Show Y B xA r n H 4 i y yr r I Y THE OUTSTANDING PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD given by the Vernal Area Chamber of ol Commerce every three mont months s was presented to 1 L. y Y right Tuesday at the Directors Director's meeting Brent Feltch Chamber public relations committeeman left presented the tho award Mrs Merle smiles approvingly at her at-her her husbands husband's recognition r Outstanding Public Service Award given by Chamber Laurence Y Y recently received recognition and honors from the US U.S. Bureau of Reclamation members of the Water Con Conn Conservancy Conservancy District and Vernal City representatives for his dedicated service At their Tuesday board meeting the Vernal Verbal area Chamber of Commerce also honored Mr by presenting him with an Outstanding Public Service Award The award was in recognition of his many years of public service and his role in bringing about the proposed awarding of ofa a contract for the construction of the Jensen Unit Central Utah Project The present drought condition has added great emphasis to the importance of the Jensen Project and the Dam One could not discuss the Central Utah Project the Colorado River Storage Project or the Uintah Water Con Conservancy District without across the name of Laurence Y Of course his friends and neighbors neighbors neigh neigh- bors know him as LY LY was active in the early promotion of the Colorado River Storage Project both in Utah and Washington DC D.C. During the critical years before passage of th the Act in 1956 LY spent several months in Washington as part of the Upper Basin promotion team FOLLOWING passage of the Colorado River Storage Project Act he worked to form the Uintah Water Conservancy District On November 27 1956 he was selected by the Board of Directors as the manager Under the direction of the Board of Directors LY helped in working out all arrangements so the Vernal Unit could be constructed Following completion of the project it was turned over to the Uintah Water Conservancy District and L. L was given the responsibility to operate the project L. L LY Y represented County on the seven County drafting committee to work out agreements for the formation of the Central Utah Water Conservancy Conservancy Conservancy Con Con- District He lie was appointed by the court to be on the original board and he was reappointed twice Recently LY has been Involved Involved involved in In- in the planning and promotion of the Jensen Unit and anda a dam on the White River The White River Project will furnish water for the oil shale projects He lie has also been appointed to represent Utah on ona ona ona a negotiating team to divide the waters of the White River between Colorado and Utah Representing Utah LY was selected to serve as President of the seven Colorado River States on the Colorado River Water Users Association Presently he is a member of the Board of Directors of the Association L. L LY Y has served prominently for many years in the progress of water development in the western states From November 1956 until 1965 LY GY served as manager of the Uintah Water Conservancy District and also as secretary manager of the Vernal Chamber of Commerce Ills His dual role ended in 1965 1963 when he devoted full time to the Conservancy Conservancy Conservancy Con Con- District and the Central Utah Project lie He has been an active supporter of the Chamber lie He was the first treasurer In 75 1974 he served as vice president and in 76 1975 he served as president of the Vernal Area Chamber of Commerce A LONG LIFE resident and booster of Ashley Valley LY was born at the power plant of Vernal Milling and Light Company in Ashley Creek Canyon to Frank and Ella His dad was the operator of the power plant at that time He attended a year at BYU after his graduation from Uintah High and before he began a career which has has' seen him figure prominently in the development of several businesses in Vernal After working for Barber Asphalt Company in the gilsonite mines for a time LY became office manager and manager of Uintah Gas Company until they discontinued service in 1941 He was part owner and manager of Utah Motor Co Plymouth- Plymouth DeSoto dealer and also originally opened the Vernal Office Supply LY LYs s wife is the former w Merle Jensen aTso a a time long-time resident of the area They have two daughters Mrs Ken Jeanne Anderton Vernal and Mrs Bob Lou Ellen Hunt Grand Junction Colo |