An Oasis of Tranquility
James L. Davis
As the soft glow of the Sunday afternoon sun began to dip below the mountains, those gathered for the unveiling of the Crandall Canyon Miner’s Memorial listened quietly as the lives of nine miners whose deaths changed a community forever were spoken of solemnly as those of heroes among us.
The dedication of the memorial came on Sept. 14 after a whirlwind of activity from a community that has continually amazed the state, the country and the world to complete a project that has been a labor of love for everyone involved.
The community spirit that was so evident throughout the Crandall Canyon Mine disaster last year was equally evident as the finishing touches were put on the memorial to get it ready for its unveiling. Indeed, Huntington City Mayor Hilary Gordon and City Councilwoman Julie Jones found a legion of volunteers gathering to help get the memorial ready. Leading the way were seven Eagle Scouts who rallied volunteers to complete individual aspects of the monument. Scouts Nathan Mecham, Tyler Pulli, Lane Sitterud, Bryson Weaver, Calleb Woolsey, TJ Furner and Colton Barnett proved invaluable in bringing the monument area to completion and it was only fitting that they would be the scouts to raise the American flag to fly above the site and to help the families in the unveiling of the monument itself.
Her voice touched with emotion, Councilwoman Jones thanked the countless volunteers who helped complete the project in time.
Approximately 1,000 people gathered at the memorial site near the Huntington City Cemetery to be a part of the unveiling of the memorial, painstakingly created by the gifted hands of artist Karen Templeton with the advice and involvement of the family of those miners whose likenesses she magically captured.
Templeton spoke to the gathered crowd about the process she went through in creating the monument. “I made the monument six feet high so we could look these men in the eyes. As a portrait sculptor, I’ve come to believe the soul resides in the eyes. When you truly look into someone’s eyes, it’s impossible to stereotype them,” Timpleton said.
Perhaps one of the most touching moments of the evening came as Wendy Black spoke to the audience. Praising Governor Jon Huntsman, she recalled that it was the governor who first used the phrase “Heroes Among Us” that has come to signify the miners that make up so much of the Emery and Carbon County community. She asked for those miners involved in the Crandall Canyon rescue operation who were in the audience to please stand and as a dozen or so miners, interspersed among the crowd slowly climbed to their feet applause erupted around them as the crowd gave the miners a standing ovation.
“Yes Governor Huntsman, you are right. There are heroes among us,” she said.
Speaking briefly to the crowd Governor Huntsman praised the community for being such an example to not only the state, but the country and the world, for coming together and “embracing our neighbors without barriers.”
“Let us remember this place as an oasis of tranquility, an oasis of love and remembrance,” Governor Huntsman said. “It’s now time to celebrate the lives of these good men.”
As the loved ones of Manny Sanchez, Carlos Payan, Kerry “Flash” Allred, Luis Hernandez, Brandon Phillips, Don Erickson, Dale “Bird” Black, Brandon Kimber, and Gary Jensen unveiled the monument they took a moment, despite the glare of cameras flashing, to touch the likenesses of those men they loved, the nine men that in death came to define the life of a community.
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Proposed BLM Management Plan
has Critics on all Sides
Josie Luke
Since the Bureau of Land Management released their proposed Resource Management Plan for 2.5 million acres of land administered by the Price Field office Aug. 29, concerns have poured in from critics on all sides.
That complaints are being expressed from many sides is, in a way, a relief to Mike Stewig, acting field manager for the Price office. “If I have everybody mad at me, I think I’m about at the right use,” he related. “Obviously we have a full range of resources. There are always conflicts between those resources depending on how you’re going to use them.”
The BLM initially developed five alternatives for managing the area, each one corresponding to one of the major resource usages of the land. The final proposal uses Alternative D as a foundation, which the Price office selected as the preferred alternative, and combines ideas from the other alternatives.
According to the proposed RMP, the plan is “crafted in response to public comments, internal comments, and coordination with cooperating agencies.” It provides what Stewig views as a “balanced alternative that took all of the resources into consideration.”
Despite the efforts of the BLM to, “provide a balanced alternative,” many are displeased. Some of the most conspicuous arguments are coming from the environmental community. In a recent editorial by the Salt Lake Tribune, titled, “Drill, drill, drill: BLM plan for Carbon, Emery counties goes for the gas” it states, “In language only a bureaucrat could love, the plan would ‘maximize mineral development in areas with the greatest potential for maximum resource recovery,’ which would be fine if mineral development were always the highest and best use of these lands.
“But in some cases, it’s not. This is, after all, the neighborhood that includes such scenic and archaeological wonders as Nine Mile and Desolation canyons. In its attempt to balance mineral development with environmental preservation, the BLM folks in Price have leaned far too heavily on the side of the scale that holds mineral extraction.”
There were also concerns expressed over the reduction in lands recognized as non-wilderness study areas with wilderness characteristics. Of the almost 937,000 acres recognized as such, the proposal would recognize 97,100 acres in five areas: Hondu Country, Mexican Mountain, Muddy Creek, Crack Canyon, the San Rafael Reef and Wild Horse Mesa. They point out that this is only one-tenth of the lands.
The field manager explained that with 550, 000 acres of wilderness study areas in the district, managing the more than 900,000 of land with wilderness characteristics would require the BLM to manage nearly 2/3 of the total area.
Stewig expressed he is aware of the concerns, but explained that he is held to the laws governing the way the BLM manages land. “The decision was made upon the BLM’s multiple use and sustained yield mandate. The BLM is a multiple use agency and we are required to look at it in that light,” he said.
He also pointed to the Energy Policy Act of 2005 saying, “You have to understand, we’re supposed to make as much of this available, of the high potential and moderate potential, for oil and gas or extractive industries as possible, while still protecting the environment.”
Selma Sierra, the Utah State Director of the BLM addressed the issue in an editorial before the proposal was released. “BLM recognizes the value public lands hold for local communities and their economies. We have maintained a focus on supporting communities, their growth and diverse needs while maintaining national priorities and objectives, all within the context of BLM’s multiple use mandate,” she reported.
“As State Director, I will continue to honor the integral role that the BLM and the land we manage plays in the livelihood and economies of local communities as we move forward to complete these vital planning proposals.”
The Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 describes the BLM’s multiple use responsibilities. It states, “The public lands be managed in a manner that will protect the quality of scientific, scenic, historical, ecological, environmental, air and atmospheric, water resource, and archeological values; that, where appropriate, will preserve and protect certain public lands in their natural condition; that will provide food and habitat for fish and wildlife and domestic animals; and that will pro-vide for outdoor recreation and human occupancy and use.”
It also includes: “The public lands be managed in a manner which recognizes the Nation’s need for domestic sources of minerals, food, timber, and fiber from the public lands including implementation of the Mining and Minerals Policy Act of 1970 as it pertains to the public lands.”
Ray Peterson, Emery County Public Lands Director distributed a summary of the proposal at the public lands meeting held Sept. 9. He reported to the council that it would not “make a whole lot of changes” to the way things would need to be done. The council discussed cattle allotments in the area, which the plan will not affected. Nearly all of the roads and trails will remain open, but vehicles will be required to stay on designated routes.
Peterson related that the county had been “involved in discussions from the beginning,” and described the proposal was “reasonable.” He also revealed that a protest period for those involved in the process would last 30 days from the date the proposed plan was released, but said he doesn’t expect that the county will protest the plan.
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Gordon Honored at CEU Celebration
Josie Luke
Huntington Mayor Hilary Gordon was presented with the Distinguished Service award by the College of Eastern Utah, as the college celebrated its 70th Anniversary Founder’s Day Celebration.
Gordon was presented the award for her compassionate service to the families of those who were killed and injured in the Crandall Canyon mine disaster. The award was presented by CEU Interim President Mike King and CEU Vice-President of Institutional Advancement and Student Services Brad King, who described Gordon as exhibiting the “true definition of ‘grace under pressure.’”
In a sketch of the mayor, given before she received the award, it stated, “It was only three weeks after she accepted the appointment [as mayor] that Huntington was rocked by the Crandall Canyon mine disaster. Mayor Gordon, along with many others, responded to the tragedy with courage, supporting the families of the injured and trapped men.”
It was those “many others” who Gordon elected to recognize in her acceptance speech. “The award that I’ve received tonight, I feel belongs to everybody who lives in Carbon and Emery County, truly,” she remarked. “In the past year, the pressure that our community was under was tremendous, and so many people gave so much. Not just me.
“I happened to be there in a position where people could find me, but I saw so much service and so much love, so much giving. I feel if there was an award to be given for every single person that lives in our counties that that is what should be done. Trust me. I was just a small tip on the iceberg.”
Also recognized at the celebration were Barb and Greg Benson, the Carbon High Class of ’52 and Terry and LeAnn Ficklin, who were given Gold Circle Awards for donations to the Gold Circle scholarship program; Phil Brown, who was given the Upon Their Shoulders Award for over 30 years of service at CEU; Lindsey Allen Newville and Kenyth J. Reynolds, who were inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame; Jim Dart, Sr. and Michael F. Tucker as Outstanding Alumni; Karen Jobe Templeton, who like Gordon, was awarded for distinguished service and Senator Mike Dmitrich, who was given the lifetime Achievement award.
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Old Cabin Dismantled for
Trip to New Home
Kathy Ockey
An old, dilapidated house was torn town on Orangeville’s main street this past week and during the dismantling it was discovered it had an old cabin inside the framework. Doug Huntington, Gary Lemons and Ron Thorne were doing the work and while the house was being taken apart, one of them commented they would never have thought that sod would be under the shingles.
The date the cabin was built isn’t known, but it is estimated to have been in the early 1900s. The original owners and occupants were William and Kate Fail. They had two sons, Forbes and Fred, and Forbes and his wife May Lamph Fail lived in the cabin after his parents. It was a very small cabin with probably only two rooms.
Rue Ware said he remembered going there with his mother when he was very small and said they had a beautiful garden and not a single weed on the place. He commented that it was “a very lovely home.”
Roseanne Fillmore also said every time her mother, Cleo Davis, went by the home she would say she thought they should tear the house down because her father would be heartbroken to see it looking the way it did.
The trail of ownership, according to court house records, shows the owners: William and Kate Fail, then Forbes and May Lamph Fail, Edward and Marjorie Reid, Garth and Louise Heinegar and JoAnn and LeRay Huntington.
Cleo Davis’ wish to have the house torn down came true but the worn out old cabin will have a new life.
One of the men dismantling the home was Ron Thorne, owner of Thorne Construction and a builder and developer of new homes in the Salt Lake area. Thorne said he has a home on a five acre lot in South Jordan and has also constructed a small pioneer village with granaries, metal and wooden water wagons, wagons, and hand carts on this lot. His plans are to also reconstruct Will and Kate Fail’s cabin on this site. He said he got the inspiration to build this pioneer village on his property from Montell Seely. He said he was enthralled with Montell and the history he knew and the accomplishments that he made in his life. He also said he had the privilege of talking to him on several occasions and the last time was the final Friday night of the Pageant.
Thorne said he also owns an older home in Nauvoo and there is a large 4” X 12” X 8” stone at this home that was originally in the Nauvoo Temple. He has had a representative of the Historical department of the Church authenticate it and he plans to have this stone as the stepping stone into Will and Kate Fail’s cabin when it is completed.
The dilapidated little cabin that was hidden inside a fallen down house will again be “a very lovely place.”
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Green River Council Briefed on
Cause of Recent Brownouts
Annalee Thayn
Rocky Mountain Power representatives came to the Green River City Council meeting to discuss recent brownouts in Green River.
Various terms were explained and the causes for the four longest brownouts were given. The weather and a truck hooking a cable television wire, which then hooked into a power wire, were the culprits. In the future Rocky Mountain Power is hoping that another substation will be built.
An alternative to current television satellite companies is being worked on as a franchise of Emery Telcom. The product will hopefully be available in November. It will be similar to other satellite companies, but an additional feature will be a channel that features events of Carbon and Emery Counties. It will also include a Mountain West channel. If you have DSL in your home you will be able to have this new system. There will be various packages offered as with satellite companies. DVR and HD will be also offered. The franchise ordinance was approved.
A point of diversion for water was discussed for a Nuclear Power Plant in the Mancos Industrial Park. The location is northeast of where I-70 and Highway 6 meet. This location was selected because it would be lower than most of the water users. This location was unanimously agreed to.
There is interest in having a paleontology field office in Green River. A suggested location for the field office would be on some of the land at the missile base. The field office would temporarily house students and individuals who come to excavate and study dinosaur bones in the area. It is hoped that by building this paleontology field office that it would generate more tourism dollars in Green River and make the city a destination for information about dinosaurs. This item was unanimously approved.
It was also approved that Green River City would accept bids for trap houses for the Green River Shooting Sports Park. The trap house would allow skeet shooting and clay pigeon shooting. One bid from Wisconsin has been researched. These builders would place the house here, but digging the ground for the spot and finishing the landscaping, would have to be done by others. These particular houses have already met all specifications. A range master would need to be hired in the future to monitor activity at the shooting sport park.
The Melon Slice float is in need of care. It was decided that a bid would be placed and someone would be hired to clean up and re-paint the Melon Slice.
Mulberry Street needs to be repaired and smoothed out. It needs a 25 miles per hour speed limit sign. Mayor Pat Brady asked Councilman Dan Harrison to look into what the street needs. After the department reports the meeting was adjourned.
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