Four and a
half years ago when I ran for the Rich County School Board, I ran to represent
District #3 which took in one half of Randolph and the northern citizens of the
Bear River Valley. Because I reside in the northern end of the Bear River
Valley, the realignment of the voting districts in Rich County left me in
District #3 and realigned the Town of Randolph residents and the southern
outlying citizens of the Bear River Valley into District #2. District #3 now
includes the northern outlying residents of the Bear River Valley, Round
Valley, Meadowville, and Laketown. With that in mind, let me introduce myself
to those of you who may not know me.
Laketown was
my home for the first 29 years of my life. I worked with my grandparents, dad,
and uncles on their family ranch. I fished and swam in Bear Lake in the
summers, when I wasn’t cowboying and haying, and attended North Rich Elementary
and graduated from North Rich High School. My dad and his brothers purchased a
ranch in the Bear River Valley and I spent a lot of time interacting with the
youth of my age who were from there when we rode the east summer grazing range
rounding up cows. I married Diane Hansen, and we spent the first seven years of
our married life in Laketown. In 1978, we moved to our current residence on the
Wine Cup Ranch, 3 miles south of Sage Creek Junction. We have raised eight
children on that place. All eight of our
children, and two grandsons, have graduated from Rich High School.
The realignment of the voting districts
created a situation where the school board representatives of what was once
District #4 and District #3 were both in the newly created District #3. We were
now faced with a 6 man school board. However, our population count from the
latest census still kept us at a 5 member board status. This required us to
assign one board member to represent District #3 and the other board member to
be designated voting Member-at-large until the re-election year occurred and
then it would revert back into a 5 member board. Through the time tested
procedure of drawing straws, I became the voting Member-at-large.
Shortly
after I was elected to the school board, I had constituents approach me about
building a new gym at the Middle School. I brought it before the school board
and we took a serious look at it and decided that, with other very necessary
improvements to the Middle School and High School, we should move forward on
it. I know there are some concerns about
the bond election for the new facility at the middle school and safety
improvements at the high school. Please come and talk with me about them.
Hopefully, I can help you better understand what they can do for the safety and
enrichment of our youth and communities.
At another
time, one of my constituents expressed a concern about the possible safety
issues that might occur with the high school mascot. Again, I brought it before
the school board and it was decided that, for safety concerns, the matter should
be brought before the students and faculties of both schools to decide how to
best handle the situation. After serious discussion and debate, I was impressed
with the very wise choices that the students and administrations made in
resolving the concern.
I feel that
I have been fair and open minded when it comes to making decisions that will
impact the education and wellbeing of our children in Rich County. I also
realize that not everyone is in agreement with some of those decisions. That is
how it should be. I do appreciate those who talk with me about their concerns.
Sometimes, I can help. Sometimes, I cannot. But I always respect what they have
to say.
I have
family members in every community in Rich County. I have the distinction of
saying that I have grandchildren who were, up until this fall, attending every
school in the Rich County School District. Am I invested in the safety, prosperity,
growth, and development of this school district? You bet I am!! I would
appreciate your vote on Nov. 6th.
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