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Panguitch • Panguitch Lake • Hatch • Bryce • Tropic • Antimony • Henrieville • Cannonville • Escalante • Boulder • Fremont • Loa • Lyman Bicknell • Teasdale • Torrey • Grover • Fruita • Caineville • Hanksville
Thursday, September 19, 2013 • Issue # 1014
Epic Storm Pounds Region
Escalante Canyons Art Festival Celebrates Tenth Anniversary
by Bob Phillips, Contributing Writer
WGCI Photo
Escalante City personnel inspect conditions on Wednesday, September 11 at the Escalante River bridge crossing on Pine Creek Road just north of town. The river breached the bridge several times over the course of two days. Similar sights could be found throughout Wayne and Garfield counties during the course of last week’s storms. WAYNE AND GARFIELD COUNTIES - Rainfall of epic proportions pounded the area last week, creating widespread flooding and damage to roads and private property across the region as Mother Nature had her way over a huge swath of the southwestern United States. Rains that began falling Sunday and continued for most of three days dumped record precipitation across much of the Four Corners region and locally washed out numerous roads, flooded basements and yards and forced the closure of both unpaved roads and some highways across Wayne and Garfield counties. Perhaps remarkably, no emergencies that threatened human lives were reported, according to officials in both counties. However, damage to crops, hayfields, gardens, irrigation systems and other private property appears to be extensive, according to reports from various sources. “We’ve had a lot of flooding,” said Garfield County Sheriff James Perkins. “Every drainage has been running water. There’s a lot of damaged roads, crop damage, property damage.” No reports of injuries
or life-threatening emergencies have emerged perhaps because the magnitude of the storm convinced outdoor recreationists to be cautious, Perkins said. Garfield County Engineer Brian Bremner reported that Hole-in-the-Rock Road on the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument suffered major and extensive damage, with sections of road destroyed and numerous culverts washed out. “It is just really severely damaged throughout,” Bremner said. Sections of the Burr Trail were also seriously damaged by the rains, he added. While monsoons typically cause spotty damage every year, this storm produced damage across a very extensive area including the Henry Mountains and most of the monument, Bremner said. Indeed, record-breaking rains were reported throughout the Southwest, causing epic floods in places as diverse as Cedar City, Utah, and Boulder, Colo. On the monument, numerous roads were damaged and the Calf Creek Campground was closed due to flooding, said GSENM Manager Rene Berkhoudt. A crew
PANGUITCH weather
LOA weather
of workers removing Russian olive trees in the Escalante canyon were temporarily stranded by the rains, but all were eventually able to leave without harm, he said. The river, now flowing at a normal seasonal level of about 90 cubic feet per second, hit flows of more than 2,000 cfs during the height of the storm, he added. The monument is working with county road crews on repair of Hole-in-the-Rock Road, and efforts are being made to obtain sufficient fill material to accommodate the repairs, Berkhoudt said. With all the widespread road repairs necessary, fill material is in short supply and “the county’s very concerned about that,” he added. In Wayne County, both
Highway 24 and Highway 95 sustained significant damage in spots, forcing a 24-hour closure of Highway 24 and reducing Highway 95 north of Hite to a single lane of traffic in one stretch, according to county Emergency Services Director Jeri Johnson. Extensive damage to agricultural lands also occurred in the Cainesville and Hanksville areas, with some local farmers and gardeners reporting total losses of hay, gardens and other crops, she added. While rainfall totals varied considerably across the area, records were set at Capitol Reef National Park among other locales. Capitol Reef National Park ranger Cindy Epic Storm
cont’d on page 3
Mid October Flu “Shoot-Out” Scheduled PANGUITCH, – The Southwest Utah Public Health Department (SWUPHD) will be holding its annual Flu ShootOut for the Garfield County area on Thursday, October 17th, 2013, at the Fire Station. “This is a convenient way to get your flu shot and help us practice our mass-vaccination skills as well,” says Paulette Valentine, SWUPHD Emergency Preparedness Director. “A lot of people, especially seniors, appreciate the drive-thru option where you never have to leave your car, and people of all ages are invited to come inside the health department for walk-in vaccinations.” It is currently recommended that everyone over six months of age get immunized although young children, people over 65 years of age, and anyone with chronic health
problems are especially encouraged to do so. Flu vaccine at this event is $18 ($25 for nasal spray version) or NO CHARGE with some insurances. Flu Shoot-Out: Thursday, Oct. 17 at the Fire Station (100 E. 40 N., Panguitch) 11:00 am 3:00 pm: Drive-thru for adults 18 and over/ walk-in for all ages. Cash, check, and credit card are accepted, along with the following insurance cards: Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, PEHP, SelectHealth, Altius, DMBA, United Health, and Tall Tree. You can save time by printing the consent form (found on front page of www.swuhealth. org). Fill it out and bring it to the Shoot-Out. Also, wear a shortsleeved shirt! —Southwest Utah Public Health Dept.
ESCALANTE - Escalante Canyons Art Festival-Everett Ruess Days will celebrate its tenth anniversary this year, commemorating the untamed spirit of Everett Ruess—artist, poet, adventurer, and lover of the Escalante canyons—who followed “the sweeping way of the wind” deep into the desert 79 years ago and disappeared, leaving only mystery and myth in his wake. Plein-air artists from around the world will descend upon the small town tucked into the Escalante River gorge starting on September 20th, when the plein air competition begins. Artists will spend the week in the stunning slickrock canyons of the Escalante, eager to recapture the wild beauty of Ruess’ muse in their art. The week culminates in a full weekend of art, music, speakers, crafts, food, and art auction on September 27th and 28th. Highlights of this year’s festival include NPR commentator and critically acclaimed author of more than a dozen books, Craig Childs, who will speak on Friday, September 27th at 7:30 p.m. Childs, who has been called a “born storyteller” and a “modern-day desert father,” writes about the relationship between humans, animals, landscape, and time. His stories come from visceral, personal experience, whether in the company of illicit artifact dealers or in deep wilderness. In addition to Childs, Friday and Saturday offer a full line up of extraordinary speakers. The plein air painting competition welcomes artists of any age, experience, and ability. Cash prizes totaling more than $9,000 will be awarded. The silent auction, which closes the evening of Saturday, September 28th after a wine and hors d’oeuvres reception open to the public, creates an opportunity for avid art collectors, first-time buyers, and everyone in between to meet the artists and purchase outstanding original artwork at great prices.
Reward Offered for Vandalism Information BRYCE CANYON N.P. - The National Park Service is offering a $2,000 reward to any individual who can provide information leading to the successful conviction of the person or persons who defaced a rock in the Mossy Cave area of Bryce Canyon National Park. Rangers have determined that the rock was vandalized sometime between July 28th and August 3rd. The graffiti “tag” is black paint and depicts the letters “CAK”, “LAK”, “CAIS” or “LAIS” with an arrow. Please contact Bryce Canyon National Park Law Enforcement at 435-834-4761 or contact a ranger at the park’s Visitor’s Center with any information. —National Park Service Phone: 435-826-4400 Fax 1-888-370-8546 PO BOX 105 Escalante, Utah 84726 snapshot@live.com
I’m not a vegetarian because I love animals. I’m a vegetarian because I hate plants. —A. Whitney Brown
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.
The Escalante Canyons Art Festival-Everett Ruess Days has become one of the Colorado Plateau’s premier art, literary, and musical gatherings. The vast and beautiful Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument surrounds the town of Escalante located on Scenic Byway 12 between Bryce Canyon and Capital Reef National Parks. The Escalante Canyons Art Festival in cooperation with Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is pleased to host celebrated Salt Lake City artist, Wayne Geary, this year as its artist-in-residence. Geary, who works in oil, acrylic, pastel, watercolor, and other mediums will spend the month leading up to the festival in the town of Escalante and its surrounding canyons creating art and offering workshops to the public. Geary first traveled to the Escalante area in the 1970s. Since then, the landscapes of the Colorado Plateau, and in particular the canyons of the Escalante River, have drawn him back on a regular basis, becoming a main focus of his art. “I’m still amazed by the unique beauty of the region,” Geary says. “It provides an inexhaustible source of ideas and inspiration for my art.” Also appearing at this year’s festival is Dave McGraw and Crow Wing, a Flagstaff-based band, well known throughout the western region for their impassioned live shows. Dave McGraw and Crow Wing will be playing Saturday, September 28th, during the festival, and will close out the festivities Saturday night. Art lovers will have one last chance to buy art at the buffet brunch on Sunday, September 29th, at 9 a.m. at the Escalante Outfitters. All festival events are free and open to the public. For a full schedule of events visit our website at http://escalantecanyonsartfestival.org/. —Escalante Canyons Art Festival
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