Show Background Report Community Conquers Its Problems By Meeting Them HeadOn f No one knows better than tha Ken McDougald proprietor I of of the McDougald Oil Company Company Com Com- pany how now his city conquers its problems He was MaYor Mayo of Moab during the mos most cru crucial ial period of Its history the uranium boom As exciting and prosperous prosper prosper- ous as were those years nov logged In history as s the big gest uranium rush in the Nations Nation's history they were trying ones for city officials Moab flooded with pe people prospectors miners am and and supplementary businessmen and their families The quiet quie villa of about a thousand nd residents doubled Its lation almost and ant during the height of t e uranium ura- ura ilium hunt an estimated 7 7 persons lived In the val vat ley Shortages Loomed They brought prosperity and they brought problems Moab was suddenly deficient in everything water homes sewage facilities ant and ands s schools There wasn't even leven enough parking space in downtown Moab to take care of the traffic to say nothing of police force to patrol It Luckily the boom proved an orderly one These were some of the problems facing Ken McDougald McDougald McDougald Mc Mc- Dougald when he was ele elect elected elected elect elect- t. t ed Mayor In 1957 Jle Ue soon discovered time was the most shortage of all He lie and his Council often worked tr their er way around the clock as they sought to solve the boom town Theres There's a lot of difference between the community service service ser ser- service vice kibitzing role and beIng being being be be- ing in the center of the ring they found Ken had one point In his favor He had recently completed a term termon on the Council himself and was abreast of the situation Solving the Problems t Problems were tackled one by one one and solved the same way Getting the tine trailers parked was a major milestone milestone mile mile- stone At one time there were almost a thousand mobile mobile mo mo- mo bile home owners In the valley valley val val- ley and space to park less than half halt of ot them The trailers trail ers frs spread all over town in private yards yard and vacant lots Jo Local park owners were encouraged to increase their space and one large pew facility fa facility fa fa- was constructed Eventually Eventually Even Even- ven all mobile homes were legally parked Additional water lines Unes and tanks were Installed an and l during Kens Ken's administration adminIstration adminis adminIs- one of the tho largest bond Issues le In the tho city's his his- tor Cory ory was passed to Increase water and s sewer facilities There were funds remaining then Ken len said for a sewage disposal plant which still vends Various revenues were In Increased In creased or Imposed d to alev alev- late ate the city's money shortage short a age e city sales tax was an excellent source as were parking arking meter returns But Dut Buthe Duthe he ie says we could never have weathered the boom without fund assistance They were constantly on t tine the e alert for or available loans Joan and grants NO Ghost Town zoning planning and enforcement was effect ed d during Kens Ken's term of pt of Qt fl ace e th the recreation board was established stilt still a val val- K K E. E MCDOUGALD t II organization The success achieved by Ken am and his Council in pullIng pulling pulling pull pull- ing Moab through the lem lean boom years has been acclaimed acclaimed acclaimed ac ac- ac- ac claimed by many mediums the state and na na- tion When It subsided Moab was not riot the ghost town predicted d. d but a city so well equipped and organized organized or or- that of those lOse boomtown residents stayed to make it their permanent permanent permanent per per- manent home Ken credits the people of Moab for tor their city's success story They are a class of ot people who look ahead establish establish est est est- goals then cooperate to make them possible A city government is no better than its people he believes Mr McDougald lives In Jn Nichols Lane Iane with his wife Audrey and children Gil 12 and Kim 1 H. H He lie was Just Gils Gil's age when he moved from Texas Teas to Moab with his family Following graduation from Grand County High School he enlisted in the Army and spent the last half halt of ot World War Var II It in the Pacific Zone as a Tech Sergeant Ser Ser- geant In medical supply He lie liethen then Ihen returned to Moab and went to work chalking up an Interesting success story for tOr himself Enter Enters Into Business He entered the bulk oil and gas business In Jn 1947 With Standard In 1955 1355 he transferred to Phillips erecting erecting ting ing has present business establishment in South Moab lie He Ie now owns five stations as well N three In Moab one oneat oneat at lit la Sa Sal gal Junction and one oneat oneat at tit Cisco He is a past director dir actor ector of the Intermountain Oil Marketers Association In spite of ot the pressures of his hIli own business he Pc has found time tor for other contributions contri- contri buttons to his city Jfe Ife h has s been een a member of ot the draft dratt board ward for tor several ev ral years Is chairman of ot the tw ne Red heft l Cross Chapter pr president of ot the Moab MOb Country Club an and pa past t commander of Rf the American Legion fegion fh The Moab Businessman as- as aI assisted as a- In Jn organizational work I and in obtaining s a charter chart r for tor pr the Moab Maal National n and Is now a director of the facility facUlty Busy B D Dys ys Ahead Ken f founded his business before the boom upon faith alth Sn In n Moab's future That faith still exists ex ex- exists Iq hI spite pf of an admitted decline t the e p past st few years beginning with the exodus of pf miners a few years ye ago In the La Sal area alone mine workers decreased ed from about 1000 to an estimated There are busy days day ahead though this enterprising businessman believes This time Ime we are ready for them Moab City is planned ahead for or years to come I i |