The Wayne and Garfield County Insider 6/29/2017

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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, June 29, 2017

Issue # 1208

Escalante’s Fiber Optic Wire is Going In

the insider

South Central's Escalante project foreman Travis Shakespear (back to camera) supervises operations as crews install a splitter box at the corner of 200 West and 200 North in Escalante. ESCALANTE – Escalante residents are seeing a lot of orange these days. South Central Communications’ work crews wearing orange T-shirts, and moving large spools of orange conduit are making their way from block to block around town, trenching and digging in the infrastructure that will hold

the town’s future fiber optic wire. The project started about three weeks ago, and will continue through summer and fall. According to Kerry Alvey, South Central’s Vice president of Operations, “Our plan is to have all of the [Escalante] customers cut over to the fiber by the end of December.”

South Central’s ultimate plan is to have every town in their service area connected through fiber optic, and Escalante is the third community to be installed, following Kanab and Fredonia. Alvey says the project is

Fire on the Mountain Brian Head Fire Update

Fiber Optic

Cont'd on page 7

GSENM Artist in Residence at Red Canyon Visitor Center RED CANYON - Grand Staircase Escalante Partners is excited to announce that the photography of Jared Warren, the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument 2017 Artist-in-Residence, is currently featured in an exhibit at Red Canyon Visitor Center through the end of September. Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument was honored to have Jared Warren as the third photography artistin-residence. Jared traveled all around the Monument, at all times of day and night, putting several thousand miles on his SUV, to capture some of our iconic as well as lesser known locations with his camera. This partnership with Kanab's Amazing Earthfest, Glen Canyon Natural History Association, and Grand Staircase Escalante Partners is a great example of bringing many groups together to help share how amazing this Monument is. We also appreciate the

Forest Service at Red Canyon Visitor Center allowing Jared to showcase his work so it can inspire many of the thousands of visitors who stop there when they first come into the area. Red Canyon Visitor Center is open every day 9 AM to 6 PM. Grand Staircase Escalante Partners was established in 2004 as the official friends group to the Grand StaircaseEscalante National Monument. Four core programs; Frontier

Science School, the Site Steward program, the Paleo Program and the Escalante River Watershed Partnership support our mission: Grand Staircase Escalante Partners is committed to preserving and protecting the vast landscape of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. www.gsenm.org —Grand Staircase Escalante Partners

Courtesy Grand stairCase esCalante Partners

Hoodoos and the Night Sky by Jared Warren.

Rep Mike Noel Attends Boulder Town Hall Set up with most of the group in a large circle in the community center, the town hall was structured by going around the room allowing anyone who wanted to ask a question or make a comment to do so. They could even ask a follow question up or two. The town hall felt to many a step in the right direction towards overcoming divisions and increasing dialogue. Nearly everyone who spoke expressed gratitude for Noel’s visit. The contrast of Thursday night was stark when compared to the other recent political events in the region, namely the inability of Interior Secretary Zinke to meet with any pro-monument groups during his visit to Kanab last month and the divisiveness of the Garfield County Commis-

Lakes, Second Left Hand CanKelton Manzanares yon, and the Citizens gather to speak with Utah State House Representatown of Brian tive Mike Noel about regional issues and concerns. Head. EvacuBOULDER - Utah State meeting until the end. District ees can contact the Red Cross House Representative Mike Attorney General Shea Owens for shelter in- Noel paid a visit to Boulder and Wayne County Commisformation. If Town for a constituent meet- sioner Dennis Blackburn were you live in an ing at the Boulder Community also in attendance. Peg Smith area affected Center last Thursday night. In acted as facilitator after having by wildland what ended up being a 3 hour asked Noel to come to Boulder fires, officials and 45 minute town hall, Noel for the meeting. There were r e c o m m e n d answered every last question, about 60 people in attendance familiarizing until after 11 pm. Garfield with the majority being from yourself with County Commissioner Jerry Boulder accompanied by oththe Ready, Set, Taylor was in attendance, oc- er Noel constituents coming Courtesy utah Wildfire Community bulletin boards in fire affected communities provide updated Go Program casionally answering ques- from Escalante, Torrey, Gro( h t t p : / / w i l d - tions and remained at the ver, and Teasdale. Noel fire information daily, in addition to Web based resources. landfirersg. Cont'd on page 10 SOUTHERN UTAH - A moth Creek. They will also org/). Red Flag warning is in ef- be scouting out ahead of the CLOSURES – Highway fect for most of the week, fire to the north and south to 143 is closed from the cemeindicating that weather con- be prepared if the fire activity tery in Parowan to milepost 50 ESCALANditions may lead to rapid fire picks up and moves the fire in outside of Panguitch. MamTE - The featured growth. Strong southwest those directions. moth Creek Road is closed artisan for the July RICHFIELD - The winds return to the area, causKim Martin’s Type 1 at the junction with Highway 7 First Friday galing concern for fire managers Incident Management Team 143. The north side gate of weather is getting warmer lery event at Made on the northern perimeter of is now overseeing fire sup- 143/148 is closed. The Dixie and drier, and with that vegIn Escalante is the fire. Yesterday, a dozer pression on the eastern side National Forest has expanded etation is getting more reJessie Warner. In constructed indirect fireline, of the Brian Head Fire from its area closure to include For- ceptive to fire. Over the last away from the current fire pe- Panguitch. Tim Roide’s Type est lands north of Highway 14. several weeks our area has 2012 drought was hitting Jessie’s rimeter, across Horse Valley. 2 Team remains in command Please check your route before experienced numerous sus- home state of NeAirtankers dropped retardant of the western side of the fire planning recreational activipected human caused fires, braska. In order to Courtesy Made in esCalante immediately adjacent to the from Parowan. The two teams ties. Maps of the closure area which has kept firefighting purchase hay for Jessie Warner's rope baskets to be feadozerline with the intent that will coordinate closely to en- are posted at https://inciweb. resources hopping. her horses, Jestured for July's First Friday event. the retardant should minimize sure the safety of the public nwcg.gov/incident/5253/. sie started making While fire crews have the ability of embers to start and the firefighters. The Brian Head Fire so each basket has individual spot fires across the dozerline. CURRENT EVACUA- started around midday Satur- been successfully putting rope baskets, hence her busi- character. Additional dozerline was TIONS – Upper Bear Valley day, June 17, and grew very the majority of fires out, the ness name, Baskets for Hay. “I Jessie's rope baskets, constructed along the north- is under evacuation as of this quickly through dense timber likelihood of larger fires is have several friends who are koozies, crosses and home east corner. Due to the lighter morning due to the forecasted on lands administered by Bri- increasing. A recent example team ropers. They always had décor items can be purchased fuels in that area, managers winds. The following com- an Head Town, Iron County, is the Choke Cherry Fire on old ropes laying around so I at the Made In Escalante galare optimistic that they will be munities remain evacuated in cooperation with the Utah the Beaver Ranger District, started helping them clean out lery store. The First Friday able to contain that section of per local law enforcement: Division of Forestry, Fire, southwest of Circleville. The their pickups.” Since moving event is Friday, July 7 from the fireline. Crews will con- Panguitch Lake, Horse Valley, and State Lands. It has since fire quickly grew to over 100 to Utah in 2015, Jessie contin5pm to 8pm. The store, operues to make baskets to pass the tinue to secure the southern Beaver Dam, Castle Valley, burned on to lands managed acres, putting the public and ated by volunteers, also sells perimeter of the fire to slow Blue Springs, Rainbow Mead- by Dixie National Forest and winter months. “I don’t sit still firefighters at risk. This fire locally made jewelry, wood its progression toward Mam- ows, Mammoth Creek, Dry Color Country District Bureau very well so making the bascontinues to be under inveskets has kept me busy.” She furniture, metal sculptures, of Land Management. Cedar Breaks National Monument tigation. uses a 900 degree soldering pottery, paper and fiber arts, REGIONAL WEATHER FORECAST remains open, with access via iron to melt the nylon ropes toFirst Friday FOR SOME BUT NOT ALL REGIONS REPRESENTED Fire Prevention IN OUR NEWSPAPER COVERAGE AREA Highway 14. gether. Everything is free hand Cont'd on page 2 Cont'd on page 4 —Utah Wildfire THURS. JUNE 29 - WED. JULY 5 SUNNY WEEKEND AHEAD - Another bright sunny week ahead ALL content for THE WAYNE & GARFIELD PRE-SORT COUNTY INSIDER must be submitted on STANDARD with few clouds predicted for the next 10 days. Winds will die down FRIDAY BEFORE NOON to be included in PAID a bit, hovering around 13 MPH. Temperature highs for the week The hug is mightier than the punch. the following Thursday edition of the paper. RICHFIELD, in the low 90s and the high 80s. Lows in the low 50s to high 40s —Nick Offerman UTAH BOXHOLDER throughout the week. PERMIT No. 122

Fire Prevention: It’s Everyone’s First Friday Featured Artist Business


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