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Show Christening of Charles Hall Ferry Slated For Set For April 11 A ferryboat christening at the edge of Utah's Cane Spring Desert (Bullfrog) is slated for Apr. 11, at 11:30 a.m. The ceremony will place a $3 million ferryboat, Charles Hall, into service across Lake Powell between Bullfrog and Halh's Crossing. ' The Charles Hall will double ferryboat capacity across Lake Powell on State Route 276. Currently Cur-rently the John Atlantic Burr makes one trip every two hours across the lake. This summer, service will increase to one trip an hour. Last year's passengervehicle log registered over 72,300 paying customers on the John Atlantic Burr, including vehicles, trailers, trucks, motor homes, motorcycles, bicyclists, pedestrians, and school busses. In past years, service across the lake has been suspended during mechanical' emergencies and for annual maintenance. With a second ferryboat in service, such shutdowns shut-downs will not completely sever service between Hall's Crossing and Bullfrog. The Charles Hall is 150 feet long, weighs 370 tons, and will hold vehicles parked three-across. Mark Steel, Inc. of Salt Lake City built the vessel. It was funded by a federal grant and by the Utah Department of Transportation. Aramark Ara-mark will operate the vessel under its concessionaire contract with UDOT. When the Charles Hall is fully operational, expected within a few days, the Atlantic Burr will be taken into dry dock for maintenance. main-tenance. Beginning May 1, both vessels are expected to be operating, offering passage across the lake between Bullfrog Marina and Halls Crossing from each side on the hour. Existing rates are: foot passengers, $2; children 12 and under, $1 ; under 5 and over 65, free; bicycles, $2; motorcycles, $3; vehicles under 19 feet, $9, with costs varying for longer vehicles and up to $50 for 70-foot trucks. Crossing the lake takes 27 minutes with the heaviest use by tourists and repreationists (See NEW FERRY on Page 7-A) New Ferry From Front Page taking place from May through October. The ferry takes schoolchildren from Halls Crossing to school in Bullfrog each day and services United Parcel Service, the U.S. Postal Service, and a sizable group of vendors. The public is invited to the christening ceremony sponsored by the Utah Department of Transportation Transpor-tation (UDOT), the National Park Service, Mark Steel, Inc., Aramark and others. The Charles Hall will make its maiden voyage following the ceremony but passenger space has been fully booked and the ferry will not open for public use for a few days after. Arlenc Markosian, widow of Mark Steel, Inc.'s founder Abraham Markosian, will christen the vessel. |