The Wayne & Garfield County Insider October 4, 2018

Page 1

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, October 4, 2018

Issue # 1275

Local Food, Gratitude and Community Pride, It's the 8th Annual Boulder Harvest Festival

Garfield Commission September 24 Meeting

Toxic Algae Detected in Panguitch Lake

by Tessa Barkan

County jail, watersheds, glamping, resource management plan, and more...

GARFIELD COUNTY The September 24 Garfield County Commission met with a quorum of two: Commissioner Jerry Taylor and Leland Pollock. Commissioner David Tebbs was meeting with Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke at Zion National Park. Commissioner Taylor reported briefly on his activities: that he had attended a state conference of county commissioners; met with Harry Barber, acting Monument Manager on the new draft Monument Plan; and would be meeting with Forest Service reps on the Good Neighbor Program and joint projects. Commissioner Pollock reported on his chairing of the Joint Jail Committee and meeting new director Mike Hatton. Pollock said this is important because Garfield County provides nearly 30 jobs that are based on the sheriff’s department’s ability to contract for getting inmates. He said it affects the county’s budget, and so is important to maintain the good relationship with corrections. “It’s performance-based, and important to us to keep it going,” Garfield Comm. Cont'd on page 6

Filiz Telek

The Boulder Harvest Festival offers opportunities to keep traditional skills alive and enjoy good food and company. Three days of activities will include workshops, community potluck, and...The Miss Harvest Fest Pageant! Thurs. - Sat., October 11-13. BOULDER - The 8th annual Boulder Harvest Festival, presented by the Boulder Skills Foundation (BSF), is set for Saturday, October 13th at Red House Farm, in Boulder, Utah. Brynn Brodie, BSF board member, describes the event as, "A celebration of who we are as a community. We come together for the day and trade harvest stories, learn new skills from one another, have fun with friends, and meet new ones, too. We also enjoy great local

Emergency Planning Episode Eleven— Closer to Home by Bonnie Mangold

WAYNE COUNTY - The data given in Episode Ten indicates that we are ‘spending beyond our means’ in Utah and the other western states that are dependent on the waters of the Colorado River System. To maintain our profligate lifestyles, waterwise, we are drawing down our savings accounts—Lake Powell and Lake Mead—even while our income drops. And, we continue to grow and spend! (It reminds me of something I once read: Growth beyond maturity is cancer.) There is a pilot study underway in the San Juan River Basin to quantify the current status of the groundwater resources (aquifers) of the entire Colorado Plateau and their relationship to the surface waters, but it could be years before there is any helpful information. Based on what we currently know, the overall picture doesn’t look good. But how are we doing in Wayne County? The question is answerable for our present situation; we can see the surface waters and if they are running low, if ponds and reservoirs and lakes

are low (they are), if streams are empty, if wells are pumping or not, if springs are still pouring forth their waters. But as far as the future is concerned, whether two years from now or 200, no one really knows. We don’t know because we don’t have enough information about groundwater reserves and future precipitation. No studies have been done in Wayne County to estimate the extent of our groundwater, with the exception of one study in the 70s near the Red Desert northwest of Caineville. Given our dramatic geology the results of that study can’t be extrapolated to the rest of Wayne County. We also don’t know what we can expect in the future in the way of snowpacks and rain. Without this knowledge all we can do is look at trends, and just like with the stock market not be deceived by a rally within a bear market or a dip within a bull market. As we have seen, the trends don’t look so good, and in this part of Utah it is the snowpack that mostly rechargCloser to Home Cont'd on page 2

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

THURS. OCTOBER 4 - WED. OCTOBER 10

Maybe, just maybe. But we're not gonna say it, because we don't wanna jinx it. Let's just say it's going to be cloudy. Cooler! Highs in 60s generally this week and even cooler over the weekend; possibly with some freezing temps overnights.

food, and give gratitude to the land and bounty it provides. We take pride in our community's collective strength and resiliency, which is a lovely reward after a season of hard work.” “It is our goal to keep traditional skills alive,” adds board member Constance Lynn, “In the Transition Town movement, the term is ‘reskilling.’” Guided by principles such as resiliency, education,

protection of resources, and inclusivity, Transition Towns throughout the world encourage communities to relearn the skills that our ancestors—even those as recent as our grandparents—took for granted. This year’s Harvest Fest will kick off with a 3-day Traditional Animal Processing Workshop (prior registration required), followed by a full day of events on Saturday. The lineup includes both old favorites such as cider pressing

and beeswax candle making, as well as many new opportunities such as vermiculture, yucca sandal making, and silkscreen printing. Most of the events are free, and those of all ages are welcome to join by participating in workshops and discussions, taking part in the fundraiser lunch or Epic Local Foods Potluck dinner, and enjoying live music. There will be plenty of Boulder Harvest

PANGUITCH - The Southwest Utah Public Health Department (SWUPHD) is issuing a "danger" advisory for Panguitch Lake due to hazardous levels of toxic algae. People and animals should keep out of the water until further notice. Warning signs are being posted at the lake and health officials will continue to sample and monitor the water there. Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs), made of blue-green algae (cyanobacteria), can occur in lakes and reservoirs and may contain toxins that are a health hazard to humans and animals. The most common symptoms of exposure to HABs include gastrointestinal illness and skin irritation. Some toxins can cause liver, respiratory, or neurological problems. HABs may look like pea soup, green or blue paint, or a scum layer floating on the surface. If you've been exposed to a HAB, contact the Utah Poison Control Center at 800-222-1222. HABs can be reported to the Utah Department of Environmental Quality at 801-536-4123. —Southwest Utah Public Health Dept.

Cont'd on page 2

Celebrate the Dark Night Sky at Heritage Starfest on October 4 to 7, 2018

WAYNE COUNTY Capitol Reef National Park and the Entrada Institute are partnering to present the 9th annual Heritage Starfest. Visitors will have the opportunity to learn more about dark skies. Events include a special guest speakers, solar viewing, and star gazing with multiple telescopes. The dark skies of Wayne County and Capitol Reef are among the darkest in the nation allowing visitors from around the world to enjoy pristine skies full of planets, constellations, and the Milky Way. This event celebrates dark sky resources. Bring a red headlamp or flashlight and dress warm for all evening events. Thursday, October 4 Torrey, • 7:15 pm to 10:00 pm. Celebrate Torrey Town’s Dark Sky designation with refreshments and star gazing. Red Sands Hotel, Torrey. Friday, October 5 - Capitol Reef National Park • 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm. Solar viewing. Capitol Reef National Park Visitor Center. • 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Evening program with Cedar Breaks Park Ranger Zachary Schierl. Campground amphitheater. • 8:30 pm to 10:00 pm. Star gazing with local and regional astronomers. Campground amphitheater parking lot.

Image by Zolt Levay Courtesy Capitol Reef National Park

Heritage Starfest offers a unique opportunity to explore our area's pristine night skies, full of planets, constellations and the Milky Way. Saturday, October 6 throughout Wayne County • 11:00 am to 4:30 pm. Solar viewing. Capitol Reef National Park Visitor Center. • 7:00 pm. Astronomy Trivia for kids with door prizes. Robbers Roost Bookstore, Torrey. • 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Evening program with Cedar Breaks Park Ranger Zachary Schierl. Robbers Roost Bookstore, Torrey. • 8:30 pm to 10:00 pm.

The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty. —James Madison

Star gazing. Robbers Roost Bookstore, Torrey. • 9:30 pm until late. Citizen Science night sky monitoring project. Teasdale. Check http://facebook.com/ heritagestarfest/ for specific time and location. Date may change due to weather. Sunday, October 7 - Capitol Reef National Park. • 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Night Sky Photography evening program and workshop with Greg Owens. Camp-

ground amphitheater. Bring a camera and tripod. All events are free and open to the public. Learn about the Entrada Institute and the Heritage Starfest at www. entradainstitute.org. Visit www.ida.org to learn about the International Dark Sky Association. Information about Capitol Reef National Park can be found at www.nps.gov/ care. —Capitol Reef National Park

ALL content for THE WAYNE & GARFIELD COUNTY INSIDER must be submitted by FRIDAY AT NOON to be included in the following Thursday edition of the paper.

BOXHOLDER

PRE-SORT STANDARD PAID RICHFIELD, UTAH PERMIT No. 122


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.