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Show i Utah Press Association k&7 E, 300 So. 8111 SLC, flT TV Listing Inside Voice of Sanpete County , MT. PLEASANT, UTAH 84647 Volume Ninety - Number December 30, 1982 Fifty-thre- e 1982 remembered Smmte ends another near MT. PLEASAN- T- Big storms at the beginning of the year and again in late September, the worsening economy and layoffs at the mines, and the uniting of Republicans and Democrats in Sanpete to carry their candidate to the Utah House competed for the big story of 1982. The New Year saw Sanpete caught in the grip of Old Man Winter with snow continuing with very little letup from the day before Christmas until Jan. 5. January As much as five feet of snow piled up in some areas of the valley floor. School was closed for two days, and business slowed to a crawl as compared the winter with 1952 when feed was dropped by air to sheep and cattle on the west desert. This year in Fountain Green, 18 to 20 inches of new snow fell on top of over three feet already on the ground from earlier storms, Fair-viereceived at least three feet, Ephraim 20 inches and Manti 16 inches. State Road 31 across Fairview Canyon was closed for all of the last week of the year and did not reopen until Jan. 15. In the valley carports, barns, and other buildings collapsed under the weight of the snow. The Soil Conservation Service announced that water content was above the year before, with 11 inches compared to 7.9 inches of the year before. In other news, County Commissioner Ned Madsen was named Chairman of the commission. Sanpetes first baby of the year was Layne Chad Sondrup of Ephraim born Jan. 4 at 2:50 a.m. at Sanpete Valley Hospital. Also in January a member of the Department of Transportation said it lad cost $100,000 to keep U31 open up to Jan. 1. Sanpete Valley Hospital board members inspected a building design for a proposed new hospital. February In February the South Sanpete School District announced that it had received $435,000 toward construction of the Middle School in Taxes were up on Sanpete homes, but still less than state average which was $515 on a $70,000 home. In Sanpete taxes were $478 for a home of the same value. Winter continued in February as Arctic cold moved into Sanpete bringing with it temperatures unofficially at 25 degrees below zero in the northern part of the valley. The Snow College weather station reported just before 6 a.m. on Feb. 6 that the temperature dipped to 24 degrees below. Former Sanpete County Sheriff Charles Wilford Bill Jensen died at the age of 89 on Feb. 3. He had also served as Moroni City Marshal. The soft market on coal sales slowed mine construction at Utah Fuels Skyline Mine. Company officials said they still have the same plans for the facility but would proceed at a slower rate. Construction continued the decline in 1981. Residential construction reached the lowest level since 1971, and new dwelling units dropped 15.1 percent from the 1981. Job Service reported a few jobs with the job picture over the country reported as stagnant. In local sports news the Manti High Templars defeated Millard 9 to take the Region 10 basketball tournament. George Collard Sr., 89, a long-tim- Ephraim. Snow pack was again the topic of conversation when the ASC said the pack was as much as five times as high as the dry year of 1981. There were 59 inches of snow up Fairview Canyon and 61 at the Huntington Horseshoe. In Manti the bronze Mortal Moroni Statue arrived and is to be placed on the grassy island below the Manti Temple. The first distribution of surplus government cheese was made to those over 60 years old in need of food assistance. Gasoline prices took a 12 cent drop as a result of the worldwide oil glut. Regular was selling for $1.25 per gallon and unleaded $1.32, which was down four or five cents from two weeks before. New underground phone cable was installed in Mt. Pleasant by Mountain Bell to accommodate future frowth, the company said. Fairview City undertook a study of hydro possibilities in Fairview Canyon. The study was funded by the Department of Energy. Mt. Pleasant VFW Post 9276 undertook a campaign for child bicycle safety and members taped school childrens bikes with reflective tap during the month of April. Water level continued to be above average in the Sanpete mountains and at all stations was above average according to SCS. Mt. Plesant City took action to collect delinquent utility accounts as rates continued to increase not only there but in all Sanpete cities and all over the county. Moroni held an open house in the new fire station April 17. The annual Sanpete range rides scheduled to inspect range conditions and determine winter loss of wild game were held in April and 51-4- e Sanpete resident, former state legislator and Provo mayor, died on Feb. 28. Moroni City received $211,000 from the Utah Water Resources Board for upgrading the water system. March Sanpete Valley Hospital issued an annual progress report showing there were 48 employees at the facility from all areas of Sanpete Valley. The new National Guard Armory was dedicated in Mt. Pleasant on March 6 with 487 people signing the register for the full days activities. The Sperry-Univa- c plant in Ephraim layed off 50 employees until a new addition to the plant could be completed. April Following weeks of rumors about layoffs at Emery Mining Company the rumors became reality on April 5 when 200 employees were layed off. The company gave as the reason that less coal was needed since the deferral of the Hunter II plant. In Mt. Pleasant, State Street rezoning became a hot issue when approximately 100 residents attended a council meeting to let their views be known. A public meeting was held to discuss the planned sprinkler irrigation system in Ephraim. May Sanpete County benefited by better health services being offered as Sanpete Valley Hospital started bringing in a mobile diagnostic unit from Utah Valley Hospital. The van is equipped for ultrasound and nuclear medicine and does scanning of many types. Snow College acquired 12.36 acres of property owned by the Entwistle Company in Ephraim. The site adds ployees but the job outlook everywhere remained poor. Dr. Marvin Higbee, president of eight buildings and 180,000 square Snow College for the past eight feet of floor space to the campus. It years, took over as president of Utah will be refurbished and used for Technical College in Provo on June vocational and technical instruction 1. at Snow. Sperry Univac recalled (continued next week) 40 em-- . May. Golf season got underway in at Palisade Golf course. The North Sanpete School Board approved building of a new high school at the initial cost estimate of $4 million to be located between a southeast section of Mt. Pleasant. It is expected to be completed in two mid-Apr- il years.' Cable TV came to Sanpete when George Lee, Chris Alexander, and Allan Sharp started Mountain West Cable TV in late April. Filing for county offices took place and saw only three officers with They were Comopposition. missioner Willis Candland who was opposed by J. Edwin Miner in the Primary; and County Attorney Paul Frischknecht opposed by Ross Blackham and Sanpete County Clerk Wayne Beck opposed by Carolyn Bessey of Manti. The Supreme Court was considering two Sanpete cases, a ruling on the Narrows Project, and an issue affecting the Legislatures reapportionment which involved parts of Sanpete, Emery, Grand, Carbon, Sevier, Wayne, Piute, Garfield, Kane, and Washington Counties. Cory Parker Draper, who arrived during a snowstorm Dec. 29, 1981 at Sanpete Valley Hospital, is now one year old, but shows considerably less signs of wear than Old 1982, due to pass into history at midnight Friday. His parents are Scott and DeAnn Draper of Moroni, and grandparents are Orson and Wilma Miner, Fairview, and Max and Shirley Draper, Moroni. He has a brother, Travis, and a sister, Kelly. Greatgrandmothers are Mrs. Mae Miner, Fairview, and Mrs. Fayora Draper, Moroni. We hope all our readers find success in their endeavors in the coming year! May you look to a year of success in THE PYRAMID Political mass meetings were scheduled in Sanpete cities as the month of May drew to a close. all your endeavors! Harrison, Marlin, Koleen, Betty, Judy, Penny, Patty, Ida, Jessie, Rickell, Debbie, Evelyn, Margaret, Charleene, Norita. Janet Prazen of Helper filed as a candidate for election on the Democratic ticket against Democratic incumbent Ray Nielsen. UP&L wants its side of storm told Dear Editor: When does Utah Power & Light get its chance to respond to the Pyramid's front page articles regarding the companys coal operations, rates and related issues? This is a question Ive asked for three weeks now. Mr. Mead may have been asking that question for three weeks, but he didnt ask s.nyone at The Pyramid. UP&Ls Grant Pendleton did ask us about three weeks ago, if the company's side of the story would be published and was assured that it would. I realize that when UP&Ls public relations office contacted you two weeks ago to rebut some of the points raised in the first story, you said you'd supply a list of questions for us to answer. But when do we get the list? The list is still being compiled, with more questions added as more and more circumstances are brought to our attention. It will be submitted when it is completed. Perhaps you plan to hold off until the last installment when youll feature UP&L's responses. If thats the case, here are a few points that need to be made in the meantime: UP&L can buy coal cheaper on the spot market at present, although that hasnt always been the case. But power plants are not like fireplaces. You cant simply toss in the coal and hope it will burn. When UP&L builds power plants, it does so with a specific quality of coal in mind. Furthermore, before constructing a plant, the company locates and earmarks a coal to burn supply of in that power plant. We dont build a plant and then shop around for spot market coal and hope that some of the right quality coal happens to be available. That would be an way of managing our business. The Pyramid is aware UP&Ls power plant boilers are designed for specific quality coal. That quality can be readily obtained. All currently produced Utah deep mined coal is of the same genesis-th- e Wasatch Plateau formation. UP&L has purchased and burned coal from a number of other mines: Consolidation, Price River, U. S. Fuel and Valley Camp- - for their power plants. A number of other electric utilities, among them Nevada Power and Sierra Pacific, have successfully used coal purchased on the spot market by specifying the critical coal quality parameters they require. The suggestion that we burn Wyoming coal because it is cheaper alo won't wash. Wyoming coal has different characteristics than Utah coal and wont work in UP&Ls Utah boilers. None of the three articles in The Pyramid contained any mention of burning Wyoming coal. The banner headline that said Stockholders seek UP&L coal d hearing delay gives a picture. There have been many delays in this hearing, as the article of Dec. 16th notes. Some delays were one-side- requested by UP&L. At least one delay was brought about by the Committee of Consumers Services which, by most reports, needed additional time to prepare its testimony. Your reliance upon the study made by Sylvia M. Siegel as information for the articles makes me suspect some of the conclusions that have been drawn. There is no opportunity in a newspaper article to e her to see how well The Pyramid has documented five her theories stand up in the face of delays in the scheduled hearing. The questions. We at Utah Power believe Committee of Consumer Services did request one of those five extensions, to obtain answers to questions posed by UP&L. cross-examin- UP&Ls rates have risen, just like everything else. The rates have gone up for two basic reasons: growth and inflation. Inflation is something everyone can understand. On the other hand, growth manifests itself in new power plants, new power lines and additional facilities. This growth necessitates that the company raise more capital. That, in turn, translates to more interest and dividends to be paid. The states in which UP&L serve have grown three times faster than the nation as a whole. We wish the growth were less. It would, among other things, translate to lower increases in electric rates. that when we finally have our day in electric service, Id like to court, we will be able to prove ask that you consider telling both beyond a doubt that our coal mines sides of this complex issue as each installment is printed. greatly benefit our customers. On behalf of the 4,200 employees at UP&L and the 1,300 Emery Mining Sincerely, Corp. employees, the majority of David Mead whom are conscientiously doing Manager, Public Relations their part to provide reliable and low-co- Sterling Scholars chosen at North Sanpete High MT. PLEASAN- T- Nine Sterling Scholars have been chosen at North Sanpete High School to compete in the Central Utah competition. They are Julene Taylor, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Del Taylor, general scholarship; Shelley Hill, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Don Hill, Mt. Pleasant, English and literature; Tina Dahl, daughter of Wanda Dahl, Fairview, speech and drama. UP&L's residential electric rates Lori Mickel, daughter of Mr. and have risen from just over one cent Mrs. Harold Mickel, Spring City, per kilowatt hour in 1972 to just over social science; David Swain, son of seven cents per kilowatt hour in Mr. and Mrs. Howard Swain, Mt. 1982. Thats a 700 percent increase in Pleasant, science; Carl Poulsen, son 10 years. And that doesnt include of Mr. and Mr. Steve Poulsen, the 19 percent average increase Moroni, vocational education. Becky Brinkerhoff, daughter of sought by UP&L at the last hearing Mr. and Mrs. Dan Brinkerhoff, before the Public Service Fairview, homemaking; Stacey Allred, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Osral Allred, Spring City, business education; and Marie Sanderson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Val Sanderson, Fairview, music. Judges will rate the scholars on scholarship, 50 percent; leadership, percent; and citizenship, 25 percent. Judging day will be March 28 at the Centerfield Ward chapel. Announcement of winners will be held April 5 at the 11th annual Sterling Scholar Awards Program at North Sevier High School in Salina. 25 Slick roads cause wreck MT. PLEASAN- T- Slick roads were the cause of a two-ca- r collision Dec. 23 near Doves, south of Mt. Pleasant, according to Mt. Pleasant Police Chief John Christensen. There were no injuries. A car driven by Kent Dukepoo, 25, of Pleasant Grove was southbound on Highway 89, Christensen said, an auto driven by William Senrick, 36, of Mt. Pleasant, also southbound, slid into the Dukepoo car. when No citations were issued. Damages were estimated at $500 to Dukepoos auto and $400 to that driven by Senrick |
