Southern Utah News - Kanab, Utah's weekly newspaper

On Friday, June 25, 2004, Kristoffer N. Jones, age 14, fell to his death from Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park. The boy, from Long Beach, CA, was hiking with a Boy Scout troop.

At 3:04 p.m. the park dispatch office received a call reporting that a person had fallen from Angel’s Landing. Park Rangers were immediately dispatched to the scene. A search and rescue operation was mobilized including a helicopter and a five person, technical search and rescue team. The boy’s body was located from the air and the technical rescue team was flown to the top of Angel’s Landing to descend by ropes to the location of the body. The rescue team rappelled about three-quarters of the way down the cliff face on Friday evening. They reached the body at 6 a.m. Saturday morning. The body was then airlifted out by helicopter on Saturday morning.

On Friday evening, the scout group was taken to the LDS Church in Springdale, Utah, where they were cared for by Zion National Park staff trained in critical incident stress debriefing and by members of the Springdale Ward of the LDS Church.

Angel’s Landing, a popular hiking destination in Zion National Park, lies at an elevation of 5,785 feet. The vertical drop to the base of the cliff is approximately 1,000 feet at the location of the fall.

The fatality is being investigated by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in cooperation with the National Park Service.

By Dixie Brunner

The Wired Wired West Technology Expo was a big success. The June 24 event, sponsored by numerous local and state entities, proved you don’t have to live in a big city to be connected.

Numerous exhibitors were on hand at the middle school to demonstrate and celebrate Kanab’s technology achievements. There were vendor exhibits, tech and computer seminars, as well as a job fair and door prizes, to wow attendees at the all-day fair.

“We’re happy with the turnout,” commented SmartUTAH tech fair organizer Brigette Tucker. “The support we’ve received from the community has been outstanding. Kanab really is a tech hub.”

“We would like to congratulate Kanab and Kane County for their tech accomplishments,” agreed SmartUTAH President Cliff Ames. “This shows that Kanab is not second to any other city in Utah.”

At a awards dinner later in the evening, Ames complimented Mayor Kim Lawson and the economic development committee for their hard work at making Kanab tech savvy and the event successful.

David Harmer, executive director of the Department of Community and Economic Development, said that technology is the key to community success. “By using technology, you can create job opportunity.” Harmer said there were four qualities that assist knowledge-based workers - access to broadband, equipment, training skills and entrepreneurial spirit.

Keynote speaker State Senator Tom Hatch said there has been a shifting of paradigms in rural Utah communities. “The issue seems to be whether we should hang on to the old, or grab onto the new.” He spoke of changes that have occurred since the arrival of the information age, and complimented former Governor Mike Leavitt for embracing and preparing the state for the new technologies. “Kanab is a model community in the tech effort,” said Hatch.

By Dixie Brunner

Voters came out strongly in support of selling the Kanab City Municipal Power System to Garkane Energy. Kanab residents said a resounding yes to the charged issue, with 675 votes (or 93%) for the sale and only 53 (or 7%) against it.

The city accepted the cooperative’s $2.5 million bid, pending voter approval. The offer includes the company taking on the city’s bonded indebtedness. Garkane has estimated that approximately 1400 Kanab residents will see their power bills drop between 20-35%.

In other primary news, Kane County Republicans mirrored poll results around southern Utah by giving the nod to District 2 Congressional candidate John Swallow over his opponent Tim Bridgewater. Swallow had 66% of Kane County’s votes, while Bridgewater garnered 34%. Swallow will face incumbent Democrat Jim Matheson in the fall general election.

In the race for governor, Jon Huntsman Jr. soundly defeated opponent Nolan Karras to face Democrat Scott Matheson in the November general elections. Huntsman picked up 72% of the votes while Karras had 28%.

Although primary elections usually have a low turnout, Kane County had the highest in the state with 24.48% of eligible voters casting their ballot.

By Dixie Brunner

The new Kanab City Police Chief is an old familiar face. After an extensive interview process, former Sergeant Tom Cram was named by the Kanab City Council to head the police department.

Born and raised in Kanab, Police Chief Cram brings a host of experience and knowledge to the job. “I’ve worked for the Kanab City Police Department for the past 19-1/2 years,” said Cram. In addition, Cram worked 2-1/2 years at the Kane County Jail as a correctional officer.

Chief Cram attended P.O.S.T. in West Valley City in 1983. He also graduated from the first Crime Scene Academy and attended a First Line Supervisor training.

The years serving the public have not been dull. Cram recalls investigating numerous crimes, including especially difficult ones such as a child sex abuse case at a day care, as well as an armed robbery.

His years with the Kanab City Police Department have not been without a few humorous moments. He recounted an incident about 15 years ago when a burglar alarm went off at about 5:00 a.m. at a local fast food restaurant. “I drove up and someone was inside carrying boxes out to his truck,” said Cram. “It was a local teenager. I confronted him and asked him what he was doing. ‘I’m just getting a few things for a party we’re having out at the lake.’ I said, ‘you know I’m going to have to arrest you?’ He said, ‘I guess so!’ ”

With his new job comes much more responsibility. Cram will manage a staff of five full-time police officers, one animal control officer, five reserve officers and a secretary.

Manpower is probably the biggest challenge facing the police department, according to Cram. “There’s a perception that there are too many police officers around here. Many of the officers are from different agencies with other responsibilities. Our department is the only one responsible for law enforcement within Kanab. Normally, we only have one officer on per shift covering the whole town.”

Cram said he believes the key to good public relations is keeping an open line of communication between the police department and Kanab citizens and businesses. “I’m going to make up a flyer asking for comments or suggestions on how to improve the operations of the police department.”

But Cram said they need the public’s help to do their job better. “We need the public’s eyes and ears out there. Anybody that sees anything suspicious don’t hesitate to call and report it.”

Cram and his wife Shelley live in Kanab and are the parents of three children.

Blue Sky Recycling and Cowboy Ted have partnered up for the benefit of reading programs for kids in the Kanab area. Robert and Jennifer Harris are the owners of Blue Sky Recycling, who provide recycling services in the Kanab area. They have agreed to donate a portion of their proceeds to Cowboy Ted to help fund a host of reading programs in Kanab and surrounding towns.

Blue Sky Recycling will move to once a week pickup service for recycling items beginning this month, instead of every other week. The cost for the service will remain the same.

Cowboy Ted has made visits to Kanab Elementary School and Kanab City Library to read to kids and showcase the importance of healthy lifestyles. He has visited with over 20,000 kids in Utah to share his healthy lifestyles message as part of the Cowboy Ted’s Kids Club program. Most of those visits were with kids located in northern Utah. The partnership with Blue Sky Recycling will emphasize visits with kids in the southern part of the state.

He is also in the process of taking the program to a national audience with the help of spokesperson deals he recently signed with the Buck Tobacco program. His program will also expand as an endorsed program with American Cancer Society

Libraries and schools in the Kane County area will be the priority with this new reading program. Cowboy Ted will also be making visits to schools and libraries in Garfield, Iron and Washington Counties as a result of the increased funding from Blue Sky.

Readers may contact Blue Sky Recycling at 435-673-1400 or online at bluerecycle@hotmail.com and can find out more about Cowboy Ted’s programs online at www.cowboyted.com.

This class isn’t for sissies! Led by hiking instructor Dr. Kris Hansen, Mohave Community College students made their way through the “Subway” trail in Zion National Park during last month’s backpacking class.

Students pushed through narrow slot canyons, swam frigid pools of water and rappelled down slick rock canyon walls. Student Aaron Dockstader said, “Hiking with Kris Hansen is definitely exhilarating. He is a knowledgeable leader.”

The spring semester class hiked to Kolob Arch and to the top of El Capitan in preparation for descending into the Subway. During summer semester Dr. Hansen is teaching two courses so that hikers of all levels can participate.

So far classes have explored Bloomington Cave and hiked to Observation Point in Zion Canyon. Trips are currently planned to explore the local beauty around Colorado City, and to hike down the Narrows in Zion. Student Anne Dockstader said, “This hiking class is a must experience!”

If you have a spirit of adventure, this is the class for you. To find out more about becoming a student at Mohave Community College, call 1-800-678-3992.

The Sierra Club recently announced the recipients of its 2004 Colorado Plateau Scholarship Program. This year’s recipients include two winners from Kanab High School - Samantha Hamblin and Ramie Linton. Each of the winners will receive a $1,000 scholarship for each year of a four-year college program, for a total of $4,000.

“Rural communities on the Colorado Plateau continue to struggle to diversify and bring good jobs that can support a family,” said Jean Binyon, Vice-chair of the Utah Chapter, Sierra Club. “The primary goal of the Sierra Club in offering these scholarships is to stimulate the thinking of young people who will carry the responsibility for the future of their communities.”

Scholarship applicants were evaluated on their academic record, involvement in their communities and a written essay. Essays were given the highest marks if they proposed solutions to community problems.

“This year (2004) is the final year for scholarships,” said Binyon, “and this three-year program has given a tangible demonstration of the commitment of the Sierra Club to our communities.”

The 2004 scholarship recipients all come from small towns, some with only a few hundred residents. All talked about their love and enjoyment of the outdoors, a perfectly understandable sentiment given the extraordinary beauty of their natural surroundings. Most would like to be able to return provided they can find a job.

In her essay, Linton proposed an excellent idea for leveraging the advantages of Kanab’s surroundings to build a new economy based on the sciences, “Welcome to southern Utah, home of the Grand Staircase College of Science and the Grand Circle Museum of Natural History,” she wrote – anticipating the completion of her dream. Linton foresees the college, “…would have a scientific emphasis on geology, archeology, anthropology, paleontology, and wildlife/botanical studies.”

Linton adds, “Along with the college, there would also be a museum of natural history drawing from Anasazi, Paiute, Navajo and Mormon Pioneer cultural resources and heritage…The museum would also have an economic impact through job creation and increased tourist visitation. The two new entities would work closely with the National Park Service, BLM, Forest Service and Indian Nations, especially in the new college’s field classroom studies.”

Hamblin has run track during all four years of high school. She was the only athlete, from 1A to 5A schools, to pick up four gold medals at this year’s state meet. Hamblin plans to pursue a degree either in physical therapy or veterinary science.

Ten scholarships were awarded in Utah in 2004. Awards banquets were held to celebrate the scholarship recipients and their families.

By Clint Nielsen

Gary Glover, who is the head basketball coach at Kanab High School, is our political science and history professor here at Dixie State College Kanab Outreach. He makes a “lie” of the old belief that all athletes have to be “jocks,” with lots of brawn and very few brains. Gary “is” a jock, but he will also be receiving his Masters in this very field of political science and history.

Those of you who are acquainted with Gary, or know him from high school, are well aware that no one works any harder to hone his talents or to acquire the latest factual material concerning his field . . . or any other field for that matter.

Add to this the fact that Gary is personable, unassuming and very well liked, and you have a sure fire “winner” as an adjunct college professor.

Cowboy Ted Hallisey has joined the Dixie State College teaching ranks. Ted heads up the Travel Council here in Kanab and, in talking to him, I am impressed that he’s one sharp individual. Ted will be our communications professor.

Ted’s occupational life has been the building of good relationships with the public. What better person to teach young (and sometimes not so young) minds how to inter-relate, one with another?

Ted is highly-intelligent, articulate in his speech, and has a well-developed sense of humor. I am positive college students of all ages will find him informative, interesting and likeable.

These are two more of our Dixie State College (Kanab Outreach) “a cut above” adjunct professors. You will meet each and every one of them on your way to an associate degree. You will enjoy. . . and appreciate them as much as I do.

Come see me or give me a call. I’m at Workforce Services and my phone number is 644-8910.

Kanab High School grads Kelly Brown (#31), Jesse Fitting (#64) and Cody Brunner (#17) played in the Utah Football Coaches Association 1A/2A versus 3A All Star football game last Saturday in Salt Lake City at Hunter High School. In a defensive battle the 3A squad took advantage of a blocked punt at the goal line, scoring on a one yard touchdown run on the following play, to nip the 2A squad 7-0. The score came with 6:33 left in the contest.

There were 42 players on the 1A/2A squad, which didn’t leave much playing time for anyone. The 3A team had only 25, so they saw much more action. Fitting, who had three tackles on defense, also played offensive tackle. Brown played linebacker on defense and had the longest run of the game for the 2A squad with a nine yard pickup on an inside reverse from his wingback slot. Brunner completed two of three passes from the quarterback spot and also logged time on defense as cornerback.

Coral Cliffs Golf Course was the home of the Utah Golf Association’s Kanab Amateur Golf Tournament last Saturday. Twenty four golfers played for over $1,000 in purse money in this annual event.

“I always like coming to Kanab and playing at Coral Cliffs,” said Afa Vasi who has played in several tournaments at Coral Cliffs and now resides in Cedar City.

“The greens were in great shape, the best they have been all year,” said Eldon Hunt, local resident who placed first in net play.

The competition was very strong this year. The first, second and third place winners in gross play were: Shreve Tso (69), Afa Vasi (72) and Myron James Begay (80) respectively.

The first, second and third place winners in net play were: Eldon Hunt (64), Curt Hawkins (69), and Gary Nelson (70) respectively. Results of the tournament are posted in the pro shop.

Added to this year’s tournament was a $20,000 hole-in-one competition provided by Jeff Yates and Farmers Insurance. Lunch was provided by Houston’s Trails End Restaurant.

“This was a great tournament,” said Lance Bassett, General Manager at Coral Cliffs. “The weather was perfect, the course is in great condition. I think the golfers had a good time, and chicken fried steak from Houston’s makes a perfect event even better.”

Coral Cliffs Golf Course invites all golfers to participate in the upcoming events:

•Women’s Club - every Wednesday at 8:00 a.m.

•Men’s Club - every Thursday at 6:00 p.m.

•Coral Cliffs Scramble Series - every Friday, starting in mid-July.

•Kanab High School Golf Team Par 3 Fundraiser – July 31.

•89ers, 9ers Tournament – August 21

•Western Legends Round-Up Celebrity Tournament – August 26.

•UGA Fall Classic – August 28.

•Night Golf Tournament and Dinner – September

To sign up for these tournaments, or to host your own, please call the pro shop at 644-5005.

Loud cries of Bingo, Bango, Bongo were heard resonating off the coral cliffs at the Kanab golf course on June 9. It wasn’t the lady golfers going bonkers. It was a fun tournament where Bingo meant you were on the green first. Bango meant you were closet to the hole. Bongo meant you got your little white ball in the little concave hole.

While Presto took an early lead, Stirland and Barnson won the tourney with nine Bingos, Bangos and Bongos each. Presto took Flight A (an unwanted promotion for her from Flight B) and Neill took Flight B.

The following week, Flight A was snagged by Terril and Bonnard took Flight B. Pot Play of the most fives was a three-way tie between Quinn, Barnson and Terril.

But golf took a back seat to the excellent Mexican lunch at Heidi’s splendid house, where the always fun lady golfers soaked up the always wondrous Kanab views, while soaking in a few homemade margaritas.

Come join the Coral Cliffs Ladies Golf every Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. at the links.

Dear Editor:

I’ve been struck recently by the hypocrisy and short-sightedness surrounding the effort to bring federal funds to rural Utah to promote so-called “heritage” enterprises. The allergy that local conservatives have to federal funding and the consequent federal oversight of local concerns seems to disappear when the money is coming our way. In fact, some of the supposedly most conservative government leaders are currently behind the National Mormon Pioneer Heritage Area Act (S 916), which seeks to bring us $10 million, supposedly to help us preserve our heritage.

The offer of “free” money also seems to deaden the interest in considering the true likely effects of promoting what this money is mainly aimed at – tourism. Tourism isn’t a heritage business, and when it tries to profit from heritage its effect is almost invariably to distort and cover over true heritage with a cheap veneer, if not to destroy it outright. It has been seen over and over that tourism increases property values and imposes other economic pressures on old-time residents and agriculture, often to the point of driving them out.

Look at Moab and ask yourself what tourism has done to its real heritage? Some old-timers can no longer afford to live there, and no longer recognize it as home anyway. Ask yourself what you like about your own locale. Do you like the open spaces and pleasant views of agricultural life? Or would you prefer to bring in more “upscale” people, raise property values and drive out farming and ranching? In North Sanpete, where I live, this is a real issue, as most agriculture here is already under heavy economic pressure. We can promote the preservation of that genuine heritage, or we can help destroy it. Remember how beautiful Orem was 40 years ago, with its orchards and farms? Look at it now and take your pick.

Some will think that “progress” such as seen in Moab and Orem is inevitable, that we may as well get as much money out of it as possible. If that’s true, you may as well say goodbye to your heritage now and put your hand into the federal till for your share. In fact, though, Moab and Orem chose their fate and actively promoted it. Incentives were given for uncontrolled and unwise development. That is the reflex of government. Only intervention by locals concerned with their heritage is likely to prevent the unbridled grasping after money in the most easily available forms.

I personally am not against using state or other nonlocal money for wise preservation of local heritage when there is a wider interest in that heritage. If the federal or state government wants to really help preserve the local heritage so that those from the rest of the country can also enjoy it, I’m fine with that. For example, funds for preservation of historically significant buildings that locals don’t have the money to fix up might make sense, even if it comes with some strings attached—as money always does.

But I don’t think it wise to invite in that outside control and regulation without local input and oversight. That local control isn’t happening here with the “heritage” bill. The decisions regarding it and the money have been made behind closed doors with barely a hint of local awareness and input, and nothing in the bill will change that for the future.

If you have concern for your real heritage, contact your legislators, both locally and nationally. Senator Bennett is the primary sponsor of the current bill. Let them know your views.

Kent Appleberry

Sanpete County

Eugene Hardy Russell, age 83, passed away on June 26, 2004 of causes incident to age. Born on August 26, 1921 in Orderville, Utah to Eugene Russell and Minnie Carroll. He married Lorene Chamberlain on March 21, 1952 in Monroe, Utah, later solemnized in the St. George LDS Temple. Lorene preceded him in death on October 29, 1980.

Gene attended grade school and graduated from high school in Orderville. He spent many hours helping his Grandpa Carroll on the farm learning the value of hard work. He enlisted in the Air Force in 1943 as a tail gunner. He flew 35 successful missions over Europe with the 95th Bombardiers in a B-17.

Gene owned and managed H & R Shopping Center on Main Street in Orderville for 30 years. He always had a large garden with delicious tomatoes, sweet corn and apples. He served in many church capacities and as a member of the Kane County Board of Education. At the time of his death, he was serving as a member of the Kane County Special Service District.

Gene was an attentive husband, brother, son-in-law, uncle and father who placed others needs above his own. He was kind, gentle, and always had a witty remark to share with a twinkle in his eye.

Survivors include children Sterling (Lorie) Russell of North Salt Lake, Kelly Russell of Cedar City, Lucinda (Mike) Vowles of Orem, Eric (Jodi) Russell of Centerville, and Carol Lee (Doug) Jacobs of Kanab; sisters Ona Crofts of St. George, Margaret Ann (June) Barton of St. George, & Lenore (Vaughn) Heaton of Panguitch; brothers-in-law Frank (Lucy) Chamberlain of Hernando, Mississippi, and Blain (Ramona) Chamberlain of Orem; his sweet angel mother-in-law, Lasca Chamberlain, who has unselfishly loved and cared for him for many years; and 16 grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife Lorene.

Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, June 30, 2004 at 11 a.m. in the Orderville LDS Chapel. A viewing will be held from 9:30-10:45 a.m. at the chapel on Wednesday. Burial will be in the Orderville Cemetery under the direction of Mosdell Mortuary.