Summer Incidents In Garden City And Other Projects

Anita Weston, reporter

Rich Civic Times

GARDEN CITY, Utah. September 8, 2016.  Robert Peterson, City Manager, reported on all of the calls he has received this past summer dealing with City problems.  He grouped the items into categories and included the numbers of the items as follows:

CALL LOG
Beach and Parks	Incident	Number
	ATV On the Beach/Speeding	8
	Cars on the Beach	3
	Parking/Waters Edge	3
	Issues at the Park	3
	General Beach Questions	4
	Shore Lodge Beach Access	11
	Kids on the beach after 10 PM	1
	Dogs on beach	2
	Camping	2
	Camp fire on the beach	1
Sub Total		38
Short Term Rentals (STR)	STR Call Noise	0
	STR Parking	3
	General Info Call	1
Sub Total		4
Non-Short Term Rentals	Non STR Noise	1
	Non STR Parking	1
Sub Total		2
Parking	General parking	1
	50 South Parking Lot	2
	150 Parking Lot	3
	350 Gate	9
	350 South Beach Access	3
	Shuttle Info	1
	Fireworks	1
Sub Total		20
Miscellaneous	Sign Calls	4
	TOD’s Signs  (Tourism Signs)	2
	Transient Business	1
	Unlicensed Business	3
Sub Total		10
TOTAL		74

ISSUES FOUND
Incidents		Number
	Check Boat Launch Permit	10
	Parking Water’s Edge	39
	ATV Speeding	6
	50 S. Overnight Parking	2
	Too Many Vs	4
	Overnight City Offices	2
Total		63

CODE ENFORCEMENT
Item	Hours
Signs Ordinance/Removal of signs	28.5
Beach Patrol	129
Park/City Patrol	101
STRs/Software	34
Service Projects (Beach)	12
TOTAL HOURS	304.5
16 Weeks Average Hours	19

CITY ADMINISTRATION/SPECIAL PROJECTS
Item	Hours
Development Projects	58
STR – State Legislature	57.5
Recreation Center	75
Beatification Project	6
City Meetings (Staff and Boards)	141.5
Ordinance Review/Rewrite	28
Grant Projects (Wayfinding)	20
CWPP	42.5
HOA Review Project	9
Water/STR Project	29
TODS (Tourism Signs)	10.5
Corridor Study	9
TRT Grants	4
TRT Tax Project	7
Vacation Time	52
TOTAL HOURS	548
16 weeks Average Hours	34.25

Peterson went on to explain that he has been working with the company in charge of making sure that the recreational center bond is being handled properly.  There will be another public hearing this evening dealing with this issue.

Another project concerns water usage at short term rentals compared with full-time residents.  This should be completed in the next few weeks.

A tax project dealing with sales tax and transportation tax is being discussed.  Currently Rich County collects 3.0% and the city gets 1.5% from sales and transportation.  Apparently most cities in Utah collect 4.5%.  Peterson is going to write a grant and ask that 1% this TRT (transient room tax) money be given back to the city to take care of tourist related items.

It was noted that a meeting will be held sometime this fall to talk with individuals who work with short-term rentals to see if they would be in favor of increasing the collection of MTRT (municipal tax resort town) tax to 4.0% in the future.  If they are in favor, the steps will be taken to obtain a larger sum of money from STRs. 

The fall advertising campaign is underway.  A TRT grant has been used to partner with the Aggie Sports Package.  This will draw attention to Garden City concerning winter activities and opportunities.

The effort is going to be made to obtain a grant for beach access help. 

Rich Middle School Meeting - October 12

Parents of Rich Middle School students, what if I told you that researchers have uncovered a secret activity that teens enjoy that has the side benefit of actually raising their grades in all of their classes?
But that’s not all. This one secret thing will help them get better jobs years in the future.

It will help them make more money.

And they won’t even know that it’s doing this for them. They won’t care. Because they won’t be doing it for the grades or money. They’ll be doing it for the enjoyment it brings. They’ll be doing it just because they like to do it. One little surprising thing. And it’s backed up by lots and lots of research.

Do you want to know what this activity is?

Do you want to open up opportunities for your child?

If you do, come to the meeting Mrs. Brown is having at 7:00 p.m. on October 12 at the Rich Middle School.





We will reveal all there.

The Unmuddled Mathematician

Genuine Good Stuff

By Chris Stone Coray, The Unmuddled Mathematician

A boy’s journey through life allows the acquisition of a bunch of genuinely good stuff.  The wampum.  The bag of possibles.  The special things that change with each year or during long evolution from youth to very senior person who gets discounts at almost all stores.  As one ages the good stuff changes from things to experiences and memories. Everybody is different in specifics but likely very much similar overall.  Here is a list of my special stuff.

Age 5-10:  Mickey Mantle baseball glove, kid size genuine Louisville Slugger bat, the glove never put away without a pretty good Spaulding baseball in it; marbles, by which I mean the flints, the shooters, not the cheap glass marbles that were used only as currency in the games.  These cost a couple of bucks apiece and when the impact moons became too visible a night of storing them in mom’s Crisco can provided a few days of artificial absence of blemish; a Zebco spinning reel with 5 foot rod; a NY Yankee baseball cap; Willie Mays autograph; a Whamo slingshot with a supply of “steelies”  for it.

Age 12-16:  First shotgun, a double barrel .410 with which I bagged my first duck and pheasant; Schwinn 3 speed racer which was a pretty big deal in bikes in that era; a Buck folding pocket knife; the wooden box that I used to carry shotgun shells (old ones, cardboard, with smells that still trigger memories); hot chocolate, and the “Dekes” I used as duck decoys; my Herter’s goose call; and at age 16 a Browning over and under shotgun that was (and still is) guaranteed for life;  a little gold medal for being the best math student at school.

Age 17-25:  A small set of goose and duck bands from my hunting days; paratrooper wings fairly earned; the gold bar of a new second lieutenant, the silver bar of a first lieutenant, and the railroad tracks of a US Army captain; a wedding ring that will see its 50^th year on my hand this year; and a complete change in life from stuff for me to own to events, experiences, and memories of my wife and kids.  I must note that the catching of the woman who wears the other wedding ring in the 50 year old set of two was really, really hard.  There were lots of high hurdles on that quest.

Age 26-50:  The birth of our two girls; having our first daughter run to our apartment door in excitement as I came home from graduate school with a popsicle that we split down the middle, then later having her fall asleep lying on my stomach; running behind the girls as they learned how to ride a bike; spending uncounted hours in the bleachers watching our youngest play high school basketball while never understanding girls; owning and riding a motorcycle until it was determined by the boss to be too dangerous; planting our own first garden at our own first house (this was pretty dumb as I grew potatoes in Idaho); owning, training, loving, and hunting with dogs; Japanese eating utensils (chopsticks and bento boxes obtained during a sabbatical year in Tokyo); attending the graduations and weddings of our two daughters.

Age 50-present:  Meeting our 3 granddaughters as they entered the world; watching the eldest on her figure skates in competitive  events, the middle as she danced  (and dances) in ballet with grace and beauty; the youngest, flame red hair atop her head, pretty much taking over a soccer game and causing terror in the opposing team; having these 3 girls spend time with us at our house near Bear Lake, playing with the golf cart, the boat, their own special room, and pancakes made by me in the shape chosen by each girl; getting a healthy wife back to full speed after a serious illness; surprising my dad on his 80^th birthday by arriving with Bobbie at his house in California unannounced; listening to the youngest say, “Oh, it smells like grandma”, as she entered our house.

This good stuff continues in unexpected and delightful ways.   These need not be big things.  3 days ago my phone rang and it was a call from a granddaughter.  The phone only rang once.  I called back and asked her if her phone had accidentally called me and she said that it had and she was sorry.  But I had been given the chance to hear her voice and told her that, even if an accident, it was the best thing that would happen to me that day.  Her response, “Oh, Grandpa, thank you for telling me”, was even better than just hearing her speak.  A divine gift to a lucky man.  The good stuff.

Yellow Aspen

Photo by Lauriann Wakefield, Little Starling Photography

Paris, Idaho - Architectural Treasures

In 1978, the Idaho Historical Society cataloged over 80 architecturally significant historic houses and commercial buildings in Paris, Idaho.  In this and future columns we will highlight one or two. The Paris Museum has information about this and other homes. 

36 SITE NAME: William L. Rich house       SITE 20

34 West Second South, Paris, Idaho

Photo by Bobbie Bicknell Coray

The former Rich house built in 1885, is a two-story frame structure with a rather low hipped roof and a square plan elaborated by a one-story hipped kitchen ell to the rear.   The main block is three evenly-spaced bays wide, and one broad and two narrow bays deep.  The siding is wide shiplap.  Door and window heads are molded.  Broad wooden “quoins”   short alternating with long in imitation of stones set sideways and lengthway into masonry corners, frame all elevations. Windows are two-over-two sash; the main entrance at left front has an oval transom.  There are three interior chimneys, two to the right and one to the left, all of corbelled brick.

A hip-roofed porch supported on blocky posts now crosses the facade; it was built in the early 1920s.  According to the present owner and long-time occupant, the original porch was small, spanning only the entrance bay and creating balcony space onto which the left front upstairs door opened.

The William Rich house is architecturally significant as the sole example in Paris of the Western Colonial or "classical box" residential style.  Standing, as it  formerly did, next to the cluster of adobe hall-and-parlor cabins in which all the Rich children were raised, this house is visible reminder of the passing of an architectural and cultural time in Paris.  

As one of only five full two-story residences in town, it can be seen as an attempt, in frame, to produce an image of substantiality and stature encouraged by Mormon culture and usually associated with structures built of brick or stone.  The adoption of the classicizing and stone-allusive quoins, the low, solid hipped roof, the taut row of upper windows butting into the shadow of the eaves, convey a desire for a particularly formalized stylishness, vaguely uncomfortable but visually striking in the broad spaces of Paris. 

Although the classical box can be found in the Plains, a tall farmhouse amidst open land, the upright William Rich house looks, among its small, more homey neighbors, to need a more densely populated streetscape. Its owner left Paris in 1886, just after the construction of the house, to become bishop in nearby larger Montpelier. He returned in 1893 as president of the Bear Lake Stake. It was said of Rich that he was "a lover of good books and theaters" and that he "believed in progress” . (Daughters of Utah Pioneers, Bear Lake) Pioneers, p. 682.

Cloudy Sunrise

Photo by Darin Pugmire

Activities Park Proposed In Garden City

Anita Weston, reporter

Rich Civic Times

GARDEN CITY, Utah. September 7, 2016. Clair Webb requested that he be allowed to create a commercial building on a 25 percent slope for a future project on Eutaw Road in Shundahai.  His original plan was to place this building on a 30 percent slope.  However, he was able to find another spot that will be within the City’s ordinance of a 25 percent slope.  Webb will be building the parking lot for his building on an 18 to 25 percent grade. 

There was also the request made to allow the poles for an extra high swing as well as a climbing wall, both will probably exceed the 35’ commercial height limit.  However, it was determined that these items were not structures thereby making it possible from Webb to move forward.

Webb is planning on creating an activities park.  There would be summer tubing.  Freeballin, also known as Zorb balls and human hamster balls, is another activity being considered.  The 30’ balls are made in Europe and sold by Freeballinusa.  He is planning a rope course, a 300’ zip line, a giant swing over 35’ high, and a climbing wall about 20’ long and about 50’ high.  Disc golf is also being considered.

Webb was asked if he was planning on building a fence around the activity park.  He noted that it will be a short fence because keeping people out of the area is impossible.  He asked if a permit would be needed to build the fence and was told that a building permit is not required for fences.

P&Z Does Not Allow Setback Changes

Anita Weston, reporter
Rich Civic Times

GARDEN CITY, Utah. September 7, 2016.  Everett Benton appeared before the Commission representing Luthar Alomia.  He noted that lots along the beach front, particularly those on the south end of town near Ideal beach, are narrow and long, somewhat like a trailer.  Currently the City’s ordinances require an 8’ set back on one side and a 10’ on the other side.  Mr. Benton requested that the City change the distance to 5’ on each side.  That way, individuals building homes along the lakeside would be able to make a structure that is more aesthetic that one that is narrow and long.

It was noted that that area of the beach is an older area.  Many of the buildings on those lots were built prior to the passing of the current ordinance.  Some homes were built right on the property line. Others have even encroached on other’s property and out into public right-of-ways.  However, they had to be grandfathered in when the ordinance was passed.  If the Planning Commission changed the ordinance to 5’ on each side, some places would end up with distance between homes of less than 5’.

The Commission determined that less than 5’ is too small of a side yard.  They decided they must keep the current ordinance in place.

Everett Benton asked if the Variance Committee could be approached for permission to change the set backs for an individual situation.  It was noted that the Variance Committee does not have the ability to change set backs.  The Fire Code requires 10’ between buildings.  The Cottages have 5’ setbacks on each side.  It was noted that the city approved that subdivision at that time because it was new and the homes would all have the same distance between them.  This would not be the case in the above situation.

Benton thanked the Commission for allowing him to express his opinion and thanked them for their time.  He asked that they give some consideration to his request.

Garden City Fire District Board Meeting

Chris S. Coray, reporter

Rich Civic Times

GARDEN CITY, Utah. September 18, 2016.  The governing board of the Garden City Fire District held its September meeting on Sept 15.  All were present except Howard Pope and Fire Chief Mike Wahlberg.

The agenda and meeting were very short.  The district has obtained a new 5,000 gallon tender to replace the old and leaking one.  It is not here yet but will be shortly and will use the existing tractor.

The department assisted with the Peterson Hollow fire and will be compensated approximately $20,000.  Of that amount $15,000 will go directly to the firefighters and $5,000 will go to the department.

Cisco Sonar

Lake Trout

By Bryce Neilson, The Cisco Kid

September is the month many people start fishing for Lake trout. If you are a Facebook follower, you may have seen Travis Hobbs post about a large lake trout that he recently caught. It is time to revisit these large fish in Cisco’s Sonar.

When I was a kid my Dad used to take me down to the family’s historical fishing hole, Fish Lake. This high, natural lake was my first exposure to “Mack”, a common name for lake trout. My grandfather and great grandfather fished the “mac run” for years trying to catch a big one. When I was 11 fishing in the lake I caught a 20 pound mac. I was treated as a “master fishermen”, and even won a record player in a local fishing contest. They said that would be the biggest fish I would ever catch.

Years passed and I ended up at Bear Lake as a fisheries biologist, and started learning about Salvenitus namycush. Lake trout are native to Canada and the Great Lakes region. They are actually not a trout, but a char. They are related to brook trout, arctic char and other chars around the world. They are a cold water fish found in the northern hemisphere and are fall spawners. They are slow growing and commonly live over 20 years. Growth is steady up to 10-15 years and then, depending on the productivity of the water growth slows down. I have seen mature Lakers who had been tagged and later recaptured that hadn’t grown over a couple of of inches in years. Lake trout typically spawn over large boulders (rip rap) in lakes. In Bear Lake that includes Cisco Beach, marinas and the Rockpile. Tiger trout, which are stocked throughout Utah, are a sterile cross between lake trout and brook trout. They are commonly called Mackinaw, which comes from the Great Lake Lakes, Mac or Lakers. Now fisheries scientists are calling the lake char which is a term I have yet to adopt.

Lake trout were fish stocked in Bear Lake in 1919 from the Federal hatchery that was built at the head of Big Spring Creek in Round Valley. The lake trout stocking and fishery were incidental for years until after WWII when the states took over fish management in the lake. Big lake trout were occasionally caught and talked about but it was not the norm. Stocking lake trout began in the 1960’s when Utah stocked 30,000 fish per year. That increased in the 1970’s but the Idaho Fish and Game became paranoid that they would take over Bear Lake like they did northern Idaho lakes and displace cutthroat. In never followed this philosophy for three reasons. 1. There is limited spawning habitat, big rocks, in Bear Lake. 2. The endemic species have evolved as egg predators and would likely consume the majority of lake trout eggs deposited. 3. Bear Lake is a carbonate lake which means it is vary unproductive and has a constant “rain” of calcium carbonate precipitating at all times which would cover and suffocate any remaining eggs and if any did hatch, there would be nothing for them to eat. I know there is some limited natural reproduction, but not enough to take over the lake. Politics won this battle by fear and lack of common sense, so now only sterile lake trout are stocked. The hatchery eggs are placed in hot water briefly, right after they are fertilized, to create an additional set of chromosome’s which allows them the develop eggs and spawn but with no resulting offspring.

Today there is a good lake trout fishery because anglers are targeting the lake trout with acoustics and new lures. A big mac is always a great addition to one’s catch. Each fish eats 1000’s of cisco during its life but that is the way ecosystems work. Keep a mac and save a cisco’s life.C

Some Aspects Of Village Life In The Bear Lake Area

There is an aspect of life in Bear Lake Valley that many part-timers may not observe. It is the voluntary service that greatly benefits the several small towns around the lake. For example, there are many elderly people who live alone. Some do not have a furnace in their house. In the winter they need to build a fire in a stove inside their home. They need chopped wood but they are not able to go out and cut down trees in the nearby forests. They depend on volunteers who go out all day long every fall and cut the wood, including youth who come to their house and chop it into sizes to fit in their stove.

We have watched this happen this week, involving about 18 tree cutters and wood choppers who delivered the wood to grateful recipients.

Then there are ladies who meet weekly to make quilts and donate them to humanitarian services. They have been doing this for decades, producing thousands of quilts for receivers they will never meet.

Civic service is another voluntary version. There is a wonderful library in Garden City. It would not be here without the continuing efforts of several people, particularly in convincing the town leaders to build it. The same is with the wonderful new town park, the Boardwalk, town pond, the swimming pool and beach access.

There are people who answer requests such as replacing a flat tire. They often bring their pick-up truck to help others with moving furniture. Residents also pick up litter at many places, especially around the garbage dumpsters.

Volunteers welcome visitors to the Bear Lake Overlook, Camp Hunt and the Paris Tabernacle.

Churches open every inch of space to welcome visitors for Sunday worship. A massive task. Observers note the courtesy and efficiency of meeting the needs of grateful out-of-towners who then share the message of Bear Lake friendliness.

These are just a few examples of individual service that help visitors, newcomers, and long-time residents.They and more examples build an inviting community spirit that we have enjoyed for four decades in the Bear Lake area.

Doug and Elaine Alder, St. George

Saitling At Sunrise

Photo by Utah State Parks

P&Z Working With Water's Edge Resort

Anita Weston, reporter

Rich Civic Times

GARDEN CITY, September 7, 2016.  A Preliminary discussion and approval for the phase containing the Hotel and waterpark in the Water’s Edge PUD was addressed.  This resort is located between 50 and 150 South Bear Lake Blvd.  The request was made by Arete Land Company, LLC.

Those involved with this resort reported that the Traffic Study is in progress.  The wetlands delineation is under consideration.  It was noted that the north boundary of the PUD is wet because of the drain UDOT placed in that area many years ago.  The wetlands report is expected soon.  There are still some parking issues, but the phase under discussion is not involved with any of these issues.

The owner’s have flipped the plans for the water park.  However, the room count has not changed in any way.  In Phase 5, there are still 54 units.  In the Hotel Phase, there are 91 parking stalls.  All parking is ahead for the next phase as well.  The change with the pool is not considered a major change which means the approved plans are fine. 

The representatives for Areta Land Company noted that the division between commercial and the beach zones was determined to be 390’ from the Bear Lake Blvd.  Thus, the building heights are within the city ordinances for the hotel.

The Commission members asked why the Huefner’s fence had not been done prior to building the office next to their property.  It was noted that not all of the decisions have been made about the external colors to be used on the buildings and structures going up in the resort.  They wanted to use the same color combinations on the fence between the two properties.  It was noted that the owners of Water’s Edge had gone to Huefners and signed a private agreement between the two parties guaranteeing that the fence will be put in place next spring.  Huefners agreed with their request to wait until next year.

The Commission asked why the phase numbers had been moved around.  The owners didn’t realize that the numbers had been changed from the previous plans shown to the Commission.  They said they will look into that matter.

It was noted that Norm Mecham obtained final plan approval on phases 9 and 10 last fall.  Water’s Edge was requesting approval of Phases 1 and 5 at the present meeting.  However, the City’s Engineer, Zan Murray, had submitted a list of items that needed to be taken care of prior to giving permission to work on phases 1 and 5.  Some members of the Commission felt that because this list was quite long, that the items on the list should be completed prior to approval being given.

The Commission asked the owners return next month for final phase approval of phases 1 and 5.  The motion was made to continue this issue at the next Commission Meeting.  The Commission informed the Water’s Edge owners that they will need to get the information for the next month meeting submitted two weeks prior to the next meeting so that the members of the Commission will have time to go over the list and make sure that all items have been completed.

Golden Lake

Photo by Tiffany Seamons