Wednesday, November 6, 2024
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
GC Library Jam Session
We're keeping the jam sessions going! Bring your instrument and jam with us starting at 6:00 pm on Wed, November 13. We're going to try to make these happen a couple of times a month. Join us!
GC Library Craft Night
Everyone is welcome to come and craft with us, while supplies last, on Thursday, November 14. Come anytime between 6:00 and 7:30 pm. We'll be making beaded Christmas ornaments. Fun for the whole family! Join us!
GC Library Book Club
We will meet to discuss Circe on Wednesday, November 20 at 6:00 pm. Everyone is welcome!
The 4th annual Garden city community THANKSGIVING dinner
(435-840-3481)
Donations can be made to my Venmo account,@Sherry-Taylor-72.
More info on the where and what time will be coming soon.
Letter from our Sheriff's deputy, Brian Willmore
My name is Brian Willmore, and I am a Sheriff’s Deputy here in Rich County. I am seeking support of anyone who lives in or owns property in Rich County, or frequentlyvacations in Garden City.
I have worked for the Rich County Sheriff’s Office for just over three years and have 15+ years’ experience in Law Enforcement. Throughout my time in Rich County and with the Sheriff’s Office, I see a need for more Law Enforcement in the county year-round, especially during the summer influx. Winters are steadily seeing more winter recreation activities, not to mention issues during winter travel. Our Schools are also trying to get two School Resource Officers, one at each school campus to comply with State mandates regarding school security and House Bill 84. Link:
https://le.utah.gov/~2024/bills/static/HB0084.html
I propose hiring a minimum of 2 School Resource Officers, one for each school campus, and additionally 1-2 more deputies for county coverage, and also to get higher, more competitive pay for the Sheriff’s Office as a whole. I’m going to provide some information on why I see this need for our community.
For those of you who don’t know, the Sheriff’s Office currently has 4 patrol deputies and the Sheriff who handle day to day law enforcement issues, emergencies, and search and rescue 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We are expected to cover all 1,031 square miles of Rich County. For this to happen, this is what our work schedule typically looks like:
There are three separate shifts all deputies are required to work in a 2-week work period. The Deputies work 10 straight days and have 4 days off duty.
1. PM Cover – 3PM – 3AM – We start on PM Cover for 3 days, where we patrol for 8 hours, and we are required to be on call between 3PM to 3AM.
2. Cover Shift – Our cover shifts are 4 days while 2 Deputies have time off. That leaves 2 Deputies who are on call the entire 96 hours. Each day we are expected to patrol for 6 hours. More and more often we are working more than the 6 hours even in the winter months, as traffic throughout the county continues to steadily increases compared to a couple years ago. While on call, Deputies are required to be available to respond at any hour to emergencies or to back up our partner. We are not allowed to leave the county, and it severely limits what we are able to do in town or with our families while we are on call.
3. AM Cover – 3 AM – 3PM – We end with 3 days working the AM Cover, where we patrol for 8 hours, and we are required to be on call between 3AM to 3PM before we get time off for 4 days.
During those 10 days there are 240 hours total. With regular patrolling and on call hours, 168 of those 240 hours, the county has say over what I can do and where I can go. Only 72 hours during that 10-day stretch is our own time. Keep in mind, this is the bare minimum and does not include any additional call outs or required overtime dealing with issues during normal patrol. It is very rare that we are not working some amount of overtime in addition to the regular day-to-day job requirements. Every deputy has also been called out during their days off for help during various emergencies. Far too often there will only be one deputy out patrolling in Rich County. While I am on shift, I cannot adequately cover what is needed and feel this is a safety concern every deputy must deal with, both for ourselves and the community we are trying to protect. I know people have called for some type of Law Enforcement assistance and have been unhappy with the response time or lack of response altogether due to deputies’ availability. I know residents in Randolph and Woodruff have expressed to me how they would like to see more patrol in their towns, which I completely agree with. I don’t make it over there near as much as I would like because of the demands of Garden City and Laketown. This isn’t an argument of favorites or south county vs north county. We cover the whole county and want everyone to be safe and comfortable where they live. I want our Sheriff’s Office to be able to provide appropriately for ALL of Rich County. I have had to drive lights and sirens from Garden City to Woodruff or Woodruff to Garden City being the only deputy out many times. I don’t think that’s fair to the community and it’s hard for me knowing I am too far away from someone needing my help.
Now to be very transparent in why I am asking for a wage increase for all the Sheriff’s Office employees, including our Dispatchers and Corrections Deputies: Rich County has one of the lowest starting pays in the state. For example, I have 15+ years of law enforcement experience. If I went to another agency, I could make a minimum of $10 dollars or more an hour based on my years of service alone. That doesn’t include considerations for other specialty training like critical incident response, investigation, or instructor certification, and so on. I didn’t get into law enforcement to get rich, but we all need to be able to support our family. I’m trying to fix issues I see and have heard from the community. It’s hard for me to think about quitting to find a different job. I know it would leave a bigger void and will probably take a long time to find someone to fill my position, which adds to the already dire situation of response time and coverage here. I want to help keep people in Rich County safe. I also want to be able to afford living here in this beautiful valley and provide for my family the best way I can. With the cost of living rising almost by the day, it is getting increasingly difficult to do both right now and know this is a common situation for many residents. >This only scratches the surface of what could be said. The County health insurance is a joke and is through a broker in Wyoming with much higher costs and significantly less coverage as it compares to PEHP (Public Employees Health Plan) which would cost the County LESS money to utilize, and has cheaper premiums with better coverage, and is used by the rest of the state agencies. Also, the County does not contribute or match retirement, (an incentive most other agencies offer their Law Enforcement.) These are issues in addition to the lack of competitive pay in Rich County that will continue to deter quality Law Enforcement Officers with experience from applying to work here in Rich County.
With all this being said and wanting to stay transparent, this could potentially increase property taxes. I’m not sure by how much but there are options to offset these potential increases. With my many discussions with members of Rich School District, the district would be willing to help offset the cost of School Resource Officers at both school campuses in the county. Because taking 2 of our current deputies to fulfill House Bill 84 would leave 1-2 deputies to cover the whole county on a day-to-day basis and make response times and security even worse than it already is. Mayor Mike also said during a recent LEPC meeting he recognizes the need Garden City has on law enforcement and said Garden City is willing to contribute towards more deputies. This is on top of the ongoing $50,000 dollars they contribute to support this effort. There are also options with Transient Room Tax. I know after I post this letter, I will become aware of more options the County Commissioners and Sheriff’s Office can utilize. I have been in contact with the County Commissioners several times about these issues, and even presented my thoughts about these needed changes during the September Commissioners meeting with the support of Sheriff Stacy.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REDqWCocrqc), starting minute 5:50). As things have progressed, the only way to achieve what I’m trying to do is with the support of the community. If you have more questions, I for one find it easier to explain myself in person. I invite all opinions and concerns, good or bad, and am happy to discuss with any one of your thoughts towards these proposed ideas. Also feel free to ask any law enforcement living in our county and get an understanding of our situation as well. I hope this information will help all to understand where this county is headed as the population of full-time residents increases and the constant ebb and flow of tourism throughout the entire year continues to increase.
In conclusion, I am asking for the community of Rich County or people who frequent the county to express your support to the County Commissioners and if possible, attend the County Commissioner meeting on November 6th, 2024 starting at 10 am, either in person or via YouTube where it is streamed live to discuss specifically for hiring more patrol deputies, and for an increase in our hourly pay for the Sherriff’s Office. I want to afford to stay with the Rich County Sheriff’s Office and continue to serve and protect this community I have grown to love. I love what I do and have only wanted to be in law enforcement since I can remember. I hope you all can take this letter with the correct intent. I’m not looking for sympathy. I knew what I was getting into when I started my Law Enforcement career in 2008. I understand and am willing to accept the sacrifices this job requires. I also want to provide information and hopefully a better understanding of what a Patrol Deputy for Rich County Sheriff’s looks like and the growing need of protecting our County requires. I think I am meant for this type of work, but I will not do it at the expense of my wife and kids. I hope if I met you because of this job, I was fair no matter the outcome. I’m never the best or perfect but I try to understand people’s situations. Law Enforcement is a hard and often tricky job and understand I may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I am grateful to be doing it here in Rich County.
Thank you so much for your time.
Rich County School Calendar
Quarter Finals = win. I think most of our team (if not All) got in the game! Semifinals Friday at 10 AM in Herriman playing Altamont
Nov. 7 Rich Middle School Girls Basketball @ Green River
Nov. 8th Football Finals
Rich Middle School Girls Basketball with Star Valley
Nov. 9th Rich Middle School Wrestling @ Evanston
Bear Lake Marina
WATER (LAKE) TEMPERATURE:
Lake Temperature: @ 51.4 degrees as measured in the Bear Lake State Park Marina. The temperature on the lake proper usually varies 1 to 2 degrees than inside the marina
Gardening and Houseplant tips by Jackie Martinez
Our first hard frost is coming. The first frost is inevitable.
While it can be depressing for gardeners, it's also an opportunity to save a wide variety of plants over the winter. They can be brought back outside or planted again next spring. All you need to save them are windows.
Don't bother to save true annuals. These are plants that have a one-year life cycle. Skip marigolds, zinnias and petunias. But many, many other plants can be brought to safety. You can bring in the pot they're growing in or dig them out of the ground. You can also take cuttings and root them in water or in soil.
It's worth saving or taking cuttings of geraniums, coleus, bloodleaf, oxalis, sweet potato vine and begonias.
You'll also want to bring tropical plants inside such as hibiscus, flowering maple, dwarf citrus and succulents. All they need to survive is a sunny window.
Gardening and Houseplant tips brought to you by
Violets and Grace Flowers & Gifts - Garden City, Utah
Violetsandgrace2021@gmail.com
Community Gardener and Floral Designer Jackie Martinez
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History of Our Area - Boating on the Bear Lake
Bear Lake is fast becoming the Boatman's paradise. Everyone must have a boat. Thousands of these boaters and boats find their way to Bear Lake.
"Chris Anderson had a small sailboat on Bear Lake in 1873, He was an avid fisherman and often took passengers around the lake. Very quick squalls came up, and it took longer to make the trip than he had counted on, so it was not too successful.
About 1890, J.J. Meyers built a boat for Joseph Rich to be operated with a gasoline engine. It cost about $1200.00 and had an upper and lower deck which could comfortably accommodate twenty-four people. When it was launched at Warm Springs approximately 1500 people gathered at the resort, and were very disappointed when the motor failed to start. Later rides were enjoyed on this boat for several years."
The next owner of a boat was Charles Stock of Fish Haven. Trips were made from the resort.
Since fish was plentiful in Bear Lake, numerous fishermen used small rowboats. Nets were used to catch the fish."
Written by Jane L. Robinson, taken from Our Pioneer Heritage
from the book "Rich Memories" published in 1962
Laketown Town Council Agenda
Rich County Commissioner's Meeting
Notice Date & Time: 11/6/24 10:00 AM -11/5/24 4:00 PM
Description/Agenda:
RICH COUNTY COMMISSION MEETING NOVEMBER 6, 2024 AGENDA * PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 10:00 Kip Barnes, Property Owner Grievances with the Water & Sewer Board in Garden City and with the Bear Lake Special Service District 10:15 Tami Leonhardt & Norm Mecham TTAB Report 10:30 Brad Davis, Hodges Canal Hodges Canal Proposed Ordinances 10:45 Dan Hoffman, Hoffman Insurance Health Insurance Quotes FY2025 11:00 Ben Willoughby, Attorney Discussion of Short-Term Rental Ordinance Discussion of SB 174 11:30 Kim Wilson, Assessor Board of Equalization Appeals 11:45 Brian Willmore, Sheriff's Office Deputy Sheriff's Office Wages & School Resource Officers 12:00 COMMISSION BUSINESS Jones & DeMille Contract Renewal Approval Approve Expenditures Approve Minutes 12:30 ADJOURN All start times are ESTIMATED. If you need an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act, contact Anneliesa Peart Rich County Clerk at (435)793-2415.
Notice of Special Accommodations:
NOTICE OF SPECIAL ACCOMMODATION DURING PUBLIC MEETINGS In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, individuals needing special accommodations (including auxiliary communicative aids and services) during this meeting should notify Anneliesa Peart at 435-793-2415.
Notice of Electronic or telephone participation:
Youtube.com/@richcounty
Other information:
Location:
PO Box 218, Randolph, 84064
Contact information:
Anneliesa Peart , apeart@richcountyut.org, 4357932415
Editor's thoughts on voting to keep the Judges
I talked with a trusted lawyer friend and she had reviewed each of the Judges standings on various things happening in Utah and felt that we could vote to keep the Judges.
Bess Huefner
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