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

 

The Fearless Foodie

 

By Scott Heiner

Crawford Trough

The other day, we happened on a great place….

We live in Garden City and unfortunately don’t have much occasion to get down to the southern part of Rich County.  Recently, we had an errand in Randolph, after which we decided to have lunch there.  I didn’t think there was any place there to eat at, but what was my happy surprise to discover Crawford Trough.

Their theme of feeding and watering troughs is a nod to the area’s ranch culture.  The sign consists of the name “Crawford Trough” above a picture of a large metal watering trough and their slogan is “The Place to Eat and Drink.”

We were delighted with the cowboy and ranch décor.  Western-oriented plaques and pictures decorated the walls as well as an old Burma Shave poem and a vintage Havoline Oil sign.  Their chairs had a rustic look with seat backs made of 1x4 boards fastened askew.  Even the restrooms were in character with the wash basins made of metal troughs and water pump style faucets.

The menu sections were creatively titled: “Off the Ranch” section is burgers and sandwiches including Crawford Angus Burger, Mushroom Burger, Beef Slider and Patty Melt. “Pasture Greens” is the salads, and “Out of the Coop” is the title of the chicken items.  They also offer wraps of ham, turkey or chicken.  The extensive milk shake and ice cream section is called “Udderly Goods.  They have interesting daily specials such as Navajo Tacos and Fish Friday as well as a great variety of soups of the day.

We ordered the soup of the day: broccoli cheese, a Pastrami Pita sandwich, with sides of pickled asparagus sticks and home-cut fries.  The soup was thick and cheesy with lots of broccoli florets.  The Pastrami Pita sandwich was moist and tasty: cheese, grilled onions, mushrooms, pickles and ranch sauce, folded in a toasted pita bread.   I was especially glad to try something entirely new: the pickled asparagus sticks were crunchy with a perfect sour pickle tang.

Crawford Trough offers plenty of entertainment options for all ages including a pool table supported by thick log legs, and a safely-isolated dart board range.  There are even sturdy metal John Deere and International tractors for the kids to play with.

I assumed the owners were named “Crawford,” but I was mistaken.  In January 2018, Bridget and Tyler Pugmire bought the old Gators restaurant, a popular local spot for about 30 years.  Previously it had been Beth’s Diner and before that, Hub Cafe.  They completely remodeled and redecorated the place; keeping some of Gators’ popular hamburgers and home-cut fries on their menu and adding several of their own creations.  The Pugmires thought it would be a good and fun place for the local teenagers to work.

The name, “Crawford” refers to the Crawford mountains rising steeply to the east above the flat farmland.  Back in the day, it was home to extensive phosphate mining, primarily from the mid-1900's to the 1970s.  Now it is a popular hang-gliding spot; when the winds are right, you can spot several paragliders weaving in the sky.

Crawford Trough also takes orders through their website www.CrawfordTrough.com or by phone 435-793-3170.

 

Sunrise

Photo by Carol Ann Dyer

 

Library open to children 10 a.m. -12 noon Wednesdays

 Good News!  Starting October 14th, all children are welcome in the library from 10 am - 12 pm!  We will then close the library from 12-1 pm for cleaning and have an "At Risk" only hour from 1-2 pm. Masks will be required during this hour. 

We hope this will encourage more of you to come and enjoy the library!  This will be on Wednesday's only beginning next week.  We will also begin allowing children 8 yrs old and up in the library beginning today and encourage masks and hand sanitizing for all patrons.

Rich County Commission Meeting

Anita Weston, Reporter

Rich Civic Times

RANDOLPH, Utah.  October 7, 2020.   Developer Norm Mecham told the Commissions that he needed to amend his plat.  He said that there were some changes, but they were not a problem.  He said that one person had added a shop to the garage, but that all of the people in the area said it was okay.  He noted that he will have to go back to Planning and Zoning as well to make sure they will be aware and will also approve the change.

The motion was made and passed to allow the changes that Mecham had noted. 

There is also a change in the subdivision near the Sweetwater Park Golf Course. The motion was made and approved with this amendment allowing further development there. 

Brian Carver, Bear River Association of Governments, said that he has been given Coronavirus Relief Funds, and he feels these funds should be given to the County.  He noted that the Commissioners could determine what activities could be used to utilize these funds. 

He said that all the funds need to be used and the deadline for their use is getting close.  The Commissioners could shift the funds into other areas such as helping with the economic impact in the summer in the Bear Lake Area.  Also, they could make some small grants that could help businesses that need assistance. There are a lot of small businesses that have some really slow times or even have to close their businesses during the winter but do well during the summer and  fall. 

The cities in the County receive a Profit and Loss Report each quarter, and the cities report back to County.  Their first report has been submitted that covers March to June.  The second report will be submitted soon.  The March to June time for businesses is a time period when businesses are low.  The businesses could use the money during that time.  

Tami Leonhardt,  Director, Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau, said small grant applications have been submitted and reviewed.  The cities in the County along with other organizations that work to enhance the area are the ones asking for these funds.  The total amount available was $719,872.80 which has been given to those who requested these funds.

It was noted that under the capital inventory, there is a need to upgrade the Sanitation Department.   There are care funds currently made available.  There is still time for the Sanitation Department as well as the cities who can claim the full amount of $98,000 if they apply soon.  There are other areas such as the school district, which needs $30,000, and the health department which needs $50,000 for heart monitors.  It was suggested that the mayors in each town be contacted letting them know right now there aren’t sufficient requests being made for that money.  The requests need to be in by the first of December. 

It was decided that the County get a list of the business licenses and send postcards to each of them. 

Fall

 

Vote

 

Be Safe

 State Park Officials Push Life Jackets, Cold Water Safety

SALT LAKE CITY — Autumn is here, and along with the changing leaves comes changing water temperatures. 

These colder temperatures — combined with the rise in state park visitation this season — has the Utah State Parks Boating Program urging recreational boaters, hunters, anglers, and swimmers to remain mindful and to protect themselves from over to cold water exposure, which can be immediately life-threatening. About 50% of boating accidents that result in water exposure at low water temperatures are fatal. 

“Cold water can turn a seemingly fine situation into a disaster,” Utah State Parks Boating Program Coordinator Ty Hunter said. “Cold water immersion causes panic and decreases a person’s ability to swim or stay afloat. Someone who is typically a strong and confident swimmer can be impacted very quickly. If they aren’t wearing a life jacket, that can mean serious trouble.” 

Exposure to cold water can incapacitate a person in just 5-15 minutes, with the severe effects of hypothermia setting in within 30 minutes. Because a person’s muscles and nervous system can be impaired in a cold water emergency, wearing a life jacket not only keeps an individual afloat, but also increases their survival time from ten minutes to possibly an hour. 

State park officials recommend all water recreators wear their life jackets when on the water as well as follow these additional precautions: 

• Check the weather and water temperature

• Recreate with a buddy. Don’t venture out alone

• If you fall in the water remain calm and try to stay afloat. Adequate breathing should follow as long as you can stay calm. 

• Focus on meaningful movements, such as getting back in the boat or to shore

• Carry a cell phone in a waterproof container

“Life jackets save lives, period,” Hunter said. “Following that simple step, as well as these additional safety tips can help you make it home safely. There are multiple types of life jackets available for almost any water activity — boating, water skiing, paddle boarding, and even auto inflate jackets that are great for hunters and fishermen.” 

In Utah and nationally, 80% of people who drowned in boating accidents would have survived had they been wearing a life jacket. Utah Law requires all boats have at least one wearable U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket for each person on board; this includes paddle craft like canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards. Passengers, 12-years-old and younger must also be wearing a properly sized coast guard approved life jacket whenever a boat is in operation.

For additional information on boating safety, life jackets, and Utah’s boating laws and rules, visit boating.utah.gov.