The Wayne & Garfield County Insider August 23, 2018

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The

Insider

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, August 23, 2018

Issue # 1269

RESEP Clinic Dixie Regional Medical Holding Center 400 East and River Public Road Campuses are Meetings in Growing Together

No Closure for Escalante High School Parents Remain Concerned About Resources Dedicated to EHS

Panguitch and Escalante

Courtesy Terri Draper

After a $300 million dollar expansion, Intermountain Dixie Regional Hospital will host a public grand opening on September 12 - 15 with events and public tours for the community. ST GEORGE - In June of campus so the hospital can grow 2016, Intermountain Dixie Re- together into the future. The grand opening celgional Medical Center kicked off the major $300 million ebration was scheduled for Sepexpansion and consolidation tember because all of the buildendeavor that is the largest con- ings are complete enough to tour struction project in the history and the weather is enjoyable for of Washington County. The ex- those who tour both the main pansion has more than doubled building and the cancer center. the size of the existing campus Two of the four new buildings bringing the total hospital space opened earlier this year and two to more than 960,000 square will open this fall. “It is exciting to see the feet. Now that the construc- hospital growing,” said Mitchtion is nearing completion, the ell Cloward, Administrator of hospital is planning a public Dixie Regional Medical Center. grand opening event and tours “Having all hospital services on for the community on Septem- one campus means seamless ber 12-15, 2018. The festivities coordination of care, more efare themed Growing Together ficiency, and less redundancy of and are a celebration of all of staff and equipment. Having all the clinical services on the 400 hospital services in one location East campus reuniting with Growing Together the services on the River Road Cont'd on page 7

Op-Ed

Freedom of the Press: Under Attack by Brian Allfrey

UTAH - When will it stop? The last few years have seen an unprecedented attack against the freedom of the press and those that tirelessly work to protect our freedoms. Known as the Fourth Estate, the press has the essential responsibility to inform the populace of the functionality of its democracy. Our Founding Fathers knew the importance of a free press when they established the First Amendment. The First Amendment of the United States Constitution states: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. In 2018, high ranking members of our government (all branches) now attack and condemn the free press and

journalists who play such a vital role in our democracy. They are called names such as “liars,” and their work sullied by the label “fake news” by politicians who don’t agree with them. Our government enacts punitive tariffs that are a very serious threat to immediate future of many newspapers. Journalists now face the most imposing landscape and most perilous career path than in any other time in the history of this great nation. In October 1996, Fox News entered the 24-hour cable news business. In an attempt to differentiate themselves from their competitors, they hired Republican Party media consultant Roger Ailes to run the network. They figured that if they were to base their programming from the conservative viewpoint, they could potentially capture 50% of the viewership. CNN countered by moving their programming to the libOp-ed

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

THURS. AUGUST 23 - WED. AUGUST 29

Mostly sunny with slight chances of rain, 20%, Thursday through Sunday and next Tuesday. Rain chances increase to 40% Monday and Wednesday . Highs in the upper 70s and low 80s; lows in the upper 40s.

P A N G U I T C H / ESCALANTE The RESEP (Radiation Exposure Screening and Education Program) from Dixie Regional Medical Center will be holding public informational meetings in Panguitch and Escalante on August 24, 2018. Information will be presented about the RECA law and the possible compensation available to “Downwinders” in the area. The term Downwinder is used to describe the more than 60,000 people who were exposed to radioactive fallout in southern Utah during the nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site. Meetings will be held at RESEP

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Insider

The Garfield County School District Board met in the Bryce Valley High School auditorium on August 16, 2018 for their final summer meeting before school starts. GARFIELD COUNTY – The Garfield School District Board made assurances during their August 16 meeting that they are not considering plans to close Escalante High School and bus Escalante stu-

Episode Seven – Sheltering at Home

by Bonnie Mangold WAYNE COUNTY - Like world one I would want to be the info on the Grab and Go part of or alive in?” This and Bag, this episode is not meant other what-if questions are deto address “end of the world” serving of family discussions or scenarios. This is not to say that individual consideration. such a scenario is impossible, It may be worth noting and perhaps the preparations however that a remaining popusome folks have made (think lation and world based on folks underground bunkers, etc.) “going it alone” would be demight indeed allow people to void of some of the aspects that survive, but into what kind of we value in humanity: compasa world? Certainly such a sce- sion, empathy and altruism. The nario is a possibility that should be addressed, the first question Episode 7 perhaps being, “Is the resulting Cont'd on page 2

Commissioners' Lunch Dishes Up Great Food and Clear Skies at the Garfield County Fair This Past Weekend

Insider

PANGUITCH - Mother nature delivered fine weather for Saturday's events at the Garfield County Fair. The food lines moved swiftly during the Commissioners' (free!) Lunch thanks to the fast work of Commissioner Leland Pollock, and Sheriff Danny Perkins and an army of volunteers cooking and replenishing the serving tables. Commissioner Tebbs was also busy working the neighboring line. Commissioner Pollock said this year was the best lunch turnout he's seen. —Insider The mind is everything. What you think you become. —Buddha

dents to Bryce Valley High. “There has never been a discussion on this board about closing Escalante High School or bussing. It may have been an idea thrown out in other discussions but not on this board,” said board member Frank Houston. Apparently, this is precisely the idea that had gotten around, as several dozen individuals, many from Escalante, attended this month’s school district meeting held at the Bryce Valley High School auditorium—their final summer

meeting prior to school starting on Tuesday of this week. Closing Escalante High School may not be imminent, yet deep concerns still exist for Escalante parents. Following years of cost-cutting measures, dwindling class selection and reduction in numbers of teachers at Escalante High, this year Escalante will start the school year without a high school math teacher or a social studies teacher. The School Board Cont'd on page 4

Glamping (Glamour Camping) Got a lot of Attention at the Aug 13 Garfield County Commission Meeting. GARFIELD COUNTY The result of the discussion was a vote to approve a moratorium on all glamping permits in the county for the next six months (excluding municipalities) while the Planning Department determines the best way to establish requirements and controls. A resolution to that effect will be drafted for the Aug 27 meeting. Glamping became a hot button primarily due to a proposed sale and development of SITLA property near Ticaboo last spring. The Planning Department had already initially approved a conditional use permit for the proposed glampground, when it became known that SITLA had revoked the grazing permit from that parcel and the permittee was given 30 days to remove his animals. This action triggered the wrath of Commissioner Pollock, who has been demanding remediation from SITLA since then. Besides the grazing conflict, subsequent issues have arisen regarding the development’s plans for infrastructure, including water, fire equipment access, and power. Alexa Wilson, from SITLA’s Property Planning and Development department was present at this meeting. She offered the services of a planning consultant to assist in developing requirements to address the county’s health and safety concerns. “I appre-

ciate your responsibility to keep visitors safe… Glamping is a fairly new thing and it’s entirely appropriate to take a minute to make we know how to do that in a safe way….We have no intention to shortcut that process in any way,” she said, while hoping to avert a full moratorium. The Commissioners asked again why the development couldn’t have been planned on the 540 undeveloped acres within Ticaboo proper, where full services already exist. She said the “view from that area looks onto a trailer park, which Is not the kind of place you can get people to spend $200/night in a tent.” Commissioner Pollock asked her what would happen if SITLA followed this policy statewide. He said, “There are a bunch of places where the SITLA grazing permits are in beautiful areas. What will the tourists think when they look out at and see hundreds of tents [instead of cows]? …You kick a rancher off his grazing permit, you’re taking away his livelihood.” Pollock referred to plans in the upcoming legislature to protect ranchers. Wilson responded that legislation is probably the right way to go, given that it is the state’s mandate to SITLA that they are to maximize revenue, which was all they were trying to do with this property

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Cont'd on page 3 PRE-SORT STANDARD PAID RICHFIELD, UTAH PERMIT No. 122


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