Good Stuff

A new TV series and Ruca’s 

By John Brown, The Man

I’ve been looking forward to watching Extinct, a brand-new TV series. I watched the pilot with my

wife and teenage daughter, and we enjoyed it. I watched the next episode, and then a few days later couldn’t help but binge-watch three more. And I’m happy to report it’s full of good stuff and interesting stories.

First of all, it starts with a killer concept. Aliens invade earth and wipe us out, but that’s been done to death. This story doesn’t start there. This story is set four hundred years in the future after the extinction of the human race, when a small group of humans is revived by an alien civilization.

But this isn’t Star Wars, Star Trek, Blade Runner, Battlestar Glactica or anything like that. It feels more like the TV series Lost or The Maze Runner. The heroes are three humans who have been brought back and are trying to figure out what’s happening and how to survive in a place that’s low tech and is the home to a dangerous band of other humans that were also brought back. They’re dangerous, by the way, because they have been taken over by spores that latch other their nervous system and use their bodies as a host.

This series transports you to a world of cool tech and alien stuff like the sparks that regenerate the humans in pools of water, two interesting drones, and alien ruins and glyphs. But the best part about this isn’t the spectacle of the technology. It’s the stories. There’s suspense and action, but also mystery and a lot of stuff that’s human and warm and, surprisingly enough, thought-provoking.

We try to hold a family night once a week to have fun together and discuss important topics. And I can see us easily watching one of these episodes and finding ourselves in a deep discussion about free will, or the creation, or whether Duncan, one of the skin riders, looks like someone right out of The Hobbit.

I liked episodes one and two, but it was episode three that kicked it into high gear for me. If you liked Lost or The Maze Runner or the series Once Upon a Time, I think you’ll really enjoy this. Right now you can stream the first eight episodes for free from byutv.org/extinct or extinct.tv. 

New restaurants come and go all the time in Garden City, Utah. Most of them don’t last more than a few seasons. Often this is because they charge lots of money for food that’s really not worth it. So it’s with great delight that I tell you about Ruca’s, a little spot on the block between the city park and Bear Lake Pizza on the main drag.

Not only are the prices reasonable, but the food is delicious. They have sandwiches and other stuff, but we have gone back multiple times for their ebleskivers (AY-bill SKEE-vurs). These are Danish pancakes in the shape of a ball that can be filled with all sorts of stuff. My wife and daughter love the ones filled with peaches and the others filled with Nutella and strawberries. I like the savory ones filled with bacon and cheese with eggs on top.

They’re going to be closing up for the winter, so if you want some great food for a great price, get over there now and enjoy a new delight. 

Snow Tipped Mountains

Lauriann Wakefield, Little Starling Photography, Garden City

Garden City Planning & Zoning

Randall Knight, Reporter

Rich Civic Times 

GARDEN CITY, Utah.  October 4, 2017.  The Planning and Zoning meeting began at 5:00 PM and the board members present were: Lance Bourne (Chair), Susan House, Joey Stocking, Jim DeGroot and Zack McKee. Jared Hislop and Tom Stevens were absent.  There were a few people in attendance besides the presenters.  There were no public comments so the commission went right into the regularly scheduled meeting.

Rulon Crosby asked for clarification for a conditional use permit for an existing structure that is an over- and-under duplex.  This is the only duplex in the county not a side-by-side duplex.  He wants to add onto the existing building to make it a larger duplex.  The board said he would be able to if he met the building and setback requirements.  He asked for clarification for a private street providing access to an area he wants to build 5 houses on.  The commission said they had already acted on that request and would not hear any proposals on that subject.   

Tonya Petersen was not present so Lance updated everybody on what he had done to review her request for storage sheds on a lot off of Highway 89.  The majority of the commission agreed it would require a zone change.  

Rusty Hart returned to request the possibility of changing the front and rear setback requirement for the Thornberg Subdivision.   He had done a lot of research and found the original agreements made in 1967 were made with the county because the city wasn’t issuing building permits at that time.  Some of the lots have less than 10 ft setbacks in the rear and less than 25 ft in the front.  The current requirement is 30 ft front and back.  He thinks the Thornberg Subdivision should be treated like a PUD because the development plans are very similar.  Hart would like to have the requirement for Thornberg be grandfathered into what was originally agreed to so each lot owner wouldn’t have to go to the variance board if they want to enlarge their cabins or add garages.  The majority of the commission said they will not change the setback requirement because it would open a can of worms.  By changing the requirement they would be flooded with other requests by people not happy with their setbacks.  They said requests need to be presented to the Variance Board on a case by case basis.

During the miscellaneous discussion  Gillies said the city council passed the minimum square footage for a dwelling to be 600 sq ft.  They will also recommend a zoned area be made for a tiny home subdivision.

Economic Development Needs

Bobbie Bicknell Coray, Reporter

Rich Civic Times

RANDOLPH, Utah.  October 4, 2017.  Mitch Poulsen,  Bear Lake Regional Commission and Bryan Carver, Bear River Association of Government  presented a proposal for an economic development plan as part of the Governors’s 25,000 jobs by 2020.

“Where do you see the county in 5 years or 10 years?” They asked commissioners.   Poulsen and Carver will also talk to the Chamber of Commerce about significant needs.

Commissioner Bill Cox said that high speed affordable internet to every residence and business in the county is needed.   Woodruff and Randolph internet is affordable and good, but Garden City is expensive and not as fast.  There is fiber optic cable in Garden City owned by CentraCom.  Carver asked if other providers could come in to provide competition. 

CentraCom put in the fiber with federal dollars.  Cox said the federal dollars were to provide low cost high speed internet, but now it is very expensive, basic service is around $100 a month.  It is not available at a low cost to Garden City or Sweetwater.

Cox also mentioned that the county needs Increased cell phone capacity especially during the summer months.  “And”, he said “ Adult Education classes would be good, especially in new technology."

Commissioner Tom Weston said that one of his goals is getting natural gas in the area.  Another is getting Rocky Mountain Power to add redundancy in the power lines.

Seasonal employees housing is needed especially in Garden City.

BRAG is working on a five year comprehensive plan, and will do a more  detailed plan. Enterprise zone 10% tax credit to businesses in the zone.  Rich County and Garden city are enterprise zones. 

Poulsen also talked about using a $25,000 grant to put in amenities along the beach including benches. And mile signs.  The $25,000 is flexible and can be used on the new proposed bike path to the Idaho line on the east side.  

Sunrise

Photo by Debbie Forakis, Laketown

No Bookmobile In Rich County

Bobbie Bicknell Coray, Reporter

Rich Civic Times

RANDOLPH, Utah.  October 4, 2017.  There will be no Bookmobile in Rich County because of changes in Summit and Cache Counties library use.   Rich County can’t use the Cache County library any longer and so their part of funding of the Bookmobile has ended. 

The Bookmobile came two times a week.  Then Summit County discontinued their contract with the Bookmobile, which meant that there was not enough funding for the Bookmobile without Cache County too.  The school district also pulled out of the Bookmobile funding.

The books that Rich County owned were put in a remodeled space in the Senior Citizen Center in Randolph creating a small library. 

Rich County has been using Cache County's database and cataloging system but now with Cache County developing their own system it means that the Rich Library no longer has a cataloging system. 

Laketown Cemetery Concerns

Bobbie Bicknell Coray, Reporter

Rich Civic Times

RANDOLPH, Utah.  October 4, 2017.  McKay Willis,  Chair of the Laketown Cemetery, and Dwayne  Robinson, board member, asked county commissioners  for advice on what to do with unmarked graves.  Willis said some families don’t put headstones even though there is a  rule that  a marker must be placed within one year of the internment.  Willis would like to put in a headstone on unmarked graves and put a lien on the family’s property.  He said a nice marker costs about $150.

There are two unmarked graves, one is from 1973, it had a temporary marker from Crandall Mortuary.  But there are no records about who is buried there.  

Commissioner Bill Cox said that markers are necessary to locate burials and grave, but sometimes there are family issues.   Cox said his father worked diligently to get markers on every grave in Woodruff before he died.

Cox asked about raising the lot fees or charging to open and close a grave.  Laketown spent a lot of money last year on opening winter graves.   There is a $100 cost for two graves  in Laketown.  

Opening and closing fee in Randolph is $300.  Woodruff is $100.  Cox suggested that there should be a grave opening fee in Laketown which would give them more income.  Cox suggested a $200 opening and closing fee.

The Laketown Board of Directors can set fees, but need to have a public hearing.  Willis said they will do it when the budget hearing is done.  Laketown is also going to make rules for flowers and other things to be removed within a certain period of time.  There should be nothing on the ground. 

Cox said that there should be a ordinance written spelling it all out.  Garden City Cemetery took all the shepherds hooks and disposed of them.  Because there was no ordinance in Garden City, said Cox, against shepherd’s hooks a family sued.

Norm Weston asked about reclaiming old plots that have never been used.  Willis said that they have bought some back. 

Need Tips On Moose Killer

RICH COUNTY — On Sept. 21, 2017, a concerned citizen contacted Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) Conservation Officer Dakota Pray about a poached bull moose in Rich County.

Officer Pray responded to the scene, where he located a small bull moose. The moose was less than 100 yards off the road on private property up Cottonwood Canyon in Round Valley. After investigating, Officer Pray determined the moose had been shot several times with a .22 caliber firearm.

If you have information about this illegal killing — or any other wildlife crimes — please contact the UTiP hotline at 1-800-662-3337 or email us at turninapoacher@utah.gov.

The DWR may offer a reward permit or monetary reward to anyone who provides information leading to the successful prosecution of the person responsible for this crime. A private individual has also contributed an additional $1,000 reward. Requests for confidentiality will be honored.


Officer Dakota Pray
dakotapray@utah.gov
385-245-0470