Show Thursday February 15 1990 The Eagle - Page 5 CEU's prehistoric collection will soon be world's largest Fairbanks staff writer by Daren The College of Eastern Utah's prehistoric museum will be the center of much attention this spring when it opens to the public but until then it is the center of much activity in preparation for the scheduled April 1 opening According to Don Burge the museum's curator the exhibits should be ready for a reopening this spring A tentative date has been set for the beginning of April but the museum win open sooner if possible Burge said Exhibits being designed for the public to see include an exhibit centered on Eastern Utah's own Columbian Mammoth a diorama "death scene” which win house the skeletons of four dinosaurs taken from Eastern Utah a collection of dinosaur tracks a case containing anciently broken fused and diseased dinosaur bones an archeological wing depicting ancient man and some of the crafts practiced by the early inhabitants of the Western United Slater a display of dinosaur eggs a children's room and several fossils and artifacts and craft projects donated by local residents Burge said that the dinosaur exhibits which will eventually house twelve full dinosaur skeletons is the largest collection of authentic dinosaur bones in the United States and one of the best of its kind in the world "We have one of the most valuable collections in the world Having these bones is like having a Rembrandt or a Sisline Chapel of our own” He added that "it is one of the most extensive collections of bones in the whole world not casts but bones Dinosaur skeletons you see in most other museums are just behind-the-scen- es casts" The "death scene" will accommodate four dinosaurs including a rare Camarasaurus a Brontosaurus-lik- e dinosaur which will lie on the floor of the sand pit diorama The Camarasaurus is so rare and in such good condition that it will not be drilled and mounted on a metal frame like the other skeletons in the display but will remain much as it was found so that visiting paleontologists can study and measure it Burge said Burge attributes the uniqueness of the museum's collection of dinosaur bones to the fact that the CEU operated Cleveland-Lloy- d Quarry has the highest concentration of fossilized dinosaur bones per cubic yard of any dinosaur quarry in the world Since the early 1960s die quarry has produced between 12000 and 17000 separate bones and 70 or more individual dinosaur skeletons Burge said Another exhibit of interest will be a group of dinosaur tracks the largest in the world iccoiding to Burge Robert Rowley a local volunteer is helping to prepare the display Other intereating displays explain how paleontologists reconstruct dinosaur skeletons and their muscles and body structure Also a 160 million year old dinosaur egg is displayed and another case houses a description of the process of casting fossilized dinosaur bonea for display' when a dinosaur skeleton is found (hat is not complete or when parts of the structure are so badly damaged that they are not suitable for display The dinosaur collection is rivaled by the wing of the museum which will eventually contain the actual skeleton of a Columbian Mammoth which was found in August 1988 by a construction crew building a dam in Huntington canyon The mammoth is the finest complete specimen ever found and the only one ever found at such a high elevation 9000 feet above sea level The find is of great value to paleontologists because they once thought that this animal was a prairie dweller but are now concluding that they might have also roamed the mountains Archaeologists have taken interest in the site because human artifacts were also found at the dig Currently on display at the University of Utah Museum of Natural History's exhibit "10000 B XT" the mammoth will be brought to the CEU museum for permanent display sometime next year after the U of U has displayed it Some of Burge's favorite displays are contained in the museum's children's room which will contain dioramas paintings models and other projects by local children the most loyal supporters and patrons of the museum he said ' Much of the funding and almost all of the support for the museum's projects comes from local residents who volunteer their lime and talents to help improve the quality of exhibits found there often donating fossils and artifacts for display According to Burge they can use all the help they can get to meet the April 1 opening goal and to keep the museum operating "We depend heavily on volunteer help and live day to day with whatever help we can get" he said adding that state financial support has been small and most of the funding for the museum's new wing and other projects has come from (Vice City and the Federal Economic Development Board Work sessions are held every Thursday from 7 11 pjn Volunteers are more than welcome to attend Several CEU students are currently working at the museum as volunteers to prepare exhibits for the public opening this spring student Pat Preston a local die lab" fat "dino museum's been hu working remove to few weeks for the put learning bones and other fossils from surrounding al CEU's nsw Prehistoric Museum will soon bs open according to Dor Photo by Lonnie Behunin Burgs curator Looks Ilka this guy Is rsadyl rock prepare them for display repair broken bones make cuts and help prepare display cases for viewing by making and painting mannequins dioramas illustrations and other artwork Carl Lamoni another volunteer worker is also being trained to work in the lab extracting fossilized bones from rock "Removing these bones from the rock is 90 percent of the battle because they must be taken from solid rock Burge aid After cleaning preparing and mounting piece-by-piec- e" dinosaur bones they are assembled into complete skeletons "Matching them up isn't that hard when they all fit together like a big erector set" the museum's director explained Everyone b welcome to help at the museum Burge uys All they need b time and the willingneu to learn and help Anyone interested in donating pieces for display or volunteering to help at the museum should contact Don Burge or other museum personnel between 9 am and S pjn Summer positions open with theatrical organizations earning skills and profits by Kristie Eliason arts and entertainment editor "Hark Romcowhy for must thou cometh hither7" owonon uene Decorated with Jock straps balloons and sport bras over 150 Fab 9 students danced to ths magic music of "Tom and Max while prizes wars in second annual swarded for dirty dancing and heart matching ---- -— Photo by Lonnie Behunin Anyone could probably relate with this line at least a little more than "Hey Ron why'd ya slap those patties hcre?l" So maybe you should apply for a theater apprenticeship instead of your same old summer job The Santa Fe Opera is inviting all interested patrons to return applications to join their production staff for its 34th season Several positions are open from late May through August and the spots will be filled soon Salaries will depend on your talent and previous experience and housing is also available at minimal or no cost Experience can be gained in several areas such as costuming makeup design electrics sound box office relations stage department management and much more Write to the Santa Fe Opera at PO Box 2408 Santa Fe NM 87304-240- 8 for your application or more information If you would rather work "center stage" then applying for an acting job may be more your style You could perform with acclaimed professionals at the La Jolla Playhouse in their Summer Conservatory Apprenticeship Program When you choose to 'join the program Conservatory students are assigned to work on a Playhouse production There b a fee for housing and instruction Call or write the La Jolla Playhouse Education Programs PO Box 12039 La Jolla Calif 92037 or (619) 0 334-676- |