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Show Number Price 500 MT. PLEASANT. UTAH 84647 - September 10, 1997 Volume 105 Thirty-Seve- n CU Telephone named business of the year Commitment to rural Utah s CEDAR CIT- Y- Central Utah Telephone Company, Fairview, was named Rural Utahs Business of the Year during the 1997 Rural Summit Awards Banquet on Sept. 3, sponsored by Center for Rural Life at Southern Utah University. The award was accepted by Branch Cox and Eddie L. Cox, company owners, from Gary Harrison, US West Communications, a member of the board of directors of Center for Rural Life, in recognition of the companys commitment and investment in rural Utahs growth and development. The goal of the Cox family has always been to provide for the needs of citizens of rural Utah. Central Utah Telephone served mainly the Fairview areal until 1962 when the Fountain Green exchange was purchased. "The hard work of Central Utah Telephone Company employees is what made the award possible," stated Eddie Cox. In 1963, lines were constructed to Birdseye and Thistle to provide service for rural farming areas. Larger phone companies were unwilling to serve these areas of low population. A few years later, lines were constructed to Soldier Summit. The sub scriber list was almost doubled in Dec. 29, 1989. with the purchase of Skyline Telecom. In 1993, Scofield and Garden City exchanges were purchased from US West. The most recent expansion Goshen and was purchasing Eureka exchanges in September 1996, again, from US West. The owners are not content to sit back and watch the rest of the world go by. A great amount of time, effort and money has been expended to keep pace with the modem technology offered in more populated areas. Telephone switching equipment has been upgraded to accommodate enhanced 'custom calling features. They offer call waiting, call forwarding, voice mail and called ID to mention a few of the more popular features. Other areas of technojogy have been added as well. In 1993, a franchise for (the small dish satellite system) was purchased and a sister company, Central Utah Technology was organized. This has turned out to be a very successful investment. Their satellite division has become one of the leaders in the nation, based on sales per capita, of digital satellite systems. Dir-ecT- v, growth earns Summit Award 1 more wealthy people could afford Central Utah Telephone, Inc., now offers World Wide Web to have the service installed and access to the citizens of Sanpete therefore growth of the telephone system was quite slow in the County through their new Internet server. Interstate equal access community. The first year there has also been made available to were only four telephones in use, Patrons can but during the summer of 1904, a their subscribers. now choose Central Long Distelephone and light line were tance as their out of state long jointly constructed by the teledistance carrier. In addition to phone and electric companies, so these things, miles of fiber optic the company grew to 220 telecable have been installed. Lines phones in use. now run from Moroni to FounOn July 1, 1919, Roy B. Cox tain Green, from Fountain Green purchased the entire plant. The to Fairview, from Fairview to telephone business has been in Spanish Fork Canyon, Soldier the Cox family since that time. Summit and Scofield. He operated the plant until July The company began its history 31, 1926, when the central office in 1903, when Ezekeal Cheney, was destroyed by fire. On Dec. Elsberry Garlic, and Oscar Nor19, 1926, Cox, having built a man received a franchise on May new brick central office, again 4, to construct a local telephone put the system into operation. system. Mountain States TeleRoy installed telephone lines to phone and Telegraph had inMilburn and further on to Indian-ol- a. stalled telephone service in the He literally gave many peo- community of Mt. Pleasant, six miles south of Fairview, but refused to bring service to Fair-vie- ple in the Fairview area the opportunity to have telephone service for the first time. Many of the residents in Fairview worked in the coal mines at Scofield and Clear Creek. These miners would be away from the families for months at a time. Roy built a line over the mountain from Fairview to Clear Creek so these families could communicate with family members working in the mines. Prior to this time, a long distance call was rated by the length of the line from the calling party to the party called. So a call from Fairview to Salt Lake City cost less than a call from Fairview to Scofield, even though Scofield is only 30 miles form Fairview and Salt Lake City is more than 100 miles away. Fairview coal miners simply could not afford to call home to see how their families were doing. This "over the mountain" telephone line set the precedence for the way a long distance call is rated even today. Roy used a Model T Ford pickup truck and horses to construct the line using trees for poles wherever he could and installing poles in the clearings. The Model T was also the companys first installation vehicle. The business has always been a family project since different members took turns operating the magneto switchboard, installing crank type magneto phones, or building new open wire telephone lines. In 1940 Iven R. Cox took over the business for his father, Roy, and Bernal Harvey who had been operating the business. Iven managed the business from 1940 until 1979. During these years Iven brought rotary dial service to the community and in 1961 incorporated the business as Central Utah Telephone, Inc. In 1962, he purchased the Fountain Green exchange and the following year he took the first telephone service to Birdseye and Thistle areas. He also installed the most modem and up to date switching in all three exchanges Continued to page 2 The prospect of having telephone service in Fairview was very exciting. However, only the New stake presidency sustained in Snow College First LDS Stake EPHRAIM A new stake presidency was recently sustained in the Snow College First LDS Stake. Ted L. Olson, from Ephraim, was called as the new stake president with Douglas Barton, from Manti, as his first counselor and Boyd R. Beck, from Spring City, as second counselor. Released were President David Willmore, first counselor David Cox and second counselor Leonard Blackham after serving many faithful years. The change was under the direction of Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of Twelve. The stake is staffed and ready for the new school year. Snow College wards expect record enrollment. Membership in the Snow College wards is generally around 150 students per ward. The Snow College First Stake has seven wards. Bishops currently serving in the stake are: 1st Ward, Brent Cox of Manti; 2nd Ward, Mack Wil- - key of Mt. Pleasant; 4th Ward, Bruce Bartholomew of Mayfield; 5th Ward, Val Anderson of Ephraim; 7th Ward, MoRell Snow of Manti; 10th Ward, Art Bailey of 12th Ward, Frank Ephraim; Cook of Moroni. The Snow College First Stake will be holding a special sacrament meeting Sunday, Sept. 14, at 1 p.m. in the Institute Building. All stake members are welcome to receive instructions and begin the new year at Snow College. Eddie Cox and Branch Cox, owners of Central Rural Utah Business of the Year for 1997 by Utah Telephone Company, Inc., Fairview, the Center for Rural Life. recently received a plaque in recognition of the Two die in in SR 117-13- 2 SANPETE COUNT- Y- Utah Patrol reports two Highway fatalities among several accidents occurring within the county. Shelley Dase, 37, died from injuries sustained in a two-ccrash that occurred at 8:09 a.m. on Aug. 30 at the intersection of SR 117 and SR 132 in Chester, according to a Utah Highway ar report. Dase was westbound in a 1993 117 when she allegedly failed to stop at the intersection and broadsided a 1981 Ford dump style farm truck, driven by John W. Irons, 47, of Manti. The report stated that Dase was not wearing a seatbelt, and could have been under the influence of alcohol andor amphetamines. Dases passenger, Bobbie Bills, 32, of Fairview, received massive Ford on SR New members of the Snow College First LDS Stake are center, Ted L. Olson president; Douglas Barton, first counselor, left; and Boyd R. Beck, second counselor, right. two-ca- crash intersection r head injuries and died on Sept. 4 at LDS Hospital. He was also not wearing a seat belt. Irons received only minor injuries. On Aug. 31 a 1981 Mercury driven by a 16 year-ol- d male went off the road on the right and causing the vehicle to go to the left then slide to a stop. The juvenile was allegedly under the influence of alcohol and was arrested and taken to the Central Utah Youth Home. over-correct- On Sept. 3 at 3:59 p.m. on Highway 89 an accident occurred involving a school bus. An driven by Wade Larsen, 21, Ephraim, ran into the back of a North Sanpete school bus driven by Dianna Holt, Fairview. None of the passengers on the Olds-mobi- le bus were injured. Larsen sustained a fractured hand and was arrested for driving under the influence. At 7:28 p.m. a property damage accident north of Fairview was reported. Daniel Forster, 24, Payson, fell asleep and ran off the road into a fence. He was wearing a seat belt and was not injured. September 4, at 6:19 a.m. Anthony Booth, 32, of Spring-vill- e swerved to miss an elk and rolled his vehicle one and one-ha- lf times on Highway 89, milepost 256. He sustained head and neck injuries and was transported to Sanpete Valley Hospital. He was not wearing a seat belt. The vehicle was towed from the scene. |