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Show Utah Press Association -[8 COPIES]1521 E. 3900 S, Suite #100 Salt Lake City, UT 84124 Exp Date -Hats A5 GUNNISON VALLEY EDITION WEATHER Wednesday County to seek $4 million bond for new jail 50/24 -'• By C. R. Truitt Cloudy ^Thursday-53/29 . Partly sunny l:r Friday- 59/31 ! ^ - Cloudy - -; Saturday- 59/32 ., Partly sunny Last Week's Weather (Courtesy Ted Olson, Snow College) Date Max. Mln.Prec.Snow Mar. 13 Mar. 14 34 49 Mar. 15 51 Mar. 16 45 Mar. 17 53 Mar. 18 53 Mar. 19 46 19 19 10 .05" 1" .14" 2" 21 21 31 2S .02" trace .06" AT A GLANCE • Old gyyn gets a new name The North Sanpete Old Gym, now owned by Wasatch Academy, will soon have a new, official name. The building will be renamed the Brunger-Wilke Center at an open house and ceremony for that purpose on March 15 from 3-4 p.m. The event will be held in i onjunction with Mt. Pleasant's Pioneer Days celebration, and will follow the day's luncheon. • Staff writer MANTI—County officials arc gearing up for a campaign to sell the building of a new county jail to voters. At a meeting of the Sanpete County Commission on Tuesday, March 7, Com• missioner Bruce Blackham announced that the county plans to have a $4 million general obligation bond election in June to finance the construction of a new jail. The county would be obligated to repay the bond through property taxes if other sources of money for repayment fall through. Commissioners are confident that resorting to payment through properly taxes wouldn't have to happen, but if it did, residents would most likely see an increase in property taxes to cover it. Blackham said, however, the county, has enough contracts regarding the use of the jail that on their own the jail could bring in enough revenue lo repay the bond and cover ongoing maintenance of the building. The entire project is estimated to cost $6 million, but the county will pursue a $2 million grant from a U.S. Department of Agriculture Housing and Urban Development program that helps fund public building projects. Realizing that a $4 million bontf might be a little difficult for voters to swallow even though they likely won't get stuck with the bill, Blackham recommended creating a committee to help build support from the public or, as he put it, "talk it up in the community." The committee would be responsible for recommending ways to get the county's message out to the public. The commissioners talked about having a meeting and inviting many prominent citizens and business people to be on the committee." In another matter, the county's emergency management mariager, Richard Hight, said he is working on emergency mock exercises. He has planned Aug. 5 for a tabletop exercise that would include the county commissioners. A tabletop exercise means people involved with emergency management sit to the county's emergency plan describing how to use equipment. In other news, because of one couple's construction mix-up, county commissioners are rethinking the county's position on the splitting and joining of adjacent lots. Robert and Nicole Cunningham apout different disaster sce- proached the commission with a request to join at least two but perhaps three difnarios. Before the ferent lots the couple owns in the Indian planned exer- Ridge Subdivision. They said their home cise the com- was constructed in the wrong spot, and missioners will have attended other Emer- ended up crossing lot markers. They came before the commissiongency Operations Center training that is ers to request an exception to a county taking place this spring. He said he plans to have a full-scale policy that does not allow for structures mock disaster on Sept. 16-17. He plans to to cross lots. start Friday afternoon with training at the County Attorney Ross Blackham told high schools, and the exercise woulQ con- the commissioners that the county has a tinue all day Saturday. policy of not allowing lots that have alHe said groups involved in emer- ready been split to be combined into a gency management and training, besides single lot. He said he preferred the county the county's emergency-management didn't allow combining lots. team, include Wal-Mart, Snow College, the County Recorder Reed Hatch noted hospital, and county and local city gov- that the reverse is also true: once lots are ernments. Hight said he is also adding a section (See "Jail" on A3) nity" says Commissioner Blackham, on building public support for the bond. Filing flurry gives voters more choices WHAT A CHAPERONE By Kafhy Lin Eggleston Staff writer SANPETE COUNTY—A flurry of filings before last Friday's deadline has given Sanpete voters a big choice in this year's coming elections. Many local individuals stepped up to run for office at the last minute, and, with the party, caucuses held last night, county and state delegates are ready to choose the names voters will see on the ballot next November. County candidates Early deadline for Messenger The Sanpete Messenger office will be closed this Friday, March 24 while staff attends the Utah Press Association Convention in St. George. The deadline for submissions^of ads, news or notices has been changed to Thursday, March 23 by 5 p.m. No submissions will be accepted after Thursday for the March 29 edition of the Messen'ger. We apologize for any inconvenience. Poison prevention suggestions offered By Jill Cox RICHHELD— "Children Act Fast, So Do Poisons," is the theme for National Poison Prevention Week, March 19-25 this year, an annual program established by an act of Congress to educate parents and caregivers about preventing accidental poisoning. Central Utah Public Health and the Utah Poison Control Center offer the following tips for keeping children safe: • Keep number for the Utah Poison Control Center, (800) 222-1222, near every telephone and remind anyone taking care of the child to do the same. The center offers free, confidential help in English and Spanish. The number worksfromanywhere in the United States, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. • Store medications locked out of children's sight and reach. Don't leave medicine in your purse, in an unlocked cabinet, on a kitchen counter or on a bedside table, • Take and administer medications safely. Always read labels, follow directions and give medicines to children based on their weights and ages. Group I General Excellence Sanpete Messenger Utah Press Association General Excellence winner 1999 - 2001 • 2002 - 2003 ^2004) MANTI, UTAH • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22,2006 WWW.SANPETEMESSENGER.COM VOL. 85 • NUMBER 11 ANITA LYONS / MESSENGER PHOTO Jack (Justin Hyatt) and Charley (B.J. Starks) grow more jealous by the minute of their friend, Babs (John Clarl:), who pretends to be Charley's Aunt in order to get all of the attention from their girls, including Miss Delahay (Anne Cherise Jensen). See A5 for the story about the Gunnison Valley High School play. Two Sanpete County commission seats are up for reelection; Republican incumbent Bruce Blackham of Gunnison, a line patrolmai for Utah Power and Light company, is running unopposed for commissioner seat A. For commissioner seat B, Republican incumbent Claudia Jarrett of Mt. Pleasant, director of Human resources at Snow College will share the ballot with Democrat Vern Fisher of Mt. Pleasant, director of development for Wasatch Academy, and Frank M. Crowther, a retired home builder from Ephraim of the Constitution party. Challenging incumbent county assessor Ken Bench, Republican, is a dentist from Fairview, Democrat Constance A. Roper of Mt. Pleasant. Roper is real-estate licensed and the owner of Ropers Tax and Accounting with 25 years of experience. County Attorney incumbent Ross C. Blackham of Moroni is running unopposed on the Republican ticket. County auditor incumbent Ilene Roth, Republican of Manti is being challenged by Manti Republican Robin Benton, owner and accountant of a trucking company Manti. Incumbent county clerk, Democrat Kristine Frischknecht of Manti, will face off against Republican Sandy Neill of Gunnison, a former county employee in the clerk's office. County recorder, Reed D Hatch, Republican incumbent of (See "Voting" on A2) Gunnison considers request to sponsor cheerleading coach for the cheerleaders, made the request a week after Associate editor the South Sanpete School DisG U N N I S O N — T h e trict refused to sanction middle Gunnison City Council is con- school cheerleading. Hamblin sidering a request to sponsor asked the school district to middle school cheerleading sanction cheerleading as a sport through the city's community so the group could continue to use middle school facilities for recreation program. Dawna Hamblin, volunteer practices. By Sean Hales The school board explained that costs of liability insurance did not allow the district to sanction middle school sports. The district told Hamblin that the middle school groups could continue to use school facilities, which they are using now, for the remainder of the year. However, they would have to follow strict guidelines, including providing their own liability insurance, if they wanted to use the schools next year. It also said that the groups could Next week, on March 30, awards at the 2003 Harmony not use the name of the school the historic Casino Star Theatre Sweepstakes International vo- on their uniforms. Hamblin told the council in Gunnison will present a thor- cal competition, among others. oughly unhistorical, but hysteriMoosebuiter has been per- that each girl in the group carcal, musical group, forming since 1999 and has ries personal insurance, but Moosebutter, a male acappella been called "Saturday Night even with that, insurance quartet whose motto is, "We Live meets the Mormon Taber- through dance and cheer groups sing! You laugh!" The pro- nacle Choir" (Aviva Arts Me- like the United Spirit Association could cost as much as gram starts at 7:30 p.m. dia, Boulder, CO). This coming weekend, Chris, Weston, Tim, and $1,000. The cost to the city to add March 25—five days before Glen, all accomplished musicheerleading to the community they arrive in Gunnison—this cians, leave their audiences recreation program would be music and comedy troupe will gasping for air between belly around $450. That, and permiscompete in the 2006 Chicago laughs. Regional Harmony SweepTickets are available at the sion from the city to have the stakes competition, perhaps door or from Lori Nay (528- city's name on the cheerleaders' adding awards to their collec- 7136) or Rasmussen's Ace uniforms would be the extent of tion. Hardware in Gunnison. The the city's involvement. However, community recPrior honors include the Casino Star Theatre is at 78 reation programs are required Contemporary a cappella Soci- South Main. ety Best Comedy Song Award All proceeds go towards re- by insurance providers to offer for 2004, and the 1st Runner- storing this once-and-future- non-discriminatory activities, which differ from sanctioned up and Top American Group beautiful Beaux Arts theatre. Comedy vaudeville show coming to Casino Theatre school activities where only a limited number of participants make the team. The council told Hamblin that for the city to add middle school cheerleading to the city's recreation program, and thereby the city's liability insurance, every child who came out for the team would have to have an opportunity to participate. Hamblin said that should not be a problem, and that any tryouts would merely be used to separate participants into skill levels. However, she said that the middle school might require students to have a certain grade point average before they can use school facilities. The council said that although requiring high grades is a good motivator, insurance providers may consider that a form of discrimination. Hamblin also said that there were no plans to compete, but if the group decided to do that, there would be tryouts for a limited number of spots and that the team members would have to provide for any extra insurance that would be required to compete. The council said it would consult with its insurance provider about grade point averages and other stipulations and if they might be considered as discrimination. In the meantime, the council said Hamblin needed to prepare a written proposal for the city to submit to the insurance provider. The issue will be addressed again at a future meeting. In other business, Mayor Scott Hermansen told the council that the city's rate for Bookmobile services would be increasing while most other communities in the area were seeing decreases. City Recorder Marilyn Stewart later said the rate would be increasing from $949 to $1,476 per year. The increase is due to an increase in population, which is how the rate is determined. Hermansen also told the council that there would be no money for mosquito abatement from the state or county this year. Finally, the council again addressed the issue of sewer gasses from the new sewer line along 300 East. "The smell is about as bad as it's been," said council member Steve Buchanan. He continued that the city needed to meet with officials from the Central Utah Correctional Facility to see what could be done. * |