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Show P: 12312001 rAVT' - KHS golfers Pago 15 dLb VOLUME 70 vln region WEDNESDAY MAY 2, 2001 COLOR COUNTRY'S HOME TOWN NEWSPAPER NUMBER 10 60e BLM and volunteers rebuild Paria Movie Set together x V -- v 41f ;t- ' "iku 1 I u )- H - 4 1 b Jf If V 5 !fnv: 4 i ID !X,r V Greyhound parade participants are serenaded by Elvis, aka Kanab City Police Chief Doug Crosby, singing, what else... Aint Nothing But a Hound Dog. DMo...idtiim jsJJ By Dixie Brunner What do you get when you put 240 humans together with their 220 greyhounds for a weekend? Its just a doggone good time, commented one attendee who had driven from Washington with his two adopted greyhounds. Nothing like this has ever happened in the West before, commented founder Claudia Presto of the third annual Grey- hound Gathering. We have hundreds of happy rescued racing hounds, and the humans .who have opened their hearts and homes together in Kanab to celebrate the joys of greyhound adoption. Their racing days are over, but its obvious the greyhounds at the Gathering have sped their way into their owners hearts. The people attending the Weekend were as diverse as the former racing dogs they accompanied. Each human had a unique story of how they became involved with the tall, graceful dogs. Abigail Christman of Fort Collins, CO. , was working at the . Colorado State University Vet Teaching Hospital, where she would occasionally see greyhounds put to sleep due to poor health. Abigail, an emergency vet technician, met her greyhound Fred shortly before he was scheduled to be euthanized. He picked me, insists These Christman. dogs are my entire life. Christman has since become involved in greyhound adoptions with Colorado veterinarian Dr. Weir. As a breed, the smooth-coate- d greyhounds are characterized by their swiftness and keen sight. The multi-billio- n dollar dog racing industry uses the animals to attract gamblers. A typical racetrack setting would have the dogs bred for speed, loaded into chutes prior to the race. When the horn sounds, the gates open and a fake rabbit set on a rail entices the sight hounds to run. But the racing industry does not reward the speedy dogs in was Outlaw Josie Wales in 1976. The buildings survived staged Stars of this production include such famous names as gunfights and saloon brawls, but Robert Houston, Don Iverson, Mother Nature wrote a new epiRichard and Josh Jessop, Jim sode in September of 1998, when Harris, Wally Thompson, Dave flash floods rerouted a nearby DeVooght, Lou Pratt and Dan drainage creating a huge wash Thebeau. But wait! Closing cred- through the middle of the set. We were faced with a real its should also mention Barb Sharrow, Mary Dewitz, Jim dilemma, said Sharrow BeScales, the BLM maintenance cause of safety issues and Labilcrew, and a host of other agency ity, the movie set had become personnel and countless volun- dangerous. It had to go. In a climate of lingering frustrateers. The Paria Movie Set has been tion over the governments surprise rebuilt as promised-an- d even creation of the Grand Staircase better than before! EscalanteNationalMonument,the While building construction set became a hot issue between the has been going on for several agency and some local residents months and is nearly complete, whofeltthe Paria Setshould just be landscaping and fence building left alone. They worriedthe governwere the focus of the April 28 ment agency would renege on plans work day. Approximately 50 vol- to rebuild the beloved landmark. unteers showed up to assist in But this movie has a happy the labor and eat a wonderful ending. The BLM was true to its word lunch provided by Houstons. Barb Sharrow, BLM assistant putting thousands of agency hours and dollars into the project, and a said that it simply couldnt spirit of cooperation evolved behave been done without the gener- tween the agency and many citious cooperation and help of many zens. The BLM and local volund teers Kane County residents. by Kanab resiIt was a cast of hundreds who dent Robert Houston, worked coopmade it happen,? admitted Barb eratively to tear down and rebuild Sharrow, BLM assistant monu- the Paria Movie Set. Sharrow said ment project manager for visi- that Houston and the Canyon Coundrive club have been tor services. The volunteer ef- try fort has been incredible. See PARIA, Page 3 The Paria Movie Set wasnt built to last beyond the first movie filmed at the scenic locaKANAB WEATHER tion over 40 years ago. Continued film making, with local resiApril dents and tourists visiting, made the site a beloved landmark and an important symbol of Kane Countys western movie history. The original set was built in the early 1960s for Sergeants Three , a western featuring Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. A host of films followed, using the By Dixie Brunner & Thats where rescue organizations like Claudia Prestos Grey- hound Gang come into the pict, tax exempt ture. The has rescued, rehaorganization bilitated and adopted into loving homes over 200 greyhounds from the Las Vegas area. Fortunately for the dogs, there are over 175 other greyhound adoption groups throughout the United States. According to the owners, its the greyhounds personalities which make them an easy sell to potential adoptors. They are calm, quiet and exceedingly-devote- d to their owners. Since greyhounds hounds are sight-base- d is triggered by even (running minute movement), a fenced in yard and leashed walks are required. They are the most wonderful dogs, said Christman. They are and dont loving, have a mean bone in their body. Greyhound owner Leslie Carr their retirement for all the agrees. They are amazing, de- - remarkable scenery and old money they made their owners, buildings to create the perfect most dealt with in are a western. The last of the 19 movthey cruel fashion - euthanized. See Greyhound, Page 28 ies filmed at the Paria Movie Set v caBrr.racsfttarrCT.am non-profi- ex-raci- big-heart- ed ng spear-heade- eel April Precip-1.49- " Courtesy: Frank Swapp Family |