New School Board Members And ACT Results

Anita Weston, Reporter

Rich Civic Times

RADOLPH, Utah.  January 21, 2015.  Monty Weston, Bryce Huefner, and Eric Wamsley, the three new board members, were sworn into office.  The oath of office was administered by Brandee Johnson, the business administrator of the school district.

Pete Cornia was selected by the board to serve as the board president.  Scott Sabey was chosen as the vice president by the board.  These positions will be held for two years.  Eric Wamsley was asked to serve as the board’s representative to Bridgerland.  He was told that the Briderland Board meets once a month—their January meeting will be held this coming Monday.  Their meetings are usually held on a Monday night.  This position is very important to our school system so Wamsley was told that attendance at these meetings needs to be a high priority.

The motion was made and passed that Dale Lamborn be kept as the District Superintendent.  This is a two-year appointment.  It was noted that his salary will be considered when needed. 

The motion was made and passed to keep the Brandee Johnson, business administrator, for the district for the next two years.  Her status will be looked at in late May early June.

The meeting then moved to Mrs. Cornia’s room for a short report on the results of the SAGE test and the grades given to the schools in Rich County.  The elementary school in Laketown and the middle school in Laketown both were given a B grade.  The elementary school and high school in Randolph each received a C grade.

The ACT state results use a composite score of the four major areas—English, math, reading, and science.  The average of those four scores needs to be 18 or above to be considered college ready.  The students in Rich County generally fall into 20 -22.  However, the national way of determining this ACT score takes the four areas—English (18), math (22), reading (22), and science (23).  If a student fails to meet any one of these four scores, he or she is not considered college ready.  The national requirement is much more difficult for the students to reach.

Request Denied: School Board Meetings Will Not Be Rotated

Anita Weston, Reporter

Rich Civic Times

RANDOLPH, Utah. January 21, 2015. The current practice for the school board is to meet every third Wednesday night of the month at 6 p.m. in the District Office.  It was suggested by new board member, Bryce Huefner, that perhaps half of the meetings could be in Laketown and the other half in Randolph. 

Other board members said that all of the records and information for the District is housed at the Superintendent’s office.  When the board needs additional information, that information is available to them because they hold their meetings in the District Office.  If a meeting is being held in Laketown—that information is not available and could not be used in making decisions.

The last board made an effort to hold at least one meeting in Laketown—in December.  This gives them a chance to visit the other school facility in the District and see how things work there.  This seemed to be adequate and a nice thing to do they said.

The motion was made, seconded, and passed that the board meetings be handled the same as it has been in the past with the December meeting being held in Laketown and the rest at the District Office.

View From The Mountain

Photo by Donna Hansen

Mayor's Request For Representative Dies For Lack Of Second

Anita Weston, Reporter

Rich Civic Times

RANDOLPH, Utah.  January 21, 2015. Garden City Mayor, John Spuhler, appeared before the board requesting that Scott Tollentino be a designee for Garden City as a non voting member of the Board.  Spuhler gave the state statute that allows for an individual to serve in this way.  This individual would be an active member of the board and would be able to participate in all school board meetings.  Spuhler noted there seems to be a lack of communication in the county and felt a designee from Garden City would be an asset in letting people know what is happening in the educational setting in the County.

Pete Cornia quickly noted that the law does not say “must” but “may” be allowed to serve on the board.  Cornia continued with the idea that all members of the board are elected by their own area voters.  If the voters have questions, problems, or need information, they should first go to their chosen representative for solutions.  If they are not satisfied at that point, further steps can then be taken.

Mayor Spuhler then suggested that the school board make arrangements to have at least the audio portion of all of their meetings available to members of the County.  He noted there is a system whereby individuals could call into a specific telephone number which would allow them to listen to the meeting.  This system costs about $20 a month and gives anyone who would like the opportunity of hearing what is happening at the school board meetings.  He noted that the visual portion of the meeting could also be included for a small additional cost.

It was noted that the school web site should perhaps make meeting notices and agendas more visible or easier to find.

The board said that they would look into the possibility of making the audio portion of their meetings available to the public.  They asked Mr. Johnson to look into that matter and let them know what he would be able to do in making that a possibility.

Mayor Spuhler’s request was on the agenda.  A motion was made to include Tollentino on the board.  The motion died for lack of a second.

Request for ACT Prep Class

Anita Weston, Reporter

Rich Civic Times 

RANDOLPH, Utah.  January 21, 2015. Principal Rick Larsen requested that the Rich School Board consider making an ACT Prep Class a requirement for all sophomore students.  He said he would need an answer in a month or two, but felt this would be a good thing to assist students in preparing to take the ACT exam that is required of all juniors.  It would also help prepare them for all of the other types and kinds of tests that are required to take.  

Making this class a requirement will limit the registration choices of the sophomores.  Currently this class is an elective and is offered during two trimesters.  Making it a requirement would allow the school to offer it all three trimesters thus making it a bit easier for the sophomores to fit it into their schedules.  It would still allow students to take the Bridgerland classes and shouldn’t affect that program very much.

Currently, the ACT exam is required by most colleges and universities for admissions and also is used to determine who can get scholarships.  Most students who score above 28 on this exam can get admissions to most any school they desire to attend and can get scholarships as well.  There is an understanding of the meaning of the scores students obtain with the ACT because it has been around so long.  SAGE scores don’t have the public understanding and are not used by colleges and/or universities.

Currently teachers are attempting to prepare students for the ACT as well as the SAGE exams—two very different exams.  There is no correlation between the two.

The proposed ACT class will use a Princeton Review Manual online called Snoops.  Study skills will be emphasized.  The class is currently needed and necessary.  There will be a slight impact on Bridgerland.  Larson said, “we certainly don’t want to loose that program.”  This class will take the place of one of the Business Tech classes.  Hopefully, adding this class will prepare students to be both career and college ready.

Larsen encouraged the Board to consider this class and decide what will be best for the school.  Schedules for next year are usually set up in the spring.  A decision will need to be made by then.

Technical Assistant Needed In School District

Anita Weston, Reporter

Rich Civic Times

RANDOLPH, Utah. January 21, 2015.  Superintendent Dale Lamborn noted that an additional person needs to be hired to assist with the technical/computer area.  The current individual is unable to handle all of the current demands.  He will continue with his work on the servers, backbone, and so forth.  Another individual is needed to work with trouble-shooting and teacher in-service. 

As teachers become more familiar and efficient with what and how the software works, they pass it on to the students.  Eventually all of the various short cuts, capabilities, and possibilities of the software can and will be used by the students.  It is important to use all of the capabilities of the equipment and software making everyone more efficient and productive.  The technical person would probably spend two days on each side of the hill.

Superintendent Lamborn asked the Rich School Board to think about this matter.  A decision, however, will need to be made next month.

It was suggested that the individual be paid a salary similar to a teacher with an extended year contract as summer is the best time to repair machines, load new software, and so forth.

Summer School Building Projects

Anita Weston, Reporter

Rich Civic Times

RANDOLPH, Utah. January 21, 2015.  Superintendent Dale Lamborn requested that the board members look over the list of items that will need to be remodeled, repaired, or built this next summer.  Monies for these items will be taken from the capital budget.  Generally, about $150,000 is expended each summer to keep things in working order.  The district will not need a new bus this coming year, so there will be more projects that can be completed this summer. 

The school board should decide if a contractor will be less costly than the full time employee.  The board should look into costs for the projects and prioritize the items and keep within the budget amount.  This item will be on next month’s agenda where final decisions will be made concerning the summer maintenance projects.

The middle school needs a new football score board.  Principal Kip Motta has measured the football field and found that it can be turned so play can go from north to south.  Most football fields are laid out that direction so the sun doesn’t interfere with the game.  Changing the direction won’t be an expensive project, but the score board will take quite a lot of money.

LED lights are recommended.  They last between 20 and 30 years.  The initial costs, however, are about $500 each.  The district will need about 3 dozen of these lights. 

The ceiling in the lunch room in Randolph should be lowered.  The roof heater runs almost continually.  If the ceilings were lowered, there is much less space to heat, and the heat can be forced down lower into the room.  There are also some leaks on this roof.

These are just a few things on the list.  Superintendent Dale Lamborn noted that board members have contacts and information about some of the items on the list that could help the Board make good decisions.  Also, if any of the board members know of things that need to be added to the list, those projects should be added to the list for consideration.

The new board members also asked that the audit be reviewed at the next meeting to help them understand how monies have been spent in the past and where the different funds come from.  It costs approximately two million dollars every three months to keep the schools going.

Visit With Loretta Fidler

Melissa Spuhler visited beloved Bear Lake resident, Loretta Fidler, on January 5th in Scottsdale Arizona where she is now residing in an assisted living home. It is a beautiful home in a safe neighborhood with a really nice backyard. There are about 12 other residents there, and I think she is starting to make a few friends. But she really misses her Bear Lake friends!

Melissa said that it was great to see her and get to visit, but hard to see how much she has aged in the past year. She continues to have a hard time walking now using a walker or wheelchair at all times. She keeps thinking she must “get up and go” somewhere, so it is hard for her to rely on the walker or someone to push her.

I hope that her Bear Lake friends will call her. She misses them very much and loves to chat. If she doesn't answer-keep trying.  Her number is 480-278-2552.

Loretta Fidler and Melissa Spuhler
 

Musings Of A Muddled Male

A Short Jerk

By Bob Stevens, The Muddled Male

        Ann and I rarely go to have dental work done separately.  Not because we are afraid of our dentist and feel a need to protect each other, but because we try to combine multiple visits to Logan into one trip down the canyon as a way of saving gas plus wear and tear on the car.  Besides, I’ve got your bicuspid doesn’t seem to have the same ring as I’ve got your back.  Truth be known, however, combining my dental trip with Ann’s dental trip doesn’t provide me any protection from the dentist anyway because Ann, my wife, immediately gets our dentist to join forces with her in trying to prevent me from consuming my elixir of life, carbonated drinks, French fries and M & M Peanuts.  You ask how I know.  Because our dentist’s office has each dental chair separated from the next chair by a three-quarter wall which allows me to hear Ann weaving her magic in the next chair as she busily goes about convincing the dentist that saving me from myself is a purely humanitarian act.

        A visit to our dentist last week involved replacement of a crown for Ann, worse for me because it appeared that I had an infected wisdom tooth.  When I was eighteen I was in Army basic training in Fort Ord, California.  While there I had some problems with a wisdom tooth and they sent me to the infirmary.  The dentist’s diagnosis was that I had an infected wisdom tooth on the left side, so they might as well pull both the upper and lower wisdom teeth on that side.  After six shots of Novocain my jaw still wasn’t dead and any attempt to pull either tooth resulted in instant pain.  After some discussion the dentist said, “I don’t have time for this, hang onto the chair arms while I get these teeth out.”  I did and he did.  That memory was lodged in my mind when our current dentist said a week ago, “You have an infected wisdom tooth and it would probably be best if it was pulled,” gave me two shots of anesthetic, and went back to working on Ann while waiting for the shots to deaden my jaw enough to let him pull the tooth.

        The time came and I opened my mouth wide enough to insert an assortment of tools, three hands and an evacuator.  The dentist bent the tooth back and forth a couple of times to loosen it and then a short jerk and out it came.  Two minutes flat, no pain, no swelling, and very little bleeding afterward.  Ann, who I thought would be pleased that everything went so well, was obviously disappointed that I didn’t have any pain.  My sister, who claims that I was mean to her when we were kids, was also disappointed that there was no pain.  And Ann, who had always claimed that I was only half as smart as I said I was because I was missing two of my four wisdom teeth, was now saying that because I only had one of four wisdom teeth left I was only a fourth as smart as I said I was.

        The thing that troubles me the most, however, is that when I told Ann the title I would be using for this column and she approved, I was describing the extraction.  I am beginning to worry that Ann may have approved because she assumed that I was describing me.

New Gun Collection

ANTIQUE GUN COLLECTION ON DISPLAY AT OREGON TRAIL CENTER

Fourteen 18^th and 19^th century rifles were recently unveiled for permanent display at the National Oregon/California Trail Center in Montpelier, Idaho.  This featured collection appropriately covers much of the time period that is commemorated by the Oregon/California Trail experience and the American Civil War. 

The coveted gun collection was assembled by Dr. James Ogilvie of Salt Lake City, Utah and then donated to the Dr. W. C. Swanson Family Foundation with the proviso of finding an appropriate venue to maximize public exposure.  The foundation’s Chuck and Tammy Swanson in turn approached the Oregon Trail Center in early 2014 with a proposal that was eagerly embraced by the non-profit center’s board of directors. 

Discussion then began on the design, construction and location of a custom display case that would provide optimum viewing, lighting and environmental controls in order to protect the delicate nature of the aging firearms.  Local craftsman Brian Brown constructed the display and together with several volunteers recently installed the case in the center’s art gallery.  Leather straps secure each rifle in place inside the enclosed exhibit. 

The exhibit creation was completed thanks to donated proceeds collected from a special gun shoot held last summer outside of the small community of Pegram, Idaho.  Gun enthusiasts and specialists from the western United States descended on the small rural town to feature all types of civilian and military weaponry that thrilled even the most avid gun fans. 

Dr. James Ogilvie is a retired pediatric orthopedic surgeon who was in private practice and on staff at Shriners Hospital for Children in Salt Lake City.  Dr. Ogilvie is a lifelong collector of unique firearms.  The Ogilvie collection to be housed at the Oregon Trail Center includes highly collectible rifles ranging back to 1765 with the most recent gun confirmed from the year 1884. 

These historic guns range from various flintlock muskets to U.S. Springfield cap and ball muskets.  Another featured rifle as a sample of the collection’s variety is a U.S. Springfield trap door rifle/carbine with an eagle and shield clutching arrows with laurels “US Model 1878” on the door. 

The Dr. W.C. Swanson Foundation has been a valued resource in guidance and support of the Oregon Trail Center since the center’s inception almost 20 years ago.  Not only did the foundation arrange for a semi-load of furniture and cabinets to be donated to the center from McKay Dee Hospital in Ogden, Utah, they also donated substantial financial support to help construct the original living history tour sets and theatre.  The foundation has graciously supported many Bear Lake valley organizations including Bear Lake Memorial Hospital, Bear Lake County Search and Rescue, Bear Lake County sheriff’s office and the county wild fire protection district. 

An official ribbon cutting is being planned for a later date this spring with hopes of inviting Dr. Ogilvie and the Swanson foundation members to attend a formal unveiling of the collection.  Until then, these unique firearms are currently on display during normal business hours.

For more information about the National Oregon/California Trail Center and the Allinger Community Theatre in Montpelier, Idaho, please call (208) 847-3800 or visit www.oregontrailcenter.org.

 

Cisco Disco This Saturday

Accident Victim Waits Over An Hour For Ambulance

Chris Coray, Reporter

Rich Civic Times

GARDEN CITY, Utah.  January 15, 2001.  The Garden City Fire District board held its monthly meeting on January 15.  Present were board members Wakefield, England, House, and Knight.  Howard Pope was absent.

After waiting one hour and twenty minutes , an accident victim on U.S. 89 exactly  100 yards inside Cache County on December 28 was finally taken to the hospital by the ambulance coming from Logan . That made the main item of discussion in the meeting the continuing effort to reach an agreement whereby the fire department would be able to respond automatically to an injury/incident inside Cache County.  In a strange coincidence there was an accident John Nichol, Rich County Deputy was the first person on the scene and provided first responder treatment.  The injured person initially did not want ambulance transport but a fairly dramatic increase in back pain resulted in an ambulance coming from Logan. 

Chief Wahlberg indicated that in a meeting held January 13^th with Cache County about automatic responses he learned that the Cache EMS office wants Rich county’s fire department designated as a “Quick Response Unit” prior to entering into an automatic response agreement.  This designation has many requirements and is made by the state department of medical services.  A medical control person (physician) is needed, and letters of support from the Rich County Commission and the local EMS organization.  It has been reported before and is here repeated that this kind of agreement would involve only the fire department, not the local EMS organization.  The latter two letters referred to above are problematic, however.  See a companion article on the recent adverse legal judgment rendered by the Idaho Supreme Court against the Rich County Sheriff’s Office.  The judgment rendered makes increased cross border cooperation less likely. (Editorial Comment:  the current poisonous environment between states/counties makes citizens the losers with respect to completely feasible cooperative public safety responses.)

Walberg reported on what he called a successful winter training school.  6 firefighters attended.  Additionally, some new personal protective gear has been obtained following earlier approval.  When asked, the chief said that currently there are approximately 20 firefighters with red cards, allowing fire suppression in the forest interface.

County Nervous About  Incurring Liability Because Of Rich/Idaho Case

In 1999 there was an accident resulting from a law enforcement pursuit of a driver that began in Rich County, went through parts of Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho before resulting in injury to a third party in Idaho.  After many years of legal suits and appeals the Idaho Supreme Court found in 2012 that the Rich County Sheriff’s office partially responsible (30%) for the damages.  The funds awarded by the court to the plaintiff from Rich County exceeded 1.1 million dollars.

In conversation this past week with Becky Peart, Rich County Clerk/Auditor, she indicated that to the best of her knowledge that the entire amount owed by Rich County was paid from an in-force insurance policy, and that no taxpayer funds were used.  She did not know the source of funds or amount of the legal fees awarded by the Idaho court to the plaintiff against Rich County.  The case is now over.

View from the Mountains

Photo by Donna Hansen

New Map, New Website, New Newsletter

The Bear Lake Rendezvous Chamber of Commerce is working on a new website that will be more visitor friendly and hopefully make it easier for customers to find business locations.

 

Accompanying this new site will be a brand new map of the area. It will show business locations from St. Charles to Laketown and also trailheads, trails, beach access, and other things useful to visitors.  The goal of the map & website is to give visitors a better experience in the Bear Lake area.

 

We will also be doing a new newsletter titled "Helpful Bear Lake Business Info" that will be for business owners in the area to give them information to help them grow their business and or grow the economy as a whole.

 

Branding Bear Lake in the Winter

In our recent chamber meeting we discussed economic development goals for the year and one important comment was about building Bear Lake's winter visitorship. To do this we feel the biggest draws we have are:

• Beaver Mountain Ski Resort is only 15 minutes away
• Top rated snowmobile trails are only 10 minutes away

The Chamber is asking that you help us promote these facts where ever possible (websites, word of mouth, flyers, etc.) Melinda Hislop of the Bear Lake Convention and Tourist Bureau has done some wonderful promotions of these things, but we want to join her in her efforts. Why are people going from Salt Lake to Jackson to snowmobile when they could come here?!

 

Well, I failed at making this short but the updates were important! Thanks for all you do. I am always open to feedback, suggestions, or ideas.  Email me or call me (435-227-5639).

Joey Stocking

President

Bear Lake Rendezvous Chamber of Commerce