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Show Page 13 - April 23, 2002 Basin LIFE Uintah Basin Standard .M' ORGANIZATION & COOPERATION NEEDED Roosevelt's main street committee gathered ideas at a national conference f j We need to make ft this a destination. By Susan Collier In spite of numerous travel problems while getting to the National Main Street Convention in Fort Worth, Texas early this month, three of Roosevelts Main Street Committee members reported enthusiastically on their trip. They are optimistic that implementing some of the ideas gleaned from their trip will est service and help push Uintah Basin Ranch, he suggested. We need to share our heritage and focus on quality and authenticity. I think we need to retain historical buildings and retain our farm land. We could put up a boys camp and have problem boys come work on a ranch, he theorized. "We need to preserve some public space. help revitalize Roosevelt. I went down there ss a business person interested in what we can do to revitalize main street, not just enhance the looks, commented John Gale, owner and former manager of Gales Office Supply. Gale admonished local businesses to fraternise other local establishments. Otherwise were going to have more businesses shut down, he stated. Gale learned tourism may be the key to revitalization. Travel and tourism is the third largest industry in the United States. Weekend vacations are not uncommon anymore, he proclaimed. Some tourists dont care how much money they spend when they get there. Weve got to make this a destination. Tourists will use our restaurants, lodging and recreate here if we just get together and cooperate. He related a story of a small town with a population of 511 that successfully improved their economy. The merchants, citizens, and town realty pulled it up from the boot straps! Weve got to learn how to cooperate with one another and coordinate our activities. He noted how Elko, Nevada, benefits greatly just from a week long cowboy poetry contest They book up and bring in a lot of money. It takes about three years if you continue to work on it Gale pointed out that Roosevelt is the hub ofthe Basin, not Vernal, and threw some ideas out that could help make Roosevelt a recreation destination. We need to restore our cooperation with the tribe, restore White Rocks Cave, cooperate with the for- - He suggested offering college students discounts by selling them shopping passports for a small fee. He also suggested recognizing groups on certain days, like a seniors day. We need to be much better organized and have a vision statement, and just because it doesnt happen overnight, dont say I cant The merchant committee died from lack of enthusiasm. We arent going to turn it all over to the council," he declared. George Dean attended sessions at the conference dedicated to the nuts and bolts" problems a main street faces. I learned how the stores can help promote business. As a city we can only do so much," he declared. If you do not have the support of business the city can not and should not do this fay themselves. I feel Roosevelt City is realty trying to light a fire under businesses even if it is just sweep our sidewalks. Dean came back with suggestions on how to enhance storefront windows and make the town appear friendly. The suggestions include: locate aecurity gates at the rear of a show case; keep indoor lights on until 11:30 p.m.; and use dear glass in the windows. He noted that some merchants have gotten grants to improve their businesses. In order to light the main thoroughfare with attractive fixtures Dean suggested businesses or citizens adopt a street light by assuming the costs to purchase the light . He pointed out that there are many attractive options and some are designed to advertise the contributors name unobtrusively. According to Dean, ofTmain street parking, planters, benches, trees, and spacious sidewalks all help make a shopping area more pedestrian friendly. Conversely, the 55 large trucks he counted hauling down the main drag in one hour detract from a friendly ambience. Dean also came back from the convention with more ideas for enhancing L it L corner. City Councilwoman Beverly Hansen detailed some of the accomplishments of the last few years: new garbage cans on main street; two new blocks of side walks, eight with handicapped access thanks to the help of DOT; direction signs at three locations; planters; and pine trees. In addition she noted that the dty has just produced an attractive and user friendly information pamphlet as a direct result of the main street committees efforts. She explained that police carry them in there vehicles, and they will be distributed to convenience stores, hotels and businesses. Dean predicted that future projects would include nice gateways to main street, more sidewalks, more direction signs, safety applications and in the long term new lighting. Roger Eschler said merchants need to start supplying products in stores. A citizen at the meeting expressed her concern that there were not establishments in enough town to attract tourists and asked the council if they were addressing this issue. Beverly Hansen noted that the results ofa spending a shopping survey had not been analyzed as of yet but these results would help dictate the direction the council would take in attracting new businesses. If you havent completed your Roosevelt shopping survey there is still time to drop it ofT, or mail it to the Roosevelt city office. up-sca- le ALMOSTONELARGETRUCK Trees and direcA MINUTE tional signs have been installed oil Roosevelts main street in an effort to enhance the down town appearance of the city. The almost constant flow oflarge trucks makes the sidewalks less appealing to pedestrians. OVER TWO DECADES AGO HE CREATED HIS Nels Carlson honored for 25 years By Susan Collier old Nels Carlson, When who describes himself as a maverick, started teachingdasaesat Utah State University Extension in Roosevelt 25 years ago, the college was on the threshold of folding. Nels began his career at the college while he was working at the Buick dealership in Roosevelt and finishing his masters thesis for his Master of Fine Arts in theater design and generalist in theater from Utah State University in 56-ye- ar edies, and musicals) a year for USU and produced and directed dinner theater at Bottle Hollow in the summer. I did about five shows at Bottle Hollow over four summers. Nela explained that before the demise of Bottle Hollow Resort, Californians and others traveling on Interstate 80 through Wyoming would detour through Roosevelt to attend the theater productions at Bottle Hollow. The memories, thats the gratifying part of doing shows and all the Senior Volunteer Quilters Need Help to who Senior Volunteer have be a senior help the to dont quilters desperately need help and meet every Thursday from 10 a.m.- - 4 p.m. at the Crossroads Senior and Community Center. The quiltS are also at the 7 or Colleen at frames on most other week days. Contact Leah at 5 for more information. You 722-841- 722-312- Office Symposium 2002 Offered USU Uintah Basin will host Office Symposium 2002 on April 24, beginning at 8:15 a.m. in the commons area of the new Student Center at the 4 ext. 240 for information or Roosevelt campus. Call Amanda at 722-229- registration. Womens Service League project The Womens Service League of Roosevelt needs your help to buy new children's books for the Duchesne County Library. Yard sale donations, induding baked goods, will be accepted on May 1 1 at 8 a.m. at the library. Start saving now to help with this great cause and bring your donations 5 with your questions. priced and marked. Call 722-905- Roosevelt City Summer Hours office hours will be the summer Roosevelt Notice: Library Closure The Duchesne County Library will be closed April 29 - May 1 for painting. Because ofthe painting, the book fair originally scheduled for April 26 has been cancelled. The hospital will have a book fair April 24-25. Livestock Show Registration All exhibitors animals in the Uintah Basin Livestock Show must showing have registration papera into the Uintah County Extension office by Friday, May 3. Forms are available at the county Extenaion office. A 84 fee is required. 4-- members must be registered in 4--H for the 2002 year 2 with and must have paid their annual $3 membership fee. Call questions. H 781-545- Rodeo Queen Contestants Sought 18 at 10 a.m. The Duchesne County Rodeo Queen Contest will be May Those interested in competing should contact Kimmie Wall at 4 1, Shawni Bowen at Trina Farnsworth at or Whitney Robb and 722-374- 6, 722-399- 260-171- 5. Lewis Seminars Offered The Crossroada Senior Center ia offering Lewis Seminars (Formerly Insights), the first level, on May 2--4 and the second level, June 5-- If interested in being a participant in the training or in being on the team, 7. contact: Cynthia, Ken or Marilyn, 8. 722-482- 4; 454-371- Calling All Prospective Pageant Contestants A Mias Uintah Basin Scholarship Pageant orientation meeting will be held May 8 at 6 p.m. at the Crossroads Center. All women ages 17-2- 3 are invited. Help Honor Our Policemen The Roosevelt Youth City Council would like to honor the police officers. Youth City Council members have made blue light bulbs to be used as porch lights. Anyone interested in supporting the police may pick up a blue light bulb at the police station. There is no charge. i h COPY)' when he finds the Lime. I le likes the theater, concerts, good fond.und tasting new dishes. Nels was horn and raised in father Roosevelt, ilis Swedish-lior- n came to the United States whim he was 16 and oened Carlson Cleaners (now Zipp's Dry Cleaning and laundry) shortly afier the end of WWIJ. Nels wasn't ulways on the theatrical track. When he rntori'd the University of Utah with a wife and one child in tow he wanted to he a dentist und then an engineer. I Ie was working as a gas station attendant for Chevron to nit himself through school and his job look him to various college rumpuses to complete hi studies. He got his associate degree from Dixie College in general education and his bachelors from Welier State, where he majoriil in theater and minored in literatim?. When lie finally got his musters degree he was the father of four. Hisfumity has grown. I le haseighl children und 16 grandchildren. Two ofhis adult children und a are currently living with him. Three others still live in the Basin. 1 uni blessed that way too. I do have wonderful children and grandchildren. I like to have fun with life und people, he said. 1 love to tell stories und make them up and tell them as fact. he acknowledged. In the future Nels looks forward to writing. Something kind of over the edge, u little hit outlandish and fictional of course, lie proclaimed. It looks like lie's keeping in practice wall tales he tells his with his friends und students. son-in-la- ofi-lli- e- Vernal is the home of turkey calling champ y, 722-455- 8. 722-492- creative arts to seniors at Uintuh High four mornings a week. He also travels to Duchesne to teach classes. But Nels doesn't just travel the state by automobile, his classes are popular around the state via satellite. I have some good size classes. I have students all over the state from Wendover to the Colorado line and from Logan to St. George. Last year I had a class with 200 students," he detailed. Nels iB rewarded for his hard work when students give him high murks on his classroom evaluations. Thul is the one thing that has kept me going," he declared. .He also finds his students' successes rewarding. He's had many students tell him how much they appreciate what hes taught them. Rood (Darren) Cowan on channel four has been in several of my plays and travels around the country as a broadcaster. He always pays me the kudos, Mess his heart. Nels would like to start a minor program in theater at USU to gut students interested in taking some directing, set design, acting, and stugu make-u- p classes. The problem we've had in the past has been not enough students to keep it going, but we are growing to the point where we can start focusing on that minor again, he predicted. Nels gets a little break in the summer when his teaching load lessens. Then he is able to devote more time to his other favorite activities, fly fishing and camping. 1 go alone illy fishing), because no one wants to go with me. I walk them to death, he joked. He is a jogger and a golfer FOOLING MOTHER NATURE Monday-Thurs-daDuring City 7:30 a.m.- - 5:30 p.m. For utility emergencies after hours and on Fridays through the summer, call Central Dispatch at 454-366- JOB AT UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION Nels Carlson was honored by Utah State University Extension w ith a certificate of appreciation for 25 years ofservice to the university. You might not recognize Nels with his new stylish hair cut. Last winter he donated his long locks to Locks of Love, an association that makes wigs for children. Logan. At first Nels taught just one class and usually had to recruit the requisite ten atudenta ao the class wouldnt cancel for lack of participants. Ilis hard work paid off and soon he had more classes to teach. Thanks to his efforts and those of Dr. Vamcll Bench and Vince LafTerty, the college didn't close, and after two years USU offered Nela a contract to teach full time. He ia thrilled with the university today, its buildings, staff, and students. "Since then it ia so wonderful to walk into those new buildings. I remember when I didnt even have an office, he declared. I am very blessed that I have this job and I've been here this long and I'm doing as well as I do. Ive had wonderful bosses. In fact when Nels was awarded a certificate ofappreciation from USU, his supervisor, Guy Denton, accepted it for him at a spring luncheon held in Logan. "I had too many classes and couldn't go, he explained. Nels recalled days put when his A type personality dirts ted his activities. Now I'm a B type," he said an A type gladly. During 20 years personality he produced and directed one or two shows (comedies tree-- u old friends and people I met along the years," he commented reflectively. Nels has also worked in the movies. He was an extra in a Humphrey Bogart remake with Anthony Hopkins. In addition to his extra duties he performed preferred stand-i- n duties for Hopkins. A preferred stand-i-n takes the actor's place in rehearsals or set ups when the actor is otherwise detained. "I've been in quite a few movies, most for BYU, and I've done voiceovers," he detailed. Three years ago this summer Nels performed in his last public performance to date. He played Ben Rumsen in Paint Your Wagon at Western Park in Vernal. Nela first love has always been teaching and still is. "I love my students. I love to teach. I teach theater, history, and theater appreciation classes, almost anything in the theater. If there ia a need. I'll teach it. I also teach communication classes, he explained. "Ive taught a lot of people different aspects of theater lighting, stage makeup, and set design and construction. He travels around the Basin to instruct. He teaches a night class which alternates weekly between and Vernal and teaches Ht By Susan Collier Last week elk and deer hunter Jeanie Curr of Vernal set up a turkey decoy in the vicinity of a male turkey. Her companion Mike Still, used his award winning turkey calling skills for an hour and a half to attract the Tom to the decoy and to within 30 feet ofJeanie who gut ofT a head shot for a quick, clean humane kill, thereby bagging her first turkey. It usually doesnt take thut long, explained Mike who had chosen the spot because he had heard the mule gobbling in the area. Similar scenarios are taking place around the Basin this spring as hunters learn about local wild turkey hunting opportunities thanks to people like Mike who love and promote the sport in the area. Mike learned turkey calling in Arkansas where he was raised. Five years ago he came to the Basin to hunt elk. When he found out his wife filed divorce papers in his absence, he decided to stay in the Basin. He has since remarried and works at J. West Oil Field. He and his wife Nikki live in Vernal. Mike is on the Basins National Wild Turkey Federation Committee and ia devoted to promotingthe sport of turkey hunting. He gives seminars on the subject, calls turkeys up for hunters, and helps organize the annua February banquet which raises money to continually stock the Basin with the big birds and reestablish their habitat. Some of the banquet funds went The Basin is one of the very top places in the nation to relocate turkeys." to the iMirrhiisi? of 12 dozen crul) apple trees which Mike und others ure planting on liinds inhabited hy turkeys. My muiii goal is to obtain turkey tags. proclaimed Mike who is excited about increase the more than 400 in attendance at this year's hampiel. "List year we had 43 attend und this year we had 178. Mike enjoys calling up turkeys for the lucky hunters who get turkey tags and even encourages strangers to call him if they would like him to help them get their gobbler. I enjoy play i ng wit h t ii rkeys and cal li ng them up, anil I love to teach other people about the sounds they make, declared Mike. I like to take people to their huhilat so they cun eiijoy the same thing I love to do, which is play with turkeys. Mike estimates thut 75 percent of Basinites don't know uhout the great turkey hunting opportunities available to them due to the combined cITortxofthe Utah Division of Wildlife und the National Wild Turkey Federation to bring birds to the Basin. He believes they started stocking the area about 1 1 years ago and was pleasantly surprised when he SEE TURKEY CALL On page 30 v.. s - V. . 1 1 |