| DATE 08/24/2007 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. Spring City Artists To Be On Display Sept. 1 |
| Where in Utah can you visit the studios and galleries of more than 30 artisans in one day without traveling more than two miles? In Spring City, of course, which also happens to be the only city in Utah where the entire town is listed on the National Historical Register.On Sept. 1, people can combine their love of the arts with their penchant for historical buildings and homes by taking part in the second annual Spring City Artists Studio Tour.More than 30 artists will be opening their doors to the public, giving people a chance to see the works and works-in-progress of some of Spring City’s finest painters, potters and craft makers.
The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are $10 and are available on Main Street the day of the event. Painters taking part in the tour are: Osral Allred, Scott Allred, Lee Udall Bennion, Linda Budd, Joan Durfey Douglas Fryer, Lanny Britsch Gourd, Susan Gallacher, Randall Lake, Shirley McKay, George Olson, Ruth Olson, Cassandria Parsons, M’Lisa Paulsen, Kathleen Peterson, Ed Soper, Kerry Soper and Michael Workman. Other artisans on the tour include potters Joe Bennion and John Parsons; knife maker Jerry Johnson; violin maker Holly Nicholes; glass artist Vince Campanile; marquetrist Les Kraut; boot maker Don Walker; photographers Russ Evans and Paul Allred; painted ceramics artisan Gina Garner; silversmiths Garth and Viv Jepperson; furniture maker Jonathan “Jock” Jones; and woodmakers Lothar Janke and Carl Timm. In addition to the studio tours, there will also be an Art Festival Sept. 1 that includes a free children’s art work shops, pioneer games, and craft demonstrations, an art show, musical performances, food booths and more. Part of the festival will include the Plein Air painting competition, which runs Aug. 29-31 and concludes with an art show and art sale Sept. 1. Invited artists along with nationally and locally known artists will compete against each other as they paint pastoral scenes around beautifully historic Spring City for awards and cash prizes. Plein air is a French word that has a literal translation of “in the open air.” It is used to describe a style of paintings or drawings created in the moment, primarily from nature and infused with a feeling of the open air. During the competition, people visiting Spring City the three-day competition can watch the artists in action as they use their talents and brushes to re-create scenes on their canvas. On Saturday, Sept. 1, the paintings will be judged and winners are announced. An open art show and sale will showcase the paintings completed that week and additional paintings by the artists. There will also be self-guided tours of Spring City’s historical homes and buildings. # # # |
| For more information Contact:Monte Bona Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council (435) 462-2502 |
Annual ATV Tours Set For Aug. 10-11
DATE 07/31/2007 7:15 AMFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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 ATV Tours Set For Aug. 10-11
The annual Manti Scenic Mountain ATV Tours will be held Aug. 10 to 11 in Sanpete County and showcase the pristine vistas of Manti Canyon.
Manti and all of Sanpete County are known for beautiful, well-designed and well-managed ATV trails and trail systems. The now-yearly ATV tours attract all-terrain vehicle enthusiasts, dealers and others to the region for two-days of riding, exhibits and performances. Each day during the event, local guides help riders make their way through 40-miles of intermediate ATV trails and forest areas that run from 5,600 feet to more than 10,000 feet.
The Aug. 10 “Sheep Trail and Vicinity Run” begins with a continental breakfast and registration at the Manti LDS Stake Center, 300 South Main Street, from 7 to 8:30 a.m., with a departure time of 9 a.m. At noon lunch will be held at the 12-Mile Campground. The ride concludes at 4:30 p.m., and a Dutch Oven dinner will be held at 6 p.m. at the Historical City Hall picnic area. ATV equipment will be on display and musical entertainment will begin at 7 p.m.
The Family Day Trail Ride, intended for beginner and intermediate riders, will be held Aug. 11 and includes a “Poker Run” and Digital Camera Scavenger Hunt. It also begins with a continental breakfast and registration from 7 to 8:30 a.m. at the LDS Stake Center, with a 9 a.m. departure time. There will be a 10:30 a.m. rest stop at the Fox Jet Reservoir and lunch at the Duck Fork Reservoir. The ride concludes at 4:30 p.m., with prizes awarded for the Poker Run and scavenger hunt.
The cost of each ride is $25 per person, with a family rate of $20 per person for families of four or more. A portion of the fees are used to help maintain ATV trail riding.
The Manti Scenic Mountain ATV Tours were started to encourage tourism and to promote the trails in the region’s mountain regions, which are considered some of Utah’s most scenic areas. The event is sponsored by Manti City and the Sanpete County Office of Economic Development, with event hosts including the Manti Area Chamber of Commerce and the Manti City Economic Development Committee.
Applications and information about the tours are available by calling 435-835-5050 or 435-835-3923. Information is also available online at www.sanpete.com
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For more information Contact:
Monte Bona
Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council
(435) 462-2502
Seventh Annual Soap Box Derby Returns to Mt. Pleasant
| DATE 06/25/2007 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. Seventh Annual Soap Box Derby Returns to Mt. Pleasant |
| What do soap box derby’s and Mountain Man rendezvous have in common? Both are phenomenon’s that took the United States by storm – albeit 100 years apart. Rendezvous were popular between about 1824 and 1850, and soap box derby’s were all the rage about a century later.But more recently, their commonality is that both events are part of the July 4 celebrations in Sanpete County, and this year is no exception.
Mt. Pleasant city is gearing up to hold its seventh annual soap box derby and Mountain Man Rendezvous the Fourth of July weekend. The derby races will be held July 4 from 1 to 3 p.m. Mt. Pleasant’s Main Street will take on the look of yesteryear for the event, which was designed to bring the once-popular races back to the streets of Mt. Pleasant. 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. It is believed they officially started when a Dayton, Ohio, Daily News Photographer encountered three boys racing homemade, engine-less cars down an inclined brick street. He reportedly came up with the idea to hold a coasting race and award a prize to the winner. The first official race was held in 1933, with more than 300 kids showing up with homemade cars built of orange crates, sheet tin, wagon and baby-buggy wheels and almost everything of “junk value.” 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, says event organizer John McClellan. 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. For additional information on the races, contact McClellan at (435) 462-3808. The annual Blackhawk Mountain Man Rendezvous will be held starting June 30 from 9 .m. to dark in Mt. Pleasant’s city park. The popular four-day festival attracts hundreds of shooters, traders and enthusiasts from throughout Utah and other parts of the United States. A main attraction is “Traders Row” that includes historic items like those made and sold at Mountain Men Rendezvous before 1840. On July 4, there will be a Dutch-oven cook off, exhibits, trading, displays, candy cannon explosions, tomahawk and knife-throwing contests, frying pan tosses, kids games, Native American dancers, historical re-enactments and more. The rendezvous was started and is planned yearly by David and Pat Gonzalez, who are longtime enthusiasts of Mountain Men rendezvous, with help from the Sanpete County Heritage Council. Pat Gonzalez herself produces numerous items that she sells at rendezvous, including bead work, boxes covered in animal hide, and leather and wool dresses. For more information, contact the Dave Gonzalez, (435) 462-0152 or Mt. Pleasant City, (435) 462-2456. # # # |
| For more information Contact:
Monte Bona |
Sanpete County Hosts Second Annual ‘Bike for the Cure’ Ride Through Spring City
DATE 06/11/2007 7:15 AMFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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 Hosts Second Annual ‘Bike for the Cure’ Ride
Through Spring City
Sanpete County will host the second “Bike for the Cure,” a family-oriented event aimed at raising awareness and fund for breast cancer research on Saturday, June 16.
The now annual event was started by Ephraim resident Erika Stover and her best friend, Melanie Wathen last year as a way to honor Stover’s mother, Susan Sermersheim, who died of breast cancer after a five-year battle.
“My mother loved Spring City,” Stover says. “She and my stepfather used to come down from Springville just about every Sunday and just drive around looking at the old houses. She loved the history of the area.”
Stover, who has three young daughters of her own, said a bike race was the perfect way to honor her mother, who was an advocate for finding a cure for breast cancer, and to raise awareness of the need for research.
“We encourage cyclists of all ages and skill levels to come out and take part, as well as anyone who has been touched by breast cancer,” Stover says.
All proceeds from the non-profit event will go to Breast Cancer 3-Day, benefiting the Susan G. Komen Foundation, which is dedicated to help finding a cure for breast cancer.
Cyclists can choose from among three rides: 5.5 miles; 42 miles; and 58 miles. The shorter ride includes a tour of Spring City’s historical homes. “It’s perfect for families,” Stover says. That ride begins at 9 a.m., and people should meet at 150 E. Center Street in Spring City. Cost is $30.
The longer rides will begin at 7:30 a.m. from the same location. Cost for the longer rides is $40. Registration fees for all three rides include lunch and a T-shirt.
Registration is available online at on www.active.com . (search for “Bike for the Cure” under upcoming events). Registration forms are also available by contacting Erika Stover at 435-283-2158.
Additional registration forms can be found at local bike shops throughout Utah. Registration is also available the day of the event.
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For more information Contact:
Monte Bona
Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council
(435) 462-2502
Hundreds of Iraq-Bound Soldiers Invited to Lead ‘Big Daddy Roth’ Parade
| DATE 05/25/2007 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. Hundreds of Iraq-Bound Soldiers Invited to Lead ‘Big Daddy Roth’ Parade |
| Hundreds of Iraq-Bound Soldiers Invited to Lead ‘Big Daddy Roth’ Parade, Collect Custom-Designed ‘Rat Fink’ T-Shirts
Some 450 soldiers who will soon be deployed to Iraq will have some special new “uniforms”to take along with them – a “Rat Fink” T-shirt especially designed for them based on an original drawing by the late Ed Roth. The members of the Utah Army National Guard’s 1/145th field artillery unit will be presented with the shirts by Roth’s widow, Illene Roth, June 2 during the fifth annual “Big Daddy Roth” open house, which runs May 31 to June 2 in Manti. Roth also invited the entire infantry to lead the annual ‘Big Daddy’ parade. It starts at 5 p.m. on Saturday and runs down Manti’s Main Street. She doesn’t know how many soldiers will attend, but said all 450 of them are welcome. Ed Roth was famous for designing and building hotrod cars and for creating the cartoon character “Rat Fink” in the 1960s, a rodent who was featured on posters, T-shirts and other items for years. In 1966, he created a decal for army soldiers being deployed to Vietnam and the image was modified with Ilene Roth’s permission for soldiers in Iraq. This is the first batch of shirts to be handed out to troops going to Iraq. “Since our local unit, which includes my son, is being deployed in June, I thought it would be great to send Ed’s image on a t-shirt to help them with this war,” says Ilene Roth. The local guard unit provided input for the custom changes made to the image, and a shirt will be provided to each soldier. In addition, T-shirts will be available on-line and at the reunion for anyone else wanting to show their support, Roth says. “(The reunion) is a great opportunity to give the T-shirts to our guys. I wish them GOOD LUCK!” Illene Roth started the annual “Big Daddy Roth” open house after her husband’s death in 2001 to honor his memory and work. It is held each year at the museum that was created to showcase her late husband’s art and memorabilia. The museum, which is an addition on the Roth home, is located at 404 East 300 North, Manti. 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, including Rat Fink. The museum that Ilene Roth created to honor her late husband, which includes displays of Ed Roth’s art work and other memorabilia, will also be open during the reunion and is open to the public year-round by appointment. Other highlights of the weekend include a “postcard run” Friday night to places that are connected to Ed Roth, and the parade and a car show on Saturday in Manti’s park. Ed Roth’s life was the subject of a new documentary, Tales of the Rat Fink, by Canadian film maker Ron Mann. The movie stars John Goodman as Big Daddy Roth. It’s a combination biography/cultural commentary on Roth. Goodman narrates the film from heaven, playing Roth as he looks down on Earth with fond memories. The film also includes the voices of Jay Leno, the Smothers Brothers, Matt Groening and Paul Lemat. The real Ed Roth is included in the film in archival footage and new interviews. The film was screened in Utah last year and in 2006 and 2007 was seen during festivals around the world, most recently in Michigan in March and in April in Singapore. Ilene Roth said her late husband met with Mann in 2000 when he came to Utah to discuss the movie. She said her husband was very excited about having a movie produced to spotlight his creations with Rat Fink and fiberglass cars. Ilene Roth met her husband after he moved to Manti from California in 1987. For more information about the Ed “Big Daddy” Roth Open House, call (435) 835-2393. Information is also available online at: http://www.edroth.com/ # # # |
| For more information Contact:
Monte Bona |
Spring City Readies For Heritage Day
| DATE 05/19/2007 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. Spring City Readies For Heritage Day |
| Spring City Readies For Heritage Day, Event Will Coincide with Scandinavian FestivalPeople coming to Sanpete County for this weekend’s Scandinavian Festival will also have the opportunity to take in a bit of Utah history while they are in town.
The entire town of Spring City, located about 12 miles from Ephraim, is listed on the National Historic register. And once a year, the residents of this small artists community open their doors to everyone. This year’s Heritage Day will be May 26. The day-long event includes historical tours of more than a dozen restored homes and buildings, including beautiful pioneer homes, the recently restored Old Spring City School, and the bishops storehouse; an art show featuring local artisans; and an antique show that will include a saddle display, furniture and farm equipment. The home tour, sponsored by the Friends of Historic Spring City and the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers (DUP), is an annual event in Spring City during the Memorial weekend. Tickets go on sale the day of the event and are $10 for adults and $5 for children and can be purchased at the Old Firehouse on Main Street or at the Old Spring City School, site of the art and antiques show. The tour will include architecture as well as commercial buildings, public buildings and Spring City’s famous LDS chapel. This year’s tour includes three new restorations on the town’s Main Street: the Orson and Mary Ann Hyde House, the Jensen House (an Arts-and-Crafts-inspired bungalow), and one of the town’s earliest stone houses, the Paul and Charles Kofford house. Three other houses on the tour are “works-in-progress,” including the Judge Jacob Johnson house, the largest historic house in Spring City. A popular attraction each year is the Spring City Public School, which was restored via a community effort and is now used for public events. Built in 1899, the school has eight classrooms, four on each level, as well as a large attic space, complete with windows. At one time, it housed all the grades, and was even used as a middle school and high school. A complete list of homes on the tour is available online at:http://scandinavianheritagefestival.com/spring.aspx # # # |
| For more information Contact:Monte Bona Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council (435) 462-2502 |
Sanpete County to ‘Velcomme’ Thousands for Scandinavian Festival
| DATE 05/18/2007 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. Sanpete County to ‘Velcomme’ Thousands for Scandinavian Festival |
| Velcomme! That is what Ephraim City and all of Sanpete County will be saying the weekend of May 24 to 26 when thousands of people gather in the region for the annual Scandinavian Heritage Festival and Conference.Among the largest Scandinavian heritage events in the Western United States, the arts and cultural festival includes an educational conference, an authentic Little Scandinavian Supper, costumed performers telling Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales, craft booths, historical tours, workshops, sporting events, and more. Entertainment scheduled for this year’s event ranges from folk dancing to classic rock.
Many local residents dress in Scandinavian costume for the duration of the festivities, which have been known to attract upwards of 10,000 to Sanpete County. New to the festival this year is a series of ceramics workshops hosted by the Central Utah Arts Center Thursday-Saturday. The workshops will feature alternative firing methods for ceramics and will allow participants to take home a unique creation from the event. Sanpete County’s culture has been greatly influenced by settlers who arrived first in the Salt Lake Valley from the Scandinavian countries, says Gary Anderson, Utah State University extension and vice chairman of the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area. Many were farmers, carpenters, stone masons, cabinetmakers and furniture builders. and then were assigned to colonize central Utah. “The architecture of their farm buildings, cabins and houses were influenced by construction techniques and building forms from back home, a uniqueness that is still present today,” he says. It is believed that some 650,000 Utahans trace their ancestry to Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Iceland. The festival begins Thursday night with the Scandinavian Heritage conference held at Snow College. The free educational event, which continues Friday morning, gives participants an opportunity to learn about and reflect on the lives of pioneer founders of the Sanpete Valley. Following the conference, the weekend is jammed packed with activities and events at the festival grounds location at Pioneer Park, 50 N. 100 West, and on the north side of the Snow College campus. Highlights Friday include workshops on ‘fast fire’ pottery, storytelling and a bread baking contest; the 12 p.m. opening of the “Old World Craft Booths,” educational exhibits of crafts that date back to Ephraim’s Scandinavian ancestors; musical performances starting at 3 p.m., a two-day quilt show, and the gourmet smorgasbord Scandinavian dinner Friday at 6 p.m. On Saturday there will be a fun run starting at 7 a.m., a 10 a.m. parade down Main Street at noon, and more demonstrations of Old World crafts including blacksmithing, woodcarving, pottery making. There will be music and activities all day, a golf tournament, roast beef dinner and more. In addition, there will be tours of Ephraim’s exquisitely restored pioneer homes and cabins starting from about noon to 4 p.m. Saturday at Pioneer Park. There will also be a historical bus tour of historical spots in Sanpete Valley that run hourly from 1 to 4 p.m. A complete schedule of events for the festival, including information on the conference, is available online at http://scandinavianheritagefestival.com People may also call 435-835-4241 or 435-283-4631 for information. # # # |
| For more information Contact:Monte Bona Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council (435) 462-2502 |
First Annual Amazing Earthfest
| DATE 05/09/2007 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. First Annual Amazing Earthfest |
| The First Annual Amazing Earthfest in “Dramatic” Southern UtahSouthern Utah’s Kane County
CONTACT: Cowboy Ted Hallisey 435-899-1102 Cowboyted8@aol.com WEBSITE: www.amazingearthfest.com or www.kaneutah.com KANAB, Utah—Families and individuals from all fifty states and internationally are invited to celebrate the First Annual Amazing Earthfest Celebration, happening May 21-26, 2007 in Kanab, Utah. Here travelers will discover, learn from and celebrate national and state parks, national forests and public lands of the Colorado plateau located in Utah and Arizona. Kanab plans to establish, host and support this broadly inclusive event each year in May, fostering education, scientific discovery and understanding, plus recreation and entertainment. The ultimate goal is to attract visitors from across the nation and abroad to Kane County, for the purpose of experiencing the National Parks and Public Lands that were recently described by Sunset Magazine as “dramatic.” Visitors can choose from a wide variety of scheduled activities including: lectures and demonstrations, scientific and educational symposia, Native American and Pioneer cultural programs, guided backcountry trips, expeditions and musical performances. Additional activities include: exhibitions of visual arts, painting, sculpture, hand-made crafts, culinary delights and Pioneer history. Scientific Presentations – Visiting scholars, scientists and staff from major regional educational institutions and the public land managing agencies will be invited to present on geology, ecology, biology, paleontology and archaeology, as well as land and resource management techniques. Programs are planned for a host of visitor centers in the area, as well as guided site visits and expeditions to remote locations in the region. Activities, exhibits, lectures and demonstrations will be designed to educate and inform local residents and visitors about the scientific discovery, study, history and natural wonders of Southern Utah and the Arizona Strip. Creative Arts & Entertainment – Artists, musicians and storytellers will be on-hand to express their experience of the history, life and culture of the Intermountain West, through exhibitions, concerts and presentations, including competitions for prizes. Pioneer history and culinary arts will round out visitors’ enjoyment and the Tribe of the Colorado Plateau has been invited to participate. Outdoor Recreation – Campers, hikers, horseback riders, cyclists, mountain bikers, climbers, road tourists and off-road vehicle enthusiasts are invited to make Southern Utah & Northern Arizona their destination for this springtime event; to engage in a favorite sport, while enjoying the welcoming hospitality of area service providers. OHVs are welcome on designated routes and trails. Want a special treat? Hit the Arizona Strip and learn about the Condor Release Program. Tentative Amazing Earthfest Participants ~ 2007
Also: Bryce Canyon National Park, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Dixie National Forest, East Zion Tourism Council, Kaibab National Forest, Kanab City, Kane County Office of Tourism, Kodachrome Basin State Park, Mormon Pioneer Heritage Highway, Page-Lake Powell, Utah Office of Tourism, and Zion National Park. For more information on First Annual Amazing Earthfest Celebration please call Cowboy Ted Hallisey-435-899-1102 or Rich Csenge 207-729-5825. # # # |
| For more information Contact:
Monte Bona |
Rhubarb Festival Celebrates Region, Creativity
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11th Annual Snowmobile ‘Shootout’ Set for March 30 – April 1
| DATE 03/21/2007 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. 11th Annual Snowmobile ‘Shootout’ Set for March 30 – April 1 |
| Eleven years ago, Bruce Kahlhamer came up with an idea: every year, around his birthday, he’d gather in Utah with some of his clients for a snowmobile “shootout.”
Kahlhamer owns PSI Power Inc., now located in Ogden, which manufactures high performance equipment for snowmobiles, motocross and ATVs. The company used to be based in Wisconsin and had clients all over the United States. Every now and then, customers liked to get together to test their latest creations. “Everyone was building faster and faster machines,” he says. “They wanted to see how they compared and competed against what others were building.” So Kahlhamer chose Sanpete County’s Skyline Drive, located up Fairview Canyon, as the meeting place. Every year, clients from all over the country would travel to the region for the annual “shootout” where snowmobilers travel at a high rate of speed and race each other up hills. Kahlhamer eventually moved his business to Utah, and the ‘shootout’ became an official event. This year’s 11th annual Skyline Snowmobile Shootout will be held March 30 to April 1. The free event is open to the general public. “It all started as a gathering for a customer base,” he says. “Every year, it got more and more competitive. Pretty soon, it became a full-blown, annual event and now, upwards of 500 to 1,000 people from all over the United States come out to race one another or just to watch the action.” The popular weekend event includes plenty of “shootouts,” where riders can go as fast as 120 miles per hour, as well as other activities like snowmobile rides, drag races and hill climbs. Turbo and nitrous sleds “will be the norm,” Kahlhamer says. There is no set schedule for the events, as most of the races are impromptu, he adds. Friday usually is the “gathering and catching up day,” and most of the shootouts are held on Saturday, with Sunday being a “packing up” day. Kahlhamer says he originally selected Sanpete County for its central location, “people come from all over the mid-west and even Canada.” It also was chosen for its great terrain and “lots of parking places.” “It really has worked out as the ideal location. For more information on the event, contact Kahlhamer at (801) 393-1010. More information about PSI is available online at: http://www.psipowerinc.com/ # # # |
| For more information Contact:
Monte Bona |
Pioneer Day ‘Birthday Bash’ Celebrates Mt. Pleasant’s Founding Fathers and U.S. Highway 89 Designation
| DATE 03/13/2007 12:41 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. Pioneer Day ‘Birthday Bash’ Celebrates Mt. Pleasant’s Founding Fathers |
| Mt. Pleasant City is throwing a party March 24 for its founding fathers and to celebrate the designation of U.S. Highway 89 as a national historical designation.
“Every year, we honor the people who made this city what it is today with a special Pioneer Day luncheon,” says Joann Winward, a member of the Mt. Pleasant Historical Association, which sponsors the annual event. “This year, we have another thing to celebrate: the passage of the National Mormon Pioneer Heritage area, which recognizes the historical significance and heritage of U.S. Highway 89. So we decided to make the highway the theme of this year’s party.” The theme of the luncheon is “Keep on Truckin’ Down U.S. Highway 89.” The event starts at 11 a.m. with a box lunch at at noon at the South Ward “Yellow Church,” 295 S. State Street in Mt. Pleasant. U.S. Highway 89 has a rich history in Sanpete County, Winward says. It was the route the region’s early settlers used in 1860 to take cattle for the winter to Sevier Valley. In 1862, oats were delivered to Ruby Valley by wagons and oxen teams via this route, and it soon became the main road for mail delivery. In July of 1861, Brigham Young authorized spending $4,000 from tithing funds to complete U.S. Highway 89 so that it ran from Sanpete County to Spanish Fork, and it officially opened to the public in 1882. Today, the cities and towns in the six-county area are the best remaining example of how Mormon pioneers colonized the west. A bill establishing the National Mormon Pioneer Heritage Area was signed into law by President George W. Bush last fall. Many local residents spent years working on the measure and even helped draft the original bill. The national designation recognizes the history, architecture and culture along “the heritage highway,” and includes U.S. Highway 89 from Fairview to Kanab, the Boulder Loop (state highways 12 and 24), the All-American Road (highway 12) and the six counties through which the route passes: Sanpete, Sevier, Piute, Wayne, Garfield and Kane. “In my time, boys could hitch hike along U.S. Highway 89 to visit girls in the surrounding towns of Fairview and Spring City,” Winward says. “By the time we graduated form high school, we would ‘drag’ the highway in our cars.” People are invited to swap stories about the highway, and the region’s history in general, during the Pioneer Day luncheon. The event will also include a reception, silent auction, bake sale, and musical performances by the Snow College L.D. Singers. Cost for the box lunch is $7. There will also be copies of Mt. Pleasant history books for purchase. “There is a little bit of something for everyone,” Winward says. “It’s 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 to attend.” 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. 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. It was built by William S. Seely, who was the first LDS bishop and also the town’s first mayor. 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 Contact:
Monte Bona |
Snowkiters Will Harness the Wind, Soar During ‘Masters’ Event
| DATE 02/19/2007 9:29 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. Snowkiters Will Harness the Wind, Soar During ‘Masters’ Event |
| Ever wondered what would happen if you harnessed the wind? Come and see for yourself at the U.S. Open Ozone Snowkite Masters being held in Sanpete County March 3 to 4 at the top of Skyline Drive.
“This event will be the largest U.S.- based snowkiting event and will feature riders from all over the world in an all-out jam session,” says Brian Schenck, an instructor and owner of Windzup, a Utah snowkite company. Some of the best snowkiters on the globe will take part in the U.S. Open Ozone Snowkite masters and will soar across the spectacular terrain of Sanpete County’s Fairview Canyon. The free public event will include races and competitions, with riders showcasing both the freestyle potential of the sport as well as the backcountry side with Freeriding Expression Sessions, X/C Tours and a Winduro race. There will also be free clinics, lessons, workshops and information sessions. Registration will be held at 11 a.m. each day. Some 100 snowkiters and at least that many spectators are expected to attend. The event is designed to showcase the sport, and everything is free of charge, making it an excellent opportunity for the general public to try out snowkiting. The sport involves large kites pulling a skier or snowboarder across the snow and is one of the fastest-growing sports around. The only thing growing faster than the sport’s popularity is Sanpete County’s reputation for having the best conditions in North America for snowkiting. These include acres of open flats and hills of every angle and direction. Schenck adds that snowkiters from all over are particularly drawn to Fairview Canyon’s Skyline Drive, which has an altitude of 9800 feet and is known for its excellent snow and wind conditions. Schenck is moving his company, Windzup, which he owns with his wife, Heather, to Mt. Pleasant City’s industrial park. The company has purchased a four-acre parcel of land and is relocating its primary offices and distribution warehouse to the area. The move will create a new world headquarters for Windzup, with all operations based in Sanpete County. In addition to corporate offices, Mt. Pleasant will be the new home to Windzup’s nationwide distribution facilities and in-house marketing. “This year is shaping up to be an epic year for snowkiting, and our new 2007 kites are definitely taking rank in some of the best kites ever produced,” Schenck says. More information about the U.S. Open Ozone Snowkite Masters event and a map of the location is available online at http://www.snowkiting.com/snowkitemasters/. More information about Schenck’s company, Windzup is also available online athttp://www.windzup.com/. # # # |
| For more information Contact:
Monte Bona |
