November 8, 2012 Wayne & Garfield County Insider

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INSIDER Panguitch • Panguitch Lake • Hatch • Bryce • Tropic • Antimony • Henrieville • Cannonville • Escalante • Boulder • Fremont • Loa • Lyman Bicknell • Teasdale • Torrey • Grover • Fruita • Caineville • Hanksville

Thursday, November 8, 2012 • Issue # 969

Labor Department Aids Economic Development in Local Energy Industries CEDAR CITY - A $400,000 appropriation from the U.S. Department of Labor is helping Southwest Applied Technology College and Southern Utah University’s Business Resource Center educate the public while training the workforce and laying the groundwork for regional economic development in renewable energy. “Southern Utah is unique because we have commercialscale solar, wind, geothermal and bio-mass energy resources available,” said Jake Hardman, coordinator of the ATC’s Southwest Utah Renewable Energy Center. “That can create jobs, and jobs create a tax base.”

Resource Center for programs designed to fulfill Congressional directives that accompany the appropriation. Cottam said Southwest ATC has used its portion of the funds to develop the Energy Academy, which he called “the workforce training component that the Department of Labor was so interested in.” The Energy Academy provides courses and certification in wind and solar energy; Southwest ATC is currently training renewable energy professionals. Andy Swapp, a teacher at Milford High School, instrumental in attracting First Wind —a Boston-based company that operates 13 wind-energy

The Southwest Utah Renewable Energy Center’s Early Education trailer is a teaching center on wheels that SUTREC coordinator Jake Hardman hauls all over the region to teach people about renewable energy. By the end of the year, Hardman will have traveled to 20 schools and 15 to 20 civic events with the trailer, which is powered primarily by wind and solar energy. Brian Cottam, associate projects in five states—to director of the SUU Office of Beaver County. In cooperaRegional Services, said exist- tion with Southwest ATC, he ing renewable energy are al- has already trained 15 students ready scouting opportunities who graduated and are now employed in renewable energy in southern Utah. “They’re going to come businesses. Cottam said the ATC’s here,” Cottam said. “We want to ensure that our existing lo- Southwest Utah Renewable cal businesses can benefit from Energy Center “keeps everythis new industry by providing one focused on this vision.” SUTREC is a public their goods and services.” Wes Curtis, SUU director partnership consisting of nine of Regional Services, wrote entities: the Utah Science the request for Congressional Technology and Research inifunding in 2010 and worked tiative, the Utah Department with former Sen. Bob Bennett of Workforce Services, Southto secure a two-year appro- west ATC, the City of Milford, Beaver County, the Beaver priation. Bennett sponsored and County School District, Milrallied support for legislation ford High School, SUU Rethat directed the Department gional Services, and the Busiof Labor to earmark some ness Resource Center. “The SUTREC staff $400,000 for workforce development in southern Utah with holds the coalition together and keeps it moving ahead and a focus on renewable energy. The money goes to South- focused on our mission,” Cotwest ATC and SUU’s Business tam said.

PANGUITCH weather

LOA weather

An important part of Hardman’s role as SUTREC coordinator is overseeing outreach programs. “Jake reaches tons of people,” Cottam said. Hardman said one of his most effective outreach devices is the SUTREC Early Education trailer, a teaching center on wheels he hauls all over the region to teach people about renewable energy. “We can take it anywhere — from Millard County to the Utah-Arizona border, from St. George to Montezuma Creek,” Hardman said. “We’ve gone to festivals at downtown parks, the Utah Summer Games, SUU’s Earthfest, the Chamber of Commerce Business Expo, and the Utah Rural Summit.” One of his biggest audiences is public school students, Hardman said. “We try to expose them to the idea that renewable energy is a smart, safe alternative that takes advantage of our natural resources,” he said. “It’s surprising how much the kids already know and how much they’re able to understand about renewable energy and technology.” Hardman said the trailer has created “an incredible buzz” among people who have seen it in action. “There are only two or three others in the entire country that are similar, but they’re nothing on this scale,” he said. The equipment, design and manufacture of the trailer cost about $50,000, which Hardman said is money wellspent. Cont’d on page 2

Alex Adams

Torrey’s Castle Rock Coffee & Candy will be among many local businesses featured in The Torrey Story, part of a photographic exhibit in Salt Lake City sponsored by Local First Utah.

Wayne County to Participate in “Local First” Impact Study

WAYNE CO - Most of us can readily get behind the idea of doing our shopping with local businesses for the sake of supporting our friends and neighbors. What is less easy to see is that there may be significantly greater benefits to the local economy of buying locally that go beyond our initial purchases of groceries, cookies, clothing or hardware. Now, thanks to a new initiative in Wayne County, a nationally acclaimed study group will help provide a spotlight on the “multiplier effect” that buying locally has on the local economy. Civic Economics, a Chicago-based economic analysis and strategic planning firm, in conjunction with the National Booksellers Association and Local First Utah, will work with fifteen Wayne County restaurants and retail businesses to evaluate community reinvestment. These independent or “Indie” businesses are scored and compared with chain com-

petitors in a number of “community impact” categories, including profits and wages paid to local workers, procurement of local goods for internal use and for resale, and charitable giving within the community. “Wayne County is not only the first rural community in Utah, but the first rural community nationally to participate in an Indie Impact Study, so this is really exciting,” said Nan Seymour, Executive Director of Local First Utah, which is based in Salt Lake City. Similar Indie Impact Studies have taken place in Austin, Chicago, San Francisco, Phoenix, New Orleans, and, just this past summer, in Salt Lake City. Results of the Salt Lake City study of fifteen retailers and seven restaurants, all independent and locally-owned, showed that the retailers returned a total of 52.0% of all revenue to the local economy while the local restaurateurs returned 78.6%. Compared with four major national chain stores (Barnes

Ann Torrence

Particpants in the First Annual Pumpkin Launch on November 1 at the Bicknell Comunity Center practiced hurling projectiles (pumpkins) on their new trebuchet, in addition to an array of other “ginormous” sling shots.

Bicknell Gets Medieval

So, Bicknell now has a trebuchet, and they are learning how to use it. You’re wondering: What the heck IS a trebuchet? Here’s a basic definition: treb·u·chet/ˌtrebyəˈSHet/ Noun: A machine used in medieval siege warfare for hurling large stones or other missiles. Or, from Wikipedia: “A trebuchet is a siege engine that was employed in the Middle Ages. It is sometimes called a “counterweight trebuchet” or “counterpoise trebuchet” in order to distinguish it from an earlier weapon that has come to be called the “traction trebuchet”, the original version with pulling men instead of a counterweight. The counterweight trebuchet appeared in both Christian and Muslim lands around the Mediterranean in the twelfth century. It could fling projectiles of up to three hundred and fifty pounds at high speeds into enemy fortifications.” Pay attention, Garfield. It seems like Wayne is up to something. And be on the alert when driving through Bicknell.

Wayne Phone: 435-836-2622 Garfield Phone: 435-676-2621 Fax 1-888-370-8546 PO BOX 105, Escalante, Utah 84726 snapshot@live.com

Man is a clever animal who behaves like an imbecile. —Albert Schweitzer (1875 - 1965)

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.

& Noble, Home Depot, Office Max, and Target) it was found that the chain stores recirculated an average of only 13.6% of all revenue within the local markets that host its stores. Of national restaurant chains (Darden, McDonald’s, and P.F. Chang’s), these restaurants recirculated an average of 30.4% of revenues locally. “I think the idea is, we can grow our economy in a number of different ways, and one of the quickest ways you can have a positive impact on a local community is to support what is already there,” said Marci Milligan, a resident of Grover who is also a board member of Local First Utah. “So, we’d like to take look at how does buying at Royals Foodtown or The Chuckwagon impact or change our local economy compared with driving to Richfield for groceries?” Though, she stressed, “The idea is ‘local first’ not ‘local only,’” added Milligan. Fortunately for Wayne County, the cost of the study, which would normally be about $10,000, will cost only $1,800. The National Booksellers Association picks up a large part of the tab if there is a local, independent bookseller involved as a sponsor. Local sponsors will include Robber’s Roost Bookstore, The Wayne County Business Association, Lotus Community Development, The Entrada Institute and a number of local citizens. Wayne County businesses will be taking part in the study over the next couple of weeks, and the results are expected to be available in early 2013. Meanwhile, as part of their ongoing efforts to highlight local business communities throughout the state, Local First Utah will be exhibiting “The Torrey Story” as part of a photographic exhibition at the Salt Lake City and County Building called “Risk Takers and Place Makers.” The exhibit will be on display throughout November. —Insider Report

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


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