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Show Cyan Magenta Yellow Black Wednesday, March 16, 2005 Sanpete County NEWS•BRIEFS COUNTYWIDE INTEREST Banks validate driving privilege cards By Kathy Lin Eggleston SALT LAKE CITY—Wells Fargo and Zions Bank have announced that they will honor Utah driving privilege cards as a valid form of identification for conducting bank transactions. Both banks require two forms of identification for opening accounts at their Utah locations. The driving privilege card is now acceptable as one of these two forms of ID. “Wells Fargo respects and values the Latino community, and we are pleased to serve them,” said Silvia Grutter-Norman, Latino Banking manager for Wells Fargo Utah. “The driving privilege card appears to meet all of Wells Fargo’s requirements as a valid identification.” Zions Bank has been working with the Utah Driver License Division to encourage a change in the wording on the card from, “Not valid as identification,” to “Not valid for identification purposes with any Utah government entity.” Scott Anderson, Zions Bank president and CEO, said, “As a community bank, Zions sees its acceptance of the driving privilege card as another way we help make banking as convenient as possible for our local Latino neighbors,” said. “That’s also why we believe the proposed revised wording on the card would more clearly conform to the intent of the legislation, while allowing card holders to use the card as identification in doing business with nongovernmental entities.” The banks’ announcements follow the recent passage of Senate Bill 227, which requires undocumented immigrants to use a driving privilege card to drive in Utah. FOUNTAIN GREEN Lions Club holds fourth annual health fair By Kathy Lin Eggleston FOUNTAIN GREEN—The fourth annual Fountain Green Lions Health Fair is Wednesday from 5-7 p.m. at the Fountain Green City Hall. The Fountain Green Lions Club is sponsoring a vision screening for children six months to six years. PhotoScreener, the vision screening camera, is especially designed for the detection of vision disorders such as amblopia (lazy eye) that are more easily treated if detected early in a child’s life. Wal-Mart Optical Center will provide adult vision screening, and Central Valley Medical Center will offer blood sugar, blood pressure and oxygen saturation tests. The health fair is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. Other sponsors are Becks Auto, Skyline Pharmacy, Huffman Floors, Fountain Green General Store, Moroni Feed Co., Moroni Feed Credit Union and Michelle’s Pre-School. Horse motel opens FOUNTAIN GREEN—Sanpete County visitors no longer need to leave their horses at home. The county’s first official “horse motel” is open for business, providing accommodations for horses overnight or longer. Kris and Fred Burns opened the motel on their 26-acre ranch located about a mile and a half from Fountain Green and adjacent to BLM property. “There are a lot of people who like to visit the area and have horses,” Kris Burns said, “but if they want to bring their horses along, until now there was nowhere to board them just for the night or a few days. Most places want something more long term.” So Kris and Fred Burns decided to open a 12-stall horse motel and provide food, water and “mucking.” Horses can check in for just one night or for an extended stay. “People can pick up their horses and ride right up into the mountains from here,” Kris Burns says. In June, the Burns will also open a 10-acre RV Park near the horse motel. The park will include 60 sites with sewer and water hookups, as well as 24 camping spots. “We want staying here to be a family experience,” explained Burns. And that includes four-legged family. For more information on the horse motel or RV Park, contact Kris or Fred Burns at 445-3303. SPRING CITY DUP chapter to hold candy sale SPRING CITY—The Canal Creek Daughters of Utah Pioneers, Spring City, is holding a homemade candy sale on two Saturdays, March 19 and 26 at the old fire station by the post office from 10 a.m.2 p.m. The group is raising funds to restore the old jail. The museum will also be open during those hours.For more information, contact Donna Larsen at 462-2505. MT. PLEASANT First Presbyterian to celebrate Palm Sunday By Kathy Lin Eggleston MT. PLEASANT—The First Presbyterian Church in Mt. Pleasant will hold a Palm Sunday celebration this Sunday at 11 a.m. The celebration will begin with a procession with palms, and songs and words honoring the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Services will follow. The public is welcome to attend. The church is located at 91 S. 100 W. For more information call Pastor Boge at 462-2667. CORRECTIONS ... A front page story and headline in last week’s Gunnison Valley Edition contained incorrect information about a city-wide meeting on Centerfield water system needs. The meeting is Thursday, March 17 at 7 p.m. at Gunnison Valley Elementary School. Also, last week’s calendar section gave an incorrect date for the Fiddlesticks concert in the Arts for Everyone series. The concert is March 19 (Saturday) at the Ephraim Co-op at 7 p.m. We regret the errors. A3 Sanpete Messenger/Gunnison Valley Edition Ombudswoman seeks best life for children By Kathy Lin Eggleston Staff writer SALT LAKE CITY—Dianne Warner-Kearney knows that putting children first takes more than just putting a motto on paper. It takes everyone in the life of a child working to the best of their abilities to provide a positive outcome. As the Deputy Ombudswoman of the Office of Child Protection, Kearney’s job is making sure children who are receiving services from the Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS) and their parents have the best possible outcomes. Trust built on competency and caring is important to Kearney. She knows that when DCFS steps in to provide protection for children, the process is not always smooth. That is also why Utah Law created the Office of Child Protection Ombudsman (OCPO). Kearney investigates consumer complaints in respect to DCFS. Her goal is to achieve fair resolutions; promote changes that will improve the quality of services provided to the children and families of Utah and build bridges with partners to effectively work for the children of Utah. Kearney and her staff, Carol Cook and Tayna Albornoz, assistant ombudswomen, take phone calls, assist individuals in contacting the appropriate person, review cases to determine a potential need to complete a full investigation, Commission (Continued from A1) needed to care for Medicaid patients. The extra money was used to reach out and treat nonMedicaid eligible patients such as the working poor. Those savings, too, were used to reach out to the community and help people who weren’t eligible for Medicaid but couldn’t fully cover their own costs. But now, federal guidelines have changed, and treatment facilities will only receive Medicaid dollars for services provided to Medicaid patients. Marx said, at that time, insurance companies typically only pay about 60 percent of a hospital stay or medicine and many mental health patients can’t afford to cover the rest. He said uninsured patients don’t usually have the money either and many of these patients are hitchhikers or transients who come from outside the county. Ford and Marx had hoped the state would step in to take more of the burden over and work with hospitals. At the March 1 meeting, Blackham brought the potential problem to the other commissioners’ attention but made no reference to the July 20 meeting and did not say if the state had shown any interest in helping the counties. In other county business, Brian Barton of Jones and Demille requested the county make the firm its “engineer of record.” Barton said the advantage is “strictly” for Jones and Demille. He said UDOT has a rule for local government to have an engineer of record, which it is now enforcing. He said without being an engineer on record, engineering firms have a limited $600,000 pool they can use to do engineering for local counties and cities. But when they are on record, the pool requirement doesn’t apply. He said the status also helps when applying for federal aid. However, the county commissioners can’t just name Jones and Demille as their engineer of record, Barton says. The county has to advertise statewide and then make a selection. The commission decided advertising in the Salt Lake papers was too expensive, but Barton said UDOT has a website that all engineering firms access. He thought that might be enough along with advertising in the local Sanpete papers. Barton said his firm would submit its report just as other firms would. Barton also said his company would prepare the ad document for the county. A mistake by the county zoning administrator gives one county business a year of business without having to purchase a conditional use permit. The commission also officially approved locating the Economic Development Office in the restored city hall in Manti. The commission also signed an agreement with architect Joseph Linton to produce a $20,000 feasibility study for a Sanpete County jail complex. AXTELL ACTION BY AUDREY BOORE 528-3309 Kenneth Buckland has been called to serve as the leader of the 11-year-old Boy Scouts in Axtell Ward Troop 573. Nathan Buckland has been called as the 12-13-year-old Young Men’s president. Condolences are extended to Sandra Heath and family in the loss of their husband and father. Get well wishes are extended to Thad (Pink) Shinsel and Arva Lee Bertelson. Both are doing well and expected home in the near future. Congratulations to Maureesa Bastian on earning her Young Women’s Award. Maureesa interests are piano, baking pies and bread, reading and feeding calves. Remember: The Scouting for Food Drive is scheduled for March 26. Axtell Boy Scouts will pick up food. The Axtell Cub Scouts will deliver bags for the food on an earlier date On Saturday March 5, Danny and Nancy Boore and family attended baptisms of a niece, Serria Church, in Nancy’s family and a nephew, Eric McBride, in Danny’s family in the Salt Lake area. Steven and Tanesha Heath, and Audrey Boore also attended the baptism of Eric McBride. Eric is Audrey’s grandson. The 2005 Junior Prom was March 5 at Gunnison Valley High School, with the theme “I’ll Be.” Juniors from Axtell dancing the promenade were Brooke Heath, Laura Mecham and Mikal Paulson, along with senior Mitchell Heath. The young men and women all looked so good in their prom finery. A Boy Scout Court of Honor was held for Axtell Troop 573 March 6 at the Axtell Cultural Hall. Many merit badges were awarded as well as several rank advancements. Jake Anderson, Ty Blackburn, and Chance Christiansen earned their Tenderfoot ranks. Jake Anderson, Dalton Burr and Chance Anderson earned their Second Class ranks. Earning his First Class rank was Andres Valencia. Bryant Davis and Drew Despain earned their Life ranks. Sammy Brown and Kade Despain both earned the Eagle Bronze Palm. The Axtell Ward Social and Joseph Smith 200th Birthday Celebration was held March 12 with a pot-luck dinner and visual arts display. Everyone was asked to bring a favorite pioneer heritage dish and recipe to the dinner. Participants also enjoyed a display of pioneer tools used by their ancestors. complete investigations and make recommendations. When problems arise, concerned citizens should follow certain problem-solving channels before they contact the OCPO. “We ask individuals to start with their DCFS caseworker,” said Andrea Hess, assistant DCFS Constituent Services Specialist, “Then if their concerns cannot be settled, they should go to the supervisor.” If, after talking to the DCFS caseworker and supervisor, people still have unresolved problems they can call Todd Minchey, southwest regional director of DCFS at 867-2760. The next step in seeking resolution, Hess said, is to contact Constituent Services at (801) 538-4100. Through this office people will receive help at the highest levels of the state. If after following these channels people still have unresolved problems, or if they feel that a DCSF employee has done something that will hurt the parents’ standing in a case or has made negative statements about contact with OCPO, they should contact OCPO immediately at (801) 538-4589 or 1-800868-6413. OCPO is an independent office within the Department of Humans Services and is not part of DCFS. Other ways to contact OCPO are at 120 N. 200 W., Salt Lake City, room 422; P.O. Box 45500, Salt Lake City, UT 84145; or www.ocpo.utah.gov. Sanpete County Compiled by John Hales WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16 Church to celebrate anniversary The First Presbyterian Church in Mt. Pleasant will celebrate its 130th anniversary. As the event coincides with Parents Weekend at Wasatch Academy, Pastor Boge invites parents, friends and Wasatch alumni to attend. A special service is planned, and the public is welcome. Call Pastor Boge for details. College music department to present recital The woodwind and brass ensembles at Snow College will present A Night of Ensemble Music at 7:30 p.m. in the Larsen Recital of the Eccles Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets are $3 for adults, $2 for children and seniors, and $12 for families. THURSDAY, MARCH 17 Snow College Convocation Series Free weekly lectures and performances are held from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. every Thursday in the Jorgensen Concert Hall of the Eccles Center for the Performing Arts at Snow College. For information call Diana Spencer at 283-7410. This week, the Celtic music group Shanahy will perform “Music for St. Patrick and St. David.” Celtic music group to perform at Snow The group Shanahy will perform a concert of Celtic music for St. Patrick’s Day at 7 p.m. at the Eccles Performing Arts Center. Admission is $3, or $2 if you are wearing green. SATURDAY, MARCH 19 Arts for Everyone concert to be presented A concert in the Arts for Everyone series will be presented upstairs in the Ephraim Co-op building at 7 p.m. The band Fiddlesticks will perform Celtic and English dance and folk music. Tickets are available at the door: $3 for adults, $2 for children and seniors, and $10 for families. SATURDAY, MARCH 19 Mt. Pleasant Easter egg hunt Mt. Pleasant toddlers and children up to 10 years old are invited to the city park at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 19 for an Easter egg hunt sponsored by the Mt. Pleasant Youth City Council. SATURDAY, SUNDAY, MARCH 19-20 Gunnison LDS Stake to hold conference A conference of the Gunnison LDS Stake will be held at the Stake Center. A general priesthood session will begin at 4 p.m. on Saturday. The adult evening session will be Saturday from 7-9 p.m. Sunday’s general session will begin at 10 a.m. Sunday’s session will also be live-broadcast to the Centerfield and Fayette LDS meeting houses. SUNDAY, MARCH 20 Easter Musical Offering to be presented Dr. Roy Ellefsen will conduct a concert of seasonal choral music at the Mt. Pleasant LDS South Stake Center (295 S. State Street) at 7:30 p.m. The concert is non-denominational and open to the public. First Presbyterian to celebrate Palm Sunday First Presbyeterian Church (91 S. 100 West, Mt. Pleasant) will hold a special service to celebrate Palm Sunday. A procession will begin outside the church at 11 a.m. with palm branches, music and the spoken word. Church service will follow. For more information call Paster Boge at 462-2667. TUESDAY, MARCH 22 Ephraim Relief Society to hold celebration The Ephraim LDS Stake Relief Society will host renowned LDS artist Liz Lemon Swindle at a Relief Society birthday party. Dinner is at 6:30 p.m. followed by Swindle’s presentation, “Impressions of a Prophet.” SATURDAY, MARCH 26 Scouts to hold food drive The Sanpete District Boy Scouts of America will collect donations for its annual food drive throughout the county. Donations will be turned in to the Mt. Pleasant food bank. Contact Ned Davis at 835-9588 for further information. |
