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Show Volume Figlitv Out Tooele, Utah, Friday, April Gist 15, 1977 Fifteen Cents NiuuIxt Forty Si . Co. Talks Irrigation Rationing, Keeps Clegg Settleiueut Cans oil Irrigation Company stockholders culled for some realistic ssater control plans and Rave comp- any president Howard Clegg a vote of confident e in their annual meeting Tuesday night. "We need a system of control right the waters all Rone, now, one stockholder. "I want some water all sear, not a lot of water in the ticRiiiniiiR and none the rest of the sear. e d A RESOLUTION callinR for Imard memliers to insestiRate a worhahle plan teethetl with "some kind of enforcement measures was passed hy the more than IV) stinkhohlers who linked into the city council room and spillniR into the City Hall foyer. Tlie projiosjl came after company water eiiRincer Dan Lawrence said he feels the Tooele area is much worse off than the 85 percent precipitation fiRures iiulic ate. "Surely we have to lake into account the soil conditions and snow pack" . . Its my view that law rcnce said. we would all do well to lieRin very early if not at the very lieRiuniiiR to start a controlled irriRation and ration-in- were discovered and filled without notifying the mayor or city council. Citing that incident and a newspa-N-- r rcNirt of IxturdmemlM-- r Thinner Mi Kciiriru k's comment that the problem was "in me of the tity's business, Mavor Doug Sagers said.Of course we want to protect the citys interests and it is only projM-r- , that as city officials we try to do that." Mi Kendrick said the comment was misunderstood, xiiutiug out it wasn't his intent inn to hurt any feelings. the meeting. Clegg AS HE ox-nepointed out problems sometimes arise as a result of luck of continuity in local government. "I came on this Ixiard four mayors ago, and weve had a lot of councilmen in the meantime," said the local rancher. "It seems we never reelect anvone in this town, and part of our problem is that there is no of serviie. Some may think Ive on tixr long. That may lie true, too. con-tmni- Ix-o- Clegg said the city has ulxmt 8 percent of the Settlement Canyon Irrigation stixk and has always represented by one man, explaining he thixight that was a fair situation since it "was more than their stock would pay lx-e- R proRram. for. WHILE COMPANY water shareholders discussed how to deal with an upcomiiiR dry summer, election counters tallies) votes split Saying the city appreciates the representation on the Ixiard, Sagers explained to the group the city has no desire to take control of Settlement Canyon Irrigation Company but just wants to lie able to cooperate more with the Ixiard. veter- an lmard meinlier Howard Clegg and his challenger Jim Cowans. Company water shareholders, allowed one vote r share, voted to keep veteran Ixiard memlier Howard CleRR as president of the irriRation company. after CleRR retained his position lieing challenged for the Ixiard spot hy Jim Cowans, defeating him hv a 900 vote margin. Some 3000 of the 4,400 possible votes were cast at the meeting. TOOELE CITY officials ad agreed to support tiowans with the city's 683 votes, citing concern alxiut the management of the irrigation company." That concern stemmed, to some degree, from a communication problem last fall when leaks in the reservoir floor x-- "EYE HEARD over the last few days many people ask why the city wants to take over Settlement Canyon Irrigation Company," said City Councilman Beckstrom. Nothing like that has ever lieen mentioned in any city council meeting. . . And other rumors that irrigation company emploves would lie released if a director were elected are false. The council dixnt have anvthing to do with it. The group applauded when Beckstrom said that, after the election, the city and all other stock holders should d . . city-backe- d supxirt whoever is elected. But we need to lie informed and know what'f going on at all tunes," he added. After the election, Clegg concecd-e- d that a failure to communicate had one of the Ixiard's weaknesses and prixnised the stockholders he would work in improving that avH-c- t of the lx-e- cixnpaiiv's management. CITY CONNECTION share holders and agricultural users joined to criticize the wasteful practices of many stix kholders during the meeting. "Weve had more water than we've needed over the years," explained Clegg saying there still appeared to lx- shortages. "And so we have lots of abuse, he exxitinued. Tails of water is wasted. The meters indicate some water as much as possible the firstdav of rationing during arat inning week and then apply just as much water the second day. Railing against wasteful water pracJoe Beck told users to tices, learn how to use their water effectively. "I know one person who watered weeds all summer long. He had a can-- t elope this size, Beck said making a small circle with his thumb and forefinger. He just figured if he watered it all summer long he could make a water-mclln- n out of it. WE OUGHT to know what water is gixxl for, he continued. "And we ought to put a tm can on our lawns and when we get an inch in there, shut off the water. Others said they had witnessed far- mers sprinklers running day and night, even in rain and snow. Criticism of city water waste was met with a promise by city officials that much had lieen done to help curb it and more care would be taken this summer. Soil Conservation Service Engineer Don Rosenborg suggested agricultural users could save large amounts of water by changing the small plastic nozzles in sprinkler heads regularly. (Continued on Page Three) j 7 Pumps pour water into stream feeding Settlement with rights to water Canyon Reservoir. Stockholders in background discussed rationing and leadership of rigation company in annual meeting Tuesday night. Clinic Awarded Major Grant Family Health Care, Inc. Administrator Boli Immitt announced the clinics application for a $450,000 grant was officially approved this week during a Chaml r of Commerce meeting x-- Wednesday. Immitt said thegrant will lie used to help pay deficits previously offset The with county funds, explaining grant helps us reduce the risk of opening a new practice and gives us a chance to update facilities, offering an incento stay in the tive for group area. for EXPRESSING appreciation his reception into the Tooele area, the new- - administrator praised the work done at Tooele Clinic and the health care groundwork laid by such men as Doctor Tura Aldous. Thats not to say were charging in here on our white horse to take over dx-tor- s anything," Immitt explained, pointing out the size of Tooele and number of people in the area indicate all the health care services can lx? used to the community's advantage. Since most of the grant money that will lie awarded the clinic on a quarterly basis by the Roliert Woixl Johnson Foundation is planned to breach the clinics yearly deficit, no expansive projects will lie undertaken, according to Immitt. HE SAID the money will allow the clinic to recruit a fourth physician and a dix'tor's assistant and nurse-midwi- in July of this year. According to Immitt, health care needs for youth will lie a prime concern in the future. He said surveys taken to provide information for the clinics application for the grant indicated 31 percent of Tooele County's poand 42 pulation is under 14 years-ol- d percent is under 19. Citing some of the goals the clinic has. set, Immitt explained it hopes to provide strong Primary Health Care, innovative develop programs of Dugway Women Serious ' After Fume Exposure Two Dugway Proving Cround employees were in serious condition Wednesday after inhaling acid fumes during a laboratory test. t, 18, and Joy 27, both of Dugway, inhaled the nitrogen oxide gas shortly after noon Wednesday when the gas hood in their laboratory was inadvertently shut off for maintenance. Lynnette Gilmore, Ric-ker- Board Member Resigns From Post Max Shirts submitted his resignation from the Tooele County School Board Tuesday night at the groups monthly meeting. Shirts resigned saying he plans to move to Salt Lake City before retiring from his job at Dugway Proving Ground. D. J. Fredrickson, left, and his uncle, Ernest Benson watch drilling rig drill first well in Vernon about 1918. tractorstands in the background. Water An old tract-typ- projects have come a long way .since the camera recorded this image. e Teacher negotiation decisions and other board business will be reported in Tuesdays Bulletin. DUGWAY spokesman said the was studying the potential for pair ground water contamination in conjunction with an Environmental ProA tection Agency project. They were performing tests that called for hydrochloric and nitric acid to be used, according to the spokesman who said, The test is performed in the laboratory under a gas hood, which pulls out the fumes while working on such a test. The gas hood was apparently inadvertently shut off for maintenance during the lunch hour. THE SPOKESMAN explained the women apparently failed to notice, the hood was not on and continued work on the project after returning from lunch. They then noticed the hood was not functioning and turned it on. Later, when the pair began to complain of sore throats, they were taken to Dugway Health Clinic and flown to the University of Utah Medical Center by Army Helicopter. Vernon: 59 Years Of Water Development Editor's note: In preparation for the dedication of the Vernon Irrigation Project planned to take place April 20, Don Rrnilhwaite, the Tooele County soil conservation officer, prepared the following history of water development in the area. Emil Pehr-son- , Ruth Reunion, Colin Rennion and D. J. Fredrickson provided valu-- . able history and photographs for the story. by Don Braithwaite No matter where you are, water is an important commodity. Perhapss few appreciate that fact more than the families who have coerced a once desolate land into fertility using irrigation. Vernon, Utah is made up of those kinds of families. As completion of Vernons current water project draws near, promising to provide more of the water needed to keep that land fertile, a look at the lands history may lie educational. SURPRISINGLY enough, the semi-ari- d Rush Valley wasnt always a stub born land. Early pioneers wrote in their journals of the waving sea of grass growing there. But shortly after the first domestic livestock grazing started when LDS Church settlers pioneered in the valley in the 1850s, cattlemen enroute to Caalifomia with huge herds of longhorns stopped to winter in the luscious valley. Soon the grazing pressure became too great and the grasses were replaced by sagebrush, greasewood and rabbitbrush; the precious topsoil was eroded away. THE TOWN of Vernon, Tooele County, Utah, was named after Joseph Vernon, who settled there and started raising cultivated crops (probably wheat) and cattle. Approximately 1857, Tabby Weepup, an Indian, brought his gun to Joseph Vernons camp to have it fixed. Indian Tabby came into Josephs cami alxiut noon on that particular day, ani. finding Joseph busy preparing meat, he spied two guns leaning against the wagon box, picked up one of them and shot Vernon. A young companion of Vernons ran to Johnsons settlement for help; but to no avail, for when they returned the next day, Joseph Vernon was dead. Because of an Indian Treaty, Tabby was never prosecuted for the fatal shooting of Vernon. However, he died not long afterwards of accidental gunshot wounds when the gun he was cleaning discharged and fatally wounded him. In the early 1860s, John Bennion, Samuel Bennion, Adam Sharp, Joseph Harker and Abraham O. Smoot, decen-dant- s of families still there, were among the first livestock operators to move to the Vemon area. Samuel and Joseph Bennion were the first of this group to arrange for a place to live. Their dwellings were nothing more than dugouts, part cellar and part rock houses. They moved their families in to help with the livestock operation and later constructed log houses next to the dugouts. ADAM SHARP built a dugout at Vemon Canyon, and Joseph Harker built one out near Harker Canyon. The Bennions called their location ir- and homes were Home, used there until 1967, when Indian trouble caused them to move their families back to Taylorsville. In 1870, other families moved into the Vemon area. farm. Mountain About 1896, Israel, David and Owen Bennion experimented with raising dry land crops on the' slopes below Harker Canyon reaping varied success. In 1900, David and Owen moved away. ABOUT 1908 a group of farmers and business men in Cache County formed a group known as Dry FArm and which acquired a Stock Company, large acreage of land on the stretches below Harker and Oakbnish Canyons. Some of the men involved in this project were the Farrells, the Skidmore Brothers, and Lee Thatcher. They brought new methods and new, larger and more powerful farm equipment, better adapted to farming to the area. This equipment included some of the first tractors and herder boxes in the valley. Justin A. Skidmore was the first manager of the project, bringing his family from Richmond, Utah in a covered wagon to live on the semi-dese- rt A Vemon resident remembers see- ing his pioneer-styl- e wagon with the words painted on it Rush Valley or Bust .Skidmore soon moved to the ranch formerly occupied by the family of Peter Jorgensen, below Bennion Canyon, leaving the job on the dry farm to other hands. The Dry Farm and Stock Company was operated through the prosperous period of that industry, and finally sold during the depressed period of agriculture, about 1930-19,3- By 1914 there were enough children of school age in the community to jusschool. It had tify holding a not been easy before to transport them to the nearest school, six miles away, with horses or carts. A neat building was constmcted and was partly furnished with desks, books and other equipment brought in from the deserted town of Mercur, in the north eastern part of the county, where the school had lieen discontinued. It is believed that Glynn S. Bennion was the first one-roo- m teacher. (Continued in next issue) Bob Immitt describes new rural health grant for Tooele Chamber of Commerce. health care for children and senior citizens and promote the concept of self care and preventative health. A patient information pamphlet describing available services will soon lie distributed, he said. We also are upgrading billing and accounting procedures, planning the purchase of audio-visuequipment for health classes. lnimitt explained. WE HOPE to eliminate the need for residents to travel to Salt Lake City, he said. There seems to be a tendency to seek out specialists when they really are not needed. The clinic has a complete referral service, he said, to direct patients to specialists when they are necessary. He described the status of the clinic to chamber members, pointing out no one group or organization reaps profits from the clinics operaShould surpluses develop, he tions. said, they should be turned back into the practice to help further expand the group, Immitt said the clinic staff is on fixed salaries. al non-prof- it Taxpayers: One Filing Day Left Friday is the deadline for most residents to file their 1976 income taxes, according to the Internal Revenue Service. Postmaster Richard Weight said Thursday the post office will be open until 5 p.m. that day to receive mail. Those letters mailed here after 5 p.m. will not be postmarked April 15, he explained. filers to Weight urged mail their returns inside the post office or at the boxes just outside the building since other collection boxes may be picked up later and given an April 16 postmark. He suggested those who may miss the 5 p.m. cutoff locally could still send their returns at the post office on Redwood Road in Salt Lake City any time before 11:30 p.m. Friday. Open House Set For Past Presidency house An Presidents open honoring Kenneth C. Johnson, Ferris R. Williams and Max L. Shirts will be held in the Grantsville Stake Center on April 15 from 7 to 9 p.m. A special program has been planned in their honor. These men served for 13 years as the Grantsville Stake Presidency. Tributes will be given by each organization and refreshments will be served. Presidents Gilbert Davies, Allen Parkinson and Richard Thornton are encouraging all stake members to come and honor these men for their long years of service. 1 J |
