The Wayne & Garfield County Insider March 18, 2021

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Serving Wayne & Garfield Counties, Utah

Loa • Fremont • Lyman • Bicknell • Teasdale • Torrey • Grover • Fruita • Caineville • Hanksville Panguitch • Panguitch Lake • Hatch • Antimony • Bryce • Tropic • Henrieville • Cannonville • Escalante • Boulder

Thursday, March 18, 2021

Issue # 1401

insiderutah.com

New Non-Profit Christina Brown Design is Here to Assist Locals and Beyond in Redesigning Their Personal Spaces Celebrates

by Jillian Fahey the Night Skies Over Torrey

by Amiee Maxwell TORREY - There’s much more to an International Dark Sky Community designation than just replacing lights. Dark Sky Communities also have a large education component and that will be the focus of the new Torrey Dark Skies non-profit.

“A lot of people come here because of the night,” says Mary Bedingfieldsmith, one of the founders and the president of Torrey Dark Skies. A majority of Americans can no longer see the Milky Way from where they live, and when guests come to Torrey and gaze up at the sky, they’re in awe of everything they can see. The sky is so beautiful it can even be scary to some, says Bedingfieldsmith.

Several area businesses are already connecting themselves with the night sky.

There’s Dark Sky Coffee, and the new Sky View Hotel will have a dark sky theme and a stargazing deck. A night sky tourism business is also in the works, so now seemed like a good time to form a non-profit to help the community promote and celebrate Torrey’s astonishing night sky.

The focus of Torrey Dark Skies is to educate, preNight Skies

Cont'd on page 8

Courtesy Christina Brown

Christina Brown Design, owned and operated by Christina Brown, is located in Loa and currently services residents and Utahns from all over the state in their interior design needs.

LOA - Christina Brown Design is a little store on Main Street in Loa near the Loa Post Office. As you enter the store, you are immediately impressed by the bright, orderly, welcoming space that Christina has created.

The store started life as the first grocery store in Loa. Christina redesigned the space by combining two rooms and opening up the floor plan. It is a fine advertisement for her creative skills.

The store is obviously named for its owner, Christina

Panguitch Utah History Black History of Southern Utah Part 4 The Rocks of Adversity

by Steven Lee

Courtesy Steven Lee

The Piute County Courthouse in Junction.

PANGUITCH - Al- such a position once again although his natural skill-set most immediately following and demeanor were quite his departure from Circleville. contrary to those possessed A local farmer had awoken by hardened criminals, Ben that same morning and found Jarrett was no stranger to the two of his cows had been seinsides of a jail cell. Indeed, verely wounded during the out of the many impressive night, and one was not extalents attributed to the "Hu- pected to recover. To quote the man Mockingbird," it would local newspapers, "Suspicion seem that greatest of all was at once settled upon the poor his unfortunate faculty for unfortunate negro." finding himself in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Panguitch History Ben found himself in Cont'd on page 6

REGIONAL WEATHER FORECAST FOR SOME BUT NOT ALL REGIONS REPRESENTED IN OUR NEWSPAPER COVERAGE AREA

THURS. MARCH 18 - WED. MARCH 24

Partly cloudy, with some rain chances over the weekend and into Monday. Highs in the 40s and 50s; lows in the 20s and low 30s.

Winds variable from 11 to 16 mph. Rain chances from 20 - 35%.

Brown, an interior designer who has decided to make this little town her home and base. She says county business alone is enough to keep her busy but that she also enjoys going further afield and has projects that take her north as far as Springville and south as far as St. George.

Christina has been interested in design ever since she was a child and loved to decorate her room. She didn’t plan, however, to become a professional designer.

When she started college

Are We Done Yet?

UT Lawmakers Ponder Bill to End Pandemic SALT LAKE CITY Utah legislators are working on a bill that would allow them to decide when the COVID-19 pandemic is officially over— or at least, what the state needs to do when the novel coronavirus is no longer a crisis.

House members approved House Bill 294—the so-called "Endgame Bill"—along party lines this week after a different measure failed that would have immediately ended the state's mask mandate.

Instead, they approved a bill that essentially instructs state agencies when to "stand down" from the current crisis.

Chase Thomas with the Alliance for a Better Utah said he's not so sure making it a law is the best way to go.

"We believe it's a bad idea to put this into statute," said Thomas. "And to have lawmakers—who are going to be out of session in only a day-and-a-half—setting this hard criteria, when that would be better left to the executive branch and the health department."

The bill faces an uphill battle. Senate leaders aren't enthusiastic about it, and Gov. Spencer Cox has not signaled that he would sign the bill if it lands on his desk.

March 5 was also the last day of the regular session, so House Bill 294 Cont'd on page 3

at Dixie State University, she planned to be a school teacher because of the family friendly work hours. At school, she started to take a few of the art classes. She soon decided to follow her passion and began to seek a degree in design.

As a professional designer, Brown is well aware that no two projects should be exactly the same. Each customer comes with different needs, especially in residential projChristina Brown Cont'd on page 8

Garfield County Commission March 8

Rural Co-working Innovation Center is nearly ready to open in Panguitch, and plans are for similar spaces in Escalante and possibly Bryce Valley GARFIELD COUNTY Before getting into business at the March 8 Garfield County Commission meeting, Commissioner Jerry Taylor paid tribute to recently departed Escalante resident, 102-year old Florence Alvey. Among other lifetime highlights, Florence was a WASP pilot during WWII, ferrying bombers across the country. She was laid to rest March 8.

Commissioner Taylor said he’s working on this summer’s Congressional Staff Briefing scheduled for August 9-13. Currently, 20 D.C. staffers may be taking part in the event. He also brought up Transient Room Tax (TRT) numbers, one measure of Garfield County’s economic situation. Total 2020 TRT for the county was down 35 percent, although municipal numbers last January and February were up 46 percent.

Commissioner Leland Pollock expressed concern about current COVID reporting and impacts on tourism. He had been asked in a phone interview about Garfield County being back at “ high risk.”

Pollock said that concern was based on “Wasatch Front math.” He checked and found 33 active cases in the county.

[Reporter’s note: Southwest Public Health reported 42 active cases in Garfield County March 8.] With the tourism industry in trouble from last year, he didn’t want a negative message going out.

“People need the exact facts, not this skewed information.”

He appreciated the volunteer EMT and Search and Rescue vaccinators and said close to a third of the county is now vaccinated.

Intermountain Healthcare (via the hospital) will have vaccine in the clinics by the end of the month.

“The goal is to get everyone who wants (to be) vaccinated before the start of tourist season," Pollock said.

Pollock was generally pleased with the outcome of the CAFO bill (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation), aka the “pig farm bill,” saying “some items exclusive to Garfield County” were incorporated. He was similarly pleased with the outdoor advertising bill but offered no details. The Grazing Improvement Program got its $1M funding, which will bring water out to the range.

UDOT, Devin Squire, Garfield Commission Cont'd on page 3

BES Students Present Results of Science Fair Experiments to Fellow Students and Families

by Tessa Barkan

Courtesy Tessa Barkan

Student Madisyn Nelson presents on "How to Make an Egg Geode."

BOULDER - On Monday, March 8, Boulder Elementary School students presented their science fair experiments. All students from kindergarten through sixth grade were asked to choose a question and follow the scientific method, including conducting research, stating a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis, analyzing their results, and then reporting their results to an audience of students and their families.

Students gave oral presentations, describing what they did, and then answered questions from the audience.

Some used technology including Google Slides, while

I raise up my voice—not so I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard.

We cannot succeed when half of us are held back.

—Malala Yousafzai

others described their projects verbally with demonstrations, or used posters or boards.

Some of the experiments included testing the shell of an egg by putting it in vinegar, making egg geodes, testing candle flames under different conditions, the best way to put out a fire, energy transference, and how polymer chains in plastics can bend, and allowing a bag of water to be pierced with pencils without leaking.

“My project was about how the universe works,” said kindergartener Wiley Williams, who conducted his experiment on the concept of

transference of energy. He demonstrated the concept of transference for the audience by transferring colors between surfaces using a plastic bag, a spray bottle and colored markers.

These experiments were done as one of the students’ Monthly Projects. Other projects this year have included book reports, biographies, and travel brochures.

These projects are completed by students at home over each month, and support students in a plethora of ways including curiosity and exploration, utilizing technology, and time management and presentation skills.

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Will the "Party of Values" Put Their Money Where Their Mouth is?

Sooo...If Republicans are so dead set against President Biden’s American Rescue Package, as amply demonstrated recently by our esteemed elected officials, will they be affirming their commitment as members of The Party of Values by returning their individual re-

lief checks from whence they came and, additionally, refrain from applying for financial support for their business pursuits? Or will they simply reject their values and succumb to the temptation of easy money?

Dick Teasdale, Torrey

Intermountain Healthcare Doctor Shares both Optimism and Caution About COVID-19 Across the State

Courtesy Intermountain Healthcare

Dr. Todd Vento, Medical Director of Infectious Disease and Specialty Telehealth at Intermountain Healthcare, said last Friday during Intermountain's weekly COVID update that "It's a race against time," to get people vaccinated before variants gain a toehold in the population.

SALT LAKE CITY With vaccines rolling out throughout Utah and COVID case counts and hospitalizations dropping, healthcare providers are both optimistic and cautious about current COVID infection trends.

During Intermountain Healthcare’s weekly COVID-19 update last Friday, Dr. Todd Vento, Medical Director of Infectious Disease, described the current situation as a race against time.

“It’s a race to get as many people vaccinated, to get as many people immune to this virus before we run the risk of the virus becoming mutated to the point where it can actually evade or escape our vaccines that are successful,” said Vento.

As of last Friday, COVID hospitalizations were at 167 throughout the state, the lowest figure in quite some time. Also as of Friday morning, the total number of vaccines delivered in Utah was 936,681, with the number of people who have received just the first dose at 618,337. The number who had received both doses was at 339,743.

Due to the reduced pressure on ICUs, morale throughout the hospital system has markedly increased, said Vento.

“I wouldn’t say that everyone in the hospital feels like, ‘Hey we’re back to normal,’ because we know what the virus has done, and we know what the virus can do, and we know what’s happening with the mutations in the virus,” said Vento.

“We still have a lot to do to prevent us from going back into those similar types

of periods that we’ve had,” he said, referring to the surge in cases from November and into January.

“The vaccines, for the entire world, are an incredible accomplishment, and are saving lives. But we are paying attention to what this RNA virus does. We know that it mutates and we know that it can form mutations that can actually spread more easily.”

As of last Thursday, Italy had its highest case counts with the new B117 U.K. strain—their highest case counts since November. Germany reported that 55% of their cases were with the B117 U.K. strain. According to a study led by the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom, B117 has been shown to have a 64% higher risk of death for people over the age of 30.

In the U.S. there is a new California strain with a specific mutation which has increased transmissibility, and another New York variant.

Utah has tracked these variants and now has an increasing number of the California variant, as well as the U.K. B117 variant.

“This is why we don’t just say, ‘OK we’re done, let’s celebrate!’” said Vento. “You can imagine if we say, ‘Hey, let’s everybody travel and let’s stop wearing masks and let’s have at it.’ You can see where that could go.”

“We have to get as many people vaccinated as we can so that we can keep down the transmission of the virus, and decrease the likelihood of more mutations. That’s really the race that we’re running now.”

—Insider

March 18, 2021

Notes from the Nuthatch A Hairball or A Home?

by Kadi Franson BRYCE - Lying in bed one morning, many years ago, I heard a tapping sound.

The source of the sound was uncertain, but it was coming from the back wooden deck.

Tap! Tap tap tap! What could it be? Something small and hard was being struck against the wood, not too powerfully, but with enough impact to be audible. I got up and tiptoed to the threshold of the doorway, peering out across the sliding glass doors that led to the backyard. There, hopping around on the deck, was a Steller’s Jay. The hops would stop only to be followed by several swift downward motions of the beak. Tap tap tap!

What was this bird doing? Foraging for insects on the deck?

I crouched low in the doorway, inching closer. The morning sun glinted. A tangled nest of red strands clamped within the jay’s strong bill shone brightly.

My hair! The bird was collecting the hair that I had thrown out the door after cleaning my brush the day before. Delight washed over me. To have one’s hair woven into the most tender and artful of homes— what an honor!

Birds are experts at finding materials for their nests— threads, cotton, cattail fluff, snakeskins, mud. Hummingbirds will even collect delicate spider silk to line the inside of their tiny cups. As a child growing up in rural Texas, our mother would clean out her own long red strands from the hairbrush she used and toss the ratty handfuls into the wind.

“For the birds,” she’d remark.

A long-held habit at this point, our backyard has its fair share of hair. In the summertime, my mop-topped husband will pull up a chair on our back porch, and we’ll let his curly brown locks lie where the scissors drop them. One warm morning, sipping tea on the back stoop and listening to the dawn chorus light up the pines, a Grace’s Warbler swooped down and landed right by my feet. As I watched, the yellowsplashed bird nabbed a clump of his wavy tresses and took to the canopies.

In Linda Hogan’s essay “Dwellings,” she writes of a similar experience: “I was halfway up the trail when I found a soft, round nest. It had fallen from one of the bare-branched trees. It was a delicate nest, woven together of feathers, sage, and strands of wild grass. Holding it in my hand in the rosy twilight, I noticed that a blue thread was entwined with the other gatherings there. I pulled at the thread a little, and then I recognized it. It was a thread from one of my skirts. It was blue cotton. It was the unmistakable color and shape of a pattern I knew. I liked it, that a thread of my life was in an abandoned nest, one that had held eggs and new life. I took the nest home. At home, I held it to the light and looked more closely. There, to my surprise, nestled into the green-gray sage, was a gnarl of black hair.

It was also unmistakable. It

Kadi Franson

Though available in abundance, especially for a man or woman with thick curly locks, it turns out that human hair is not suitable nesting material for the birds. was my daughter’s hair…”

Industrious as they are, birds are unable to distinguish safe nesting materials from those that are potentially harmful. One day at Bryce Canyon, I watched as a Mountain Chickadee pinned a parking lot cigarette between its feet and proceeded to de-fluff the filter, carrying away a beakfull of material. Chickadees are cavity nesters, so the butt of someone’s carelessly tossed and chemical-laden cigarette is now likely decomposing within the hollow of a tree.

I’m sure this is much more common than we realize. I spent many afternoons following around a White-breasted Nuthatch family last summer, watching as the parents worked hard to keep their babies fed. One of the fledglings had a tattered piece of plastic bag wound tightly around its leg. The bag looked weathered and worn, and so thoroughly ensnared on the young bird’s leg that I guessed that it had become entangled while still in the nest. It had likely been used as nesting material.

As we enter the breeding season, which spans from early spring into summer, you can attract birds to your home by offering them carefullychosen nesting materials. So, what about those hairballs?

Should they become someone’s home?

To find the answer, I sent the question to the experts at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Here is what they wrote in response: “Thanks so much for reaching out. We do not recommend providing hair—human or animal—as they are often treated with chemicals, such as those in shampoos and or hairspray or dye treatments (or tick/flea treatments in pets).

Stringy materials are not advised especially because they can potentially wrap around nestlings and either trap them or restrict breathing, and even short pieces can become a choking hazard if they’re mistaken for food. The best things to provide for birds are natural items they might already find in nature, such as twigs, leaves, seeds, mosses, lichens, and untreated grass clippings.”

Looks like my ratty red hairballs aren’t meant to be homes, after all.

Time to teach my head how to grow moss.

Notes from the Nuthatch is a nature column written by Kadi Franson, a naturalist and artist living in Garfield County.

Insider

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P.O. Box 105 Escalante, UT 84726 435-826-4400 email snapshot@live.com Publisher: Erica Walz Layout & Graphic Design: Emily Leach Reporter: Amiee Maxwell Reporter: Tessa Barkan Reporter: Kadi Franson Reporter: Jillian Fahey Payroll: Trudy Stowe

Local columnists:

Mack Oetting - FYI Panguitch Peg Smith - By Way of Boulder Brooklyn Syrett - News from Bryce Valley Schools 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 © 2015 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.

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March 18, 2021

House Bill 294: We believe it's a bad idea to put this into

statute. And to have lawmakers—who are going to be out of session in only a day-and-a-half—setting this hard criteria, when that would be better left to the executive branch and the health department.

—Chase Thomas, Alliance for a Better Utah

Insider

The COVID-19 virus has disrupted millions of lives across Utah, but some state legislators are proposing a law that would allow them to determine when the pandemic is over.

House Bill 294 Cont'd from page 1

time is running out.

HB 294 would declare Utah's pandemic and its restrictions over, either when the state hits a list of benchmarks or before July 1, whichever comes first.

At that time, state agencies would end the enforcement of policies put in place during the pandemic. Chase

said, while everyone is ready for the crisis to be over, you can't just tell it to stop.

"I think people are anxious about it, and some of the lawmakers up on the hill—I mean, they've been anxious this entire time, and we all want to see an end to it," said Thomas. "It's just it's going to take a little time, and we have to be patient."

If the bill is signed, the mask mandate would end first.

Other benchmarks include declaring an end to the pandemic if the state reaches a 14-day case rate of fewer than 191 per 100,000 people, the seven-day average of Intensive Care Unit bed utilization falls below 15%, or when the state has been allocated at least 1.6 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

—Mark Richardson, Utah News Connection

Garfield Commission: Commissioner Taylor pays

tribute to 102-year old Escalante resident Florence Alvey.

Commissioner Board reports, UDOT 2021 road construction projects, Garfield County unemployment statistics, bidding on surplus county trucks, a request from the Garfield County Travel Council for a matching grant to get information kiosks installed in Forest Service building in Cedar City, new RCIC space in Panguitch, and increased estimate for OR addition/pharmacy at Garfield Memorial Hospital discussed.

Garfield Commission Cont'd from page 1

Project Manager: 2021 will see three road construction projects on Highway 12, two of which are the roundabout at Highway 12 and 63 (Bryce turnoff) and continuing roadwork from Henrieville to the Bryce Canyon National Park line. Drivers should plan on delays up to 15 minutes at each construction site.

Squire said the intent of the roundabout is to “reduce serious crashes” at that intersection by slowing speeds and making drivers pay attention. Rumble strips, signage, and lighting will alert drivers to slow down for the “rural roundabout." Lighting will be dark-sky compliant, and access to businesses will be maintained. Work on the roundabout is to start March 22 and will run through the end of July. For details and contact info, see udot.utah. gov/sr12corridor.

Planning and Economic Development, Kaden Figgins: Figgins presented some recent statistics: Garfield County’s 8.4 percent unemployment is the third highest in the state, next to San Juan and Uintah Counties. Statewide unemployment is 3.6 percent and nationwide 6.7 percent. Forty-five percent of Garfield County’s economy comes from leisure and hospitality. Since this time last year, 226 jobs have been lost.

Residential building permits are up 150 percent from last year. All property values are up 200 percent. Non-residential property values, specifically, are up almost 600 percent.

Surplus bid opening for county trucks. Commissioner Pollock, giving credit to Brian Bremner and Dave Dodds, lauded the system by which the county buys new vehicles, uses them for a year, and resells them, usually at or above the county’s cost.

He said the other options are

buy and drive a vehicle for ten years, maintain it, and sell it for nothing, or track and pay 55 cents/mile for everyone’s mileage. All seven county vehicles received bids above the minimum and will be sold.

The successful bidders were Steve Kunsler (5 vehicles), Kevin Frandsen, and Gary Christiansen. The county will clear $16,175 above cost for these trucks, to be added as revenue to the General Fund.

Travel Council, Falyn Owens: Owens received a request for a grant match of $10K to participate with three other counties in information kiosks to be installed in the new Forest Service building in Cedar City. The Office of Outdoor Recreation grant will be used to showcase the four counties that include portions of Dixie National Forest.

Owens said this exposure will fill some gaps and would be worthwhile. The Commission approved contributing to the project contingent on opening the budget and adding the $10K. USU Extension, Callie Ward and Mike Sarles, and Rural Co-Working Innovation Center: A site for remote workers and incubator space for businesses is nearly ready to open in Garfield County.

Ward said this started in Sept 2019 with a request for county support for their grant request.

Now, they are a couple weeks from the Panguitch RCIC grand opening. It will include a commercial grade “dream kitchen” for any type of food project, coworking space with

internet, both individual desks as well as meeting space, full color copier, wide format printer, 3D printers, laser 3D printer that can cut wood, acrylic, or other materials to make items for sale. Kitchen use will be charged hourly.

Rent for co-working space will cover basic costs. A similar Escalante center is planned to start this fall. Commissioner Taylor will also reach out to the Bryce Valley area.

Garfield Memorial Hospital, Alberto Vasquez, Administrator: Vasquez said the $1.7K estimate for the OR addition/pharmacy remodel project has been increased to $2M. He recommended starting the project this fall rather than next spring due to increasing prices. There was brief discussion on how to accommodate the increased cost which seemed a matter of timing and grant requests.

The Garfield County Commission meets on the second and fourth Monday of each month starting at 10 a.m.

All meetings are held in the County Courthouse in Panguitch. There is no set up for electronic participation.

—Insider

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The Insider

Schools & Sports

March 18, 2021

News from Bryce Valley Schools

by Brooklyn Syrett

Callie Ward, Utah State University Extension Assistant Professor, Garfield County

BVES fifth and sixth grade class go skiing at Brian Head Resort, results are not yet in for FCCLA and Debate, and Basketball has come to an end, with both the boys' and girls' teams making it to the final eight teams in the state

Canning Lid Shortage What Are My Options?

With Spring just around the corner, many of us are gearing up for the planting and growing season, as well as canning season. And again, this year, the limited supply of canning equipment and supplies has left us wondering about just how much canning we will be able to do. You, like many, may be asking a few of these similar questions: • What do we do when there is a shortage of the tried and true canning jars and lids we are all so used to using?

• Is there an option for safe canning with "off-brand" products?

• When will we see our favorite brands on the shelves again?

Utah State University Extension offices (along with many other University Extension offices across the country) are aware of these concerns and offer these recommendations: • Extension recommends standard home canning jars (Mason type jars) for canning. If you choose to use other types of jars, they must fit a two-piece metal lid and band. There is greater risk of jar breakage and possible seal failure with non-standard canning jars—such as mayonnaise jars, pickle jars, etc. These jars are not intended to be used in canning and are not made with the same quality of tempered glass. Check all jars to make sure they are not chipped or cracked.

• Only two-piece metal lids are recommended for home canning. For best performance, lids should be purchased new each year (the sealing compound will break down on storage); although stored in a cool, dry location, lids stored up to three years may still seal.

• Under no circumstances should you reuse canning lids. Reusing the flat metal lid is not recommended due to a higher risk of seal failure because the sealing compound is often dented after use and does not cover the jar sealing surface properly and/or there is not enough sealing compound left in the well to form a proper seal on the jar. Using them more than once may result in an improper seal. A jar that does not seal effectively may spoil or the contents may become unsafe. Individuals who have been canning for years are

often surprised to find that lids no longer need to be heated before use, and they should never be boiled before using.

• Both jars and lids should be washed in clean, soapy water and rinsed before use.

Jars should be pre-heated before filling. Sort through screw bands to make sure they are not rusted before applying.

• If using an unfamiliar brand of lids, check seals every few months and especially right before consuming the canned foods. It is helpful to remove the rings and not to store with rings on, so as to better see/check the seal and jar contents.

Retailers/distributors of the traditional Ball/Kerr brand products have informed consumers that they that they have not been given any clear timelines from the Newell Corporation as to when manufacturing orders would be fulfilled, due to smaller production lines still in place due to COVID. A recent conversation with a representative from the Newell Corporation (manufacturer of Ball, Kerr, and Golden Harvest canning products) indicates they are hoping for new shipments to go out toward the end of March 2021, but in limited quantities, and production will continue through the summer of 2021. With that in mind, many consumers are turning to other manufacturers of canning jars and lids.

Utah State University Extension does not have a strong basis for suggesting people use or not use the "other" brands of canning jars or lids. We do not have enough information in regards to their performance, sealing success or failure, or the strength of the seal (which is based on how much air gets

forced out of the jar during processing and cool down time) to provide specific guidelines one way or another. We are also not aware of any available research data regarding the use of these brands. Therefore, it is a case of "buyer beware."

However, we can say, with a degree of confidence, that if the consumer follows all of the above practices, along with using up-to-date canning times/ temperatures, recipes, and proven methods, and following the individual manufacturer’s directions for use, the chances for success and safety are greater.

For more information regarding supplies and products from Ball, call the company at 1-800-240-3340, or contact your local USU Extension Office- Garfield County 435-6761113 or callie.ward@usu.edu Sources: Dr. Brian Nummer, USU Extension Food Science Specialist Utah State University Preserve the Harvest website: https://extension.usu.edu/preserve-the-harvest University of WisconsinMadison Extension https:// fyi.extension.wisc.edu/safefood/2020/09/14/safe-preserving-tips-in-the-time-of-covid-19 North Carolina State University Extension https://foodsafety.ces.ncsu.edu/2020/10/ two-is-better-than-one-especially-when-it-comes-to-canning-lids/ Clemson University Extension https://www.clemson. edu/extension/food/canning/ canning-tips/22mason-jars. html National Center for Home Food Preservation https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/ general/recomm_jars_lids. html

The fifth and sixth grade classes at Bryce Valley Elementary had the opportunity to go skiing at Brian Head Resort. Shawn Caine, the technology coordinator for the district, took the day to teach them lessons for free. We want to give her a big "thank you!"

The students had a fabulous day learning a new skill and feeling success.

FBLA, FCCLA and Debate are nearing the end of their state qualifications. We are waiting to hear on the results of Debate and FCCLA. For the FBLA team state results, Milo Atwood placed 7th place in the category that he competed in. Congratulations to him, and good luck to the other clubs on the rest of their season.

Basketball has come to an end, and both teams can say they had a successful year.

Both teams made it to the final eight teams in the state, four of our student athletes made the Academic All-State teams, and both teams made memories that will last a lifetime!

The boys' basketball team met up with Valley on Thursday. The Mustangs jumped out to an early lead, but the Buffaloes were relentless. It seemed as though our basket had a cap on it and nothing could go in, but the Buffaloes made ev-

erything they shot. The Mustangs had a disappointing loss, which sent them through the consolation side. They met the Piute Thunderbirds on Friday and had a fun and entertaining game. The Mustangs, once again, jumped out to an early lead. In the second half, the T-Birds came back, but the Mustangs held on for a victory. Their final game of the season was with the Rich Rebels. Our BV boys played relaxed and you could tell by the commanding win they had over the Rich team.

They finished the game 55-24 with a win. We are so proud of each of them and their contributions to a great season.

The Lady Mustangs also made it to the top eight teams in the state and earned a spot

in the 1A State Tournament.

They met a tough Valley team the first day. The game stayed within a few points up until the last couple of minutes.

Valley pulled ahead and got a win over our Lady Mustangs.

The next day, it was a matchup with Rich. The Mustangs trailed most of the game, but kept it close. The Lady Rebels pulled ahead with a couple minutes remaining and knocked the Mustangs out of the tournament. Kezli Floyd had a game high of 13 points and had a great final game.

Thanks to our Lady Mustangs for a great season.

If anyone would like to add to our "News from Bryce Valley Schools" column, please contact me by Wednesday, and I will be sure to add your information in our article. Thanks.

Courtesy Brooklyn Syrett

Money Tips for Students

Save Money by Earning College Credit in High School

Courtesy Brooklyn Syrett

by Tim Ballard One way to save money on higher education is to earn college credits while in high school, according to KHEAA. High school students, whether they plan to get a technical degree or four-year degree, can take advantage of several programs that let them earn college credits. Doing so can save them thousands of dollars as they continue their training or education after high school.

These programs include: • Dual credit courses. Dual credit courses let students earn both college and high school credit. In some cases, students will pay less than the college tuition rate.

• Advanced Placement courses. AP classes count as high school credits, but many colleges will give students college credit if they earn a certain grade on AP exams. Offered by the College Board, which provides the SAT, AP classes are widely available.

• International Baccalaureate Diploma and Cambridge Advanced International programs. IB and CAI, for students 16 to 19 years old, are similar to AP. Students may be able to receive college credit for the IB and CAI classes they take.

KHEAA is a public, non-

profit agency established in 1966 to improve students’ access to college. It provides information about financial aid and financial literacy at no cost to students and parents.

The agency also helps colleges manage their student loan default rates and verify information submitted on the FAFSA. For more information about those services, visit www. kheaa.com.

In addition, KHEAA disburses private Advantage Education Loans on behalf of its sister agency, KHESLC. For more information, visit www. advantageeducationloan.com.

Courtesy Brooklyn Syrett

Bryce Valley Elementary School fifth and sixth graders enjoy a day spent skiing at Brian Head Resort. Technology Coordinator Shawn Caine agreed to teach the students some ski lessons for free.

March 18, 2021

Wills, Trusts, and More

The Insider

How Do I Disinherit a Family Member?

t H e

by Jeffery J. McKenna Deciding who gets your assets after you die is difficult enough, but what if you want to make sure someone IS NOT included? Even though the word “disinherit” may conjure up images of family discord, there are many reasons one may wish to do it.

Perhaps one of your children is a wealthy entrepreneur and another has special needs, or perhaps you are in a second marriage and want to provide for your children from a previous marriage—but not your ex-spouse. Disinheriting anyone other than members of your nuclear family is easy —just leave them out of your will. But states have special protections for spouses and children.

Spouses. If you live or have lived in a community property state like Arizona and Nevada, the law assumes that your spouse automatically owns half of everything you both earned during your marriage. There are ways to define money that is yours, separate from the community property, to make sure it goes where you want when you die. However, in order to do that, both spouses must sign a written agreement that explains which assets belong to each partner separately. There are rules that may apply when attempting to separate commingled funds, that is, funds of each spouse that have been deposited into a joint account.

Therefore, it is important to consult an attorney to make sure that there is no question or misunderstanding that may cause conflict when you least expect or need it.

Other states give your spouse the right to claim a prescribed portion of your estate, no matter what your will provides, or even if you have a will at all. In these cases, it is impossible to completely disinherit a spouse, unless

your spouse is willing to sign a marital agreement waiving his or her right to your estate.

Ex-spouses. Your exspouse has no claim to the assets of your estate, unless he or she has some claim against your estate before you die, such as a court order that has awarded a portion of a retirement benefit or pension. It would depend on how the assets were separated at the time of the divorce. Significantly, insurance policies with an exspouse inadvertently left as beneficiary take precedence over a will that leaves those same assets to another.

Children. In most cases, you can disinherit a child or grandchild simply by stating so in your will. However, simply omitting to mention a child does not automatically disinherit a child. The omitted child can contest the will if you do not make your wishes clear. Most states have laws that protect against accidental disinheritanc, for example, if a child was born after you drafted your will. Again, unless you specifically state that the child is disinherited, the child will be legally entitled to the same share as the other children.

Disinheritance is a personal issue. One who wishes to disinherit a family member may find that there are other effective options, such as putting assets in a trust for that heir, with a trustee making the decisions of what the money

UPS

NOW WITH A PANGUITCH OFFICE AT 46 NORTH MAIN STREET TO SERVE CLIENTS IN AND AROUND GARFIELD COUNTY. 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.

can, and can not, be used for.

It is wise to consult an estate planning attorney before making decisions that affect the distribution of your estate and the harmony of your family, once you are gone.

There was an unexpected knock on my door and like I always do, I first opened the peephole and asked, "Who's there"?

"UPS, ma'am. I have a package that needs a signature."

"Where's the package"? I asked suspiciously.

The delivery man held it up.

"Could I see some ID"? I asked, still not convinced.

"Lady," he replied wearily, "if I wanted to break into your house, I'd probably just use these."

And he pulled out the keys I had left in the door.

PUNishment

The ship's barber gave the sailors crew cuts.

Page 5

l A u G h i N g pOiNt!!

Location, Location, Location

An aching back sent me stumbling to the drugstore for some kind of relief.

After a search, I found what I was looking for: a selection of heating pads designed for people with back pain—all on the bottom shelf.

Laziness

One furniture shop drew shoppers to a big sale by offering a free recliner to the laziest attendee.

"Will all lazy folk come forward?" the organizer asked.

One man did not budge.

When asked why not, he yawned, "Too much trouble."

He was instantly declared the winner.

sudoku To Play: Complete the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9

Quiz

Once I'd finished reviewing my daughter's homework, I gave her an impromptu quiz.

"What is a group of whales called?" I asked. "I'll give you a hint—it sounds like something you use to listen to music."

"An iPod?" she guessed.

"Close," I said. "But what I'm thinking is a little smaller."

"A Shuffle!"

Speeding Tickets

The police have stopped my husband so many times for speeding, they decided to just give him a season ticket.

This week's answers on page 9

THEME: IN THE GARDEN ACROSS 1. Great divide 6. World's oldest national broadcaster 9. Pasturelands 13. Chinese fruit 14. #9 Across, sing.

15. Clemency 16. One in advertising 17. "____ the land of the free ..."

18. Characteristic of birds 19. *Ongoing job in the garden 21. *Without synthetic fertilizers 23. 2nd tallest bird 24. Theatrical production 25. Curiosity killed it?

28. Additionally 30. Capital of Poland 35. Passage into a mine 37. Prefix in levorotary 39. Mid-century modern, e.g.

40. Toothy wheel 41. *Some are heirlooms 43. Make like a cat 44. Erasable programmable read only memory 46. Stanislavski's rifle, e.g.

47. Unwanted correspondence 48. Motionless 50. Catch-22 52. "Are you sure?" in a text 53. Freight horse cart 55. Opposite of don'ts 57. *6 or more hours of sunshine 61. *Radicchio or frisée 65. On foot 66. Negative vote 68. 2020 NFL MVP 69. Morrison's "The ____" 70. Hockey great Bobby 71. Respectable and quiet 72. Sports award 73. Affirmative response 74. Infernos

DOWN 1. Old bathtub foot 2. Opposite of seek 3. Ne plus ultra 4. *Opposite of #57 Across 5. Minimum, pl.

6. Influencer's journal 7. *Stinging pollinator 8. Holiday song 9. Bulgarian money 10. Julia Roberts' Academy Award-winning role 11. Popular smoothie berry 12. Update an iPod 15. Inhabitant of Hungary 20. Nothing, pl.

22. Like sashimi 24. Lack of money 25. *Tomato supports 26. Highly skilled 27. Miss America's headdress 29. Slowly leak 31. Moves at the gym 32. Monument to Buddha 33. Orderly arrangement

34. *Wiggly plowers 36. Faster than a walk 38. *Some plants and flowers emit a good one 42. *Type of digger 45. Centers, old-fashioned 49. French vineyard 51. *Last of 3 numbers on a bag of fertilizer 54. Be a pest 56. Washington, e.g.

57. Grow dim 58. Extraterrestrials' rides 59. Pilot's stunt 60. Type of parrot 61. "Musical" constellation 62. Russian mountain chain 63. *Type of garden hose that saves space 64. Goes with "odds" 67. Am is to I as ____ is to we

Solution on page 9

Page 6

The Insider

O bituaries Art Chidester

HIGHLAND/PANGUITCH - Our loving husband, dad, grandpa, great-grandpa, brother, uncle, and friend, Arthur Ray Chidester, 90, passed away in Highland, Utah on March 10, 2021. He was born January 1, 1931 to Loris Elton and Hilda Orton Chidester in Panguitch, Utah. Arthur married his sweetheart, Dorothy Ann Cooper on September 8, 1955 in the St. George, Utah Temple.

Art and Dorothy have 3 children: Arthur Brad (Lei) Chidester, Larkspur, CO; Lorraine (Jay) Bennett, American Fork; Merilee (Clayton) Wilson, Cedar City.

They have 8 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and 1 greatgreat grandchild.

Art grew up in Panguitch and graduated Panguitch High School in 1949. He was the student body vice-president and attended Boys State his junior year. He was involved in sports, and he particularly enjoyed basketball. He has always loved being from Panguitch.

Art attended Dixie College where he was student body secretary and part of the X Club (honor society). He joined the Navy and served on a destroyer as an electrical technician for 4 years during the Korean War. After returning home, he attended the University of Utah and a television repair school, and also started his own TV repair business.

Art worked for UDOT for a total of 32 years; the majority of that time was in construction management as a project engineer. He contributed to the building of I-70 near Green River.

One of the most challenging and rewarding projects was rebuilding US-6 after the Thistle slide in 1983.

Wherever Art lived, he was active in his community. He served the Panguitch community as City Councilman for 2 years, president of the Jr. Chamber of Commerce for 2 years, and as a volunteer firefighter. While living in Moab, he served as a Grand County school board member and the State of Utah School Board President. In Highland City, he was president of the City Planning Commission for 4 years.

Art was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints. He served in many callings, but the most rewarding was as a councilor working in the bishopric of the American Fork Developmental Center Ward.

Art loved to travel, fish, and hunt. He was devoted to his family and very involved in family activities. He built a cabin at Panguitch Lake in 2002, where many great memories were made with family and friends. Panguitch Lake was his favorite place to be. He was extremely honored that the Panguitch Lake Fire Station was named after him in 2010 after he served as the chair for the Panguitch Lake Fire District Building Committee/ Board.

Funeral services for family and invited friends were held Tuesday, March 16 at 11:00 a.m. in the Highland 8th Ward Chapel, 10390 North Alpine Highway, Highland Utah. A viewing was held at the Anderson and Son Mortuary, 6141 West 11000 North Highland, Tuesday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Graveside services were held Wednesday, March 17th at 11:00 a.m. at Panguitch, Utah Cemetery with military honors by the Panguitch American Legion Post #25 and the navy Honor Guard.

Live streaming of the services and online guestbook could be found at www.maglebymortuary.com under Art’s obituary.

Due to COVID-19, all attendees were required to wear masks and adhere to social distancing guidelines. Funeral Directors: Magleby Mortuary, Richfield, Salina and Manti.

March 18, 2021

FYI PanguItch

by Mack Oetting ~ mackoetting @gmail.com It is nice writing this newsletter in the daylight. Daylight saving is so nice! Well, we got a little more snow this last week, about 4”. However, it is so warm that much of it has already melted. I don’t know how it happened, but the main part of the storm bypassed us and hit the Denver area with several feet of the white stuff.

Colorado, like our area, has been in a twenty year drought, and many of the western states really depend on the water in the Colorado River. In the last few years, the water levels in Lake Powell and Lake Mead are reaching record lows. This last storm dropped quite a bit of snow up on the mountains, and our lake will be able to get us through the summer again.

Brian Head received about 20” and should make for some great skiing in these last days of the season. Traditionally, ski season ends the week after Easter, so you might want to take a few turns while you can.

The only thing that I know of that is coming up is Easter.

The Easter Egg hunt will be early this year—Friday, April 2—and it will be at the city park at the fairgrounds. It will start promptly at 1:00, with the big red fire engine bringing in the Easter Bunny. There will be plenty of prizes, candy and a fun 15 minutes with kids scrambling for the eggs. Starting on April 5, the kids will be out of schools for the week, so try and plan a vacation and go out and see some of the sights in our area.

The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints will be having their semi-annual conference on the weekend of the 3rd and 4th of April. Also on Saturday the 3rd, it might be the annual Easter Car Show down in Hurricane, maybe? It was cancelled last year because of the virus.

Speaking of the virus, Garfield County had 30 new cases from February 28th to March 14th. At the state championships there were big crowds and not many were wearing masks.

These events are called super spreaders. Hopefully, the cases came from elsewhere. The good news is that the County is giving out a lot of shots. Last Monday, they did 300 vaccines.

The age requirement has been dropped down to age 50 years, and that will get a few more eligible for the shots. Many of the residents from Boulder and a few from Escalante have made their way over here to make themselves safe. Good news for the good people in Escalanteis that the clinic will be giving out doses starting this week.

Utah has given out over one million doses of the vaccine, and the country has exceeded the president's expectations of 100 million doses by 100 days of his presidency. Now, he has promised that everyone who wants a shot by May 1st will have access to the vaccine and all should be covered by the end of May. Lately, the country has been delivering close to 3 million doses of the vaccine a day, and 10% of the country has been covered with full coverage with two shots.

That is over 30 million that are covered, including the former president and his wife, who had the shots before they left the White House. Last Monday, the clinic in Panguitch also got 100 shots of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine for those that just want one shot.

One of the questions people are asking about the vaccines is how much they cost.

They are free and are provided by the government. Generally, it takes two weeks after the second dose is delivered for the vaccine to kick in, and both doses are needed for full protection. The vaccines are very effective. In the vaccine trials, roughly an equal number of participants received the real vaccine or a placebo. Pfizer calculated that its vaccine was approximately 95% effective.

One hundred and seventy two cases of the one hundred and eighty-two cases of COVID-19 that were observed during the trials were cases attributed to those that had the placebo.

Some people ask, "If I have had COVID-19, should I get the shots?" Researchers have a range of estimates on how long people may be protected from reinfection varies from months to years. It appears to be safe for those people to get the shots for long term care (Consumer Report, March 2021).

With states like Texas

dropping all regulations, it could prolong the pandemic for a much longer time. The governor reminds me of the former president ordering those poor souls back into the meat processing plants with threats of losing their unemployment checks. Some 30,000 of them contacted the virus and many died. Those that are going to be doing the grunt work are the ones that aren’t vaccinated because of age, and they work for low wages in Texas.

For the last year and a half of our former president's term in office, he got OPEC to reduce their shipments of oil by millions of barrels a day. This was to increase the price of oil so that our oil companies would be able to produce oil by fracking and the price had to be above $50.00. The problem was that, with the pandemic, people weren’t able to work or drive their cars, and there still was a glut of oil on the market.

Since the election, the oil prices have gone from $40 a barrel to $65.00, and that is reflected in the price of gasoline. So, give him credit. One of his projects is working, and big oil is back in business.

Speaking of gas, I believe this is the first time in the history of Panguitch that not one of our gas stations is locally owned. Don’t quote me on this, but I heard that the Love Company out of Canada has purchased all of them but the Chevron. Gas prices are about the same as Cedar City and those up north in the Richfield area.

An example of the magic of the government is that my tax preparer sent off our taxes last Thursday and money was already in our account by Monday. It is about half what we owe the state, and it will come in handy.

The new stimulus plan cleared both houses (without one republican vote) and has been signed into law by President Biden. This means that 85% of Americans will be getting $1,400 in the mail shortly, if not sooner. This will give parents money for their young children and will extend unemployment into September. The $15.00 minimum wage was cut, as was the $400 weekly

increase on unemployment checks.

However, it is starting to sound like 2010 when President Obama pushed through an $800 billion stimulus bill that saved the country. We had 11% unemployment, and banks, insurance companies and the auto industry were in the toilet. He was left with two wars and a national debt that had tripled in eight years.

Having to pay for all of this, he did away with the tax cut that the top two% had. Oh my!

He had the nerve to come up with an affordable health plan.

This ticked off the wealth in the country and also the health insurance companies, and they dumped millions of bucks into the next election and got the tea party folks elected. Now, the GOP, in states that they control, are putting in 280 bills to suppress the voting. They just can’t have all of those folks of color out their voting.

When the last president gave out a tax stimulus for the top 1%ers and corporations that cost the national debt a trillion dollars a year and no one in the party said a word.

My daughter, Kelly, and her son Stephen, on their way down to Kanab, saw a dog by the side of the road, and it was shivering. They picked it up and took it with them. They noticed an ID tag on the dog’s neck and called the number and the woman said the dog was lost four days earlier and she was so happy to get it back.

Winter sports are over and Garfield County was well represented. One of the best things to me was that Escalante has a team again. Go, Moquis. The Cats have had a remarkable year, with the Lady Cats big win in cross country and the Bobcats coming away with two championships in wrestling and basketball. Up next is the spring season and track. Who knows, they could come away with more championships.

You really know how old you are when you see in the paper that Ken has turned 60, and Barbie turned 60 two years ago. Oh, where did the time go?

Mack O.

Panguitch History: The conclusion to Ben Jarrett's story takes us to the Piute County Courthouse, where Jarrett is on trial for the wounding of a farmer's two cows.

Dentist and hypnotist Alma Moroni Blanchard Sr. would be appointed in his defense.

Courtesy Steven Lee

Panguitch History Cont'd from page 1

The Piute County Sherriff arrested Ben somewhere near Junction, where after a quick assessment of his overall health, he arrived at the opinion that Ben must have committed the crime so that he could spend the rest of the winter months in jail. Although Ben must have been relieved to be out of the elements, he maintained from the beginning that he had not committed the deed. He explained that the blood on his clothing was his own, a result of the beating he had received during the night in question from an unknown number of assailants whose identities he could not determine.

Ben was quickly put on trial at the new courthouse house in Junction. News reports claimed that because there was no practicing attorney in the county, the court decided to appoint a retired local dentist named Alma Moroni Blanchard Sr. as Ben's defense. Blanchard was many things, including a dentist, hypnotist, self-proclaimed "Bard of Bonneville" poet, and even a cross-country bicyclist, but a lawyer, he was not.

A quick summary of the man's life from Blanchard family records is more than sufficient to call into question the court's true intents in appointing such a man as Ben's defense.

Referred to as the "family embarrassment" by his descendants, Alma Blanchard

had a long history of run-ins with the law, including a twoyear prison stint after being convicted of stealing gold teeth and fillings from his sedated dental patients. His wife, who was left destitute during his jail sentence, eventually resorted to desperate measures to feed her hungry children and slept with another man who had promised her a ham in exchange. But the man went back on his promise, taking the ham with him and leaving Blanchard's wife with an illegitimate child.

Upon returning home from prison, a bitter divorce ensued, and Alma-Moroni spent the next several years claiming to have discovered and translated a new set of lost "Golden Plates from the

Nephites." Blanchard became convinced that God intended for his manuscript to be added to the "Book of Mormon," and he began petitioning the LDS prophet Willford Woodruff so aggressively about his manuscript that Woodruff eventually banned him from church office buildings.

At the conclusion of Ben's trial, the jury deliberated for 14 hours but could not reach a verdict, leading to a retrial and, eventually, a guilty conviction. Ben Jarrett spent the next couple of months serving his sentence at the Piute County jail in Junction before finally making his way home to Ogden and continuing his career as one of the best vaudeville performers of his time.

March 18, 2021

The Insider

Page 7

LegaL Notices NOTICE OF INTENT TO APPOINT TRUSTEES FOR WATER CONSERVANCY DISTRICT WAYNE COUNTY NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that at its regular meeting on Monday, June 7, 2021, the Wayne County Commission will appoint (or re-appoint) three trustees to the governing board of the Wayne County Water Conservancy District. Trustees representing the divisions of Fremont, Caineville and Bicknell will be appointed for a three year term. Anyone interested in serving on the Water Conservancy Board should send a resume and cover letter to the Wayne County Commissioners at PO Box 189, Loa, UT 84747 by 5:00 PM Friday, May 7, 2021. For additional information, persons may contact John Jackson at 435-456-9121.

Ryan Torgerson, Wayne County Clerk/Auditor Published in the Wayne & Garfield County Insider on MARCH 4, 11 & 18, 2021 NOTICE OF PROPOSED ZONING CHANGE WAYNE COUNTY PROPOSED CHANGE FROM: RESIDENTIAL/AGRICULTURAL TO: RESORT RECREATION WITH A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT INTENDED USE: RV/CAMPGROUND with 32 FULL SERVICE RV SITES ZONING CHANGE REQUESTED BY: HEIDI DOBSON A PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE HELD PRIOR TO THE PLANNING & ZONING MEETING ON MARCH 24, 2021 @ 7 PM AT THE WAYNE COUNTY COURTHOUSE. LEGAL DES: PARCEL 01-0085-0566 / O-566 W1/2 NW1/4 SEC 20 T28S R10E CONT 76.41 AC & PARCEL 010085-0578 / O-569 THE N3/4 OF SE1/4NW1/4 SEC 20 T28S R10E SLB&M CONT 30 AC Location: Approx 8580 E SR 24 Caineville, UT Between mile marker 107 and 108 Published in the Wayne & Garfield County Insider on MARCH 11 & 18, 2021

INVITATION TO BID MOUNTAIN COUNTRY HOME SOLUTIONS Notice is hereby given that sealed bids will be received by Mountain Country Home Solutions, 39 West 300 North, Provo, Utah 84601, Until 4:00 p.m., April 14, 2021 for the construction of a residential 4-plex located at 1070 East Heritage lane, Escalante, Utah. At this time bids will be publicly opened and read aloud. Electronic construction plans will be available from Mountain Country Home Solutions on or after 8:00 AM on Monday, March 22, 2021. Please email request for electronic plans to eric.nmchs@gmail.com. Mountain Country Home Solutions reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive any informality in the bidding process. Attention is called to the provisions for equal employment opportunity with this notice.

Published in the Wayne & Garfield County Insider on MARCH 18 & 25, 2021 INVITATION TO BID MOUNTAIN COUNTRY HOME SOLUTIONS Notice is hereby given that sealed bids will be received by Mountain Country Home Solutions, 39 West 300 North, Provo, Utah 84601, Until 4:00 p.m., April 14, 2021 for the construction of two single family homes located at 422 and 430 Hillview Drive, Tropic, Utah. At this time bids will be publicly opened and read aloud. Electronic construction plans will be available from Mountain Country Home Solutions on or after 8:00 AM on Monday, March 22, 2021. Please email request for electronic plans to eric.nmchs@gmail.com. Mountain Country Home Solutions reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive any informality in the bidding process. Attention is called to the provisions for equal employment opportunity with this notice.

Published in the Wayne & Garfield County Insider on MARCH 18 & 25, 2021

NOTICE OF PROPOSED ZONING CHANGE WAYNE COUNTY PROPOSED CHANGE FROM: EXISTING NON CONFORMING USE TO: RESORT RECREATION WITH A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT INTENDED USE: 4 EXISTING CABINS PLUS 2 ADD’L CABINS & OFFICE ZONING CHANGE REQUESTED BY: TYLER D. & APRIL TORGERSON A PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE HELD PRIOR TO THE PLANNING & ZONING MEETING ON MARCH 24, 2021 @ 7 PM WAYNE COUNTY COURTHOUSE LEGAL DES: PARCEL 02-0049-0894 / O-893-1 3.45 AC In Section 28 T29S R5E Location: 2323 S SR 12 Torrey, UT 84775 Published in the Wayne & Garfield County Insider on MARCH 11 & 18, 2021 IRRIGATION WATER FOR SALE HATCH IRRIGATION COMPANY HATCH IRRIGATION COMPANY HAS IRRIGATION WATER FOR SALE 1 SHARE OF PIPE IRRIGATION WATER FOR SALE .

THE MIN BID IS $2,500.

PER BY-LAWS, SHARES OF WATER CAN NOT BE MOVED OUT OF THE SYSTEM. SEND ALL SEALED BIDS BY MAY 1 TO: HATCH IRRIGATION CO PO BOX 463 HATCH UT 84735 ANY QUESTIONS CALL 435 632-0331 Published in the Wayne & Garfield County Insider on MARCH 11 & 18, 2021 ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS BRYCE CANYON CITY DOCUMENT 00 11 13 Owner: Bryce Canyon City 1155 South Hwy 63, Ste A, PO Box 640028 Bryce Canyon City, UT 84764 Separate sealed BIDS for the construction of the Bryce Canyon City - Main Street Improvements; 100 South to RV Park, which includes construction of 8,045 feet of concrete sidewalk, 1,610 feet curb and gutter, asphalt patching, lighting improvements, landscaping, and related work, will be received by Bryce Canyon City at the offices of Bryce Canyon City, 1155 South Hwy 63, Bryce Canyon City, Utah 84764 until Thursday, March 25th at 10 am, and then at said office publicly opened and read aloud.

The Issuing Office for the Bidding Documents is: Jones & DeMille Engineering, 1535 South 100 West, Richfield, UT 84701, (435) 896-8266. For questions regarding the Bidders List and accessing project manual & plans, email Heather at heather.n@jonesanddemille.com; for project specific or technical questions, email Lyndon Friant at L.friant@ jonesanddemille.com.

Printed copies of the Bidding Documents may be obtained from the Issuing office during business hours, upon payment of $40.00 for each set, no part of which will be refunded. Electronic copy (PDF) may be obtained for download at www.jonesanddemille.com or www.questcdn.com for $30.00.

A pre-bid conference will not be held.

Bids will be received for a single prime Contract. Bids shall be on a unit price basis as indicated in the Bid Form.

Bid security shall be furnished in accordance with the Instructions to Bidders.

Bidders shall submit evidence of qualifications to perform the Work as described in the Instructions to Bidders.

February 26, 2021 Shiloh Syrett, Mayor Published in the Wayne & Garfield County Insider on MARCH 4, 11 & 18, 2021

NOTICE TO WATER USERS The applications below were filed with the Division of Water Rights in Wayne County. These are informal proceedings per Rule 655-6-2. 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 on or before Apr. 14, 2021 either electronically using the Division`s on-line Protest of Application form, by hand delivery to a Division office, or by mail at PO Box 146300, Salt Lake City, UT 841146300. Please visit waterrights.utah.gov or call (801)538-7240 for additional information.

NEW APPLICATION(S) 97-2457 (A82435): Kara Levine propose(s) using 1.73 acft. from groundwater (30 miles S of Grover) for DOMESTIC; IRRIGATION. CHANGE APPLICATION(S) 61-3264 (a46873): Patrick and Christine Herfel propose(s) using 0.0082 cfs OR 1 ac-ft. from groundwater (3 miles southeast of Panguitch) for DOMESTIC; IRRIGATION. EXTENSION(S) 97-2212 (a24103): Robinson Hensel Revocable Trust is/ are filing an extension for 0.75 ac-ft. from groundwater (Black Boulder Mesa Subdivision) for DOMESTIC; IRRIGATION. Teresa Wilhelmsen, P.E. State Engineer Published in the Wayne & Garfield County Insider on MARCH 18 & 25, 2021

PUBLIC NOTICE SCOPING DOCUMENT USDA FOREST SERVICE FISHLAKE NATIONAL FOREST FILLMORE AND FREMONT RIVER RANGER DISTRICTS GARFIELD AND MILLARD COUNTIES, UTAH BLM Communications Site (Boulder Mountain and Ebbs Repeater) The Fishlake National Forest is proposing to authorize a special use permit to allow the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Utah State Office to install and maintain two small communications sites, one on Boulder Mountain and the other on the Pahvant Range. The communications structure is a removable aluminum building that fits within a 10’ x 10’ square with a 20-foot antenna mast. The sites would improve radio communications coverage for Fire, Recreation, and Lands administration.

A copy of the Small Project Proposal and project maps are now available on the Fishlake National Forest website at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/projects/fishlake/landmanagement/ projects. For questions, or if you need copies sent to you, please contact Kurt Robins, Fremont River District Ranger, at (435) 896-1021.

Published in the Wayne & Garfield County Insider on MARCH 18, 2021 NOTICE TO GENERAL CONTRACTORS UTAH HOUSING CORPORATION Casto Canyon, LLC is requesting bids for the construction of five (5), single-family homes in Panguitch, Utah. Please note the bid due date below.

The Qualified Bid Instructions, forms, plans and specifications will be available March 8, 2021 at Beaver Housing Authority.

Beaver Housing Authority 40 N. 300 E. P.O. Box 2357 Beaver, UT 84713 The Qualified Bid Instructions, forms, plans and specifications are also available via electronic download using the following link: https://app.sharebase.com/#/folder/391/share/451-iVd8wBOW-wSKMYOFvqpLPGhzpU Sealed bid proposals must be received by Utah Housing Corporation at 2479 S. Lake Park Blvd., West Valley City, UT 84120 by the BID DEADLINE of Monday, March 29, 2021 at 5 PM. Bids received after the BID DEADLINE will be returned unopened. You must use the mailing label included with the bid documents or submissions will be declined.

Please note bids from out of state contractors will not be accepted nor will a response be provided to plan rooms.

A public bid opening will be held via zoom meeting on Tuesday, March 30, 2021, promptly at 12:00 PM. Contractors may access the Zoom meeting via the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88052704601?pwd=WUt2UFhv Tkw3dHRVMTdXMzRSYkNqUT09, Meeting ID: 880 5270 4601, Passcode: 264306.

If you have additional questions or comments, please contact Brett Stout at bstout@uthc.org or Dan Judd at djudd@uthc. org Published in the Wayne & Garfield County Insider on MARCH 18, 2021

The Insider

Page 8

March 22 - 28

by John Mosley The Sky Report is presented as a public service by the Stellar Vista Observatory, a nonprofit organization based in Kanab, Utah, which provides opportunities for people to observe, appreciate, and comprehend our starry night sky. Additional information is at www.stellarvistaobservatory.org. Send questions and comments to John@StargazingAdventures.org.

Three planets are out to- sun and are quite low in the 14% closer and it looks special, night, one in the evening and southeast. Jupiter is brighter but this is nothing but hype. If two in the morning. The eve- than any star while Saturn is the two moons were side-byning planet is Mars, which has 1/13th as bright as Jupiter and is side you could tell which is been in the news because Per- 11°—the width of your fist held larger, but in practice you will severance recently landed on it at arm’s length—to the right of never notice, from one month to the next, which month’s moon and is beginning to go to work Jupiter. exploring its landing site and Venus is behind the sun is larger or smaller than any eventually looking for signs of on the 26th and theoretically other. For some unfathomable ancient life. Mars is halfway up moves into the evening sky the reason, the news media makes the southwestern sky as dark- next night, but it’ll be a few a big deal of it, raising expecness falls, a few degrees above months before it’s far enough tations of something special, Aldebaran in Taurus, an orange from the sun, angle-wise, for us but of course half the time the star which is a hair brighter. to actually see it. It will slowly moon is closer than average and Your eyes don’t see color in become our “evening star” this the difference between “supermoon” and minimoon is too low light levels, which is why summer.

The full moon on the 28th little to ever notice. everything is black and white John Mosley was Program at night, so the red planet Mars is the year’s first so-called “suand orange star Aldebaran ap- permoon,” a word recently in- Supervisor of the Griffith Obpear basically white—unless vented to mark the times when servatory in Los Angeles for 27 you magnify them with bin- the moon is closer to earth than years and is the author of “Staroculars or better yet a telescope average. The moon’s orbit is gazing for Beginners” and and trigger the color sensors in not perfectly round and this “Stargazing with Binoculars your eyes. Ditto the giant or- year at closest (perigee) and far- and Telescopes.” He and his ange star Betelgeuse in Orion thest (apogee) it is 221,702 and wife live in St. George, where to the left of Mars and Aldeba- 252,595 miles distant respec- he continues to stargaze from tively, a difference of 30,893 his retirement home while servran.

Jupiter and Saturn rise miles or 14%. The claim is that ing on the advisory committee roughly two hours before the the moon looks bigger when it’s for Stellar Vista Observatory.

Night Skies: The focus of Torrey Dark Skies is to educate,

preserve, promote, and protect the night sky of Torrey and the surrounding areas for future generations.

Night Skies

Cont'd from page 1

serve, promote, and protect the night sky of Torrey and the surrounding areas for future generations. One of the advantages of having a designated non-profit is it allows the group to partner with other organizations and raise funds for education efforts.

Torrey Dark Skies plans to throw star parties twice a month where astronomy enthusiasts will guide participants to the constellations, galaxies, and beyond. Telescopes will be provided, but the group’s main aim is to show people what they can see with the naked eye so that they don’t have to go out and buy a whole bunch of stargazing equipment. They are also preparing a curriculum to take into the schools to get young people excited about the night sky too.

Another goal of the non-profit is to clear up misconceptions about Torrey’s International Dark Sky Community designation. “Protecting the night sky doesn’t mean you can’t have lights,” says Bedingfieldsmith. Lights are important for safety and for nighttime activities, she says, and the idea is to have downlighting and use them only when you need them. She was surprised, herself, by how

Courtesy Mary Bedingfieldsmith

AndShesDopeToo Ambassador Stephanie Stephenson stargazes at one of Torrey Dark Skies' star parties. Torrey Dark Skies plans on holding bimonthly star parties, where telescopes will be provided for astronomy enthusiasts. little light she needed when modifying her own home’s outdoor lighting to be night-sky friendly.

Torrey Dark Skies is currently developing a program to offer lighting consultation for area residents and businesses for those interested in making

their outdoor lighting more night sky friendly. They also hope to be able to provide funding to help residents and businesses looking to replace their lights.

For more information, email torreydarkskies@gmail. com.

Christina Brown: Do’s—people think there is only one

way to do it when there are lots of good ways to do it. Adding more, layering, and its fun.—Christina Brown Christina Brown Cont'd from page 1

ects where you are helping to create someone’s personal space. The needs of children and elderly have to be accounted for, as well as individual living styles. There are also a wide variety of budgets to work within.

This concept is reflected in her store, which holds a variety of products in order to fulfill her clients’ needs.

Brown is aware that clients have to consider the end cost.

She stocks products that she believes in and says, “I am selling them at competitive pricing and giving design perspective at no cost. I want to meet the budgets of everyone, and I have products that fall into all the different projects too. Not all high end, but great products at affordable pricing.” Brown further

states that she only stocks the store with things she would use herself.

Life as a designer brings variety to each day, says Brown. Each project is different and she has a long list of favorites. Currently, she is enjoying the challenge of a home that she is working on in Torrey, which is capturing Torrey perspectives, including Torrey rock, big floor plans, and lots of windows. It is designed for outdoor entertaining, has large open floor plans, and spacious windows frame the beautiful red rock country surrounding the property.

Residential designing involves helping clients express themselves and enjoy their homes. Brown also enjoys the variety of doing a commercial space for many people to use and appreciate. Each project is a challenge of engineering in trying to take care of different

needs, whether it be for children, adults, or senior adult care.

Design ideas have changed in recent years. When asked about the rules of decorating, Brown replied, “There used to be lots of don’ts in conventional decorating. Combining different colors, textures and styles together used to be a don’t. Now, we really add different things together. Do’s— people think there is only one way to do it when there are lots of good ways to do it. Adding more, layering, and its fun.”

It’s definitely possible to combine styles harmoniously and create someone’s own unique space. Having a professional’s eye and knowledge available locally is a great resource.

Christina Brown Design is located at 54 N. Main Street in Loa. For further information, call (435) 201-4400.

March 18, 2021

The Insider

March 18, 2021

C l a s s i f i e d ads

Page 9

To place your ad, call 435-826-4400 or email snapshot@live.com

Classified ads start at just $7.50 per week for 25 words or less.

HELP WANTED

INFORMATION SPECIALIST Wayne County is accepting applications for the following part-time, seasonal position: Title: Information Specialist Department: Travel Council GENERAL PURPOSE Performs a variety of entry level clerical and administrative support duties and provide day to day customer service.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED Works under general supervision from the Wayne County Travel Council Director ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS • Provide excellent customer service.

• Answer all incoming calls to the information center and retrieve messages from answering machine and fulfill their request and or call them back.

• Keep brochure racks filled and bulletin board updated with current information.

• Sweep / vacuum and clean the restroom at the information center when needed.

• Must be willing to work weekends and Holidays.

• Perform related duties as required.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS 1. Knowledge of Wayne County and surrounding areas.

2. Required knowledge, skills and abilities: Some knowledge of standard office procedures and policies; good English usage, grammar, and spelling; operation of standard office machinery; filing systems, alphabetical and numerical; computer operation; telephone etiquette; basic interpersonal skills; Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing; follow written or oral instructions; work in a standard office setting requiring extensive setting or standing; write legibly; respond to requests for assistance or information; demonstrate self motivation; develop effective working relationships with supervisors, fellow employees, and the public.

3. Work Environment: Tasks require variety of physical activities, not generally involving muscular strain, and does involve walking, standing, stooping, lifting, sitting and reaching. Talking, hearing and seeing necessary in performing job duties.

Common eye, hand, finger, leg and foot dexterity exist.

Mental application utilizes memory for details, verbal instructions, emotional and discriminating thinking.

Applications can be picked up at the Wayne County Clerk’s Office and will be accepted until 5:00 pm on Friday, March 26, 2021. For additional information, please contact the County Clerk’s Office at 435-836-1300.

Ryan Torgerson Wayne County Clerk/Auditor

GENERAL DENTIST WANTED ESCALANTE / PANGUITCH (GARFIELD COUNTY, UT) General Dentist (Full Time) position available in Escalante / Panguitch (Garfield County, UT) General responsibilities: • Must have or attain a Utah unrestricted License to practice Dentistry.

• All aspects of General Dentistry including Exodontia, Root canals, Crown and Bridge, etc…

• Some reimbursed travel will be expected weekly to commute between offices (Panguitch and Escalante).

• New graduates may apply.

• To start as soon as possible Benefits • Vacation hours.

• 401K Match up to 5%.

• Sick hours.

• Holiday pay.

• Continuing education days offered (5 Days leave and $2000/Year.)

• Health/Dental Insurance (1/2 covered for family.)

• Malpractice insurance covered.

• Licensure and credentialing is covered.

• Disability insurance (1/2 covered.)

• Salary is negotiable and Contingent on experience.

Pay Range: $115,000 - $130,000 /year WCHC is an approved nonprofit organization that allows one to apply for the PSLF program (loan forgiveness).

Although, it is up to you to apply for these programs on your own and it is not guarantee you will be awarded. We are happy to offer advice during this process.

CAPITOL REEF CIDER WORKS BICKNELL Capitol Reef Cider Works of Bicknell, Utah is looking for intelligent dedicated employees to advance our apple orchard and cider operation. Reliability and good physical fitness are required. Fulltime and part-time positions available.

Preferred Skills: Construction, Welding, Automotive Mechanics, Biology, Horticulture.

Email resumes and questions to: capitolreefciderworks@gmail.com

POSITION ANNOUNCEMENTS POSITIONS AVAILABLE: Garfield County School District is hiring the following positions. For a description of each, please see the district website www.garfk12.org Food Service Worker at Bryce Valley High School Para Professional at Garfield County Jail Bus Route Driver in Boulder Para-Professionals at All Schools Substitutes for Custodians, Food Service, and Teachers Food Service Worker at Boulder Elementary School SALARY: Please see 2020-2021 Garfield County School

Districts Classified Salary Schedule and Certified Salary Schedule.

QUALIFICATIONS: Applicants must be fingerprinted and satisfactorily pass an employment background check.

Applicant must work well with children. See the job description for additional requirements.

APPLICATION: Interested individuals should submit a Garfield County School District classified or certified application.

Please direct questions to: AES Head Teacher Robin Gibbs (435-624-3221) BES Head Teacher Elizabeth Julian (435-335-7322) BVES Principal Pete Peterson (435-679-8619) BVHS Principal Jeff Brinkerhoff (435-679-8835) EES/EHS Principal Peter Baksis (435-826-4205) PES Principal Robert Prince (435-676-8847) PMS/PHS Principal Russ Torgersen (435-676-8805) Superintendent John Dodds (435-676-8821) Online application available: www.garfk12.org Applications will be screened and the most qualified candidates will be granted interviews.

DEADLINE: See the district website for closing date of each position.

Garfield County School District is an equal opportunity employer.

Garfield County School District reserves the right to accept or reject any or all applications.

We are looking for friendly, hardworking professionals who enjoy the hospitality industry and interaction with guests.

P O S I T I O N S AVA I L A B L E: Front Desk Agents Laundry Services Housekeepers Maintenance Bellmen Positions to start April 1st through October 31st At Capitol Reef Resort we promote from within.

Please stop by in person to complete an application.

We are located at 2600 E SR 24, Torrey, UT 84775 435-425-3761

SERVICES

OFFICE RENTAL One office space is now available at 520 W. Main St. in Escalante.

Unit accommodates two to three working people, 13' x 14'. Building includes kitchen, lobby.

Quiet, ample parking, office storage space available. Call 435-826-4400.

CROSSWORD SOLUTION

MEETINGS Tropic AA Meeting Wednesday at 6 PM. Tropic Heritage Center. All meetings are closed discussion. rtn Escalante AA Meeting Call for times and locations.

435-676-3653 Survivors of Suicide Loss Support Group 4th Thursday of each month 5:30-7:30pm Southwest Behavioral Health Center 601 E. Center St. Panguitch ADULTS ONLY Questions? Call Melissa Veater 435-690-0911

sudoku Answers for this week

SLACKER'S PIZZA WORKING MANAGER Great opportunity for a person with management and cooking skills.

Excellent pay.

Closed Sundays Call Bob Morris 435-619-0725 rlmorris6@gmail.com AREV HOSPITALITY SEASONAL JOBS **EXCELLENT PAY** COOKS, KITCHEN HELP, SERVERS, FRONT DESK, CASHIERS, HOUSEKEEPING Arev Hospitality, Torrey, UT near Capitol Reef NP 435-425-2525

SENIOR CENTER MENUS

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. Mar. 23rd

Wed. Mar. 24th

Chili Dogs w/ Cheese, Chips, Fruit Salad, Sliced Tomatoes, Cinnamon Rolls

Orange Chicken, Fried Rice & Veggies, Egg Rolls, Salad, Mandarin Oranges, Almond Cookies

Thurs. Mar. 25th

Chicken Fried Steak, Potatoes & Gravy, Chuckwagon Corn, Salad, Pears, Cheesecake

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 Senior Lunches at the HENRIEVILLE Senior Center

NOW HIRING LOA Double Decker Drive In in Loa is hiring!

Part time positions, training included, pay commensurate with experience, no Sundays, flex schedules, signing bonus!!! Age 14 and up.

Food handlers permit required.

We'd LOVE to have you on our team!

435.800.3334, call to schedule interview.

Or email at doubledeckerdrivein@ gmail.com.

193 East Hwy 24 in Loa

TUES Mar 23rd

Roast Pork, Potatoes & Gravy, Mixed Veggies, Salad Bar / Applesauce, Carrot Cake

WED Mar 24th THURS Mar 25th

Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce, Corn, Pears / Salad Bar, Raisin Cookie Fried Chicken, Potatoes & Gravy, Mixed Veggies, Salad Bar / Peaches, Cupcake

Call by 10:00 A.M. if you want a lunch or need a ride. 679-8666 All meals are served with milk & bread Suggested donation is $3 for seniors and $7 for those under 60 years of age.

Escalante Senior Citizens Menu Tues.

Mar 23rd

Potato Soup w/ Ham, Salad Bar, Cheesy Bread, Peaches, Oatmeal Raisin Cookie

Wed. Mar 24th

Meatloaf, Baked Potato, Roll / Green Beans, Pineapple,Wearingo' Green Cake

Thurs.

Mar 25th

Tacos, Rice/ Beans / Corn, Salad Bar, Pears, No Bake Cookies

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 Insider

Page 10

2021 Spring Season Begins at Bryce Canyon N.P.

Courtesy National Park Service

Bryce Canyon National Park will soon begin their spring operating schedule, with visitation expected to increase during and after Spring Break.

BRYCE - With Spring Break comes a perennial increase to park visitation.

Facilities are beginning to reopen, hours are extending, and modified shuttle service will soon resume to best serve our visitors.

Please note that in order to protect the health of those who live, work, and visit national parks and National Park Service (NPS) facilities, face masks are now required in all park buildings and facilities, including the Visitor Center, park restrooms, shuttles, and concessioner buildings. Masks are also required on NPS-managed lands when physical distancing cannot be maintained, such as narrow or busy trails and all overlooks.

Hours for the park Visitor Center and Bookstore were extended to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 14th and then will be extended to 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 9th.

Visitor Center capacity continues to be limited with short wait times during peak hours, and while the Visitor Center museum is open, the park theater remains closed. Visitors can also support the park and shop online by visiting www. brycecanyon.org.

As park roads begin to see more traffic, the Bryce Canyon Shuttle will begin service on Friday, April 2nd.

Riding the shuttle bus is free but requires payment of the park’s entrance fee. Shuttles arrive every 10 to 15 minutes and will run from April 2nd through October 17th beginning at 8:00 a.m. daily.

Shuttles run until the last bus leaves the park at 6:15 p.m. with extended hours to 8:10 p.m. from May 21st through September 26th. Shuttle capacity will be limited and social distancing between groups encouraged. All passengers will be required to wear a mask, and free masks will be available. Due to public health concerns, the 3-hour Rainbow Point bus tour is not scheduled to resume at this time. A reminder that vehicles over 20 feet are restricted from the Bryce Amphitheater parking areas (Sunrise, Sunset, Inspiration, and Bryce Points) during shuttle hours, so be sure to take advantage of this service to see the park’s most iconic areas. Shuttle parking is available in Bryce Canyon City, the additional parking lot across from the Visitor Center, or at your hotel or campsite in Bryce Canyon City or within the park.

Riding the shuttle is an excellent option to pair with camping in one of the park’s developed campgrounds.

Loop A of North Campground remains open all winter for first-come-first-serve camping. Additional loops will open as weather permits.

Sunset Campground will begin its season on April 15th with first-come-first-serve camping until May 20th, at which time reservations will be required through October 15th. Reservations can be made six months in advance at www.recreation.gov or by calling 877-444-6777. Sun-

set Campground will return to first-come-first-serve camping on October 16th until it closes for the season on October 31st, unless weather requires an earlier closing.

The Lodge at Bryce Canyon, Sunset Hotel, and the General Store reopened on Friday, March 5th. Lodging reservations can be made by visiting www.brycecanyonforever.com or by calling Forever Resorts at 877-386-4383.

The historic Lodge Dining Room also opened its doors on March 5th at 11:00 a.m. and offers limited food service options for the season from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Those looking for trail snacks, groceries, a penny machine, or showers can head over to the General Store at Sunrise Point, which will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily. Valhalla Pizzeria and Coffee Shop and the Lodge Gift Shop are not scheduled to reopen for the 2021 season.

Canyon Trail Rides will begin providing horse and mule rides when weather and trail conditions allow. Visit www.canyonrides.com or call 435-679-8665 for booking and more information.

The Utah Department of Transportation is scheduled to begin construction work focused on roadway improvements and safety later this month. Work in the area of the park will focus on State Route 12 (SR-12) from its

junction with State Route 63 (main park road) east to Henrieville.

Improvements include the construction of a traffic roundabout at the junction, lane widening, pavement rehabilitation, and other upgrades. Traffic delays of up to 15 minutes are possible at construction areas. Visit www. udot.utah.gov/sr12corridor for more information.

Ranger programs will continue to be offered as the 2021 season unfolds. Visit www.nps.gov/brca and click “Plan Your Visit”, “Things to Do,” and “Ranger Programs” for more information on program times and locations. Along with ranger programming, the park’s beloved annual festivals are also expected to resume in 2021 with modifications for public health and safety. The Astronomy Festival is currently scheduled from June 9th – June 12th and the Geology Festival from July 9th – July 10th. The park’s summer Butterfly Count is scheduled for July 24th.

As conditions and park operations are subject to change, please visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/brca, call the park’s main information line at 435-834-5322, or follow park social media channels for details on operations before they visit. Other tips to recreate responsibly are available on NPS.gov.

—National Park Service

March 18, 2021

Due to Bird Salmonella Outbreak, Utahns Asked to Clean Bird Feeders and Remove Them if Sick/Dead Birds Discovered

SALT LAKE CITY A salmonella outbreak has caused the deaths of numerous songbirds in Washington, Oregon and Idaho over the last few months, and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources has received an increased number of reports of sick and dead birds near bird feeders in northern Utah.

Salmonellosis is a bacterial disease that is transmitted through direct contact and is commonly spread when birds ingest feed contaminated with infected feces. As such, bird feeders can be a source of disease transmission since birds often congregate at the feeders, particularly during the winter months.

Pine siskins, goldfinches and Cassin’s finches are the birds most commonly affected by salmonellosis, although all birds that frequent bird feeders can be impacted by disease.

Signs of salmonellosis in birds may include ruffled feathers, rapid breathing, lethargy, weakness, neurological signs and diarrhea. These symptoms can eventually result in coma and death, or the birds may remain infected over time and become carriers of the disease.

If you see sick or dead birds in your neighborhood, the DWR requests that you do the following: • Temporarily take down and remove all bird feeders, water containers and bird baths for at least a month.

This will encourage birds to disperse and will help slow the transmission of the disease.

• Use gloves when touching the feeder, clean it thoroughly with soap and water, and disinfect it with 10% bleach solution. Soak it for at least 30 minutes, and then rinse thoroughly and let it dry completely.

• Clean the area under the bird feeder and remove all bird seeds, which could attract birds to the area.

• If you have more than five

Courtesy Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

Bird feeders can be a source of disease transmission, so the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is recommending to clean and possibly remove bird feeders to avoid transmittal of salmonella. sick or dead birds in your yard, please contact the nearest DWR office. The DWR may submit some of the birds for disease testing if the deaths are occurring in a new area. If the birds are not being submitted for testing, please use gloves to dispose of any dead birds into a closed plastic bag and place it in a trash can.

Even if you do not see any sick or dying birds in your neighborhood, you can help reduce the risk of disease transmission by doing the following: • Use bird feeders that are less likely to lead to disease transmission. Feeders made of smooth plastic, steel or glass are easier to clean and disinfect than those with porous or irregular surfaces (like wood).

• Use feeders that prevent the seeds from becoming wet because the food is less likely to spoil if it remains dry.

• Avoid feeders that allow the birds to sit on the food while eating, including platform feeders. Instead, use feeders where birds must perch away from the food to prevent fecal contamination.

• Remove old seeds and feces from the feeder daily. Rake or sweep under the feeder to remove any seeds, feces or shells, and discard them in a trash can where birds can’t access them.

• Spreading feeders over several areas and using smaller feeders will reduce the number of congregating birds, which will reduce the risk of disease transmission.

• Clean feeders, water containers and bird baths regularly (at least weekly) by removing all the seeds, washing the feeders with soapy water, and then soaking them in a 10% bleach solution. Allow the feeder to soak in the solution for 30 minutes before rinsing the bleach off thoroughly and letting the feeder dry completely before reinstalling it outside.

“While regularly cleaning your bird feeders and baths is always recommended to prevent disease transmission, a more rigorous disinfecting schedule is required during an outbreak of salmonellosis, which is why we recommend temporarily removing feeders and water baths,” DWR Wildlife Conservation Biologist Adam Brewerton said. “We all love to see wild birds come to our feeders, but feeders that are not properly cleaned can pose more of a risk than a benefit for birds.”

Learn more about different diseases that impact birds and how to prevent them on the DWR website.

—Utah Division of Wildlife Resources