Wildfire Wednesday

Rich County Fire Departments work together on a fire on Falula Rd in Laketown

 Approximately 25 firefighters and 13 fire apparatus responded to the scene of the fire. A fire line was quickly established to prevent the progression of the fire into the wildland.

FIRE | Falula Road, Laketown, UT

6:38 PM 8/14/2025

On 8/14/2025 at 6:38 PM, the Rich County Public Safety 911 Center received a report of an ATV fire on Falula Road in Laketown. The fire spread to a house and surrounding area.

The house and garage containing an SUV, a car, a four-wheeler and a tractor were destroyed in the fire. A boat and pick-up truck were damaged.

An outbuilding with a boat and car inside were saved.

There were no injuries. No individuals were displaced.

The fire has been extinguished and fire crews remain on scene.

Laketown, Garden City, Randolph and Woodruff Fire Department personnel, Rich County fire wardens, and Rich County law enforcement responded to the scene.

Photo courtesy of Laketown Fire Department

GCFD Control Board Meeting 8-18-25

 GCFD Control Board

Garden City Fire Protection Board of Trustees Monthly meeting0

Notice Date & Time: 8/18/25 6:30 PM -8/18/25 8:30 PM

Description/Agenda:

        August 18 , 2025 6:30-8:00 pm
145 W Logan Road

Call to Order

Approve Agenda


Public Comment and Recognition
	Open Discussion and public comment

Approve Previous Minutes


Old Business;
	Annex Property Update
	Policy and Procedure to sell property or equipment
	Equipment follow-up and station walk through

New Business:
	Parents Empowered volunteer time and organization for grant money
	Preventive Maintenance Plan
	Impact Fee Update
	Notice of Registration Renewal for GCFPD
	
	

Treasurer/Financial Report
	

Fire Chief's Report:
	District Status 
	Purchase Requests
	Follow up on Raspberry Days

Approve Expenses

Adjourn
	
NOTE: The Trustees may vote to go into closed session pursuant to Utah Code 52-4-205.



					

Notice of Special Accommodations:

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, individuals needing special accommodations (including auxiliary communication aids and services) during this meeting should notify Mike Wahlberg at the Garden City Fire District, 435-881-6313, at least (3) days prior to the meeting and please leave a message.

Notice of Electronic or telephone participation:

None

Other information:

Location:

145 W Logan Road, Garden City, Utah, 84028

Contact information:

Laura Cluff , lcluff323@hotmail.com, (435)946-2460

Town of Woodruff meeting

 MEETING AGENDA 

Town of Woodruff
P.O. Box 154
Woodruff, UT  84086

Meeting Description:  Board Meeting__________________________________________________      

          
Date:  August 19, 2025               Time:  5:00 p.m.                                      Location:  Town Hall________

	Items to Be Discussed	
 1	Paul Webb - Discuss trees along Main Street	
 2	Discussion about keys	
 3	Discuss bids for Tourism Grant money	
 4	Follow up from previous meetings	
 5	Approval of minutes from July meeting	
 6	Approval of August bills	
 7	Review and initial bank statement/credit card statement/monthly reports	
 8	Other board concerns	
 9		

THE BEAUTY OF THE LAKE By C. T. Buttars

                                      Now that’s “moonshine” everyone can enjoy!!!

Bear Lake Moon by Amber Larsen Milton

 

Cisco Sonar: The Highway

We built our home in Bridgerland 45 years ago and the front of our lot bordered the Logan Canyon Highway, US 89. I really would have rather been further up in the hills with trees, but we were living there full time and needed access during the winter. Back in those days nobody had four-wheel drives and snowplows were few and far between. I became good at chaining up and we could plant trees since there were none on the lot. 

We built a large deck on the front of the house to take advantage of our beautiful view of Bear Lake. Over the years we have become totally addicted to the view and the deck. When the weather is tolerable, we spent as much time on the deck as possible while watching the cars and traffic go by below us. 

I'm having a difficult time writing this article. My memory is not good enough over the last 50 years to remember what year things happened then, so I'll just give general comments. Most people don’t remember what the old highway was like prior to the Logan Canyon Improvement project. After battling environmental concerns, it took place from the late 1990’s until the section between the summit and Garden City was completed in 2005. Prior to that, the road was two lanes with narrow shoulders but there was not much traffic on it. Most of the traffic were sedans, 2-wheel drive pickups a few semis and dump trucks. Truck campers were popular and most of the trailer houses were small as were the ski boats. For a while, we had an influx of cyclists who used to ride the road constantly. They seem to drop out after the canyon was widened. We did have a lot of tour buses pass through, but like lots of things, they faded away.

In the last 20 years things have changed. Now there are a lot of folks who commute through the canyon to work in Cache Valley plus all the locals who need to drive to Logan whenever they need something. There's also a lot of construction people that come and go daily. The number of people going to their homes or cabins increases dramatically every year. Depending on what type of construction is going on or how much material they need to restock the gravel pit, double trailer monster semis with fill or asphalt hog the road. The clattering of the Jake brakes is a constant bother. Bicycles have been replaced with ATV's and UTV’s. The surf boats are huge just like the travel trailers that are the size of small homes. Groups of motorcycles parade by the thousands as they enjoy their touring. Paddleboards, jet skis, kayaks, and all plastic floating things are on every other car. With the Canyon construction now, there are brief periods of no traffic going down as they are held up by the hundreds at the lights. I never realized how many vehicles travelled the canyon until the lights were installed. 

So why do we put up with all this crap? I am used to it because we have lived here all our adult lives, change came slowly, and our trees are big enough to muffle some of the noise. Watching traffic can be entertaining, and I like to think about who all the people are, what did they do to be on the road and where are they going. The view of the lake is still there, beautiful as ever. Once you live at Bear Lake it is in your blood, you can never get rid of it. I will just have to put up with it.

A little about the Dogs whose photos won the contest

Roxy is the sweetest girl!  A 10 year old golden cream retriever with a heart of gold.   She loves everyone, especially kids.  She loves long walks, salmon treats and snuggles.   She was sound asleep and must have been having the best dream because she broke into this huge smile!   

Saucy Nugget is a 4 1/2 year old Bassett Hound who was a special Christmas surprise for her puppy-mommy.   She’s all sass!   She’s deceptively fast and loves to go exploring.  She’s always up for a cuddle and a good movie!  In this picture she’s playing with one of her favorite toys “pizza man”!  

My son, Steve’s, dog Boo is Yorkie with a little bit of poodle. They had her as a puppy from her mother who passed away two years ago. Boo is 13 years old, loves to be comfortable and is quite spoiled. I think that she knows that she is very cute and it lets her get away with more than she should be able to.  Six months of the year, she is with Steve and his wife on their oceangoing catamaran. We all love her to pieces.

Mia is part Bernese mountain dog and part border collie.  She is sweet and gentle.  She was from a New Mexico reservation where she was named Tecumseh, after a warrior chief.  She was a last-chance rescue and we adopted her in 2015 when she was 2.  Mia was her new shelter name.  Since she was a rescue she is sometimes leery of new people, but if you have her trust she is just the greatest.

Bear Lake Kids Club Summer Activity

 

2025 Laketown Baseball/Softball Youth Camp

 

Bear Lake Watch SplashBack

 

It's Hot and Dry! August 1, 2025 Well the title this month says it all. In fact there was only 0.3" rain in July for the Upper Bear Basin and really not much rain at all since May 1st (left graph). The NRCS forecast for precipitation in the Upper Bear Basin through the remainder of the water year is shown on the right graph. The maximum projection just puts the basin up to average for the water year. Precipitation in the Upper Bear Basin is not unique as the graph on the left below from the NWCC shows. The red dots represent < 50% of average; this graph is precipitation for a 4 month period ending August 1st. As a result the water supply observation from the CRBFC (graph on right) is not surprising as the Bear River stream flow at Stewart Dam is about a third what was forecast (50:50) on April 1st this spring. So what is the outlook for Bear Lake water level for the rest of the season. The graph on the left below is the water level since autumn last year. The lake level has fallen about 3 feet so far this summer. The graph on the right shows the drop in water level for the last few years from about July 1st onward. Except for 2023 when we had a wet summer the level has dropped about another foot or so to the low point in the fall. That puts the projected water level about 5915.5 ft. The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center forecast is for above average temperatures and below average precipitation for our area through October. This doesn't bode well for entering the winter with good soil moisture in the ground. As always I want to thank the folks at NCRS, CBRFC, RMP and all the others who help me compile the Splashback. BEAR LAKE WATER LEVEL August 1, 2025 5916.98 ft *All Bear Lake Elevations are given in UP&L Datum  Friends or family forwarding this to you? Get it first, get your own! Sign up to receive the SplashBack Visit our Website

Bear Lake Watch | P.O. Box 205 | St Charles, ID 83272 US

Poem: August in Garden City by Copilot AI

 🏞️ "August in Garden City" 🏞️

by Copilot

August hums in Bear Lake’s breeze,
With raspberries ripe and skies that tease.
The “Caribbean of the Rockies” glows,
Where turquoise waters gently flow.

🎉 Raspberry Days bring joyful cheer,
Parades and floats draw crowds each year.
Craft booths bloom in the Heritage Park,
With fireworks flaring after dark.

🏕️ Pioneers once tilled this land,
Built homes with care, by faith and hand.
From lakeside roots to mountain views,
Their grit endures in all we choose.

🐄 Ranchers worked from dawn to night,
With cattle lowing in morning light.
August meant hayrides, harvest, song—
A rhythm steady, proud, and strong.

🍦 And yes, the shakes—those famous treats,
Raspberry swirls in summer heat.
A local legend, sweet and bold,
In every shake, a tale retold

History of Our Area: Pages 3 and 4 from Marie Weston's Book

 

Wildfire Wednesday

Laketown Town Council Agenda

  Laketown Town Council Agenda

August 13, 2025
6:00 PM

Notice is hereby given that the Town of Laketown Town Council will hold their regularly scheduled meeting at 6:00PM on Wednesday August 13, 2025, in the Laketown Town Office located at 10 North 200 East Laketown, Utah.

1.	CALL TO ORDER - Mayor Burdette Weston
2.	OPENING CEREMONY - TBD
3.	ROLL CALL
4.	APPROVAL OF AGENDA
5.	APPROVAL OF PRIOR MEETING MINUTES
-	July 2, 2025, Town Council Meeting
-	July 21, 2025, Work Meeting
6.	BUDGET REVIEW
7.	APPROVAL OF BILLS 
8.	ACTIVITY COMMITTEE - Chairman Jordan Gomez 
9.	UPDATES FROM CLERK'S OFFICE (Lisa)
A.	Office will be closed September 1 & 2, 2025, for Labor Day
B.	Office will be opened Wednesday & Thursday September 3 and 4th, 2025
C.	Reschedule October TC Meeting to October 8, 2025
D.	Dot gov transition
10.	ACTION ITEMS FROM PREVIOUS MEETING
A.	(Lisa) Update on status of the letter mailed to current building permits on the 180 days commencement of construction
B.	(Lisa) add rodeo bleachers to the insurance policy
C.	(Lisa)Tyler & Ruby Hunter building permit for 151 S 100 W - letter from Hatfields assigned the prepaid water hook up to the Hunter's
D.	(Lisa)Kaylen & Loany Larson building permit - official address of building lot, letter from Rick Larson assigning them his prepaid water hook up, and sign clearance form
E.	(Lisa) adjust Steve Meyers bill to reflect one-time overage adjustment
The Town Council will not begin discussion on the following agenda items before 6:30 PM
11.	QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS FOR MAYOR AND COUNCIL: 
Any person wishing to comment on any item, not otherwise on the agenda, may address the town council at this point by addressing the mayor and town council and giving his or her name and address for the record. Comments should be limited to not more than three (3) minutes, unless additional time is authorized by the mayor. Citizen groups will be asked to appoint a spokesperson. This is the time and place for any person who wishes to comment on non-agenda items. Some items brought forward to the attention of the town council will be turned over to the clerk to provide a response outside of the town council meeting.
12.	PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION - Chairman Duane Robinson
13.	ITEMS OF BUSINESS
A.	Lisa - Banner donation to Rich High School and Middle School Athletics
B.	Lisa - 4H Junior Livestock Boost
C.	Lisa - Invoice Cemetery & Fire District for their share of insurance
D.	Lisa - P&Z special meeting fee for Craig Price remodel building permit
E.	Rich County TRT/RT Grant Application (Due Sept. 15, 2025)
F.	Discussion on drilling wells within city limits
G.	Discussion on Noise Ordinance within City Limits
H.	Discussion on Ordinance 2025-07 Amending title 9 building, regulations
I.	Discussion on Resolution 2025-07 Amending consolidated Fee Schedule adding a new section and establishing fees to be charged for building permits 
J.	Town Right of Way continued discussion
Action Item: Lisa to located cd or jump drive that Debbie Ames created of town streets and right of ways.
14.	COUNCIL BUSINESS: 
-	Water Updates - Delora Wight
o	McKay/Tom/Thad Willis lot - old red brick house water connection & bill
-	Roads & Streets Updates - Brandon Willis
-	Park & Recreation Updates - Denise Johnson
-	Rodeo & Arena Updates - Kris Hodges
15.	MAYOR'S REPORT: 
-	Bear Lake Regional Commission Report
-	Town Updates
16.	EXECUTIVE SESSION (if needed) 
17.	 ADJOURN 
NOTE: The Town Council may vote to go into an executive session pursuant to the Utah Code 52-4-205 
On Monday August 11, 2025 at 11:30 AM a copy of the foregoing notice was posted on the Utah Public Notice website at  http://pmn.utah.gov and on the Laketown website at www.laketownutah.com. A copy was posted in conspicuous view inside and outside the Laketown Town Office in Laketown, Utah, and inside of the Laketown post office and at Dee's Service Station. DATED THIS 30th Day of June 2025 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 Laketown Town Office at (435) 946-9000, 10 North00 East, Laketown, Utah, on Monday through Wednesday at least three working days prior to the public hearing. The office hours are 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Individuals with speech and/or hearing impairments may call the Relay Utah by dialing 711. Spanish Relay Utah 1-888-346-3162. 
	/S/Lisa Johnson, Laketown City Clerk