Reflections on the Journey

Ed Note:  Introducing a new columnist for RCTonline.  Leslie struggles with brain chemistry issues and is sharing her amazing journey as a wonderful wife, mother, friend and colleague.

By Leslie Scott

So....I just got the call!

The one I've been waiting 2 weeks for!

Blood test results are back! Hallelujah! Let's get things rolling! I'm ready. Free at last, free at last!

And then the words I never expected to hear....."Everything looks fine......"

Excuse me, what!? Everything is not fine! I am CLEARLY not fine!

I never thought I would be upset at great test results, but here I am, in tears, wishing the diagnosis had been different. What is wrong with me?

Why couldn't there just be an easy answer? Why can't I just be done with this? I am so over it.  As I sit here and cry, in the corner of my living room, I am reminded of these words by one of my favorite men ever, "It is your REACTION to the ADVERSITY, not the adversity itself, that DETERMINES how your LIFE'S STORY will develop." -Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Oh man! And once again, I am humbled by a loving Heavenly Father whose trying to teach me that I'm not going through this for an easy way out. That my life's story is still being written. And I get to choose what my reaction will be.

So, even though it's hard, I will gather myself together, take two steps back, and then start again. At square one. Because there has to be an answer. And I'm not done putting in the effort to figure it out.

Tomorrow is a new day....and I will greet it like I have all the others. One Day At A Time!

Storm Coming

Photos by Carol Ann Dyer

 

Garden City Public Works update

Riley Argyle, Public Works Department, reported that they finished the Swan Creek project. Everything is now encased in concrete which was the last part of that water project so it is now complete. The SCADA has been running well, which allows the department to digitally monitor the water issues. 

Argyle said that they are working on the park and doing maintenance. They added the sidewalk on the pickleball court. The new bike path section is completed at the south end of the city. The county has started on planning for the next section. 

UDOT has most of the project completed for the turn lane project by Ace.  Public Works is working on the plans for Mike's Market to relocate the water lines. 

Public Works has been doing a lot of water leak repairs and new connections in town. Argyle said that we will need to have some conversations and make some hard decisions regarding a new well. Council Member Ken Hansen said that we will most likely do a test well first.   

Rich County Library in Randolph

By Melanie Limb

The Rich County Library located in Randolph is open Mondays and Wednesdays from 10 am to 5 pm and then on Fridays, 10 am to 2 pm. 

We have lots of programs available for a variety of patrons. For adults we have a craft club pick up on the first Monday of every month where we provide all the supplies for a craft to take home, and a book club on Monday afternoons at 2 pm.  Our craft club packets are first come first serve and for any skill level. 

For kids we have a preschool story time on Wednesday’s at 10 am. We alternate between in person story time and providing a pick up packet every other week. 

Additionally we have an after school club on Wednesday’s from 3:30 pm to 5 pm for any student grade K-8th. Some examples of activities at the after school club are STEM club, lego club, cooking club, game club, and lots more.  We are taking the necessary precautions to clean and sanitize books and supplies for our patrons. Our services are provided free of charge to patrons and it is also free to come in and get a library card.  We’d love to see you come in and check out what we have available as we are updating our selection of books and resources often.  Can’t wait to meet new friends and visit with our regulars! 

The Colors of the Lake

Photo by Marcene Booth Littledyke

 

Garden City Library Cookbook

 

Garden City Fire District Board Meeting

 

Leonard O’Reilly, Reporter

Rich Civic Times

GARDEN CITY, Utah.  October 7, 2020.  Chairman Randall Knight opened the meeting with all board members present.

Chief Mike Wahlberg reported on the final work on the addition. The “Marine 40”, the department’s rescue boat, is almost complete in needed repairs.

There was a discussion on further adjustments to the policy and procedures manual.

The Fire Department responses for the month were:

2  -  Fire alarms

11 - Medical calls

2 - Semi truck roll overs carrying fuel, requiring hazmat mitigation.  One South of Randolph and one in Laketown Canyon. The Garden City Fire district has the only hazmat trained firemen in the county so they were called to mitigate the incident.

Demolition of historic Paris Courthouse

 Dear friends and neighbors,

I write to you today to notify you of the impending demolition of a building with a history. The history of the building in question, namely the Bear Lake County Courthouse in Paris, Idaho, is particularly relevant at this intense moment in American life when old concerns about the nature of American democracy pointedly inform contemporary dialogues and political directions.

Since the 1890s, the Bear Lake County Courthouse has stood in the center of Paris, Idaho as a symbol of local government jurisdiction and empowerment. When the courthouse was built in the 1880s, however, this same building very much represented the disenfranchisement (curbed voting rights, prohibitions on jury service, etc.) of the county's population, most of them members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In the eyes of these pioneering county citizens, the courthouse symbolized the (over)reach of regional, state, and national governments -- governments which, at that time, wished to curb the power of Bear Lake County's polygamous citizens under Idaho's newly passed Test Oath Laws.

Beyond detailing the history of Bear Lake County Courthouse, this history highlights an "architectural war" that, I argue, arose between the Bear Lake Courthouse, which was championed by local non-Mormons, and the sublime Paris, Idaho Tabernacle which Paris'  Mormon citizens erected through great sacrifice. I should also note that the attached history also details tensions between the Bear Lake County Courthouse architect, Truman O. Angell Jr. and the Paris, Idaho tabernacle architect, Joseph Don Carlos Young. Both architects were relatives of Brigham Young (nephew and son respectively) and both architects served as either the official architect for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or as assistant Church architect.

Several nonprofit groups have asked the Bear Lake County Commissioners to hold off on immediately demolishing the old courthouse so that the members of this partnership and other invested community members may have time to solicit donations and find ways to renovate the old courthouse and make it productive. This effort would not cost Bear Lake County taxpayers a cent. We will be making our final appeal to the county's commissioners. During this same meeting, Bear Lake County's Commissioners will debate how to proceed with the old courthouse's demolition.

If you would like to learn the history of the courthouse, or learn what could be done to preserve the old county courthouse, or would like to support these organizations in seeing how the building could be a benefit to the county.

Call 208-221-5322 for more information. friendsunitedforbearlake@gmail.com,

Laurie Rich