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Show Thursday, January 25, 2007 The Gunnison Valley Gazette Page 5 Springdale Springdale Utah is located in Southern Utah, and is considered the gateway to Zion National Park. People flock from all over to their bed and breakfast establishments, their over 700 motel rooms, or take advantage of the 500 plus campsites. Because of their “mild and beautiful winters,” and their cultural opportunities, Springdale is a year-round destination. Some of the outdoor activities include hiking, swimming, tennis, bicycling (rentals available), tubing, hiking, and horseback riding. They also have many other activities available, including a giant screen Cinemax movie theater, a 1000seat outdoor amphitheater where they host various concerts and entertainment groups, a museum, art galleries, bookstores, a playhouse, family concerts, a folklore festival, and a bar that features live blues, rock, jazz and folk music. They have an “active” art’s council called Z-Arts! that sponsors concerts, poetry readings and various creativity workshops. Through the years, Springdale has become a “haven for artists and writers.” They have many galleries and shops that carry paintings, photographs, masks, pottery and jewelry by local residents. Many shops carry antiques, collectibles, rocks, gems and Native American arts and crafts. Springdale has been called “a natural nexus, a magical meeting place for creative minds.” It must be something about the landscape-the red sandstone reaching up in crags against the blue sky--that is naturally inspiring to the creative mind. Many people consider it the prettiest place in the National Park System. From the Springdale valley you can see the Eagle Crags, the Canaan Mountain, the Watchman, the East and West Temples and the Mount Kinesava. They have over three million people that come through every year, and a continuous schedule of conferences, retreats, sympo- Courtesy Photo Steve Hardman/Gunnison Valley Gazette siums and festivals. So of course they have an abundance of good restaurants including gourmet southwest cuisine, continental food, Mexican food, deli, steak houses, family-style restaurants, hamburgers, Chinese, pasta, pizza, bagels and cappuccino. Seasonally, they also have a fruit market that sells locally grown produce. The residents are a collection of unique and creative people, people who are drawn to the beauty of it, the quiet, and the inspiration that Zion’s Canyon affords. They are lovers of the outdoors, retirees, artists, writers and craftsmen--and if the dog population is any indication, they are also dog-lovers. The population is around five hundred, and they all make their living from the multitudes that flock to visit Springdale all year long. Springdale is within an hour’s drive from St. George on one side and Cedar City on the other. Some of the other nearby places are the Coral Pink Sand Dunes, Kolob, Lava Point, Grafton, Smithsonian Butte, Cedar Breaks and Snow Canyon. It’s within two hours of Bryce Canyon National Park, Brian Head Ski Resort, and Lake Powell. Historically, Springdale was settled around 500 A.D. by a basket-maker society of Native Ameri- cans. Anazasis inhabited the area until around 1200 A.D. when the Paiute people settled to cultivate crops along the Virgin River. European people began infiltrating the land as early as 1776 when the Dominquez-Escalante party came through. Later Spaniards and other explorers passed through en route to California and Mexico. But Springdale itself wasn’t settled until 1862 when a Mormon group set up a branch of the southern Cotton Mission. Folklore says that a man named Albert Petty took his wife to the spot he had chosen to homestead, a beautiful place nestled between large springs. Petty asked his wife to name their new home, and she dubbed it Springdale. The name has continued ever since. Springdale remained small, its pioneer population scanty, all of them eeking out a meager living from the land. In 1920 Mukutuweap National Monument was dedicated. It would later become Zion National Park, and it changed the nature of Springdale forever. The residents benefited by new roads which brought modern conveniences to Springdale, and the tourism brought employment opportunities linked to resource management and tourism. From their, it has grown into what it is today, a beautiful oasis of nature that inspires artistic expression from people around the world. Local author, Karin Mei Li Inouye, spoke with local book club ladies, front row left to right, Vicki McArthur, Jeanie Inouye, Mei Li Inouye, Darlene Agren and standing, Alice Christenson, Brooke Blackburn and Sara Parsons. The book club read Mei Li’s first published book, “Walk Without Notice”, which depicts the story of Mei Li’s Chinese grandmother and her arranged marriage to her American grandfather. Mei Li is currently studying at a writing school in Virginia and will graduate with her Master’s Degree in writing. The club liked Mei Li’s book and really enjoyed visiting with her personally. Mei Li is already working on her second book. You can find her book at the Gunnison Library or purchase it from Jensen Drug, Sevier School & Supply or on Amazon. Mei Li is the daughter of Jeanie and Dr. Dwight Inouye of Gunnison. The Scouting News! A stake-wide Pinewood Derby will be held on January 31st at 6 p.m. in the Gunnison Stake Center. All boys, girls, moms and dads of all ages are invited to attend. Weigh-ins and practice track runs will begin at 5 p.m. You can pick up a derby car at the local scout office. The Scouting News is Sponsored by ACE Paints Sporting Goods Whirpool Appliances is sponsored by: GUNNISON IMPLEMENT COMPANY 528-7513 Your Farm Home Auto Paint Store 51 W 200 N, Gunnison • 435-528-7544 or 7271 Fri Jan 26 Chili Cheese Sticks Carrot Salad w/Raisins & Pineapple Brownie Tue Jan 30 Pizza Tossed Green Salad California Blend Veg. Fruit Crisp Wed Jan 31 Split Pea Soup w/ Ham Fruit Salad Cake Bread & Butter Fri Jan 26 Gunnison @ Richfield Thur Jan 25 Richfield @ Gunnison of Gunnison 79 East Center • Gunnison, UT 84634 (435) 528-2130 8:00 8:00 8:00 1:00 8:00 9:00 - 4:00 4:00 4:00 8:00 4:00 noon Dr. Young is board certified in the broad spectrum of family practice medicine, including obstetrics and pediatrics. He is also fluent in Spanish. Fr 5:15/JV 5:15 Var 7 pm Girls Basketball Fr 5:15/JV 5:15 Var 7 pm Wrestling Fri-Sat Jan 26-27 Family Medicine Specialists Monday: Tuesday: Wednesday: Thursday: Friday: Every other Saturday: Lotsa Motsa Sports Calendar Boys Basketball Senior Lunch Menu Thur Jan 25 Hot Turkey Sandwich Yams Pears Pumpkin Dessert 435 South Main • Gunnison Enterprise Tournament Pizza • Calzone Breadsticks • Salad Free Delivery (Limited Area) 528-3792 57 South Main • Gunnison Happy to Serve You Not available in Stores! Reg $45 Brighten Your Smile! Now Only $35 Kelly Frandsen, D.D.S 75 North 100 East Gunnison 528-7316 |