Dennis Stokes Miller 1931 - 2017

Our amazing, husband, brother, dad and grandpa, Dennis Stokes Miller, passed away Saturday morning, September 30, 2017, at the age of 86, returning to his Heavenly Father.

Dennis was born February 3, 1931 to Rudy Miller and Ethel Tressa Stokes Miller in Tremonton, Utah. Dennis attended McKinley Elementary School and Bear River High and was a graduate of LDS Seminary. He played many sports in high school including football, track and baseball.

As a student at Bear River High he met Lila Standing and together they were crowned Bear River High’s first Homecoming King and Queen in 1948.  High school sweethearts, Dennis and Lila married each other for time and all eternity on August 17, 1949 in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. That was just the beginning of a 70 year love story.

Dennis was a devoted and faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served as a Bishop in the Tremonton 6th ward, was a member of the High Council, served as a stake and ward missionary, Scout Master and together with Lila served missions in St. George, Utah; Dallas, Texas and Paris, Idaho.

Dennis, along with his father Rudy, owned and operated Miller Gas Company in Tremonton, one of Tremonton’s oldest family owned businesses. Miller Gas Company is still owned by the family today. Dennis served in many civic capacities throughout his life and was President of the Jaycee’s and Bear River Valley Chamber of Commerce. He was a member of the Tremonton Kiwanis Club.

Throughout his life he enjoyed being outdoors hunting, fishing, camping, golfing, water skiing and snow skiing. His greatest adventure was spending time with his family at their cabin in Bear Lake, Utah. Many fond memories over the course of six decades were shared between several generations of family members and friends.

Dennis took his last trip to Daisy Bay on Bear Lake just last month for one more “I spy Bear Lake.” 

Dennis was known around the community as an honest and hardworking business man and was well-respected. He had a gentle spirit and was a friend to all that knew him. He complimented everything that was ever given to him with a smile on his face and was so grateful for all of his many blessings.

Among those blessings is his family. Dennis and Lila are the parents of four children Diana, Kathy, Cheryl and Roger. As a family they took many memorable vacations.  He would sing to his children in the morning, had plenty of great laughs and enjoyed those precious years before their posterity grew and grew.

Dennis is survived by his wife Lila of 68 years, sister Trudy Garfield, daughters Diana (Bob) Doutre, Kathy (Byron) Wood, Cheryl (DeeEll) Fifield and son Roger (Rachelle) Miller. They have 16 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren and four great-great grandchildren with one more on the way. All those infant grandchildren of Dennis were proudly held and comforted in the famous Grandpa Miller hold he made his very own.

He is preceded in death by his parents, a sister Raeola Wise, a grandson Nicholas Lee Doutre and a great-grandson Brayden Blaine Doutre.

A viewing was held Tuesday, October 3, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Roger’s and Taylor Funeral Home 111 N. 100 E. Tremonton, Utah and at the church prior to the funeral. The funeral was held on Wednesday, October 4, from 9-10:30 a.m. 

Cisco Sonar

The Deer Hunt
By Bryce Nielson

This is a column from October 2015 you might enjoy.

I was up before daylight this morning.  As I watched the daylight start to fill in I was thinking about deer hunting.  The light filled in and was soon there was enough to shoot.  This is the time of day when the bucks, who have been out all night, start to move into cover.  I stood on the deck listening for the first shots of the opening morning.  I heard nothing, no people in red on the ridges, no sense of excitement.  School wasn’t even let out early on Friday.

My thoughts slipped back to the 1960’s  and I thought about the 1964 deer hunt.  I had waited for this hunt for my whole life for this day after I turned sixteen.  I had always watched my Dad return to Salina where he had grown up to hunt deer.  I had never been able to go until now.  Deer hunting was serious  business.  He needed meat to feed his five hungry kids and now I could add to the larder.  My rifle was a war surplus Springfield 03-A3 bolt action 30.06.  I had been working on it all year trying to sportirize it after he bought it through the mail for $29.95.  It came wrapped in Cosmoline.  It took forever to get all the grease off and cut down the old military stock.  I removed a lot of wood and when I was through it was light, with open sights and kicked like a mule.  

I have hunted deer every year since.  After I left home the strategy was still the same.  Don’t worry about “horns” because you can’t eat them and knock down the first buck you see.  After I had a family that philosophy continued.  Fast forward 50 years.  Now my wife and daughters don’t eat deer meat.  My grandsons, however, love and request “delicious deer”.  They are the reason I will continue  to hunt.  Their Dad doesn’t hunt so I wan them to have the opportunity to experience what I did as a boy.  If they like it and continue, great, but it is fine if they don’t.  I will understand.

As for deer hunting today things are drastically different.  The big family tent camps with everyone from grandpa to the baby standing around a smoky fire and sleeping on the cold ground are gone. The death mall came when Wildlife Resources limited the number of permits busted up the State into 26 areas that you have to draw on.  

Today’s deer camps are different and new family traditions are being made.  Trailers and  toy haulers of all sizes, OHV’s and magnum four wheel drive jacked up trucks, big screen TV’s, little yapping dogs running all over and the kids are having a blast, making memories.  As far as killing anything, that is incidental and just causes issues with cleaning, skinning, processing and then (uck) eating it.  The point is, it has become a family event with the same core values that I had as a kid.

Do I pine for the old days?  Not really. It is a new generation and they need to do things that match their perspective.  Besides, I find deer hunting much easier on my side by side Ranger.

Coral Leaves

Photo by Taylor Sims, Paris, Idaho

Photo by Phillip Wait, Logan Canyon

Rich Middle School Honors

          Academic Students of September

Violett Taylor Bella Seamons  Hattie Cornia

Austin England Holt Argyle Ryker Conk

Citizens of September

Zailey Stocking Cree Green Hanna Rex

Klancey Huffaker Ryann Stapel Robert Sellers

Comercial Building

Anita Weston, Reporter

Rich Civic Times 

GARDEN CITY, Utah.  September 14, 2017.  Glenn Gillies, Commercial Building Inspector, reported that Water’s Edge will probably be approved this next week.  They are struggling for commercial help but are starting on building additional buildings.

Bridgerland Adventures building has been approved.  They will start building there is a couple of weeks.  There tall towers have been ordered.

Gillies has been working on the City’s ordinances.  He has been trying to clean up some of the wording on several of the ordinances where there are questions.  Water’s Edge’s entrance is on 150 and seems to be working okay.  The north end to their property needs to be opened.  If it is opened, it will reduce the pressure on 150 South.  Rulon Crosley did not win the court case but still has 30 days to appeal if he so desires.

Park models should only be allowed in RV park areas.  This needs to be added to the ordinance on little homes.  Gillies requested that even though P & Z had put the minimum size for a home at 350 square feet, he would like to see the City follow the State by setting the minimum amount at 600 feet or more.  He also asked the City to make an ordinance that would set the limits on any garages built next to tiny homes.

  

Garden City Public Works Report

Anita Weston, Reporter
Rich Civic Times

GARDEN CITY, Utah.  September 14, 2017.  Riley Argyle, Public Works Supervisor, reported that a land swap of property on the west side of the current site of the public works equipment be made in working with the Sewer District and the Fire District.  He suggested that the City purchase an additional 50’ of roadway.  This would allow at least 40 feet of buildable work space that could be used by the City.   The Sewer District has an easement access and has two bays.  The City should buy the two bays which would be very helpful.  Also, the Fire Department has a 123’ x 40’ easement access.

The road on the west still gives the Public Works Department the storage area and additional useable ground to the City.  The City currently can’t use some of this area.  If the City keeps 25’ of that area, there would still be access to the PUD from US 89, and the Public Works Department would be able to utilize the 50’ piece of ground. 

Argyle suggested that the City make arrangements to buy the two bays from the Sewer District.  Take care of that item first, then move forward with the other possibilities.

Argyle noted that there are lots of leaks in the water system.  There are two or three currently in that park that he is working on. 

Two fire hydrants have been shut down.  To fix the first hydrant, the water will have to be turned off between 150 South and 350 South. to repair one of the hydrants. The water will have to be off for most of the day because concrete will be needed to complete the job and requires time to set up. 

The other hydrant is in Cherimoya.  Argyle took the hydrant apart and thought it could be fixed easily.  However, new parts were required.  They have been ordered and will be here soon.

There is a water line that hasn’t been capped.  Riley has been digging down to where the water is coming to the surface and attempts to find the end.  He fixes what he can find and the water pops up again in another spot.  Hopefully, he will be able to find the end of this line soon.

Work will be started on Heritage Park this week.  The top soil will be piled up and other material brought in to fill in the low areas.  The top soil will then be put back on top.  There needs to be a large parking area there.

The City has hired two new people to finish the Boardwalk by Legacy Beach Subdivision.  We are waiting for lumber for the handrail.

There are about 1100 meters for water that are read each month.  Thirty of those meters are not working properly and need to be replaced.  The meters that are not reading properly are scattered all over the map.  Riley repaired some of the meters, and they worked for a short time then quit again.  He suggested that the city replace those that are not working.

Jason, who works with the Public Works Department, has been licensed for working at the treatment plant.  That will be a great help in working with the water system.

Riley and his workers have been pulling moss out of the fish pond.  They have cleaned the bubblers and are getting the fish pond taken care of.

There were some sandbags left north of the ACE Hardware.  They need to be picked up and taken back to the City.  A culvert extension has been put into the ditch next to Dorothy Stringham’s home.   There is a place where 690 feet of road needs to be repaired.  That will cost about $12,600.  The road at 74 North Blvd. will be closed to fix and patch a section of road at the cost of $8,300 plus the patch.

There is a section of culinary water where the piping is not large enough to handle the homes that are connected there.  There is only a ¾” pipe that has three homes already connected.  There are two more lots available in that area, so a larger pipe will have to be installed.  The length of pipe needed will be about 300’.  It is up a steep slope, and Riley requested that it be put out to bid.

In Little Switzerland, there is a water line that is going across a private lot.  It needs to be moved and taken down the road.  It will have to tie into the line at a different location.  It will require about 700 feet to run the line.  It is all in the County, but it is Garden City’s water.

The bike path is getting pretty rough in areas because of the trees.  They need to be cut.  The City also needs to tap into 950 South close to where Dorothy Stringham lives.  There is an 8” water line there that needs to be used for fire protection.  The plan is to put in a T and run the line to the needed area.

The sidewalk between 250 and 350 South is in bad shape.  Something needs to be done there.

The City are going to chip and seal the roads in Buttercup.  We have a contract so that the job will be complete and finished in the next week.

Thirty Two Building Permits Issued In Garden City

Anita Weston, Reporter

Rich Civic Times 

GARDEN CITY, Utah. September 14, 2017.  George Peart, Garden City Residential Building Inspector, noted that there are currently 32 building permits that have been given for residential homes—probably short-term rentals.  There are five more outstanding home permits pending and 12 permits that will be used for town houses in the Legacy Beach location.  This will make a total of 49 structures to be built in 2017.

Shundahi and Buttercup are the areas with the most building currently taking place.  All of the buildings in these two areas are for short-term rentals.  Snow Meadows also has some short-term rentals being built.  There may be a problem there concerning parking.  Most of the homes are 5,000 square feet or more in size.  The parking issue is becoming a real problem.  The Council should look at the possibility of estimating three people per car as compared to the current five individuals per car to determine the number of parking stalls required at the short-term rental buildings.

The Planning Commission did not want to follow the state law that requires an RV to be 20 feet or more in length.  Peart noted that he would advise the City Council to follow the rule of at least a 12-foot width for any building being moved to a new location.  With this size, a travel permit must be obtained, which would insure that the buildings being moved have some prior inspections before being moved.  Peart would like to see that no walls be less than 12-feet in length in the building and moving process.

Planning and Zoning set the square footage for building a dwelling be at least 350 feet in size to be called a home.  Peart noted that State of Utah requires that a home must be at least 600 square feet.  This is also the requirements for any manufactured home allowed in a trailer court.  All homes must be placed on permanent foundations.  A park model is actually a tiny home and is allowed in RV lots.  Peart asked that the City Council create an ordinance to control tiny homes and feels it needs to be done quickly.

Fire Board Reports

Anita Weston 

GARDEN CITY, Utah.  September 21, 2017.   The  Fire Board discussed a property acquisition possibility.  The board members went into an executive meeting.  The motion was made that they would purchase property up to the amount of $65,000.

Mark Stringham attended the meeting and asked that the Fire Board deed a 10-foot piece of property immediately in front of the sewer district building.  The City requires a 10’ set back.  Currently the building only has a three-foot set back away from the edge of their property.  The motion was made and approved by the fire board to deed a 10’ piece of property to the sewer district.  It was noted that the fire department will be allowed to use that 10’ piece of property in traveling in that area.

Truck 40 needed new brakes.  They were put in recently.  Also, the Brush 42 truck is going to be turned back to the State.  The Department noted that this vehicle was difficult to keep running.  The Department will try and get another similar truck from the State that is in better condition next year.  The vehicle being returned to the State will be taken to Randolph where the state will take care of it.

The Fire Department’s boat will be pulled from the Lake in October.  It will, however, be kept at the Marina in case it is needed during the winter months.

There were 28 responses this past month as follows:  1 fire assist, 1 person assist, 11 fire alarms, 2 carbon monoxide calls, and 13 medical responses.

It was noted that someone on Swan Creek is building a fire in an open pit.  The fire has been seen several different times. The area on Swan Creek is really dry, so that this could be a serious problem.  The Fire Chief will try and keep an eye on this issue and would appreciate anyone who sees this open fire to call and let him know.

Brian House suggested that the Fire Department begin looking for an architect who could help with the remodel of the Fire Department Building.

First Snow

Photo by Rebecca Curtis Moldenhauer