Show Serving Utah’s Great Pahvant Valley Copy USPS 5Qc 9 VqI 82 HQ 1 JulY 11 1521 Notch Peak claims Arizona Man J7(vt1 t Business was brisk f jvXLAp- - ft at fireworks stands throughout the county Fourth of July Fireworks Parades Picnics Friends Rebecca made by hand Dz'tuk and Linda Todd model patriotic shirts they Throughout the day on July 4ih residents of Delta Fillmore and other small Millard County towns throughout joined together to eat pancake breakfasts listen to patriotic speeches and music and applaud parading dignitaries and beauty queens Dunking booths helped cool off the kids bake sales satisfied everyone's sweet tooth and ganes and activities for all ages entertained the crowds Later in the day events like j urn ping contests watermelon eating contests and talent shows filled the air with a party mood to celebrate the 21 5th anniversary of America's birthday At night after barbeques and picnics friends and relatives gathered to watch firework programs before toddling off to a long weekend of sun and fun Photos by Kate Hetlenbrand Tiny Delta tike joyfully rides pony at City Park — ik Go Young frog trainers poise at the starting line Ready during hog jump at 4th of July festivities Gentlemen release your frogs Set 82 and Still Going Strong We at The Millard County Chronicle Progress are celebrating our 82nd right along with the Good Ole US of A birthday Is it coincidence that we celebrate our founding along with that our country? Was it planned that way? Who cares? What's important is that we’re still here gaining new lifeblood and forging ahead with stories and articles that will excite inform and entertain we’ve just begun Suy with ns i Delta's Ron Draper chairman of 4th of July celebtration dressed like Uncle Sam - Notch Peak awesome inspmng imposing majestc nsrng one mile above the valley floor with an elevation stands absorbed feasting his soul in of 9 725 feet "What mighty force employed Man man the thinker Such a person takes on a bigness commensurate with the handiwork before him ’ Frank A delight Hesentmtnd Ph° r Beckwith - Millard and Nearby Kate HelleabraBd Gurdon Burgess of Kingman Arizona went camping last weekend with friends Ed Milkey Laura McGlauchlin-Dreand her six year old daughter Sarah Burgess was separated from the others on a climb on Friday morning snd after an intensive search and rescue effort conducted by the West Millard Motor Posse Burgess was found dead on the cliffs of Notch Peak one of Utah's most forbidding and rugged areas The group of friends from Arizona had come to the House Range to look for a cave and hunt for fossils an aenvity they had been doing for the past year throughout Texas California and They had never hiked in Utah before but “Ed knew Utah" stated McGlauchlin-DreEd has been living in Millard County on and off doing side jobs and handyman work for over five and McGlauchlin-Drehad years worked as a nurse’s aide Burgess 43 and father of two sons worked as a maintenance man at Kingman High School The three had become friends through a shelter in the Kingman Arizona community “We were very very close" said McGlauchlin-Dre“Gurdon was like a father to Sarah" Located in West Millard County Notch Peak towers over the scorching desert sands offering to the north and west 500 feet of sheer vertical drops The mountain is not considered a place for beginning hikers especially those afraid of heights “Gurdon was terrified of heights" said McGlauchlin-DreAccording to Milkey Burgess look the lead on Friday morning's excursion quickly going higher than the rest “You can get into trouble fast up there" says Kevm Bogue owner of Delta Sports Center and member of the Sheriff s Jeep Posse "It looks solid but it is very loose and gives way You start out climbing and before you know it you're 30 feet up- Delta to report that Burgess was missing The Sheriff s Search and Rescue Jeep Posse went into action at 4 am Sunday morning 25 men responded airplane owned aioflg with a locally by Alan Bjrraston and two aircraft from the Civil Air Patrol On Monday's search six dogs were added from the American Search Dog Association and the Rocky Mountain Search and Rescue Dog group An H 53 military helicopter was loaned by Hill Air Force Base to panxipaie Posse members searched all day and hiking Darkness called off the search on Sunday night and Posse members returned to the area on Monday morning to search the area where Milkey had last seen Burgess alive Posse members spotted Burgess’s backpack and belongings about 130 p m Monday afternoon “We could tell we were on to something" stated one of the group Burgess had fallen not far from where he had been left Sheriff officials stated that time of death would have been at some point on Friday "He had fallen about 150 feet" said Sheriff Ed " Phillips "He was beat up pretty bad It took ten men to carry the body to the Search and Rescue Base Camp from the place where it had been found "It was quite steep and rocky and we look rums" said one of the group Jim Walker Posse member suted “U sually we find them quick The problem w ith this one was the terrain It's the worst place I've been in Most of the time they turn out good This one didn't" After the body had been discovered McGlauchlin Drew staled “"us just goes to show you never know when it's going to happen” Ed Milkey stated “Everyone I lake up is my responsibility and I don't like loosing friends" “Thai’s the last time I everclimb that mountain” he stated The silent sentry of Notch Peak will forever stand guard over the secrets of the death of Gurdon Burgess - According to a group member “the girl freaked out and Burgess panicked" Milkey told Gurdon to follow another trail around to the back of the mountain or to just wait and Milkey would return for him after taking the others back to camp That was the last time anyone saw Gurdon Burgess alive Millard county residents hold a great deal of respect for the country that surrounds them With signs pointing to places like Devil's Pass Death Canyon and Blind Valley it's easy to see why "I’ve been m a lot of rugged country before" said Kevin Bogue “but nothing like that place" The weather was typically cruel for a July weekend with F temperatures over 100 degrees Weighing "well over 300 pounds" Burgess was clearly physically at nsk Burestimated (McGlauchlin-Dregess’s weight at nearly 390 pounds ) Milkey stated he returned the mother Hid daughter to camp and went back to get Burgess on Friday around noon When Burgess did not answer his calls search "I Milkey began a thought I could find him" Milkey slated On Saturday Milkey again conducted a solo search and finally at 11 00 pjn Saturday evening drove into the Search and Rescue Workers discuss operation at Base Camp Photo by Kate HeUen brand Visitor survives near drowning Kate Hellenbrand On July 4th old Joseph Kaili from Tonga was observing the holiday at the Gunnison Bend Reservoir near Delta with family members and friends At approximately 4 30 p m a group of the young people decided to swim out to the buoy and back Halfway to the buoy Joseph began to flounder and those with him assumed for a moment that he was "fooling around" When Joseph disappeared underwater for over a minute others in the group managed to find him and pull him to shore Two bystanders Brian Henne and Paula Turner both trained in CPR began procedures immediately and an ambulance was called “He was dead when they drug him out of the water" stated Bryce Ashby one of the first men on the scene Deputy Sheriff Chuck Stewart got to the boy first After several minutes of CPR by Henne and Turner weak lifesigns were noted and Joseph was immediately taken lo Utah Valley Medical Center where he remained in Intensive Care for several days Joseph has now been transferred to a regular room and is doing quite well with no visible long term effects from his ordeal Joseph has relocated to Salt Lake City from Tonga lo attend school and is living with an aunt in the area He was visiting the Ned Church family when the accident occurred |