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Show Cyan Magenta Yellow Black 75¢ Special offer for current subscribers inside GUNNISON VALLEY EDITION VOL. 84 • NUMBER 5 MANTI, UTAH • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2005 WEA THER EATHER Wednesday 44/19 Partly cloudy Thursday - 44/18 Partly cloudy Friday - 47/23 Partly cloudy Saturday - 47/22 Partly cloudy Last Week’s Weather Reported by Lee J. Anderson Date Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Max. Min. Prec. Snow 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 44 40 39 39 44 44 43 26 32 32 31 32 30 27 .29 .11 .01 - 1/2” - AT A GLANCE Get ready to spot bald eagles Gunnison runner to race in New Zealand games By John Hales Staff writer GUNNISON—Gunnison Valley High School student Justin Hyatt has been invited to an international cross-country track competition next summer in Australia, but it may take a marathon of fundraising for him to cover the expense of the trip. Hyatt was on the high school’s track team last fall. As a freshman, he placed in the top ten at every meet except at the state meet, where he placed 21st. Won ISSI notice Fountain Green City and the Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) will host their annual Bald Eagle Day at the Fountain Green Fish Hatchery on Saturday, Feb. 5 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Signs will direct people to the hatchery, which is located one mile north of Fountain Green. “Spotting scopes will be set up at each viewing site, and DWR biologists and volunteers will be available to help viewers spot eagles and to answer any questions they may have,” says Bob Walters, Watchable Wildlife coordinator for DWR. Displays also will be set up at each location and pamphlets and other materials about bald eagles will be available. Those attending the event should dress warmly, including waterproof boots if there is snow on the ground. Those attendees hoping to get a photograph of an eagle need to bring a telephoto lens, as the viewing area will be some distance from the eagles. “Photographers who don’t bring the proper equipment and try to get close to the eagles for a better shot will most likely scare them away,” Walters says. For more information about Bald Eagle Day, call Scott Root at 801-491-5656. Ruling favors Deputy Howe Sixth District Court Judge Kay L. McIff has issued a ruling against the Sanpete County and the Sheriff’s Department in Deputy Rick Howe’s lawsuit. McIff ruled in favor of Howe receiving back pay going back to early 2003. Details to follow in next week’s edition of the Messenger. His performance won the notice of International Sports Specialists Inc. (ISSI), a company based in Logan that sponsors sports tour programs to Australia and New Zealand. Last November Hyatt received a letter from ISSI inviting him to participate in the 2005 Down Under International Games to be held in July. Accordinng to ISSI’s website, the organization started 16 years ago when New Zealand native George O’Scanlon fell in love with the American version of football and wanted to somehow promote the game in New Zealand and Australia. He established the company to take U.S. athletes to Australia to “use the common language of sports to bridge continents.” Sports tours expanded Since then, his company’s sports tours have expanded to include the Down Under Bowl for football, the Hoops Classic for basketball, and the Down Under International Games, which include volleyball, golf, cross-country, soccer, swimming, wrestling, and track and field. Hyatt says he only got through the first two lines of the letter before running to show it to his mother, Angie Hyatt. Showed the letter Angie says when they showed the letter to Steve Hyatt, Justin’s father, there was no discussion about whether or not Justin could go, even though it was going to cost $8,000 that the family did not have. “We immediately decided to Counterfeiters face sentencing; new suspects charged By John Hales Staff writer EPHRAIM—One person was sentenced to jail last week for his role in a counterfeiting case, another is expected to plead guilty next month in the same case, and three more have been charged with counterfeiting in a separate incident. On Wednesday, Jan. 26, Sixth District Court Judge David L. Mower sentenced Michael Cabico, a student at Snow College, to 14 days in the Sanpete County jail for passing fake money at the college and at Ephraim businesses. Cabico could have faced up to five years at the state prison on the third-degree forgery charge to which he pleaded guilty last month, but Mower suspended the prison sentence, imposing a 14-day jail sentence instead. The reduced sentence was due in part to a pre-sentence re- port favorable to Cabico conducted by the Utah Division of Adult Probation and Parole. Sanpete County deputy attorney Brody Keisel described the report as “glowing.” The judge also granted a request that Cabico serve the jail time on weekends to allow him to continue his studies at the college without interference. In addition to jail time, Cabico must pay a $725 fine and up to $43 dollars restitution. He will also receive a 24-month probation, the violation of which would bring about the full prison sentence. The other defendant in the case, Mitchell Kihara, is expected to enter a plea bargain in court on Feb. 23, according to Sanpete County attorney Ross Blackham. Kihara was originally charged with five third-degree charges of forgery and possession of a forged writing or forg“See “Counterfeit” on A2) support Justin going,” she says. “It’s a once-in-lifetime opportunity.” Justin says he started getting interested in being on the high school cross-country team when he practiced with them during his eighth grade year to prepare for a track meet at Gunnison Valley Middle School. When he entered high school the following year, he was familiar with the team and with coach Keith Garff. He says he plans to run on the school’s track team, which will start to train soon for meets beginning early in March. By Sean Hales Staff writer FAIRVIEW—Central Utah Telephone (CUT) announced last week that it would be expanding its cable television and Internet offerings with the purchase of cable systems currently owned and operated by Precis Communications of Denver. According to a statement from CUT, the Precis purchase includes cable operations in all Sanpete County communities except Fayette. In Sevier County, the purchase covers the communities of Richfield, Sigurd, Aurora, Salina and Redmond. The purchase is the second such move for CUT in the last 12 months. In February 2004, the company bought cable systems in Juab, Utah, Sevier, Sanpete and Wayne counties run by the now-defunct Mallard The family is brainstorming to come up with ideas to raise that kind of money in a small community like Gunnison. So far, the Hyatts are accepting cash donations at local businesses that are allowing Justin to set up donation jars, they are recycling aluminum Cablevision. CUT’s objective in purchasing the Mallard assets was to bundle video products with their telephone systems in the northern part of Sanpete County. With the purchase of the Precis operations, CUT will take over cable TV services in communities in Sanpete and Sevier counties that it did not gain through the Mallard purchase. The acquisition will make it the only cable TV provided in Sanpete and Sevier counties. CUT general manager and vice president Eddie Cox said that communities already receiving phone service through CUT, plus Richfield, would get cable television and Internet service from CUT as soon as the Precis purchase was finalized. Other communities might have to wait until the systems can be upgraded or linked to CUTs network, Cox said. “We have to completely rebuild [some] systems,” said Cox. “It’s a pretty major project.” He continued, “We’re going to improve the systems as quickly as we can.” For example, Cox says that Mallard systems will need to be upgraded to allow the twoway communication required by the Internet. The CUT statement said that the company plans on eventually offering the “tripleplay”—video, Internet and long distance telephone service—to all service areas. However, Cox said that CUT has no immediate plans to expand local telephone service outside the company’s current exchange area. Cox noted that at one time CUT had a satellite television “See “CUT” on A2) Begins training today as Mt. Pleasant City recorder Staff writer A4 A5 A8 A9 BRUCE VAN DER RIET / MESSENGER PHOTO General Excellence winner 1999 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 Family brainstorming cans and are accepting aluminum cans donated to the effort, they are considering having a garage sale with their own goods and those donated by others, and they are on the lookout for service projects Justin can do to raise money. The final payment for the trip is due in June, and although Steve and Justin both talk as if they don’t doubt they’ll achieve the goal, they realize it will be quite a task. “Justin has invested and reinvested, but we’ve got a long ways to go,” Steve says. Central Utah Telephone to expand cable, internet into Gunnison Valley By Kathy Lin Eggleston Utah Press Association Justin started his fundraising efforts the last week in December, when Steve gave him $20 dollars to purchase beef jerky to sell to raise money. Steve says Justin increased that initial $20 to $800 in only a month. Sally East leaves county post INSIDE Opinion .............. Lifestyle ............. School ............... Sports ................ DARLENE AGREN / MESSENGER PHOTO Gunnison high school runner Justin Hyatt (looking over his shoulder) has been invited to participate in the state cross-country team at the 2005 Down Under Games in Australia this July. Sally East spends her last days as Sanpete County Economic Development Director after having been hired by Mt. Pleasant City as their new recorder. MT. PLEASANT—Sally East, director of economic development and travel for Sanpete County since 2001, is stepping down to accept the position of Mt. Pleasant city recorder. East’s departure comes at a time when the future the office she has directed is up in the air. For some years, the office, including East’s salary, has been heavily financed from a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). The county has covered the difference between the grant and economic development office costs from its own funds. But a new CDBG ruling requires that the funds be spent only for projects that will bring in economic activity. So beginning July 1, if the office is to continue, the county will have to fully fund it. The county is facing two questions: how to operate the office between now and July, and what to do after July. The county commission was scheduled to discuss those issues at its regular meeting Tuesday, which is after the Messenger deadline. “I wished I could have given the commissioners more time,” said East, who beat out 18 other applicants for the Mt. Pleasant job. “I was only able to give them two weeks.” “We are going to be exploring all the options,” Commissioner Mark Anderson said. “We will be looking at what our priorities are.” The commissioners will also look at beneficial projects to back with the CDBG funds, he said. East said she would work to smooth the process of finding a replacement. “It will be important for the county to have someone here to field the calls and answer questions,” East said. “Decisions will have to be made as we see what direction the new governor will go.” “See “Sally East” on A2) |
