Show 75 GUNNISON Sanpete VALLEY EDITION VOL 83 MANTI WWWSANPETEMESSENGERCOM NUMBER 35 UTAH WEDNESDAY 2004 SEPTEMBER 1 Li Wednesday 8155 -- Mostly Sunny! aK Thursday - 8751 Partly sunny Friday - 7845 Partly cloudy Saturday - 7947 Mostly sunny Last Week’s Weather J Anderson Reported by Lee LLOYD CALL MESSENGER PHOTO Sanpete County Royalty enjoy final float ride during fair parade on Saturday Don’s Cafe shuts down in Manti MANTI — Don's Gallery Cafe' in Manti has shut its doors but the home style eatery w ill be reopening them in Ephraim Don’s will now occupy the building formerly occupied Natalia's and Pepperbellys by before that Ernest Augustus or “Gus” the proprietor of Don's reports that he was evicted from his location in Manti due to a dispute over stay ing open on Sundays “I couldn’t afford to do it anymore" said Gus Don's hours of operation will be Monday through Fria day till 10 pm Old and new fair events enjoy great success By Bob Bahlmann Staff writer MANTI — Looking back on the big western helping of events the Sanpete County Fair lived up to its theme “Reach for More in 2004" According to chairman Brad Bown all of the regular events that fairgoers have come to expect went well and several changes and new events were huge successes One of the additions to this year’s fair was the BLM w ild horse and burro adoption The horse adoptions travel throughout the western US While visiting w ith representatives from the BLM Bown said he received one of the best compliments he’s ever I've never seen going on all the time a county fair with so much going on”’ The BLM horse and burro auction generated a lot of interest Coming into the fair Donna Rees w ith the Richfield office of the BLM said they had set a goal to adopt out a couple of dozen animals When the auctioneer's gavel hit the table the final time 30 horses and burros were on their way to new homes to Bown fair attenAccording dance was similar to last year but participation in the displays went up sig- (See 7 Mayfield launches new celebration May field Town is launching a new community celebration Arapeen Days Sept on A2) PHOTO Soaring daredevil motorcyclist looks really he’s just 30 feet in the air like COURTESY — BY BRUCE VAN DER RIET he's kicking off the temple Not The concept for the Suzanne Dean and John Hales cel- came from the Staff writers Gunnison Valley Centennial book which says that the first settlers Mayfield's Arapeen Valley viewed “a magic circle of earth and sky a panorama of the most pleasing color and design” Ev ents w ill include dinner an evening of cowboy poetry and music a soapbox derby a mountain man rendezvous a Mexican lunch and craft New Gunnison librarian devoted to children’s reading program Ephraim Clerk’s trial postponed By MANTI— former The trial for city clerk Ephraim Hansen which had Wendy been scheduled to begin today has been postponed until Sept 22 “for the purpose of taking a plea” Sanpete County attorney Ross Blackham said Tuesday Sanpete County deputy clerk Dena Nelson said that her office w as finishing the process of calling potential jurors on Monday w hen “w e received the order to stop” The county attorney’s comments Hansen suggested By plans to plead guilty to at least some of the 44 counts against her for communications fraud and misuse of public monies But the final disposition of the case “is still a work in progress” Blackham said (See “Trial” on A2) booths said It! 7 suspect By Ben Fox Staff writer Both the North Sanpete and South Sanpete School Districts will put increased emphasis on when this thing is over a lot of good is going to come from it ” — Attorney Ross Blackham anticipating resolution of trial of Wendy Hansen A4 Opinion Lifestyle Sports Kathy Eggleston Staff writer GUNNISON— Tlie new brarian for the Gunnison Civic Library Susan Gillham is busy acquainting herself to the library and the patrons as summer w raps up and the school year begins Gillham believes each librarian has lent different strengths to the library Barbara Risner creased the budget and brightened the look of the library Stephanie Prisbrey worked diligently to better the library despite a rare lung disease that ended her young life Prisbey was devoted to the children's reading progiam She received a Bill Gates giant to crease the library 's computer resources added more bookshch es and increased the adult audio book selection he new cat pet for the library Prisbey had requested in lieu of flowers at bet funeral will be installed in the near future Gillham hopes to use her strong background m researeh to increase the libraiy s usability as well as help patrons increase then knowledge of computer and Internet skills Speaking on be half ol her stall Mmdv nder son and Shells Andeison she We want people lo know said the libiary is here to help " n lav mg w oiked as an as a Second anguage teachei at Snow College om Gillham comes to the libiaiy position with nu merous skills She developed an Intel net reseauh progiam while at Snow to meet the needs ol SI and othei students glish (I SI “One ol the (Sec muor “Librarian'' concerns on 2l Sanpete schools to focus on reading this year You A5 A8 Prei rintf reading and writing during the school year say school supenntcndents To help the youngest students get a better start in language skills kindergartens are being implemented at Gunnison Moroni and Mt Pleasant clementaries Children in both districts returned to classrooms at the end of last week This week is the first full week of the new school year Explaining the reading and wnting focus North Sanpete Su- perintendent Courtney Syme says “If you can read and write then you can think” Secondary students will be encouraged to study classic literature as well as spend more time Utah “Fair” i— - Ill pm Saturdays and closed Sun- days ebration had from one of them “He told me ‘We go around to a lot of different fairs and I've been amazed ever since we got here You guys have had something Press Association General Excellence winner 1999 - 2001 2002 - 20C3 in English classes refining writing skills Both districts are tapping into Gov Olene Walker’s reading initiative Under the program approved by the last Legislature districts qualify for major grants for reading and language pro grams if they put up matching funds South Sanpete redirected funds from one of its regular levies in order to raise $35734 That qualified the district for $130000 from the state Nonh Sanpete passed a small tax increase equal to about $128 per month on $100000 house to raise $55000 which likewise should $130000 districts will use the bring in The money to hire new teachers and improve the reading and wnting cumculum The kindergartens have been made possible by fed- eral money North Sanpete School Distnct received a grant for about $75000 With the grant money the distnct has hired two teachers and organized a new cumculum Gunnison Elementary re- ceived money from a Title One grant and has promoted a current kmdeigarten teacher to full time “Having these students spend a full day in school instead gives them many advantages They will have twice the time to leam the fundamentals number concepts and reading of half Our goal is to have every student already leaving kindergarten reading” says Syme Grant Hansen principal of Gunnison Elementary says that research shows children who don’t have a general concept of letters and sounds by the time the enter first grade have trouble w uh learning and behav tor throughout their lives School administrators say that the reading emphasis in all grades and the new full day kindergarten are consistent w uh the goals of Performance Plus a program endorsed by the Legislature that focuses mov ing each student toward full competency Performance Plus includes tougher standards with accompanying assessments and interventions to ensure success for all children Educators say the programs also fit into Utah's Performance Assessment System for Schools a program involving setting learning goals and meastudent progress suring Aside from the two new initiatives it's mostly business as usual m the two districts In South (See “School” on A2l DARLENE AGPEN MESSENGER PHOTO New teacher Paul Childs with his fifth Gunnison Valley Elementary School grade class at |