Fair Update

Bobbie Bicknell Coray, Reporter

Rich Civic Times

RANDOLPH, Utah. October 7, 2015. Brett Argyle, Rich County Fair manager, said that they spent $33,270 dollars on the rodeo and fair and that it was "the best fair we have ever had." There is $7,000 left over for next year. Citizens liked the parade in the evening and the new bleachers were well received. 

A new concession stand is needed. They made $1,800 more than last year and they could make more with a larger stand. The old one has structural problems.

Argyle said there needs to be a budget set for the fair so they don't have to wait until money is raised or appropriated to hire rodeo help or entertainment. He also wants to be able to keep the money not used for the next year.

He would also like to have a series for local people for all rodeo events because he felt it would increase involvement. Woodruff, Laketown and Randolph would have a pre-qualifying and send the prize winners to the Rich County Fair. That local series would get people through the gate.

They need to do more marketing such as getting the word out by postcards rather than the printed paper. Argyle also wants to look at potential fair managers, "I don’t want to do this forever," he said, "I am really mostly a volunteer."

Pugmire Requests OHV Trail Improvement

Bobbie Bicknell Coray, Reporter
Rich Civic Times

RANDOLPH, Utah.  October 7, 2015.  Darin Pugmire, Garden City Council, came to the county commissioners to see if there could be some off road maintenance in Hodges canyon and others being used by OHV.  He said that  a lot have been washed out by the high spring runoffs this year. Pugmire said it is the upper part of the canyon which needs the most road maintenance   "We need to do something, it affects tourism as well," he said.

The Forest Service put bridges in Hodges which has helped.  The Richardson trail is another problem especially around the spring area.  New road improvement collects water which runs into the spring.  

Commissioner Bill Cox said they knew there were some issues to be addressed, but although the trails are public, the private land owners bordering the trails don’t want more usage on those trails. One of the roads needs to be relocated, but also needs property owner permission.  

"It is hard to do good improvement without going on private land,  but after last year when some cattle were shot, the property owners are not amenable to  helping to increase use.  The county would like to get the roads and acess to the springs moved so that the springs were not impacted," said Cox.

It Is Not Cool To Carve A Tree No Matter How In Love

Photo by Lauriann Wakefield

State Parks Report

Bobbie Bicknell Coray, Reporter

Rich Civic Times

RANDOLPH, Utah.  October 7, 2015.  Richard Droesbeck, State Park Manager and Dave Harris, State Parks Regional Manager, gave their annual report.  

Over 255,000 people visited the parks and marina in Rich County.  Droesbeck felt that it was a conservative estimate.   Gross revenues were about $989,000, which is the the highest ever.  In just a few years the park has gone from grossing $600,000 a year to earning just under a million dollars. Gross revenues this year were $73,000 more than last year.  This is after the TRT taxes have been paid to the local area.

The Bear Lake area brings in 47 % of state parks profit.  They project over a million dollars in earnings next year.  

"How will you fit in more people?" asked Commissioner Tom Weston.  "Not only that, the parks need a full time maintenance person.  Since we have so much profit and so many people can some of that profit be used for that?"

Droesbeck said he was trying to work on that.  This is a problem throughout the park system.

Commissioner Bill Cox said that estimates for expansion of the marina reach over $42 million, but the marina alone has had nearly 150,000 visitors.

Droesbeck said, "A lot of parks are doing better and the division is becoming closer to become self funding.  Director Harris said that Richard and the park crew have done a great job. Droesbeck is now certified as a law enforcement officer as well as park service officer.  

Bear Lake Fun has the concession for the lake. Their revenues for this year were approximately $970,000.  State Parks get 10% of that.  

Droesbeck said that the  6^th annual Cisco Disco and Plunge is increasing each year.  The Bear Lake Chamber is trying to make it a two day event with such things as the  Chili cookoff, and maybe a Chocolate Festival.  The Bear Lake Shake is held in spring on a slow weekend.  It is increasing with a boat poker run, yacht race, catch and release fishing contest with Pugstones in Garden City.  The Swim Across Bear Lake in July is growing.  Droesbeck added half mile and mile races and relay races.  This year they had 70 people participate.

The Ninth Annual September Bear Lake Brawl was held. It is a good shoulder season event.  There was a  Boat Light Parade for Raspberry Days on Saturday night.  Lot of people doing family reunions at the parks at these times. 

Droesbeck said that "huge progress is happening  with interlocal agreements with Idaho. A lawyer is drafting a letter to Idaho legislators to deal with the barriers to cooperation in search and rescue." Droesbeck the radio inter-operatibilty is an issue because there is no way to communicate between states.   "In the meantime on our patrol boats now we have a channel on the old technology to communicate with Idaho.  The goal is to get Idaho to upgrade their system."

Rendevous campground has two new restrooms being built. There is radiant heat in floor of restrooms which allow them to be open earlier in spring and close later in winter.  The goal is to replace one a fiscal year until the old ones are all replaced.

Droesbeck wants to create large group sites which generate more revenue at Rendezvous.  They are looking at creating more pavilions.  Icon heath and fitness donated $25,000 in June and will do the same in December, so a pavilion is being built on the beach with that.   

At the marina  a new Mast lift has been installed. Cox asked if this was a conflict with the concessionaire who charges for mast lifts.   Droesbeck said that the concessionaire offers the labor to do it and will charge for it, it is free if one does it themselves.

A paved road into Cisco beach planned. Critical issues: a full time station person needed, as the lake is lower beach grooming is needed and permits from Army Corps of Engineers must be obtained.  During several weekends the marina was completely full so expanding the marina will help. 

Additional parking is needed everywhere.  Rendezvous was at capacity every weekend.  When the lake comes up there will be a real problem for parking. There needs to be more restrooms for day use beaches.  East side of the lake also has parking issues.  State Parks would like to bring in water and sewer to east side of lake. They are also working on access to the lake and still working to keep quagga mussels from the lake.

OHV access from Rendezvous to Meadowville is needed to tie in with mountain trails for non street legal vehicles.   

Laketown Resident Weston Mark Cheney 1934 - 2015

Weston Mark Cheney

November 2, 1934 - October 6, 2015

Weston Mark Cheney, age 80, passed away Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2015, at the McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden, Utah. Mark was born Nov. 2, 1954, in Laketown, Utah.

He was a lifelong resident of Laketown, Utah. He went to school in Laketown, and graduated from North Rich High School. After high school, he served in the United States Army for a short time.

At a very young age, he learned the ins and outs of the family farm and helped with its functions. Then, in 1970, he bought the farm for his own. Along with farming, he had several other occupations: He worked as a truck driver, butcher/meat cutter, carpenter, in construction and mining.

On Feb. 15, 1963, he married Kay H. Cheney in the Logan LDS Temple. He was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where he held various positions throughout his life.

Mark is survived by his wife, Kay of Laketown; their five children, Deborah (Scott) Covert of Millville, Utah; Brett (Nancy) Cheney of Hyrum, Utah; Marcia (Seth) Hicken of Tooele, Utah; Eric (Marla) Cheney of Rock Springs, Wyoming; Michael (Fiance, Ashley Shumway) of Santaquin, Utah.

Mark and Kay have 12 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at noon Saturday, Oct. 10, 2015, in the Laketown LDS Ward Chapel. A viewing will be held Friday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Allen-Hall Mortuary, 34 E. Center Street in Logan, and prior to services Saturday at the Laketown church from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Interment will be held in the Laketown Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.allenmortuaries.net.

Election News

 ATTENTION 

RICH COUNTY VOTERS 

This year,the Rich County Election will be strictly a mail-in vote.

We believe this will be a great convenience to our voters and greatly raise our participation level and voter turnout. Each registered voter will be mailed a regular absentee election ballot several days before the election day of November 3, 2015. There will be no polling place for the election. There will be instructions for returning the ballot a nd a ny deadlines that you must meet in order for your vote to be counted. If you do not follow these instructions, your vote cannot be counted.

REMEMBER THERE WILL BE NO POLLING PLACE THE DAY OF ELECTION.

You may mail in the ballot in any time after you receive it. When your ballot is received we will verify your signature and will put your ballot in a safe place until the count is made by our optical scan machine.

If you do not receive a ballot and believe you are a registered voter or want to become one, please call the Rich County Clerk, 435-793-2415.


Voting Issue: Rich County
Voter Pamphlet Information FOR Local Option Sales Tax

Citizens of Rich County, the .25% Local Option Sales Tax is as it states a SALES TAX. It is not an additional gas tax and does not tax food or ingredients used in food preparation. The Local Option Sales Tax, if approved by our Rich County voters, would mean an additional 25¢ per $100 spent on products purchased in the county by residents as well as non-residents.

It is important to understand that of the 25¢, 15¢ of each $100 would come directly to the county to support our county road construction and maintenance. There are approximately 350 miles of county roads, including asphalt, gravel and dirt. Request for new construction have been put on hold until funds can be secured and many requests for maintenance or dust suppressant are always challenging to fulfill.

The other 10¢ per $100 would be included in a statewide pool with all other counties in which the local option tax is approved. The pooled funds would be redistributed back to our towns/county based on two different formulas. Fifty percent (50%} is redistributed based on proportion of population among the counties included in the pool. The other fifty percent (50%} is redistributed based on point of sale within the county. This pooled fund would support any projects related to transportation such as trails, sidewalks, bike lanes, road construction/maintenance to name a few.

The most often complaint heard by our county and town governments relates to the condition of our roads which have been increasingly deteriorating for many years. We know that roads cost more taxpayer dollars when they are not maintained. Things like slurry seals, chip seals, and overlays that keep roads is good shape cost money but are far less expensive than going without maintenance and having to rebuild a road. Choosing to maintain our roads today is the financially responsible and fiscally conservative approach.

Prop 1 is NOT for the construction of major highways. Prop 1 is dedicated exclusively to our local transportation needs arid will provide an additional source of local transportation funding. This is a historic moment to join our local government officials in support of Prop 1.

Voting YES will help fill a nasty pothole on your local street, provide for a much needed asphalt road or an application of dust suppressant, finish a much needed sidewalk, or add a trail, and bike path so you · have more transportation choices.

Rich County Board of Commissioners: William Cox, Norman Weston, Thomas Weston

No argument against was submitted that qualified to be included, in accordance with state code requirements (59-1-1604)

PUBLIC MEETING to Discuss Proposition #1 

When: Tuesday October 27, 2015, at 6:00 PM

Where: Rich County Courthouse, 20 South Main, Randolph, Utah

Good Stuff

Cinderella

By John Brown, The Man

Okay, movie time. I have four daughters. They all wanted to see Cinderella.

Except, what new thing can you do with Cinderella?

I mean, how many different ways can you see her leave a glass slipper behind and still reel in shock at the story turn?

Well, how many Bond movies do we see that follow the same darned plot? And we still love them. It’s very often the details that make the difference. And this new Disney version of Cinderella with live actors included a number of wonderful details.

Like how Cinderella got in this fix in the first place. And how her position in the household devolves.

And what’s motivating the stepmother, who is played wonderfully by Cate Blanchette.

And the relationship between the king and prince, and Cinderella and her father.

And a little bit of wisdom.

I enjoyed this film. I think the key thing that lifts this above many remakes is the insight it gives into the key characters and relationships. And the many small surprises along the way.

If you have daughters, this is a no-brainer for a date. If you liked the original Cinderella, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by this version. If you like romances, this is a classic. Furthermore, you’ll go away with a little something to think and talk about. I gave it a try; I was glad I did.

Yellow Aspen

Photo by Lauriann Wakefield

Longtime Bear Laker Dies

Glen Stuart 1943-2015

Glen L. Stuart passed away unexpectedly on October 3, 2015. Glen was born on April 25, 1943 in Montpelier, ID to George T. and Nina Bacon Stuart. 

He was a great husband, father, grandfather and friend. Glen grew up in Montpelier Idaho spending time with family, cousins, and friends. Glen was known for his compassion and generosity.  As a young boy, Glen and his father spent many years helping people in the community; whether it was mending fences, cutting wood, or filling freezers full of meat, Glen enjoyed helping anyone in need. 

At the age of 18, Glen enlisted with the Air Force, where he spent four years serving his country as an on board air mechanic. After being honorably discharged, Glen retuned to Montpelier, where he worked for the Montpelier sheriffs department and Bear Lake County search and rescue. He met his sweetheart, Janet Wuthrich, and later married her on August 1, 1970. Together they had a son, Michael Glen Stuart. 

Glen had a special way of connecting with people. The instant you met him, you fell in love.  There wasn’t a place he could go, that he wouldn’t run into someone he knew. He had many wonderful friends, especially those in Bear Lake.  Some of his most cherished days were spent with his family at his home in Bear Lake, having coffee with friends, riding horses in the country, and joking around. There was never a dull moment when Glen was around. His quit wit and charming personality could light up any room. 

He was very proud of his family and enjoyed talking about them to anyone who would stop and listen. Glen was especially proud of his son, Mike, whom he considered his best friend. They spent most of their time doing anything outdoors from working in the yard, to hunting and fishing. Glen was a man who knew the true meaning of hard work and dedication. One of his greatest dreams was to build a place where his family could spend time together. He spent many years working on his beautiful home and made a special place that will be cherished for years to come. Glen is survived by his son Mike(Brooke); Three grandchildren, Ambrey, Saige, and Grayson; Sister, Ann Rex.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, October 10, 2015 at 1:00 p.m., with a viewing prior to the service at 10:30 a.m. Service and viewing will be held at the LDS Church in Garden City, Utah 65 South Bear Lake Blvd. Interment to follow at the Montpelier Cemetery,  Montpelier, ID.