CAPSA

To the Editor, 

Cache Valley is fortunate to have resources available to families and individuals going through difficulties such as abuse.  

While providing resources to survivors at their time of need is extremely helpful and necessary, emphasizing prevention efforts can reduce instances of abuse within the community altogether. 

 

Prevention training is providing the skills and information necessary for building healthy relationships and recognizing signs of abuse. That means understanding healthy relationships, how to set boundaries, safety planning, and so on. It also includes knowledge of available resources for survivors.  

One of the main reasons people neglect to provide help to their friends or loved ones despite thinking there might be something wrong is that they second guess themselves. They are unsure of what they have seen or of their ability to effectively intervene to provide help. Prevention education seeks to counter that by ensuring people understand what abuse is so they can recognize it, and know what services are available so they can refer those who need help. 

There are prevention efforts underway in the middle and high schools throughout Cache Valley and the Bear Lake area, as well as offered to community organizations, university students, and businesses in our communities.

  

However, there are still many people who have never had the opportunity to learn about resources in our community. If this is you – especially now, with case counts holding high and the stress of everything compounding in our lives – please seek out ways to learn about available resources. CAPSA offers remote training to ensure safety.  

With so much going on, we must take the time to equip ourselves with the knowledge to protect one another.  

 

 

Bryce Lancaster |Service Awareness Educator     p. 435.753.2500 | c. 828.406.4005| bryce@capsa.org    www.capsa.org | Connect with us

Turkey Trot Time

 

Pickleville Philosophy

 By Jim Stone

I’m kind of sad. I've been dreading this day.  Me and the dogs have been on this island in Alaska for two months now and it’s been full of adventures. The people here have been some of the most amazing people. They are very kind they’ve really welcomed us guys with open arms. I had to say goodbye to my wild friend Freedom today.  So I went to town and bought him a red velvet cheesecake for a parting gift.

Freedom is a wild bird with an even more wild soul. I think that's why I named him Freedom it seems to fit him. He loved his cake, he even invited his friends to come and have some with him.

I talked it over with the dogs and we decided we are not ready to go back home yet.  We are just getting ready to get on another ferry boat and head about 200 miles from here, then we have to get off that boat and get on a smaller boat that will drop us off on another island.

Us dogs have thought a lot about this. Life is short, we don’t have much, but us dogs have decided to go on another adventure together. We’ve always wanted to pan for gold in wild places, fish wild seas, run rainbows and hunt sea ducks.

I’m pretty scared and nervous right now as we get on this boat. But it’s making me feel so alive; we are just gonna do it.  We are going in head first.  I hope this adventure doesn’t turn into a belly flop. If it does, us dogs will just climb up on the diving board and jump again. 

We are going to be on the ocean for a few days with no phone service to say hi to you guys.

Us dogs wrote a poem to share with you guys but our boat is just about ready to go.  We are on the run.  You guys keep on being amazing people, keep on sharing of yourselves to help other people. it makes us all richer than any amount of money.

Fire Lake

Photo by Carol Ann Dyer

 

Matt Cluff has massive stroke

 Marcene Booth Littledike

My dear friends .... our dear friend, as well as owner operator of our Summit Pizza Co. Bear Lake.. Matt Cluff, is struggling for his life! He had a massive stroke last week! We join with all who know Matt and Laura, all who have been served by he and his family, in prayer for his recovery!

A shout out to the Bear Lake Community, over the last two days, they came together to show their support. First, pizza employees from years ago as well as volunteers came to work the store! Dan said it was so touching to see a crew come together roll up their sleeves and make pizza and doodles that were filled with love! The local businesses came through with supplies, to help as the Community, that I love, came in droves to support the Cluffs! The Bear Lake Store did over 5 x the regular business and the community matched that with tips and donations to help the Cluff’s financial burden! Fund Raising links are being organized and will be forwarded on all Summit Pizza Co sites.

Please join Dan and I, as we work to support this amazing family that has given so much service to so many! Our hearts and prayers are with you Matt and Laura! For those that just want to donate you can:

Venmo @Laura-Cluff (https://venmo.com/Laura-Cluff) or GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-matt-cluff or Tax-Deductible Donation use Venmo @Xtra-Mile-1 (https://venmo.com/Xtra-Mile-1)

Snow in Logan Canyon

w

Photo by Lauriann Wakefield

 

Winterfest at Bear Lake

Mark your calendars for the next Bear Lake Monster Winterfest - January 22-24, 2021.

Don’t miss our Monster Polar Plunge, Monster Cisco Disco, Monster Cisco Tournament, Monster Chili Cook-off, Monster Outdoor Expo and Raffle on Saturday. Locals will have hot chocolate, fried Cisco, and scones available for the public to try. There will also be an Indoor Expo at The Sunrise Resort Event Center and a Winterfest Social Friday night with Karaoke and a hot chocolate bar with donuts! Donations are always welcome. Visit the official Bear Lake Monster Winterfest website and their Facebook Page.

We are still looking for some volunteers to assist us in having a great time this January! We are also for some sponsors. Please contact Debbie at 435-602-9055 if you have questions or would like to volunteer!

Debbie Batt 

435-602-9055

egrdebbie@gmail.com

Garden City Fire District

Leonard O'Reilly, Reporter

Rich Civic Times

GARDEN CITY, Utah.  November 4th, 2020.  The Garden City Fire District reported the following responses for October.

6  - Medical Calls

2  - Fire Calls

1 -  Carbon Monoxide Call

41 - Short term required rental inspections

COVID update Bear River Health Department

NEW CASES  In Bear River District TODAY: 305

LAST UPDATED: NOVEMBER 14, 2020 4:05 PM

31 cases in Rich County

There are many options for COVID-19 testing, including drive-thru locations. For information regarding who should be tested, types of tests, or to locate a testing location, click HERE

Click HERE to learn more about Governor Herbert’s State of Emergency and the requirements of the executive order.

If you are an event organizer you must fill out and follow the Event Management Template, require masks, and maintain 6 foot physical distancing between household groups. The health department is not required to approve or deny the event but we will work with event organizers and provide recommendations to reduce the potential for spread of COVID-19 at the event.

Buckle Up

 Beginning November 16th, Utah DPS is launching “Border to Border” seat belt enforcement with a Click It or Ticket Campaign aimed at holiday road travel.

UHP partnering with neighboring states’ police to encourage Utahns to buckle up

Salt Lake City, Utah – On November 16th, the Utah Highway Patrol will join law enforcement agencies throughout Utah and its six neighboring states for a Border to Border (B2B) event to kick off the annual Click It or Ticket seat belt campaign. Law enforcement agencies will send a zero-tolerance message to the public: driving or riding unbuckled will result in a ticket, no matter what state. The campaign will run through November 29th. 

Utah is partnering with law enforcement agencies in Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Wyoming, New Mexico, and Arizona. Participating agencies will be taking a no-excuses approach to seat belt law enforcement, writing citations day and night. In Utah, not wearing a seat belt is a primary offense and can result in a $45 fine.  However, the maximum penalty for not wearing a seat belt could be fatal.  Police statewide will work more than 775 additional shifts focused on high-visibility enforcement to stop and educate motorists who aren’t wearing a seat belt.

According to NHTSA, in 2018, there were 9,778 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in the United States. In that same year, 56 percent of passenger vehicle occupants killed at night were not wearing their seat belts. That’s why one focus of the Click It or Ticket campaign and the B2B kickoff event is nighttime enforcement.  Here in Utah, 33.8% of deaths were unbuckled on Utah roadways. During 2019, the highest percentage of unrestrained injured crash occupants were 15-19 years old. Additionally, 32% of teenage fatalities were unrestrained, and nearly 69% of unrestrained fatalities were male.

“The Border to Border component of the Click It or Ticket campaign is so important because it raises awareness about seat belt safety and reminds people that seat belts aren’t optional,” said Utah Highway Patrol Colonel Michael Rapich. “The Thanksgiving holiday is one of the busiest travel weekends of the year. Families may be heading out to spend time with their loved ones, so it’s imperative we get the word out about the importance of seat belts.”

“If you know a friend or a family member who does not buckle up when they drive, please ask them to consider changing their habits. Help us spread this life-saving message before one more friend or family member dies due to this senseless inaction. Seat belts save lives, and everyone—front seat and back, child and adult—needs to remember to buckle up—every trip, every time,” said Colonel Rapich.

For more information on the Click It or Ticket mobilization, DPS is hosting a virtual press event on Tuesday, November 17th at 9:30 am, or please visit www.clickit.utah.gov/buckleup 

Eighteen Wheeler Philosophy

Random thoughts of a Bucket Ass Truck Driver.

by Mel Hansen

“I have to figure out what I want in life.  Whether to be happy, or to be right!”

The above quote comes from a book of crime fiction I’m currently listening to. 

I try to learn something from everything I listen/read, be it factual or fiction. This little saying from the book really caught my attention...so much so that I turned off the book and thought about it for the biggest part of the afternoon.

Here’s what I’ve come up with...left alone with my own thought process. 

I guess some people find happiness in being right, or in being “perceived” by others to be so, by sharing/showing them their “perceived” intellect. I think we all, at times, like to think/know we are right and everyone else should bow to our intelligence/opinions, especially since “we” are the “only ones” with sense/education enough to “Thoroughly” research the subject being discussed at the time. A highly educated person in a professional career can, and is, disputed by another highly educated person in the same career all the time. For me, being “right” in the human scheme of things is largely a matter of opinion/belief. It’s the same as someone being labeled beautiful, it’s all in the mind/eye of the individual/beholder.

I’m not slamming education. It’s extremely important! Are we seeking knowledge to be “right” and praise of others to fuel egos?  Or are we seeking knowledge in the pursuit of personal “happiness” and sharing it with others, so they too can find happiness in learning.

I know I’m going to try harder to spend more time in finding happiness...rather than spending time in being perceived as being right.

Garden City Library Fundraiser

 

Morning on the Lake

 

Photo by Dawn Brady

COVID-19 ALERT!

November 5, 2020

The health department is extremely concerned about the rapid increase and spread of COVID-19 in our community. Our growing number of infected individuals is placing an undue burden on our hospitals and healthcare system.

We are also concerned about the growing number of events being planned in our community that do not follow the COVID-19 requirements for our high transmission area. We plead with event planners and venue owners to ensure the requirements of the state’s public health order are followed and not dismissed once the event begins. Events should only occur if masks are worn, physical distancing between household groups is maintained, and the Event Management Template (provided by the state) is completed and followed. If these items cannot be followed the event should not take place.

As a health department, our resources are spread very thin as we investigate disease and perform contact tracing. We ask the individuals in our community to take personal responsibility to slow the spread of COVID-19. Stay home and away from other people if you have any symptoms of COVID-19, practice physical distancing, wear a mask, wash your hands frequently, and do not participate in activities that make it difficult to follow this guidance.

Rich County School District Board meeting

Kathie B. Anderson, Reporter

Rich Civic Times 

RANDOLPH, Utah. October 20, 2020. A regular meeting of the Rich County School District Board of Education (the “School Board”) was held on October 20, 2020.  Among other actions and discussions: 

The School Board unanimously ratified and approved the Teacher Leave Policy (605.4) related to Covid 19.  The Policy can be found online at richschool.org.  The School Board also unanimously ratified and approved new attendance policies that reflect protocols that are unique to Covid-19.  A new, amended winter sports schedule was also adopted by the School Board. 

Thanks to a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”), starting September 16, 2020, until the end of the current school year, the School District’s Nutrition Services Department is offering free meals (breakfast and lunch) to all students.  The free meals program will not extend into the summer. Thanks were expressed to Peggy Seller for applying for and getting the USDA free meals grant for the School District.   

A building update was provided.  The work is on schedule.  A few “punch list” repairs still need to be addressed.  Sod won’t be laid until next year, which will allow the earth to settle and enable the work to be accomplished during better weather.  Subcontractors will be paid in full when all issues have been resolved and needed repairs are complete.  It was noted that a very small area of the gym floor must be replaced because of a warping issue and some discoloration of the wood.  The building projects remain under budget and the cost is not expected to exceed funding provided by School District issued bonds. 

There was a lengthy discussion concerning the use of the new gymnasium.  The discussion centered on security issues, particularly respecting access from the gym into the entire school building; cleaning costs; the supervision of children who aren’t part of an organized team; proper equipment use, particularly the use of shoes that won’t mar or scuff the new wood floor; facemask and social distancing mandates and requirements; and the pros and cons of allowing “Little League” usage of the gym.  At the present time, due to Covid-19, the gym isn’t being scheduled for little league use.  The School Board plans to have a later discussion to address these concerns, particularly the use of the gym for little league activities. 

The date and time of the November, 2020 School Board meeting will be announced later.