Show 11 r 3ry VALLEY Winona Allred and Marilyn EDITION Miller'j NUMBER 50 4218 By Lloyd Breezy Mostly Saturday - 4420 Mostly sunny Last Week’s Weather J Anderson Reported by Lee Date Dec Dec Dec Dec Dec 10 Dec Dec 12 6 7 8 9 11 was sympathetic with the plight of rural schtxils he just couldn’t help “We left and went to the state school board office and talked to Call Associate publisher 4316 clear Max Min Prec Snow 01 36 16 trace 33 13 19 36 21 45 32 44 27 46 23 47 24 MANTI— Providing equality education in a poor rural school district is always a challenge But former Sanpete superintendent Scott Bean le told us he just happened to have about $8 million left in a special loan fund at percent interest Through a lot of hard work we got that capital outlay loan and that let us really fix up our schools says Dwight Inouye who stepped down Wednesday Dec 8 after 23 years on school board the South Sanpete School District has come a long way since the early 1980s When Inouye a Gunnison physician joined the board in 1981 tire district’s buildings were deteriorated and the district “simply didn’t have the money we needed to provide a really good education to students” Finally in 1995 the school board went to then Gov Michael Leavitt Leavitt turned down the board’s request for extra funding le told members that although he National forest meeting considers roads and trails in T a blend of sticking up for your own side but looking at the other side too” he remembers At Inouye’s final board meet- best board members” Gottliedson said “He and Dwight Inouye honored after years of service on the South Sanpete School District board 23 improvements in our elementary schools" Inouye said Another difficult period oc WKTWWvp million Teacher salaries in 198 totalled $44 million includand eming aides substitutes ployee benefits Tixlay dial amount is over $10 million including another $47 million in benefits and retirement juwww h from pm at the Sanpete County Courthouse The public is invited a You A said It! communities some 4000 of them in the county to find the American ” — Dwight Inouye reflecting on challenges remaining as he leaves the South Sanpete School Board nm A4 Opinions Lifestyle School Sports Classifieds A5 A9 A10 A14 cvfotah Prev? °J First Place Group General Excellence yVSanpete Metwngaryy f 4soci(0'en Utah Press Association General 1999 - Excellence winner 2003 - produced great (See 1 ' f of selected Sanpete County childrer received $100 each Saturday to shop for their families and themselves Dozens Above left: Shon Tripp officer with Palisade State Park takes youngster shopping as part of Shop with a Cop program Above right: Excited kids from Mantl Ephraim and Sterling for shopride bus to ping trip sponsored by Mantl High School and the Bear Hugs for Christmas Foundation an arm of the Utah Jazz Bottom left: The Jazz Bear came to Ephraim to help with shopping Bottom right: Some of the more than 225 Mantl High students who turned out to take youngsters shopping - Airport will be brought up to FAA standards By John Hales Staff writer EPHRAIM — The Municipal Airport will receive next year accord- improvements ing to a contract recently approved by Ephraim City At a meeting of the City Council on Dec the city approved a deal with Creamer and Noble Inc the firm that has been the airport’s engineer for a number of years to bring the airport up to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) standards Ephraim city manager Richard Anderson said the project includes construction of a fence to keep wildlife away from the runway replacement of runway lighting installation of Piccision Approach Path dicators (lights that show pilots the correct approach path to the runway) burial of power lines that arc currently above ground and relocation of the control tower beacon and windsock Anderson said the airport is part of the Federal Airport System which requires the airport to comply with FAA rules In return the airport is entitled to about $ 50 (XX) fix mi the federal government each year The project is expected to cost just under $5(X)(XX) Anderson indicated but the exact cost won’t be known until the city receives bids from construction contractors The project was put up f6r bid once already in 2(X)3 but difficulty in getting aviation easements which allow planes to fly over private property on approach paths COPY — citiens from our “Inouye" on A2) d By to the airport delayed it Since then said Anderson risen necessitating a Anderson expects “Gunnison council” on A2) Sub-for-San- ta applications exceed donations to date Ixist week can still make a difference costs have of the project the project to begin next spring “after the weather breaks" The federal government will bear the brunt of the project’s cost paying 90 percent The slate will pay 5 percent and Manti and Ephraim cities will pay 25 percent each said Anderson Manti City will not need to take action on the contract explained Anderson since the airport management agreement between Ephraim and Manti provides that Ephraim manages the airport on behalf of both cities Anderson said because the airport is pail of the federal system improvements to the facility offers the potential for more flights to come into the airport According to a recent study prepared by an independent consulting Finn and paid for by the Utah Air Travel Commission the airport contributes about $106 million to the local and state economies annually At the same meeting the Ephraim City Council approved another contract this time w ah an sen Allen & Luce (HAL) EnThe approval allows UAL to gineering prepare a grant application for a water red Lunation project the city is considering The grant is available through the Bureau of Reclamation’s (under the US Department of the Interior) Water 2025 (Sec Geoffrey Pace Staff writer GUNNISON — TheCily Council unanimously voted against (lie request by China Gate Cafe for variance of the proximity restriction for a state liquor license at the Dec council meeting For the restauiant to qualify for a state liquor license the city had to grant a variance to an ordinance that requires all outlets of alcoholic beverages to be more than 600 feet from libraries churches and other public buildings since the cafe is close to the city library 'Hie motion for denial was initiated by Couneilwoman Jeiolyn Young and the rest of the council unanimously supHirted it he city sewer project awarded low bidder Terry Lai sen Excavating of Utah County and supplier W R White ol West Jordan contracts for renovation of the city’s sewer pipelines Woik should start in February or whenever the weather would allow woi k to begin The council noted thit the city should purehaxe the pipe itself saying the bid price has skyrocketed m recent months About $14 (XX) is available from sewer impact fees for this project Donald Childs of the city maintenance department reported that Ihe water line that broke last week at the Star Theatre had been fixed The repairs cost $30 ( )(hei maintenance issues were discussed One was the reparation of the Peacock waterline fencing by Nine Mile Springs Another was to remind citiens where to place then vehicles during snowy (See is helping children in the Hispanic L if pAy-- f Vi - qg'pT r cMff- An open house honoring Greg Deltinger for his service oil the Sanpete County Commission will be held Tuesday Dec 21 squared off a time or two over things le's haidheadcd and so am but he always had the best interests ol the scIukiI district at heart” “What is most striking to me” Inouye told school administrators and fellow board members at the meeting “is the dedication of stall employees and teachers of our disbelieve their efforts have trict $155 WAL ta vs EM Greg Deltinger “Dwight has been one of our Paul Wednesday disUict administrator reviewed other changes that have occulted in the past 23 years In 1981 the school budget was about $35 million today it is ' iTYj ‘TSBHMflfc to be honored at open house Dec 21 ployees very last ing Gotlfredson ‘The state was able to help us pay back that loan and we have just about got it all paid back now" Inouye recalls with pride ‘That was one of the high points of my time on the board” "As I hx ik back over the years back then we had a hard time just housing students Now we have two modem high schools middle schools and we have made a lot of I (435) In 1981 student enrollment was 2038 Today that enrollment is 277 and has been been as high Gunnison denies variance request by China Gate Cafe V- - M Drainage For information contact Mat Meccariello in Price at greatest current challenge 15 2004 as 30IX) over the last 23 years The district employed 187 people in 1981 now that figure is 498 em- u nr) NaThe tional Forest will host a public meeting tonight at 6:30 pm at the Centerfield Town Hall 130 S Main to discuss the future of roads and trails in the Muddy “ Our DECEMBER curred in the early 1990s when there were a lot of bitter feelings between the North and South Sanpete disti ids “But we woi ked through it and learned to look at — the county more Muddy Drainage dream WEDNESDAY Inouye reflects on 23years of board service Wednesday Friday UTAH MANTI M§TOl Thursday 4118 Clear & cold 4i?n GUNNISON Sanpete VOL 83 fr “Airport” C’hal- - on A2) By Kathy Lin Eggleston Staff writer “With only a few days left $275 and 75 left to fill Santa could applicantions use some help!" says Agnes Heath of Sanpete Sub for Santa a new countywide organization that is in remaining donations Christmas gifts for scores families When the organization receives an application it reviews it and ther assigns it to a sponsor family or to one of its volunteer shoppers When items to fill the family’s need have been collected they go into a big bag Then the organization calls the recipient family to pick up the providing of needy bag “Many of the bags are all packed and ready to go Families are receiving calls now to schedule pick up” says Pastor David Bogc of First Presbyterian Church who is the effort with Heath However many more applications are waiting to be filled “This is what Christmas is all about" says Boge “We still need volunteers and funds to finish the job" Cash which is urgently needed can be donated at any Far West Bank branch Donations are tax deductible BRUCE VAN DER RIET PHOTO Agnes Heath and Pastor Dave Boge display a few donations More are needed and can be dropped off at four locations Unwrapped toys and donations can still be dropped of at Gunnison Implement Sanpete Messenger Terrell’s and Mt Pleasant City Hall “Please give until it feds good" Boge advises |