| DATE 05/14/2005 7:15 AM |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89. Scandinavian Festival a Celebration of History, Heritage |
| The 200th birthday of storyteller Hans Christian Anderson will be celebrated at this year’s Scandinavian Heritage Festival and Conference May 26 to 28 in Ephraim.The popular annual event, which combines food, fun and heritage, attracts thousands of people to Sanpete County every year, many of whom travel along U.S. Highway 89, the Heritage Highway.
The conference celebrates Mormon pioneers from Scandinavia who colonized Central Utah in the 1800s and the estimated 600,000 Utahans who can trace their ancestry to Scandinavian immigrants. Sanpete County’s culture has been greatly influenced by settlers who arrived first in the Salt Lake Valley from the Scandinavian countries and then were assigned to colonize central Utah. Many were farmers, carpenters, stone masons, cabinetmakers and furniture builders. The architecture of their farm buildings, cabins and houses were influenced by construction techniques and building forms from back home, uniqueness that is still present today. Many local residents dress in Scandinavian costume for the annual festival, which provides an opportunity for people to learn about the influence of Scandinavians in Utah; connect with their Scandinavian roots; experience art and culture; and taste great food. Events include a parade, golf tournament, a 5K run, softball tournament, storytelling, bread making and activities such as rock climbing and pony rides. There will also be live music, an art show, street dance, and other attractions. The festival begins with an afternoon golf tournament on Thursday. Events will be held from noon until 11:30 p.m. on Friday, May 27, and from 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 28. Display and food booths will line College Avenue between 100 and 300 East from noon until dark on Friday and from 9 a.m. until dark on Saturday. There will also be numerous opportunities to sample heritage cooking, including a “Little Denmark Supper” and a barbeque turkey dinner. The festival also includes a special Scandinavian history conference at Snow College from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday and Friday headed by Brigham Young University professor Lynn Henrickson. The purpose is to give participants an understanding of the Scandinavian influence in the development of the West. The conference includes keynote speakers and workshops. It is held on the campus of Snow College in the historic Noyes Building’s Founders Hall. For more information or to register, contact Kim Cragun, (435) 283-4747. For more information on the Scandinavian Festival and a complete schedule of events, visit the website, www.ScandinavianHeritageFestival.com . |
| For more information Contact:Monte Bona Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council (435) 462-2502 |
Sanpete County Parades to Feature Hotrod, Antique Cars, Ugly Trucks – Press Release 5/6/2005
| DATE 05/06/2005 9:05 AM |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89. Sanpete County Parades to Feature Hotrod, Antique Cars, Ugly Trucks |
| If you are an antique car, a hotrod car or even an “ugly truck” enthusiast, the place to be May 13 and 14 is Sanpete County.Two events being held that weekend will highlight antique and hotrod cars and worn-out, beat-out pick-up trucks.
On Friday, May 13, there will be an antique car and a hotrod car parade in Manti at 7 p.m. It is part of the annual Ed “Big Daddy” Roth’s Rat Fink Reunion, which honors the life of renowned artist/car designer Ed Roth. Roth was famous for designing and building hotrod cars and for creating the cartoon characters the Beatnik Bandit and “Rat Fink” in the 1960s. The parade will feature both hotrod and antique cars. Roth was known for building one-of-a-kind show cars and is famous for his “plaster and fiberglass” creation method. His original “Tweety Bird” Rat Fink car is currently being restored after being in storage for more than 30 years. Roth died in Manti on April 4, 2001, at the age of 69. His wife, Ilene Roth, decided she needed to find a way for people who loved and respected her late husband and his work to honor his memory. She came up with the idea for the reunion and it is now an annual event. This year it is being held May 12-14. People interested in being in the May 13 parade should meet in the parking lot of Kent’s Market in Ephraim at 6:30 p.m. More information about Roth’s cars can be found at the website www.mrgasser.com. On Saturday, May 14, Mt. Pleasant City will host an “Ugly Truck” parade at noon down Main Street. The parade is part of the annual Rhubarb Festival, which literally honors the rhubarb, and Soap Box Derby races, which will be held following the parade. The parade features, well, ugly trucks. Past entries have included beat-up and rusted-out trucks, trucks that are more than 50 years old, vehicles with weird paint jobs and even those with funny wheels. The only requirement is the truck must be able to make it down Main Street by its own devices. Past parade participants have said that truck owners often take pride in the dents, marks and other “battle wounds” on their trucks because they are memories of where it has been and what’s been done with it. Ugly Truck contests have gained in popularity over the years and are now featured events throughout the United States and Canada on their own or as part of other festivals and fairs. # # # |
| For more information Contact:Monte Bona Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council (435) 462-2502 |
Tree Utah Helps Plant Another “History” Chapter – Press Release 4/29/2005
| ATE 04/29/2005 1:56 AM |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89. Tree Utah Helps Plant Another “History” Chapter. |
| Tree Utah continues to plant history in the cities and towns along U.S. Highway 89, this time at Mt. Pleasant’s historical Wasatch Academy.Officials from Tree Utah visited the 130-year-old academy May 1 and helped students, faculty and staff plant 24 trees on campus, including many historical varieties. Wasatch Academy is one of Utah’s oldest schools, covering 17 acres and boasting some of the oldest buildings in the region. In fact, the entire campus earned national historical designation.
This latest planting is the most recent regional project initiated by Tree Utah, a non-profit, citizens group dedicated to tree planting and education. Previously, it has partnered with the Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance and Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council to plant historical trees along U.S. Highway 89 from Fairview to Kanab. Tree Utah also visited communities along the Heritage Highway, offering people the chance to purchase the same historical trees that they are planting, including maple, oak and ash and a variety of shade trees. The agency also held formal tree planting ceremonies in many communities, as well as a series of free workshops to provide advice and education about caring for and planting trees. It has also awarded grants to numerous communities throughout the state to encourage tree planting. Trees are an important part of Utah’s heritage, Justina Parsons-Bernstein, executive director of Tree Utah, has said. The group appreciates the opportunity to help plant more trees along the historical highway and its associated cities and towns, she says. In addition to its partnership with Tree Utah, the Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council and Utah Community Forest Council previously commissioned Brad VanDyke to take an inventory of historical trees in the area. The trees were identified, their condition noted and a historical analysis conducted. The trees and stories of their pasts were entered into a data base for use as both historical and geographical landmarks. # # # |
| For more information Contact:Monte Bona Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council (435) 462-2502 |
Annual Ed ‘Big Daddy’ Roth’s Rat Fink Reunion May 12-14 – Press Release 4/26/2005
| DATE 04/26/2005 7:46 AM |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89. Annual Ed ‘Big Daddy’ Roth’s Rat Fink Reunion May 12-14 |
| Hundreds of people are expected in Manti for the third Annual Ed ‘Big Daddy’ Roth’s Rat Fink Reunion May 12-14. The event honors the life of the renowned artist/car designer Ed Roth.Roth was famous for designing and building hotrod cars and for creating the cartoon characters the Beatnik Bandit and “Rat Fink” in the 1960s. He died in Manti on April 4, 2001, at the age of 69. His wife, Ilene Roth, decided she needed to find a way for people who loved and respected her late husband and his work to honor his memory. She came up with the idea for the reunion and it is now an annual event.
The event is held at the museum that Ilene Roth created for her late husband, located at 404 East 300 North in Manti. The reunion will be held from noon to 9 p.m. May 12; from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on May 13; and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. May 14. The museum, which is an addition on Ilene Roth’s home, will be open during the reunion. It includes displays of Ed Roth’s art work and other memorabilia. The museum is also open to the public year-round by appointment. The reunion will also include musical performances by the bands Kindred Spirit, All That Jazz and Plan B, as well and displays of show cars. There will also be air brushers and pin stripers at the reunion all three days. The “stripers” will pin stripe “anything conceivable, as well as air brushers. Other special events include a car parade on Friday night from 7 to 8 p.m. on Manti’s Main Street. People who want to be in the parade should meet in parking lot of Kent’s Market in Ephraim at 6:30 p.m. On Saturday, there will also be a Dutch oven dinner at 6 p.m. at Roth’s home. Videos and slides of Ed Roth’s life will also be shown each evening of the reunion. Ilene Roth met her husband after he moved to Manti from California in 1987. An avid hotrod enthusiast from the age of 12, Ed Roth started out by fixing up old cars in his garage. He then moved on to building cars from scratch and quickly became known as an artist rather than a mechanic, with his creations earning the title “sculptures on wheels.” He financed his passion by making cartoons and T-shirts, including drawings of cars and monsters driving cars. His most famous cartoon character was a rodent named Rat Fink, which became very popular in the 1960s and was featured on posters, T-shirts and more. In addition to the reunion, Ed Roth is being honored this year in a new documentary by Canadian film maker Ron Mann. The movie, Confessions of a Hot Roddin’, Pinstripin’, Kustomizin’ Teenage Icon is set to be released later this year. Mann met with both Ilene and Ed Roth about the film in 2000. “It was Ed’s dream to have the movie made and it will soon be a reality.” For more information about the Ed “Big Daddy” Roth Rat Fink reunion, contact Ilene Roth at (435) 835-2393. |
| For more information Contact:Monte Bona Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council (435) 462-2502 |
Rhubarb Festival, Soap Box Derby Set for May 14 – Press Release 4/21/2005
| DATE 04/21/2005 2:30 AM |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89. Rhubarb Festival, Soap Box Derby Set for May 14 |
| Utah’s only celebration dedicated to honoring the rhubarb and one of the state’s few remaining Soap Box Derby races will take place in Mt. Pleasant Saturday, May 14.The Annual Rhubarb Festival, sponsored by Native Wines and area merchants, will be held from noon to 6 p.m. at the winery, 72 South 500 West. The event literally honors the rhubarb, a common garden plant used in making food products ranging from pies, bread and wine to jams, jellies and ice cream sauce.The Soap Box Derby races are part of the Rhubarb Festival and begin following a noon “Ugly Truck” parade down Main Street.
The festival will also include cheese and wine tasting plus a variety of foods and drinks made from rhubarb, including a new addition this year, “rhu-burgers.” There will be contests for rhubarb eating and rhubarb pie baking and awards for the best food products in a variety of categories, judged by a panel of “food experts.” There will also be a ugly truck contest, vendors, sidewalk sales, live music and street dancing are all part of the day long activities. The “Rhubarb Queen” and “Defender of the Rhubarb” will also be crowned. The Rhubarb Festival was started several years ago by Native Wines owners Winnie Wood and Bob Sorenson and attracts crowds of visitors to the region each year. Native Wines uses locally grown and gathered fruit from heirloom trees, gardens and the countryside in its products. For more information, phone Native Wines at (435)462-9261. The Soap Box Derby races were added to the festival in recent years. The event was designed to bring the once-popular races back to the streets of Mt. Pleasant. The races are sponsored by the Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council and local resident John McClellan. Soap Box Derby races used to be a popular event in Sanpete County, with a lot of local residents taking part as children. The races first became popular in the 1930s. As to be expected, Soap Box derby races have grown in popularity and sophistication over the years, with contests now full of regulations and restrictions. But Sanpete County’s races remain true to the original “anything goes” soap box derby philosophy. Cars can be made of any material, including plastic, wood, metal. They should be about six to seven feet long and about three feet wide. Drivers should range in age from about eight to 16 years. “Anything goes,” says McClellan, who also oversaw last year’s festivities. “And we get anything and everything too, from a two-by-10-foot board with wheel barrel wheels, to streamlined, competitive cars. We leave it open so that the kid who just has a set of lawnmower wheels can come and have fun too. There is something for everyone.” For additional information, contact McClellan at (435) 462-3808. # # # |
| For more information Contact:Monte Bona Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council (435) 462-2502 |
Airport Manager Has Lofty Goals Aims to Attract More Pilots into Region – Press Release 4/11/2005
| DATE 04/11/2005 9:28 AM |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89. Airport Manager Has Lofty Goals Aims to Attract More Pilots into Region |
 David Fullmer has big plans for Mt. Pleasant’s little airport.Fullmer, the volunteer manager at the municipal airport, hopes to make some improvements and add new facilities aimed at attracting recreational pilots.” If we truly want to get people thinking that Sanpete County is a great place to see and visit, we need to widen the road a little, so to speak,” he says.
Once word gets out that there is a place that caters to those who fly for pleasure, the city and county will benefit from the increased traffic, he says. Fullmer is working with city and county officials to try and make his ideas reality. A recreational pilot himself, he says it wouldn’t take much to entice recreational pilots to come into the region for an afternoon, a day or even longer. “Our airport is unique among rural airports because it’s so close to town,” says Fullmer, who has managed the airport for more than a decade. Most rural airports are miles away from the nearest town, making it difficult for pilots to access services such as restaurants or motels.” But our airport is only about a half a mile from the edge of town, it gives us a lot of options.” What Fullmer has in mind includes exploring setting up a campground at the airport for pilots. “It would be something totally unique. There are a lot of pilots, and entire networks of pilots, who would fly to a place just because they know that when they get there, they can put up a tent and stay overnight,” he says. Of course, he adds, there are countless other attractions in the area that would add to the appeal factors: snowmobiling in the winter, fishing, mountain biking, and other recreational opportunities. “Once the airport becomes known in the pilot community in Utah and the Intermountain West as this place that caters to pilot and as a great place to visit, all kinds of things can happen,” Fullmer says. He also hopes to make aviation fuel available at the airport. “I’ve driven pilots into town before to purchase automobile fuel because there was nothing else,” he says. “To get more pilots to come here, we have to have fuel.” He also hopes to have rental cars available at the airport. Currently, Mt. Pleasant’s municipal airport is home to a few recreational and business-use planes, with most of its general business coming from a local flight school. Fullmer says he starting thinking up ways to attract more pilots into the region after state funding for small airports was eliminated a few years ago. One program he started is an annual “fly in” where pilots from all over come to Mt. Pleasant over one or two weekends.
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| For more information Contact:Monte Bona Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council (435) 462-2502 |
Talking, Listening to the Animals Key to Young Horse Trainer’s Success – Press Release 4/4/2005
| DATE 04/04/2005 7:15 AM |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89. Talking, Listening to the Animals Key to Young Horse Trainer’s Success. |
| Ruth (Mellor) Livingston’s gift for working with horses was spotted by one of the best-known trainers in the country when she was only 15 years old.She was enrolled in a clinic taught by horseman Richard Shrake, renowned internationally for his resistance free training techniques that involve learning to understand what a horse is saying.
“After the clinic was over, he called me up and said he’d like to take me under his wing,” Livingston said. She started studying with Shrake and, at age 17, became the youngest-ever person to be nationally certified in resistance free training. She traveled around the country with Shrake training and hosting clinics. “I guess I was just a natural at it,” she says with a laugh. Livingston’s love for horses developed at age 10 when she moved to the small town of Chester after her mother had remarried. Her stepfather was involved with horses and fostered Livingston’s interest in the animals. Now, at age 23, she runs her own successful horse training center, Silver Dance Ranch, in Moroni. She works with horses in need of all kinds of training, from getting them ready to accept riders to preparing them for competition and to figuring out complex behavior issues. She also holds horse clinics around the state, including a session for “spooked horses” in Lakeshore later this month and a youth clinic in Ephraim in May. “I love the idea what I can take a 1,250-pound animal and get inside of its head and have it communicate with me,” says Livingston, who has three show horses of her own. “I can work with that animal, train it and teach it to do all kinds of amazing things that it otherwise would never have done.” While she laughs off comparisons to Robert Redford’s character in the popular movie “The Horse Whisperer,” a key to Livingston’s training program is watching, listening to and learning from the animals, the same kinds of techniques utilized in the movie. “Horses do talk to you. You can see so much in their body language, and you learn to pick up on that,” she says. “A flick of an ear, a look in the eye, a swish of the tail, all of these little things can tell you a lot about the animal’s frame of mind and whether they are ready to listen and learn from you.” Learning to know what the horse is telling the person working with him is what resistance free training is all about, Livingston says. “You work with the horse’s mind first, building respect and confidence between horse and trainer, using the lowest amount of resistance possible,” she says. The goal is to help people and horses develop a relationship through patience, kindness and understanding. The most common problem people have with horses is that they don’t fully understand the workings of the horse world, Livingston says. “A lot of people think that horses are like other pets, and that if they feed them, take care of them and love them, the horse will love them back. But with horses, respect must be taught first, and love comes out of that,” she says. In the horse world, animals push one another around and a hierarchy is established, she says. The most domineering horse becomes the most respected and trusted horse and emerges as the leader. “All of the other horses love that horse because they trust him; they know that he will take care of them.” Because trust is a vital part of the horse world, it’s also crucial in the horse-training world. “For horses to fully trust you, you have to you become one with the horse in a sense, you have to earn their trust,” Livingston says. “Most of the problems with horses are based on trust issues: a horse gets pushy, dominant or scared, and problems arise from that.” When she is working with a horse, Livingston has the animal live at her ranch where she feeds, cares for and works with them daily. During the winter, she can accommodate up to six horses at a time, and during the warmer months, up to 11. “While I am working with a horse, I allow the owners to come in and observe and take lessons to figure out what is going on with the horse,” she says. For more information on the Silver Dance Ranch, phone (435) 851-6758 or email silverdanceranch@hotmail.com. # # # |
| For more information Contact:Monte Bona Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council (435) 462-2502 |
Travel and Heritage Council Planning to “Advertise” County – Press Release 3/21/2005
| DATE 03/21/2005 10:08 AM |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89. Travel and Heritage Council Planning to “Advertise” County |
| The Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council plans to “get the word out” about everything the region has to offer in the way of attractions, outdoor recreation, events, preservation projects, artists, heritage products and more.The council this week discussed a strategic media, advertising and public relations campaign aimed at enticing people from all around the state to visit Sanpete County. It was developed by Carlislie Exchange, a company that specializes in media and marketing and has promoted Sanpete County events in the past. The campaign will focus on the Wasatch Front and rural Utah.“Sanpete County is an area that lends itself to promotion,” says Greg Carlislie. “Small town such as Delta, Cedar City, Logan, Roosevelt, Vernal and Brigham City are made up of families with children who like to travel to new destinations and outdoor recreation spots.”
Carlislie presented his outline for the campaign to the travel and heritage council this week. The campaign includes radio, TV and newspaper advertisements, as well as outdoor signs and cross-promotions. Carlislie explained that because his company handles numerous clients from all around the state, they are able to secure discounted advertising rates, which will allow the county to best utilize its advertising funds. As well, Carlislie plans to use special promotions and trades with many TV and radio stations in exchange for advertising. The campaign also includes teaming up with local schools who are learning about Utah”s history and heritage to provide information about Sanpete County, and working closely with Snow College to promote attractions and events. As well, Carlislie is suggesting exploring sharing costs with companies who might have an interest in promoting certain aspects of the county, such as snowmobile manufacturers. The campaign will also include contests, prizes, on-location live broadcasts, interviews, and promotional give-aways. Carlislie Exchange currently promotes the Scandinavian Festival, Manti Pageant and Fourth of July festivities in the county. Funding for the campaign will come from the transient room and restaurant taxes, and local business owners, including those running motels and bed and breakfasts, are encouraged to provide feedback and input on the plan. # # # |
| For more information Contact:Monte Bona Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council (435) 462-2502 |
Giddy up! First-ever ‘Horse Motel’ Opens in Sanpete County – Press Release 3/13/2005
| DATE 03/13/2005 1:17 PM |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89. Giddy up! First-ever ‘Horse Motel’ Opens in Sanpete County |
| Horse owners living in or visiting Sanpete County now have a new option if they want to include their animals in their various activities and excursions. The county’s first official “horse motel” is now open for business, providing accommodations for horses by the night or by the week.Kris and Fred Burns opened the motel on their 26-acre ranch located about a mile and a half from the town of Fountain Green and adjacent to Bureau of Land Management property.
“There are a lot of people who like to visit the area and have horses,” Kris Burns says. “But if they want to bring their horses along with them to ride or hunt with, there is no where around where you can keep them just for the night or a few days. Most places that board horses want something more long term.” So Kris and Fred Burns decided to open a 12-stall horse motel. Food, water and “mucking” are provided, and the horses can check in for just one night or for an extended stay. “People can pick up their horses and ride right up into the mountains from here,” Kris Burns says. Pretty soon, horse owners will even have the option of staying right near their animals. The Burns are in the process of opening an RV Park near the horse motel on about 10 acres of their land. Scheduled to open in June, the park will include 60 sites with sewer and water hook-ups, as well as 24 camping spots at a nearby location. The Burns will rent out tee-pees, tents and other camping supplies. They also plan to encourage guests to visit the animals they keep on their property, including llamas, a miniature horse and a burro. “We want staying here to be a family experience, where people who don’t know a lot about farming or ranch life can experience what it’s like,” Kris Burns says. The Burns came up with the idea for the horse motel while traveling around the state with their own horses. It many parts of Utah, they have no where to leave their horses. But when they visit St. George, they discovered a place where they could check their horses into a “motel” for the night. “We thought it was something that was needed near where we live,” Kris Burns says. Having a new indoor horse arena and community center built in Sanpete County would help with the new business, she adds. Local horse enthusiasts are looking to construct a new facility that would let them exercise, train and hold horse-related events and activities year round. “It would bring more people with horses into the area, which, of course, would be a benefit for us,” Kris Burns says. “But it would help the entire county because there would be more tourists and people coming through. There is such a need for this kind of facility. We are getting more and more horses in the area and fewer places to work them.” The region currently has more horses than it did back in the days when the animals were the main source of transportation. She says building a larger facility in a new location would allow for both indoor and outdoor arenas, as well as provide other options such as community centre and a race track. “Right now, people in the county who have race horses have no where to work them.” For more information on the horse motel or RV Park, contact Kris or Fred Burns at (435) 445-3303. |
| For more information Contact:Monte Bona Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council (435) 462-2502 |
Mt. Pleasant’s Pioneers to be Honored March 19 – Press Release 3/9/2005
| DATE 03/09/2005 1:15 PM |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89. Mt. Pleasant’s Pioneers to be Honored March 19 |
| The founding fathers of Sanpete County’s hub city will be honored during a special luncheon March 19 at the Mt. Pleasant Recreation Center, 10 N. State Street.The annual Pioneer’s Day luncheon will be held at 11 a.m. and include a reception, box lunch, and program. The program will feature the Orem performing group “The Good Time Singers.” Two longtime Mt. Pleasant residents, both in their late 80s, will also share their reminisces about growing up in 146-year-old town. “It is really a celebration of the city’s heritage,” says Elna McKay, a member of the Mt. Pleasant Historical Association, which sponsors the annual event. “It is a way for us to honor the pioneers who settled the area. We invite anyone who has ever lived in Mt. Pleasant to attend, and anyone who is interested in Mt. Pleasant. We are also always interested in having new members join,” she says. Cost for the luncheon is $5.The annual celebratory lunch is one of the two main programs supported by the Mt. Pleasant Historical Association. The group also looks after Relic House, a museum that displays relics ranging from pioneer quilts and clothing to blacksmith shop tools and equipment.
The association recently renovated a bedroom in the house, including wallpapering, sanding the floors, and cleaning and repairing linens and furniture. “We’ve worked very hard on it,” McKay says. The group also just purchased a historical log cabin that they plan to move on to the property. “We have a lot of old blacksmith tools and equipment and we needed a place to display and store them,” McKay says. Relic House was one of the first homes in Mt. Pleasant to be built outside of the fort that housed the area’s first settlers. Mt. Pleasant City was officially founded in 1859. Nearly two-thirds of the city’s earliest settlers were Scandinavian pioneers who immigrated to Utah from Canada, the United States and England. For more information on the Pioneer Day Luncheon, contact McKay at (435) 462-2787. # # # |
| For more information Contact:Monte Bona Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council (435) 462-2502 |
Sanpete County Aims to Add More ‘Preserve America’ Communities to its List – Press Release 2/20/2005
| DATE 02/20/2005 7:36 PM |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89. Sanpete County Aims to Add More ‘Preserve America’ Communities to its List |
| Sanpete County is the proud home of two of Utah’s four Preserve America communities, and local preservationists and government leaders would like to see the numbers increase this year. Preserve America is a White House initiative that encourages and supports community efforts to preserve cultural and natural heritage. It is chaired by First Lady Laura Bush. Currently, 220 communities throughout the United States carry the designation, including Mt. Pleasant and Manti.“We’d like to see cities and town all throughout Sanpete County become Preserve American communities,” says Monte Bona, a member of the Mt. Pleasant City Council and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance. Communities apply for the designation through the national agency. The most recent communities were announced by Mrs. Bush earlier this month, and the next quarterly deadline for applications is March 1. “We are encouraging our communities that have projects and programs that convey their national heritage to apply for the program,” Bona says.
Mt. Pleasant received its designation in August 2004 and Manti in November 2004. Mt. Pleasant was recognized for its preservation efforts and enjoyment of its historical and cultural resources is an important part of the country’s heritage. “You honor our nation’s past and inspire and educate for the future,” Mrs. Bush wrote in a letter to the community. “As your community shares its story with residents and visitors, you set a great example for others.” Manti was honored for its use of Old City Hall was a museum and travel and information center, and praised for the more than 4,200 community volunteer hours that went into revitalizing the building. The use of Old City Hall as a travel information center is an important component of Manti’s participation in regional efforts to promote tourism along Highway 89, the spine of the proposed Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area. Reuse of the building is also a cornerstone of an ongoing Main Street Enhancement Project. The Manti Historic Preservation Commission, which was established in 2003, was also recognized by Preserve America for playing a vital role, as is the effort to have parts of the city listed in the National Register of Places as a historic district. “Manti is being established as our county seat,” Bona says. “This designation, as well as the development of the Mormon Pioneer Heritage Center, which is being developed in coordination with Snow College and Utah State University, is among the reason’s the city is key to our development efforts.” The proposed Mormon Pioneer Heritage Center will coordinate research and extension efforts in recreation, heritage tourism and agriculture, and is closely connected to the proposed bill by Sen. Bob Bennett to establish a Mormon Pioneer Heritage Area. The goals of Preserve America include a greater shared knowledge about the Nation’s past; strengthened regional identities and local pride; increased local participation in preserving the country’s cultural and natural heritage assets; and support for the economic vitality of communities. Communities designated through the program receive national recognition for their efforts. Benefits include use of the Preserve America logo, listing in a government Web-based directory to showcase preservation and heritage tourism efforts, and eligibility for special existing and proposed Preserve America grants and funding through various government agencies. For more information, including brief profiles of the communities, application forms, and procedures, visit www.PreserveAmerica.gov/communities.html. # # # |
| For more information Contact:Monte Bona Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council (435) 462-2502 |
Life of “Big Daddy” Roth Subject of New Movie – Press Release 2/12/2005
| DATE 02/12/2005 4:19 PM |
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This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89. Life of “Big Daddy” Roth Subject of New Movie |
| The life of Manti’s “Big Daddy” Roth is coming to the big screen.Toronto film maker Ron Mann is making a documentary about the late Ed Roth, who was famous for designing and building hotrod cars, including the Beatnik Bandit, and for creating the 1960s cartoon character Rat Fink and related paraphernalia. Roth, who moved to Manti from California in 1987, died in April 2001 at the age of 69.
The movie, Confessions of a Hot Roddin’, Pinstripin’, Kustomizin’, Teenage Icon, is set to be released later this year. “I am so happy to have a movie that will preserve Ed’s legacy,” says Ilene Roth, Ed Roth’s widow and the Sanpete County auditor. She and her late husband met with Mann in 2000 when he came to Utah to discuss the film. “Ed was very excited about having a movie produced to spotlight his creations with Rat Fink and fiberglass cars. It was his dream and it will soon be a reality.” An avid hotrod enthusiast from the age of 12, Ed Roth started out by fixing up old cars in his garage. He then moved on to building cars from scratch and quickly became known as an artist rather than a mechanic, with his creations earning the title “sculptures on wheels.” He financed his passion by making cartoons and T-shirts, including drawings of cars and monsters driving cars. His most famous cartoon character was a rodent named Rat Fink, which became very popular in the 1960s and was featured on posters, T-shirts, rings and more. Every year, Ilene Roth holds a “Rat Fink Reunion” celebration to honor the life of her late husband. This year’s reunion will be held May 12-14. The weekend attracts hundreds of his fans from around the world. One of the reunion’s special events is an open house at the “museum” Ilene Roth built on to her house to showcase Ed Roth’s creations. His art work is framed and hanging on the walls, and other memorabilia is on display. The museum is also open to the public year-round by appointment. # # # |
| For more information Contact:Monte Bona Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council (435) 462-2502 |
Highway Alliance Has High Hopes for Bennett Bill This Session; Keeping Eye on State Tourism Legislation – Press Release 2/7/2005
| DATE 02/07/2005 12:23 PM |
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This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89. Highway Alliance Has High Hopes for Bennett Bill This Session; |
| The third time is the charm. At least, that is what members of the Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance are hoping for with Sen. Bob Bennett’s National Mormon Pioneer Heritage Area bill.The legislation, which would designate a 300-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 89 as a heritage area, is scheduled to be heard by the Senate during its 109th session this year. The bill has passed the Senate twice previously, but both times was bogged down in the House of Representatives and failed to pass before Congress adjourned.
“Rep. Chris Cannon has assured us that he will work very hard to get the bill heard in the House this session,” says Monte Bona, a member of the alliance and Mt. Pleasant City Council. “We are hoping that the bill is approved by both houses this year. It has been a long wait.” Meanwhile, Bona, along with other local preservation and government officials, is keeping a close eye on legislation before the Utah Legislature — Senate Bill 7. It pertains to promoting tourism in Utah, and Bona hopes part of its focus will be on heritage tourism. “Utah has long been known as a place to ski and visit beautiful national parks, and we support continuing to promote these assets,” Bona says. “But we’d also like to see the state focus on its heritage tourism attractions.” Heritage tourism is the fastest-growing segment in the tourism industry in America. Utah has some of the most outstanding heritage tourism attractions in the country, including Temple Square, Old Deseret Village and This Is The Place State Park, and attractions along U.S. Highway 89 from Cache Valley to Kanab, Bona says. “The cities and towns along the heritage highway are the best remaining examples of how Mormon pioneers colonized in Utah.” Highlighting the region’s heritage was the impetus behind the Bennett bill, he adds. “The purpose of the designation is first to recognize Mormon heritage, and second, to promote tourism and economic development in the area,” Bona says. The National Mormon Pioneer Heritage Area would include six counties: Sanpete, Sevier, Piute, Wayne, Garfield and Kane. It also includes the All-American Road Highway 12 and Highway 24, which branch off from U.S. 89. The national designation would mean that the counties would receive $10 million over the next decade in federal funds for marketing, preservation and related projects. Currently, the Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance promotes attractions in the cities and town along U.S. Highway 89 in a number of ways. It has created a brochure “The Artisans and Crafters of Utah’s Heritage Highway 89,” that features the products created by artists and craft makers along the highway. The alliance has also produced documentaries, including Stories Along U.S. Highway 89, which features the people, places and history of Highway 89, and includes in-depth interviews and historical re-enactments. The alliance has also organized tours for writers and the general public, and promotes special events that take place along the historical route and celebrate the region’s heritage. # # # |
| For more information Contact:Monte Bona Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council (435) 462-2502 |
Fountain Green Hosts “Bald Eagle Day” Visitors will see, learn about the nation’s bird – Press Release 1/29/2005
| DATE 01/29/2005 4:26 PM |
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This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89. Fountain Green Hosts “Bald Eagle Day” |
| Sanpete County residents, along with people traveling down the Heritage Highway, U.S. Highway 89, will get a chance to see and learn about bald eagles Saturday, Feb. 5 as the Utah State Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) hosts its annual Bald Eagle Day.The event will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Fountain Green State Fish Hatchery, located one mile north of Fountain Green. A sign will be posted along the main roadways directing people to an access road that leads to the hatchery. Similar events are being held throughout the state the same day.
“Spotting scopes will be set up at each viewing site, and DWR biologists and volunteers will be available to help viewers spot eagles and to answer any questions they may have,” says Bob Walters, Watchable Wildlife coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources. Displays also will be set up at each location and pamphlets and other materials about bald eagles will be available. Walters advises those attending to dress warmly and, if there’s snow on the ground, to wear waterproof boots. For those interested in photographing the eagles a telephoto lens is a must, as the eagles will be some distance from the viewing areas. “Photographers who don’t bring the proper equipment and try to get close to the eagles for a better shot will most likely scare them away, losing their chance to photograph them and ruining the viewing experience for all those who attend,” Walters says. Walters started Bald Eagle Day in 1990 as a way to introduce people to Utah’s wildlife. Since it began Bald Eagle Day has grown into Utah’s most well-attended, and one of its most enjoyed, wildlife-viewing events. For more information about Bald Eagle Day, call Scott Root at 801-491-5656. # # # |
| For more information Contact:Monte Bona Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council (435) 462-2502 |
Wasatch Academy Celebrates 130th Birthday; Plans Events to Promote School, Heritage – Press Release 1/24/2005
| DATE 01/24/2005 7:28 AM |
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This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89. Wasatch Academy Celebrates 130th Birthday; |
| Wasatch Academy, one of Utah’s oldest schools, is celebrating its 130th birthday this year, and students, faculty, parents, alumni and the greater community are invited to join in the festivities.Located in Mt. Pleasant, the academy was founded in 1875. Covering 17 acres in Sanpete County’s hub city, the academy boasts some of oldest building in the region. In fact, the entire campus, which includes classrooms, a gymnasium, dormitories, a large playing field, homes for faculty and a museum, has earned historical designation. It continues to be an attraction along Utah’s heritage highway, U.S. Highway 89.Special events to mark the 130th birthday include Parents’ Day Feb. 4-6, which brings students families to campus for a weekend of celebrations and excursions. This year, there will be a ski trip, a dinner and fund-raising auction. Parents will also attend parent/teacher conferences, and have opportunities to interact with their Childs teachers and classmates.
April 16, the school will hold its annual Founder’s Day, and events and activities will promote the history and future of the school. As part of its’ year-long birthday celebration, Wasatch Academy also hopes to increase awareness of its offerings in the community and throughout Utah. “We are very interested in finding more ways to promote the school within Mt. Pleasant and the entire state, especially in terms of how we fit in and contribute to the heritage highway,” says Vern Fisher, the school’s development director. “We are interested in having people come see the campus and go on tours. For example, we have a museum that is quite amazing. We also have 12 original Stansfield painting displayed throughout the campus and 14 original Ansel Adams photos displayed in the new student center. The Ansel Adams photos were donated to the school by the artist (, whose grandson was one of our students.” The private boarding school, which has a reputation for outstanding academics and individualized student attention, has some 146 students enrolled in grades 9 through 12. The academy, accredited by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges since 1939, is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools and the College Board. Wasatch Academy’s students come from 14 different countries and 24 states. About 14 of its students are “day students,” meaning they attend classes and school functions, but live with their families in the community. “We have kids from all walks of life, there are many different cultures represented,” Fisher says. “The diversity that the school helps bring into rural Utah is absolutely phenomenal.” Most of the students start in ninth grade and stay through their senior years. “In fact, just this week, the start of spring semester, we had 20 new students join us, most of them freshmen. With our retention rate, we expect most of them to stay for four years,” Fisher says. Not only do students come from around the world, the school also has special international programs. One is its Tibetan scholarship. “Every four years, we get two new Tibetan students. They literally arrive here with nothing, they often come straight from refugee camps in Nepal,” Fisher says. “Two new students will soon be joining us soon, as two of our current Tibetan students are about to graduate. This is the second group of students we’ve had. Students who have gone through the program stay in the United States for school and then plan to return to their country.” Another unique component at Wasatch is the interaction among students, faculty and staff. The school has about 50 full-time and 25 part-time employees, with 50 percent of the faculty and staff living on campus. Faculty and staff interact with students all day, including at meals and after-hours study sessions, often held in the faculty member’s homes in the evenings. “There is excellent one-on-one time between students and faculty. The structure of the students’ life in regard to their study habits is one of Wasatch’s best attributes,” Fisher says. “Wasatch Academy is truly a community inside a community. For example, all meals are eaten in the dining hall. Families of our teachers and staff are all encouraged to join the students and teachers for meals.” There is also a day-care on campus for children of employees. Students also mingle with the community, regularly going on outings and excursions such as shopping sprees, movies or ski trips. The school’s cross-country ski team participates with the public school’s districts’ team, and they are currently looking into creating a joint La Crosse team. “Throughout the years, we’ve had a good relationship and association with the city and public school district. Today there is a synergy coming together. We are working hand- in- hand for the betterment of the city as whole,” Fisher says. The school also has extensive extra-curricular activities, one being its outstanding debate program. Last year, the school hosted the world debate championships, an event that attracted participants from around the world to Mt. Pleasant. Recently, Wasatch Academy was designed at the location for the National World debate semi-finals to be held annually. This year’s competition will be Jan. 21-23. “This is a permanent designation,” Fisher says, adding it is the first such honour for a Western U.S. school. For more information, visit Wasatch Academy’s website at www.wacad.org # # # |
| For more information Contact:Monte Bona Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council (435) 462-2502 |
Film On Heritage Highway Wins Prestigious National Award – Press Release 1/17/
| DATE 01/17/2005 12:02 PM |
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This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89. Film On Heritage Highway Wins Prestigious National Award |
| The film “Stories Along U.S. Highway 89,” produced by Rob Sibley of KBYU and featuring the people, places and history of Utah’s Heritage Highway, has earned “Gold Finalist” distinction at the annual MarCom Creative Awards.The prestigious MarCom Creative Awards is an international competition for marketing and communications professionals. It includes print, visual and audio materials and entries came from corporate marketing and communications departments, advertising agencies, graphic design shops and freelancers. The awards are part of the Communicator Awards, one of the largest, oldest and most respected competitions in the communications field.The film which was filmed along U.S. Highway, including in Sanpete County, includes in-depth interviews and historical re-enactments. It focuses on themes relevant to the Heritage Highway and features the natural landscape along the highway. The film was produced so that the individual segments can also run as stand-alone five-minute “infomercials” on public television stations.
The documentary focuses on 10 themes: Native Americans, Mormon pioneers, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Utah ghost towns, movie making, national parks and recreation areas, hidden treasures, John D. Lee, artists, and the Mountains Meadow Massacre. It includes interviews with people who participated in the “Famous and Infamous Along U.S. Highway 89” lecture series. The series was held throughout the cities and towns along the heritage highway as a way of informing the public of the route’s history and influence. Last year, Stories Along U.S. Highway 89 received a Best of State medal, the premier public forum for awards and recognition in the state of Utah. The competition is dedicated to promoting higher visibility and public awareness for outstanding individuals, businesses. The film has also won a prestigious Videographer’s Award. The film premiered on BYU-TV worldwide TV and aired on KBYU-Channel 11. # # # |
| For more information Contact:Monte Bona Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council (435) 462-2502 |
Library Receives Early Christmas Gift from Arts Council – Press Release 12/18/04
| DATE 12/18/2004 7:15 AM |
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This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89. Library Receives Early Christmas Gift from Arts Council |
| The Folk Arts Program of the Utah Arts Council and the Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council are giving Mt. Pleasant a special gift this holiday season.They have donated 46 cassette recordings by folklorist Jens Lund to the Mt. Pleasant library. Lund interviewed a number of local artists and historians about the traditions and lifestyle of Sanpete County residents as part of a project to document and present local culture.
The project, “Utah’s Sanpete Valley: The Heart of the Mormon West,” produced a driving tour of Sanpete County. The tapes are 90-minute “history lessons” of the Sanpete County region, complete with stories and anecdotes told by people residing in the area. The tour allows people to listen as they explore and pass through the region in their vehicles. The package also included a written guide with maps, photos, illustrations and text featuring local residents and attractions . The collection of cassette recordings donated to the library include interviews with local residents Victor Rasmussen, Helen Dyreng, Senator Leonard Blackham, Mack and Ora Morley and Virginia Nielson, to name just a few. There are also recordings of performances by Dee Blackburn, Aden “V” Johnson, Joe Frishknecht, Hilmar Peterson, Nyra Nielson and others. Transcriptions of many of the tape-recorded interviews are also being donated. “These recordings will provide a unique resource for those researching local history for years to come,” says Carol Edison, folks arts coordinator for the Utah Arts Council. “The Utah Arts Council and the Sanpete Heritage Council are delighted for them to be housed in Mt. Pleasant’s fine library. We encourage anyone interested in learning more about Sanpete Valley and its people to listen to the tapes and learn from some of the people who’ve helped create that history.” The tapes are also available for purchase at tourist centers and museums throughout the area, including the Fairview Museum, Mt. Pleasant City and Ephraim Co-op. The 90-minute program is available on two tapes or compact discs. For more information about the Folk Arts Program of the Utah Arts Council and it’s programs to document and present traditional Utah arts and culture, visit www.http://arts.utah.gov/folkarts or call 801-533-5760. # # # |
| For more information Contact:Monte Bona Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council (435) 462-2502 |
Snowmobiler’s Delight in Sanpete County Offerings – Press Release 11/30/04
| DATE 11/30/2004 6:29 AM |
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This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89. Snowmobiler’s Delight in Sanpete County Offerings |
| When the weather outside is frightful, snowmobiler’s know that one thing will soon be delightful: the trails in Sanpete County.The region boasts some of the best trails for snowmobiling in the entire country, and the combination of fresh snow and access to fabulous routes keep people coming back year after year, local sporting enthusiasts say.
Snowmobiling enthusiasts should be sure to visit the county this season and check out the Arapeen trail system. The routes, found primarily in the Manti LaSal national forest, have been carefully marked and mapped to ensure that riders find their way around the 370 miles that make up the trail system. The trail system was recently redesigned and includes bridges, culverts and water bars. Another draw is Fairview Canyon. The paved canyon road leads to a trail head that provides access to more than 60 miles of trails to the north at Skyline Drive and some 30 miles to the south to Joe’s Valley. Snowmobiling has long been a huge benefit for Sanpete County, contributing by means of snowmobiler’s eating in local restaurants, staying in our hotels and bed and breakfasts and visiting our stores and shops. # # # |
| For more information Contact:Monte Bona Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council (435) 462-2502 |
Holiday Celebrations Scheduled in Sanpete County – Press Release 11/29/04
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Mt. Pleasant Violin Maker Forming Ties with China – Press Release 11/19/04
| DATE 11/19/2004 10:11 AM |
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This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89. Mt. Pleasant Violin Maker Forming Ties with China |
| This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council about the people, places and preservation efforts along U.S. Highway 89, the Heritage Highway. Paul Hart is used to teaching himself new skills. As a teenager, he learned to make cellos and violins on his own, and now runs a violin-making school and studio in Mt. Pleasant.So the fact that he has once again become his own teacher is not a surprise. But his chosen subject is: Mandarin. Hart has been trying to learn the language ever since he traveled to China a year ago to teach violin making.
He quickly became enamored by the country, its landscape, people, and history, and is now is hoping to learn more about it by studying its language. He plans to return to China to again next month for another teaching session. “I’m looking forward to it, I really enjoyed my last trip and would love to actually live there for a little while and teach,” Hart says during an interview from The Tree’s Breath Violin Making School in Mt. Pleasant. Hart was asked to go to China by his former student, Jay Ifshin, who owns violin-making companies in Berkeley, California, and Guangzhou, China. “I went over as a consultant. They don’t have a long tradition of violin making in China, so I was helping them with style and details. Their goal is to produce the highest-quality violins in China.” Hart, who has been teaching violin making for decades, said the experience was very different from teaching in the United States. Here he teaches to students who pay tuition to learn the craft, and it takes about four years to become a violin maker. In China, he was teaching people who are employees of a company. “They are paid to make violins. I don’t know if that is the reason, but they learn a lot faster. I tell them what to do, show them how to do it, and they get it done,” Hart says. Many of the tools used in the craft are different in China, as are some of the techniques. But his Chinese pupils are open and receptive to new ideas and concepts, he says. Hart was able to spend about a week traveling in China during his last visit. “I took about 500 pictures, it was just amazing.” Guangzhou is located about 100 miles from Hong Kong, and he traveled with a tour group of native residents to Beijing and other cities. “I saw quite a bit of the country. It was very interesting traveling with Chinese citizens to see parts of China that they had never before seen,” he says. Hart hopes to do more sightseeing during his return visit. He’d also like to form more ties to the country. “Some of my other former students are interested in starting a violin-making school over there. I don’t know if it will happen or not, we’ll see.” For now, Hart is looking forward to his trip and continues to teach and build violins in Mt. Pleasant. He opened his school about six years ago in a 100-year-old building on the city’s Main Street. Before moving to Sanpete County, which he chose for its rustic, rural lifestyle, Hart had been teaching his craft and living in Salt Lake City since 1969. He has also spent time in Mexico teaching and making violins at a special art school. # # # |
| For more information Contact:Monte Bona Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council (435) 462-2502 |
Sustainable Agriculture Focus of Upcoming Conference – Press Release 11/7/2004
| DATE 11/07/2004 7:15 AM |
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This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89. Sustainable Agriculture Focus of Upcoming Conference |
| The Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council is teaming with the Utah State University’s extension services to help farmers learn more about sustainable agriculture.The two are organizing a February conference that will feature John Ikerd, a prominent national expert in the field. The first-ever event will be held in Brigham City and is aimed reaching farmers in Sanpete County, along U.S. Highway 89 and across Utah.”We are looking at all sort of ways that we can help farmers, both locally and across the state,” says Gary Anderson, a USU extension agent and former mayor of Ephraim. “We are exploring new practices and looking back to the past to find ways to help increase income for farmers.”
This includes more profitable methods for farmers to take their products from farm gate to plate, community support such as promoting and improving farmers’ markets, and new products and commodities. The February session will include a keynote presentation by John Ikerd, a professor emeritus of agricultural economics at the University of Missouri-Columbia. John Ikerd is also the state coordinator of extension programs in sustainable agriculture, and helped implement a national professional development program for farmers and agricultural workers. He also researches educational programs and the effects of sustainable agriculture on farm families and rural communities. Ikerd, who was raised on a small dairy farm in Missouri, has spent 30 years in various professional positions at four major land grant universities. He advocates that to be sustainable, agriculture must be ecologically sound, economically viable and socially responsible. At the conference, he will discuss how agriculture that uses up or degrades it natural resource base, or pollutes the environment, will eventually lose its ability to produce and therefore is not sustainable. For his part, Anderson has been involved in numerous endeavors related to promoting and starting businesses in communities along U.S. Highway 89, the Heritage Highway, including helping craft makers and business owners market their products. He also was extensively involved in a feasibility study pertaining to business activity along the historical route. |
| For more information Contact:Monte Bona Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council (435) 462-2502 |
Drive-In Is Longtime Hometown Favorite – Press Release 10/27/2004
| DATE 10/27/2004 7:15 AM |
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This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89. Drive-In Is Longtime Hometown Favorite |
| It is been an icon in Mt. Pleasant for more than five decades. For many, its name is synonymous with fun, good times and comfort food. We’re talking, of course, about Rodgers Dairy Freeze.It has proudly stood on Main Street and U.S. Highway 89 for 50 years, selling ice cream, hamburgers, French fries, onion rings, and even salads and pasta to locals and visitors alike.
Over the years, it has seen many owners, most recently Rodger and Jenni Johansen, but its mainstay has remained the same: good times, good food and a helping hometown goodness on the side. The Dairy Freeze is a little lesson in local history itself. The L.U. Mumford family, who built the Dairy Freeze, served a prominent resident from Moroni who was the bishop of the local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ward, so the story goes. He ordered a sweet combination of ingredients that included pineapple, strawberry, chocolate so often that it became known as the Bishop Shake. It is still on the menu, along with about a dozen other combinations and flavors. The Johansen say they keep people coming back by changing the menu often, trying out new things and giving their customers a chance to have their say. They also try to make their business part of the community, even offering free shakes to anyone willing to donate historical photos of Mt. Pleasant or Sanpete County. # # # |
| For more information Contact:Monte Bona Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council (435) 462-2502 |
FOR SALE: ONE HISTORICAL UTAH TOWN, $1 PER PERSON” – Press Release 10/23/2004
| DATE 10/23/2004 7:00 AM |
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This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89. FOR SALE: ONE HISTORICAL UTAH TOWN, $1 PER PERSON” |
| Kelly Taylor is practically giving away a historical Utah town.For $1 per member, families can purchase 1.1 acres of land to build a home or cabin. The only requirements are buyers must be descendants of one of the town’s original settlers and agree to document their entire family history.
“If there are 10,000 people in a family line, fine, each family member can each pay their $1 when they want to, there are no upfront requirements,” says Taylor. “But they have to trace their ancestry for us, starting with the youngest newborn baby and going back to the original pioneer who lived in the town. Right now, we are working with one family who has traced their roots back to a settler who was a polygamist, and there are 1,000 descendants from him.” Taylor and his 90-year-old father, Vance, own 88 acres of land in Wayne County that was once known as the town of Giles or the Old Blue Valley. They bought the land, located in southeastern Utah near the Fremont River and east of Capitol Reef Park, in 1971 but never developed it. A few years ago, they considered selling it for use as a feedlot. “The minute we offered it, it started wearing on my mind. I kept asking myself “is this the best use for this old historical town, turning it into a cow pasture?”” Taylor says. He and his father decided a better idea was to give the town back to the original inhabitants, so to speak. “So we started talking with the county about restoring it, and they bought into the idea right away,” Taylor says. The town of Giles was created in1880, set up by Mormon settlers to produce cotton, sorghum and silkworms. “It was intended to grow things that couldn’t be grown anywhere else in the state except maybe in Dixie,” Taylor says. The town was named after its first bishop and county commissioner, Henry Giles, who died not long after its settlement. Between about 1880 and 1910, more than 90 different families lived in the town. “It was the biggest town in Wayne County, next to Loa,” Taylor says. “During that time, about 1,200 acres of land was cultivated and farmed, using a lengthy and intricate ditch system that diverted water from up the Fremont River.” But the area was plagued by flooding, and in 1910, there was such a severe flood that all of the residents had to flee. “They walked away with nothing. Some of them had been there 30 years. Many of them couldn’t even get their team of horses or anything from their homes, the flood took every bit of it and rolled it down into the Grand Canyon,” Taylor says. According to local history, the town’s bishop at the time stood on the highest hill and proclaimed that what people saw and experienced that day would never be believed, Taylor says. “Entire homes, whole orchards and herds of livestock were floating by, going down the river. It was just devastating. Everyone was released from their mission and told to find new lives and new places.” All that is now left of the town is the outline of rock foundations where homes once stood, along with some chimneys and the fragments of a church. “But all of the adobe bricks that the houses were made out of have long since decayed, it’s just a pile of rubble at the foot of the wall” Taylor says. He has been gathering personal histories and old photographs of the town, which he plans to publish on a web site. “I’m interviewing different people every week. I sit down with them, pick their brain and put on a tape and let them talk.” He even has a photo of the old church with about 40 people standing out in front of it. “This area is just rich in Mormon history,” he says. He also holds reunions at the town’s site twice a year, on Memorial Day and Labor Day. In preparation for selling plots of land to descendants for $1 per person, Taylor has divided the town into its original 1.1 acre sections. “It isn’t about money to us. We want people to build on the lot, but with materials that authentic to the era, and collect old farm pieces — anything that will make it look like it did back then. I hope that families come here and plant a whole variety of plants and trees and gardens, varieties that the settlers were sent here to grow,” Taylor says. He is also hoping to locate and move old buildings and cabins from other areas of the state into the town. “No way am I putting anything in there made of new lumber. We want people to put forth a real effort and help us restore the area to the way it once was.” If you have questions or information for Kelly Taylor, he may be reached at his St. George home at (435) 656-0252. ### |
| For more information Contact:Monte Bona Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council (435) 462-2502 |
Preserving “Main Streets” a Priority in Cities Along U.S. Highway 89 – Press Release 10/08/2004
| DATE 10/08/2004 1:44 PM |
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This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89. Preserving “Main Streets” a Priority in Cities Along U.S. Highway 89 |
| The cities and towns along U.S. Highway 89 are continuing their efforts to restore their historical Main Streets, with many of the cities making Main Street preservation projects a priority. As well, many of the local governments are making such projects part of their master plans, emphasizing that historical preservation is a key to economic success.Indeed, traveling along U.S. Highway 89 is like stepping back in time. Many of the buildings along the route have been lovingly preserved, restored and renovated. Most of the preservation efforts have been spearheaded by local citizens’ groups and supported by grants from private and state and federal government agencies, in coordination with the Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council.Here are highlights of some of the many important Main Street projects that have been completed or initiated in the region:FAIRVIEW Fairview Museum of History and Art. The building was constructed as a school in 1900 of quarry-sandstone. It burned down in 1916 and was rebuilt in 1917. However, the roof design was significantly changed during the reconstruction. The Fairview Museum Corporation restored the building to its former glory. There was a complete structural reconstruction and profile-design restoration of the roof in 1999, which brought it back to its original appearance. The interior has also been refurbished as galleries. Main Street: The Citizens’ Advisory Committee, coordinated by Mary Goodwin, worked to make improvements along the historical Main Street. This included renovated existing historic buildings, improving the downtown park, getting new businesses to locate downtown and planting trees and flowers. MT. PLEASANT SPRING CITY FOUNTAIN GREEN Theatre & DUP Building: The 100-year-old theatre and dance hall was restored for use as a community center, where local artisans and craft makers can display their talents and wares. The structure is really two buildings: one side was used as a theater, the other, as a dance hall and later a cultural hall by the LDS church. The project was supported by the Fountain Green Heritage Committee, the Eccles Foundation, and local volunteers. Local volunteers also helped restore the Daughters of the Utah Pioneer Building. A former Bishop s warehouse, the structure was built in 1906. The building is now used by the DUP for its meetings and as a museum. EPHRAIM Ephraim Co-op: A large stone structure, the Ephraim co-op was built in the late 1870s as a cooperative store and is now home to a well-known handicraft store and museum. These two structures are good examples of the kinds of buildings Ephraim hopes to improve and protect through its new master plan. The city recently approved a new plan that calls for maintaining historically important buildings along Main Street and in other sections of town. MANTI Historic Manti House Inn: Run by Jennifer and Jason Nicholes, the renovated inn was built in the late 1800s and originally to provide housing for people working on the Manti LDS temple. building sat vacant for several years until it was turned into a bed and breakfast in 1985. Since that time, it has been a popular attraction for visitors to the Manti pageant in the summer, as well as to newlyweds and couples celebrating anniversaries. It also has two banquet halls that are popular places for wedding luncheons. GUNNISON MORONI |
| For more information Contact:Monte Bona Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council (435) 462-2502 |
Historical “Star” May Soon Shine Again – Press Release 10/01/2004
| DATE 10/01/2004 2:17 PM |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89. Historical “Star” May Soon Shine Again. |
| The historical Star Theater may soon be shining bright once again along Gunnison’s Main Street.The community group Save our Star is moving ahead with plans to buy the theatre and restore it to its former glory. Recently, the group, which is headed by Lori Nay, a member of the Gunnison City Council and Gunnison Arts Council, signed a sale agreement to purchase the theater. The group has until January to finalize the deal.
The theatre, which is listed on the National Registrar of Historic Places, is believed to be one of the last Beaux Arts-style theaters in the Western United States. Built in 1912 as the “Casino Theater,” it was one of several similar theatres built in the state around that time. Other structures include Ogden’s Egyptian Theater and the Capitol Theater in Salt Lake. The name was changed to the Star Theater in 1936. At one time, stone angels, flowers, urns and other ornamental details graced the theater and its name Theatre. But over time, as the building started to fall into disrepair, most of those details deteriorated. As well, a modern entrance was added to the building. But the theater still includes its original dressing rooms and orchestra pit. Nay and others have been trying to acquire and restore the theater for years, but they encountered problems raising enough money in time to purchase the building when it was last up for sale in 1987. The current owner, who also runs a theater in Payson, recently decided to retire and put the theater on the market again. Save our Star will be banding together once again to try and raise money to complete the deal and will be looking to the community and state for assistance. The group hopes to eventually run the theater as a movie theater and special-events facility. They say it has the potential to be showpiece both for the city and county, and hope to attract film festivals, music concerts and other events. # # # |
| For more information Contact:Monte Bona Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council (435) 462-2502 |