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Show Special Feature SOUTHERN UTAH NEWS WEDNESDAY JUNE 9, 1993 9 The other side of Kane, a Bullfrog odyssey By Richard Negus The best way to Bullfrog from Kanab is to drive north a long way, then east, and then south a total of 300 miles, in order to get to the eastern-mos- t part of Kane County, about 150 miles as the crow flies. Memorial Day is the weekend when several thousand swimsuit-clad young people descend on the Glen Canyon recreation area to soak up sun, a few getting second degree bums. Beer, brought in, or purchased there is consumed in massive amounts with some over-eagdrinkers DUI charges not to getting mention, nasty headaches! In 1955 1 was at Butlins Holiday Camp in North Wales, where every Friday night 4,000 young people went berserk under the influence of British beer, and 200 staff members tried to keep them at bay with rubber-covere- d flashlights. I have seen college kids in Fort Lauderdale in 1957 battling the local police, high school kids in Palm Springs in the 60s, Arizona young people in Rocky Point, Mexico, drinkingbeer and smoking pot under the eye of the Mexican Navy with the safety catches off on their automatic weapons. Now to Memorial weekend in Bullfrog where our Kane County Sheriff Maxwell Jackson brings a civilizing influence to the few deliberate law breakers and many high school and college-ag- e youth. Jackson has a small force of er over-exubera- nt Kane County regular deputies, a handful of reserve deputies, three or four search and rescue types, nine Utah Highway Patrol men and women, assorted 7i park personnel and rangers from all over Utah and Arizona, ' undercover narcotics people and a secret weapon, (Andrew-- a German shepherd from D.C. and hi s h an dl er, Tom J ohann of the U.S. Park Police.) This small force arrested numerous miscreants of whom 62 were booked into the Bullfrog Jail on charges that ranged from DUI to under- age alcohol consumption, possession of marijuana, some cocaine and mushroom possession, and two or three major felony charges of dealing co- caine, pot and mushrooms. Jackson has a Kane County budget of $1,800 and as a rough estimate, provided about $150,000 worth of policing in the five days. In a previous SUN story of a county commission meeting, I wrote of ARA, who has the exclusive concession for Glen Canyon, wishing to have a full time deputy sheriff stationed at Bullfrog, as was done in the past. Now, having had a chance to Andrew, the drug sniffing German shepard from Washington, D.C. helped officers search vehicles for illegal drugs. Andrew and his handler, Tom Johann of the U. S. Park Police, were kept busy all weekend. Photo by Richard Negus. ing an attractive nuisance in our county. They do need full time professional policing and they should pay for it so it does not continue to be a financial burden to the tax payers of Kane County. ably few fist or baseball bat fights. In a capsule story like this, if I mentioned names I would have to mention all the troops. As tired as you all must be, you know who you are. I met many nice people, Kane County deputies, highway patrol and park service people. Many nice civilians, a few real turkeys and one genuine villain. There was a delightful native American who tested over .3 on the intoxilator, four times the legal limit for drunk driving thank goodness he didnt have a car. Federal i Magistrate, Bannion Redd, with the wisdom of Solomon, sentenced this amiable chap to Some of the drugs and drug paraphernalia that were seized during Memorial weekend at thanks to Andrew and the other police officers. Photo by $55.00 of community service Richard Bullfrog Negus. work, picking up beer cans on the beach for 10 hours a great A Tat deal more useful than some of the healthy young men sitting in jail. At a later date I hope to do the story of Andrew, the dog who As one poor soul (brought in for consuming too much beer) said, If it wasnt for the lake, no one would be here. Some thumbnail sketches: But officer, I have only had two beers, from most ofthe drivers stopped for DUI. I see the situation for myself, I was just sitting in my camp would say to the park service minding my own busin ess, from and ARA that they are operat- most ofthe losers in the remark- came west. A drug sniffing dog with a sense of the accompli Washington, who not only ment of a few that contributed to was a delight to watch, but also the safety and well being of thou-love- d his work. sands, most of who will grow up Monday night, back to Kanab to be useful men and women. sh-fro- m A 3 MI Kleinfelder, Inc. Consulting, Materials Testing, Geotechnical & Environmental Engineers Soil & Foundation Investigations, Materials Testing, Geological Investigations, Ground water Studies, Environmental Services, Exploratory Drilling, Construction , Soils, Concrete, Asphalt, and Aggregates. L Contact beer in their possession. These unidentified underage out on the ground. Photo Along with a stiff fine, they had to pour the contents girls were caught with by Richard Negus. (80 1 ) 644-884- 6 Eddy Builders RESIDENTAL COMMERCIAL REMODELS INDUSTRIAL Log Homes & Metal Buildings Evan Callister at or (80 1 ) 628-52- 3 1 Post Office Box 250, Kanab, Utah 84741 551 N 1400 E 3. St George, Utah 84770 KANAB, UTAH |