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Show SOUTHERN UTAH NEWS - Thursday, April 22, 1982 Page Five 4", This Week in Pictures A Plenty of Action at 1 8 TF KanabJr. High Track Meet I , '' pqyg o i) I& Mf)jy VK--P3R-? At a time when many of our young peopie are breaking windows and th' owing rottten eggs these industrious sixth grade students at Valley Elemental School are working to improve their environment For their gift to the schoo. some they began making plans in September They decided that there were landscaping improvements around the elementary school that needed to be done Using bake sales during their lunch hours they have been able to raise money to purchase flowers and shrubs to beautify the school campus After and are pouring over seed catalogs they ordered the flowers and shrubs of their orders preparing the flower beds while anxiously awaiting the arrival r v. Opening A JS f ,v: rVtvkfcV.i!,5v1 , r ' .,V K' V.' - tiX V VjV'' .S'- .w1 -- ' v nf fe , h'i '&). Vl-- f : 4 North Rim Road , x j? Iq V C fcy--J t: No Easy Job Waist deep snow in V.T. Meadows. Drifts in V.T. Meadow. rr 1954 by Lee Dalton Plowing snow is no big deal. Just climb up into one of those powerful yellow snowplows and go to it. Roar down the road throwing snow a country mile off through the trees and across the meadows. Terrify a few Volkswagen drivers just for fun. Thats all there is to it. Right? No way! For a picture of whats really involved in plowing out the road from Jacob Lake to the North Rim, SUNews took a trip out there to spend an afternoon with Pete Johnston, supervisor of maintenance in the Jacob Lake district for the Arizona Department of Transportation. We climbed into Petes highway department pickup at the Jacob Lake yard and were joined at the Lodge by Steve Martinet, recreation specialist fpr the North Kaibab District of Kaibab National Snow-G- o Forest. After slipping through the gate, we headed on out Highway 67 toward the place the plows were working. At first, the snow was sparse along the roadside, the road was clear; and we fairly sailed along. Pete explained some of the facts and figures involved in the road opening project as he drove. Out ahead of us, he explained, were three men in three machines bucking their way through snow averaging about three feet deep on the level and up to 6 or 7 feet in drifts. The parade of machinery is led by a grader with a huge attached to the front. It punches a hole through the snow making it easier and faster for the Case SnowBlast that follows it. The SnowBlast, a monster $160,000 machine on loan from the White Mountain highway district, can throw a plume of snow- umm - Pete Johnston and Steve Martinet at V.T. Service Station. Station is buried to the top of the gas pump. Giant Case SnowBlast at rest. slowly eats its way along. some 50 feet out through the trees. Following the Snow- last 13 miles of road on April 20 or 21. Snow-Go- , Blast is a Just running the equipment is a from is a challenge. The another highway department driven by Donny Mackelprang district where snow is even of Fredonia. He guides himmore of a problem than on the self through the expanse of north Kaibab. white by taking aim on a series The spring snow is wet and of stakes that protrude heavy and progress through it through the snow. Where is painfully slow. The elderly snow has drifted completely Snow-G- o literally inches al- over the stakes, he grits his ong, laboring to throw the teeth, relies on his knowledge snow a few feet to one side. of the road and literally feels The bigger, newer machines his way along as the plow move along a little faster but parts the snow. Don Tait, not much. The operation following in the SnowBlast, started April 5 and in the ten has to gauge the width of his days since then a single lane cut to avoid gobbling guardhas been punched as far as the rails or reflector posts with the Grand Canyon National Park whirling snowblower. Carl entrance gate. Thats an Woerhmann in the old Snow-Glurches along all day, average of 3 miles a day. The track will have to be widened alternately easing forward into - a job that will take a couple the snow and stopping to let of days. Johnston expects the the machine work without equipment will actually enter stalling out. the park to begin clearing the Behind them is a canyon 1954-vinta- hand-me-dow- n o through the piled snow. Johnston told us that as the melt rate increases in the warm days ahead, meltwater will flood the road up to a foot deep inside the confining canyon walls. He showed us several places where the equipment has damaged the road surface. Places that will have to be patched after the surface has dried and before traffic is permitted on the road. When asked if it wouldn't be better for the road to be kept plowed and dry all winter, Johnston replied that it would. But, he explained, it's a simple matter of economics. Allowing the road to snow closed and opening it in the spring involves 3 men, 3 pieces of machinery and normally 20 days of work. To keep it open would require 4 men working 24 hours a day and at least two pieces of equipment during storms. The weather each winter would determine the actual cost, but with his existing crew and equipment already spread thin in winter, Johnston would have to add 4 men and at least two pieces of removal equipment. He cant hire part-timhelp, so the additional men would have to be paid e year-roun- Johnston expressed dismay report charge at a widely circulated that the state would the Park Service $1000 to open the road. a mile "Some people just grabbed that figure and keep using it, he said. Johnston went on to explain that the amount is dependent upon the snowfall each year. In a heavy snow year, such as 1979, the cost did reach $1000 a mile. But in 1981, he said, the cost was $340 a mile. The snowfall this mmm liMrt&uUiw year has been moderate and costs are running well below the thousand dollar a mile figure. a vehicle on the highway will be cited. There had been a minor accident a day earlier between a Forest Service truck and one of Johnstons snow Pete and Sieve Martinet discussed some of the Forest Service and Park Service policies governing the scenic road that complicate his job. Such things as restrictions on ditch work, required removal of snow posts each year - and having to put them up again cost Johnston's each fall division quite a bundle of money each year. Johnston praised present North Kaibab district ranger Carl Taylor as and being "understanding easy to work with, but noted that the restrictions still cause him concern and money. machines. All in all, it became obvious on the trip that Johnston and his men are doing their level best to do a hard job well. But, as is so often the case, the men on the firing line are caught between politics and local interest and wind up catching it from both sides. A first-hanlook should convince anyone that Pete Johnston, Donny Mackelprang, Don Tait and Carl Woerhmann and all the others who labor to d keep our highways passable deserve a great round of less applause. Anything should be sent to the politicians who dictate the conditions under which they have to work. Johnston also stressed that the road is completely closed to public use - even to traffic entering off side roads - and that anyone found operating People need all kin s of services, from bookkeepers to bulldozers from contractors to chiropractors. But will they call you when they need your service? The SUNews Service Directory can help them find you. The directory provides low-coad space for long term ads. Call SUNews for details. 644-233st 9. THESE SPACES RESERVED 0 A Meetings KANAB COMMUNITY CALENDAR Every Wednesday - Kiwanis Club 12 noon - Four Seasons FOR YOUR DIRECTORY ADS -- April 22 - Kanab Library Open House, 7 p.m.- - 9 p.m. April 22 - Kanab Library Lecture, 7:30 p.m. - Joe Bolander, So. Utah folklore and history 23 "Sound Brass - 7:30 p.m. - Kanab Elem. Sch. April Sponsored by Kane County Arts Council April 24 - Gean Up Park Day - 7:30 p.m. - Kanab Elem. noon - Kanab City Pk April 24 - Gean Up Park Day 7 Council 27 Kanab City p.m. - Gub Room or Ct. April Over SN0W& NUFFER, P.C. Attorneys at Law in our An attorney from our firm will be in Kanab & Loan Building Savings office at the Heritage every Wednesday. Call 628-161- 1 (collect) for an appointment. South H ighway 89A - Kanab -- Ph. 644-21- Pastor -- Rw. Mart Baker Sunday School Morning Worship Wednesday - 11 k a.m. - Evening Worship 9 45 a m 7 p m 7pm service FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH 200 East 400 South Sunday School Morning Worship Evening Service Wednesday - Prayer and Bible Study 9 45 a m 00 a m 11 6 00pm 7.X p m House April 27 - Daughters of Utah Pioneers - Camp Willow, 7:30 p.m. - Zion Bank Com. Room. April 28 - Lions Gub - 7:30 p.m. - Lions Meeting Place April 29 - Womens Civic Gub - 8 p.m. - Sen. Cit. Cent. April 30 - Arbor Day N This Community Calendar is being sponsored by the Kanab Library. We welcome anyone who wishes to place their organization activities or meetings in this space. Please call the Kanab Library before each Monday afternoon. Wed. Nights at 7 Paper makes up most of the waste found in the average American's trash can. 2 First Southern Baptist Church Eaten aoenymotn 643-56- 98 644-24- 46 A. A. MEETINGS Meetings Wednesdays and Saturdays - Basement of Zions Bank 8pm Open Meetings First Saturday of each month - Public Welcome For information or help call 8 N - - 2 MEETINGS - KANAB Mondays - 7:30 p.m. at Zions Bank, downstairs Saturdays - 8 o.m. Courthouse, upstairs Fridays - Library, downstairs, 9:30 a.m. 644-534- 6 644-238- 4 644-570- 8 |