Remembering Katie

The day before our lovely Katie Ballingham's funeral, about 20 Garden City friends gathered to tie pink ribbons along the route her family would take to their home. Tammy Calder put a note on FaceBook and in minutes many came to help. 

DJ Ballingham  said that as their little family came into town that night, they saw the ribbons and it made them feel so loved.  DJ thanked everyone for their thoughtfulness and love.

A beautiful sunset for a beautiful lady.
 Photo by Tammy Calder

Cisco Sonar

By Bryce Neilson,

Turkeys

Bryce Neilson

It is a tough winter so far for the flocks of Garden City turkeys.  These Merriam turkeys are an exotic species to the area.  I had never seen a turkey in the wild until I went to the Black Hills in South Dakota.  Through my adult life I read about turkeys, how smart they are and the effort of western states to introduce them for hunting.  Things started off slowly but within the last five years they have taken off (no pun intended).  As far as I can tell they were never stocked by a State agency in Bear Lake.  I am sure some moved over the mountains from Mink Creek/Riverdale area.  I personally believe the turkeys around Garden City originated when Ben Negus was raising them and they got away and headed up to Bridgerland, so you can blame or praise him.  Anyway they have expanded all along the west side of the Lake, in the hills around Garden City and up Cottonwood Canyon in Round Valley.  Wildlife Resources decided they were a huntable population and included this area in the Cache Unit.

I love to watch and hear turkeys.  Their domestic cousins are dumber than dirt and that is what most people think all turkeys are like.  The wild ones are smart and a real challenge to hunt, which I have done many times.  You just can't go out walking around and flush and shoot them like other birds.  Turkeys have incredible sight and can see anything that is out of place.  Once alarmed, they can run 20 mph or fly long distances.  For their size and weight, they are incredible fliers.  When they flush, they are in the air instantly, dodging trees or landing at the tops of the highest ones. 

A few of us are turkey feeders.  Since Bear Lake doesn't  have nuts and berries like their native range has, they have become dependent on humans during bad winters.  The snow or predators don't seem to bother them so they head to the nearest feed yard (not many of those around anymore), open area, roadside or feeder to bum food.  I feed birds year around.  That is what I do instead of having a horse although it costs about the same.  My feeders are on the deck and the turkeys showed up a few years ago feeding on spilled bird seed.  Now they flying in and land on the rail and peck and shake the feeder until they have all the seed.  Fights erupt between them with the "Jakes" (year old males), hens and toms constantly trying to rise in the "pecking order".  They run off all the other birds including magpies.  It is great sport to watch them start changing appearance and colors for spring breeding as they come in at the same time every morning.  There is one thing I can be sure of however.  They won't be around during the spring turkey hunt. They are smarter than that.....     

Bryce

      

On Premise Employee Housing Request

Randall Knight, Reporter
Rich Civic Times

Bryce Huefner, Bear Lake Landscape, wants to provide on-site housing for his seasonal summer employees for 6-7 months.  The mayor requested there be a Conditional Use Permit on the proposed buildings used that would be reviewed annually so they are not used for alternate purposes. 

The board agreed they need to add a definition for seasonal employees to the Definitions policy 11A-200-132 and to change the wording to ordinance 13-02 to permit seasonal housing in commercial zones.  Several questions came up concerning the sewer, water and electrical hook-ups and fees for the new buildings if the current infrastructure can’t meet the new utilization needs. Because of the numerous questions that came up the board decided this issue is going to require a new ordinance to be written.  The request was tabled and the meeting was adjourned.

Bear Lake Valley Blue Print on Business Signs

Randall Knight, Reporter
Rich Civic Times 

GARDEN CITY, Utah. February 6, 2013. Garden City Planning Commission.  There were several people in attendance; both business owners and residents.

The Mayor gave a brief background on the sign ordinance 11C-600.  One of the main concerns was the liability the city bears with improperly installed signs.  He stated the Bear Lake Valley Blue Print is an important process used to provide a vision for the future development of the area and a model to use in an attempt to ensure its beauty. He stated that last summer several comments were provided in a negative way concerning the signs and their appearance.  Last July a comprehensive process was put in place to update the ordinance policy and input was requested from several local businesses.  This meeting was the third meeting held to discuss the plan and ordinance.  He emphasized that input from the community is requested and desired ensure that everyone in the community is onboard with the final decision and policy.  Andy Stokes said he reviewed the sign ordinances from other comparable cities as a baseline to write the sign ordinance.

Bill England discussed his concerns about the strictness of the ordinance as written and the effect it will have on his business; banners, balloons and his large carved bear located in front of the pizza parlor that has become a famous landmark.  Andy White said the current acceptable signs will be grandfathered in and not required to meet the new ordinance requirements.  Mark Hislop said the ordinance had gone from 3-4 items in the first meeting to over 30 items now and the cost for signs has increased significantly.  Andy said he gained new information concerning what signs require a licensed contractor to install after reviewing other city sign ordinances; i.e. signs over $1,000, maximum height of 48 inches, and 12 square ft.  Larger signs need to meet the International Building Code and applicable electrical codes if the sign requires electrical connection.

The manager of Coopers asked about off premise signs and their restrictions.  He was told they are not restricted from any zones but have to be installed in accordance with the city and UDOT requirements if installed along the state highways.  A couple of Realtor’s asked about their sign restrictions and were told the ordinance is intended to prevent a large number of realty signs, including directional signs, from being displayed for developments.

One of the attendee’s voiced his concern about the city getting in the way of the local businesses making a profit in the current environment by adding so many regulations.  He also stated the comparison of Garden City to Moab and Park City, cities with 365 days of business, to the short season we have here was wrong.  The board agreed they need to do some more research to see if they can’t find other cities with limited tourist time frames.

Questions were also asked in regard to community event signs and were told they are exempt from the ordinance except for safety restrictions.  Examples of these exempt signs are parade of homes, chocolate festival, Heritage Days, Fire District breakfast, St. Charles salmon bake, etc.

The board requested that everyone review the draft ordinance and provide final inputs prior to 21 Feb.  Because of the number of questions and concerns the board decided they would like another public meeting next Tuesday at 9:00 AM for another review of the document.

 

Sheriff's Report - January

Anita Weston, Reporter
Rich Civic Times

RANDOLPH, Utah. January 2013 - There were 81 incidents reported during the month of January.  Fifteen were citizen’s assists, 13 were traffic accidents with damage.  There were nine citizen disputes that had to be resolved.  There were seven VIN serial number inspections and six each of alarms and traffic hazards. 

Thirty-four of these incidents occurred in Randolph, 23 in Garden City, and 12 in Laketown and 12 in Woodruff.   

Five of the civil processes and three traffic accidents with damage occurred in Garden City.  There were four traffic accidents with damage and three VIN serial number inspections in Laketown.  There were ten citizen assists in Randolph.  There were also two burglaries, three traffic accidents with damage, three civil processes, and three traffic hazards in Randolph.  There were three traffic accidents with damage in Woodruff. There were two each of citizen assists, DUI involving alcohol or drugs, and VIN serial number inspections also in Woodruff. 

There were five traffic citations and violations, four in Garden City and one in Woodruff.  There were five speeding citations given within the County, and two traffic warnings issued in Woodruff.

Bear River Health Department

Bobbie Bicknell Coray, Reporter
Rich Civic Times

RANDOLPH, Utah.  February 6, 2013.  Jill Parker, Bear River Health Department,  reported  on efforts this year to work on preventable diseases.  BRHD has opened a new building in Tremonton to fulfill their desire to come to each community more.  They have a building in Garden City which has a meeting room that is available to the community to use.  They also have a facility in Randolph.   A grant was awarded to the Bear River Health Department to bring their food program in compliance with the FDA.  BRHD also runs the WIC program for women who are pregnant or who have very small children.

 

They work closely with the Rich County School district on health education and run a comprehensive vaccination program. 

Parker reminded adults that they all need one TPAP (whooping cough) booster in their life especially if they are around young children.  The vaccination program provides flu shots and shots for those who are travelling abroad. 

Ruth Smith, Treasurer to Resign

Ruth Smith, when she first became
 the County Treasurer

Bobbie Bicknell Coray, Reporter
Rich Civic Times

RANDOLPH, Utah.  February 6, 2013 - Ruth Smith who has been the county treasurer for 18 years, told county commissioners that she has loved her job and has worked with outstanding individuals in her office. "They all do their best and place the interests of our constituents above their own interests.  I am proud to say that I have been an employee of Rich County."

"I have so enjoyed getting to know the people who own property here in Rich County.  We have outstanding citizens here in our county with warm hearts," said Smith.

Smith and her husband Marvin have decided to go on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  She will work until April 30, which will give her a chance to train her replacement.  Her replacement will be chosen by the Republican Committee who will then submit the name to the Rich County Commission for approval.

Utah Division of Wildlife Resource Report

Bobbie Bicknell Coray, Reporter
Rich Civic Times

RANDOLPH, Utah.  February 6, 2013.  Justin Dolling, Utah Division of Wildlife Resourses, paid the annual Payment in Lieu of Taxes ( PILT) of $1,156.20 for 2,012 acres it controls in Rich County. Many Rich County residents enjoy hunting and fishing and watching the wildlife in their neighborhoods.  From licenses sold in 2012 Dolling gave the following statistics.

Rich County residents who fish: 19%
Rich County hunters: 13.5%
DWR employees livng in Rich County:  At present 1, but they hope to add one more this summer.
Community fishing ponds:  1 (in Garden City Heritage Park)
Blue Ribbon fishing waters: 1 (Bear Lake)
Acres of land restored and rehabilitated in the county:  11,488 acres
Wildlife Management Areas located in the county: 2
Cooperative Wildlife Management Units: 6
Hunting and fishing license agentw located in the county: 2

DWR is working to restore rangelands, help mule deer, expanding access to hunting and fishing areas, resolving depredation caused by big game animals on private lands and preventing ESA listings for endangered and sensitive species which negatively affect access to wild lands.

Armed School Guard Discussed

Bobbie Bicknell Coray, Reporter
Rich Civic Times

RANDOLPH, Utah. February 6, 2013 - Dale Lamborn, Superintendent of Schools, Sheriff Dale Stacey and Rick Larson, Principal, came to the Rich County Commission to explore the idea of having an extra Sheriff’s deputy be an armed guard and resource officer at both campuses in the winter and be used as an extra deputy for the county in the busy summer months.  South Sanpete District has a model for this kind of cost sharing.  School authorities are feeling more pressure to safeguard schools 

As well as being a safeguard, a personable officer could help with the bullying issues that seem to be more prevalent in county schools now.  An officer could get to it before it escalated and also could deal with truancy issues. Stacy says that it is also important to have a  sheriff’s presence at the games becomes sometimes things become a little heated.  

Lamborn said that Sheriff Stacey has been good about getting help for kids who are being bullied.   “It isn’t just the shooters we are afraid of,” said Lamborn.  “The Sheriff’s office is good at being at the games now.  The school resource officer would be a full time person available on a daily basis.  During the year, the kids get to know them, so it is more effective than a different person in the school every day according to research by Summit County.”  Commissioner Tom Weston said he likes what they are talking about.  Stacey also thinks it is a good idea, and with the cost share it might be possible.   

Lamborn said he needs to go to his board for funding for next year.  Commissioner Bill Cox said this may help the county in the summer too and get some funding from Sovereign lands.  Cox will work with the sheriff to see where they can pull funding from. 

“A good resource officer is important,” said Lamborn, “he or she will need training with bullying, drugs and other school related problems.”  . Norm Weston asked about building safety, because  currently not all of the doors can be locked.  Lamborn indicated that they were having an expert to come look at what needs to be done to upgrade safety issues.   The school board is in favor of the concept.

Preliminary Plat Change and Bike Trail

Bobbie Bicknell Coray, Reporter
Rich Civic Times

RANDOLPH, Utah.  February 6, 2013.  Mitch Poulsen, Bear Lake Regional Commission, suggested that the County commission change the procedure of approving preliminary plats.  Commissioner Bill Cox said that a rezone hearing needs a preliminary plat drawn up to let the people impacted in the neighborhood know what they are getting in the rezone.  Poulsen recommended that the commission could have the rezone and preliminary plat hearing at the same time to save developers time.   Currently, developers come in with a preliminary plat, then come in for rezone.   The commissioners voted to make the change.

 

Poulsen also suggested that he could get a 50/50 match for $200,000 to continue the bike path north.  The commissioners said that it was really too little funding to do anything significant.  But they felt that something does need to be something to address the needs of all of the tri athlete races  using the road and bike path.  The commissioners suggested that the stretch between Gus Rich point and Rendezvous beach would be really necessary but that the hillside on the west side of the road was difficult to put a path through.  Poulsen said that one  possibility would be to use the existing Sweetwater Trailer Park roads. 

 

Commissioner Norm  Weston said the commission should explore the options for the route of the bike trail and other options and look for more funding sources.

Lake Bed Management Legislation Proposed

Bobbie Bicknell Coray, Reporter
Rich Civic Times

RANDOLPH, Utah.  February 6, 2013.  Mitch Poulsen,  Executive Director of The Bear Lake Regional Commission, told commissioners that there is new  lake bed legislation going forward in the Utah Legislature.  The Utah Division of Foresty and State Lands want to coordinate their holdings.  Representative Menloe is moving it forward and as the draft legislation will be going to committee, he wants a commissioner to be in attendance as it is drafted.  The new legislation will give more enforcement  teeth to the lake bed plan by recognizing the plan as a tool of management  even though it is not in state statute.  The legislation will give more flexibility to deal with unique needs.

Katie Ballingham

DJ & Katie Ballingham. 
 

Lovely wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend, Katie Ballingham, passed away in Ogden, Utah, at 7:30 a.m., Sunday, February 3, 2013.  She had fought a hard battle with cancer and had been an example to many of us in Garden City.  She was honest, straightforward, funny, charming and smart and was just a fun young mother to her five children, Jackson, Justice, Samuel, Annie and Seth.  She and her husband DJ Ballingham were sweethearts and were always there to help anyone in need.  She had a strong testimony of the Gospel and of her Heavenly Father's love for her and for her family. 

Funeral arrangements are now being made.  The funeral will be held in the Garden City Second Ward on Saturday, February 9 at 11:00 a.m.   Viewing will be held at the Ward from 9-10:30.  The arrangements are still subject to change, so any notifications will be posted in the Garden City Post Office.

Fire District Winter Warnings

The Garden City Fire District would like to remind everyone to keep thier fire hydrants clear of snow and accessible even as the snow gets deeper.  If a fire hydrant does not have a metal flag on it please notify your water company.  Another thing to watch out for is the regulator on your propane line where the line enters the home, these regulators must be kept free from ice and snow build up.  If the lines are in the fall zone a guard should be placed over them to keep them undamaged from falling ice.  If anyone has questions or concers contact Fire Chief Dan Kurek at 435 764 1206.

Christensen Running for Readers

Burke Christensen in training for a summer run.

Burke Christensen at 69 years old is going to run 67 miles from his cabin in Sweetwater Hillside, around Bear Lake and back to raise money for the Garden City Library.  It may take him all day and all night to do it but he is in serious training.  Plan to donate something to the library for each mile he runs this coming summer.  Join him on his run for all of it or a mile or two.

Musings Of A Muddled Male

By Bob Stevens, The Muddled Male

Hole in the Ice

      I am happy to report that praying has helped our resident "old timers" force Mother Nature to freeze the lake from shore to shore.  As is my daily habit I looked out our window a few days back to see if the fog was still there, and it wasn't.  In its place were clear air and a large sheet of ice where the lake used to be.  The ice was speckled with black dots converging on one particular spot like ants heading for a sweet pickle dropped at a picnic.  I remember that the first thing I heard when I moved to Bear Lake was that there is a fishing "sweet-spot" on the lake where all the trophy size fish gather under the winter ice and beg to be caught.  I was also told that its location, known only by a privileged few, is guarded so carefully by those in the know that if I were to persist in asking and managed to discover its coordinates, a hit-man from Chicago would be called in to take me for a ride and then feed my carcass to the turkeys on Sweetwater Hill.  Fear of becoming turkey droppings has caused me to remain mum all these years.  But now, all those who are looking to catch the "big one" only have to follow the recent footprints out onto the ice just north of Gus Rich Point, cut a hole in the ice where the tracks end, and drop your lure into the water because you have reached THE SPOT. 

      With the spot now revealed I can focus on a related but different fishing issue that is causing me great concern.  My two friends, the math professor and Scott the fish addict, have been trying to get me out on the ice to fish.  Even though I told them that I don't like fish or fishing, and I especially don't like venturing out on ice that barely separates me from the cold slush that hides below, they continue to coax and wheedle as they assure me of the great fun I will have out there in the clear, cool air listening to the melodic pinging that signals a crack zipping across the ice toward my feet.  The more I protest the more they harangue.  I have attempted to discourage them by doing and saying little things to irritate them but, to quote Joel Stein in a recent Time Magazine article, "Getting on the nerves of a math nerd is inversely proportional in difficulty to a math nerd's getting on the nerves of other people."  That applies equally to fish addicts, especially because my two friends are harnessed to the same goal like a team of Clydesdales dragging me relentlessly toward the ice. 

      Last Saturday I was prepared to slip into a disguise and observe what really goes on at a Cisco Disco and then report my observations to the wives of those in attendance, hoping to direct the pressure away from me and toward the voracious participants.  Sadly, my long-handle jammies kept me so warm that I overslept.  But this is what I expected to find had I driven down the east side of the lake toward Cisco beach early in the morning.  First would have come the throbbing of the Voodoo drums, not heard but felt.  As I drove closer the sound of the drums would have become audible along with the chanting voices, "Cisco, Cisco, more scones, more scones, Cisco, Cisco, more scones more scones."  And finally, had I continued onto the beach, I would have come upon a circle of old men wearing hats adorned with fishing lures, waving fish nets, and dancing around a large gold statue of a dinky little fish.  I don't know if such actions are caused by something in the hot chocolate, or if it is the combined effect of scarfing down too many deep fried fish, French fried potatoes, and scones made with a secret fluidic ingredient and soaked in honey-butter.  Either way it would be a sight of gluttony and self-indulgence that would have shocked even Moses.  I guess it was better that I only imagined the scene without having to experience it in person. 

      And one more thing.  Do you remember the picture of Scott, the fish addict, in the January 20^th, 2013 edition of RCTOnline holding a supposedly large fish he caught through a hole in the ice?  Well I happen to know that picture was the result of trick photography.  If you take a picture using a wide enough angle lens and stand really close to a subject who has arms extended to hold the fish way out in front and close to the camera, the fish will appear unnaturally large.  I know because most pictures taken of me are done that way.  What else would explain why my nose always appears bulbous instead of dainty and delicate as it is in real life.