Thank you everyone for your emails of support.. It takes all of us to make a great community... I appreciate all of you ... Attached is the letter that was delivered to Governor Herbert ..
Friday, August 16, 2019
Mayor Mike Leonhardt's request to the Governor
Thank you everyone for your emails of support.. It takes all of us to make a great community... I appreciate all of you ... Attached is the letter that was delivered to Governor Herbert ..
Thursday, August 15, 2019
Another semi plows through Raspberry Square
Bobbie Bicknell Coray, Reporter
Rich Civic Times
Rich Civic Times
GARDEN CITY, Utah. August 15, 2019. For the second time this year another semi truck crashed
into Raspberry Square at the end of Logan Road in Garden City, Utah at about
3:35 pm Thursday afternoon. Rescue and
law enforcement were there within five minutes of the crash.
 |
| Photos by Domenik Garcia |
Carol Ann Dyer reports that the the driver ran through the
stop sign and took out the condo garages 3-6.
Rescuers took a chainsaw and cut one of the garages open and then were
able to get into the adjoining garage where the truck had stopped and extracted
the man who seem to be alert and talking to paramedics. He was later taken to Logan Regional Hospital
by ambulance. Dyer took pictures of the
crash.
 |
| Photo by Carol Ann Dyer |
The giant logs that held up the Raspberry Square sign was
cut down from the last crash but in one of the photos you can see that the
truck driver hit the stump then almost went completely through the condo
garages. The truck also narrowly missed a large propane tank.
The truck was hauling chocolate milk and was driving downhill when the brakes overheated and the driver was unable to stop at the stop sign near the intersection of U.S. Highway 89 and state Route 30, Utah Highway Patrol Lt. Lee Perry said.
 |
| Photo by Barbara Turbow |
Many people have commented that it was very lucky this didn't happen during Raspberry Days or a day when there were lots of visitors because there might have been several lives lost.
Wednesday, August 14, 2019
On the Accident
Jason Wade Matthews
So this evening as I surveyed the wreckage I was in awe of all there was to see. The driver of the truck had no experience coming down a steep grade and crashed into the garages of a popular condominium complex here in Garden City.
Normally I just see broken stuff, items that can be replaced. Rubble that needs to be cleaned up but tonight was a little different. Tonight I saw sentimental attachment to the rubble in the aftermath. I saw a woman break into tears as she saw her youngest child’s four wheeler completely smashed. She saw memories just destroyed, nothing can replace lost or destroyed memories. It moved me to see her emotion come to the surface. And then I saw a little girls bike mangled on the ground and a thought hit me, had it been Friday the little girl may have been on that bike.
Thankfully no life was lost but for some folks, precious memories were destroyed in seconds. My heart breaks for that poor woman, she taught me that it’s not just stuff.
Master your craft, if you can’t do your job well then don’t do it. For some of you, lives may depend on it. And never say,”that’s what insurance is for.”
It’s been said that UDOT will not respond to such things until after there’s been a death, well here is the second semi vs building in Garden City. A chief deputy for Rich County Sheriff has been run over by a run away semi. At least four other semi roll overs coming out of the canyon that I know of. Countless calls about semi brake fires. When is it OK to say no more? Who will listen?
I don’t hold contempt for those who know how to handle a semi in mountains so please don’t think that much but I do hold contempt for the CDL mill drivers. I hope something changes after this, next time we may not be so lucky. If that driver turned left today.......this would have been a much worse story.
Sunday, August 11, 2019
Pickleville Philosophy
Rumors
By Jim Stone, The Pickleville Philosopher
You guys know how rumors are spread.
Sometimes rumors are just rumors. Sometimes we believe them, but maybe sometimes
we don’t.
Well dang, I heard a rumor today. The rumor was that when we
all help people feel good about themselves, boom, all of a sudden there is a
big contagious smile.
It’s easy to give a compliment
to someone, like you’re wonderful, you look beautiful, congratulations on your
accomplishments. You’re an amazing person, best mom and dad in the world or I’m
proud of you!
You know you guys it’s just giving a boost or kind thought
or a few kind words just letting that person know we care about them and their well-being
and happiness. Speaking for myself, I never ask for a pat on my back. But it’s
so nice and makes all of us feel whole and better when there are kind thoughts
and words involved. It’s just really nice.
So I’m gonna have to spread the rumor. I think that this rumor
is true.
Here comes the rumor. It’s a big smile and a lot of laughter
like uncontrollable laughter. When we all laugh and smile we are happy and our happiness
becomes contagious and spreads big smiles to everyone.
Rich County Fair August 12 -17
Rodeo, Concert, Livestock Show, Parade, and Fireworks! Held at the fairgrounds in Randolph, Utah.
30 East Church Street
Seegmiller warns of county road problems
Bobbie Bicknell Coray, Reporter
Rich Civic Times
RANDOLPH, Utah. August 7, 2019. Ed Seegmiller, who has been a city manager
and a water district manager in small towns in Texas and California, moved to
Meadowville full time in 2014. Since then he has been looking at road
budgets and road construction. He noted
that the road budget is the largest expense in the Rich County Budget.
The last two years the budget has
been flat yet there is enormous growth happening and the county may not be
preparing for it. It may be important to realize there must be change, he said and added, "there is a complete new set of people moving
to Rich County who are not rural people and they will want things they enjoy in
the cities including good roads even if they are dirt and gravel roads."
Many of the roads are well built
with crowns and wear well but many are not.
The roads represent the county like a banner on the wall he said.
The increased traffic and truck
travel means that the quality of gravel needs to be improved and perhaps the
design and specifications for the county roads. “Look to the future,” he said. “Plan for the growth and incrementally
increase taxes. Have a Dust Prevention
Program. Put the mag water on the whole
road not just part. The roads will need less maintenance and in the long run
you can save on labor and fuel costs and have a longer lasting road.”
Commissioner Bill Cox said that
many of the county roads are 40 to 50
years old and are not designed to current requirements. Cox said that spring
breakup of frozen gravel roads is the cause of most of the problems with the
roads. “Everything we do is magnified by
the winter issues. Our gravel pits don’t
meet specs so that we have to get gravel from outside the county. Our roads are 40 to 50 years old, so as we
look at improvements as we did on the East Side of the lake we are faced with
bad design which means that we have to start from scratch.”
The entire county budget is $1.3
million, nearly $1 million is for the roads.
Cox said, “We are losing the value of centrally assessed taxpayers
. We actually lose money even though our
valuation have gone up, because the centrally assessed corporations are usually
given big waivers on their tax debt leaving the taxpayers and counties to
support the corporations needs from their budgets.
The roads are funded with a portion
of the gas taxes given to the county, but cars are getting more efficient so
the gas tax money funding is going down.
Cox explained.
"A good share of the road budget
goes to snow plowing. We have been proactive,
we have purchased a roller and a road grader."
.
“Each year there you should put an
increase in your road budget,” Seegmiller replied, “ the decay of road system
and bridges is a major responsibility, and though the commissioners want to keep
taxes low you may need to raise taxes to keep the infrastructure solid.”
"Emergency Plan won't be read but should be."
Bobbie Bicknell Coray, Reporter
Rich Civic Times
RANDOLPH, Utah.
August 7, 2019. Bryce Nielson, Rich
County Emergency Management Coordinator, said he needed a letter agreeing with
the emergency operations plan. It is a 200 page document which outlines ESS (emergency
support services). Transportation,
communication, damage , firefighting,
planning, mass care, resource support, health and medical services, search and
rescue, hazardous material, food and water, energy, law enforcement, and
terrorism are addressed.
It also notes who is responsible for each of these
services. It has been updated to reflect
that social media has become more of an emergency support.
Commissioner Norm Weston asked how the rest of the county
officials will know their specific responsibility. Nielson said that he would send it to them,
but they may or may not read them.
Neilson said he has been doing this for 12 years and then
watched emergencies in the county so his job will be to oversee what everyone
is doing under county guidance.
Commissioner Bill Cox said, “For example, what would the
road department do? How that plays into
the plan and what their responsibilities are.
And wouldn’t it be good for them
to know what their role is before the emergency occurs? And what happens if you are out of town?"
“The county officials need to find out what their roles are
and have the procedures in place. Weston said “Hopefully they will look at their responsibilities first
and then read the whole plan.” However
there is no real plan to educate county officials.
Nielson said five years ago when Laketown was out of power
for 5 days, the entire community pulled together
to make sure everyone was taken care of .
Weather is our biggest threat he added.
With the increase of tourists and the short term rentals that have no
hotel fire requirements, and are packed with 60 or 70 people a fire emergency scares him. He suggested that the commissioners take an
emergency training but he understands their time constraints.
American Legion
Bobbie Bicknell Coray, Reporter
Rich Civic Times
RANDOLPH, Utah. August 7, 2019 Tom Britton, Rich County American Legion Post
52, asked Commissioners for a donation to the Post of $500. The Post needs money to pay for flags for the
Courthouse and Randolph Cemetery, and Veterans' funerals. Some of the money
is for the flags that are presented to the veteran’s family. They also do some charity payments for utilities for veterans. The Post funding
comes from donations. Five individuals
donated $100 each to buy the rifles they use at funerals and a scholarship for
the high school. The auxiliaries are
auctioning off a quilt to raise money.
“We appreciate all you do and a lot
is not noticed.” said Commissioner Bill Cox.
Bike path and new P&Z board member
Bobbie Bicknell Coray, Reporter
Rich Civic Times
RANDOLPH, Utah. August 7, 2019. Mitch Poulsen, Bear Lake Regional Commission
asked Commissioners to add Erin Quinn from Laketown as a new board member of
the County Planning and Zoning. He will
be replacing Kathy Hislop from Garden City.
Poulsen said that Quinn was very knowledgeable about the county planning.
Poulsen said that the Community Impact Board (CIB) granted a
request for $20,000 to update the County Comprehensive Plan.
The bike path is moving along slowly. Ideal Beach has been asked to sign an
easement for the bike path and they have indicated a willingness to give the
easement. There is a culvert by Ideal
Beach that either needs to be lengthened or have a bridge over it for the path. Brent
Sanders, County Engineer, suggested that they do the bridge as a separate
project because it is so expensive. It
is estimated that the cost will be $200,000.
Commissioner Bill Cox asked if the culvert should be
lengthened rather than having a bridge over it making it cheaper than the
bridge. He also asked if UDOT is going
to allow a bridge structure that close to the highway right of way. Brent Sanders suggested that those questions
could be answered if the bridge were a separate project. If you do the bridge
later it might move the project further said Brent. Commissioners told Sanders
and Poulsen to get the path out to bid as soon as possible. “We’d like to start it by fall,” said Cox.
Monday, August 5, 2019
Good Stuff!
By John Brown
The political book for our time
I just finished the most important book on politics I’ve read in years.
Years.
In fact, I’ll go so far as to say it is the book for our current political times.
I say this because America isn’t facing the threat of Communism, Nazism, poverty, illiteracy, or disease. ISIS and the terrorists are on the run. We’re beginning to figure out a better way of treating our LGBT brother and sisters. And we’re not poisoning ourselves with the broad-based racism or sexism of the past. Yes, there are lots of areas where we can improve. But these are not the main problems of our current time.
In my opinion, the main problem of our current time is a burgeoning contempt between left and right.
Political scientists find our nation is more polarized than at any time since the Civil War. People in positions of power and influence on both sides of the spectrum, and everywhere in between, are setting us against each other. They tell us our neighbors who are on the other side are evil, corrupt, or stupid. And must be utterly vanquished. And many of us perpetuate the message, very frequently on social media.
By some measures the divide between right and left in America is beginning to approach the size and feeling of the one between the Israelis and Palestinians.
Is that really where we want to go?
I think most people will agree with me that it is not. So what do we do about it?
May I suggest we start by reading this terrific book by Arthur C. Brooks called Love Your Enemies: How Decent People Can Save America from the Culture of Contempt.
With that title you might think Brooks is suggesting that the solution to the divisions in our country is to start a national program for the singing of “Kum Ba Yah.” If so, you would be wrong.
Brooks doesn’t claim we need less disagreement. He thinks we need more disagreement. Yes, you read that right. More. He’s calling for more, strong disagreement. It’s just that we need to disagree in a better way. A different way.
At this point you might be wondering how it’s possible to disagree, and in greater amounts, and not run the nation off the cliff in flames.
I was wondering that too. And Brooks provides the research, the thinking, and a number of practical methods in his book. Brooks will make you think about how we interact in a totally different way. And he does it with his trademark good humor. You’ll laugh, you’ll think, and you’ll come away seeing a better path.
If a good portion of us disagree the way Brooks is suggesting, it will change our country. All we need is a core of us willing to try.
If you’re interested in politics, if you are getting tired of the insults on social media and the news, if you’re tired of the way the parties are not working with each other in Washington, I think you’ll love this book.
If you want a taste of what Brooks is talking about, watch his eleven-minute commencement speech at BYU this last April. Find it here If you want another taste, watch his TED talk.
The political book for our time
I just finished the most important book on politics I’ve read in years.
Years.In fact, I’ll go so far as to say it is the book for our current political times.
I say this because America isn’t facing the threat of Communism, Nazism, poverty, illiteracy, or disease. ISIS and the terrorists are on the run. We’re beginning to figure out a better way of treating our LGBT brother and sisters. And we’re not poisoning ourselves with the broad-based racism or sexism of the past. Yes, there are lots of areas where we can improve. But these are not the main problems of our current time.
In my opinion, the main problem of our current time is a burgeoning contempt between left and right.
Political scientists find our nation is more polarized than at any time since the Civil War. People in positions of power and influence on both sides of the spectrum, and everywhere in between, are setting us against each other. They tell us our neighbors who are on the other side are evil, corrupt, or stupid. And must be utterly vanquished. And many of us perpetuate the message, very frequently on social media.
By some measures the divide between right and left in America is beginning to approach the size and feeling of the one between the Israelis and Palestinians.
Is that really where we want to go?
I think most people will agree with me that it is not. So what do we do about it?
May I suggest we start by reading this terrific book by Arthur C. Brooks called Love Your Enemies: How Decent People Can Save America from the Culture of Contempt.
With that title you might think Brooks is suggesting that the solution to the divisions in our country is to start a national program for the singing of “Kum Ba Yah.” If so, you would be wrong.
Brooks doesn’t claim we need less disagreement. He thinks we need more disagreement. Yes, you read that right. More. He’s calling for more, strong disagreement. It’s just that we need to disagree in a better way. A different way.
At this point you might be wondering how it’s possible to disagree, and in greater amounts, and not run the nation off the cliff in flames.
I was wondering that too. And Brooks provides the research, the thinking, and a number of practical methods in his book. Brooks will make you think about how we interact in a totally different way. And he does it with his trademark good humor. You’ll laugh, you’ll think, and you’ll come away seeing a better path.
If a good portion of us disagree the way Brooks is suggesting, it will change our country. All we need is a core of us willing to try.
If you’re interested in politics, if you are getting tired of the insults on social media and the news, if you’re tired of the way the parties are not working with each other in Washington, I think you’ll love this book.
If you want a taste of what Brooks is talking about, watch his eleven-minute commencement speech at BYU this last April. Find it here If you want another taste, watch his TED talk.
Sunday, August 4, 2019
Dom's 4H Letter...Go to the Rich County Fair!
When I am not in school I enjoy my beta fish, Linda and Tangerine, my cat Bandana, growing plants, I have over 70, camping, riding my bike, swimming, I used to want to be an Olympic Swimmer but I changed my mind, now I want to be a veterinarian and a farmer and I am a licensed beekeeper with the State of Utah.
This is my first year in 4-H, and I LOVE 4-H! I am
part of the Laketown Jr. Livestock 4-H
Group in Rich County. This is my first year doing a market swine. I am also the club secretary for the Laketown
Jr. Livestock 4-H Group and the President for my 4-H sewing club, Happy
Stitchers.
This summer I have worked really hard training my
pig, Hamster! Hamster weighs about 251 lbs., she is a Red Duroc! I worked with
Hamster every day, well all most every day; so, she could learn how to respond
to my commands and so I could learn how to handle her. Hamster loves to play hide and seek in the
straw, she will hide, and I have to find her, she loves her belly to be
tickled, she will faint like a fainting goat! She is really smart and most days
she will come running when I call her name, or she sees me. Sometimes she
really frustrates me because she won’t work or do what I want her to do and she
doesn’t like treats! Hamster gets mad at me also sometimes, she won’t move, or
else she will just lay back down in the straw and grunt at me, she will also
dip her head in the water and then shakes it all over me! She is really good at
blowing bubbles in the water with her nose.
I love Hamster, she is my best friend.
Hamster has taught me a few things, to never give
up, that I can do hard things, and how to be responsible for taking care of
another living thing.
I would like to invite you to the Rich County 2019
Fair where I will be judged on showmanship, Thursday, August 15th at
5 pm, Hamster will be judged at the market show on Friday at 8 am and then
Saturday at 11:30 am is when Hamster will be auctioned off. They will also be auctioning off sheep, goats
and steers. If you are interested in being a buyer this year you will need
register on Saturday by 10 am. If you are unable to attend and would still like
to support me or one of my friends, you can boost us. All these events are taking place at the Rich
County Fairgrounds, in Randolph, Utah. If you have any other questions you can
call the extension office at (435) 793-2435.
I hope that you will be able to come to the auction
and not only support and cheer me on by bidding on Hamster, but also all my
friends too. All the money, most of it,
will be put in my savings account to go towards my mission and college and some
of it I am going to use to buy myself a bonsai tree and next year’s 4-H pig.
If you have any questions please feel free to email
me at jennyysunflowers@gmail.com. I hope to see you at the fair and I am
excited to visit with you, even if I am a little shy. Thanks for all your support.
Dominique
P.S. I told my mom what I wanted to say, and she helped
me put it all together.
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