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Show Cyan Magenta Yellow Black 75¢ Candidates scramble to fill vacant Senate, House seats A2 GUNNISON VALLEY EDITION VOL. 84 • NUMBER 2 MANTI, UTAH • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2005 WEA THER EATHER Wednesday 36/11 Cold & snow Thursday - 35/12 Snow continuing Friday - 37/12 Petersen to retire, Hill hired as new superintendent Cloudy By Lloyd Call Saturday - 40/20 Associate publisher Slightly warmer MANTI—The South Sanpete School District Board announced the retirement of school superintendent Jim Petersen at its meeting Wednesday, Jan. 5. Assistant superintendent Don Hill was named to replace him July 1, 2005. Petersen told the board in November that he wanted to retire. In two or three executive sessions, the board discussed whether to advertise the position or promote Hill. The board split on the issue, with one member favoring an open job search. However, that member later joined in with a unanimous vote to promote Hill. The board knows Hill well and was comfortable with him. “He’s been in the district for 31 years and has a top record in positions ranging from teacher to principal to assistant superintendent,” boardmember Nancy said. “Such a person reaches a point where he has an expectation that if a promotion comes Last Week’s Weather Reported by Lee J. Anderson Date Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Max. Min. Prec. Snow 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 38 36 34 31 23 38 38 27 .03 31 .19 22 .07 16 trace 8 .18 32 .15 32 .21 2” 1” 2” 3” - AT A GLANCE Messenger office closes for Friday morning The Sanpete Messenger office will be closed from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Friday, so that the staff may attend a planning meeting. Private music lessons offered at Snow College EPHRAIM—The Horne Youth Conservatory of Music sponsored by The Snow College Music Department will provide musical training for Central Utah youth from Feb. 1 through the end of April. Through private lessons as well as varied ensemble performances, the program will help students develop social skills and confidence in performing as well as help them keep up in their school bands, orchestras and choirs, and prepare them for college scholarships. The conservatory will be open to middle school and high school students, and lessons will be given in voice, piano, violin, viola, cello, bass, flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, trumpet, trombone, French horn, tuba, saxophone and percussion. Lessons will be held from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Eccles Performing Arts Center. To register or to get more information, call Dr. Elaine Jorgensen at 283-7471. Trust fund set up in memory of Louk Gordon In memory of Louk Gordon, the Ephraim man killed in an avalanche on Saturday, anyone who wishes to may contribute to a trust fund set up in Louk’s name at any Zions First National Bank. INSIDE Opinions ............. A4 Lifestyle .............. A5 School ................ A8 Sports ................. A9 Classifieds ........ A11 Utah Press Association General Excellence winner 1999 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 up, he’s earned it, and Don has.” With Hill taking the superintendent spot, the board is considering a variety of options for filling the assistant superintendent position and has until June to make a final decision. One option would be to reassign assistant superintendent duties to current district and building level administrators. Another option would be to advertise for the position and fill it, either from within, or with a candidate from outside the district. Hill has been teaching 31 years, beginning in 1974 at Manti High School. He taught English, driver’s education and yearbook for 16 years, then he served one year as Manti High principal. After that he served 11 years as Gunnison High School principal before coming to the district office as assistant superintendent in 2002. Hill doesn’t foresee changes in policy. “We have put a lot of emphasis on elementary schools and reading skills, and we will continue to focus on that. But my area of expertise is secondary education, and I LLOYD CALL / MESSENGER PHOTO South Sanpete School Superintendent Jim Petersen and Don Hill, assistant superintendent, working on agenda for a principal’s meeting. Petersen is retiring in June, and Hill has been hired to become the new superintendent. want to make completely sure our students are prepared to move on to college. We are doing well, but I think we can do even better,” Hill said. Petersen began his teaching career in 1975 as a guidance counselor. In 1978 he was asked to serve as Ephraim Elementary principal. He was principal there until 1993 when he be- Centerfield sets meeting to discuss water rate increases came the Ephraim Middle School principal for three years. He was then Manti High School principal from 1996 to 2000. The board brought him into the district office in 2000 to serve as assistant-superintendent under Lewis Mullins, and he was hired as superintendent in 2003 upon Mullins’ retirement. Reflecting on his 30-year career, Petersen said, “I had the opportunity to serve as a building principal most of my career. I treasure the interaction and relationships over the years with teachers, students and parents at every level I served. I felt together we worked to develop (See “Retires” on A2) Gunnison man dies of exposure By Kathy Lin Eggleston Staff writer By C. R. Truitt Staff writer CENTERFIELD—The Centerfield City Council discussed home businesses and water rates, reviewed findings on the city’s accounting practices and its use of funds in 2004, and passed a resolution to create a municipal building authority at its meeting last Thursday. Two home businesses within the city have grown into full commercial enterprises. One business could get a zone change because it is next to an existing commercial zone, but the other is solidly surrounded in a residential zone. During a routine review of business licenses, the council questioned whether the businesses should be charged at commercial or home business rates. The council voted to allow the businesses to operate with home business licenses this year while it researches the problem. The council plans to hold a public meeting to explain to residents why water rates will be in- creasing. The meeting will be held Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. at the elementary school. The city also plans to release a series of articles on the subject. The council was pleased with the management letter sent by their reviewing accountant firm, Kimball & Roberts of Richfield. Accountants look for ways in which a city can improve its practices, and the improvements suggested for Centerfield were minimal. The first finding stated the balance in the general fund’s unreserved fund exceeded the state allowable 18 percent of the total estimated revenues. The city transferred the excess amount of the fund balance to the capital projects fund for future capital outlay and for the restoration of the Old Rock Church. The second finding was that the city did not follow all the provisions and procedures required in the Utah Code. The city fixed this by amending their purchasing polices to include the missing requirements. The third and last finding stated the city could improve internal controls over fuel purchases. The letter recommended that a log be kept for each vehicle to track miles driven and fuel purchases and that the log be reviewed on regular basis. City employees have already begun this change in procedure. The city’s use of funds in 2004 broke down as follows: Business-type revenues—water fees: $97,990; sewer fees: $94,769; secondary water: $67,312; sanitation fees: $46,300; impact fees: $19,148; interest earnings: $13, 419; total: $338,938. Expenditures—water fund: $86,535; sewer fund: $142,695; secondary water: $96,714; sanitation: $44,809; total: $370,753. Governmental fund revenues—charges for services: $16,684; operating grants: $70,560; capital grants: $144,442; property tax: $18,327; other taxes: $133,428; interest: $7,069; total: $390,510. GUNNISON—George Richard (Dick) Dallam would have been 80 years old on Feb. 17, and his family was looking forward to holding a birthday party in his honor. Instead, they will honor his request that when he passed away, a Skeet Shoot be held for his family and friends instead of formal services. Dallam died of apparent exposure to cold temperatures sometime during the night of Jan. 2 after becoming disoriented in the northeast hills seven miles from Fayette. Dallam left his home in his pickup truck on Dec. 30 at 1:30 p.m., telling his wife, “Put the bacon on; I’ll be right back.” He did not take his jacket or cell phone because he felt he would not George Dallam need them. He was only going a few places and had bills to pay. When Dallam did not return, Pat Dallam, his wife of 19 years, thought he probably went out where his diesel truck was parked at a farm near Fayette. “Dick is quite a talker, so at first I wasn’t worried,” she said. “He loved that truck,” she said. “Dick always wanted to drive. He was a trucker all of his life and has only been semi-retired for a year and a half.” The truck had been leased out recently, but that hadn’t stopped Dick from (See “Centerfield” on A10) (See “Gunnison man” on A2) Deadly avalanches Ephraim snowboarder, Mt. Pleasant snowmobiler caught in massive slides By Suzanne Dean Publisher David Wayne Johnson, of South Jordan, was killed in a slide east of Mt. Pleasant on Saturday. Fresh snow, strong winds and warming temperatures proved to be a deadly combination Saturday, Jan. 8 as two men died in separate avalanches in the Manti-LaSal National Forest. Louk Gordon, 26, of Ephraim was snowboarding in Bluebell Chute on the northeast face of Haystack Mountain just after noon when an avalanche carried him 880 feet down the slope and buried him in snow, according to Max Forgensi, avalanche forecaster for the national forest who investigated the incidents. Haystack Mountain is about 8.5 miles from the mouth of Ephraim Canyon. About 15 miles away and about an hour later, David Wayne Johnson, 42, of South Jordan, who owned a cabin east of Mt. Pleasant, was caught in an avalanche while snowmobiling in the Choke Cherry Ridge area of Mt. Pleasant Canyon. He died from internal injuries after the slide propelled him into a tree. His snowmobile ended up in the tree branches. Both the Gordon and Johnson parties had taken safety precautions, says Forgensi. People in both groups, including the victims, were Louk Gordon of Ephraim, pictured with his wife, Brooke. Gordon was killed in avalanche in Ephraim Canyon on Saturday. wearing avalanche beacons. and a friend Kelly Moysh, all of Gordon’s companions were carry- Ephraim. They were running a ing snow shovels and probes. But “snowmobile shuttle,” in which the treacherous conditions over- two men each rode up on snowshadowed the safety measures. mobiles and then one rider got Gordon was in the mountains off each snowmobile and with his brothers, Cory and Durke, (See “Avalanches” on A8) |
