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Show The Voice of Sanpete County Number Fifty Two Mci50t Many events mar Highlights of 88 New prison brings hopes for jobs MT. PLEASAN- T- When 1988 draws to a close, county residents will still be optimistic that the future holds a more stable economic outlook. The main attentions are focused on construction of the new regional Miss Moroni Attendant Cindy Larson, left, presents a check for first place in the Community Christmas Decorating Contest to Kayle and Colleen Morley and their family. Mayor Danny Dyches, right, looks on. Blanket of snow gives Sanpete White Christmas MT. PLEASAN- T- Sanpetes White Christmas was a picture-boo- k holiday for those in the festive mood, but the series of storms that brought the traditional Christmas snow, also brought deep freeze temperatures that bottomed out to 22 degrees Tuesday.. According to Ted Olson at the Snow College weather station in Ephraim, Sanpete was hit with a series of storms with each succeeding one coming from a more northbound component. -- The first of those major storms, hitting Dec. 23 dropped about six inches of snow on the valley floor. Another 2.5 inches fell Christmas eve, and Christmas Day contributed another three inches at the station. By Tuesday, the snow had stopped but the mercury had dropped to a minus 22 degrees. Similar readings were gathered from other areas of Sanpete, with Indianola, the traditional coldest spot registering 22 degrees and -- Blaze destroys small shed in Mt. Pleasant MT. PLEASAN- T- It took volunteers two visits and two and a half hours to extinguish a per-sisttte- nt blaze that completely engulfed an outbuilding at 179 South West, here. The fire, that apparently started around 9 a.m. was first noticed by Phil Johnson who was driving by the residence. He alerted fire fighters who set off the city alarm. A second alarm a few minutes later was attributed to the Sanpete Sheriffs office that was also notified of the fire. A third alarm sounded about an hour and a half after firemen had extinguished the fire. According to Deputy Fire Chief Kay Larsen, the citys white pumper truck and red fire engine and 10 volunteers responded to the first alarm about 9:14 p.m. It took about 100 minutes to control the fire. Firemen were again alerted when the fire started up again and finally left the scene at 11:24 p.m. Deputy Larsen estimated the building, which was completely destroyed, was valued about $2500. The nature of the buildings contents and the value was unknown, he said. However, it contained some appliances and a litter of five puppies that perished in the flames. Luck as well as good fire management kept the fire from spreading to the home within feet of the building, Deputy Larsen said. Occupied by Matthew and Angela Hamilton, who were not home when the fire erupted, the property is owned by Ruth Barentsen, of Nevada. Deputtty Larsen said he did not know what caused the fire. 45 seven new inches of snow on Christmas Day. Although the snow has settled, John Bigler reported a snow depth of 12 inches in Indianola fields. In nearby Fairview, Carl Swenson, who keeps daily weather statistics, registered a 20 degrees Tuesday. He reported Fairview had received 4.5 inches of snow Dec. 25, and a total of 14 inches was on the ground. Swensen said last months precipitation was a record high for November with 15.5 inches of snow falling over the area to a total of 1.29 inches of moisture. With just a week left of the month, December precipitation totals had reached 25.5 inches for 1 inch of moisture. Mt. Pleasant temperatures dipped to 21 degrees on the east bench and 10 degrees in town according to -- -- -- sources there while the thermometer at Moroni Feed recorded -- degrees. Christmas snowfall in those two towns was estimated at eight inches. 22 State and county road crews were able to keep all roadways open during the Christmas weekend, even 1 the Fairview Canyon .Road. A Utah Department of Transportation employee, Larry Orton, of Fairview, said all seven employees working out of the state road shed in Mt. Pleasant worked both Christmas eve and Christmas day to keep the U-3- roads cleared. Those crews worked until midnight to clear the snow that fell Christmas eve and then were up at 4 a.m. Christmas Day and worked the entire day stopping again at midnight. Even though there was no snow falling Tuesday, state road crews were out on 1 grooming and clearing the high Fairview Canyon Road so that travelers and miners could get across the mountain. County road crews also gave up their family Christmas time to keep the 600 plus miles of county roads on winter maintenance open for travelers. One of those crew members, Tom Clark, of said 11 county road employees worked during the holiday weekend, off and on as needed. Although all were on call Christmas Day, about five spent the day clearing roads. Another crew put in a day duringthe Monday holiday. U-3- Woman hospitalized after auto crash Cen-terfiel- d, by Jessie Oldroyd FOUNTAIN GREE- N- Slippery roads were blamed for a two-ca- r collision that injured two Fountain Green women, Dec. 19 shortly before noon on the corner of 400 South and State Street here. The accident occurred when Lorraine Bailey, who was southbound and attempting to make the turn west toward her home, skidded and collided with a truck driven by Evelyn Hamilton, also Fountain Green, who was traveling east attempting to make the turn on State Street. Eddie Hanson, an EMT who was traveling north at the same time and on beeper duty, called the ambulance and Dr. Besendorfer, of Nephi, who was at the Fountain Green clinic. V Mrs. Hamilton and Elda Maxfield, a passenger in the Hamilton vehicle, were taken to Central Valley Regional Medical Center, Nephi, where they were treated for shock and bruises. Mrs. Hamilton was released the same day and Mrs. Maxfield was held for tests and treatment and released the second day. Mrs. Maxfield suffered a slight concussion was unconscious off and on for the first part of the day. Broken glass was removed from her eye and she was bruised. She is at home and improving. Trooper Joe Bennett of the Highway Patrol investigated the Holiday travelers from other parts of the state, reported poor road conditions in other counties, especially the metropolitan areas, and commended local road crewsfor the work they had done in the rural mountainous area of Sanpete County. The forecast is for more snow, but the storms that will deliver that snow are not believed to be as powerful as last weekend, according to weather specialist Olson. prison at Gunnison that at the beginning of the year was little more than a dream for many. Approved as the site of the new prison in 1987, Gunnison City residents awaited funding approval by the Utah State Legislature before construction actually began. Speculation began in the early weeks of the legislature's 1988 session when a $30 million surplus became the windfall for everyones wish list. The $16.9 million needed for the prisons administrative core facilities at the Gunnison prison was one of numerous projects statewide. Another Sanpete project, a $2.7 million plan to complete Snow Colleges Career Center, joined a state priority list that included a Hill Air Force Base museum, University of Utah animal care facility and Old Main renovation; a youth corrections unit; Ogden Regional Office Center parking; rest rooms for three state parks, and additional seating and cover for a 10-b- livestock arena at the Utah State Fairgrounds. When the session ended, Sanpete County had garnered $19 6 million of that surplus and the prison and Snow College projects both received a green light. Approved were $16.9 million to begin the prison construction and $2.7 million for the Career Center. h A effort by about two percent of Gunnison residents who opposed prison construction failed to affect the lawmakers decision. e Prison officials made an inspection March 29 and bids for the general site preparation, to install underground utilities and perform preliminary surface work were opened the following month. In the early construction phases, the project was expected to employ as many as 300 workers, although not all the workers would be on the site at the same time during all construction phases. last-ditc- on-sit- Governor Norman Bangerter made the prison a reality when he participated in official ground ceremonies May 3, in Gunnison. Governor Bangerter, who was among other state and local dignitaries participating in the ceremony gave a completion breaking timetable for the first phase of the million prison facility that would house inmates, as March 1990 with a second phase to add additional inmate housing in 1992. Ultimately 2000 prisoners could be housed in Gunnison, he reported. $23 500-70- 0 By December, much of the preliminary work had been completed and walls were being raised various on support services buildings Bids for inmate housing had all come in over engineer projections and another bidding process was expected to award the contract on that building package in February. Only about 30 construction workers were on the construction site in December, but once the housing is begun that figure is expected to increase to 200. The inmate housing project will also include landscaping plus additional construction of security outbuildings. Still to be funded, the balance of the construction, about $19 million, must be approved by the 1989 Legislature that will convene Jan. 9. Highlights of 88 County landfill stirs citizen controversy MT. PLEASAN- T- Although 1988 did not have a lot of issues other than those surrounding the 1988 general election, Sanpetes controversial landfill keptsurfacing from time to time. As early as April, county officials announced that the countys new sanitary landfill solid waste disposal site, located 1.5 miles north of Pigeon Hollow on Highway 89, would be ready for use as early as May. At that time commissioners reported a health permit to operate the facility had been obtained but operating schedules and fees had not been established. Instead of opening in May, however, the county received notification that it not only did not have a state health permit, it was also lacking a design review and that the state hadnt even seen the property where the county had built its $40,000 facility. Commissioners defended their actions at the time saying they were required to have the facility built and garbage buried by the end of April to satisfy a Community Grant Block Development requirement for the money to acquire the land. Although a little out of sequence, permit application was made at that time and the facility was put on hold. Also on hold were negotiations between cities on operation and fee schedules for the facility once requirements were met. During a state site inspection that month, concerns were raised by local health officials that the facility was built on a primary highway even though the county had been told of the problems with the location, including it being in a strong wind area and blowing paper and dust would be a problem as would the odors from dead animals and septic tank pumpings that probably would be offensive to those traveling the highway. Local officials aaand residents in attendance also objected to the facility destroying the beauty of the area and questioned its location adjacent to a private landfill already in operation. The landfill continued to be in the news as Mt. Pleasant City led a force of opposition to the landfill site and in November refused to sign an interlocal cooperative agreement to participate in the landfill operation. Prices tentatively set at that time, including a $2 per household monthly assessment and users fees, were objectionable to council members who felt the cost would be prohibitive to most residents. Other cities like Spring City and Fairview followed Mt. Pleasants lead. Mandatory garbage pickup using an automated truck and plastic containers on carts was proposed by a private compaction system distributor the end of the month, first to individual cities and then to a combined assembly of county and local officials and private garbage collectors. Objections to the proposal were again that the county should not be in the garbage business, that it should be handled by private enterprise, and should the equipment be purchased as proposed, the private haulers would be forced out of business as would the private landfill operator whose operation is adjacent to the countys. A public hearing was scheduled Jan. 12 along with notice from the state health department that the mandated permits could be approved as soon as two weeks following the hearing. A public comment period would last until the liearing. Just when it looked as though the county was finally going to have a clear road for operation, it was discovered that only a portion of the acre facility could be used for a landfill because of a state statute that prohibited such facilities in close proximity of a primary highway. However, themajor portion of the solid waste facility could still be utilized it was pointed out. With at least two municipal dumps, Ephraim and Moroni, facing serious problems and needing viable alternatives for their solid waste needs, and Mt. Pleasants private dump contractor resigning as of Jan. 1, and amid new EPA regulations that threaten to close all Sanpetes open dumps, Sanpetes solid waste landfill ends 1988 as it began. Although constructed with an access road and fenced it still cannot be used by those it was designed for. Endless problems, lack of cooperation, and opposition still hang over the project, but it appears the county is beginning to make headway. 83.02 Deadline MT. PLEASANT Due to the New Year holiday. The Pyramid office will be closed Monday, Jan. 2, 1989. Deadlines for advertising in The Sanpete Shopper will be Thursday, Dec. 29. Ads for The Pyramid should be turned in before 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 30. News items and pictures intended for publicaaation in the Jan. 4 edition will be accepted until noon Friday, Dec. 30. The Pyramid staff extends best wishes for the new year to all our advertisers and readers. |
