| Show Business alt Jake Sfibune Sunday December Des-Bee-Do- I v x'- - Page wt i 'J J W jlf” J5 i ‘ “ t i £ M ii vjiJr I- V jT J 'C Xt-Z- H - u " f X tV- tl - 4 ' j 'hP r tT ¥ JL J t i iS v te ‘ i ! '4 U ' Jf wfe y'i a A i v rtv £ v ' ' fi : 4 ’ t n- - i- vf - j'5 flJhi V It'! ? -- 1 "limmmmam " ’M 1986 Section F — Richard Motte right uses radio remote controls to operate continuous miner below inside UP&L’s coal mining operation UP&L is converting its continuous miners to remote control operation claiming they are safer and more productive 21 v ?“'T J Ja- - rjr Hr 6L& —Tribune Stall Photo by Rick fcgan Goes High-Tec- h rvaTj-i£ir52Rfeisi- fc lV To Work In UP&L Mines — more comUtah Power & Light Co has brought "high-tech- " monly introduced in offices and plants above ground — into the bowels of its three underground coal mine operations in Emery County In return for that investment which company spokesman John Ward said will cost about $26 million this year alone UP&L is hoping to improve productivity and job safety benefits it feels would more than justify the expense — the buzz word for In this case sophisticated equip— includes: ment coined during the preeminence of the Silicon-chi"hi-tec- p o Four continuous miners coal extracting machines adapted to be driven by radio remote control Mr Ward said the conversion which costs about $31000 per machine is aimed to minimize miners' exposure to roof falls and raise productivity by increasing the speed of coal production UP&L plans to convert the rest of its continuous miners to remote control when they undergo regularly scheduled maintenance — A computerized mine monitoring system for each of UP&L's and three mining operations the both near Orangeville and the Deer Creek in Huntington — Wilberg-Cottonwoo- s-- - ’ r A t' ' mt fr Xfr w v v T '"'lV tAt d Canyon S3i While the computers are programmed to detect deadly carbon of fire and even heat methane a highly monoxide a flow in underground workings they also will and air volatile gas eventually monitor operation of some mining equipment That will complement a preventative equipment maintenance program UP&L is implementing at the mines Peering out his driver’s side window to the seemingly endless desert of Emery County’s northern boundary enroute to the mines UP&L spokesman John Ward explained his company’s rationale for equipment introducing the "high-tech- " He said when Emery Mining Corp began operating UP&L’s mines in 1979 its main objective was to embark on an aggressive excavaprogram of “development mining” or initial underground tion of coal seems to meet the needs of the company’s rapidly expanding number of utility plants That pace of coal production seemed assured because projections pointed to an increase demand for electricity But those projections proved wrong and UP&L responded in 1984 near Castle by cancelling construction of its Hunter IV power plant Dale It also reduced the amount of power it had originally planned to buy from the IntWmountain Power Project near Delta Then UP&L begaivexperiencing some new problems On Dec 19 1984 a fiV in UP&L’s W'ilberg mine killed 27 miners Last month the Utah Division of Public Utilities issued a stinging investireport about UP&L’s coaDoperations based on a gation The report geneially characterized the coal operations then under Emery Mining's directions as indifferent to costs The report also alleges UPoL erchargefl power customers in three states $104 million in four years In April UP&L dismissed ErnemMining as operator of its mines noting the mining company could rm longer indemnify it against third party lawsuits stemming from injuries sustained in the mines UP&L then formed a division offering employment to Emery Mining employees to operate its mines Mr Ward said UP&L now has no plans to build any more power plant units He added "We don't need to expand our coal producSee E3YLE F-- 2 Column by Brendan Boyd WHERE INSURANCE COMPANIES PAY OFF CLAIMS ft JlUOUM mine superintendent Brent Hobi left watches continuous miner make one of the final cuts on coal pillar Computer monitoring system recently installed at each UP&L underground coal mining operation has the capability to show the location of safety or maintenance problems Des-Bee-Do- 1 Boom Ornament Christmas Rides Importer By Glen Warchol United Press International Wash — Tim Merck business on has built a million-dolla- r American Christmas spirit and a glass pickle Nestled in the pines west of Spokane Merck's firm Old World Christmas is the leading importer of handblown Christmas tree ornaments produced by a nearly lost German folk art Strictly a wholesale operation the firm supplies the collectible bulbs to the White House New York's Museum of Modern Art Macy s and Neiman-Marcu- s Although its catalog includes items from a European countries the company is best known for the delicate glass ornaments that are carefully hand blown into ceramic molds SPOKANE hand-painte- half-doze- Last year's underwriting losses SOURCE: Besl'i Raiew (May 1986) 18 5 of premiums earned 121766 d The collection of fewer than 2000 molds is what remains of a Bavarian industry virtually wiped out by World War II and the division of Germany into East and West ornaments The which American demand has again made the basis of a cottage industry come in the shapes of angels Santa Claus figures fruits and even the best seller for three years running — a pickle "Its just crazy" Merck said When I told the German I wanted the pickle done he thought I was cra" zy But it really sells Germans by tradition hung the pickle on the tree on Christmas Eve and the child who first found it got a special treat Now Merck says most of the pickles are destined to be gag gifts for pregnantiwomen hand-painte- ‘ d Merck has built a solid business on the stuff of fairies and angels In the 11 years he has beer in business he has learned that not even that great Scrooge recession can put Americans out of the Christmas buying spirit "Americans are not going to be deprived of that holiday no matter what the economy is doing" he said "They’re gong to spend spend spend That sentimentality is something to build a business on Old World Christmas has 6000 accounts to which they offer more than 1500 different ornaments But Merck is as secretive as Santa when you ask about production "Millions" he says The highly collectible bulbs retail for between $2 50 and $5 and the wooden nutcrackers from both East and West Germany can bring upwards of 350 Christmas sales vary with regional taste in the nation Merck said The northern stales tend to be more sentimental about Christmas The South leans toward "decorator colors" he said "Where it snows the business is better and more traditional The South less so Dallas is much more " glitzy But the complicated emotions that surround the holiuays makes predictornament tricky at ing a best The pickle bulb swept the country other Christmas ideas turned out ! to be turkeys The worst disaster was a black stocking bulb complete with a lacy best-sellin- garter g "I thought ‘This is going to be hot’" Merck said of the mildly daring ornament "Boy it bombed I still have all but about 12 of them " |
