dyson Barker will be working at the High School in the wrestling program.

Carbon monoxide detectors will be purchased for each of the classrooms.  They will cost approximately $30 per device per room.

A request has been made for a trailer and storage area.  The trailer is needed for the scissor lift and the gym floor equipment.  Both of these pieces of equipment need to be moved between schools.  A trailer that tilts would be good.  Also, it would be a good idea to purchase a goose neck and ball for the truck for easier pulling.  The Board liked the idea of this purchase but would like very much to see some costs.  The superintendent will call each member for their approval as soon as costs can be collected.  The Board also asked for a bid for snow blowers for the next Board meeting.

The building classes build a framed building each year for their project.  The superintendent and principals would like to purchase two buildings this year.  That would be one for each side of the hill.  They will be used for storage.  The Laketown school location for this building would be on the East of the shop doors on the south side of the building.  The size will be about 20’ by 15’ and will be used to store athletic equipment.  The building for the Randolph area will be placed on the hill by the pump house and will store summer yard and lawn equipment.  

A letter of appreciation is being sent to Chris Kearl, former superintendent of Rich County School.  She is leaving the Governor’s office.

All incentives for early retirement funds and compensation absences money for the next ten years need to be added as a line item on the budget.  The amount that needs to be set aside is $568,146.00 and will be updated each year.  The Board passed this suggestion.

Squires have recommended that for economic stabilization, 5 percent of the fiscal budget expenses should be placed in a rainy day fund.  Last year $319,153.65 was put into this fund.  It is also something that needs to be updated each year.  It is an undistributed reserve and is not used in negotiation.  This fund shows clearly in the audit report and reflects more accurately on financial statements.  The fund balance is $2.8 million.   The Board agreed to add $900,000 to the fund this year.

A request for a proposal was answered by GPS Benefits Company.  This company will do the bidding for the District health insurance.  It is a one-year contract.  Rich’s portion of the broker cost is $1,400.

There is a link to the EMI Health site on the District’s web page.  New insurance features and additions such as changes to help care options, cost transparency, alerts for employees, differences in costs and facilities, and etc.  There is also a cost lookup for all doctors and costs of procedures.  The figures on the site are probably estimates.

The Wellness Committee met.  There will be a new challenge every six weeks.  The first challenge will be starting January 5 and ending February 15.  The prize for the winner will be going to Von Rico. There is a list of 70 different things that everyone can do.   You need to do one thing each day.  Some examples of what each individual needs to do each day is:  drink plenty of water, limit sugar intake, etc.   Each individual needs to report to their team leaders every Monday.

Two curriculum committees have been set up in math and English.  Currently the middle school is on a pilot program using the software called Digits.   The math committee will be looking for are K through 5 math for next fall as well as 9 – 12.  The language arts curriculum committee is looking for materials for 9 – 12 for this next fall.  Materials from two publishers are already available for the committee.  They should have their choices made by March.

The math program has worked really well so far this year.  It gives much more rigor than in the past.  It does, however, require more time.  Homework has been adjusted so that students are not overworked.  The problems are all story problems.

January Board Meeting will be held on January 15, 2014, at 6 p.m. in Randolph.

Unfair Treatment Of Employees And Volunteers?

Anita Weston, Reporter

Rich Civic Times

RANDOLPH, Utah.  December 18, 2013.  mDiane Weston had requested the opportunity to appear before the School Board.   She began by indicating that she felt the school system in the County is a good one.  She has had eight children go through the system, has had all of them go on to higher institutions of learning, and they are now very successful in their various occupations.

She noted that currently there are some problems with how assignments and promotions are handled among the volunteers and/or part time faculty.   Last month, the School Board put in writing the procedures to be followed in dealing with assignments and promotions of volunteers and assistant faculty members.  However, Diane noted that the School Board is supposed to have the final say about who is or who is not accepted or promoted. 

However, an individual who can be promoted or reassigned must first be approved by the principal.  This means that the Board is unaware of someone who deserves a promotion or reassignment if the principal makes a decision about that person without ever passing the name of that individual on to the Board.  The individual may have requested either of these changes in status but doesn’t stand a chance of moving forward if the building principal turns them down.  This is a real problem if there is or has been a clash or misunderstanding between these individuals. 

She further noted that if the principal decides to reassign a volunteer or part timer to a different assignment without that individual’s permission, there could be further problems.  If the individual feels inadequate or unfamiliar with the new assignment request, he or she must either accept the assignment or be denied any further promotions or opportunities to work in areas where they have the background and training to handle.  Again, the board is completely unaware of what has happened.

It is also apparent that the principal of one building can reassign or demote a part time or volunteer faculty member from another building.  Again, if problems occur as a result of that decision, the board is unaware of what is happening.  Diane noted that there is a lack of transparency in what is going on between the school board and faculty/staff situations.  The principals are in the middle either allowing information to flow freely, or blocking off all communication about such matters. 

Perhaps it would be better if each individual who wants a promotion or change of assignment go to the building principal who would then be required to present their name to the School Board with the building principal’s recommendation.  The School Board could either accept or reject the principal’s recommendation and thus maintain control of such situations in the future and actually have the chance to make the final decision.

Druci Wadsworth also requested to be heard by the School Board.  She was concerned that the Board might be unaware that her husband, who has helped with basketball and other athletic events, is no longer allowed to do so at the decision of one of the building principals.  Her husband has done nothing wrong.   In small towns, however, he is being asked what he did wrong since he is no longer assisting.  The actions that were taken have sullied his reputation and made it difficult for him as well as his family.  “That is not fair.  Just because of the decision of one person, with no explanation or justification to anyone, has made life very difficult for us.” Wadsworth said. 

Chair Of State School Board Addresses Rich County School Board

Anita Weston, Reporter

Rich Civic Times

RANDOLPH, Utah.  December 18, 2013.  Tami Pyfer, Logan, is Rich County School District’s representative to the State Board of Education.  She has just been asked to serve as Chair of that board.  She hopes to improve communication with the Legislature and school boards throughout the state.  She noted that often local school boards are unaware of work being done by the State and what information the State has that could be helpful to local boards.  She hopes she can get more communication between these bodies so that information is more readily available to all. 

There is a proposal in the Legislature for new graduation requirements.  Currently, the credits that have to be earned must come from certain areas.  She thinks there should be a bit more flexibility and individualization for students.  She is not certain where this proposal is in the system but will find out soon.

Pyfer is concerned about the confidentiality of student data.  It is currently a big issue, and she feels that a resolution needs to be written to cover this issue.   Good instruction is based on good data.  However, if the data gets into the wrong hands, it can be detrimental.  Also, some data should not be used as it is currently being used.  Student data to evaluate teachers is probably not a very sound practice.  Currently there are some issues about who can release student data and to whom it can be given. 

She would like to see another resolution written dealing with the proper role of assessment.  There are core standards in the State, and tests given to see how individuals meet these standards.  However, the test results from these standardized exams are being used for purposes different than what the data was collected for in the first place.  This is not a proper role of assessment and can easily make testing a problem instead of a good measurement tool.   Hopefully, the Legislature will review and reword some of the laws dealing with these issues.

Pyfer went through all of the current testing that is being required by the State.  She found that the common tests for the core are about the only tests really required.  Many districts are giving additional tests for their own purposes, but they are not state mandated.  She said that Utah has a comparatively lean testing schedule.

 

 

Merry Christmas from All of us at the Rich Civic Times!

 

Bobbie Coray

Anita Weston

Kathie Anderson

Bob Stevens

Chris Coray

Randall Knight

Bryce Nielson

Joey Stocking

The Muddled Male

Christmas Angel.

By Bob Stevens, The Muddled Male

 

        Ann and I were born and raised in Utah but moved to Seattle in 1956 when Ann was nineteen and I was twenty-one.  We had a brand new baby, a brand new job paying $1.735/hour, no money in the bank, no arrangements for a place to live, and a hazy future.  We did have one stability in our life.  We almost always drove to Utah at Christmas time to spend the holiday with Ann’s family at her parents’ home in Porterville here in Utah.  Over the fifty years that we lived in the Seattle area the roads we traveled between Seattle and Porterville at Christmas time varied from dry to wet to blizzards to solid ice.  Usually we drove over Snoqualmie Pass then down through Oregon and Idaho and on into Utah.  If the roads were particularly bad going over Snoqualmie, we would drive south to Portland and then through the Columbia River Gorge to Pendleton. 

        At Christmas time in 1967 it was snowing particularly hard over Snoqualmie and so we took the Portland route.  That seemed to be the better choice that year because the further south we drove the less it snowed until finally there was just a gentle rain.  It was about 3:30 AM on Christmas Eve morning when we started onto the sweeping overpass that stood above the small town of Arlington, Oregon.  Ann was driving, I was snoozing in the front seat with a baby in my lap, and our young daughter was asleep on the back seat.  It was the era before seat belts, so no one was buckled in. 

        Neither Ann nor I had heard of black ice before that moment when Mother Nature began driving our car.  The overpass, cooled both from above and below by the frigid air, was a solid sheet of ice slickened by falling rain.  Just as all four tires touched the ice we started to slide out of control, spinning around and around, hitting every fender multiple times on the sides of the overpass as we spun and careened back and forth toward the one car that was ahead of us.  We caught up to him going sideways and backwards, clipping his right front fender just before we crunched against the center divider and slid backwards on down the overpass.  Our new car with barely 6,000 miles on the odometer took a severe beating.  The young man we hit was on his way to show his dad his brand new car with only 300 miles on his odometer.  I checked to see if the young man and his girlfriend were okay and his response, as I recall, was, "I hope the (expletive deleted) you have insurance.” 

        My immediate worry was that other cars, unaware of the ice, would come onto the overpass and crash into the two of us sitting there in the middle of the road.  So I began to run back up the overpass waiving my flashlight as a warning.  But my waving light caused them to slam on their brakes and I watched as three other cars did exactly as we had done and come spinning down the ice toward us.  When I finally got onto the blacktop where oncoming cars could stop without sliding, there were five mangled cars on the span behind me.  While the wrecking crews cleaned up the mess we were all taken to the police station.  On our side of the room sat the guilty party, Ann and me with our two small children.  On the other side of the room sat the angry, glowering occupants of the other four vehicles.  When we were finally released to leave we found our car, filled with Christmas presents and all of our belongings, sitting unusable in the town’s wrecking yard.  There we were the day before Christmas, stranded in the wee hours of the morning, hundreds of miles from our destination, in a town where we knew no one, and with no way to get us and our belongings to “Grandma’s house” for Christmas. 

        Then came a Christmas Angel into our life in the form of the father of the young man we hit.  He had driven 125 miles in the middle of a rainy, cold night to help his son in case his car was damaged too badly to continue on.  When our Angel found that his son’s car could be driven, he sent them on ahead, unloaded our car into his and drove us to the bus station in Pendleton.  Then while I scraped together enough money to buy our tickets to continue our journey, our Christmas Angel scurried all over town gathering up boxes in which we could pack our belongings.  While we stood there still dazed, he packed our things and got us onto the bus with never an incriminating word.  We thanked him, but not nearly to an extent befitting the angel he was.  We didn't even get his name or phone number.  I am certain that he has long since passed away, but we will forever be grateful to that unknown angel who took time to be kind when others chose to be angry. 

        So on this Christmas in 2013 our wish for you is that your own Christmas Angel will come into your life just at the very moment of your need.  Merry Christmas.

 

 

 

New Year's Eve Movie At The Swimming Pool

 

Dive-In Movie New Year's Eve

Garden City Pool

5:30 p.m.

Full Length Feature Family Film

 

Admission $3 per person

(No extra charge for movie)

 

Questions?  Call 385 205 7722

Special P&Z Meeting For Water's Edge

Chris Coray, Reporter

Rich Civic Times

GARDEN CITY, Utah.   December 20, 2013. The Garden City Planning and Zoning (P&Z) Commission held a special meeting to discuss the current proposed resort development titled, “Water’s Edge”.  This proposed development is on the east side of the highway across from the church and goes all the way to the beach.  The meeting was held because the Appeals Board had ruled in the previous week that in a PUD (Water’s Edge is one) that the P&Z could make a recommendation to the town council that might not strictly adhere to other current ordinances, especially building height.

P & Z members present at the emotionally charged meeting were Lance Bourne, Chairman, Mike Schiess, Chuck Stocking, Susann House, Dewayne Gifford, and Jim Stone.  Also present was an attorney representing the city, who was compensated for his time.  Chairman Bourne stated at the beginning of the meeting that this would be the biggest decision ever made by the P&Z, that the lake is the most important asset in the region, and that in his words, “Our job is to protect the lake”, and he indicated in his judgment that the P&Z should stay within existing height ordinances.

It was immediately clear that the main issue of concern was the proposed building height.  Norm Mecham, project developer, said, “A PUD has no restrictions on building height”.  He also indicated that if the proposed building heights were not approved, the building plans would be altered but it would significantly increase the building footprint.  Mecham had brought photos of existing views from 3 directions with blackened portions indicating where new buildings would obstruct current sight lines.

Chuck Stocking said that he believed the P&Z had the right to negotiate height.  Commissioner Susann House asked if there were buildings already present in the beach zone that exceeded the height allowed by existing ordinances.  The answer was yes, mostly for older structures.  Commissioner Dewayne Gifford said that he, like, Commissioner Stocking, believed that the P&Z was empowered to negotiate height in a PUD. Commissioner Schiess said that he thought exceeding existing height ordinances in a material way was a stretch.

Chairman Bourne permitted several comments and questions from the audience.  Bryce Nielson asked if the fire department could currently fight a fire at Ideal Beach, let alone at a new, higher development.  Fire Chief Mike Wahlberg said that the department could not now effectively fight a fire at Ideal Beach with current equipment.  He thought that some evacuation of humans might be possible, but with respect to the building, “It would burn”.

Chairman Bourne said that, “The attorney said we didn’t have the right to negotiate height”.  (Editor’s note:  the attorney did not say those words at the meeting.  Chairman Bourne said that those were the attorney’s words in an earlier conversation).

Commissioner Stocking made a motion to recommend project approval to the town council.  The motion died for lack of a second.  Commissioner Stone made a motion to deny the current project design.  It, too, died for lack of a second.  Commissioner Gifford than made a motion to recommend approval of the existing planned development to the town council.  It was seconded by Commissioner Stocking.  The P&Z then voted 3-1-1 in favor of the Gifford motion.  Voting yes were Commissioners Gifford, Stocking, and House.  Voting no was Commissioner Stone.  Commissioner Schiess abstained.  The meeting was then adjourned.