Category Archives: Manti

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.

MPNHA congratulates Mormon Miracle Pageant on 50 Seasons

MPNHA-Press-Release-50th-Year-Mormon-Miracle-Pageant

 

MORMON PIONEER NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA (MPNHA)

MPNHA congratulates Mormon Miracle Pageant on 50 Seasons

For more information:

Linda Peterson

Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area

801-554-7513

Email: linda@bpmedia.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 10, 2016

MANTI, Utah–As the community of Manti is busy with preparations for this year’s Mormon Miracle Pageant, the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area offers its congratulations on the pageant’s 50th year.

“We congratulate the thousands of people who have contributed so faithfully to telling the story of their Mormon heritage over 50 years of dedicated pageant service,” MPNHA Director Monte Bona said.

Just as the pageant is celebrating a significant anniversary, so too is the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area which was signed into being by President George W. Bush on Oct. 12, 2006 —10 years ago.

Both the pageant and the MPNHA grew out of the desire of local people to tell the history of the Mormon pioneers of Central Utah, of the faith that led them to cross the American continent to forge new communities in a barren landscape.

In multiple projects over the past 10 years, the MPNHA has sought to preserve the heritage of those settlements, which became the towns of today’s Central Utah, and to share it with the world.

In that spirit, the MPNHA granted $240,000 toward development of the 2.25-acre Mormon Pioneer Heritage Gardens which were opened in 2012 across the highway from the Manti temple grounds where the Mormon Miracle Pageant is staged.

“The Mormon Pioneer Heritage Gardens stand as a striking example of why we received national designation as a heritage area,” MPNHA Director Monte Bona said. “They represent what the late Sen. Robert F. Bennett said when he introduced the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Act: ‘The story of the Mormon pioneers is one of the most compelling and captivating in our nation’s history.’ The monumental Manti Temple overlooking the gardens bears witness to the cooperation, industry, ingenuity and true grit of the Mormon pioneers. We are proud to call it the Mormon pioneer miracle on Temple Hill.”

As the pageant continues to flourish, it will do so with the support of the MPNHA which recognizes it as a unique portrayal of those early settlers and the faith that fueled their courageous colonization of central Utah.

For more information, contact MPNHA Director Monte Bona at 801-699-5065 . ###

The Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area includes 400 miles of glorious scenic byways, a vast array of wildlife, the best of western living, cattle and sheep ranches, and colorful mountain vistas, all within a trip on Utah Heritage Highway 89.

Tens of thousands of visitors pour in to Manti mid-June to see Mormon Miracle Pageant, this year celebrating its 50th year.

Railroad Resorts Bring Sevier County’s Railroad Past to Life

MPNHA-Press-Release-Sevier-Railroad

The Denver & Rio Grande Railroad is being resurrected in an unusual way in the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area. Partners David Grow and George Jones of Environetics have built a caboose and railroad village at Big Rock Candy Mountain, north of Marysvale in Piute County. In February they received a 50-year lease of the old Denver and Rio Grande Depot from the city of Mt. Pleasant to build a similar resort there.

Jones, a retired railroad union executive with an interest in historic railroading, began collecting cabooses several years ago. About six years ago he approached Grow with the idea of turning them into a unique resort.

After several years of planning, last year the pair opened the Track 89 Caboose Village Resort at Big Rock Candy Mountain with three railroad cars. This year they have seven and next year they hope to have 10. The Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area recently awarded the project a $25,000 grant for landscaping and parking.

Grow said it is unlikely the Mt. Pleasant facility will be open this season since major work needs to be done to prepare the site and move the railroad cars into place. He is very excited about the location, however.

“We’ve always loved that old depot and looked into moving it further down Highway 89 but found it was too expensive,” Grow said.

In 1977 the building was rescued from demolition by a group of local citizens who wanted to preserve it and had it moved to its present location from 500 West and Main.

The new location is ideal, Grow said. “It has great visibility, right on Highway 89. We will make sure that no lodging will block the beautiful view of the terrific old depot.” Grow said the Mt Pleasant site could eventually have as many as 15 rail cars.

He said they plan to incorporate several historic elements into the resort, but they have not yet determined if that will be in the setting of a small museum or as enhancements to the railroad cars themselves.

While some have suggested that the pair open a similar resort in Thistle in Utah County, Grow said that the Utah County planning department is not open to the idea.

“It would be like trying to push a river upstream,” he said.

MPNHA Director Monte Bona sees these two resorts as a first step to bringing about a railroad museum and interpretive center in the area, one of the goals of the MPNHA’s management plan.

“The Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area reached the high threshold for national designation by articulating the thesis that Mormon colonization played a major role in the development of the West. The coming of the railroad era had a signifi cant impact that needs to be interpreted, displayed and conveyed as a crucial part of the Mormon country story,” he said.

The railroad first came to the Sevier Valley in 1893 when the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad expanded its line from Chester to Manti , connecting it with its Valley Line at Thistle Junction via Mt. Pleasant and from Manti to Marysvale.

At its peak, the line ferried passengers to Richfield where tour companies would meet the train at Marysvale and take tourists to Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon’s North Rim. For several decades it spurred economic growth in the area, especially in the livestock trade.

However, as automobiles grew in popularity, the railroad began to wane. In 1949, D&RGW dropped passenger service in the area. From then until the Thistle mudslide of 1982 shut down the line completely, the line primarily carried freight. Aft er the mudslide the D&RGW determined it would not be cost-effective to restore the line, which had been operating at a loss for decades.

Now, with the Environetics projects, railroad buff s and families will have a unique opportunity to experience a taste of the rich railroading history of the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area.

For more information, contact or MPNHA Director Monte Bona at 801-699-5065 or David Grow at 801-375-9090.

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The Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area includes 400 miles of glorious scenic byways, a vast array of wildlife, the best of western living, cattle and sheep ranches, and colorful mountain vistas, all within a trip on Utah Heritage Highway 89

5 Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area Towns are Recognized

Move to These 14 Towns in Utah if You Want to Get Away From it All

has listed 5 Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area Towns.  This is a great honor to be recognized, of course Director, Monte Bona sates that, “I think that each one of our communities should be recognized as outstanding towns to raise your child or retire. These are just wonderful areas with even better citizens.”

If you live in one of Utah’s larger cities, you might dream of moving somewhere far away from other people. Our state has lots of small, rural towns that offer a much quieter, peaceful existence. Of course, job opportunities, shopping and entertainment are much harder to come by in these little towns. But that’s the point, isn’t it?

Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area “Discovery Road” to air on UEN

MPNHA-Press-Release-Discovery-Road-Hi-Ways-and-Byways

Linda Petersen

Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area

801-554-7513

Email: linda@bpmedia.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 2, 2015

Utah Education Network TV (UEN) will begin airing “Discovery Road,” a series that grew out of a desire to tell the stories of the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area and its people, on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 6 p.m. UEN broadcasts on Channel 9 in most parts of Utah.

Conceived in 2012, “Discovery Road” is an ongoing series of half hour shows featuring a ‘55 Pontiac affectionately named “Love Me Tender,” which hosts James Nelson and Maryda Nicole Gallo drive along U.S. Highway 89, All-American Road State Route 12 and Scenic Byway State Route 24.

Using music, storytellers and the characters in the communities along the way, the hosts present the history, scenery and culture of the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area in an entertaining and educational manner. “

The whole idea behind the show is to get people to do what they used to do on Sunday afternoons — take a drive,” said MPNHA Executive Director Monte Bona.

UEN-TV Program Manager Kyle Anderson said “Discovery Road” is a great fit for the station. “At UEN our main purpose is to reach to the statewide community,” he said. “Discovery Road is a good local resource with a lot of good stories about Utah and Utah history. It’s very well done and entertaining.”

James Nelson and M. Nicole Gallo driving “Love Me Tender”, a ‘55 Pontiac, outside Spring City on Heritage Day.

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The show’s times lot at 6 p.m. on Saturdays is great for people who are coming in from the outdoors and want to be both educated and entertained, Anderson said.

October schedule: Oct 10, 6 p.m. “Don’t Let Them Be Forgotten”

This episode tracks the Blackham family, who were barely subsisting working in the cotton mills of England’s industrial revolution in the latter 1800s, to joining the LDS church and migrating to Sanpete County. They paved the way for current-day descendents, who are farmers, att orneys, business leaders, musicians, teachers, and politi cians, including present-day mayors of two Sanpete cities.

Oct 17, 6 p.m. “Music Is the Reason”

Welsh pioneers to Zion were sent to Sanpete County to develop a “Coal Bed” (the original name of Wales Town in Sanpete County), bringing with them their native gift of music. The coal ran out, but these musical miners produced both the world-famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Osmond Family, to name just two.

Oct 24, 6 p.m. “The Heritage Experience”

A busload of travel writers heads north from Zion’s National Park along Heritage Highway 89, visiting historic stops along the way, including Mom’s Café in Salina and Clarion, the short-lived Jewish settlement west of Centerfield.

Oct 31, 6 p.m. “Mormon Trail: Black Experience”

Returned Mormon missionary Marcus Ewell discovers his family history includes an ancestor who served in the Mormon Batt alion and another who traveled the Mormon trail. The Discovery Road crew visits Marti ns Cove, Winter Quarters and many other places on their journey to the past. As the visit to yesterday plays out along the trail, a mystery unfolds about who might have been with the Ewell family every step of the way.

**Upcoming shows:

Nov. 7 Mormon Trail – The Forgotten Ones

Nov. 14 Mormon Trail – The Disabled Ones

Nov. 21 Nati ve Americans and Sacred Water

Nov. 28 Filmmakers Shootout in Kane County

Dec. 5 Garfi eld County*

Dec. 12 Scandinavian Show*

Dec. 19 The Dreams I Left Behind* Merrill Osmond joins “Discovery Road” as a guest in “Music is the Reason.”

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After airing on Saturdays, each show will air again at noon the following Wednesday.

“Wherever we go while producing Discovery Road episodes people ask where they might be able to see the shows. When we tell them UEN, they nod approval and tell us that’s a place for good programming. We agree. The programming is diverse, educati onal and entertaining. We are delighted to be a part of it,” said Discovery Road Co-host Maryda Nicole Gallo.

In addition to airing on UEN, “Discovery Road” is running on several stations in central and southern Utah, including CentraCom Interactive’s Channel 10, Manti Telecommunications’ Channel 3 and KTTA in Monroe.

Interested viewers may find out how to access UEN-TV at http://www.uen.org/tv/translators/

*December programming is tentative as Discovery Road has several more episodes in production which may take the place of currently scheduled shows.

** Descriptions of these episodes may be found on the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area, www.mormonpioneerheritage.org/discovery-road-videos.

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About the MPNHA:

The Mormon Pioneer Heritage Area is a federally designated area of central and southern Utah running along the beautiful and historic U.S. Highway 89 — including the All-American Road Utah State Route 12, and Capitol Reef Scenic Byway Utah State Route 24, which both intersect with U.S. 89 and together form the MPNHA’s Boulder Loop. The area includes the counties of Sanpete, Sevier, Piute, Wayne, Garfield and Kane.

About UEN: The Utah Education Network was established more than 20 years ago by the Utah State Legislature to coordinate telecommunications technology for public and higher education. UEN infrastructure serves public education, higher education, applied technology, libraries, government, and other public entities by providing networking, application and support services, serving a vital role in anticipating and meeting the educational needs of our state.

Manti City Celebrates LDS Tabernacle Restoration with Open House

MPNHA-Press-Release-Manti-Tabernacle-2015
MORMON

 

PIONEER NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA (MPNHA)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WHAT: Manti City celebrates LDS Tabernacle Restoration with Open House

WHEN: Sept. 12-13, 2015

CONTACT: Monte Bona 435-462-9002

WRITTEN BY: Linda Petersen

Manti celebrates LDS Tabernacle Restoration with Open House

A prime example of Mormon pioneer architecture has been restored in Manti. The historic Manti Tabernacle, which was dedicated in 1903 by Joseph F. Smith, has just undergone a 15-month renovation and will be open for the public to tour two days next week. The tabernacle will be rededicated Sept. 13 at 12:30 p.m.

The tabernacle, which is listed on the national historic register, is one of only three 19th-century LDS Church houses still in use as a meeting house. “The tabernacle stands as a glowing example of the tenacity, grit and skill of the Mormon pioneers who played an important role in the colonization of the West,” said Mormon Pioneer Nati onal Heritage Area Director Monte Bona.

“The Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area greatly appreciates the commitment that has been made to maintain the character and significance of this magnificent edifice that exemplifies what we hope to preserve as a national heritage area.”

“In our modern age, when its sometimes more expedient to remove old structures and replace them with economical new ones, this act represents a major commitment by the LDS Church to honor the faith of its founding membership,” he said.

The open house, where the public can tour the restored tabernacle, will be held Friday, Sept. 11 and Saturday, Sept. 12 from 3 to 7 p.m.  The building will be rededicated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Area Seventy Elder Michael Jensen on Sunday, Manti Tabernacle Sept. 2015, after renovations are completed, Sept. 13 at 12:30 p.m.

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The tabernacle has a rich pioneer history. In 1860, the impoverished Manti LDS church members laid its foundation, but delayed organizing a tabernacle construction committee for 17 years.

Work was ongoing on the Manti Temple, which was constructed from 1875-1888, during the same time period and most of the pioneers’ limited resources were used for that endeavor. It was finally completed in 1903.

“We are pleased to see this magnificent historic tabernacle rehabilitated with such care and skill,” said Don Hartley, Utah Division of State History historical architect.

“It was constructed in the late 1870s and has signifiance not just for Manti and Sanpete County, but churchwide as a symbol of faith and courage. For the Mormon pioneers in Manti to build both a temple and tabernacle possessing such architectural signifiance, and at such great material sacrifice and cost when even their own survival wasn’t a sure thing, reflects their devotion.

For the setters who worked on this building and maybe didn’t write letters or keep journals, this is their testimony, rendered in stone, still speaking to us across the generations.”

“It’s really significant that the church decided to do this restoration,” said Matthew Christensen, manager for the LDS church’s Manti, Utah facilities group, said. “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints places great value on these historic structures which stand as a testimony to the skill, craftsmanship and the many sacrifies made by the early saints.”

— 3 —

The tabernacle, which was designed by William H. Folsom, the architect for the temple, had two additions to the main structure in 1927 and 1958.

When the structure was built, the early Manti church members did not have the funds to include decorative fascias and soffits on the building. However, in anticipation of a time when they could add them, they left nailer strips embedded near the top of the north and south exterior walls and on the east and west gables.

“They didn’t know how long it would be before they would be able to have the money for them so the strips were left exposed for decades after completion,” Christensen said.

While renovating the exterior, the project team and the church historical department decided to leave the nailer strips exposed to help tell the story about how the building was constructed, Christensen said.

The original structure and the later additions have all been reroofed and the attic has been insulated to modern standards. To complete the exterior upgrade, new landscaping and site irrigation have been installed.

Inside, particular attention has been paid to restoring the chapel. The original fir timber columns of the 1920’s balcony were cored out and steel beams were inserted into the columns to maintain their historic integrity while stabilizing the structure.

Cracked walls in the chapel have been replaced, and the historic Christ at the Well mural and wall finishes have been restored.

Period finishes such as a 1900’s-style chandelier, carpets, paint, pew fabrics and wood and plaster finishes have been installed throughout the tabernacle.

For more information, contact MPNHA Director Monte Bona at 801-699-5065 or Matthew Christensen, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Manti, Utah facilities group manager, at 435-835-8887.

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The Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area includes 400 miles of glorious scenic byways, a vast array of wildlife, the best of western living, cattle and sheep ranches, and colorful mountain vistas, all within a trip on Utah Heritage Highway 89.

The Most Beautiful, Charming Small Towns In Utah for 2015

Here Are The Most Beautiful, Charming Small Towns In Utah

Utah has grown by leaps and bounds in the last few decades; once small towns have grown to medium-sized ones (at least by Utah standards). Of course, you can still find many beautiful little towns across the state. This list isn’t meant to be a “Best Of.” It’s simply a list of a few small towns we think are great (in no particular order!). We chose towns with populations between 612 and 5,130, though many residents living in towns with populations of 10,000 or even 20,000 might enjoy that small-town atmosphere.

 

The Mormon Miracle Pageant in Manti, Utah

Miracle pagaent

June 18-20, 23-27, 2015

Every June comes an experience of dance, drama, music, and a cast totaling over 800 performing on a stage that is larger than a football field.  This compelling story of ancient American history comes alive in dramatic scenes that tells of the classic battle of good over evil.  The many characters in this pageant will remain with you long after the last performance, perhaps will stay with you always.  Here you will be introduced to the likes of Ammon, Captain Moroni, King Lamoni. Mormon, Samuel the Lamanite and many more.

Mormon Miracle Pageant
Mormon Miracle Pageant

The pageant is right off the Utah Heritage Highway 89,  where the scene settings unfold under the starlit night with the exquisite Manti Temple sitting stately before the audience.  From the east there is the beauty of the landscape maybe as it was in ancient times when the inhabitants of the pageant lived and died.  Here you will visit the reenactment of the resurrected Christ visit these ancient people that will be depicted in the Mormon Miracle Pageant.

 

Christ visits the laminites

Here you will see the resurrected Christ appear after the great destruction that followed His crucifixion.  He will heal the sick, and bless the children.  You will learn how the sacred records were preserved in this, our time.

These ancient records are provided to Joseph Smith and the people that God has come together to help Joseph translate and publish the Book of Mormon.  Through the story of fictional characters Robert and Mary Henshaw, you will experience their struggle as they search for religious truth. In the awe inspiring finale, you will come to know the overpowering knowledge that love and families are eternal.

Manti-Pageant-580

The saga of the Mormon Miracle Pageant unfolds at the base of the magnificent Sanpete, Manti LaSal Mountains, with the fresh, cool canyon breeze, and the canopy of the evening stars preparing a perfect night for the performance to begin.  Major enhancements have been made for a more enjoyable experience such as new sets, newly staged scenes, and new costumes.

manti-pageant-733x436-7manti

This year the most awaited scene of the resurrected Christ’s appearance to the ancient people on the American continent will be included this year in the pageant.  The Mormon Miracle Pageant will share with you and your family another testament of Christ.

While food is allowed on the Manti Temple grounds, please clean up and carry out any garbage that you have brought in with you.  There are several fast food facilities close by the pageant location

For pageant information, call 1-866-961-9040 . The Sanpete County Travel Council, 345 West 100 North, Ephraim, UT 84627, 435-283-4321 or 800-281-4346 has further information about the local area. Many families camp at local parks and campgrounds. We urge all pageant visitors to strictly observe speed limits and traffic laws. Please, treat the private property of local residents with respect.

13TH ANNUAL RAT FINK 2015 REUNION

Ed "Big Daddy" Roth
Ed “Big Daddy” Roth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13th Annual ED “BIG DADDY” ROTH’S RAT FINK REUNION

June 4th thru 6th, 2015 at 404 East 300 North, Manti, UT

ratfinkreunionCAR SHOW SATURDAY JUNE 6th! 8A.M Manti City Park 200 N 400 W, Manti

Parade of show cars car show in Manti

Manti’s Main Street 5 pm Car, Truck & Bike Show

In the world or hot rodding, Big Daddy Roth was a legend.  He was one of the founders of Kustom Kulture.  He was the renowned creator of one-of-a -kind hot rods.  As creator of a little green rat, Rat Fink, he epitomizes hot rodding.  His little green monster designs still appeal to both the young and the old.

Ed Roth’s artwork appeared in underground comics in the 1980’s and the middle of the 1990’s.  Many classify his work as fine art, and can be seen in art galleries.

Mr Roth passed away in 2001.  His passion continues on with the dedication his wife Ilene Roth has to carry on his legacy.

The Reunion hosts many events fun for the entire family.  Come to Manti, Utah on Utah Heritage Highway 89 for a fun family event.

 

 

 

Legends, Lore and True Tales in Mormon Country (American Legends) By Monte Bona

 

legends lore and true tales in mormon country

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monte Bona, along with the collaborative efforts of talented professionals have given us an authentic view of those brave men, women and children who left their homes, family, wealth, and country to establish the communities in South Central Utah.

The powerful stories of the early settlers in the region that is now identified by the Congressional designation as the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area, are touching, informative, and compelling

These pioneers certainly left a legacy that illustrates a structure that was steeped in  codes of conduct, traditions, and  principles that everyone embraced for the sole purpose of succeeding in a somewhat hostile environment.  Their stories come to life as you read of their inventiveness, cooperation,  conscientiousness, and pure resilience.     You will also be moved stories of with miracles that occurred..

Many may be interested to learn that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormons were not the only secular group that assisted with the settling  of Utah.   Jewish settlements, and contributions of a Presbyterian Minister, were instrumental.   There were great sacrifices, large doses of humility, and traditional morals that were all combined to make their efforts a true success.

I have a great appreciation for the time intensive work completed by Monte Bona that has gone into producing Legends, Lore and True Tales in Mormon Country (American Legends).  It is commendable that such an undertaking has been made to tell their stories. What a great job he has done!

The pictures are an added bonus, they help to recreate the trials, tribulations and the triumphs of  the early pioneers.  Mr. Bona has done a tremendous job in compiling this must have book for those who seek to find their family history, and a great resource for future generations.  Without a doubt this is a book that you will read, reread, share, and  retell the stories, legends, lore and true tales to everyone.  I highly recommend this book to all who seek the true tales in Mormon Country.

 

Museums Located in Little Denmark

Fairview
Fairview Museum of History and Art

 

The Fairview Museum has something for everyone from personal handwritten heirloom family stories, records of founding forefathers genealogy, Native American artifacts, art work from local artists, sculptures by Arvard T. Fairbanks, and a true life scale of a massive mammoth.  This Columbian mammoth was almost fully intact when it was discovered as the Wasatch Plateau was being excavated at the Huntington Reservoir in 1988.

Fairview Art and Natural Museum

Stop in for all that the Fairview Museum has to offer  Don’t forget to visit the outdoor equipment that has been collected, that was once used by early settlers of the area.

Mount Pleasant

Bishop Seely and Relic Home Museum

Relic Home 1

Fountain Green
Fountain Green Daughters of the Utah Pioneers Museum and Old Tithing House

Manti
Manti Historic City Hall
Pattern House and Old Manti School/Daughters of the Utah Pioneers Museum

Spring City
Spring City Daughters of the Utah Pioneers Museum and Old Jail

Local Artisans and Galleries in Little Denmark

There are numerous artisans and galleries in Little Denmark, each one unique. You can find artisans specializing in: country, western, landscapes, exhibits, quilting, weaving, woodworking, murals, paintings, pottery, carvings, silversmiths, gunsmiths, violin makers, saddlery, custom boots, and numerous other crafts that will delight all.

Ephraim

  • Accent Wear in Ephraim
    • Address: 15 East 300 South, Ephraim, UT 84627
    • Phone: 435) 283-4133
  • Carver Predator Calls
    • Address: 380 East 400 South, Ephraim, UT 84627
    • Phone: (435) 283-6525
    • Mobile/Other: (435) 340-0303
  • KJB Silversmithing
    • Address: 161 West Center, Ephraim, UT 84627
    • Phone: (435) 283-4016
  • Pressed For Time
    • Address: 238 South 100 East, Ephraim, UT 84627
    • Phone: (435) 283-4788
  • Steve Olsen Knives in Ephraim
    • Address: 420 East 400 South, Ephraim, UT 84627
    • Phone: (435) 283-6344
  • Traditional Building Skills Institute
    • Address: 150 E College Ave., Ephraim, UT 84627
    • Phone: (435) 283-7000
  • John Young Knives
    • Address: 483 East 400 South, Ephraim, UT 84627
    • Phone: (435) 283-4555

Centerfield

Fairview

  • Ancestors in Oil in Fairview
    • Address: 185 E 400 N, RR 1 Box 81, Fairview, UT 84629
    • Phone: (435) 427-9172
  • The Art Studio
    • Address: 239 S. 200 E., Fairview, UT 84629
    • Phone: (435) 262-0324
  • Conforme Belle
    • Address: 186 West 200 North, Fairview, UT 84629
    • Phone: (435) 469-1226
  • North Bend Trading Post
    • Address: 40 S State, P.O. Box 183, Fairview, UT 84629
    • Phone: (435) 427-9390

Fountain Green

  • R.A. Smith Custom Fly Rods
    • Address: 315 S 500 W, P.O. Box 367, Ft. Green, UT 84632
    • Phone: (435) 445-3497
  • Slickrock Leather Works
    • Address: 874 West 400 North, Ft. Green, UT 84632
    • Phone: (435) 851-6637
  • Stewart Artworks
    • Address: 590 West 200 North, Ft. Green, UT 84632
    • Phone: (435) 445-3531

Manti

Moroni

  • Aldridge Fine Art Studio in Moroni
    • Address: 110 South 300 West, Moroni, UT 84646
    • Phone: (435) 436-8815

Mt. Pleasant

  • Paul Hart Violins
    • Address: 36 W. Main Street, Mt. Pleasant, UT 84647
    • Phone: (435) 462-0301
  • The Illusion Academy in Mt. Pleasant
    • Address: 180 North State, Mt. Pleasant, UT 84647
    • Phone: 435) 462-4545
  • Peel Furniture Works
    • Address: 565 West Main Street, Mt. Pleasant, UT 84647
    • Phone: (435) 462-2887
  • Pioneer Art in Mt. Pleasant
    • Address: 720 Walkara Ave, Mt. Pleasant, UT 84647
    •  Phone: (559) 859-3861
  • Mighty Quinn Studios / Jason Quinn
    • Address: 118 E. Main Street, Mt. Pleasant, UT 84647
    • Phone: (435) 462-4531

Spring City

  • Osral Allred Fine Art
    • Address: P.O. Box 152, Spring City, UT 84662
    • Phone: (435) 462-2137
  • Antler’s Gift Shop
    • Address: 465 North Main, Spring City, UT 84662
    • Phone: (435) 462-5642
  • The Art of Joan Durfey
    • Address: 94 West 100 North, Spring City, UT 84662
    • Phone: (435) 262-0360
  • Black Canyon Taxidermy
    • Address: P.O. Box 361, 300 N 300 E, Spring City, UT 84662
    • Phone: (435) 462-2661
  • C. M. Carving in Spring City
    • Address: 409 E 200 N, PO Box 190, Spring City, UT 84662
    • Phone: (435) 462-9535
  • Douglas Fryer Fine Art 
    • Address: P.O. Box 394, Spring City, UT 84662
    • Phone: (435) 462-2640
  • FiddleSticks Celtic Music
    • Address: 95 East 400 South, Spring City, UT 84662
    • Phone: (801) 221-1108
    • Mobile/Other: (801) 369-1243
  • Foxglove Cottage
    • Address: P.O. Box 220, Spring City, UT 84662
    • Phone: (435) 462-9618
  • Fine Art of Susan Gallacher
    • Address: 12 North Main, Spring City, UT 84662
    • Phone: (801) 486-5019
  • Horseshoe Mountain Pottery
    • Address: 278 S Main, PO Box 186, Spring City, UT 84662
    • Phone: (435) 462-2708
  • Jock Jones Handcrafted Windsor Chairs
    • Address: 125 South Main, Spring City, UT 84662
    • Phone: (801) 915-201
  • LGK Studios
    • Address: P.O. Box 104, Spring City, UT 84662
    • Phone: (435) 462-9603
  • Shirley McKay Fine Art
    • Address: 190 North Main, Spring City, UT 84662
    • Phone: (801) 226-7097
    • Mobile/Other: (435) 462-0378
  • The Nest Gallery in Spring City Outlaw Glass Blowing
    • Address: P.O. Box 251, 150 N 600 E, Spring City, UT 84662
    • Phone: (435) 262-0345
  • M’lisa Paulsen Fine Art
    • Address: 119 W 200 N, P.O. Box 36, Spring City, UT 84662
    • Phone: (435) 462-3454
    • Mobile/Other: (801) 910-4191
  • Kathleen Peterson Fine Art
    • Address: 12755 North 8500 East, Spring City, UT 84662
    • Phone: (435) 462-4319
  • Randall Lake Original Oil Paintings
    • Address: 63 West 300 South, Spring City, UT 84662
    • Phone: (801) 521-4609
  • Sanpete Spur & Silver
    • Address: 735 S Main, P.O. Box 403, Spring City, UT 84662
    • Phone: (435) 462-7490
  • Scientific Glass Arts and Research
    • Address: 150 North 600 East, Spring City, UT 84662
    • Phone: (510) 381-3436
  • Kerry Soper Fine Art
    • Address: 190 North Main, Spring City, UT 84662
    • Phone: (801) 224-4129
  • Walker Custom Boots
    • Address: 1335 N Hwy 117, P.O. Box 561, Spring City, UT 84662
    • Phone: (435) 462-3669
  • Amanda Willey Studios
    • Address: P.O. Box 274, Spring City, UT 84662
  • Michael Workman Studio
    • Address: P.O. Box 441, Spring City, UT 84662
    • Phone: (435) 462-3937

Little Denmark Events

Little Denmark District

Feb.
US Open Snowkite Masters

Photos Courtesy of Gus
Photos Courtesy of Gus

Little Denmark District

Snowkiting

ATV Paiute

• May
Spring City Heritage Days

Photo Courtesy of The Daily Herald
Photo Courtesy of The Daily Herald

Little Denmark District
Ephraim Scandinavian Festival Little Denmark District

BYU Folk Dancers
BYU Folk Dancers

• June
Mormon Miracle Pageant Little Denmark District

Mormon Miracle Pageant
Mormon Miracle Pageant

• July
Lamb Days Little Denmark District

Lamb Days in Ephraim, Utah
Lamb Days in Ephraim, Utah

Pioneer Days Little Denmark District
Hub City Days Little Denmark District
Fairview Lace Days Little Denmark District
Mountain Man Rendezvous Little Denmark District

• August
Manti Mountain ATV Tour Little Denmark District
Skyline 10K Run Little Denmark District
Sanpete County Fair Little Denmark District
Sanpete Classic Bike Race Little Denmark District

• September
Spring City Artists Studio Tour Little Denmark District

 

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

# # #

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

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

Six Public Meetings Scheduled For The Central Utah Area Wildfire Protection Plan

DATE 102/20/2006 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.

Six Public Meetings Scheduled For The Central Utah Area
Wildfire Protection Plan

Salt Lake City, UTAH …
Six public meetings have been scheduled for the Central Utah area Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). The regional plan, which encompasses Juab, Millard, Piute, Sanpete, Sevier, and Wayne counties, will provide an overview of the wildfire risk in Central Utah and the framework for future county and local planning efforts to protect human life and reduce property loss due to wildfire. The goal of the meetings is to offer an opportunity for the public to review the draft risk assessment and identify those places and natural areas that are of special value to the community.

“The meetings provide an opportunity for the public to learn about wildfire risks and to help us identify which areas need additional planning efforts,” said Fred Johnson, Central Utah area fire management officer, “Identifying the focus of public concern will help us prioritize future plans.”

Meetings are scheduled in Central Utah county seats as follows: Fillmore-October 25, Nephi-October 26, Junction-November 1, Loa-November 2, Manti-November 8 and Richfield-November 9. The meetings will be held at the County Courthouse, with the exception of Richfield, which will be held at Snow College. Each meeting will begin at 6:00 P.M.

For more information on the plan, the public meeting schedule and agenda, or to fill out a comment form online, go to www.UtahFireInfo.gov

# # #

For more information Contact:

Janet Guinn
Project Coordinator
SWCA Environmental Consultants
257 East 200 South,
Suite 200 SLC, UT 84111

801-322-4307

President Signs Mormon Pioneer Heritage Area Bill

DATE 10/19/2006 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.

President Signs Mormon Pioneer Heritage Area Bill

A bill establishing the National Mormon Pioneer Heritage Area has been signed into law by President George W. Bush.

“I’m extremely pleased that after years of moving this bill through the legislative process President Bush has signed the National Mormon Pioneer Heritage Area into law,” said Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, who sponsored legislation to create the heritage area. “This is a fitting tribute to Utah’s pioneers and one that will help promote economic development and preserve our unique heritage for future generations.”

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.

Many local residents, including Monte Bona, executive director of the Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance, and Gary Anderson of Utah State University’s Extension, spent years working on the measure and Bona even helped draft the original bill. Bona called Bush’s signing “An important and historic event. It’s very rewarding to see the Mormon Pioneer Heritage Area officially established.” The initiative underwent several renditions in the past six years and survived three sessions of Congress.

Bona says that the cities and towns in the six-county area are the best remaining example of how Mormon pioneers colonized the west. “The heritage area includes countless examples of rich cultural and architectural history shaped by the early settlers,” he says.

The bill specified that up to $10 million may be spent on development of the heritage area, including activities such as historic preservation of buildings and signage, but no more than $1 million per year. Funds are matched on a 50 per cent basis.

# # #

For more information Contact:

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

‘Big Daddy Roth’ Movie Premieres at Toronto International Film Festival

DATE 09/15/2006 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.

‘Big Daddy Roth’ Movie Premieres at Toronto International Film Festival

The world premiere of Tales of the Rat Fink, a documentary/drama about the late Ed Roth, a Sanpete County resident, was held this week at the Toronto International Film Festival. Roth was famous for designing and building hotrod cars and for creating 1960s cartoon characters. He died in Manti in 2001 at the age of 69.

The movie was directed by Canadian filmmaker Ron Mann and 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.

“I am so happy to have a movie that will preserve Ed’s legacy,” Ilene Roth, Ed Roth’s widow and the Sanpete County auditor, has said about the film. Both she and 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.

The film opened in Toronto Sept. 15 to positive reviews. Hotrod Hotline called the movie “A multimedia laughfest, not only gives the viewer a look into the very fertile mind and imagination of Ed Roth, but is also a window into the ’50’s and ’60’s that brings back memories of those times much like ‘American Graffiti’ did. If it comes to your area, don’t miss it.”

Tales of the Rat Fink is being theatrically released by the indie film distributor Abramorama. Following the film festival in Toronto, the movie will open in New York, Boston, Detroit, Chicago and Austin, eventually making its way to Utah. 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 built one new hot rod per year during his prime, and gave them names like the Outlaw, Beatnik Bandit and the Surfite. He financed his passion by making cartoons and T-shirts, including drawings of cars and monsters driving cars. His most famous cartoon character was a rodent named Rat Fink, which became very popular in the 1960s and was featured on posters, T-shirts, rings and more.

Every year, Ilene Roth holds a “Rat Fink Reunion” celebration to honor the life of her late husband. The weekend attracts hundreds of his fans from around the world. One of the reunion’s special events is an open house at the “museum” Ilene Roth built on to her house to showcase Ed Roth’s creations. His art work is framed and hanging on the walls, and other memorabilia is on display. The museum is open to the public year-round by appointment.

# # #

For more information Contact:

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

Third Annual ATV Tour This Weekend in Sanpete County

DATE 08/03/2006 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.

Third Annual ATV Tour This Weekend in Sanpete County

The incredible scenery of Manti Canyon will be the highlight of the third annual Manti Scenic Mountain ATV tour being held Aug. 4 and 5.

The event is expected to attract ATV enthusiasts, dealers and others to the city for two-days of riding, exhibits, performances, a parade and more. It’s intended to encourage tourism and promote the trails in the region’s mountains. More than 60 riders are expected.

Manti and all of Sanpete County is known for its beautiful and well-designed and well-managed trails and trail system. Each day during the event, local guides will help riders make their way through miles of intermediate ATV trails in the canyon and forest areas. Friday’s run is for advanced and intermediate riders. They will leave for the Sheep Trail and Vicinity Run at 9 a.m.

Other activities that day include a Dutch-oven dinner at the historical Manti City Hall picnic area, followed by music performances and an ATV display. Saturday features a day trail ride for families, including a “poker run” and a digital Camera Scavenger Hunt.

This event is appropriate for beginner and intermediate riders.

Registration is at 7 a.m. and riders will depart from the LDS stake center at 9 a.m. Riders will take a rest stop at Fox Jet Reservoir at 10:30 a.m. with lunch at Duck Fork Reservoir at noon. Prizes for the digital camera scavenger hunt and the poker run will be awarded at the end of the day.

For more information contact Alvin Kilmer at 835-5050 or Tom Wayman at 835-3923.

# # #

For more information Contact:

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

Open House Honors Life of ‘Big Daddy’ Roth

DATE 02/21/2006 7:15 AM
FOR 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.

Open House Honors Life of ‘Big Daddy’ Roth

The Fourth Annual Big Daddy Roth Open House, which honors the life and work of renowned artist/car designer Ed Roth, will be held April 20 to 24 in Manti.

The event is held each year at the museum that Ed Roth’s wife, Ilene, 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.

After Ed Roth’s death in April 2001 at age 69, Ilene Roth decided she needed to find a way for people who loved and respected her late husband and his work to honor his memory. She came up with the idea for the open house and it is now an annual event.

Roth, who was also known as “Big Daddy Roth,” was famous for designing and building hotrod cars and for creating the cartoon characters the Beatnik Bandit and “Rat Fink” in the 1960s.

This year’s open house will include the touring “Rat Fink Statue Display,” which includes more than 40 depictions of the character Rat Fink painted by artists from all over the United States and Japan. The collection was recently on display in Austin, Texas, and will be going on to the Peterson Museum in California following the weekend’s events. 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 event include a Friday night fundraising barbecue at 6:30 p.m. and an 8 p.m. showing of Tales of the Rat Fink, a new documentary 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.

Ilene Roth has said she is delighted about the film. Both she and 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.

On Saturday, there will be a 1 p.m. lunch and a 5 p.m. parade of cars down Main Street. The parade will feature both hotrod and antique cars. Roth was known for building one-of-a-kind show cars and is famous for his “plaster and fiberglass” creation method. The movie, Tales of the Rat Fink, will be shown again at 8 p.m.

In addition, two of Ed Roth’s creations will be on display during the Open House, a Stealth he built in 1999 and his “Rat Fink,” constructed in 1963.

The open house will also include musical performances, videos and slide presentations, displays of show cars, food, and professional car “stripers.”

An avid hotrod enthusiast from the age of 12, Ed Roth started out by fixing up old cars in his garage. He then moved on to building cars from scratch and quickly became known as an artist rather than a mechanic, with his creations earning the title “sculptures on wheels.” He financed his passion by making cartoons and T-shirts, including drawings of cars and monsters driving cars. His most famous cartoon character was a rodent named Rat Fink, which became very popular in the 1960s and was featured on posters, T-shirts and more.

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, contact Ilene Roth at (435) 835-2142.

# # #

For more information Contact:

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

Newspaper Editor Living Her Small-Town Dream

DATE 02/21/2006 7:15 AM
FOR 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.

Newspaper Editor Living Her Small-Town Dream

As a child, Suzanne Dean, editor and publisher of the Sanpete Messenger, dreamed of running her own newspaper and living in a small town.

“I grew up in Salt Lake City, but I spent quite a bit of time at my grandparents’ house in Joseph City, Arizona, then a town of about 500,” Dean says. “My grandmother’s house fronted on Route 66. In Joseph City, I got a taste of a close-knit town, everybody pitching in on community projects, and an environment where a wide spectrum of types of people were accepted in the community. I think that’s where I started thinking about someday living in a small town.”

Dean achieved her goal of running a newspaper early in life. When she was only 12 years old she started a neighborhood paper with the help of some friends. But it took a bit longer for her to realize her small-town dreams. “I had always thought Manti and Ephraim were some of the nicest small towns along U.S. 89 – in fact in the whole state,” Dean says. “I had thought several times that if the Ephraim Enterprise/Manti Messenger combination came up for sale, I would be interested.”

But there were a few things that Dean needed to do first, starting with going to college. She spent her freshman year at Utah State University where she enrolled in a class on community journalism. “I think that’s where I started thinking about buying weekly newspaper.” She later transferred to the University of Utah, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Following graduation, Dean did the exact opposite of moving to small town – she went to New York City. She enrolled at Columbia University and graduated with a master’s degree in journalism.

“Between Columbia and buying the Messenger, I did a bunch of things,” Dean says. That included working at the Deseret News and Standard-Examiner newspapers, teaching journalism at both the University of Idaho and University of Wyoming, working on a PhD in communications, and working for the University of Utah’s public relations department for seven years and for Magellan Behavioral Health, a national corporation, for a decade.

“By the time I left the U of U Public Relations Department in 1992, I was getting pretty serious about the weekly newspaper idea,” Dean says. “When I got to Magellan, I started putting money away for it.”

Then one day, she heard that Max Call, the then-owner of the Manti Messenger and Ephraim Enterprise, was putting his newspapers up for sale. “I decided to write Max a letter telling him about myself and my interest in buying a weekly newspaper.”

The two signed an agreement in the fall of 2000 and in March 2001, Dean arrived in town to take over the reins. “I recruited stringers from throughout the county, started covering all the town council meetings and both the North Sanpete and South Sanpete school boards, and started soliciting subscriptions from all towns in Sanpete County, not just Manti and Ephraim.”

In September, 2003, with quite a bit of fanfare, Dean changed the name of the paper to the Sanpete Messenger. One of her goals was to expand the paper countywide, so in August, 2004, she bought the Gunnison Valley News and Salina Sun, the latter of which she later sold to “friendly owners” with whom she has some business arrangements.

“In the past five years I believe we’ve given the community a taste of a much more professional newspaper,” she says. Before Dean came on board, most of the newspapers in the county relied heavily on reader submissions. “Anybody could bring in a self-written article. The paper would edit it a little, but for the most part, they’d print it verbatim. Occasionally, the papers would send someone out to take pictures of a car wreck. But for the most part, they didn’t cover the news,” she says.

“Now we put a huge effort into covering the news. We take on controversial issues, including naming names, and write hard-hitting editorials. Since I came to town, we’ve covered a hurricane, a bank collapse, a multi-million embezzlement that led to the bank collapse, published school administrator’s salaries and reported on a negative state audit of the Student Life area at Snow College,” she says.

The efforts of Dean and her staff have been validated by their professional colleagues. The paper has won the “general excellence” award in its circulation category for four consecutive years. Staff members have also earned four National Newspaper Association awards in areas such as spot news, editorial page and investigative reporting. In addition, Salt Lake City’s City Weekly named the Sanpete Messenger the “Best Feisty Rural Newspaper.” And in March, Dean will be inducted in the Daily Utah Chronicle’s Hall of Fame, where she will take her place alongside fellow members Sen. Bob Bennett and Fred Kempe of the Wall Street Journal.

But success has not come easily. “Some local people don’t like our approach-they think we should only report ‘good news’ and shouldn’t embarrass local people by reporting on their mistakes.”

Dean has also had to spend a lot of time at work. “For the first five years, I worked 80-90 hours per week. That virtually always translated to a seven-day work week. This year, I’m trying to cut back, take a little personal time, and get some rest on weekends. Still, I invariably put in way more than a 60-hour week.”

Dean still edits the paper, writes much of the news, and oversees all of the business matters, sales and marketing. “Being an independent weekly newspaper publisher is a very tough job, especially in a market such as Sanpete County where there are competing newspapers,” Dean says.

“But like other small business owners, I guess, I continue to forge ahead, grapple with the editorial and business crises as they hit, strategize about expansion, and try to turn the strategies into action.”

All of her hard work is producing results. The newspaper’s circulation today is at least two and a half times its circulation when she took over, and its revenues are up 85 percent. Dean’s future goals include setting up newspaper offices in three regions of the county: Gunnison Valley, Manti-Ephraim and North Sanpete, and expanding the paper to include two sections, one containing countywide news and the other news from the respective regions. She also strives to live up to her company’s mission statement that promises to make the Sanpete Messenger “the best little newspaper in America.” “I plan to visit newspapers around the country that have won national “general excellence” awards to learn how they achieve such remarkable news products,” Dean says.

# # #

For more information Contact:

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

Sanpete ‘Cruise-In and Poker Run’ Set for Sept. 8-9

DATE 02/21/2006 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.

Sanpete ‘Cruise-In and Poker Run’ Set for Sept. 8-9

The sixth annual Sanpete Cruise-In and Poker Run will be held Sept. 8 to 9 in Mt. Pleasant City, aimed at attracting “old car” enthusiasts from around the state.

There will be prizes awarded in several categories, ranging from the car with the most bugs on it to the oldest car to the first car entered.

“All of the trophies are homemade, it’s just for fun,” says organizer Teri Morris. There will also be a special trophy presented by Ilene Roth, wife of the late “Big Daddy” Ed Roth, who was famous for designing and building hotrod cars and for creating the cartoon characters the Beatnik Bandit and Rat Fink.

“We just wanted to have an event that would allow people who wanted to show off their classic and antique cars to come and have them be seen by the entire county,” Morris says.

Morris started the car event six years ago in her hometown of Wales. But it’s grown too large to be accommodated in the small town, so this year it was moved to Mt. Pleasant, with the city park serving as the home base for the festivities. “We wanted a place that was more centrally located and where people could stay overnight nearby,” she says.

Highlights include dinner in the park on Friday accompanied by rock and roll music, followed by a cruise down Main Street at 8 p.m. On Saturday, there will be a day-long car show that is open to the public and an 11 a.m. “poker run,” preceded by breakfast in the park. For the poker run, participants drive their classic and antique cars to sponsoring businesses, including Cruisers in Fairview, Native Wines in Mt. Pleasant and Auto Zone in Ephraim, collecting playing cards at each stop. Upon return to the City Park, prizes are awarded for the best poker hand.

Last year, 60 cars and more than 150 people registered for the event, which includes the car show, dinner, breakfast and poker run. Registration cost is $25 in advance or $30 day-of.

“The entire event is open to the public, and a lot of things for people to see and do,” Morris says.

She originally came up with the idea of a “cruise-in” while contemplating ways to put some oomph into the region’s summer celebrations. She and her husband Glen, both “old car nuts” organized a car show. “The first show only had 10 cars, and six of them were ours,” she says. Since that time, the event has grown in popularity, attracting people from all over the state.

For more information, contact Teri Morris at 435-283-8286.

# # #

For more information Contact:

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

County a Hit With Tourism Experts, ‘FAM’ Tour Big Success

DATE 02/21/2006 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.

County a Hit With Tourism Experts, ‘FAM’ Tour Big Success

County a Hit With Tourism Experts ‘FAM’ Tour Big Success

How do some Utah tourism experts who visited Sanpete County recently describe the region? Let’s count the ways:

“The perfect year-round playground.”

“A very enjoyable mixture of incredible scenic beauty, exciting outdoor activities, interesting pioneer heritage experiences.”

“So many things going for it as a tourism destination, it’s hard to keep track.”

“What a beautiful area! It’s unbelievable to me that Sanpete County isn’t more popular with local (Utah) tourists.”

These are just a sampling of some of the comments made by participants of the June 16 “FAM” tour sponsored by the Utah Office of Tourism. The event was intended to “familiarize” media and tour operators with some of Sanpete County’s “hot spots,” including the restored Moroni Opera House, Maple Canyon, the La-Sal National Forest, Ephraim, Manti and the Manti LDS temple, Mt. Pleasant and Fairview. Along the way, participants also heard about the county’s other cities, towns and attractions.

The purpose of “FAM” tours is to show travel agents, tour operators and media from various markets what the region has to offer in hopes of generating positive publicity about Utah’s world-class destinations, according to Tracie Cayford from the tourism office. If the comments received following the tour are any indication, the Sanpete County event was a smashing success.

“The climbing in Maple canyon is superb, and is a good alternative to sites a little closer to Salt Lake City,” said participant Austin Booth, who also remarked on the area’s beauty and commented that he couldn’t believe more tourist’s don’t flock to the region.

“From a historical perspective, the area is also great. I learned a lot about early Mormon settlement of Utah that I’d certainly never thought about before,” Booth said, adding he’d “highly recommended” it as a destination.”

Fellow tour participant Clayton Scrivner said he was impressed by how accessible the region is. “We were in Moroni 1 hour and 25 minutes after leaving the Salt Lake Valley.” He added the county has numerous “gifts” for visitors, including heritage and recreational sites. “Maple Canyon, the Wasatch Plateau, and all the great towns and their individual destinations… And don’t get me started on that temple, so majestic. I am sold on Sanpete.”

Chad Davis, another tour participant, also remarked on the region’s accessibility and uniqueness. “From Sanpete you can glance over the horizon and see the Wasatch Range in the distance, but it’s a world away from the Wasatch Front. Quaint pioneer villages, small town charm and outdoor recreation make it the perfect year-round playground.”

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.

# # #

For more information Contact:

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

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