Ice Henge by Carol Ann Dyer

 

Skijoring The Bear

 

Garden City Library

 

Blind Date with a Book! Each book mark has what genre the book is and a line or review of the book itself. Every book you read enters your name into a raffle prize in March. Come visit the library to pick your blind date!

Help one of our own: Amanda Stacy Lee Venmo @amanda-lee-2012 or

 Amanda is a state trooper and  is a single mother of three children. She has two teenage boys from her first husband and an approximately three year old daughter she adopted with her second husband. She recently purchased a home and within one to two months, she had her furnace go out as well as her oven. She was able to take care of these things with some savings. 

Earlier this week, her daughter got sick and the next day, so did Amanda. Since day care would not take her daughter with a fever, etc., Amanda stayed home from work to care for her. On Wednesday, one of her sons cleaned out the wood-burning stove and put the ash and coals in a plastic garbage can. The can was placed outside a back door. The coals were still smoldering and melted through the can, causing it to tip over and into a window well where it broke through the window, spilling coals onto the bed and floor of the room. The bed and carpet caught fire. The fire spread black smoke through the downstairs. Amanda was able to put the fire out with a couple of fire extinguishers. The damage was such that she has made a claim on her homeowner's insurance.

Around the time of this fire, Amanda was notified that she and her daughter tested positive for Covid. The night before, she found out her mother was diagnosed with lung cancer. In talking with Amanda, she is extremely overwhelmed with everything, both emotionally and now financially. It sounds like she elected to have a higher deductible on her insurance in order to lower her premiums. It would be nice to get her some help and relief from this onslaught of problems that seem to plague her and her children.   She's an excellent trooper and has been in public safety for around 10 years now.

Garden City Town Council

 

Garden City Town Council

Notice Date & Time: 2/10/22 5:00 PM

Description/Agenda:

1.            Roll Call

2.            Approval of Minutes

    a.            January Town Council Meeting

3.            Business License Discussion/Approval

     a.            Bear Lake Lawyers, PLLC. 664 Juniper Circle, Dan R Lawson

4.            ReZone Discussion/ Approval

     a.            Requests Approval to Re-Zone Clear Water Subdivision from a C3/C1 to a C1 zone. Matt Larsen     and Altair Capital LLC

     b.            Requests Approval to Re-Zone Bear Lake RV Resort to a PUD and approval of Conceptual plans.  Sun Communities Acquisitions, LLC.

5.            PUD Discussion/Approval

     a.            Requests Preliminary approval for Phase 5, Waterdance, Waterdance Holdings, LLC, Norm Mecham.

     b.            Requests approval for final plat of Phase 7 of the PUD-Water's Edge Resort, 35 E 150 S., Chris Shurian 

6.            Subdivision Discussion/Approval

    a.            Requests Final Approval for Phase 2, Villages @ Lighthouse Pointe, Kent Fisher

7.            Public Comments, 2-minute time limit

8.            Short-term Rentals

    a.            Vance Reeder, 55 West Buttercup Lane #27, Bear Lake Cozy Cabins

    b.            Jeff Winter, 865 Harbor Village E Drive

    c.            Jesse Curtis and Brent Bement, 140 W 150 S, Building E Unit 16 Waterdance

    d.            Paulo Socatelli, 140 W 150 S, Building E Unit 17 Waterdance

    e.            Kyle Richins & Brandon Sunday, 140 W 150 S, Building E Unit 15 Waterdance

    f.             Robert Johnson, 140 w 150 S, Building E Unit 11, Waterdance

    g.            Kork Dorius, 140 W 150 S, Building E Unit 13, Waterdance

    h.            Forrest Baker, 140 W 150 S, Building E Unit 12, Waterdance

    i.             Kirk Dorius, 140 W 150 S, Building E Unit 14, Waterdance

    j.             Doug Shepherd, 929 Harbor Village East Drive

    k.            Brent Bramwell, 55 Buttercup Lane #30, Bear Lake Cozy Cabins

     l.             Randy Smith, 1559 S Bear Lake Blvd, Vacasa

9.            Ordinance Discussion/Approval

     a.            Ordinance #22-04, an Ordinance Changing Parking Spot Requirements.

     b.            Ordinance #22-05, an Ordinance Changing Short-term Rental Parking Requirements.

     c.            Ordinance # 22-06, an Ordinance Adding Items to Final Plat

     d.            Ordinance #22-09, an Ordinance Changing Commercial Setbacks

10.          Board Member Appointment

11.          Office of the State Treasurer - Public Entity Resolution

12.          Miscellaneous

13.          Council Member Reports

14.          Payment Vouchers

15.          Adjournment                                                                           

Notice of Special Accommodations:

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, individuals needing special accommodations (including auxiliary communicative aids and services) during this public hearing should notify the Garden City Office at (435) 946-2901, 69 N. Paradise Parkway, Garden City, Utah, on Monday through Friday, at least 3 working days prior to the public hearing. The office hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Notice of Electronic or telephone participation: 435-946-2901

Fishermen Angles

 

 

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Bear Lake is now entirely frozen. Ice fishing has been good for anglers along the east side of the lake, from the pump house north to Second Point. The ice on the east sider is averaging 4 to 7 inches thick, but it can be variable in many places due to springs and methane vents on the bottom of the lake. Temperatures in the Bear Lake Valley are frigid right now, and ice along the west side of the lake is getting thicker. We're not aware of any anglers who have ventured onto the ice along the western shoreline at this time. If you’re planning to ice fish, be extremely careful. No matter where you fish on the ice at Bear Lake, bring a spud bar to check ice thickness as you walk around. Also, wear a set of rescue ice picks around your neck. The picks will give you a better chance of pulling yourself out of the water if you fall through.

As of Feb. 3, Bonneville cisco were still running along Cisco Beach and anglers reported dip netting their limits of fish. The run is tapering off, though. During the end of the cisco run, it’s necessary to have someone jig a lure in the ice hole you’re fishing in to attract cisco to the hole so you can dip net them. The cisco run might continue through this upcoming weekend (Feb. 5-6). No cisco have been caught at the Utah State Park Marina. This is likely due to a strong water current created by a large number of deicers running inside the marina.

Ice anglers have reported good fishing for cutthroat trout, lake trout and whitefish in water ranging from 25 to 55 feet deep. Anglers are catching trout using jigs or spoons tipped with cisco meat and jigged close to the bottom. When jigging, use a 1/2- to 1-ounce jig with a tube, twister tail or swim bait tipped with a piece of cisco or other fish meat. You can also use a 1/2-ounce jigging spoon such as a Kastmaster or Swedish Pimple. Jig right on the bottom, bumping the bottom and coming up about 12 to 18 inches. Many of the strikes happen when the lure is falling back to the bottom, so pay attention to your line. If you notice the lure/line stops sinking, set the hook and hold on!

If you're targeting Bonneville whitefish, use a 1/4- to 1/2-ounce vertical jigging spoon (such as a Kastmaster or Swedish Pimple) and tip the spoon with a salmon egg or a mealworm. Whitefish feed on cisco eggs, so jig the spoon right on the bottom where the cisco spawn. You can also use 1/8-ounce jigs in a variety of colors (white, black and yellow are all popular) and tip the jig with a piece of worm or mealworm. It really helps to use a braided line/super line with a 4- to 5-foot long monofilament leader in order to feel the bottom with the lightweight lures and to detect whitefish bites. Don’t be surprised if you hook into a big cutthroat and/or lake trout while fishing for whitefish. Remember, all foul-hooked sport fish, other than cisco, must be immediately released. Reminder: The trout limit is two fish. The fin-clip regulation for cutthroat trout changed in January 2022 and any cutthroat trout can be kept up to the two-fish limit. Lake trout take a long time to reach a large size. While large lake trout are legal to keep, many anglers are encouraging other anglers to release them. More information: If you’re looking for fishing information between the emailed reports, you’re welcome to call our Bear Lake office answering machine at 435-946-8501. We try to provide updated weather and fishing condition information as conditions change. The next update will be recorded Monday, Feb. 7. Please call after 5 p.m. to get the most current information for the following day.

Academic Students of the Month

 

Academic Students of the Month

6^th  Hazelle Scott

     Connor Argyle

7^th  Jasper Johnson

     Braylyn Pugmire

8^th  Bella Wheeler

     Jett Holmes

 

Citizens of the Month

6^th  Chris Winter

     Irie Carlisle

7^th  Aemon Earl

     Maggie Negus

8^th  Carter Scott

     Tyla Pugmire

 

Obituary Melinda Anderson Roth

 

Melinda (Anderson) Roth 12/14/1950 - 1/30/2022 Melinda Anderson Roth of St. Charles, Idaho passed away on Sunday, January 30, 2022 surrounded by her family after a short illness. She was born in Pullman, WA while her father was in Veterinary school. She went to Haddon Heights High School in New Jersey where she met her soulmate, Paul Roth. She loved playing on the Varsity basketball team. She continued her education at Utah State University, Harvard University, and studied to be a nurse at Ricks College. She had a career as a nurse and an educator. She loved learning and loved words.

She is survived by her husband Paul and her children: Glenn, Gregory, Grant, Gretta, Genna, and Gable, and 21 grandchildren.

Services were held at Noon, Saturday February 5, in the Saint Charles, Idaho Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Building located at 75 North Main Street St. Charles, Idaho. Interment will follow at the Fish Haven Cemetery. 

Obituary Robert Dan Wallace

 

Robert Dan Wallace 1/15/1923 - 1/14/2022 While the bread pudding was being prepared, Bob peacefully left this life 14 hours, 29 minutes, and 15 seconds short of his 99th birthday.

Robert was born January 15, 1923, in Los Angeles, California to Jonathan Alonzo and Mina Jones Wallace. His childhood was spent in Exeter, California with his younger brother Richard whom he nicknamed Jerry. He attended Exeter High School, Visalia Junior College, Stanford University, International University of New York, and finally the University of Geneva, Switzerland where he received his PhD in Art History.

Upon completing his graduate degree, he taught in France for a year before returning to the States where he pursued his dream of teaching at a university and winning Ginger Ellis's heart. In 1957 he married his sweetheart, started a family, and began his 30-year career at San Diego State University.

Summers were initiated by driving the young family in an overloaded blue Oldsmobile station wagon to Fish Haven, Idaho where time was spent cultivating his expansive vegetable garden, sailing and capsizing on the lake, reading on the pier, water fighting after dinner, stuffing 15 kids in the same car for the Paris Movie Theater (not always returning with the correct number), to playing nightly games of scrabble with Mom and his fellow "out-laws" er in-laws. His lemon ice cream, weekend waffle extravaganzas and his incomparable, sometimes incomprehensible Anniversary Party costumes will be dearly missed.

After retirement, Robert attended Utah State University and became a prolific potter. For thirty-five years he was the sole artisan of the exquisite Fish Haven Executive ACME Pottery Wares. From teapots to his commemorative bowls, and everything in between, his designs and creativity were legendary and exhibited. His legacy in ceramics lives on in many homes.

He was a gracious host and conversationalist, leaving behind exceptional stories, irrepressible singing, his all-encompassing smile, and children, Janet; Matt (Kat Woodard); Sally (Scott Browning) and his grandchildren, Eliza, James and Robert Browning, Jack and Matt Wallace, Kale'a Woodard; nieces, nephews, Ginger's suspect cousins; many wonderful friends and of course, all the dogs! Preceded in death by his parents, wife, and brother.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please donate to your favorite charity or give your neighbor a helping hand. Arrangements entrusted to Lindquist's Ogden Mortuary.

 

Obituary Todd jay Smith

 

Todd Jay Smith 05/21/1955 - 01/23/2022 Todd Jay Smith, 66 passed away on January 23, 2022, at his home in Lewiston, Idaho from a prolonged illness.

He was born May 21 1955, and was the 7th child to Lynn Earl Smith and Nona Lucile King.

He grew up in Georgetown, Idaho, hunting fishing, riding motorcycles and snowmobiles. After high school Todd worked for the Union Pacific Railroad. In 1975, he married Lesa Rasmussen and to this Union was born 5 children. They later divorced. In 1989, he and his 5 children moved to Pocatello where he attended and graduated from ISU with degree in Computer Programming. He was recruited by Regence and moved to Lewiston area to work. While living in Lewiston, Todd married Marlene Tew and they had one son, Cooper.

Todd had many talents and hobbies. He was never bored. He enjoyed woodworking and made beautiful furniture for their home. He did auto body work and did beautiful job restoring automobiles. Most of all Todd loved his family and doing things together with them. He enjoyed camping, fly fishing, and riding motorcycles with them. He never met a stranger he didn't like. He always had a "Can Do" attitude.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Lynn and Lucile Smith, sister Loy, and brothers Scott and Wesley. He is survived by his wife, Marlene and children Levi (Sandra), Terri (Ryan), Jason (Molly), Joshua (Jaci), Jesse (Christine), and Coopper, Sisters Sue Anger, Marty Nate, and brothers Bim Smith and Chad Smith.

Services were held in Lewiston, Idaho on February 4,2022 with services and burial pending at a later date in Georgetown, Idaho.

Utah Laws

 

Gov. Spencer Cox has signed into law the first nine bills approved by the 2022 general session of the 64th Utah Legislature.

Gov. Spencer Cox has signed into law the first nine completed proposals from the general session of the 2022 Utah Legislature, including the controversial Test to Stay law.

Eight of those legislative proposals were routine base budget laws. The other was a fairly controversial proposal limiting the authority of Utah public schools to implement Test to Stay protocols.

“Eight appropriations subcommittees prepare base budgets for their assigned subject areas over the first couple of weeks of the (legislative) session,” according to state Sen. Chris Wilson (R-Logan). “This prevents the state from shutting down.

“Then, typically during the final week of the session, we pass what is known as the ‘Bill of Bills,’ which is the comprehensive budget bill that includes additional appropriations not included in the base budgets.”

The base budgets bills signed by Cox on Feb. 2 included House Bill 1 (for public education); H.B. 5 (for natural resources, agriculture and environmental quality activities); H.B. 6 (for executive offices and criminal justice); H.B. 7 (for social services); Senate Bill 1 (for higher education); S.B. 4 (for business, economic development and labor); S.B. 6 (for infrastructure and general government); and S.B. 7 (for the Utah National Guard, veterans affairs and the Legislature).

As chair of the Senate Infrastructure and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee, Chris Wilson was responsible for preparing S.B. 6.  By Charlie Schill Feb. 4, 2022.

Commissioner Jonathan Lee

 

January/February 2022
Hello Rich County Friends,

After one year, I can tell you I love serving this county, and I'm happy to continue to give it my all.  I apologize because I tend to write how I speak, and I sometimes speak funny.  So if you're having a hard time reading this, know it's me, not you. ;)

Let's recap some of the county commission's actions in 2021.  Some items were campaign promises by me, other things were already in the works, and some were a little of both.

- Increased real-time transparency by streaming meetings
- Started collecting data in the sanitation department with iPads and an application that tracks dumpsters.  This data will allow us to make a more informed and justified decision regarding fees and trash usage.
- Rich County declared Second Amendment supporting county.
- Increased average pay for full-time employees by more than $5000 annually from 01/01/21 to today.
- Continued to augment inter-governmental relationships through Bear River Association of 
Governments, Bear Lake Regional Commission, and attending town council meetings
- For the first time, starting this year in 2022, our volunteer EMTs will be compensated.  We are still figuring out a structure that works, but money has been set aside and budgeted for this purpose.
Increased Transient Room Tax from 3% to 4.25%.  When visitors book and stay in rentals in the county, TRT tax is paid on those transactions by visitors.  TRT is collected by the state and then passed back to the county.

Let's talk about Transient Room Tax and why raising it from 3% to 4.25% was needed.  Utah State Legislature established TRT tax for counties and the state to collect additional revenue for advertising and promoting the state.  Slowly through legislation, counties have carved out some portion of TRT funds to be used on "Projects," in smaller counties, there is some carveout for "Mitigation." County TRT projects in previous years include pickleball courts, rodeo ground improvements, concession stand at the fairground, park improvements, holiday decorations, etc.  As currently legislated, a county that collects at the 3% rate needs to split the money spending 66% on promotion and advertising and 33% on projects.  Some of that 33% can be used on mitigation in the smallest counties, like supplementing the Sheriff's Department or sanitation.  Helping those services through TRT funds makes sense since continued promotion means increased use of those services.  

The ratio for spending TRT money changes when the rate increases.  This ratio is why we needed to raise the TRT from 3% to 4.25%.  When raising TRT to the maximum of 4.25%, the ratio flips to 54% of the collected revenue can be allocated for mitigation and projects, and the remaining 47% goes towards promotion.

Rich County collected just over $800,000 in TRT tax this last year (up from $550,000ish in 2020.) About $40,000 of  2021 TRT revenue helped the Sheriff's Department and an equal amount to sanitation.  Both are the heaviest impacted by visitors.  The rest of the 2021 TRT  "project" portion went to the towns for various projects.  That leaves close to $500,000 for promotion which is quite a bit.  Using rough estimation, If we duplicate this next year at the increased 4.25% rate, the county will see a TRT revenue of $1,200,000.  At the increased rate, Rich County would use about $650,000 on mitigation and projects.  A substantial and helpful increase while also maintaining promotion at around $550,000.  It's a win/win.

I look forward to writing every other month with updates and appreciate the trust given to me by you all.  Don't hesitate to contact any one of us at the commission if you have questions, comments, concerns, or just want to talk.  Jonathan Lee <jon@dotbar.com>