May 16, 2013 Wayne & Garfield County Insider

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INSIDER

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

Thursday, May 16, 2013 • Issue # 996

Ceremony Breaks Ground for Panguitch’s National Scenic Byway 143 Interpretive Kiosk

Hole-in-the-Rock Field Trip Celebrates Pioneer Trek

Leading the groud breaking ceremony for a new interpretive kiosk on Hwy. 143 were: Panguitch City Manager Lori Talbot, Brian Head Mayor Dutch Deutschlander, Garfield County Commissioner Leland Pollock, Garfield County Travel Council Director Bruce Fullmer, Parowan City Council Member Dennis Gaedde, and Byway Coordinator Nancy Dalton.

Residents of Escalante, and Garfield County Commissioner Clare Ramsay, met at the Holein-the-Rock Visitor Center to greet Elder Dallin H. Oaks and his wife (center of picture) for a memorable day of travel and honoring the Hole-in-the-Rock pioneers.

PANGUITCH – After several years of planning, Panguitch City, Garfield County and Utah’s Patchwork Parkway (National Scenic Byway) broke ground in preparation for the construction of a Byway/Community Interpretive Kiosk. The public was invited to attend a ground breaking ceremony on May 2nd at 3:00 p.m. at the turn-out at the west end of Panguitch across from the UDOT Maintenance Shed on Hwy. 143. Speaking of all the effort and planning that has gone into this event, Commissioner Leland Pollock stated, “We lost our sawmill, we’ve lost mining, we’ve lost a lot of our good paying jobs and so really one of the only things we have left besides agriculture is tourism. And for an example of what it means to a little community like this, I think we estimated about 70% of the revenue that Panguitch brings in comes in from tourism. So these things are just absolutely vital to the area and that’s much appreciated.” Also in attendance at the Ground Breaking Ceremony was Brian Head’s Mayor Dutch Deutschlander, who after jokingly stating that he was not in favor of “Utah’s Patchwork Parkway,” said: “ I am firmly convinced now it is the appropriate name for this. All you have to do is leave this wonderful valley, drive across the meadows through Brian Head down to Parowan turn

around and come back and the scenery is constantly changing, just as if you were looking at a quilt and see the different patterns the different colors, all those factors in it. I’d like to echo the Commissioners comments, thank you to everyone for your cooperation in this! Let’s break ground, let’s keep it moving!” The construction project, which includes one interpretive kiosk in Panguitch, two stone entryway signs in Parowan, two interpretive kiosks in Parowan, and 14 trailhead signs in the Brian Head area, is a partnership between Panguith City, Garfield County, Parowan City, Brian Head Town, Iron County and Utah’s Patchwork Parkway. The hexagon kiosks will provide shelter to eight interpretive panels describing the history and attractions of the byway communities and public lands. “The Quilt Walk Story, pioneer, agriculture, and Panguitch Lake stories will be depicted on the panels,” said Byway Coordinator Nancy Dalton, adding, “that visitors can gain an understanding of how the area has developed over time beginning with its first inhabitants through today.” The project is funded through matching grants from the Federal Highway Transportation Administration’s (FHWA) National Scenic Byway Program. Contractor hired is Larry Pendleton Building,

PANGUITCH weather

LOA weather

Inc. Construction will begin April 15th with completion slated for June. Construction progress will be shown on the byway’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/UtahsPatchworkParkway. Drawings and pictures of, kiosks, and interpretive panels were on display at the ground breaking. For more information contact Byway Coordinator Nancy Dalton at 435.463.3735. —Panguitch City

ESCALANTE - Elder Dallin H. Oaks, a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, on May 4 visited the historic Hole-in-the-Rock crevice where, in the frigid winter of 1879-80, a group of 250 members of the LDS Church, who were called by President John Taylor to settle the area east of the Colorado River, picked, chiseled and blasted a wagon road down through the canyon wall to the river. The journey through Hole-in-the-Rock and

on to Bluff, Utah via the rugged terrain east of the Colorado has been labeled by historians as the most difficult wagon settlement of the entire west. Elder Oaks was impressed with the fortitude and resolve of those early settlers who left comfortable homes and good farms to answer the call of church leaders to settle the untamed San Juan Territory. These hardy pioneers, when faced with a challenge looked for a way, rather than a way out. The road through the Hole-in-theRock opened up a direct route

Horse Group Hosts First Anniversary Outing

HOLE-IN-THE-ROCK ROAD - Cinco de Mayo was the occasion of the one year anniversary celebration of the Canyon Country chapter of BCHU. Twenty members and guests, including two lost German tourists, gathered at the corrals across from Left-Hand Collett Canyon this past Sunday to ride horses, eat delicious food and drink margaritas. The weather was overcast and windy, but nothing dampened the spirits of the riders who set off about noon to ride the little two-tracks east of Hole-in-the-Rock Road. Back at the corrals several hours later, they circled the trailers to create a windbreak and pleasant sitting area. Joined by a few non-riders and the aforementioned lost Germans, they celebrated the good life that we all enjoy living here in Escalante. Thanks to all who participated to make this an anniversary to remember. —Gwendolyn Zeta

between Escalante and Bluff that was used for two-way traffic for one year, enabling them to get supplies into San Juan to help the settlers survive. Traveling with Elder Oaks and his wife to the Hole were Klin and Nancy Chynoweth, Link and Donna Chynoweth, Quinn and Doneen Griffin, Jason and Karen Griffin and Jerry and Sherree Roundy. Along the way they visited Devil’s Rock Garden, Dance Hall Rock, where the pioneers danced on special occasions, Forfty-mile Spring, which was the main pioneer encampment during the winter of 1879-80, Carcass Wash, where a monument was erected to memorialize the loss of 13 lives of a Boy Scout troupe from the Provo area,when in June 1963, their truck stalled on a hill, rolled backward and overturned. Lunch was eaten at the Hole-in-the-Rock crevice, and then some members of the party hiked a short distance down into the Hole. They then returned to a Dutch oven dinner at the Roundy’s prepared by Melani Torgersen and her family. On Sunday Elder Oaks spoke at large attendance of a combined Sacrament Meeting of the 1st and 2nd wards of the Escalante Stake. Both he and Sister Oaks gave inspiring talks and then the meeting was opened to bearing of testimonies by members of the congregation. —Jerry Roundy

Field Trip Traverses Wayne County History WAYNE CO. - Steve Taylor’s Wayne County History Class went on a field trip outing to explore the history of settlements in the south-eastern part of the county. The trip followed the historic Indian trail through Teasdale, Fish Creek Cove, and Grover. Next, the group stopped to explore the neglected, historic Torrey cemetery on River View Road before heading to Fruita. Taylor described the plight of the settlements along the Fremont River including Aldridge. We explored historic home and grave sites along the way. In Notom, the group hiked to an old Uranium mine and discussed the role of mining in the county. Back country drives and other stops included Caineville as well as the ghost towns of Mesa, Giles, and Clifton. After a wonderful lunch at Stan’s Burger Shack in Hanksville, the group returned to the Wayne County Community Center in Bicknell. Thanks to our teacher Steve Taylor for an outstanding learning opportunity and Dale Baker for driving the Wayne County Senior Bus. —Annette Lamb

Steve Taylor discusses the plight of the Old Torrey Cemetery. Phone: 435-826-4400 Wayne: 435-836-2622 Fax 1-888-370-8546 PO BOX 105 Escalante, Utah 84726 snapshot@live.com

The first time I see a jogger smiling, I’ll consider it. —Joan Rivers US comedienne (1935 - ) THE WAYNE & GARFIELD COUNTY INSIDER is owned and operated by Snapshot Multimedia, LLC and is distributed weekly to all of Wayne and Garfield Counties, Utah. Its purpose is to inform residents about local issues and events. Articles submitted from independent writers are not necessarily the opinion of Snapshot Multimedia, LLC. We sincerely hope you enjoy the paper and encourage input on ideas and/or suggestions for the paper.

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PRE-SORT STANDARD PAID RICHFIELD, UTAH PERMIT No. 122


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