MPNHA Press Release – MPHNA – 10 years and going strong
MPNHA Photo Contest – $25 Prize
We know that you have some amazing photos, and now it’s time to share them! The Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area is hosting a photo contest. It’s time to dust off the camera, phone, whichever you use to capture special moments and share some great pictures. You probably have some on your hard drive somewhere too!
To enter, users must upload their images to the MPNHA Facebook Page and submit a form (below) for each image that they enter into the contest.
Rules:
- All photos must be be property of the entrant and an original work. If you are submitting for someone else, permission must be obtained before uploading the image.
- All photos must be taken inside the boundaries of the MPNHA.
- Photo enhancements are allowed.
- The entry can be used on the MPNHA’s social media channels, website, etc. and will be credited to the entrant.
- If people are included in the image, a release is required for entry.
- All entrants must submit a short entry form in addition to uploading the image onto the MPNHA Facebook page.
- The final date to enter is July 21, 2017 at midnight, mountain time.
- The winner of the contest and $25 gift card to a retailer of their choice will be selected by the number of likes on their image. Ask your friends to vote for your image! In the event of a tie, the images with the same number of likes (loves, etc.) will be assigned a random number and then picked at random. The winner will be chosen and contacted on July 31, 2017.
- There is no age limit to participants (under 13 years of age must have parental permission) or limit to the number of images that are allowed, as long as every image has been submitted into the form below.
- Voting starts when you upload your image, so enter earlier for your best chance.
- Those who work for the MPNHA are not eligible to enter/win.
- Have fun.
New Bike Event Aims to Acquaint People With Ephraim Trails
DATE 08/04/2006 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.
New Bike Event Aims to Acquaint People With Ephraim Trails
The organizers of the first-ever Pioneer Trail Mountain Bike Event, being held Aug. 11 to 12 in Ephraim, have a very modest goal: introduce biking enthusiasts to the numerous mountain biking opportunities the city has to offer.
“We simply want to get more people out and enjoying the Sanpete bike trails,” says organizer Gary Anderson.
The event is sponsored by the Ephraim Chamber of Commerce and the Sanpete County Office of Economic Development and Travel.
“This will be a positive thing for the city and region, and we hope to make it an annual event,” Anderson says. “Our hope is that it becomes a tradition, something that can complement our hugely popular Scandinavian Festival.”
The two-day event isn’t a competition or race, Anderson adds. Rather, it will allow people to become acquainted with the trails in the region, which include many downhill sections.
The event starts Aug. 11 with registration at 7:30 p.m. at the Ephraim City Park. The fee is $15. There will be a 9:30 p.m. night ride Friday for intermediate and advanced riders. The main ride will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 12, in Ephraim Canyon.
There will be shuttles available to take riders and their bikes to the starting point, located eight miles up the canyon. Throughout the two-day event, riders will be awarded raffle tickets, and prizes will be announced at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday.
There will also be free bike service before the race by Andy Adamson, a local bike shop owner. For more information about the event, call Anderson at (435) 283-7595.
# # #
For more information Contact:
Monte Bona
Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council
(435) 462-2502
State FAM Tour Comes to Sanpete County June 16
| DATE 06/09/2006 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. State FAM Tour Comes to Sanpete County June 16 |
| Media and tour operators will be familiarizing themselves with Sanpete County during a “FAM” tour June 16 sponsored by the Utah Office of Tourism.
The tour will include some of the county’s “hot spots.” “FAM” tours are being held throughout the state and are targeted to specific travel agents, tour operators and media from various markets in order to generate positive publicity about Utah’s world-class destinations, according to Tracie Cayford from the tourism office. Next year, the state tourism office will be adding even more FAMS, promoting Utah’s national and state parks, ski resorts, cultural and heritage tourism areas, including other heritage attractions along U.S. Highway 89. The day-long Sanpete County tour will begin at 10 a.m. at the restored Moroni Opera House. It was originally built in 1891. In the 1930’s, it was converted into a feed processing plant. The city eventually made restoring the opera house its Centennial Project. The opera house is now used for dinner theaters, children’s theatrical performances, dance performances and community events. Tour participants will then drive to Maple Canyon for a tour and hike. The little canyon located about three miles south of Fountain Green and is known as the best rock climbing area in North America. It contains more than 300 rock climbing routes, ranging from 20 to 400 feet long and designed to please people of all ages and skill levels. Following lunch at Don’s Café in Ephraim, the group will view several video presentations and then take an ATV ride up Ephraim Canyon. At 4:30 they will tour historical downtown Manti, followed by dinner at the Manti House Inn, a bed and breakfast that was first built in the late 1800s to provide housing for people working on the Manti LDS temple. It has long been a popular attraction for visitors to the Manti pageant in the summer. Participants will also have a chance to learn about Sanpete County’s other cities and towns and attractions throughout the Mormon Pioneer Heritage Area. # # # |
| For more information Contact:
Monte Bona |
Fairview, Ephraim Gearing up for Snowmobile ‘State Ride’
| DATE 02/21/2006 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. Fairview, Ephraim Gearing up for Snowmobile ‘State Ride’ |
| Brian Howarth loves snowmobiling. He also enjoys helping to make a difference in people’s lives, especially children. On February 23 & 24, he will get the opportunity to combine his two loves by taking part in the Utah Snowmobile Association State Ride and Winter Festival being held in Ephraim and Fairview.“This is a great opportunity for the snowmobile community and our community to work together for a great cause,” says Howarth, president of the Skyline Sno-Riders, which is helping put on the event. The local club has twice been named “Snowmobile Club of the Year” by the Utah Snowmobiling Association and was awarded this honor for a third time again this year. In 2006 the Skyline Sno-Riders was the second-largest club in the state.He added that people do not need to be a member of any snowmobiling club to attend the two-day event.
Highlights include an Ephraim Canyon Charity Fund Raising Ride and Poker Run Friday, Feb. 23, at 9 a.m. All proceeds raised will be given to the Utah Down Syndrome Foundation. Later that evening there will be a dinner and games at the Fairview Senior Citizen Hall. On Saturday, Feb. 24, there will be snowmobile drag races starting at 8 a.m. near the Rodeo Grounds. The Fairview Canyon ride will begin at 9 a.m. at the canyon’s trail head. In addition, Fairview city will host vendors of outdoor equipment and an OHV Training class for 8 to 16 year olds Saturday afternoon. There will also be chilli “cook off” that afternoon and a Dutch Oven dinner and live entertainment open to the public at the Fairview Dance Hall that night. In addition, the Skyline Sno-Riders Club will continue its “Operation Care Bear” tradition of collecting new stuffed bears to give to law enforcement agencies to pass on to children after an accident or other incident. Donations may be dropped off at local hospitals, city offices, sheriff’s office or county building. Last year 900 bears were given out to needy children. The state ride and winter fest are expected to attract people from all over Utah and the inter mountain west. This is the third straight year that the Utah Snowmobiling Association has chosen to hold its “State Ride” in Fairview. “Simply put, it has some of the best riding in the entire country,” as stated in a recent four page article in “SnoWest” magazine, Howarth says. Fairview also has a paved canyon road that leads to a trail head that provides access to more than 50 miles of trails to the north at Skyline Drive and some 30 miles to the south to Joe’s Valley. There is also a paved parking lot and warming shelters. The great access, coupled with the great snow and diversity in the riding terrain made it a prime choice, Howarth says. Howarth moved to Fairview from Utah County a few years ago and his entire family got involved in the Skyline Sno-Riders. The family also started several charity events tied to snowmobiling that have raised food and funds for the local food bank. Howarth, his wife, Miko, his mother Darlene, and father, Clyde Mortensen, were also named the state’s top snowmobiling family of the year in 2004. The Sno-Riders worked to establish a trailhead up Fairview Canyon; including putting in a paved parking lot, as well as a warming shelter located about 15 miles away from the trail entrance that is kept well-stocked throughout the season, which typically runs from December through April. During the off-season, the Sno-Riders also sponsors other events such as trail clean ups, an “adopt a highway” program and are also involved in working with the Forest Service to create another paved parking lot at the area know as “Big Drift” as well as enlarging the Skyline North parking lot next spring. For information on the Feb. 23 & 24 rides, call Barbara Collard: 801-568-7000 (cell) or 801-254-6580. Reservations are required for the Saturday evening dinner at the Fairview Dance Hall as seating is limited. Cost is $19 per person. Call 435-427-3353 for reservations. More information is also available online at www.skylinesno-riders.com and the Utah Snowmobile Association website at www.snowut.com or by phoning Brian at 435-427-3620 or by email, bhow@cut.net or bhowarth@utah.gov. http://www.skylinesno-riders.com http://www.snowut.com # # # |
| For more information Contact:Monte Bona Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council (435) 462-2502 |
‘Hood’ Business Taking Snowmobilers to New Heights
| DATE 12/23/2005 1:54 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. ‘Hood’ Business Taking Snowmobilers to New Heights |
| This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council about the people and places in Sanpete County and along U.S. Highway 89, the Heritage Highway.
Scott Stevens is an avid snowmobiler who never liked the look, fit or weight of retail snowmobile hoods. He also didn’t like the high price tag. So a few years ago, he decided to take matters into his own hands and design his own. At the time, Stevens was working with his father, Grant, erecting steel buildings. He also previously owned a sporting good and snowmobile store. Every night after work, he and his family would spend time in the garage and basement designing and working on lightweight snowmobile hoods. Stevens’ always felt that if snowmobiles weighed less, they would get more speed, allowing them to go faster and climb higher. He decided the fastest, cheapest and easiest way for a sled to “lose weight” was in the hood. Stevens’ wife, Stephanie, calls his theory “Go Where No Other Snowmobile Has Gone Before.” Indeed, the lightweight hoods Stevens designed allowed him to reach previously unreachable heights and speeds. He never intended for his hood-building hobby to become a business. But people who saw the lightweight hoods would ask Stevens about them, and soon they were requesting that he build one for them. So in 2001, Stevens decided to make it his full-time passion and opened up Diamond S Manufacturing at 450 South 50 East in Ephraim. The company produces snowmobile hoods that weigh about six pounds, significantly lighter than retail hoods that weigh between 18 to 25 pounds. Aluminum tubing is used for the frame, along with a special ballistics material, and fabric called mesh for the covering. The fabrics are heat tolerant, breathable and good-looking, Stevens says, adding they are tested for durability by being baked in an oven, pulled on, run over by a car and washed about 100 times. “The mesh was extremely important because is has to shed the powdery snow and water and allow air flow to keep the clutches and belts cool, which increases machine performance,” he says. Stevens also designs the frames, welds them and creates and sews the fabric patterns. In addition, he designs and manufactures a Titanium Tube Chassis. The weight of an average chassis is about 80 to 100 pounds, but a Titanium Chassis is only about 35 to 40 pounds. This November, the company also started building many other lightweight parts as well as ready- to- ride snowmobiles, some producing up to 300 horsepower. The company also teamed up with Boondocker Inc. of Idaho to build the first-ever side mount turbo kit for the new Yamaha Apex and RX1. Diamond S now has two full-time employees and three part-time employees as well as a lot of family cooperation and help. Stevens says as recently as 10 years ago, the average sled couldn’t make it up a canyon road, depending upon snow conditions. “However, just like most everything else, snowmobiles have become so sophisticated and improved that you can climb some hills you don’t dare come back down,” he says. “There was a time when the Bluebell Ski Run hill up Ephraim Canyon was a BIG hill. Now some sleds go up and over the top without even going full throttle.” Stephanie Stevens jokes these are the riders who are “not very smart.” In fact, she is known to tell out-of-town riders that if want to follow her husband on a snowmobile, it might be hazardous to their health. The Stevens live in Ephraim with their four children: Skyler, 15; Sydney, 14; Shalynn, 10; and Shantel, 9. Snowmobiling is a huge attraction in Sanpete County, and one of the most popular events is the Fairview Shoot Out, which takes place up Fairview Canyon every March or April. Snowmobilers come from all over the United States and Canada to race and hill climb. Stevens and his hand-built custom sled can be found there. For the past two years, he has been the undefeated winner of the longest wheelie ever ridden on a snowmobile. For more information on Diamond S. Manufacturing, contact Stevens at (435) 283-4709. # # # |
| For more information Contact:
Monte Bona |
