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Wayne & Garfield County
INSIDER
Panguitch • Panguitch Lake • Hatch • Bryce • Tropic • Antimony • Henrieville • Cannonville • Escalante • Boulder • Fremont • Loa • Lyman Bicknell • Teasdale • Torrey • Grover • Fruita • Caineville • Hanksville
National Park Service Announces No Significant Impact for the Multi-use Trail at Bryce Canyon National Park BRYCE - National Park Service (NPS) Intermountain Regional Director Sue Masica recently signed a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Bryce Canyon National Park Multi-use Visitor Path/Environmental Assessment. The FONSI officially completes the planning process for the path, which was developed in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and included extensive public involvement. The primary purpose of the path is to relieve safety issues for visitors of all ages who choose to use non-motorized transportation to experience Bryce Canyon National Park. Visitor safety will be improved by separating motor vehicles from bicyclists, pedestrians, and other nonmotorized user groups. The path is also intended to help manage congestion, improve visitor experience, and provide alternative means of accessing United States Forest Service and National Park Service lands. Construction is anticipated to begin in spring 2015 and conclude by late fall 2015. The grand opening of the path is expected to occur in spring 2016 and will be one of the park’s Centennial projects. The project has had significant support from a large
number of partners including Utah Department of Transportation, Federal Highways, US Forest Service, Bryce Canyon City, and Garfield County, UT. Because the Regional Director’s decision will allow bicycle use on the path, a special regulation must be promulgated before bicycles can be used. The proposed rule and an electronic form on which to submit written comments are available on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov. You can find the proposed rule by conducting a “search for a proposed rule” and entering keywords “Bryce Canyon.” Comments will be accepted through January 26, 2015. A final regulation is expected to be published in the Federal Register by March 2015. An electronic copy of the plan and FONSI are available online at http://parkplanning. nps.gov/brca. Bryce Canyon National Park protects and conserves resources integral to a landscape of unusual scenic beauty exemplified by highly colored and fantastically eroded geological features, including rock fins and spires, for the benefit and enjoyment of the people. Additional information can also be obtained by visiting the park’s website at www.nps.gov/brca or by calling the park’s main information line at (435)834-5322. —National Park Service
Health Care the “Utah Way” Board meeting presentation indicates that Utah continues to lead the nation in health care quality and value SALT LAKE CITY MarketWatch at the Wall Street Journal once called Utah the “brightest star” on the American flag. It turns out Utah is one of the brightest stars when it comes to health care too—the state rises above the rest in rankings for both resident healthiness and overall low health costs. At the monthly board meeting of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, Arches Health Plan, an approved health insurance partner of Avenue H, along with the University of Utah Health Network reported on the success of Utah’s health initiatives and results. During the presentation, University of Utah Hospital CEO David Entwistle noted that during the recession, Congress was acutely focused on the health care market in the United States and the Affordable Care Act. In consequence of this focus, Denis A. Cortese, then CEO of the Mayo Clinic was called to testify before the U.S. Congress and was questioned as to why the U.S. wasn’t following the popular European and Canadian
health care models. To these questions, he responded: “I suggest that it is time to stop talking about the Canadian solution, or the Swiss solution or the French solution, and start talking about the Utah solution.” The “Utah solution” has gained national awareness. The state is widely-recognized for its innovative thinking around health care, with projects like the creation of Avenue H, Utah’s health insurance marketplace for small business. Entwistle presented a scattergram which shows Utah in the far top right corner. This represents its top five rankings for resident health and low medical costs. Utah continues to dominate multiple rankings for health care value. In addition, the University of Utah Health Care has frequently ranked in the top 10 in the nation for quality, shouldered against the likes of the Mayo Clinic, NYU Medical Center and more. Utah continues to adapt after the Affordable Care Act. Health Care
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REGIONAL WEATHER FORECAST FOR SOME BUT NOT ALL REGIONS REPRESENTED IN OUR NEWSPAPER COVERAGE AREA
THURS. JAN. 15 - WED. JAN 21 MORE MUD. Highs in the upper 40s to low 50s all week, lows in the teens & low 20s. Mostly sunny Thursday through Saturday and partly cloudy Monday through Wednesday. Small chance of precipitation on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Thursday, January 15, 2015 • Issue # 1081
There’s a New Game in Town
Come and Meet the Panguitch High Wrestling Team Only 2 Home Duals Remaining
Courtesy Jake Schoppe
Panguitch High School wrestlers and coaches pose for a quick snapshot after a hard day’s work setting up mats in the new wrestling wrestling room at Panguitch High. PANGUITCH - During November and December there has been a lot of hard work going on inside the walls of Panguitch High School. If you haven’t already heard the old swimming pool has been filled in and a new multipurpose room was created. Literally tons of fill and tons of concrete were poured to create a room that is useable by all the students. Over the holidays, the Panguitch wrestling team showed up in fullforce to clean up piles of dirt and construction debris and then move in wrestling mats to practice on. Although the new space is in need of some heat and some cosmetic attention it is a wonderful addition to the Panguitch High School. When you get the chance, take the opportunity to thank your local school Superintendent and School board for working hard on this project. They have been working hard for a long time to create a useable space for the students where there was once a big hole in the ground. Thanks to all of you for your hard work and dedication behind the scenes! The Panguitch High School wrestling team, coaches and parents of wrestlers are
very excited to see the new addition. The wrestling team will now be able to hold practices in the new room and be able to have full use of the other facilities that the High School offers such as the weight room, bathrooms, showers or even running a few flights of stairs. Along with a new room comes a new coaching staff for 2014/2015. Coaches – Dr. Collin Marshall, and Kory Owens have been working hard to build a great team this year. With over 20 athletes on the team, you are sure to be impressed. If you haven’t had a chance to come out and watch
the Panguitch High Wrestling team, this is the year to start. These young men look great and are on their way to becoming excellent wrestlers. The coaches and athletes have been working hard to create a winning team and they deserve your community support. Check the schedule and find some time to come and watch a winning wrestling team this winter. There are only a few short weeks left in the season until the High School season is over. Go Bobcats! —Jake Schoppe
Panguitch High School Wrestling Schedule ** Home Duals
Jan 07 – Panguitch Wrestlers @ Kanab Jan 09/10 – Panguitch Wrestlers @ Gunnison Tournament Jan 13 – Panguitch Wrestlers (Home) vs. Milford and Diamond Ranch ** 7p.m. Jan 14 – Panguitch Wrestlers (Home) vs. North Sevier ** 7p.m. Jan 17 – Panguitch Wrestlers @ Milford Tournament Jan 20 – (Homecoming) – Panguitch Wrestlers vs. Bryce Valley**7p.m. Jan 21 – Panguitch Wrestlers @ Wayne Jan 27 – Panguitch Wrestlers @ Parowan Feb 6/7 – Region Wresting @ Monticello Feb 13/14 – State Wrestling @ Utah Valley University
Scoping Begins for Powell Ranger District Travel Management Project PANGUITCH - The Powell Ranger District of the Dixie National Forest is proposing to relocate, reclassify, or decommission a number of existing roads and trails as well as construct or designate new roads and trails. The purpose of this project is to revise the Motorized Travel Plan for the District and is limited to addressing known deficiencies in the 2009 Dixie National Forest Motorized Travel Plan. The Notice of Intent for this project was published in the Federal Register on January 8, 2015. The purpose of this notice is to invite meaningful public involvement in the project proposal. Public meetings will be held at four locations to discuss the proposed project. Dates and locations include 1) Wednesday, January 28th at the Panguitch City Office, 25 South 200 East, Panguitch; 2) Thursday, January 29th at the Piute County Courthouse, 550 North Main Street, Junction; 3) Monday, February 2nd at the Heritage Center/Tropic Town Office, 20 North Main Street, Tropic; and 4) Wednesday, February 4th at the Kane County Courthouse, 76 North Main Street, Kanab. All public meetings will begin at 6:00 p.m. Copies of the proposed action and project area maps can be obtained from the Powell Ranger District office or by accessing the Dixie National Forest website at: http://www. fs.usda.gov/projects/dixie/ landmanagement/projects and clicking on “Powell Travel Management Project”. Comments may be written, hand-delivered, oral, Powell District
2014 Christmas Bird Count Results
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by Kathleen Munthe ESCALANTE - The final results are in for the Escalante and the Boulder Christmas Bird Counts, held on 16 and 17 December, respectively. This was the 17th year that Escalante has participated in the 115 year-old census, while this was Boulder’s first official count (there was a successful try-out last year). In Escalante, 27 field people, including Escalante High School Biology teacher Rebecca Harris, her student Keyera Churilla and other new folks, as well as 6 dedicated feeder counters, participated. They spent a collective 42 hours driving 287 miles, over 15 hours walking 13 miles, and over 30 hours staring at feeders. The lack of snow cover gave almost unprecedented access to the 150 square mile count circle. There were 4,951 individual birds of 75 species recorded. This is in sharp contrast to the 2,550 birds of 53 species on last year’s count, after Winter Storm Boreas
Jens Munthe
A Roadrunner, seen in Scott and Susan Nelson's yard west of Escalante, was among the five new species added to the cumulative list during the 2014 Christmas Bird Count. roared through. The highest number of individuals ever recorded on this count was 6,000 in 2012; the number of species this year is one better than the previous high of 74 in 2001. Five of the 75 species are new to our cumulative list, which now stands at 120:
Happiness is the absence of striving for happiness. —Zhuangzi
Common Loon (1 lone and lonely lingering individual on Wide Hollow Reservoir, seen by several people); Cackling Goose (2 ID’d by Jens Munthe and also on Wide Hollow, this species was recently split from regular Canada Goose, from which it differs in size, proportions, and color); Tur-
key Vulture (2 seen by Carol Kracht and crew at the southern edge of the circle); Roadrunner (1 south of town and 1 west, thanks to Dana Waggoner, Susan Nelson and others); and Golden-crowned Sparrow
ALL content for THE WAYNE &GARFIELD COUNTY INSIDER must be submitted on FRIDAY BEFORE 5:00 PM to be included in the following Thursday edition of the paper.
BOXHOLDER
Bird Count
Cont'd on page 2 PRE-SORT STANDARD PAID RICHFIELD, UTAH PERMIT No. 122
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The Wayne & Garfield County INSIDER
Letters Send us your letters!
Your thoughts, opinions, and notes to the community are important to us and we welcome your submissions. Letters to the editor must include the author’s name and location (town). We may edit letters for length, format and clarity, and we also reserve the right to refuse tasteless material. Opinions expressed in letters to the editor are not necessarily those of The Insider. Send letters to snapshot@live.com.
Thanks, Garfield County Citizens
I would like to thank the citizens of Garfield County for allowing me to serve as your commissioner for 20 years. It’s been really a great experience for me. And I would especially like to thank the county employees for their dedication and the great job they do for the citizens of Garfield County on a daily basis. I leave with a sense of satisfaction and hope that I’ve satisfied the citizens with the job that I’ve done. Clare Ramsay, Tropic
Open House on Glen Canyon Proposed Fee Increase PAGE, ARIZONA – Glen Canyon National Recreation Area will host an open house for the public to learn more about proposed changes to fees collected in the park. Park staff will be available to provide information, answer questions, and accept written comments next Wednesday, January 14, between 4:007:00 p.m. at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Headquarters, 691 Scenic View Road in Page, AZ. The National Park Service has authorized all park units to conduct stakeholder outreach through civic engagement to gauge support for possible fee changes. Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is one of the sites proposing to enhance visitor services through an increase in entrance, camping, and boat use fees.
The public is encouraged to submit comments in writing by January 31, 2015. Written comments will be accepted at the open house or in any of the following ways: E-mail:GLCA_Carl_ Hayden@nps.gov Website: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/glca_fee_increase Mail: Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Attn: Park Planning PO Box 1507, Page, AZ 86040 Fax: 928-608-6204 For further questions and information please contact Fee Manager Jim O'Sickey at 928-608-6200. All comments received in writing by January 31, 2015 will be compiled for consideration before a final decision is made. —Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
Health Care
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Courtesy of Utah Governor's Office of Economic Development
Scattergram showing Utah health care ranking as most affordable and healthiest among the 50 states. One recent development is the creation of Arches Health Plan, a consumer operated and oriented non-profit aimed at providing great selection and competitive rates. Linn Baker, former director of the Public Employee’s Health Plan and now CEO of Arches Health Plan reviewed the ACA and the Arches Health Insurance model for the board. He also briefly presented Utah’s nearly unique all-payer claims database, which has helped contribute to maintaining lower cost ser-
vices in Utah by increasing the transparency of the cost of medical procedures. “The economy has a direct impact on health care cost, availability and quality,” said Val Hale, executive director of GOED. “Utah has been known for coming out on top in business through national economic ups and downs. It’s easy to see that our tradition of excellence carries over to the state’s health care value.” —Utah Governor's Office of Economic Development
Powell District
xie National Forest; 225 East Center Street, P.O. Box 80; Panguitch, UT 84759-0080; telephone: 435-676-9300. Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names and addresses of those who comment, will be part of the public record for this project proposal. Individuals and organizations who submit timely and specific written comments regarding the proposed project will be eligible to file an objection under 36 CFR 218. Comments submitted anonymously will be accepted and considered; however, anonymous comments will not provide the Agency with the ability to provide the respondent with subsequent environmental documents nor will the respondent be eligible to provide an objection pursuant to 36 CFR 218. —Dixie National Forest
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and electronically submitted for 30 calendar days following the date of publication of the Notice of Intent in the Federal Register or February 20, 2015, whichever is later. Hand-delivered comments can be submitted to the District office from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays. Comments may also be submitted via electronic mail (attachments can be in .docx, .doc, .txt, .pdf, and .rtf formats only) to: comments-intermtndixie-powell@fs.fed.us. Electronic comments must include the project title “Powell Travel Management Project” in the subject line. Questions and written comments regarding this proposal can be submitted to Paul Hancock, District Ranger; Powell Ranger District, Di-
Bird Count
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(spotted by Lisa Young at Lizard Ranch in a flock of Whitecrowned Sparrows). Among waterfowl seen, American Coots were by far the most numerous at 920. There was a good variety of ducks, including higher numbers of Redheads (27), Lesser Scaups (39), Buffleheads (13), Ruddy Ducks (49) and Common Goldeneye (16) than are seen most years. (Two Longtailed Ducks, documented by Debbie Savage and Jeff Lauersdorf, were blown into the reservoir by the strong north winds at Christmas, unfortunately too late for the count.) The vast majority of waterfowl was at Wide Hollow; little was at the sewer ponds. There were also 222 Wild Turkey counted. Most of the usual raptors were spotted, with the notable exception of Northern Harrier. None of the occasional species, such as Goshawk, Merlin, Prairie Falcon or Roughlegged Hawk were seen. The number of Eurasian Collared Doves, an introduced species, was distressingly high at 154, but Brigitte Delthony did manage to find 3 native Mourning Doves. One Western Screech, 1 Great-horned, and 1 Northern Pygmy Owl were seen. Northern Flickers were, as always, the most numerous woodpecker at 61, but there were also more Hairy (5) and Downy (3) Woodpeckers than usual. Melanie Boone’s Say's Phoebe, our only flycatcher, was back again and there were 3 Loggerhead Shrikes. All expected members of the corvid (crow-raven-jay) family were seen, including 3 Steller’s Jays; the huge numbers of Ravens (57), Crows (41) and Pinyon Jays (30) counted in some years were absent, but there were 131 Magpies, as well as 68 Scrub Jays. Two teams encountered Horned Larks (22). Individual numbers among most of the various little bark gleaners (chickadees, nuthatches etc.) were up, including 48 Bushtits, but Red-breasted Nuthatches were absent. Three wrens (1 each of Canyon, Bewick’s and Marsh) were seen, and Ramona Sorenson spotted our only Ruby-crowned Kinglet. All of the thrushes and bluebirds were seen in good numbers, especially compared to last year’s count, with 435 Robins leading in number of individuals. Only 103 Starlings (another introduced species) were tallied, a much lower figure than in most years, but House Sparrows (also introduced) were more numerous than usual at 48. There were 57 Cedar Waxwings seen, but
no Yellow-rumped Warblers (the only warbler ever present in winter here). Spotted (27) and Greentailed (6) Towhees were present in higher numbers than usual, and both Whitecrowned Sparrow and Darkeyed Junco numbers have bounced back from last year, with about 475 individuals each. Within the blackbird family, only 8 Meadowlarks were counted, but there were 68 Red-winged Blackbirds and a flock of 406 Brewer’s Blackbirds. Among the finches, there were a few House Finches (15) and fewer Cassin’s (2) Finches, but 123 Pine Siskins and 90 American Goldfinches were counted. The 117 Evening Grosbeaks tallied were restricted to the Munthe and Vensel/Linn properties. Compiler Terry Tolbert reports that, despite the snowy start to the day, 20 people plus a group of students participated in the Boulder Christmas Bird Count. They spent over 11 hours driving 121 miles and almost 10 hours walking over 15 miles. Road access to much of that count circle is limited, but there were still 2,401 individuals of 42 species recorded. The bird list for Boulder’s count differs somewhat from Escalante’s due in part to the higher altitude and prevalence of open, wet meadows there. Waterfowl were less diverse and numerous. Collared Doves were also less numerous (49), but there were more Mourning Doves (12). Most of the expected raptors were seen, including a Roughlegged Hawk, but, aside from Northern Flickers (11), a single Red-naped Sapsucker was the only other woodpecker found. Higher elevation species such as Steller’s Jay were more numerous (20), and there was a flock of 35 Black Rosy-Finches. Meadow-loving Mountain (38) and Western (72) Bluebirds represented the thrush family, along with a single Robin; there were no Meadowlarks!. Among the bark-gleaners, there were 3 Black-capped Chickadees, not seen in Escalante this year. There were also 320 Redwinged Blackbirds and 940 Dark-eyed Juncos. I am often asked, why do the numbers of species and individual birds vary so much from year to year? Why do we get out-of-season birds such as Roadrunner and Turkey Vulture? Why do you people want to spend a whole day out in the cold counting birds? The answers to these questions are complex and interrelated, and space does not permit me to go on at length,
January 15, 2015
but let me make a couple of general points. An important, immediate factor affecting bird, and other animal, populations is habitat destruction. Some generalist species, such as American Robins or Common Ravens, can do well in a variety of habitats. Many others, however, rely on specific habitats in which to breed or winter. These habitats include grasslands and wetlands, both of which are disappearing rapidly. Locally, for example, vigorous removal of vegetation from around (and even within!) the city sewer ponds has destroyed an important winter refuge for reclusive duck and other wetland species such as Wilson’s Snipe, all of which were absent this year. The shotgun shells scattered around out there tell yet another story. Annual weather differences can greatly affect winter bird populations. As noted above, last year’s count revealed lower than average numbers of species and individuals due, at least in part, to the aberrant early and abundant snow brought to our area by Winter Storm Boreas. This year’s prolonged fall weather and delayed snowfall, by contrast, provided birds with a Riviera of sorts. This may well be a factor in our lingering Roadrunners and Turkey Vultures. Overlying year-to-year weather variability is a longterm trend toward warmer winters. Possible causes aside, actual, measureable data reveal that Earth’s average temperature is increasing. This is having a profound effect on bird populations, which act as the canaries in our coal mine. In 2009, the U.S. Department of the Interior released a “State of the Birds” report, based in large part on 40 years of Christmas Bird Count data. The report revealed that 58% of species wintering in North America had shifted their winter ranges northward since 1968, some by hundreds of miles. American Robins, for example, now winter 200 miles further north
on average than they once did. The exception to this shift was found among grassland species; the grasslands into which they would shift their ranges are no longer there. Likewise, species which already live in the far north cannot move much further, as they would run out of real estate. The “State of the Birds” report and annual updates to it are now available and easy to find on line. Christmas Bird Count data have always been generated by volunteers following a careful protocol and are reviewed by scientists and statisticians. In addition to comprehensive reports like the “State of the Birds,” over 200 professional scientific papers have utilized these data since the count’s inception. The CBC and it’s spring/summer counterparts, the breeding bird surveys, provide massive amounts of data which would otherwise be impossible to gather. Spending count day outdoors with one’s friends, observing and identifying beautiful creatures and learning something about them, is fun and enjoyable, and these are reasons enough to participate in the count. It also, however, provides participants with the opportunity to be Citizen Scientists, to gather real data which can inform us as to the changing state of our world. The Boulder count is indebted to Anasazi State Park, which provided a headquarters room. After the Escalante Count, the Waggoner family once again made The Outfitters available for an aftercount supper and discussion. Special thanks to them, and many thanks to Dana and everyone else who contributed hot and delicious food to the event. Both counts thank the BLM, the U.S. Forest Service, and associated personnel and organizations for their vital support. The 2015 Christmas Bird Count is less than a year away. Consider participating next time! Kathleen Munthe is an Escalante resident and Compiler of the Escalante Christmas Bird Count.
From the Publisher's Desk
Columnists Vicki and Mack have both noted how quiet it still is this week. I for one am still enjoying these calm days of winter. Last Friday I made a trip to Wayne County, finally making it back again to Steve Taylor’s history class in Fremont, (which is a fun and very welcome diversion). One thing I noted though along the way was the air…driving over the east end, both earlier and especially later in the day, there was a great yellow, murky pall of air hanging out over Capitol Reef, making the snow on the Henrys look really dingy. And ditto looking down toward Navajo Mountain and across the Escalante river canyons to the Straight Cliffs. I was listening to a Salt Lake radio station on the way home, and they were describing the
Salt Lake Valley’s “orange” air quality alert due to the inversion up there and I thought, heck, they could be talking about what I’m looking at! Is it my imagination or has the air quality around here been getting worse over the years.? I’ve seen some haze and of course smoke before but never anything quite like this. What does anybody else think? Meanwhile, over the weekend and early part of this week, in our neck of the woods we’ve had low-hanging clouds and fog, which has seemed really exotic (kind of “wintertropical”) and the moisture has seemed to clear the air and freshen things up a bit. It’s always interesting to see what each new day and season bring around here. —E.W.
P.O. Box 105 Escalante, UT 84726 435-826-4400 email snapshot@live.com fax 888-370-8546 Publisher: Erica Walz Production & layout: Carol Kracht Circulation: Gwendolyn Zeta Contributing writer: Mariella Minton Tech support: Escalante Business Systems
Local columnists:
Mack Oetting - FYI Panguitch Vicki Syrett - Bryce Valley News The Insider is a weekly community newspaper delivered each Thursday to households in Wayne and Garfield counties, Utah. The entire contents of this newspaper are © 2014 The Insider/Snapshot Multimedia, LLC. The Insider reserves the right to edit or reject any advertisement or submitted content items. Articles submitted by independent writers may or may not be the opinion of The Insider. Please feel free to contact us for advertising rates and with any questions regarding content submissions. We prefer content and ads submitted by email to snapshot@live.com but we will accept your information any way you can get it to us. Subscriptions to The Insider are available outside of Wayne and Garfield counties for $45 for 26 weeks, $90 per year. Senior discounts are available.
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The Wayne & Garfield County INSIDER
January 15, 2015
FYI PANGUITCH
We have had rain in December and January due to high temperatures. This is not new and our winters have been getting warmer each year. 15 years ago I bought a snow blower, because of all of the snow and I have used it only once during those years. It is easier to shovel the 3 or 4 inches we have been getting these last few years, than to try to start the snow blower. Last year was the warmest on record world wide and these 50 degree temperatures are what is in store for us in the future. So you probably need to take pictures of the snow we do get so you can show your grandchildren what snow looked like. The up side is your gas bill should be lower and maybe you’ll burn a little less wood. Speaking of low gas prices, oil has falling to $48.00 a barrel and the gas prices have come down sharply. In north Utah the prices are already down below the two dollar mark. In the south it’s a race between Parowan and Cedar City at $2.05 and St George’s Costco at $2.09 mid grade to see who will drop below that magic two dollar number.
by Mack Oetting ~ mackoetting @gmail.com Utah’s average cost is $2.14, the highest is New York at $2.68 and the lowest is Missouri at $1.80. In the west they have closed down 5 wells and laid off the crews, however there are over 1,400 crews still drilling for oil or natural gas, in the west. Don’t run out and buy a gas guzzler, because the Politicians are looking at raising the gas tax, as much as a dollar a gallon. I know it’s a little early for this but this year Zions Bank is putting on a Traveling Treasures Exhibit. Panguitch will host this exhibit for the month of March. I am not sure what will be here on display but I will check with the Bank, this is put on by the Natural History Museum of Utah. On the 28th of January it will be Pine Wood Derby time, so get out your cars and dust them off and get to racing. Some good resolution for the New Year involves your health. It is time to get your Pneumonia and Shingle shots, if you haven’t done that yet. Pneumonia is a real killer with us old folks and so many that get it when you ask them if they had their shots, “well no” they hadn’t but when they get
out of the hospital they will take care of it. The medical field thinks that 1 in 3 will get shingles in their lifetime. Get a mammogram ladies, breast cancer is going wild in our area, it seems like it is affecting almost every family. If caught early enough it is almost always curable, don’t put off your exam till it is too late. Same for you men, prostate cancer is also curable if caught early enough, have a PSA blood test with your yearly physical. In Utah this year over 50,000 have signed up for the affordable health insurance so far.
The Class of 55, Pat’s class, will be celebrating their 60th Class reunion this summer; many of the classmates live here in Town and the Cedar City area. Lots of reunions are planned for the month of July. If someone comes up with some ideas on what to do please share your ideas with Pat besides checking out you rwheel chairs. Already she is thinking July… it could drive a man crazy. Things are a little slow at this time of the year, if you would like to share with the town give me a ring. Mack O.
PANGUITCH SENIOR CENTER HOT LUNCH PROGRAM
87 N 50 W • 676-2281/676-1140 Suggested donation $3.00 60 & older, $7.00 under 60 Call before 10 AM of the day of attendance to reserve a spot. Meals include milk & bread. Tues. Jan. 20th Wed. Jan. 21st Thurs. Jan. 22nd Taco salad w/ meat, beans, lettuce, tomato, & cheese Tropical fruit Ice cream
Chicken cordon blu Potatoes & gravy Green beans Cottage & pears Choc. chip cookie
Celebrate the New Year Roast beef Potatoes & gravy Calif. blend vegetables Vanilla fruit salad Fruit pie
NOTE: PLEASE BE COURTEOUS AND CALL AHEAD. The kitchen staff work diligently to prepare a good dinner, and a head count helps them prepare enough for everyone.
BRYCE VALLEY AREA NEWS by Vicki D. Syrett 679-8687 or vickidiane36@hotmail.com
Great big congratulations to Kathy Goulding and Rex Rushton on their marriage on January 10, 2015. We are very excited for them and wish them a happy life full of new adventures and love. They had a lot of family and friends here to support them on this day. Chelsea Thompson, Scout Holm and Hayden Johnson spoke in Cannonville today. Cole and Janice Twitchell had their beautiful baby son, Titan Redd, blessed. He was blessed by his father Cole. Grandparents are Monte and Rita Twitchell of Cannonville and the Redd's from Blanding Utah. DUP members remember your meeting is Tuesday, January 20th, because of Martin
Luther King day. The meeting is at 3:00 P.M. in the Heritage Center. Hope to see all of you there. Alexis Tebbs and Braxton Syrett spoke in Tropic today. Alexis just returned from her mission in Mississippi. Sean Stewart was called as a teacher in the Primary. Megan Brinkerhoff and Cherish Syrett sang "I Stand All Amazed". Heather T. Johnson called as a Primary Teacher. Tanner Neilson was received the office of a Deacon in the Aaronic Priesthood. He is the son of James Neilson with grandparents Katheryn Neilson and the Late Doyle Neilson. Ken Platt, Daniel Rose, and Les Barker spoke in Henrieville today.
Winter Cold Stress Management for Beef Cattle: Wet Cold vs Dry Cold
Congratulations to our Sophomore girls on their taking the Championship in their tournament. The played N. Sevier for the win by one point and it was great. This N. Sevier team kept beating them in the Color Country League so this was a super win for the girls. Tyson Brinkerhoff, Shiloh Syrett and Shawn Wil-
liams were the coaches. Very short article this week. Rain, fog, snow, cold, warm, icy, I guess the weather can't make up its mind yet. Hope it soon settles on one or the other so we know what to expect. Have a safe week and PLEASE call or email your news. Thanks VS
BRYCE VALLEY AREA Senior Lunches at the HENRIEVILLE Senior Center TUES Jan. 20th WED Jan. 21st THURS Jan. 22nd
Hot beef sandwich, potatoes & gravy, green beans, pears, cookie Meatballs & gravy, potatoes, corn, tropical fruit, cake Pork chops, potatoes & gravy, stewed tomatoes, pears w/Jell-o, turnover
Call by 10:00 A.M. if you want a lunch or need a ride. 679-8666 Suggested donation is $3 for seniors and $7 for those under 60 years of age.
From
USU to YOU WAYNE COUNTY EXTENSION AND GARFIELD COUNTY EXTENSION
by Kevin Heaton USU Extension Agriculture Agent - Garfield County
S
everal factors create stress for cattle during the winter months including cold temperatures, wind, snow, rain and mud. Understanding how these factors influence livestock performance can help ranchers improve feeding management during stressful times and reduce stress. Livestock producers know that their cattle need more feed at these times, but how much more? Wet conditions contribute to the stress associated with winter weather conditions, but how much do wet condition increase cold stress? In 2013, an early winter storm in South Dakota caused the deaths of thousands of beef cattle. The
storm first showered rain for several hours, then a cold front turned the rain to snow which piled two feet high in some areas. This freak, early-October storm hit quickly and livestock producers were unprepared to react. Some livestock producers in the affected area lost 20-80% of their herds to hypothermia. This is an extreme example of what can happen if cattle become wet and then the temperature drops substantially. Table 1 shows lower critical temperatures which cause stress in beef cattle (adapted from Browsen, R. and Ames, D. Cattle Producer’s Library. CL 760.). Note the significant increase in the critical temperature when the hair coat is wet. In regards to livestock
performance, snow would be preferred to a cold rain. Rain wets the hair of the animal and all the air pockets (insulation) inside the hair are lost, increasing the critical temperature significantly. Keeping cattle dry is the preferred method of dealing with cold stress, but many times this is impractical. The next best way to deal with cold stress, is to increase the energy in the diet. Table 2 gives an example of the effects of temperature on beef cattle energy needs (Adapted from Boyles, S and McCutcheon, J, Ohio State University Extension). General Recommendations for Management of Livestock During Cold Periods:
1. Provide shelter in the form of wind breaks or buildings to reduce wind, moisture and moderate temperatures. 2. Adjust energy in rations to match expected performance for seasonal conditions. 3. Maintain livestock in a Body Condition Score of 5-7. 4. Research suggests that the requirements for protein, minerals, and vitamins are not altered by cold weather. 5. Keep the rumen full during stressful cold periods. There is significant amount of heat generated by the digestion process. Hungry cattle are stressed more than satiated cattle.
Table 1. Estimated Lower Critical Temperatures for Beef Cattle. Hair Coat Description Critical Temperature Summer Coat or Wet Coat 60 degrees F Dry Fall Coat 45 degrees F Dry Winter Coat 32 degrees F Dry Heavy Winter Coat 19 degrees F Table 2. An Example of Effect of Temperature on Energy Needs of Beef Cattle. Effective Temperature Extra TDN Needed Extra Hay Needed (lbs/cow/day) 50° F 30° F 10° F -10° F
0 0 20% 40%
0 0 3.5-4 lbs 7-8 lbs
Page 3
OBITUARIES
Mona Rae Twitchell
ANTIMONY Mona Rae McInelly Twitchell, 82, passed away January 7, 2015 in Richfield. She was born January 13, 1932 in Escalante to Lester and Golda Woolsey McInelly. She married Clarence Edwin Twitchell, August 29, 1948 in Junction. The marriage was solemnized October 25, 2003, in the Manti Temple. He preceded her in death December 10, 2001. As a youth, Mom worked hard on the family farm. She was a wonderful mother and grandmother. She loved her grandchildren. Each grandchild has received a handmade quilt from their grandmother. Mom loved to read and did many handicrafts like crocheting, quilting, and embroidering. She also loved gardening and canned and preserved her bountiful harvest. She was a leader and example to all around her. She was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving in many callings during her lifetime. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her. She is survived by her children: Robert (Jane) Twitchell, Cedar City; Debra Aronoff, West Valley City; Leon Twitchell, Antimony; Lloyd (Donna) Twitchell, Enoch; Jerry (Shelly) Twitchell, Elsinore; Lawrence (Rachel) Twitchell, Cedar City; Sharen (Chris) Hanks, West Valley City; daughter-in-law, Peggy Twitchell, Monroe; 18 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren, with 1 on the way; siblings: Deleno (Gwen) McInelly, Edith Barker, Ramona Copfer, all of Henrieville; Caren (Therrill) Tucker, Aurora, CO; sister-in-law, Mariam McInelly, Grantsville. Also preceded in death by parents; son, Raymond Dick Twitchell; son-in-law, Neil Aronoff; siblings: Verl McInelly, LaRona (Dalano) Callahan; brothers-in-law: Amon Barker, Raymond Copfer. Funeral services will be held Thursday, January 15, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. in the Antimony Ward Chapel where friends may call from 9:00 - 10:30 a.m. Burial will be in the Widtsoe Cemetery. Funeral Directors: Magleby Mortuary, Richfield, Salina and Manti. Online guestbook at www.maglebymortuary.com The family wishes to express their appreciation to the staff and doctors of the Richfield Care Center and hospice for their loving care.
Lucille Jackson 1935 - 2015
GUNNISON - Our beloved wife, mother, grandmother and sister, Mildred Lucille Linford Jackson, age 79, of Gunnison, died January 6, 2015 in Centerfield, Utah, from complications due to Alzheimer's Disease. She was born March 20, 1935 in Spry, Utah, a daughter of Joseph Denny and Mildred Doty McClarey Linford. She married Sterling David Jackson, July 20, 1952 in Fredonia, Arizona. Their marriage was later solemnized in the Manti LDS Temple. Lucille like to sing with the "Sweet Adeline's" singing group. She loved painting ceramics, doing puzzles, cooking excellent meals and reading. Together, Lucille and Sterling enjoyed camping, fishing and traveling. She was a member of the LDS Church, serving in the Relief Society and Primary. Lucille is survived by her beloved husband, Sterling, of Gunnison; her children: Susan and Wayne Goble of Spanish Fork; Virginia and Dean Englestead of Sterling; Shirley and Kelly Gimbel of Henderson, Nevada; David and Susan Jackson of Orem; Robert and Audrey Jackson of Ft. Pierce, Florida; 20 grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; three sisters: Flora Neagle of Bloomington; Linda Covington of LaVerkin; Connie Stewart of St. George; and one brother, Roger and Sherron Linford of Panguitch. She is preceded in death by her parents; two sisters and two brothers: Grace Winget, Caroline Henderson, Henry Linford and Richard LInford. The Jackson Family wishes to give heartfelt thanks to the caregivers from Hospice and the Community Rehab Center. Funeral services will be held Saturday, January 17, 2015 at 1:00 P.M. in the Gunnison 5th LDS Ward Chapel, 39 East 600 South, in Centerfield, where friends may call for viewing Friday evening from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. or Saturday morning from 11:00 to 12:30 prior to the services. Burial will be in the Gunnison City Cemetery under the care of the Springer Turner Funeral Home of Richfield and Salina, Utah. On line guest book at: www.springerturner.com
Escalante Senior Citizens Menu Tues. Jan. 20th
Or Extra Grain Needed (lbs/cow/day)
2-2.5 lbs 4-6 lbs
Hogi sandwhich Cabbage salad Chips Relish tray Pears Raisin filled cookie
Wed. Jan. 21st Chicken noodle soup w/carrots & celery Mashed potatoes wheat bread Peaches Pudding dessert
Thurs. Jan. 22nd (EVE) Country style ribs Yummy potatoes Roll Carrots Applesauce Pumpkin cake
All meals are served with milk or juice. If you would like a meal, please call us by 10:00 am. 826-4317. Suggested donation for seniors over 60 $3.00, and under 60 is $7.00
The Wayne & Garfield County INSIDER
Page 4
Schools & Sports
PHS Sports Sidelines
SAGE Interim Assessment If you have a student in Garfield School District in grades 3rd - 11th you have probably heard them talking about the “SAGE Interim” Assessments. I would like to discuss the SAGE Interim to provide parents and students with additional information. All parents should have received a letter from their building administer discussing the SAGE Interim Assessment and time line. Your first question might be, ‘why are we always testing’? To answer this question, the Utah Legislature and the Utah State School Board continue to require additional accountability in the form of testing by all districts in the State of Utah. If you review the following timeline, you will see how the Legislature and the Utah State School Board have required student testing. • 2009-2013 districts participated in computer adaptive testing pilot program. • 2012 Legislative session HB 15 required the development of computer adaptive tests. • 2012 the Utah State School Board directs the pro-
cess for obtaining an assessment contract to test students online. • 2013 the State Board of Education directs the development of the computer adaptive assessment SAGE. The end of year SAGE Assessment is implemented by all districts in the spring of 2014. • August 2015-2016 school year all students in the State of Utah will be required to participate in a beginning, middle and end of year SAGE Assessments. If districts chose to not administer the tests, they would lose state and federal funding. Garfield School District receives approximately 10 million dollars each year in state and federal funding. During the month of January, the students in our District will be involved in the SAGE Interim Assessments. Typically, the Interim test will take approximately 90 minutes to complete each subject. Interim Assessments will be used to demonstrate student’s growth each year and provide valuable intervention and progress monitoring results to students, parents, and class-
by Mack Oetting
room teachers. Also, students who participate in the Interim Assessments will be more familiar with SAGE testing tools which; in turn, will help students achieve higher scores on the end of level SAGE Summative Assessments. Parents and students should view the SAGE Interim administered this January as a practice test to help students prepare for the testing at the end of the year. During parent teacher conferences, teachers will discuss the individual student scores and show you the resources available to students, parents, and teachers identified in the testing. If you would like to review the SAGE program or sample questions, parents can access the tests at: http://www. sageportal.org/training-tests . Please take time to access the web page so you can be familiar with computer adaptive assessments. If you have questions I can answer relating to the SAGE assessments please feel free to call me at 435-6768821. I would be happy to visit with you. —Superintendent Ben Dalton
Hoofbeats News From Bryce Valley High by John Cloud
HELLO EVERYONE! School has been going well. :) Classes are wrapping up for the second quarter, and Bryce Valley is getting ready to move into a new semester as students begin to swap from their old classes into their new ones. There school has been somewhat rejuvenated, and many students are jumping right into the new year. From what I've seen and heard so far, the students of BV are shooting for A's this semester, and everyone has come back willing to move and work. The basketball teams have been doing great, and have been getting better at working together, It's been paying off. Our Girls won the
Sophmore tournament this weekend, playing all the way to the last game. Our girls fought hard, and while some classes were less than happy to clean up the gyms throughout the day, many were excited to see our teams advancing on to the next one. The Wrestling team is doing well, having dominated at a few tournaments recently, and those at Bryce Valley that follow them are excited to see what they do next, especially when they get to state. Most students have slipped right into the routine of things, and it's expected that the last of the kinks will be ironed out this week. The BV orchestra is (slowly) im-
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January 15, 2015
proving, and getting used to waking up early again, and the Shop students have leapt right back into their projects without a hitch. Our Juniors, (and a few others) are still surviving ACT prep, soon to wrap up the English Portion as they prepare for the actual Test itself. The takeaway from this week? Smile and everything will go smoother!
PHS Basketball on a Roll All three of the teams were in action this last week and with the huge crowds on Wednesday and Thursday nights, basketball is king in Panguitch. The Lady Cats started off the week rolling over Escalante 84 to 12. The Cats led 49-0 at half time and the Moquis finally scored two free throws at the 7 minute mark of the 3rd quarter. Ten Cats scored points and all 14 players saw playing time. Darri put up 18 pts to lead the way and the Cats had 30 steals and were led by Whittni (the Queen of steals) with 9. With only 42 kids in the 9th – 12th grades the Moquis were only able to field 6 girls, these girls don’t have any quit in them and they put all the could into the game from the beginning to the end, their spirit is to be admired. On Thursday night Bryce Valley came to town and the stands were packed. BV was the 3rd ranked team in 1A and tried a slow down the game but to no avail. The Cats again won the game by 40 points-62 to 21. Bryce Valley is a very physical team the Cats really had to work for their points. Taylor Bennett racked up 22 pts and she sank 5 three pointers, Taylor through 13 games has already 30- 3 pointers to go with the 37 she had last year. Her rainbow shots seem like they take forever to get there, but they are very accurate. Coach Curtis has been coaching for 23 years and he always preaches defense, defense, and more defense. In the past Coach Barney won a lot of championships total on defense, many of the championships were won by the Cats with scores in the thirties. This team even though they are scoring at a real high level, they are probably his best defensive team every. Between
the 5 starters they have 236 steals between them, through 13 games. Whittni is leading the way with 75, Cantania 56, Chesney 40, Darri 36 and Taylor 28. The Cats traveled up to Piute last night, to meet up with the 2nd place Thunderbirds and down to Valley on Friday night. Next week Milford will be here on the 22nd and Wayne on the 24th. The Bob Cats had a couple of heart breaker games this last week, against Wayne and Diamond Ranch. On Thursday night against Wayne the Cats got off to a really slow start, trailing the Badgers 19 to 6 at half time. Wayne played a zone defense with their tall players and the Cats couldn’t penetrate it. Coach Barney had the Cats fired up coming out for the 3rd quarter and out scored the Badgers 20 to 9 and tying the game at 26. The game see sawed back and forth a number of times, but when two of our starters fouled out, the Badgers prevailed with a hard fought win, 47 to 44. Trey Barney was high scorer with 14 points and 12 rebounds. The Cats traveled down to Diamond Ranch for another exciting game. The Cats got off to a fast start and led DR. at half time 29 to 15. But in the second half the Cats were outscored 31 to 17. The Cats led going into the last quarter 35-28, when DR’s Bowen Stykes took over the game with a two handed dunk and the Cats went into overtime with the score tied at 46. The Cats were out scored 8-1 in overtime and lost to Diamond Ranch for the first time 47 to 54. Trey led the Cats with 19
points and Skyes had a game high 24. The Cats are now 1 and 3 in league play, tonight the 15th Escalante will be here and then on Friday and Saturday it will be the Sophomore tournament and it will be here, come out and see the future of Bob Cat basketball. The Wrestlers had a good week, going down to Kanab and the team won most of the matches. There were 6 or 7 middle schoolers that came to Kanab and won most of their matches and had a great experience. At a Middle School tournament in Beaver the following wrestlers competed Porter Schoe, Cael Houston, Riggin Bulger, Traven Bulger, ChadPartridge, Tom Halestone, Colton Miller, Connor Coles and Zack Julander. At the Battle at the Pond in Gunnison against 12 teams from 1-3A teams, the Bob Cats looked really strong against all of the schools. Jonah Schoppe 3 rd.,106, Garret Finch 2nd, 126#, Kellen Mooney 3rd, 138# Parker Brinkeroff 3rd, 138#, Zack Draper 3rd, 138#, Kelton Owens 2nd, 120#, Larsen Perkins 5ths 160#, Hunter Owens 4th 195#. The following took part in the match but I don’t have their scores: Hunter Rushton 160#, Luis Valenzuela 113#, Nick Kredmidas 126#, McCoy Dodds 182#, and Johnny Nunez 152#. Many thanks to Jonah Schoppe for the information on the school’s tough guys. Next week on the 13th Milford and Diamond Ranch will be here and No. Sevier on the 14th and Bryce Valley will be here on the 20th (Homecoming).
PES Eagle's Nest by Stephanie Frazier
Bryce Valley Elementary by Ellen Fagergren
1st- We learned about contractions and we are learning about Arctic Animals, especially penguins. We are starting to work on our hundreds chart, too. 2nd- we are learning about weather and 2 digit subtraction. 3rd- We had fun at the Drug Awareness Assembly, and wrote an informative writing on what we learned from it. 4th- We had fun celebrating Utah's 119th Birthday. In math we are learning about fractions and in science we are learning about the weather and weather instruments. We have started the The Chess Club Tournament. We had fun at the Drug Awareness Assembly and loved watching the dog, Lance. 5th- In math we are doing Aleks Math on the computers and we are doing fractions. We just finished reading Island of the Blue Dolphins, and we are learning about heredity in science. We are also doing expository writing. 6th- We just finished chapter 5 in our math books and we are almost finished with a book called Swindle. We are doing planet reports in science. Next week will be the half way mark for the school year already. Good grief but time goes by fast. Ellen Fagergren is a sixth grader at Bryce Valley Elementary.
SPOTLIGHT Wayne High School Seniors 2015
435-616-3045 davetreanor14@yahoo.com Jeni - 435-425-2217 435-690-9954
Stephanie Frazier
Students from Mr. Norris's 4th grade class learning the different properties of minerals and igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. It's been pretty quiet around Panguitch Elementary this week. The 4th, 5th and 6th graders have completed the science part of their practice SAGE tests. Next week the 3rd graders will join them in taking the Language Arts & Literacy and Writing sections of SAGE. A huge shout out to Mrs. Fullmer and all of those who helped her getting this ready. We had a group of Principals and Administration from
Northern Utah, along with some great guys from SEDC come and visit our school. We were chosen because PES is "rocking technology use in the classroom", according to Chris Haught from SEDC. Speaking of SEDC we were able to borrow a rock and mineral science kit from them, which lets the students examine the rocks and minerals hands on. We can't wait to borrow another kit!
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“ My name is Jace Christensen son of Leslie Oyler and Jeff Christensen. I plan on going to SUU or USU after high school and study business or mechanics. After college I would like to own my own business. My teachers are very helpful to in high school and they always want the best for me. My parents have played a big role in my life by helping me reach my fullest potential.” …. JACE"
<----------------------------------------------->"
!This weekly student spotlight is brought to you by Wayne High School and the Entrada
Institute Scholarship committee. These spotlights are not only to inform the people of Wayne County about these fine seniors, but to encourage contributions to the “Scholarship of Excellence” program for students at WHC. For more information about tax deductible donations, please contact Candence Peterson at WHS.!
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The Wayne & Garfield County INSIDER
January 15, 2015
Page 5
Schools & Sports
The E
Wayne Sports by Lisa Stevens
by Lexi Johnson
The Wayne wrestlers hosted their first home match against the Gunnison bulldogs, Wednesday, January 7. Jaden Ellett defeated David Avia in a tough match up.
Escalante Lady Moquis Keyera Churilla, Audrie Lindsay, Tayler Duthie, Jaycee Nez, and Lexi Johnson. Escalante High School scorers of the Valley game and Rayjay Knight. These are hopes everybody had an out- were Audrie Lindsay with two students who did outstandstanding break, and holidays. 10pts., Lexi Johnson with ing work and participated in Our sports teams kept very 7pts., and KrysTelle Noyes classes throughout the entire busy. The boys team traveled also with 7pts. On Tuesday month. The two Academic to Tabiona to play the Tigers, the 6th the Lady Moquis trav- Achievers were Fabiola Planand to Price to play Pinnacle, eled to Panguitch. On the 8th carte and Adam Christensen. on the 29th and 30th of De- they had a home game with On January 14th, the Second cember. On Friday, the 2nd, Milford, and on the 9th they Quarter will come to an end. they were also on the road to had another home game with Everybody has been working Piute. On the 7th, the boys Monticello. On Friday the very hard to make sure their fihad a home game against 16th, the Lady Moquis will nal grades are where they want Bryce Valley, and another have another home game with them. We are very excited to start the Third Quarter! away game on the 9th at Val- the Wayne Badgers. Escalante High School ley. Then on the 15th, they The wrestling team didn’t will being playing the Bobcats have much action over the wishes all of our sports teams in Panguitch. On the 16th and break; however, on Wednes- good luck. We want to see 17th, our Sophomore boys day the 7th they traveled to them do their best. Lets keep team will play in the sopho- Bryce Valley for a duel. Also, the sports’ programs alive. more tournament, also in Pan- on the 9th and 10th they trav- Please come out and support guitch. eled to West High to compete the boys’ team, girls’ team, and The girls had a home in a tournament. On the 16th the wrestlers. Lexi Johnson is a junior game with the Valley Buffa- and 17th they will also wrestle at Escalante High School. loes. The Lady Moquis played in the Milford Tournament. a very tough game with a The Students of the strong second half. The top Month were, Keyera Churilla
LEFT: Regan Brian tosses up a three pointer in Friday night's game against the Milford Tigers. The Badgers defeated the Tigers 74 to 48. Regan was the top scorer for the Badgers with 16 points, Jake Stevens had 13, Brigg Blackburn 12, Nate Dendy and Connor Rees each with 9, Landon Chappell 6, Brenden Robins with 5 and Zane Taylor 2.
WAYNE HIGH SCHOOL
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
January 15th-17th BBB w/ Piute 15th Times: 4:00, 5:30, and 7:00 GBB @ Escalante 16th 16th-17th BBB Sophomore Tournament @ Panguitch Wrestling Tournament @ Milford
RIGHT: McKenna Brian drives to the basket during the Wayne vs Piute game on January 6. The Badgers out scored the Thunderbirds in the first and fourth quarters, but it wasn't enough and the Badgers lost 53 to 69. Hannah Ellett and Courtney Jackson each scored 16 points, Charlie Chappell had 9, Kaitlyn McCoy 8 and McKenna Brian 4.
January 19th-24th Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (No school) 19th BBB @ Escalante 21st Wrestling w/ Panguitch Time: 7:00 GBB w/ Valley 22nd Times: 5:30 and 7:00 BBB w/ Diamond Ranch 23rd Times: 4:00, 5:30, and 7:00 GBB @ Panguitch 24th
Photos and captions by lisa Stevens
23rd-24th Wrestling Tournament @ Page
WAYNE COUNTY Bookmobile Winter/Spring Schedule Monday Every 2 weeks
Jan. 12 & 26 / Feb. 9 & 23 / Mar 9 & 23 Torrey Velvet Ridge Bus. Ctr. 12:30pm - 1:15pm Teasdale 122 S. State St. 1:30pm - 2:00pm Fremont LDS Church 2:30pm 3:15pm Loa Courthouse 3:30pm - 4:30pm Lyman LDS Church 5:00pm - 5:45pm Bicknell Library 6:00pm - 6:30pm
Tuesday Every 2 weeks
Jan 13 & 27 / Feb 10 & 24 / Mar. 10 & 24 Loa Elementary 8:45am - 11:15 am Hanksville Elementary 1:30 - 3:00pm
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Utah’s Juvenile Justice Services is One of Six Sites Selected to Receive National Mental Health Training SALT LAKE CITY – National studies repeatedly show that more than half of the youth in the juvenile justice system have a mental health disorder. To address this issue, the National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice awarded six states – Utah being one of them – training assistance and support on the on the Mental Health Training Curriculum for Juvenile Justice (MHTC-JJ). Applications for the training of trainers were submitted in October 2014 and, of the 21 applicants, Utah, Hawaii, Kentucky, Wisconsin, California and Oregon were selected. The primary focus of MHTC-JJ is to improve interaction and communication between juvenile justice employees and youth with mental health needs. The training will focus on several areas to include child trauma, mental health and substance use disorder, family engagement and treatment options. More importantly, the training is designed to provide employees the skills needed to intervene early, connect youth and families to services and treatment that best meets their needs, and prevent future behavioral problems. “Supporting teens with the resources they need to turn their lives around and succeed is a priority to us,” said Richard Johnston, Juvenile Justice Services clinician. “We are honored to be recipients of the MHTC-JJ training and look forward to utilizing the information and strategies to improve outcomes for Utah’s youth.” In addition to providing the MHTC-JJ training of trainers, National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice will provide Juvenile Justice Services pre-training assistance and post-training follow-up. —Utah Human Services
The Wayne & Garfield County INSIDER
Page 6
Wills, Trusts, and More
Improper Estate Planning Can Spell Disaster for Children Few tasks we attempt during our lives have a greater impact on our family than creating an estate plan. Proper planning can ensure the future of our children, whereas little or poor planning can have devastating effects on their lives. Potentially, the worst thing you can do is to leave your property to your minor children outright. If you do, the probate court would actually control this money until your children are adults. Leaving property directly to adult children can also have pitfalls, depending on the responsibility and maturity levels of each child. The best way to plan for minor children is by providing for them through a Common Trust. This can be created as a part of your will or trust. The trustee of the Common Trust can provide your children with as much income and principal of the trust as each child requires for his or her individual health, maintenance, support, and educational needs. The trustee can make sure that the children with the most needs are properly cared for. The Common Trust can ensure that your youngest child's basic needs are met before the assets are divided among all your children. A typical Common Trust remains in existence until your youngest child reaches a specific age. When the Common Trust terminates, you can then leave each child's share in his or her own Separate Trust, if desired, or allow outright dis-
tribution. Separate Trusts can call for distributions of the trust principal over time. For instance, the terms of a child's trust could provide that a child is to receive one-third of the trust share upon reaching the age of 30, one-third at age 35, and the balance at age 40. The trustee of the child's Separate Trust can be given the discretion to distribute principal and income for your child’s basic needs, as well as special needs of buying a house, or purchasing a business. If your child dies before the complete distribution of his or her trust share, you can control where the assets will then pass. Leaving property to your children in trust as opposed to outright can protect your children from their own youth or inexperience with handling money. Many young people are overwhelmed by immediate and uncontrolled wealth, and their inheritance can prove to be a source of destruction rather than a blessing. Your child may no longer see a need to continue getting an education, to maintain good grades, or to remain employed. With older children, their newfound wealth may provide them with too much unproductive time and independence. They may spend too much, quickly and unproductively. This, in turn, can put a strain on their family life. Leaving property in trust for your children can provide them with protection from their creditors, from an unsuccessful marriage, or from constant re-
tHe lAuGhiNg pOiNt!!
At the Gas Station
by Jeffery J. McKenna
Attorney Jeff McKenna hiking with his son in Zion National Park
quests for loans from relatives or friends. It can provide them with crucial asset management and investment assistance to help preserve the inheritance. The factors which need to be considered to best determine the amount of money to leave a child and in which manner are the following: His or her age, the individual’s maturity and financial savvy, and the amount of the child's own estate. Also to be considered are the child's relationship with his or her spouse and family, the standing with creditors, and individual needs. They key to proper planning for children is not simply to leave money, but to leave money intelligently. WITH A SATELLITE OFFICE NOW IN PANGUITCH. Jeffery J. McKenna is a local attorney serving clients in Utah, Nevada, and Arizona. He is a shareholder at the law firm of Barney McKenna and Olmstead. He is a founding member and former President of the Southern Utah Estate Planning Council. If you have questions regarding this article or if you have a topic you wish to have addressed in this column, you can call 435 6281711 or email jmckenna@ barney-mckenna.com.
I was pulling into a gas station one day when I saw a woman drive off with the nozzle still in her gas tank. She jerked the nozzle right off the hose. Realizing what she had done, she pulled back in, took the nozzle out of the tank, and put it back on the pump. Then she went inside to straighten things out with the management. While she was inside, a young man pulled up to the pump. He took the nozzle, with no hose attached, into his tank. He couldn't seem to figure out why he wasn't getting any gas. He even took the nozzle out and repositioned it in the tank a couple times. I thought about pointing out the obvious problem to him but then decided that he'd be embarrassed enough when he figured it out on his own.
Tickets
A highway patrolman friend of ours had stopped at our cafe for coffee and was getting ready to leave. "Go out and get'em!" I said. "I suppose everyone gets a ticket today?" "I don't really give out many tickets," he said seriously. "Oh come on," I teased, "you'd give your own mother a ticket." "No, my mother never drove a car," he said, still serious. Then a grin spread over his face. "I did catch her jaywalking once." he said, "and I issued her a warning. But that's all."
by Jason Alderman
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Get realistic property valuations. Even in a rising economy and recovering housing market, many homeowners need a reality check about real estate prices. The same likely goes for other valuables like antiques, jewelry and art. For real estate, get a broker valuation and do online backup checks with property transfer listings over the last year or two in your area. As for valuables, check appropriate markets (from professional dealers to eBay) to sell, gift or donate those items and get tax and/or estate advice before all transactions. Clarify your tax picture. If you make a huge profit on your home, you may owe taxes on the sale. Current IRS rules allow most couples to exclude up to $500,000 in home sale gains from their taxable income and singles to exclude up to $250,000. Check with your tax advisor and consult IRS Publication 523 (http://www.irs.gov/uac/ Publication-523,-SellingYour-Home-1), "Selling Your Home." Also, keep local property taxes and city and state taxes in mind if you're considering an out-of-state move. Decide what you plan to do post-retirement. Retirees may have at least 20 to 30 years of lifespan to fill postretirement. If you're hoping to keep working, start a business or transition permanently into travel or leisure activities, these future goals have to align with your current retirement plan. Bottom line: Everyone should set a "final approach" for retirement. That means reviewing your investments, lifestyle goals and the possibility of a post-retirement career so you can adjust your money behavior to match. Jason Alderman directs Visa's financial education programs. To Follow Jason Alderman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/PracticalMoney.
A man went to visit a friend and was amazed to find him playing chess with his dog. He watched the game in astonishment for a while. "I can hardly believe my eyes!" he exclaimed. "That's the smartest dog I've ever seen." "Nah, he's not so smart," the friend replied. "I've beaten him three games out of five."
Charm Bracelet
I was reminded of my younger days when I came across my charm bracelet one morning. I decided to wear it to school, thinking it would do the same for some of my teacher colleagues. However, the bracelet fascinated my students. One of my fifth grade students watched the shiny, jingling items on my wrist for a few minutes, then put his hand up and asked, "Are you on a major medical alert?"
AG MARKET NEWS
Resetting Your Life for Retirement suggestions to help you figure out where you are on the preretirement spectrum and some changes you might consider: Get a retirement checkup. Spend some time with a financial, tax and/or estate advisor to evaluate your current strategies and set – or reset – a reasonable retirement savings goal and date. Consult friends and family for reliable experts first and for other qualified professionals and check online with your state CPA society, the Association for Financial Counseling Planning and Education or the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards. See if moving makes sense. Great retirement destinations offer more than great weather, inexpensive housing and an affordable tax environment. Consider whether you want to be near family, a thriving arts community or superior health facilities. Where do you start? You've probably seen popular lists of retirement communities in leading magazines, and they supply good food for thought. National agencies like the Council for Community and Economic Research (https://www.c2er. org) produces an annual cost of living index for over 300 U.S. urban areas.
Chess Playing Dog
To Play: Complete the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9
Practical Money Matters
The phrase "downsizing for retirement" is popular with Baby Boomers, the youngest of whom turned 50 last year. It sparks a conversation about transition, which may include buying fewer new things, selling, gifting or donating possessions that are no longer needed and relocating to smaller quarters to create a more comfortable and affordable retirement. If you've diligently saved and planned for retirement, most experts say you should do this "final approach" three to five years before your planned retirement date. If your retirement finances aren't as stable, it's smarter to start the transition as early as possible while time is on your side. The Demand Institute, a nonprofit think tank founded by business research giants Nielsen and The Conference Board, reported last October (http://www.demandinstitute. org) that if the 2008 crash and its effect on employment, investments and housing prices had not happened, the typical Boomer household would have a net worth roughly 2.5 times what it is today. This all the more reason for many Americans to review and possibly "reset" their retirement clocks. Here are some
January 15, 2015
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Salt Lake City, Utah January 7, USDA-Utah Dept of Ag Market News Producers Livestock Auction, Salina, Utah Tuesday, January 6, 2014 Receipts: 1,361. Last Week: n/a. Last Year: n/a. Feeder Steers: Feeder Heifers: Holstein Steers: Slaughter Cows: Slaughter Bulls: no copmarison. Feeder Steers: Medium and Large Frame 2: 200-250 lbs 382.50-388.00; 250300 lbs scarce; 300-350 lbs 360.00-362.50; 350-400 lbs 317.50-340.00; 400-450 lbs 335.00-340.00; 450-500 lbs 280.00-315.00; 500-550 lbs 240.00-262.50; 550-600 lbs 240.00-262.50; 600-650 lbs 232.50-249.50; 650-700 lbs 210.00-227.50; 700-750 lbs 212.50-224.00; 750-800 lbs 200.00-218.00; 800-850 lbs 196.00-215.00; 850-900 lbs 192.50-200.00; 900-950 lbs 187.50-191.50; 950-1000 lbs 173.00-180.00. Holstein Steers: Large Frame 3: Bull Calves: n/q; 200-300 lbs scarce; 300- 500 lbs scarce; 500-700 lbs scarce; 700-900 lbs scarce; 900-1100 lbs scarce. Feeder Heifers: Medium and Large Frame 1-2: 200-250 lbs scarce; 250-300 lbs pkg 312.50; 300-350 lbs 297.50-332.50; 350-400 lbs 277.50-312.50; 400-450 lbs 262.50-287.50; 450-500 lbs 232.50-242.50, pkg 312.50; 500-550 lbs 232.50-255.00; 550-600 lbs 220.00-240.00; 600-650 lbs 217.50-238.00; 650-700 lbs 197.50-215.00; 700-750 lbs 197.00-207.00; 750-800 lbs 185.00-202.50; 800-850 lbs 175.00-185.00; 850-900 lbs pkg 170.00; 900950 lbs scarce; 950- 1000 lbs 173.00-175.00. Heiferettes: 88.00-170.00. Stock Cows: Older Bred Cows: 975.00-1,975.00/hd. Slaughter Cows: Boning 80-90% Lean: 92.50-103.00, high dressing to 106.00; Breaking 75-80% Lean: 95.00-106.00, high dressing to 108.75; Cutter 85-90% Lean: 83.00-92.00. Slaughter Bulls: Yield Grade 1000-1500 lbs 114.50117.00; 1500-2125 lbs 119.00127.00; Yield Grade 2 10001500 lbs 103.00-111.50; 1500-2635 lbs 105.00-118.00; Feeder Bulls: 955-1780 lbs 81.00-122.50. Source: USDA-Utah Dept. Of Agriculture Market News , Salt Lake City, UT (435-230-0402.)
The Wayne & Garfield County INSIDER
January 15, 2015
Page 7
Classified Ads Classified ads start at $7.50 for 25 words or less.
Call 435-826-4400 or email snapshot@live.com COMMERCIAL
HELP WANTED GARFIELD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT Part-time Special Education Para Educator at Bryce Valley High School Garfield School District is hiring a part-time Special Education para educator for Bryce Valley High School. This position will be up to 10 hours per week. SALARY: Beginning Step and Lane according to the 20142015 Garfield County School District Certified Salary Schedule ($9.57) QUALIFICATIONS: Applicants must have at least a High School Diploma, two years college education preferred, or may complete the Para Pro Test. All applicants must be fingerprinted and satisfactorily pass an employment background check. Applicants must work well with children. APPLICATION: Interested individuals should submit a Garfield County School District Classified application. Please direct questions to Principal Jeff Brinkerhoff, 435231-2879, or jeff.brinkerhoff@garfk12.org , and application packets to: Bryce Valley High School, P.O. Box 70, Tropic, Utah 84776. Online applications are available at: (http://www.garfield.k12.ut.us/index.php/do/employment) Applications will be screened and the most qualified candidates will be granted interviews. DEADLINE: January 16, 2015 Garfield School District is an Equal Opportunity Employer, Affirmative Action and ADA 1/15
MILLER BROTHERS Drivers Out/Back Solo & Team Openings! Great Pay! Quarterly Bonus! Medical/ Dental/401k! No-Forced Dispatch! CDL-A, 2yrs exp. req. Call Anne, Miller Brothers Express: (855) 975-3842 1/22
PANGUITCH DENTAL Dental Assistant Dental Assistant needed. Compassionate, hard working, self-motivated. Part Time. Experience preferred, but we will train. $9.50/hr. (more if trained) Call Panguitch Dental at 676-2443. rtn
SERENITY SPRINGS ASSISTED LIVING Weekend Cook and Weekend Caregiver Serenity Springs Assisted Living in Loa provides a home for 10 elder residents. Come join us as we share their twilight years. We are currently seeking both a weekend cook and a weekend caregiver. Call RayLynne for appointment 836-3600. 1/15 ESCALANTE CITY Victim Assistant Escalante City is accepting resumes for a part time Victim Assistant Applicants must have minimum qualifications, which can be obtained at the city office. Resumes must be submitted by January 30, 2015 at 12 P.M. to Escalante City, P.O. Box 189, 156 N. 100 W., Escalante, Utah, 84726 Escalante City has the right to refuse any and all resumes. Escalante City is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Call 435-826-4644 with any questions. 1/22
BRYCE CANYON CITY Part-time Clerk Bryce Canyon City is accepting applications for a part time clerk position 8-10 hours a week. Applications can be emailed to brycecanyoncity@ gmail.com or handed to one of the council members before January 27 at 12:00 PM. The position will be filled at the council meeting at 1:30 PM that day. 1/22
REAL ESTATE RARE OPPORTUNITY: Land for sale in Caineville. Call 307-431-0877 1/29
RENTALS BICKNELL - Mobile home for rent, located at 220 S. 100 E. Bicknell. $250/month rent and 1st & last month's rent to move in, plus $300 deposit. Call 435-425-3723. rtn
WANTED ESCALANTE - WANTED TO BUY OR RENT - Full and/or half shares of New Escalante Irrigation Co. water. Call Ken Stepanik at 406-5872661 2/5
LEGAL NOTICES INVITATION FOR BIDS FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO BRYCE CANYON AIRPORT GARFIELD COUNTY, UTAH A.I.P. PROJECT NO. 3-49-0041-16-2014 Sealed bids for improvements to the Bryce Canyon Airport, A.I.P. Project No. 3-49-0041-16-2014, will be received by Garfield County in the County Offices, 55 South Main, Panguitch, Utah 84759 until January 28, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. MST and then opened and read aloud. The work involved includes the following: SCHEDULE I SNOW REMOVAL EQUIPMENT BUILDING, INCLUDING SITE WORK SCHEDULE II BUILDING INTERIOR FINISHING SCHEDULE III BUILDING UPGRADES For a complete set of Plans, Specifications and Contract Documents all purchases must be made through our website at www.armstrongconsultants.com. A digital copy may be downloaded for $50.00. A hardcopy may be purchased for $100.00 for each set. There will be no refunds. Each bid must be accompanied by a Certified Check or Cashier's Check in an amount not less than five percent of the total bid made payable to Garfield County, or by a Bid Bond in like amount executed by a Surety Company. The Bidder must supply all the information required by the proposal forms and specifications and he/she must bid on all items of every schedule. Garfield County reserves the right to waive any informality in or to reject any or all portions of the various bid items. No proposal may be withdrawn for a period of sixty (60) days from the opening thereof. A Pre-Bid meeting will be held at the Bryce Canyon Airport on January 14, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. MST. All bidders are advised to examine the site to become familiar with all site conditions. The proposed contract is under and subject to Executive Order 11246 of 24 September 1965, as amended and to the equal opportunity clause and the Standard Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Construction Contract Specifications, including the goals and timetables for minority and female participation. A Certification of Nonsegregated Facilities must be submitted prior to the award of the proposed contract, including any subcontracts in excess of $10,000.00. The proposed contract is subject to the provisions of Department of Transportation Regulations 49 CFR Part 26 (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Participation). Minimum wage rates as established by the Secretary of Labor are applicable to all schedules awarded for this project. Any questions regarding this project are to be directed to the office of Armstrong Consultants, Inc., Grand Junction, Colorado, (970) 242-0101, for interpretation. GARFIELD COUNTY, UTAH Published in The Wayne and Garfield County Insider on DECEMBER 25, 2014 and JANUARY 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29, 2015
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NOTICE TO WATER USERS The applications below were filed with the Division of Water Rights in Wayne County. These are informal proceedings per Rule R655-6-2. Protests concerning an application must be legibly written or typed, contain the name and mailing address of the protesting party, STATE THE APPLICATION NUMBER PROTESTED, CITE REASONS FOR THE PROTEST, and REQUEST A HEARING, if desired. Also, A $15 FEE MUST BE INCLUDED FOR EACH APPLICATION PROTESTED. Protests must be filed with the Division of Water Rights, PO Box 146300, Salt Lake City, UT 84114-6300, or by hand delivery to a Division office during normal business hours ON OR BEFORE FEBRUARY 11, 2015. Please visit http://waterrights.utah.gov or call (801)-5387240 for additional information. CHANGE APPLICATION(S) 61-3038(a40362): Richard and Jean Lockwood propose(s) using 0.0078 cfs or 0.5 ac-ft. from groundwater (6 miles southeast of Panguitch) for IRRIGATION; DOMESTIC. 61-1962(a40361): Daryl J. Hopkins propose(s) using 0.0014 cfs or 0.25 ac-ft. from groundwater (11 miles SE of Hatch) for DOMESTIC. Kent L. Jones, P.E. STATE ENGINEER Published in The Wayne and Garfield County Insider on JANUARY 15 & 22, 2015 PUBLIC NOTICE BRYCE CANYON CITY Bryce Canyon City is accepting applications for a council member position with the city. Applications can be emailed to brycecanyoncity@ gmail.com or handed to one of the council members before January 27 at 12:00 PM. The position will be appointed at the council meeting at 1:30 PM that day. Published in The Wayne and Garfield County Insider on JANUARY 15 & 22, 2015
PUBLIC NOTICE GARFIELD COUNTY Garfield County is accepting proposals until 5 p.m. Thursday, January 29th, 2015 to operate the Dead Animal Pit Located North of Panguitch, Utah. For proposal packets contact the Garfield County Engineer at 435-676-1101. Published in The Wayne and Garfield County Insider on JANUARY 8, 15 & 22, 2015
PUBLIC NOTICE CITY OF ESCALANTE 2015 MEETING DATES Escalante City Office Hours are Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. & 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Escalante City Council meetings will be held on the dates listed below. They are held on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m., in the Escalante City Office, 56 N. 100 W. All meetings will be held as listed unless otherwise posted or notified. 2015 MEETINGS January 06 July 07 January 20 July 21 February 03 August 04 February 17 August 18 March 03 September 01 March 17 September 15 April 07 October 06 April 21 October 20 May 05 November 03 May 19 November 17 June 02 December 01 June 16 December 15 Escalante City Justice Court is held monthly in the Escalante City Office at 56 N. 100 W. Escalante City Planning and Zoning meetings are held the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in the Escalante City Office 56 N. 100 W. Published in The Wayne and Garfield County Insider on JANUARY 15, 2015
AVAILABLE: Commercial office/retail space for rent on Main Street in Escalante. The Insider Building will have 140 sq. ft to 360 sq ft. commercial units available for rent in winter 2015. May modify to suit. For more information or for a tour, call 435-826-4400
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Volunteer Income Tax Assistance It’s tax time again. Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) has several sites in the Garfield County area and can help you with FREE tax preparation. Our sites will be opening in February, so please check out utahtaxhelp.org for a site near you with opening dates and times, or you can call 211 for appointments in Escalante. Garfield contact: Lori Talbot (435) 676-8140
Utah Provides Haven for Companies Avoiding Consumer Complaints by Aaron
Hastings, Capital West News Service
SALT LAKE CITY - A national consumer advocacy group is praising potential legislation that would open consumer complaint records to the public. Fran Silverman, editor of Truth in Advertising’s website, TINA.org., said she supports a bill. The group fought to gain access to comsumer complaints against Utah companies such as a small marketing firm and an e-cigarette producer. “We want to empower consumers and protect them,” Silverman said. Utah law currently protects companies who call Utah home, by restricting access to consumer complaints filed to the state government. While this protection is ideal for businesses, it does not allow consumers the opportunity to view consumer complaints against the company, putting Utah consumers at a distinct disadvantage to those in other states. Aside from Utah, only Arizona strictly prohibits public access to consumer complaints. Truth in Advertising is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to opposing false advertising and deceptive marketing. The organization filed appeals last year to have the complaints released to the public, including an appeal to the State Records Committee under the Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA). “This is bigger than Utah alone. It affects any consumer of a company headquartered in Utah,” Silverman said, “This issue affects consumers throughout the United States, and it is important for Utah to come aboard with other states
in transparency.” The consumer complaints have the potential to help consumers see consistent problems or issues with Utah companies, forewarning them against poor customer service or even scams. Federal agencies such as the FDA and FCC, and nonprofit organizations such as the Better Business Bureaus, openly publish consumer complaints online to help measure and maintain proper business practice towards consumers. Most state governments have also adopted such open practices. In other states, complaints themselves are edited so that financial and personal information is protected, and only the nature of the complaint is revealed. All complaints are anonymous, and the names of company employees mentioned in complaints are also censored. The legal battle for the release of these records has been up and down. Laura Smith, legal director of Truth in Advertising, says that while one request for the complaints to the State Records Committee was successful, another was not. “The consumer complaints are viewed as private records, and under that interpretation, they are protected by law,” Smith said. She said as the law is currently interpreted, it will most likely take legislative action in the form of an amendment to make the records public. State Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, told the Salt Lake Tribune he is exploring making the consumer complaint records public; however, there are no bills filed with the Legislature addressing this issue for the 2015 session.
Page 8
The Wayne & Garfield County INSIDER
Statements by HHS and Treasury Secretaries on Preparing for the Upcoming Tax Season WASHINGTON, D. C. In preparation for the 2015 tax filing season, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Treasury Department are putting in place resources to provide tax filers with the information and resources they need to get their questions answered. Millions of Americans who get their health insurance through work are benefitting from the Affordable Care Act, and millions of others have signed up for the Health Insurance Marketplaces and received financial assistance to lower their monthly premiums. Starting this year, consumers will see some changes to their tax returns. While the vast majority of tax filers – over three quarters – will just need to check a box on their tax return indicating they had health coverage in 2014, people who have coverage through the Marketplaces, or decided not to enroll in coverage, should be aware of some additional steps that will be a part of the tax filing process starting this year. Consumers will have questions about this new process and the Administration is committed to providing the information and tools tax filers need to understand the new requirements. In the coming weeks, the Administration will launch additional resources to help consumers prepare for tax filing season, including online tools to help individuals connect with local tax preparation services and determine if they are eligible for an exemption. Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew and Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell released the following statements today providing an overview of the consumer support and guidance their agencies will provide: Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew: “For the vast majority of Americans, tax filing under the Affordable Care Act will be as simple as checking a box to show they had health coverage all year. A fraction of taxpayers will take different steps, like claiming an exemption if they could not afford insurance or ensuring they received the correct amount of financial assistance. A smaller fraction of taxpayers will pay a fee if they made a choice
Hatch CoSponsors Bill to Repay States for National Park Shutdown Cost WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, co-sponsored the National Park Access Act, alongside Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Lamar Alexander (RTN), and John McCain (R-AZ). The bill would direct the National Park Service to reimburse states that provided funds to reopen national parks temporarily during the 2013 government shutdown. “I’m proud that the State of Utah stepped up to keep our National Parks open during the government shutdown,” Hatch said. “Now that Congress has retroactively funded the National Park Service it’s time to reimburse Utah the funds it advanced during the shutdown..” During the government shutdown in October 2013, six states – Arizona, Colorado, New York, South Dakota, Tennessee and Utah – advanced some $2 million to the National Park Service to temporarily reopen iconic national parks, including the Grand Canyon, Mt. Rushmore and the Statue of Liberty. Following the shutdown, Congress retroactively funded the Park Service, which has since retained the $2 million state contribution as a shutdown windfall. —Senator Orrin Hatch
to not obtain coverage they could afford. We are working to ensure that whatever their experience, consumers can easily access clear information since this is the first year they will see certain changes to their tax returns.” HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell: “Last year, millions of Americans purchased quality, affordable health coverage through the Marketplace, and the vast majority received tax credits that cut their monthly premiums. This benefit, which in many cases helped make the cost of health care less than the cost of a cell phone or cable bill, enabled these consumers to enjoy the benefits of coverage throughout the year. In the coming weeks, HHS will work with other agencies, tax preparers and community organizations to arm these consumers with the information they need to know as they prepare to file their taxes. We will also be providing helpful tools so that the millions of taxpayers who qualify for an exemption can receive one.” While including health insurance information will become a routine step in filing taxes, this is the first time families will be asked to answer basic questions regarding their health insurance on their tax returns. Most consumers – over three quarters – just need to check a box to indicate they have coverage. Those with Marketplace coverage will receive a new form in the mail from the Marketplace – Form 1095-A – that they will use to reconcile their upfront financial assistance. While those who can afford to buy health insurance and choose not to will have to pay a fee, individuals who cannot afford coverage or meet other conditions can receive an exemption. In the coming weeks, consumer-friendly tools and resources will be made available for those tax filers who have health coverage through the Marketplaces, those seeking an exemption, and those looking for information about the fee for those who could afford to purchase health coverage but chose not to. General resources can be found at www.IRS.gov/ACA or https://www.healthcare.gov/ taxes/. A sampling of some of resources already available, include: • IRS: Health Care Law: What’s New for Individuals & Families • HHS: 3 Tips About Marketplace Coverage and
Your Taxes • HHS: No Health Coverage? What That Means for Your Taxes To reach consumers with the information they need to prepare for the upcoming tax season, the Administration will employ a variety outreach strategies. Outreach and consumer education efforts will include: • Direct outreach to Marketplace enrollees. Through email, phone, and text messages the Administration will reach out to people who got coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace with personalized information that is most relevant to their tax status. We will focus on providing targeted messaging to consumers who benefited from an advanced premium tax credit last year to help them offset the cost of their Marketplace premiums. • Community-based outreach and in-person assistance. Working with community organizations on the ground, nonprofit organizations, Marketplace navigators and other in-person assisters, we will provide guidance and resources to consumers looking for answers. • Partnerships with top tax preparers. The Administration will continue to work with top tax preparers to provide consumers with the information they need to prepare for tax season. —U.S. Deptment of Health & Human Services
January 15, 2015
Utah Legislators Say Gas Tax is on the Table for Consideration by
Will Glade, Capital West News Service
WEST VALLEY CITY A possible gas tax increase is on the minds of Utah lawmakers as they look toward the 2015 Legislative Session. Utah lawmakers begin the 2015 General Session on Jan. 26. Utah lawmakers begin the 2015 General Session on Jan. 26. The idea was among those discussed during a recent transportation legislative forum sponsored by the Utah Highway Users Association. Lawmakers open their 2015 session on Jan. 26. Senate President Wayne Niederhauser, R-Sandy, said, “The gas tax is the second most hated tax in Utah” behind property taxes. The tax has not been raised since 1997, which may be due to its unpopularity among Utah voters.
The current gas tax is at 24.5 cents per gallon; a value which has lost 40 to 50 percent of its value since the last increase. “Personally, I think we just need to buck up and increase the tax,” Niederhauser said. Many roads are no longer being maintained by the Utah Department of Transportation because of the lack of funding given to transportation. There is a fund deficit of more than $11 billion which must be provided to state transportation in order to keep up with the state’s current population growth rate. For many years, the state legislation has been using general funds to cover these costs, but it has become insufficient in the recent past and many legislators are calling for a tax increase. Members of the Salt Lake Chamber, a local business
group, are concerned with the lack of funding for transportation because it has many negative effects on Utah businesses. Justin Jones, vice president of policy and communications for the Salt Lake Chamber, said, “Transportation is hurting us as businesses. The cost of goods not arriving on time, employees being late to work, and gasoline being wasted in traffic all cost businesses more than a gasoline tax increase would.” It is unclear still how the 2015 legislation will deal with the increasing need of funds for the growing transportation need in the state of Utah. Much debate about how to change or increase the tax has been speculated among legislators.
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