4-H Brings STEM Club to Escalante

by Ian Marynowski

Garfield County Commission

Jan. 23, 2023

GARFIELD CO. -

The first item for the January 23 Garfield County Commission meeting was Commissioner David Tebbs’ Board Report: He noted a new marketing firm that will be working with the Garfield County Office of Tourism. Also, 200 Wayne, Piute, and Garfield County high school students attended Career Day at Ebenezer’s in Bryce Canyon City and heard encouraging words about potential career opportunities right at home.

David Cooper and daughter Mary Kate use hand microscopes to help them identify a variety of insects at a 4-H open house at Escalante High School on January 25, 2023. This particular station also included larger microscopes with numerous slides showing tissue from a range of plants and animals. These activities are designed to help students recognize patterns and use specific traits to identify things they might see in the natural world.

ESCALANTE - Commonly referred to as STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering and Math have become the focus of a new program offered by Gar- field County’s 4-H club in Escalante. Staff from Utah State University’s (USU) Extension Campus in Panguitch, along with the 4-H STEM Coordinator in Es-

BLM Leases Public Lands for Renewable Energy Development

SALT LAKE CITY -

Courtesy Entrada Institute

Lynsey Shelar will be the subject of the next "Classic Conversation" with the Entrada Institute at Robbers Roost in Torrey, Utah, today (Feb. 2) at 7 p.m.

TORREY - The Entrada Institute continues its winter programming today, February 2, at 7 p.m., when Don Gomes and Lynsey Shelar engage in a "Classic Conversation" at Robbers Roost. This 1-hour conversation includes a limited live, in-person audience that is encouraged to converse with Shelar.

Known locally as a musician and music teacher, Lynsey is classically trained but can also bring country sounds as a fiddler. Born and raised in Overland Park, Kansas, she earned a minor in music at Western Colorado University. After extensive overseas travel, she finally made her way to Wayne County, where she first worked with the Aspen Achievement Academy as a field guide. At that time, Lynsey rediscovered her love of the violin, using it as a therapeutic instrument for both herself and the students she worked with. After leaving Aspen, Lynsey continued her violin studies under the tutelage of Bonnie Mangold and completed her Teacher Trainer Suzuki courses at the Intermountain Suzuki String Institute in Salt Lake City.

In 2014, Shelar started the Sleeping Rainbow School of Music. Over the years, she has been the inspiration for dozens of students through her school. Besides violin, Lynsey on page 7

As part of the Bureau of Land Management’s efforts to support the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal to permit 25 gigawatts of solar, wind, and geothermal production on public lands by 2025, the BLM announced it has leased two parcels, covering approximately 3,045 acres in Millard County, Utah, on public lands administered by the Fishlake National Forest in a geothermal lease sale. The sale generated $197,558, which will be shared between the State of Utah, Millard County, and the Federal Treasury.

“BLM Utah is committed to processing applications and leases for generating renewable energy on public lands, which provides jobs and generates clean electricity for our homes,” said BLM Fill-

Leases Cont'd on page 8 calante, hosted an open house at Escalante High School on Wednesday, January 25, 2023, to showcase the program and to answer any of the questions that participating families might have.

The addition of STEM

Open House Cont'd on page 3

Commissioner Jerry Taylor is requesting state funding for Escalante reservoir restoration, among other water and land use bills he’s monitoring. He also said funding would be available for teacher housing projects and possibly for “starter homes.”

Commissioner Leland Pollock expressed relief that a bill banning certain assault rifles had been killed in committee. However, the school voucher bill is now before the Senate and will likely Garfield Commission Cont'd on page 8

Ian Marynowski

As of January, 2023, Lake Powell is at 23% of capacity, the lowest level since the reservoir was initially filled. Colorado River Cont'd on page 7 tion is wildly off-base. In fact, there is no such water. It is one thing for the general public to believe in fairytales, but public officials are in the business of approving new industrial and residential developments.

Darrell Mensel SOUTHERN UTAHI recently overheard a Wayne County politician say that he was informed that there is plenty of water left in the Colorado River to develop for Wayne County. Unfortunately, this percep-

If they don’t understand what long-term drought has done to Colorado River water supplies, they may make decisions that