Category Archives: Press Releases

Mother-Daughter Team Press Love, Luck With Flower Business – Press Release 4/28/2003

DATE 4/28/2003 4:55 PM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Heritage Council on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89.

Mother-Daughter Team Press Love, Luck With Flower Business

One could say that Kristy Lanesem is pressing her luck literally and figuratively. After all, not many people can walk away from a teaching career in order to spend more time with their family and end up starting a successful business. But that is exactly what happened to Lanesem, and all it took was a little luck and a lot of help from mom.It was kind of a leap of faith, Lanesem says of her decision to leave teaching seven years ago. She was living in California at the time and expecting her third child. She wanted to find a job that would allow her to stay at home with her children. We really couldn’tt afford for me to quit teaching at the time, so I had to think of something. So Lanesem did the obvious she called her mom.I remember she said to me mom, there must be something that we could make and turn into a business, says Shirley Kleven, who studied art at Brigham Young University. So I said let me think about it for a while and that was how it all started.

What the two started was Pressed With Love, a business where they create pressed flower art. They take flowers they have picked and pressed themselves and create designs to complement a saying, poem or religious passage. They then matt and frame the passage and flowers, which are intended to be displayed or hung on walls. I m more of the artist and she is more of the organizer and book keeper, although my daughter is a good artist as well, Kleven says. We work well together in that way.

The pair started out making just enough pictures to sell in local shops, but word of mouth kicked in shortly thereafter and the business that was originally intended to help a young mother and her mother make some extra money started to grow. When Kleven moved to Mt. Pleasant with her husband, who was born in the area, Lanesem s family joined them two years ago. Their flower art now sells in stores all along U.S. Highway 89, and in shops and books stores such as Deseret Book across the state, nation and even in Canada.

Their works range in size from six inches by six inches to as large as 16 inches by 24 inches, and include more than 100 different kinds of flowers. We ve learned over the years which flowers are best to use, which flowers won t fade, Kleven says. We get flowers from everywhere, Lanesem adds. We grow a lot of them my mom has a huge garden and neighbors will call us and say we ve got the most beautiful flowers, you have to come and pick some of them. The two also spend one day a week in Manti, collecting and pressing flowers that grow on the Manti temple grounds. That arrangement began with Kleven contacted the grounds gardener and he invited them to press the flowers he pulls each week during his routine maintenance. Everything has just worked out for us, it s been a real blessing for both of us, Kleven says. Lanesem adds I never imagined it would grow into this, and it s really fun working with my mom, we have a great time together.

The two recently attended their first wholesale craft show. We had no idea what to expect, Lanesem says. We thought if we just got enough orders to pay for the booth space $500 it would be worth the learning experience. But they collected more than $12,000 worth of orders in only three days. That is more than enough to keep us busy until Christmas, Kleven says with a laugh.

Their flourishing business has them looking to hire some help and set up an office outside of their homes. Right now, I have my pressed flowers in an extra room that is supposed to be my dining room, Lanesem says with a laugh. Now that we are thinking about renting space, maybe I ll have a real dining room one day.

For more information Contact:Monte Bona
Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council
(435) 462-2502

Bikers Raise Money to Prevent Child Abuse, Protect Future – Press Release 4/20/2003

DATE 4/20/2003 7:22 PM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Heritage Council on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89.

Bikers Raise Money to Prevent Child Abuse, Protect Future

What do hundreds of motorcycle riders, poker, child abuse prevention and U.S. Highway 89 have in common? To find out the answer, keep an eye out on the highway and cities and towns along the historic route April 25-27. You might just see large groups of motorcycle riders winding their way down the highway to raise money for Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA).

The Utah chapters of BACA are holding a fund-raising “poker run” in the region to raise money for their cause. They will be stopping in cities along the historic route collecting playing cards and putting together the best poker hand they can.

“Weather permitting, they may be as many as 600 of us,” says Todd Bailey, a member of the BACA Central Utah Chapter. The association, which has nine Utah chapters, was organized about eight years ago with the goal of creating a safer environment for abused children. BACA works with local and state officials to lend emotional and physical support to abused children, including supporting them at court and parole hearings and attending interviews. The organization now has 24 chapters in 22 states and in Canada.

“We go to court with the children to let them know that they are not alone,” says Bailey, whose group was recently in court to support Elizabeth Smart. “The empowerment a child can get from seeing a big, ugly biker in the courtroom who is there just to support them can be enough to put these perpetrators away.”

Other BACA chapters are holding similar fund-raising events across the nation the same weekend as part of National Child Abuse Prevention month. “We are hoping to increase awareness of what we are trying to do,” Bailey says. “Kids are our future and if we are not out there to help them, what kind of future do we have?”

The weekend event is being coordinated with assistance from Loretta Johnson, owner of the Wind Walker Guest Ranch where many BACA members are staying, and Curt Hawkins, who has helped organize tours of U.S. Highway 89, the Heritage Highway. Hawkins became acquainted with BACA while covering a court trial in Utah County. “I’m not a biker, not even close, but I heard about what they do and I was drawn to it,” he says.

The Wind Walker Guest Ranch will be the starting base for the poker run, which will be held Saturday. Bikers will ride to numerous cities in the Sanpete County area, including Mt. Pleasant, Fountain Green, Gunnison and Ephraim, as well as Levan, collecting playing cards. Pledges in support of their efforts are being collected prior to the event.

Following the “run,” there will be a dance and other activities at the Wind Walker Guest Ranch, which will be open to the public. There will also be a pre-poker run ride on Friday throughout the region, and Sunday there will be games and other activities at the ranch. Some BACA members and other participants may also camp at the rodeo grounds in Mt. Pleasant throughout the weekend, and do some leisurely riding as well. “There are some pleasurable rides down there,” Bailey says. U.S. Highway 89 was named the No. 1 riding trail in the nation a couple of years ago by the American Motorcycle Association.

For more information Contact:

Monte Bona
Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council
(435) 462-2502
or BACA members John Motsinger (801) 224-7583 or Todd Bailey, (801) 763-0887.

 

“Artists at Work” to stop at local furniture maker’s shop – Press Release – 4/13/2003

DATE 4/13/2003 6:24 PM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Heritage Council on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89.

“Artists at Work” to stop at local furniture maker’s shop

When the inaugural Artists at Work tour rolls into Mt. Pleasant next month, participants will get the chance to see an “artist at work” and experience a bit of history courtesy of local furniture maker Dale Peel. Peel, who owns Peel Furniture Works on Mt. Pleasant’s historic Main Street, creates wooden furniture, mostly reproductions of the type of furnishings commonly seen in Utah homes 100 years ago. “We call it Mormon pioneer furniture,” says Peel, who has displayed his creations in his Main Street shop for the past 10 years. Peel’s store also doubles as his shop and studio for himself and two assistants, which makes his business an ideal stop for the touring group. The “Artists at Work” tour, which will make its inaugural visit to the area May 13-16, is designed to give arts writers, photographers and enthusiasts a chance to learn about the artists and artisans who work and live along U.S. Highway 89.

The four-day tour will take people who write about the arts for newspapers, magazines, books and other publications on a tour of U.S. Highway 89. The group will stop at studios and museums along the historic route to allow participants to spend time with and observe artists at work.

In Peel’s shop, they are likely to see him working on a reproduction piece or a custom-made order. “One of our specialties is our Great Basin features — furniture built out of wood that is one to two inches thick and has exposed dove tails.”

Peel, who is from Mt. Pleasant, studied fine art painting and drawing in graduate school in Los Angeles. He also taught art in elementary school in Las Vegas before returning to his hometown some 12 years ago. “I have always been interested in wood working and making wooden furniture, so after I moved back to the area, I decided it was what I was going to do.”

Peel uses pine or local conifers in his creations. “I’m referring to white or red pine, spruce and Douglas fir,” he says. His most popular pieces tend to be tables, but he can build just about anything, from beds and couches to large armoires. “People will sometimes bring me pictures out of magazines, or designers will show me a drawing and ask me to build what they’ve drawn only twice as big.” He has also found a niche with home preservationists, who own old homes in the area and are interested in furnishing them with reproductions that are in keeping with the time period.

One of Peel’s most unusual reproductions is that of the “Mormon Sofa,” a sort of futon-before-its-time. “It’s basically a wooden couch that would have had a straw tick on it back then, with slats that allow the couch to be turned into a bed.” The straw tick has been upgraded and updated to a special-made cushion, of course.

Following their visit to Peel’s Furniture Works, the tour group will move on to Spring City, where they will stay overnight. Other overnight stops include Kanab and Escalate. The tours are funded by a grant received by the Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council from the U.S. Forest Service and National Endowment for the Arts.

Tour participants will also learn about the area’s history, including little-known facts about colonizer Brigham Young, the escapades of outlaw Butch Cassidy and the poignant story of Native American Chief Black Hawk.

For more information Contact:Monte Bona
Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council
(435) 462-2502

First Artists at Work Tour Scheduled – Press Release 4/07/2003

DATE 4/07/2003 9:50 PM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Heritage Council on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89.

First Artists at Work Tour Scheduled

The inaugural Artists at Work tour, designed to give arts writers, photographers and enthusiasts a chance to learn about the artists and artisans who work and live along U.S. Highway 89, has been scheduled for May 13 – 16. The four-day tour will take people who write about the arts for newspapers, magazines, books and other publications on a tour of U.S. Highway 89. The group will stop at studios and museums along the historic route to allow participants to spend time with and observe artists at work. The purpose is to attract people both nationally and internationally to the region. The trips are free of charge to the writers, but are also open to paying arts enthusiasts interested in learning more the art and history of the region. The tours are funded by a grant received by the Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council from the U.S. Forest Service and National Endowment for the Arts. The cities and town along U.S. Highway 89 are known for being rich in art and art history. Well-known local artists and works of art include the famous late sculptor Avard Fairbanks and his works on Abraham Lincoln; Ephraim artist Larry Nielsen whose paintings on wood have made their way to the White House; and the newly-restored historic Moroni Opera House.

The tours will leave from Salt Lake City, and make three over-night stops in Kanab, Escalante and Spring City. Tour participants will also learn about the area s history, including little-known facts about colonizer Brigham Young, the escapades of outlaw Butch Cassidy and the poignant story of Native American Chief Black Hawk.

The tours are being conducted, in part, by Mary Ellen Elggren from Clawson-Sheilds Tours, who as already completed several similar guided tours of the region. Elggren said the first Artists at Work tour should have about 25 participants, including about 10 people from the Utah, national and international media.

For more information Contact:Monte Bona
Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council
(435) 462-2502

 

Local Business Advocate Wins Award for Efforts Along U.S. Highway 89 – Press Release 3/30/2003

DATE 3/30/2003 4:55 PM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Heritage Council on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89.

Local Business Advocate Wins Award for Efforts Along U.S. Highway 89

Gary Anderson, a Utah State University extension agent and former mayor of Ephraim, has received an award from the Small Business Administration for his efforts in starting and promoting businesses along U.S. Highway 89, the Heritage Highway. Anderson will receive the award during a ceremony in Salt Lake City on May 5. He was recognized in the State and Region 8″ division by the federal agency. Anderson has been involved in numerous endeavors related to promoting and starting businesses in the communities along U.S. Highway 89, the Heritage Highway. He has been working with local craft makers and business owners on ways to market their products and promote the highway, and says they are making slow, but steady progress. The most difficult part is taking someone s idea and turning it into something that is marketable and profitable, he says. Anderson has been focusing on helping develop co-op stores where craft makers and producers can display and sell their wares. The biggest issue along the highway is that artists and artisans don t have the storefronts for people to see and buy their products, he says. We are trying to organize several co-ops along the highway so that groups of artists can share space and work together to promote and sell their crafts.

Plans call for developing co-op stores at the four corners of the highway. This will include new stories in Glendale, Escalante, Elsinore and improving the existing Ephraim Co-op. The Ephraim Co-op has been in business since 1989 and is home to the crafts and products of about 65 local producers. The Glendale shop, the Long Valley Co-op at Apple Hollow, is on track to eventually display the works of 30 to 50 local artists. Anderson and other USU extension also plan to study how the co-ops are run to find ways of making them more productive and profitable.

Anderson has also worked on two separate feasibility studies that pertain to business activity along U.S. Highway 89, including the plausibility of the highway receiving national historical designation, an effort being promoted by U.S. Senator Bob Bennett. The university also studied the feasibility of having the cities and towns along the highway support tourism efforts through local attractions and the production of handmade crafts, items and art work, which prompted the four corners developments.

The studies were conducted in collaboration with the Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance, which is comprised of representatives from the cities that lie between Kanab and Fairview along the highway. The Alliance includes artists, craft makers, shop and inn keepers, outfitters, restaurant owners and the public sector.

In addition to his efforts along the highway, the award also recognized a course that Anderson teaches at Snow College s Small Business Development Center, one of 12 regional centers in the state that assist small business owners.

For more information Contact:Monte Bona
Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council
(435) 462-2502

 

Sanpete County to play host to Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA) fund raising activities – Press Release 3/23/2003

DATE 03/23/2003 7:29 PM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Heritage Council on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89.

Sanpete County to play host to Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA) fund raising activities

Sanpete County will play host to between 100 and 300 members of the Utah chapter of Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA), who are gathering in the region April 25 – 27 for a weekend of fund raising activities. The group, organized about five years ago with the goal of creating a safer environment for abused children, will be staying at the Wind Walker Guest Ranch outside of Mt. Pleasant. The ranch will be used as a starting base for a weekend “poker run” aimed at raising money for the group’s cause. Bikers will ride to numerous cities in the Sanpete County area, including Fountain Green, Gunnison, Ephraim and Mt. Pleasant, as well as Levan, collecting playing cards and pledges along the way. BACA works with local and state officials to lend emotional and physical support to abused children, including supporting them at court and parole hearings and attending interviews. The organization now has 24 chapters in 22 states and in Canada.

The weekend event, which is being held at the end of April as part of National Child Abuse Prevention month, is being coordinated with assistance from Loretta Johnson, owner of the Wind Walker Guest Ranch, and Curt Hawkins, who has helped organize tours of U.S. Highway 89, the Heritage Highway. Hawkins says he became acquainted with BACA while covering a court trial in Utah County. “I’m not a biker, not even close, but I heard about what they do and I was drawn to it. The dedication of this group has simply blown me away.

“Every year, BACA sponsors events like this one to raise money for children, and I thought that Sanpete County and the Wind Walker Guest Ranch was the perfect venue for it, not to mention Highway 89.”

Hawkins points out that the historic highway 89 was named the No. 1 riding trail in the nation a couple of years ago by the American Motorcycle Association. “It has some of the most scenic riding trails around,” he says.

The fund raising “poker run” will be held on Saturday, with bikers riding through the participating communities. “We should have between 100 to 300 bikers, and they tend to attract a lot of attention wherever they go,” Hawkins says. Following the “run,” there will be a dance and other activities at the Wind Walker Guest Ranch, which will be open to the public. Sunday there will be games and other activities at the ranch. Some BACA members and other participants may also camp at the rodeo grounds in Mt. Pleasant throughout the weekend.

For more information Contact:Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council at (435) 462-2502, or BACA members John Motsinger (801) 224-7583 or Todd Bailey, (801) 763-0887.

Monte Bona
Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council
(435) 462-2502

Listening to his Canvas Takes Ephraim Artist to White House and Beyond – Press Release 10/30/2002

DATE 10/30/2002
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Heritage Council on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89.

Listening to his Canvas Takes Ephraim Artist to White House and Beyond

Wood painter Larry Nielson has always listened to his canvas. The Ephraim artist says he always examines every piece of wood carefully before picking up his paint brush. It is almost as if the wood tells him what to paint, like it has its own spirit, Nielson has said. Nielson was listening very closely the day a piece of wood told him to paint a likeness of a famous battle scene, the image of the marines raising the flag at Iwo Jima in 1945. It came as quite a surprise. “It was strange because I have never painted anything patriotic, I tend to mostly paint Native Americans and wildlife,” Nielson says. But there was just something about the gnarly, knotty piece of wood that Nielson had sitting in his garage for more than a year. “The wood was almost neurotic looking and for whatever reason, when I looked at it that day, this dramatic and disturbing image came to me from out of the wood. Maybe it is because it is one of the most famous war scenes in history, I don’t know.”Nielson started painting the image of the likeness of the raising of the flag and said that he finished it the night of Sept. 10, 2001. “I remember coming in and showing it to my mother and sister, who thought it was unusual that I painted a military scene. The very next day, as we all know, the world changed. We were all in such shock and feeling so horrified that it didn’t strike me until a couple days later that it was more than a coincidence.“I know it sounds unbelievable, but I don’t care, I know that I was inspired to paint something that day that I never before would have considered painting. At the time, I had no idea that the painting would end up where it did.”Where that painting ended up was in the hands of the President of the United States. And a special print of that painting also travelled around the United States and was signed by members of the U.S. Marines who served in World War II. “Just last week, 65 marines who were on the island signed the print and there are plans for even more to sign it. It is pretty profound what is going on right now with this art work. I feel a certain humility about it all. These guys are all heros and here they are signing my print because something about it touched them. It is just incredible,” Nielson says.How the original Iwo Jima image made its way to George W. Bush is an interesting story. Nielson was showing some work at the SCERA in Orem during a Michael Martin Murphy concert and the Iwo Jima piece was included in the display. One of the people who saw it was a man named Grenade Currant, an independent film producer who declared “this should go to the President.”

“I didn’t think much about it, I didn’t think he could be serious,” Nielson says. But it turned out that Curran is friends with Joe Lake, who is involved with several charities, including the Children’s Miracle Network. Joe Lake just happens to be friends with President Bush. “I got a call that I had to get art in the mail as soon as possible. I didn’t even have time to put it in a frame. I wrapped it up in bubble wrap and sent it on its way. I did get to write a little note to the president, which was an amazing experience,” Nielson says. The art was later presented to the president during a rally in Los Angeles by actor Rick Schroder.

But what happened next has touched Nielson even more. A veteran named Keith Renstrom heard about Nielson’s work. “We started talking and he made such an impression on me,” Nielson says. “He has such a zest for life.” Nielson told Renstrom that he had made a negative of the image he had sent to President Bush. “So I made him a print.” Renstrom decided to take the print to a marine reunion in San Antonio, Texas, where he had veterans from all over the United States sign it. “When I heard about it, it really blew my mind,” Nielson says. “I felt such a reverence.”

Renstrom has plans to collect even more signatures and then wants to see the print end up somewhere “very important.” “At this point, I don’t know where the print will end up, and I don’t care,” Nielson says. “Something very important is going on here. The print doesn’t really belong to me any more. It belongs to all of the men who signed it, because they were there, they are real and each has a very dramatic story to tell. And it belongs to the public. Young people especially need to be aware of the fact that wars were fought. I think what happened in New York sobered up a lot of people.” 

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Larry Nielsen
Wind and Wings Wood Works
Ephraim, UT 84627
Wind and Wings
PO Box 8169
Midvale, Utah 84047
801-568-9792 (phone)
801-566-7779 (fax)
Email: custserv@windandwings.com

OR For more information Contact:Monte Bona
Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council
(435) 462-2502

Newly-designed Arapeen Trail offers Riders Hundreds of Miles of Joy – Press Release 10/28/2002

DATE 10/28/2002
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Heritage Council on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89.

Newly-designed Arapeen Trail offers Riders Hundreds of Miles of Joy

There may be lots of ways to “lose yourself” while riding ATV’s around Sanpete County’s Arapeen Trail System, but actually losing your way won’t be one of them, thanks to the efforts by the U.S. Forest Service’s Bill Broadbear and countless volunteers.Broadbear, along with local residents and others from the U.S. Forest Service, recently completed a redesign of the Arapeen Trail system. The routes, most of which are found primarily in the Manti LaSal National forest, have been carefully marked and mapped. It was done to ensure that riders of ATV’s or four-wheelers find their way around the some 370 miles that make up the trail system. The redesign, several years in the making, also includes bridges, culverts and water bars.“The area has really grown in popularity, it is heavily used from about May through October, which is what prompted us to do this new map. We were responding to the huge demand,” Broadbear says. He adds that many of the ATV trails already existed, “But unless you were a local rider or someone who was very familiar with the area, it was hard to find you way back to the point at which you started.” Broadbear says that he and others worked closely with local riders, ATV clubs and other groups on the new design. “What we did was link up all of the trails on both sides of the mountain and put up signs that are easy to read and recognize.”

The trail may be accessed from several locations in both the west and east. In the west, access may be gained through Fairview, Spring City, Ephraim, Manti and Mayfield, and in the east, from Clawson, Ferron, Emery and Orangeville.

There is no cost to use the trail system, and there is a major volunteer policing and maintenance effort underway, Broadbear says. “We have local riders wearing special vests out on their ATV’s regularly, making sure people stay on the trails and offering advice and assistance. The volunteer effort to get this project off the ground and running has been amazing. There are literally hundreds of volunteer hours on this.

“All we keep hearing from people what a great riding opportunity it is and how much they enjoy the system, so it is all worth it.”

For information or to obtain a map of the Arapeen Trail System, contact the US Forest Service at its regional offices: (435) 283-4151; (435) 384-2372 or (435) 636-3500.

For more information Contact:Monte Bona
Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council
(435) 462-2502

Maple Canyon one of the Best “Corners of the World” – Press Release 10/25/2002

DATE 10/25/2002
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Heritage Council on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89.

Maple Canyon one of the Best “Corners of the World”

Ever heard of Maple Canyon? Odds are that you have if you are a rock climber in Utah — or just about anywhere else in the world, for that matter. For everyone else, Jason Stevens can fill you in on the details.Stevens, who runs a climbing shop at the Maple Leaf Company in Ephraim, wrote a guidebook called Maple Canyon Rock Climbing that was first published in 1996. Now on its fourth edition, the book gives readers the scoop on the little canyon located about three miles south of Fountain Green.“It is definitely a hidden treasure in every sense of the world,” he says. “It is arguably the best rock climbing area in North America.”What makes it so unique? “The rock,” Stevens says with hesitation. “The cobbles poke out of the walls in the same way they do in indoor climbing gyms – except these rocks are outdoors and real.” The rock is a mixture of sand and gravel. “At some point in time there was an upheaval that split the canyon open and erosion formed all of the cliff. It looks just like a river bed standing up,” Stevens says. “There are only a few places in the world where you see this type of rock and formations: Germany, Greece and South Africa.”

There are now almost 300 rock climbing routes in the canyon, ranging from 20 to 400 feet long and designed to please people of all ages and skill levels. “There are routes for children and beginners all the way to some of the hardest routes in the entire world.”

The canyon was virtually unknown until 1994. “The only people who used it were locals,” Stevens says, adding he and a group of friends discovered it while still in high school. At first, they didn’t think it was an ideal climbing spot. “To the uneducated eye, it doesn’t look like a good place to climb because the rock looks really soft and unsafe. But one day we tried it out and realized that the rock was much harder than we ever imagined and know that the potential for the place was limitless, it was phenomenal.”

Soon, with help from Stevens and supporter Virgil Ash, word of the canyon’s treasures began to trickle out into the rock climbing community, and the canyon was featured in some sporting goods advertisements. Within two years there were more than 100 rock climbing routes developed in the canyon. Now, people travel from all over the world to visit the canyon. The routes have been developed in the canyon (much of which is privately owned) through the Access Fund, a national fund that allows rock climbers and private owners to agree on terms for access, Stevens says.

Getting used to sharing his canyon also required some adjustment on Stevens part. He took up rock climbing as a youth. His father and uncles were professional industrial painters, and had harnesses, ropes and other gears to allow them to work on enormous buildings. “On the weekends, I would go out with my dad and brothers and put the equipment to good use. Rock climbing has always been my passion, so the canyon’s growing popularity is a mixed blessing,” Stevens says. “When you are from a rural area, you have a tendency to believe that this spot if my corner of the world,” he says with a laugh. “You tell yourself: I grew up here so I have and inherited right to have the place to myself. So even though I am the author of the guidebook, and the region and canyon have benefited from people knowing about it, some days its hard. Sometimes I want to go over and climb and not see anyone. That is a hard thing when your little corner of the world is one of the best corners of the world for a lot of people.”

For more information,Contact: Monte Bona
Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council
(435) 462-2502

Monroe Jewelry Maker has International Flare – Press Release 10/22/2002

10/22/2002 8:30
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Heritage Council on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89.

Monroe Jewelry Maker has International Flare

From the basement of her home in the tiny town of Monroe, Utah, Sallee Kesler offers her customers the world.

Kesler is a self-taught maker of fine jewelry. And the materials she uses to design her custom-made, one-of-a-kind pieces — coral, jade, gold, and silver, to name a few — come from places like Bali, Indonesia, Thailand, Africa and Hong Kong.

“I also use a lot of materials that are made by other people, like hand-carved gemstones. I even found one man in Tahoe who does fossil carvings in Ivory and I incorporate his work into my pieces,” she says.

“I have made pendants from pieces of pottery, from materials left over from the Ming Dynasty, from African beads that are 200 to 300 years old, and I even have some beads from Persia that are 400 years old that I am mixing into some pieces. I always look for the unusual. I check out all of the antique stores that I see and I hit the estate sales.”

But finding those unusual items — and enough of them — to use in her designs requires a lot of patience. “Once I found a few Russian bears made of beautiful stones, but I didn’t have enough to do anything with them. It took me three years before I finally accumulated eight of them, enough to do a necklace and some earrings. Another time, I wanted to do something from some beads from Bali that had inlaid carvings, and it took me four years to accumulate enough to do a necklace. I ended up bartering that necklace away for marble tile for floors in my house, but now I have really beautiful marble tile,” she says with a laugh. “I do a lot of bartering in this business.”

Kesler says that she has always been interested in jewelry design. “I’ve been making jewelry since junior high school.” But she started her career as an artist designing quilt patterns and making quilts and dolls. She switched back to jewelry when quilt-making became a big import-business. “Nowadays, you can go into a discount store and buy a quilt made in China for $50, and I can’t even get the material for that,” she says. “So I gave decided to make jewelry again and started experimenting.”

Kesler gets some assistance from her husband, Vaughn. “He is better than I am at wrapping wires and working with clasps because his hands are stronger than mine. He was an electrician in the military, so he knows how to do a lot of things to help me, like tie knots so things don’t fall off,” she says with a laugh.

Currently, Kesler shows her jewelry at her home by appointment only, and attends a few special jewelry shows a year throughout the Southwestern United States. “Most people who come to me have heard of what I do and have something special in mind. They may have a necklace from their granny they want modernized, or are looking for a special piece.”

“I love having customers come by to see what I do, and I love designing for people and I love making jewelry.” Kesler’s future plans include developing a web page to help her market her jewelry to a wider audience. “I would like to sell more of my jewelry and be free to continue living in rural Utah, enjoying the beauty of this wonderful place.”

For more information, contact:

Sallee Kesler
285 S 100 West
Monroe, UT 84754
(435) 527-1880 (phone)
jade28585@msn.com (email)

OR:
Contact: Monte Bona
Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council
(435) 462-2502

Trip to Ostrich Farm Part of Week in Sanpete – Press Release – 10/01/2002

DATE 10/01/2002
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Heritage Council on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89.

Trip to ostrich farm part of ‘Week in Sanpete’

 It isn’t too hard to guess what Karma and Jack Riddle will be “displaying” during A Week in Sanpete, a new special event designed to showcase the best and brightest attractions in the county. It is sponsored in part by the Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council.Here are a couple of hints: the Riddle’s star attractions can grow to be eight or nine feet tall in height and weigh between 200 and 300 pounds. They can run up to 40 miles and hour and clear six-foot-high fences in a single bound. Is it a bird? A plane? It’s….well, ostriches.The Riddle’s have more than 20 ostriches — the world’s largest living birds — on their farm located between Manti and Stirling. “They are almost like pets, very friendly and curious,” Karma Riddle says of the birds that she and husband Jack have been keeping for about three years. Their farm is also home to about 100 sheep and 2 to 50 feeder calves, but it is the ostriches that usually capture the most attention. Native to Africa, the animals are fairly easy to maintain, requiring minimal amounts of food and shelter. But they are quirky farm occupants. For one, there is the need for an eight-foot fence. “They can clear a six-foot fence easy,” Karma Riddle says.

The birds can live in captivity for up to 70 to 80 years, with females growing about five to six feet in height and the males seven to nine feet. “Baby ostriches look just like little chickens,” Karma Riddle says. “They grow really quickly and are very cute.” The Riddle farm typically has baby ostriches around from May to October, and while the young ones are undoubtedly the biggest hits on the farm, they are also the most difficult aspect of ostrich farming. “The infant mortality rate is very high,” Karma Riddle says. “Up to 50 percent of the babies die from one thing or another. Enough isn’t known about their infant diseases to know what to give them…but if I can get them past two weeks, I usually can keep them alive.”

And while farming ostriches is becoming more common in Utah, most of the demand for ostrich meat comes from outside the state, especially in the Eastern United States. “It is very healthy meat,” Karma Riddle says, adding it is cholesterol-free and up to 98 percent fat-free. “It looks and taste a lot like beef,” she says.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Monte Bona
Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council
(435) 462-2502

HISTORIC COURTHOUSE ROOF CAVES IN – Press Release 5/12/2002

05/12/02 8:31
CONTACT: Lindy Casey, (702) 499-3017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Piute County Courthouse Restoration Fund

Sunday May 12, 2002

HISTORIC COURTHOUSE ROOF CAVES IN

The old Piute County Courthouse roof collapses under weight of roofing materials.

For the Reber family, owning a piece of history was a dream come true. When the old Piute County Courthouse in Junction, Utah went up for sale in early Fall of 2000, they were thrilled to be in a position to buy. Over the months they carefully set about restoring the stately red brick building. To protect the ornate and antique interior, a decision was made to re-roof the structure. That’s when the roof came crashing in.

On April 11, 2002, a local supply company delivered materials to the courthouse roof. Unfortunately, the structure was unable to withstand the weight of the supplies and within moments the roof caved in over the courtroom. Plaster, shingles, rafters and nearly 100 years worth of history came down in a thunderous crash that destroyed not only priceless architectural details but also a portion of the roof, walls, floors and staircase.

The owners, Jim and John Reber, a father and son, saw themselves as more than owners of a unique old building. They believed they were, and remain stewards of the past in a place where the past is important. Junction is a seemingly sleepy town but that facade hides a population that not only lives off of the land, but thrives on the hard work needed to turn fields into hay and cattle into milk and meat. With a population of only about 150 people, Junction is a close knit and family oriented community.

With plans for historic reenactments, and educational programs for local school children, the Reber men had felt that the future looked bright for the old building. Now they bleakly wonder how they will manage to protect it from destruction.

Both men are from Las Vegas, Nevada but stumbled across the tiny town of Junction and fell in love. Jim bought a farmhouse there and spent his retirement enjoying the fresh country air. Soon the family was spending as much time in Junction as they were in the big city. When the courthouse came up for sale, John jumped at the opportunity to own a piece of Piute County history and talked his father into joining him.

Built of local adobe brick, the courthouse is on the Registry of Historic Places. Within its walls the history of Piute County has been decided and decreed. Future statesmen have argued their first cases before the curved judge’s bench and local disputes have caused crowds to gather there. Now its future is up in the air.

Restoration experts have estimated the cost of repair in the neighborhood of $250,000. Though legal action is being taken to attempt to collect insurance benefits, the courthouse can’t wait. The roof must be closed in so that the weather won’t further harm the interior. The remaining roof and walls must be braced to prevent any more destruction. Attorneys say that it may be eighteen months before a legal decision is rendered and money made available. The courthouse can’t wait.

Local historical societies just don’t have the kind of grant money necessary to correct a problem of this magnitude. The Piute County Courthouse Restoration Fund has been established as a way to gather money so that the courthouse won’t have to wait. $250,000 is a lot of money but the history of Utah that is contained within this old red brick building is worth it.

To read more about the Piute County Courthouse, view photographs, and contribute funds, visit http://www.saltpress.com.

SPRING CITY’S ANNUAL HERITAGE DAY – Press Release 5/2/2002

05/02/02 08: 31
CONTACT Roger Roper at 801-533-3561 or Lee Bennion at 435- 462-2708

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SPRING CITY’S ANNUAL HERITAGE DAY TOUR OF HISTORIC HOMES, ART & ANTIQUES SH0W, WAGON RIDES

Saturday May 25, 2002

This year Spring City’s Annual Heritage Day will be held on Saturday May 25, 2002. Sponsored by the Friends of Historic Spring City and the Daughters of Utah Pioneers, the day will include a tour of historic homes, an art and antiques show at the old Spring City school, and horse drawn wagon rides around town. Due to its large concentration of historic houses, barns, log cabins and outbuildings built by English and Scandinavian pioneers, the entire town of Spring City is designated as a National Register Historic District.

Tickets for the home tour cost $10 for adults and $5 for children. At least a dozen historic homes will be on the tour including the Charles L. Crawforth farmstead featured in Renovation Style and Utah Home and Gardens magazines. Funds generated by ticket sales for this event help with various community restoration projects and provide college scholarships for local students.

The art and antiques show will be held at the old school. The paintings of Spring City artists Ella Peacock and Max Blain will be exhibited along with the work of current Spring City artists: Osral Allred, Lee Bennion, Linda Budd, Susan Gallacher, Randall Lake, M’Lisa Paulsen and Michael Workman among other local artists. Antiques and handcrafted furnishings will also be on display as well as Joe Bennion’s pottery, handmade quilts and the Jeff Allred historic saddle collection. Celtic music will be performed by “FiddleSticks” during lunch at the city bowery.

Schedule:

  • 7 – 9:30 AM Breakfast at the city bowery next to the old school
  • 9 -11 AM D.U.P. bake sale at the old school
  • 10 AM – 4 PM Home tour, tickets on sale at the old firehouse on Main St.
  • 10 AM – 4 PM Art & Antiques Show as the old school
  • 12 – 1:30 PM Lunch at the city bowery next to the old school & Celtic music performed by “FiddleSticks”

For more information contact:
Roger Roper at 801-533-3561 or Lee Bennion at 435-462-2708

Famous and Infamous Lecture Series Wins Award – Press Release 11/12/2001

11/12/01 08:31
CONTACT: MONTE BONA
(435) 462-2502

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

A lecture series that examined “The Famous and Infamous” of Utah’s U.S. Highway 89 and celebrated the history of the six counties along the historic route has won an award from the Utah Humanities Council.

Sponsored by the Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance and Sanpete County Heritage Council, the lecture series focused on people who lived in or had an impact on the cities and towns along U.S. Highway 89. The lectures, held last winter and this spring, were given by professors and educators and were presented in Sanpete, Sevier, Piute, Kane, Wayne and Garfield counties.

The talks were free and open to the public. Topics focused on historical personalities such as Utah artist Avard Fairbanks, Butch Cassidy, Hyrum BeBee, and John D. Lee. There was also a presentation on how the famous and infamous of U.S. 89 were depicted by Hollywood.

The Humanities Council recognized the series during its annual awards dinner.

The lectures were also filmed by KBYU-Channel 11 and will later be included in a documentary that will be distributed to the media during the 2002 Winter Olympic Games to promote the Heritage Highway.

 

JOHN D. LEE TOPIC OF LAST ‘FAMOUS AND INFAMOUS’ LECTURE – Press Release 4/25/2001

04/25/01 08: 30
CONTACT: MONTE BONA
(435) 462-2502

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JOHN D. LEE TOPIC OF LAST
‘FAMOUS AND INFAMOUS’ LECTURE APRIL 25

John D. Lee is the topic of the final talk in the “Famous and Infamous Along Utah’ s Highway 89” lecture series, which will be presented by Weber State University Professor Gene Sessions April 25 in Panguitch.

The talk- will be at 7 p.m. at Panguitch High School, 3 90 E. 100 South, and is the last talk of a lecture series that highlighted people and events that took place along the Heritage Highway.

“John D. Lee was a great contributor to the colonization of Utah,” says Monte Bona, a member of the Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance and Sanpete County Heritage Council. “But his contributions are often overlooked by the controversy surrounding the Mountain Meadows Massacre.”

Lee was a Mormon leader and one of the key founders of the southern portion of Utah, but he was the only person tried and executed for his role in the Mountains Meadow Massacre. He is buried in Panguitch

For more information, call (435) 462-2502.

TALK ON ‘FAMOUS AND INFAMOUS’ ALONG U.S. HIGHWAY 89 – Press Release 4/23/2001

04/23/01 8:30
CONTACT: MONTE BONA
(435) 462-2502
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASETALK ON ‘FAMOUS AND INFAMOUS’ ALONG U.S. HIGHWAY 89
TO BE HELD APRIL 23

Brigham Young University film scholar Jim D’Arc will give a talk on “The Famous and Infamous Along Utah’s Highway 89 as Depicted by Hollywood” April 23 at Kanab High School.

The speech is part of an ongoing lecture series highlighting people and events that took place along the Heritage Highway.

“It is very appropriate that the talk is being held in Kanab, as that city is often described as ‘Little Hollywood’ because so many movies are made there, “said Monte Bona, a member of the Heritage Highway 89 Alliance and Sanpete County Heritage Council. The speech begins at 7 pm at the high school, located at 59 East Red Shadow Lane. The talks, which are sponsored in part by the Utah Humanities Council are free and open to the public.

D’Arc’s talk will be a continuation of a presentation he gave in Kanab in January that was part of statehood day and focused on the importance of the film industry in Kanab. The upcoming speech will look at movies filmed in Kanab, such as The Lone Ranger and Calamity Jane. and how those characters were depicted on film.

For more information on the talk, contact the Sanpete County Heritage Council at (435) 462-2502.

BUTCH CASSIDY: HISTORY VS. HOLLYWOOD SUBJECT OF LECTURE – Press Release 4/18/2001

04/10/01 08:30
CONTACT: MONTE BONA
(435) 462-2502

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BUTCH CASSIDY: HISTORY VS. HOLLYWOOD
SUBJECT OF LECTURE

How much of what we know about Butch Cassidy is fact and how much is fiction, driven by Hollywood movies and legends? That question will be explored at an April 18 lecture at the Piute Court House in Junction. It is part of a lecture series highlighting “The Famous and Infamous” of Utah’s U.S. Highway 89.

Speaker Paul Turner will look at the life of Butch Cassidy, who was born Robert LeRoy Parker in Beaver and grew up in a log cabin near Circleville. Turner, a storyteller, will talk about the history and legend of Butch Cassidy. A second lecture on Butch Cassidy will be held in June in Wayne County, exploring the connection between Cassidy and Robber’s Roost

In addition, at the April 18 lecture there will be a secondary discussion on Utahan Hyrum BeBee and whether he was The Sundance Kid.

All of the lectures in the series, which will be held throughout cities and towns along the Heritage Highway U.S. 89, are free and open to the public and are funded in part by the Utah Council for the Humanities. They are also being filmed and will later be included in a documentary that will air on PBS and be distributed to the media during the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.

Other upcoming talks include:

— April 23: “Famous and Infamous Along Highway 89 as depicted by Hollywood,” Jim D’Arc, Kanab.

— April 25: “John D. Lee,” featuring Weber State University Professor Gene Sessions, Panguich High School.

TALK ON AVARD FAIRBANKS KICKS OFF U.S. HIGHWAY 89 LECTURE SERIES – Press Release 4/10/2001

CONTACT: MONTE BONA
(435) 462-2502

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TALK ON AVARD FAIRBANKS KICKS OFF
U.S. HIGHWAY 89 LECTURE SERIES

Utah artist Avard Fairbanks, especially known for his sculptures of Abraham Lincoln, is the topic of the first lecture in a new series that will highlight “The Famous and Infamous”‘ of Utah’s U.S. Highway 89.

Vern Swanson, director of the Springville Art Museum, who knew Fairbanks personally, will give the lecture April 11 at 7 p.m. at the Fairview Museum. All of the lectures in the series, which will be held throughout cities and towns along the Heritage Highway U.S. 89, are free and open to the public.

“I will be talking about the man and his work, he was a dynamic person. Anyone around him got a mindful of information, he was amazing and had a tremendous gift for guile,” Swanson says. “When I say a mindful of information, I mean he could talk about the evils of modernism to how communists were taking over the drinking water,” he says with a laugh.

“But he was also a genius at what he did, he was one of the best in his field. He also truly believed that art had the ability to refine the soul.”

Lincoln was one of Fairbanks’ favorite subjects, and probably the subject matter for which Fairbanks is most well-known, Swanson says. But Fairbanks, who was born in Payson and died a decade ago, had many other “favorite subjects,” and is even credited for being the first person to introduce “the nude” in to Utah art, Swanson says.

Fairbanks’ works can be found throughout the world, country, and state of Utah, including several pieces both at the Springville Art Museum and Fairview Museum.

“I knew him fairly well,” Swanson says. “He even let me take his chisel and mallet and work on his work. He gives you his tools and then puts his hands over yours and begins to work as if you aren’t there.”

Swanson, who has been director of the Springville Art Museum for 21 years, was an assistant professor of art history at Auburn University and worked at the National Gallery of Art before coming to Utah- “My wife is a Utah girl. I absolutely love it here, especially at the museum you couldn’t pry me out of there.”

Other talks in the series are:

April 18: “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” featuring Paul Turner, Piute court house in Junction.

April 23: “Famous and Infamous Along Highway 89 as depicted by Hollywood,” Jim D’Arc, Kanab.

April 25; “John D. Lee,” featuring Weber State University Professor Gene Sessions, Panguitch High School.

HISTORICAL LECTURE SERIES PLANNED ALONG U.S. HIGHWAY 89 – Press Release 12/11/2000

12/11/00 09:56 
CONTACT. MONTE BONA
(435) 462-2502

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HISTORICAL LECTURE SERIES PLANNED ALONG U.S. HIGHWAY 89

The Utah Humanities Council has awarded the Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance a grant for a special lecture series that will celebrate the history of the six counties along the historic U.S. 89 highway.

Entitled “The Famous and Infamous along Highway 89,” the lecture series will begin in the new year and include sessions in Sanpete, Sevier, Piute, Kane, Wayne and Garfield counties. In addition, the lectures will be filmed by KBYU-Channel 11 and portions will be broadcast as public service announcements. All six lectures win later be edited into a special documentary used to promote the Heritage Highway.The Sanpete County Heritage Council and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance will be seeking other grants to compliment the $3,500 grant from the Utah Humanities Council to support the lecture series.

The series is still in the planning, stages, but proposed topics for each county are:
Sanpete County: Avard Fairbanks
Sevier County: Chief Walker and Black Hawk.
Piute and Kane counties: Butch Cassidy
Garfield County: John D. Lee
Wayne County: Little Hollywood

For more information on the lecture series, contact the Sanpete County Heritage Council, (435) 462-2502.

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