OCR Text |
Show nnjf n ty he Page A6 EintfS-3nhfpruh- Thursday, December 13, 2001 mt fill R. TOWN Community Comments Talor by Sam Museum s most recent Canyon Legacy is devoted to "Murder and Mayhem" Edited by Rusty Salmon, this volume, in a number of stories, tells of the not so peaceful past read every word and in Grand County loved them all Some of the stories I had heard about, some I had not, and some wrote about during the years I have occupied this chair. They were great reading. Canyon Legacy is a great publication. hope it continues forever. A little south of us, Blue Mountain Shadows" is published under the watchful eye of managing editor Janet Wilcox. The most recent issue is just off the press. It is entitled, Cottonwood Mining," and chronicles the early days of the uranium boom in the Cottonwood Canyon country southwest of Blanding and on Elk Ridge. It is fascinating reading. remember a lot of the Shumways, Blacks and Redds who undertook the prospecting and mining of ore in those hundreds of those of small uranium mines-mo- st people are now gone. Many were injured and some lost their lives in the process. Those were perilous times for the small, independent miners. If you are looking for unique Christmas gifts for people who love Southeastern Utah, would highly recommend both of these fine publications. You can probably find them at some local book stores, but if not, order them. Blue Mountain Shad- Is history important7 suspect it depends on your point of view personally think it is very important, either local, national or international particularly like local history For years as a publishing company, we have been involved in a lot of regional history projects The ones we hk e best are those who tell it as it was, not as it might I I I I I have been Too many family history projects, for instance, tend to erase all the warts and make angels out of ancestors who might not have really been angels at all The late Otho Murphy, who has now been gone quite a long time, was a historian, surveyor, rancher, explorer and who knows what else He wa a frequent visitor to our office and we always enjoyed those visits "Some day" he once told me, I'm going to tell you the real story of how " Dead Horse Point got its name He went on to say that the reason he just didn't sit down and tell me was that might be offended since some of my ancestors were involved in a not so positive way I've heard a lot of stories about how that famous state park got its name. Probably the real story is one that is not so glorious, and didn t involve any of my ancestors. Im not trying to absolve any of my Taylor ancestors of wrong doing One of them operated one of the community's first and most popular saloons His advertising emphasized "Special Attention Paid to Jug Trade." Probably several of his kinfolk were his best customers den t know about the rest of the state, but we hnre in Southeastern Utah are fortunate in having a number of people seriously working to preserve the history of this isolated country Two excellent publications have just been completed on portions of that history The Dan O'Laurie Canyon Country I I I I ows" can be obtained from Shurrell Meyer, business manager, 24 S. 300 W (55-2Blanding, Utah 84532. It runs $9.50. I ), Canyon Legacy is available at the Dan O'Laurie Canyon Country Museum in Moab, and runs $6. It is also found in a few other places, but can be ordered from Jean McDowell, museum curator, 1 18 E. Center St Moab, UT 84532, phone 435-259-798- 5. Many Trails by Adrien F. Taylor take back her maiden name. Somebody offered congratulations. She laughed. Also at the meeting were County Council Member Joette Langianese, City Council Member Kyle Bailey, and City Planner Robert Hugie (and if there were other locals there, didnt see them, but the room was packed). CIB also approved an $ 1 8,000 planning grant for the senior center. So, with the current approvals in place, the Moab Higher Education Council is moving into its next phase of action, which is fund raising to augment what CIB has done. had thought to kick off this thing with my personal donation, but four other people beat me to it! Bill and Mimi Levitt and J.J. and Sophia Wang have contributed $500 each to put the first $2,000 into the pot. I will add $500. We really wanted to give people the opconportunity to make the tribution this year, but will continue with fundraising as time goes on. Anyone who would like to donate may do so with a check made out to: Moab Higher Education Fund, and mailed to 125 West 200 South, Moab UT 84532. A receipt will be sent to donors for tax purposes. The vision of having an actual campus in Moab for the College of Eastern Utah and Utah State University has taken another step towards reality The Community Impact Board approved a $1.4 million loan, plus a grant of $100,000 to buy the building currently housing the two schools, plus two other adjacent buildings. It's something of a catch that CIB is requiring legislative approval before allocating the money, but not a real problem, according to CEU President Ryan Thomas. If Thomas says so, believe him. He's been an actor on the higher education stage in Utah for years, and he came to CEU with high recommendations from many different no-inter- I I I places No wonder He has a background real estate, and he's an attorney, in addition to all of his experience in educational circles. Besides that, he grew up in Southeastern Utah and knows this area with all its wonders and wads Sharon Northrup and drove to Salt Lake Cty to attend the CIB meeting. Sharon was Sharon Ziegler when she came to Moab as director of CEU's program here. Having been divorced for a long time, she just decided to in I (Lite (Etmrs-lubcpcubc- nt (UPS) 6309-200Entered as Second class Matter at the Post Office at Moab, Utah under the Act Second class postage paid at Moab, Utah 84532. Official City and County Newspaper. Published each Thursday at: 35 East Center Street, Moab, Grand County, Utah 84532 of address w to: The 897. 435-259-77- NATIONAL NEWSPAPER f ASSOCIATION and UTAH PRESS ASSOCIATION Samuel J. and Adrien F. Taylor, Publishers Sena T. Flanders, Editor Tom Taylor Zane Taylor f0 ymer Dommy Arderson Bobbie Dome nick, Press, Production Manager Systems Manager News Writer News Writer Ooe 3a'es Driign Jed Taylor T-- Ron Flanders franklin Seal Lisa Church C- -. Circulation Manager, l Maps . Jose Darin Hawk Betty Bailey Ron Drake Ron George Mail Room Supervsor Oliver Hams Distribution Churampi Ryan McDowell by Ollie Harris Favorite places There are still a few around that have an intimate knowledge of secret places in southeast Utah. They built the roads, tended the cattle, prospected, mined, camped in the caves and along the trail. They hunted and hiked and jeeped over most of this country. They poked about in the canyons and climbed the mountains. It occurred to me to ask some of them where their favorite places are. If they were not secretive about them I would go to those places and experience for myself the attraction that they felt. But, after asking my question a couple of times and going to a couple of their favorite places I realized that what makes a place social has as much to do with the person as it does with the scenery. I once overheard a tourist in Moab remark that if he ever saw another red rock he would throw-up- . He makes my point. A rock is just a rock, a canyon just a canyon. The degree to which they are beautiful comes entirely from the heart and mind of the viewer. And, it gets more complicated because hearts and minds change. How would I answer my own question? I don't know. My favorite place could be a slot canyon in summer where you cannot see more than a few feet in any direction and the water is cold and shouts and laughter ring and echo. It might be an aspen grove in autumn where one can sit silently in the warm sunshine and listen to the leaves rattle in the breeze. It might be a narrow, shadowy mountain trail with abundant bear scat where one gets the niggling feeling that he may not be at the top of the food chain. canMy favorite place might be any first in willows where the yon spring. emerge pussy It might be high in the La Sals where the marmots scamper about or lie sedately in the sun, or where low-count- Columnist Columnist Sports four-wheel- rocks, or brown or yellow or white stone for that matter. And sand? 1 love sand whether sculpted into bars along the rivers or into massive dunes caressed by the wind. And, yes, even when it turns to a slurry of quicksand from repeated crossings. I look at all these rocks in their many hues from red to white, and all this sand in its many forms and I ask, So, whats the big deal with diamonds? Writers on the Range When theres nothing to discuss, dont sit down by Mary Sojourner those of us who know Were different clans we are guests on this Western earth, and those who believe they own it. We speak different tongues. When we talk, it is as though we speak across unbridgeable distance. Perhaps the phenomenon is Compromise between our clans is, at best, a bandaid, at worst, chicanery. As false as the old treaties between Native Americans and the United States government. A year ago, a gentleman from a Phoenix development corporation (the Big Corp.) came up to meet with a few Flagstaff supporters, local business malcontents. He did not set up the meeting himself. Indeed, it was the secretary of his firms law firm who called. When I asked what the meeting was about, she said, Just to get to know each other.' I told her to have him call me. When he did, we had our bilingual conversation: Id like to met with a few of you who have concerns about the, uh, well plans for the Mall area, you know, so we can find some, uh, common ground and head off some potential trouble at the pass, well, not trouble, exactly, but make sure were on the same page, he said. Okey dokey. Is this about putting in a Super ? Holy cow, that'd be way ahead of the game to throw words around like that, though we are looking for what we call big anchors, well, I mean, hey, lets just play with some ideas. A former city council maverick, the ferociously savvy director of a Flagstaff community group and I drove out to the big mall to, uh, watch him play with ideas. The Big Corp. flak drove us in his gleaming SUV for a tour of the land around the mall. He referred to the old KV dealer tucked in between the mall and p as blight. When he wanted to the highway tell us about the past, he said, I'm going to roll you back." And, for the future, T m going to roll you forward." Which, of course, would require us to curl up into fetal positions and kiss our nether parts so as He pulled onto a little dirt road to become and pointed. The good news, he said, is there arent many trees. The bad news, I figured, was the prairie dog colony flourishing in the middle of the prop off-ram- Backshop SalesProduction Green River Correspondent Castle Valley columnist the picas bark and scurry under the slide rock. It might be the desert rims where one might see dinosaur bone, g as troll ths, fossils, or Anasazi artifacts. It could be any old mine or cowboy camp or cave. Anyplace with a far view might be my favorite. Throw in the rising full moon or a brilliant orange sunrise or sunset just to make it perfect. Build a fire of cedar and oak, cook a steak over the coals and it instantly becomes a favorite. A favorite place might be across a canyon from a cluster of Anasazi ruins. It would be a place where the rare, tinkling sound of water rises past the canopy of cottonwood trees. It would be a place where, if my heart and mind were right, I might hear the laughter and conversation of the ancients ones echoing across the centuries. Or, how about a vast canyon where one can go or hike in early December, a canon a yon accessed by descending over 3,700 feet of switchback trail down the face of a massive sand slide, a canyon where there are still green leaves on the cottonwoods and willows and tamarisks, and giant green ferns cling to the walls where water seeps, a canyon where it is not wise to be the last person to attempt a crossing of the quicksand, a canyon where there are square Anasazi towers and giant petroglyph panels and waterfalls? I do not know what it says about my heart and mind, but unlike the unfortunate tourist, I love red High Country News Wal-Mart- P.O. Box 129, Moab, UT 84532 Times-lndepende- or FAX 435-259-75- Member 1 address: editormoabtimes.com ail Postmaster: Send changes of March 3, Idle Thoughts from Mt. Waas roll-abl- e. erty. drove looking at the aerial He talked non-stoand map in his right hand, pulled an illegal cut through a gas station parking lot to avoid having to wait for the traffic light to change. My friends and I were uncharacteristically silent. It wasn't until the guy began referring to the malls recent lousy profits as early warning signals that I understood we were talking about war. And we were spies. Later, in the mall managers office, our host showed concern about our issues by furrowing his brow: 1, 2, 3 deep corrugations, symmetrical as tin roofing. I watched him, tried to remember for what body part the Tin Man had been headed to Oz. We asked him which retailers were being courted. He, gosh dam it, just wasnt too sure. Oh you know, small upscale chains, quality food franchises, some t. kiosks and maybe a Super We We waited. to hear more wanted Really. p, U-tu- Wal-Mar- about Super Theres nothing more to know. The Tin Man's corrugations deepened. But we would like to know if you people are going to put up opposition. Not necessarily to Super just whatever. Most likely, we said. Probably this will be a big one. What can we do, the guy said, to make you happy? You could, our maverick said, tear down the restore the forest hill that was existing dynamited to build it, and put back the trees and animals. The brow furrowed. Hey, our host said, now thats an interesting idea. Ill run it by my bosses. Wal-Mar- t. Wal-Mar- Wal-Mar- t, t, The room fell quiet. Any questions?he asked. We three malcontents grinned at each other. Not now, the former city council maverick said, but we will have later. The Tin Man let us know he was just so grateful we were willing to sit down to the table. Dont see any table, I said. He gave us his business card, assured us hed be in touch. Well, we never heard from him again. Mary Sojourner is a contributor to Writers on the Range, a service ofHigh Country News in Paonia, Colo. She is a writer and public-radi- o commentator in Flagstaff, Ariz. |