April 2011 Calendar of Events

Every Monday

Bingo!! Come join our seniors every Monday right after lunch until about 3:00 p.m. for some fun games of Bingo, at the Crossroads Senior and Community Center.

 
 

Every Tuesday

Vernal Chamber of Commerce Meeting held at Golden Corral in Vernal at 12 PM.

 
 

Every Wednesday

Spanish & English Story Time for kids at the Uintah County Library at 2:00pm. For more info call 789-0091.

 
 

Every Friday

Golden Age Center Dance open to the public. Dances held at the Golden Age Center beginning at 3:00pm.

 
 

April 1 5Splash Night

Ultimate Kick off and family splash night Vernal Recreation center at 5:30 PM. For more information contact Janae Pike ("CAP") 722-2012

 
 

April 4
- Balloon Release

 Will be held at 10:00 AM in recognition of Child Abuse Awareness Month there will be a balloon release at the Tribal Offices (peescheu Daycare). Contact Janae Pike 722-2012.

 
 

April 5^th at Crossroads & April 8^th at Gateway Senior Centers. Senior Glamour Photo Shoot

Seniors Come in for some pampering by hair and make up specialist, and have your photo taken for a $2.00 donation, and photo packages will be available. Call Julie at Crossroads 722-4296 or Becky at Gateway 738-1170.

 
 

April 8-9 - 18th Annual Home & Garden Show & Outdoor Expo!

It will be held at Western Park, 302 E 200 S

Vernal, UT 84078

 
 

April 9 Golf Clinic

8am-12:00pm at Roosevelt Golf Course for more information contact Janae Pike at 435-722-2012

 
 

April 9
- 5k Fun/Run Walk

9:00am – 11:00 "It's Time to Get involved" To register call Victim Advocate Office – 722-8003.

Early Registration $20.00 – by April 1^st guarantees a T-shirt After April1st, $30.00 – First come for a T-shirt

 
 

April 9 - Easter Egg Event Duchesne City

Come to the Mickelson Building 10am – 2pm. Eggs will be available for sale. All items needed for decoration are provided free. This event is being held in conjunction with the Easter Egg decorating contest.

 
 

April 12 - Vernal Area Chamber of Commerce Business Symposium

From 7:30 AM to 1:30 PM

The 2011 Vernal Area Chamber of Commerce Business Symposium will be held at Western Park. Jeff Thredgold an Economic Futurist, Entertaning, Informative & Humorous approach and Larry Gelwix, Best of State Highland High School Rugby coach and from the movie "Forever Strong" will be the guest keynote speakers.

Breakout Session 1

Option 1 - DOT Rules & Regulations

Option 2 - Marketing with Technology - Mark Holmes

Option 3 - Advanced CFO Solutions, L.C.

9:45 a.m. Lee Stephenson Budgeting: The Road Map To Success 10:50 a.m. Kent L. Thomas Information To Manage Your Business To Survive & Thrive Dutch Oven Lunch, Door Prizes, Goodie Bags and Much More...

Contact the Chamber for registration information at 789-1352

 
 

April 13
- Legal Service

Held from 3:00-5:00pm, services are offered free to the public at the Crossroads Senior and Community Center.

 
 

April 13
- API (American Petroleum Institute) Meeting

Will start at 6:30 @ 7-11 Ranch Restaurant in Vernal. For more information Contact Bob Ballou at 724-2500 or e-mail Bob at rballou@ubtanet.com

 
 

April 16
- Kids Day in Fort Duchesne

10:00am-1:00pm Kids day At Ute Plaza Supermarket. For more information Contact Janae Pike 722-2012

 
 

Friday April 15
- Yard Sale in Duchesne City

9:00am- 7:00pm and Saturday 16^th 9:00am- 2:00pm. Duchesne Beautification Committee is holding a Yard Sale at Wallace Park as a fund raiser, please consider donating items to help. Please Contact Gina at 435-738-3088

 
 

April 16 - St. Helens Annual Catfish Dinner in Roosevelt

5:00-8:30 p.m. Adults $12.00 and Children 10 and under $8.00 each. For tickets contact Janet Alberts 722-0732, Cell 724-0809.

 
 

April 21 Basketball Camp

Starts at 9:00am Learn basketball skills and team work camp, for more information contact Janae Pike 722-2012.

 
 

April 19
- Senior Center Easter Party/Game Day
Starts at 11:00 A.M. Attention Seniors Citizens Come to the game day and Easter Party at the Crossroads Senior Center held in conjunction with their daily lunch, come join their wonderful meals and the fun for the day. Contact Julie 24 hours in advance if you plan to eat at the Center at 722-4296.

 
 

April 20
- Spaghetti Dinner

Goes from 5-7pm. Come to the Crossroads Senior Center to enjoy a great dinner. Cost for the dinner is $6.00 a plate for ages 5 and up, kids 4 and under $4.00. Free entertainment make your reservations now. Call Julie at 722-4296. (50 E. 200 So.)

 
 

April 22
- Cross Roads Seniors Center (plant a flower day)

Starts at 12:30 following lunch the donation cost will be $2.50 at the Crossroads Senior and Community Center 50 W. 200 S. Roosevelt. Come Celebrate Earth Day with the seniors and plant a flower

 
 

April 23 -
Duchesne City Easter Egg Hunt

The hunt begins at 10:00 a.m. at Roy Park followed by the Awards Ceremony for Egg Decorating held in the Mickelson Building.

 
 

April 24^th Easter Sunday

 
 

April 28
- Customer Service Training

Starts at 3:00pm. At the Crossroads Community Center, Roosevelt (50 E. 200 So.). This training is Free to anyone in any type of customer service related jobs. We welcome all to come learn skills and get tips on customer service care. There will be a drawing for participants that take any training services available: we offer on site in your establishment, or there will be 5 big training sessions, 2 in Roosevelt, 3 in Vernal, and 1 in Duchesne for more information contact Anna at 724-0162 or basin.cust.service@gmail.com

 
 

April 30
- Bike/ Walk-a-thon

9:00am Bottle Hollow Bike/ walk-a-thon, "Rez" Pet Show, Tin foil ball contest, bike rodeo and BBQ. For more information contact Janae Pike 722-2012.

 
 

 
 

If you have any information that you would like to be included in the Calendar of Events then please email us at

michelle@TheEdgeMagazine.org

OR

Send it snail mail

PO Box 287

Neola, UT 84053

 
 

Basinites in Boston - Healthy Edge April 2011

By: Shallin Squire

    On April 19, 1897, the Boston Athletic Association held a 24.5-mile road race to conclude their spring athletic competition. Ten of fifteen runners finished the inaugural run, which began in Ashland, Mass., and the race to Boston has been held every year since. "In addition to its indisputable position as the world's oldest annual marathon, 'Boston' is widely regarded as one of the world's most prestigious road races. The Boston Marathon is held on Patriots' Day (third Monday in April)." (See www.baa.org)

    This year's Boston Marathon will take place on April 18^th, and 4 runners from Roosevelt will be among the 27,000 competitors in the 26.2-mile race: Kim Labrum, Sue Denver-Betts, and husband and wife Brian and Arlene Southam. Each was required to qualify for Boston by finishing in a pre-determined amount of time for his/her age group at a qualifying marathon. Fortunately for us, each also took time out of his/her rigorous training schedule to help us get to know the talented athletes who will be representing the Uinta Basin in Boston.

    
    Kim Labrum has been running for 18 years, but she didn't attempt long distances until about 3 years ago. After she finished several half marathons and the Wasatch Back Relay, Kim's friend Sue Denver-Betts was able to convince Kim she could do a full marathon. Kim explained, "When I used to think about running a marathon, I would almost just put it out of my head. It seemed too long and unattainable, but once you've completed the longer distances in the training, you realize that it is very doable and that you really are capable of anything you set your mind to. I view hard things in a...different way now. I take the approach that there is always a way to do what you want to do."

    Kim qualified for Boston by finishing the St. George Marathon in 3:35:20, and Boston will be her 5^th full marathon. She stated, "I would still like to have a decent time when I finish, but I really am just going for the experience of being there."

    Interestingly, while Kim credits Sue Denver-Betts for her first attempt at a full marathon, Sue stated that it was Kim's idea and that Kim is her "source of inspiration and motivation." Like Kim, Sue qualified for Boston at the St. George Marathon, finishing in 3 hours and 42 minutes. Her goal is to finish Boston in less than 4 hours, but what she is really looking forward to is the chance to run outside. Sue declared, "My favorite thing about running is being outdoors. I train about 60% of the time during the winter on a treadmill, which I do not love. So when I get to go out to run, it's a true bonus."     

    Sue, along with the other marathoners from Roosevelt, stated that one of her biggest challenges is making time to train. Sue and Brian both work full time, and Kim and Arlene are primarily stay-at-home moms but run their own small businesses from home. Each of the 4 has a family to care for as well.

    Another challenge for any Basin runner, as Sue pointed out, is that it seems to be winter more often than not. Running 20+ miles on a treadmill is a test of both one's physical and mental endurance! Sue overcomes the temptation to take the cold months off simply by signing up for a race. "When I have signed up for an event, I stick to my training schedule very closely and always do my running no matter what," she said.

    Sue, Kim, Brian and Arlene, are motivated by the feeling they know they will have after a long run. "It [running] becomes a sick addiction, and I just can't get over it. I love the way I feel after a nice long run," Brian Southam declared. Each of the competitors also feels that running has helped them deal with stress and feel more confident, as well as making them a better family member. Brian stated, "It helps me deal with my family more patiently. I've found a nice 20-mile run really makes me a lot more mellow."

    Arlene Southam has run 3 full and 3 half marathons. She began thinking about running a full marathon when she crossed the finish line at her first half marathon, and she turned to friends Rachel Wheeler and Tanya Christensen (who had recently completed a full marathon) for advice. Next, according to Brian, she went to her husband: "She came to me with, 'I'm going to run a full marathon. Are you going to do it with me?'" Brian explained. " I said, 'Sure,' and with [advice from Rachel Wheeler], we started training, and the rest is history."

    Arlene qualified for Boston at the Top of Utah Marathon in Logan, finishing in 3:41. She stated, "I would like to break a 3:30 marathon this year. I would love to do it at Boston, but it isn't known as a fast or great course, so we'll see how it goes. And if I don't do it at Boston, I plan to run 2 or 3 marathons this year where I can give it a shot."

    
    Arlene has never been to Boston, and she has never flown on a commercial airplane. "This is a HUGE trip for me," she said.
    Brian Southam has been running "on and off--mostly off--since high school." He has entered and finished 3 full marathons, qualifying for Boston at Top of Utah with a time of 3:09:51.

    Brian has never been to Boston. "I'm very excited to go," he said. While there, Brian has three specific goals: "1)Finish. 2)Have a great time. 3)Finish in under 3 hours."

    Brian and Arlene have been following Hal Higdon's free training guides (www.halhigdon.com) for all of their marathons and, as far as diet, have used the guidelines they learned from Jean Marie Anderson's weight control class they attended in Vernal several years ago. All 4 of our local competitors state that properly nourishing and hydrating one's body are keys to successful and enjoyable running.

    Brian and Arlene value the time they are able to spend running together. "We have 7 kids, and this is one way to get some peace and quiet," Brian said. "My favorite thing about running is time with my wife." Brian expressed gratitude for those who have made it possible for the couple to train together: "We would like to thank our kids for being awesome. The older kids have been great to babysit while we go out on long week end runs. They even have hot muffins waiting for us on occasion. I would also like to thank our extended family for making race days possible for us. They have watched kids and provided transportation for us so we can go race."

    Kim also appreciates her family for their support and motivation. She said, "A motivating factor is my family. They are all very supportive, especially my husband, Craig. They all do anything they can to give me the time I need to train and do the things I want to do."

    Kim, Sue, Arlene, and Brian encourage others who have ever considered running a marathon to start training today. Brian suggested a visit to www.dailymile.com, a site where you can get more information about what training is like and then track your progress.

    Congratulations to Kim, Sue, Arlene, and Brian, for qualifying for Boston. We hope each of you attains your goals there, and we'll be cheering you on from back home in the Basin.

 
 

Friday Night FaceBook Friends - Friday Nights In A Small Town - April 2011

by: Jennifer Rook

    I must be getting old. Whenever Friday rolls around anymore I'm spent! That's when I splurge on the Friday night pizza special, park the kids in front of a movie, grab the laptop, hit the couch and let my fingers fly. The internet is sure to entertain me and inevitably I'll land on Facebook. Oh Facebook! How I love her. Facebook is always there, filled with messages from my friends, cyber crops to harvest, villages to build, games galore, and links to the world abroad. Ahhhh yeah! Facebook never fails to bring the laughter or the pain.

    I love Facebook, but I'll admit I have blocked most of the games and refuse to while away the hours conferrin' with the cyber flowers of Farmville, but what I DO love is keeping up with all my friends. What better way to entertain myself on a sleepy Friday night than to intrude on people's lives and cyber stalk them as I lay around in my pjs and Snuggie?

I've got a LOT of Facebook friends. Yep, I'm one of THOSE people. Some may call me a "friend padder". You know…a schmoozer or a social butterfly. According to the number crunchers , whom I refer to as the losers in the big city who don't talk to many other people outside their cozy little cubicles, the average Facebook user has about 120 friends. LAME! Most people I know have many more than that but the number cruncher losers firmly believe that those who have over 1,000 friends are just showing off. Whatever! I have over 1,000 friends and I can legitimately say its people I actually know and enjoy having as Facebook friends. Also, no one can ever accuse me of not being entertained by Facebook. There are so many different kinds of 'posters', or Facebook friends, out there and I love them all. It makes life interesting. Here are a few examples;

The Motivational Quote Lovers- Ah yes, The Quoters. These are those folks who use their daily status to throw a gem of a quote out to the rest of us slackers who probably won't accomplish half as much as they do in a given day. Most of the quotes are actually great and do help inspire and motivate folks and help them rethink choices in their lives but COME ON! Some of those quotes are just dripping with cheese. For example, "I live in dew drops of faith - trickles of hope - rivers of power - seas of understanding - a world of wisdom - a life of abundance. All we require for a life of abundance is a seed of faith."

Ok, I'm pretty sure that someone somewhere is sweating his hinney off in a hot, little room for $3.00 an hour, generating all these cheesy quotes from a huge machine that takes all the good quotes and mashes them up together to produce moldy offerings such as this one. I think the Cheesy Quote Factory is right next door to the Chinese Fortune Cookie factory, in fact.

The Passive/Aggressive Fighters- This is where we actually get to see a marital spat or a fight between other friends played out before our very eyes on Facebook. Get the popcorn popping! These fights can get good.

Friend A posts, "Well, SOME ONE left the house unlocked again today. I hope we don't get robbed."

Friend B replies, "Well if they DO rob us I hope they don't steal SOME ONE'S precious new bag. Who spends $150 on a freakin' purse anyway?"

Then it's ON because Friend A is more than likely female and females will defend each other like a pride of lionesses, especially when a MAN starts dissing the accessories and commenting on how much money she spends on them. So the pride attacks. Clearly on their girlfriend's side. Fights like this can get ugly because everyone knows folks are far more brave and will more easily speak their mind in cyberspace and the lionesses take no prisoners when sticking up for one another. Of course, I might throw in a few comments against the lionesses, siding for the guy, just to keep fuel on the fire. Ultimately though, that poor, forgetful fool who didn't lock all the doors doesn't stand a chance does he? Always a good show!

The Obscure Comment Maker aka "The Venter"- Sometimes people like to use Facebook as a place just to vent. They don't want to tell you the whole story or the real reason they are mad. They just want to get something off their chest. "Well THAT was a waste of time!" or "Stupid #@%^^##@!". Always fun when cartoon swearing is added into a post! I like Venters. I think it's fun to coax info out of them on Facebook if I can. I don't REALLY want to make them feel better. Sometimes I'm just being nosey and want to get the lowdown so I can gossip about it with my own pride of lionesses later.

The Couple Who Needs to GET A ROOM- (in my best deep, mellow 70's DJ voice) "Aww yeah…this one goes out to all you lovers out there. " You've all seen them. This is the couple who wear their hearts on their monitors for the entire world to see. Get our your Schmoop Scoops! This stuff can get pretty deep sometimes.

"John Buck has the hottest wife on the planet. *wolf whistle* Yowsa, baby! Lookin' HOT tonight!" to which she'll reply "I love you, baby! You are my whole world! No one will ever take your place." What she doesn't say is "Unless, of course, you start making snide remarks about how much I spent at the salon today or until someone hotter comes along." because, unfortunately, this couple's divorce drama is often played out on Facebook as well. All of a sudden he sets his status as SINGLE and the rumors fly from there. Then come the posts trying to clear the air and oftentimes there is another good ol' fashioned cyber-fight for all to see. Good times, I tell you, good times!

The Too Much Information Sharer- How about when one of your Facebook friends posts vivid details about the latest colon cleanse they've decided to undergo.

"WOOOWEEE! You should've SEEN all the stuff that's been hidin' up in my colon for years!" Ummm…no. We should NOT ever see things like that and please, for the love of GOD, please! do NOT post pictures of it.

"I just had my boil lanced. Dang! That baby burst like a giant volcano when they dug into it!"

MRSA anyone? SHEESH!

Now, I personally don't enjoy those posts themselves, but I do love all the replies. I can just picture people gagging and squirming and becoming incensed and let's face it, everyone is a comedian and there are always a dozen or so hilarious replies to posts such as this.

See why I love Facebook? So much interaction, folks sharin' the love, fighting the good fight and releasing pent up thoughts from the darkest recesses of their minds that should probably stay pent up. But I love it! Good entertainment! See you on Facebook.

 
 

Dirty Jobs - April 2011

by: Jennifer Rook

"Got Milk?"

"Beef…it's what's for dinner"

Mooooooooooo! The cattle industry sure posts up some tantalizing ads for all things bovine, but what they don't show you is all the behind the scenes stuff that ain't so clean and pretty. That's what we're here for though; to shed light onto the not-so-brighter side of the cattle industry, specifically the dairy industry.

    Dairy farms and creameries used to be plentiful here In the Basin, but today the bulk of those operations are concentrated into a few small operation, family owned dairy farms, like the Hamblin Family Farm in Monarch. The Hamblins milk less than 80 cows per day and while the cream and milk they produce is some of the best around, there is no denying that working with cows is a dirty, dirty job.

    Cows eat a lot. Robert feeds his herd of Holsteins and Jerseys and Holstein/Jersey crosses about 40 lbs of hay per day plus plenty of grain. The cows are milked twice a day and while the milking operation is clean and sanitary, the refuse that is left behind from all that feeding is not so clean. Cows poop. In fact, they poop A LOT. That poop has no place in a milking barn though, so Robert and Judi spend a large portion of their time handling poop and getting rid of it. Luckily for them, poop runs downhill where it collects in a large pool just outside the corrals where the cows wait to be milked, away from the cows themselves. Robert uses a bobcat to muck out the pool and keep things clean. Not that the cows themselves stay clean. Anyone who is around cattle at all knows they are usually covered in poop. Don't worry though! All udders are fully sanitized before cows are milked.

    Cows can also get a bit ornery. They like to be relieved of their milk, but they don't like to be handled and driven into the milking barn all the time. When I asked him if he's been kicked Robert just shrugs and says, "A few times.". But, he likes to institute animal whispering techniques of his own and has a pretty good handle on most of his cows. In fact, a lot of his cows are quite friendly and like to be petted and led into the milking barn by hand. Casperina has been with the Hamblins for almost two decades. She's retired from milking now, so she gets to spend her days lying around, eating the flowers and babysitting the yearly calf crop. Casperina also headlines the "Hamblin Family Dairy Farm Tour". She is gentle enough for pre-school aged children to meet and she always lets them give her a few nose rubs.

    The dairy farms around the Basin all belong to a co-op, Dairy Farmers Association, or DFA. The co-op sells milk to processors and processors sell to the companies who put the milk on our shelves. It's all we need to keep our bones healthy and strong, but a whole bunch of hard work goes into every glass we drink and every milkshake we shake up.

In order to fully appreciate a dairy operation, drive by one sometime and take a deep whiff. Pull that odor into your nostrils. It may smell like silage and poop to you and me, but to dairy farmers, that's the smell of money and milk…some of the best stuff nature produces.

    Hats off to all the dairy farmers around the Uinta Basin! We salute you and all your hard work. Thank you for mucking through the daily grime and poop in your organizations and producing some of the finest milk in the world. It's a dirty job and we're glad you do it.

 
 

Anadarko ACTS to Save H2O - April 2011

by: Jennifer Rook

Water is a most precious commodity everywhere but when you live, work and drill in the high mountain desert of the second driest state in the United States, water is oftentimes deemed THE most important factor in life. Here in the Uinta Basin life, livelihoods and industry all depend upon the availability of water. One can hardly ignore the constant plundering of water supplies in fairly dry region filled with irrigation and water diversion projects, as well as the many drilling rigs and well pads that dot the landscape. One company, however, has the determination and innovation it takes to balance the environmental drains of drilling with conservation. Thanks to the willingness of some local completion experts, Anadarko has become a champion of conservation in the gas and oil fields of Eastern Utah and is saving a lot of water and money in the process.

The Anadarko Completion Transfer System, or ACTS, is described as an effort to manage completion water more effectively on well pads as well as eliminate the need for additional surface space and truck traffic. ACTS also improves air quality through reduced road dust and traffic emissions. Basically, ACTS cuts down on water usage during the completion process by recycling water. In turn, the more water that is recycled, the less need there is for water trucks to haul off used water and less need for fresh water to be trucked onto pad locations. ACTS has not only earned Anadarko a 2010 Earth Day Award and the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission's Chairman's Stewardship Award, it also saved the company $11 million in its first year.

It's also saving a whole lot of water in the Uinta Basin. According to Anadarko, fresh water consumption on Anadarko well pads was cut by 70% under the ACTS program.* That's 1.6 million barrels of fresh water saved in 2009. Water trucks are a necessity in the oil and gas industry and Jeff Samuels, completion expert with Anadarko, says there will never be a time when water trucks aren't needed in the oil and gas industry, but ACTS has significantly reduced the need for so many trucks and water. Water truck traffic was reduced by 85%, and fluid truck traffic has been cut by 50%*.

Once a well is drilled and cased, completion rigs are moved onsite. Completion is the process in which the well is enabled to produce oil or gas. The ACTS process is quite simple; water is needed to "frac", or fracture, rock during the process. Fresh water is trucked onsite and pumped into numerous wells when fracking begins and will eventually come back out of the hole, but that water will no longer be fresh. Using the ACTS process, the spent water is transferred from the hole to a pit or storage tank near the well site. It is then filtered, cleaned and reused instead of immediately hauled off and drained into a disposal pit. Several large pumps move the water back and forth from well to treatment, to frac storage tanks and pits, and back down-hole again.

Samuels says it would not be possible for Anadarko to frac at the rate it is now without this process. "This has been a neat project for Anadarko and it's saved a ton of money and water." says Samuels. "There is probably no way they'd let us frac at this rate if we were using straight fresh water. We'd have probably dried up every water well in Ouray had we kept on at this rate. Looking toward the future, I can see the agencies really pushing this process on everyone to save water."

Samuels says it was a tough sell to the agencies that govern the land at first, but once they saw the benefits of recycled water and realized that Anadarko was dedicated to making the process work, they were all on-board. Samuels says that now, when a permit is submitted to drill, a permit to recycle water is also approved at the same time. "Anadarko has spent a ton of money on this and has put a ton of effort into it to make it work. They've just done a great job with it to make it successful." Anadarko General Manager Brad Miller said, "We continue to stress the importance of innovative water-management solutions across all of our operations. The ACTS in our Greater Natural Buttes area is a great example of our ongoing commitment to work with our stakeholders to design and implement environmentally sound solutions that conserve water, reduce truck traffic and improve air quality."*

Anadarko and its employees in the Uinta Basin continue to look for ways to lessen impact on and give back to the land they are fortunate enough to be able to extract gas and oil from. Conservation is key to the company's philosophy and the importance of balancing both economic and environmental concerns is a commitment the company takes seriously. And when you're talking water issues in the West, conservation is a pretty safe approach, beneficial to all.

 
 

* stated in a Press Release from 11/19/2010

 
 

Ask The Expert - Money Saving Car Maintenance - April 2011

Summary: Many people have the misconception that maintenance on their vehicle is too expensive, or that any one tire is the same as any other tire. Redge Palmer, owner/operator of Palmer's Tires is offering up tips on how you can save money in the long run with a little bit of preventative maintenance.

1. A Little Now Saves A Lot Later: By properly maintaining your car you can literally saves thousands of dollars in the long run because you are able to detect and fix potential problems before they become a drain on your family finances.

2. Its All About The Pressure: Did you know that allowing your tires to even be as little as 5 lbs off on your tire pressure can cost you up to 7% in your fuel economy and 20% in tire wear. Numbers like that can add up fast causing you to not only fuel up more often but buy new tires much more frequently. Redge suggests that you check your tire pressure every time you fuel up. He recommends that you check into specialty tires which provide less road resistance allowing you to save money on fuel and tire purchases/

3. Gear Boxes Need Love Too: Whether you know where your gear box is or not Redge recommends regular service and maintenance of these items on your vehicle. Timely replacement of lubricants in your vehicle keeps the gears running smoothly. When oil gets too old it losses its viscosity and can cause fatal lock ups on your car. It is very important to make sure that you get the fluids changed in your vehicle as often as is recommended by the manufacturer. For trucks that are hauling heavy loads this may mean bringing in your truck for service more often.

4. Tire Selection: Proper tire selection is just as important as tire pressure. There are a wide variety of tires available for purchase and so it is important to make sure that you are not only purchasing tires that will perform the work that you need them do but that they are not too much tire. Big, chunky treads on big mudder tires is not always the best option when you are trying to converse in the pocketbook. Over the life span of your tires, proper tire selection can save you as much as 60%-80%. Redge tells us that the question you need to ask is "What's the cool look worth to you?"

5. Rotation is Key: Redge says that regular rotation helps extend the life of your tires, saving time and money in the long run. For rotation, each tire and wheel is removed from your vehicle and moved to a different position. This ensures that all of the tires wear evenly and last longer. If no period is specified in your vehicle owners manual, tires should be rotated every 6,000 to 8,000 miles. If you have a full-size spare, it should be included in the rotation process.

 
 

 

 
 

Diamond Mountain Memories - April 2011

Submitted by: Ron Stewart

Over the years I've worked for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, two areas seem to draw the most big game questions, the Book Cliffs for elk, deer and bison, and the deer herds on Taylor Mountain, Dry Fork or Diamond Mountain, all areas in the South Slope Vernal Unit. Usually there is a story to go with question.

    The question usually goes something like this: "what happened to the deer on ???, I can remember or my dad can remember …" The answer isn't a simple one. This is the start of a series of articles about the dynamics of the herds on the South Slope Vernal Unit.

 A walk down memory lane

    Back in 1996, I gave a radio report on what the herds would have looked like when Utah became a State, 100 years ago. On returning to my office, I was told a few people had already called about the show and was given a few phone numbers. Most of the callers felt I was wrong because during the radio show, I talked about how few deer there were around the turn of the century. They did not believe it or me when I said the deer hunt was closed for five years between 1908 and 1913. I could only refer them to the historical record.

    However, one older gentleman made an impression. Unfortunately I didn't catch his name as by this time I had already dealt with the other calls. His was different; he thanked me for reminding him of one of his strongest, early memories. When I asked him to share the memory, this is what he said.

    "When I was about 12 years old, [placing it around 1913] my father came racing back from Dry Fork Canyon where he was cutting logs [working for a timber company]. As he raced into the yard, he threw the reins of his horse to one of my brothers. He yelled for mom to pack a lunch and gather some quilts and blankets. He then told me to help him hitch up the wagon.

    "The horse was ridden hard, which was something he [the father] didn't normally do. When the horse was taken care of, the wagon packed and all of us on board, we set off for Dry Fork. Even though we begged to know what was going on, for the miles it took to retrace his ride, Dad only answered, 'wait and see.' He was really enjoying our misery, while Mom enjoyed the adventure.

    "Hours later, Dad proudly showed us a deer track, a single clear track in the mud near where he was logging."

    My caller then laughed and voiced my thoughts. "Can you imagine someone being so excited he would take an entire day off work to race down from the mountain, pack up the family and then trek back for hours just to show them a deer track?"

 Paul Caldwell's Memories

    Other early memories come from Paul Caldwell, born in 1923. Like most of the children born in the early 1920's, his first memories often involved the Great Depression.

    "Most folks living in the Basin then, during the Depression [1930's], lived off of the land; on what we could grow or raise and what we could find or hunt. Everyone was poor, no money, so like many other families, we lived off deer. When I was nine, I helped herd sheep on Diamond Mountain, seems like we'd eat deer one week and next, eat a mutton. Year round was like that.

    "When we got back [1945 – 6], there were deer everywhere [Paul went into the military in 1943 and served in the Second World War.] You could go anywhere on the mountain [Taylor and Diamond mountains] and take your pick, pick and choose through the four-points. There was also a lot of sheep then, must have been 25 – 30,000 on the mountain, few cattle, this was mostly sheep country. [We] didn't see many elk either."

    "In the 'heydays,' 40's and 50's, we could go out in the jeep [into the mountains] and see deer everywhere. No one had one then [4-wheel drives], only knew of three in the valley. During the hunts, we'd drive up Dry Fork, would see all the tractors parked on the face. That's how people would get up there then. There were no roads.

    "Today, roads are everywhere; deer don't have a place to go [escape.] They can't escape the hunters, [those] with the modern scopes and rifles can shoot up to a thousand yards. Might not even know they hit one. Back then we used open sight 30-30's, and would follow up on every shot. Not only was it ethical, it was close and you didn't have to walk far. I wonder now with the newer, long range stuff, if maybe some animals are hit but the shooter doesn't know it or care enough to walk out and check.

    "Then they started either sex hunts [1951], by the 60's, we could go days and days in the jeep and not see a deer, not one buck. When we did [see a deer] we'd spend 20 minutes, just looking at it through the binoculars. We wouldn't kill the does, hunting regs was either sex, but we wouldn't kill the does.

    "That's what killed the herds [shooting does]. It was better when they made it buck only [1975]. It got better but [hunters were] still lucky to find a buck of any kind to shoot. There were a few good years, with more deer, but not many.

    "We saw our first deer in the valley around the early 70's. Thought it was pretty neat, thought we wouldn't have to go so far to hunt.

    "In the late 70's and early 80's we started seeing deer again. We had buck-only hunting [1975] and for those that wanted, you could take a buck with a bow and another with a rifle or muzzleloader [1979 – 1985]. We'd started to see a few dumb two-points around Taylor. It seemed like the deer were starting to flourish in the valleys in the early 70's, took longer in the mountains. By end of the 70's, seemed like lots of deer but not many bucks, only little ones.

    "In the 40's and 50's, we'd horse pack, often way back into the Green's Draw country. We'd come out with big bucks and see lots of deer. Now, starting back in the 80's, [we] only see a deer once in a while. Wouldn't even think it was deer country, more grass, see more elk now by far.

    "Today, places where we'd see maybe a 100 deer, we see just a few…droughts and heavy winters. We had the heavy winters and floods back in 83-84 followed by a few years of drought [seven years]. Same thing happened in early 90s, and then again in 2000's [seven to nine years of drought depending on location, followed by heavy winters.]

    "Deer herds can't survive on a winter range damaged by years of drought, especially when it's followed by a heavy winter. The mountains have lots of summer range, but winter range is scarce. People have been building on it, not much left, especially in a heavy winter. This year will be another bad one, too much snow and cold weather."

 
 

Big City Care, Small Town Heart

by: M. Michelle Spencer

For many who live in the Uinta Basin the occasional trip to "the city" is not an unheard of thing. In fact it is quite common when it comes to visiting certain types of medical specialists. Ashley Regional Medical Center is hard at work to change this by striving to provide a higher level of health care for the region. Not only are they being successful in their recruitment of new specialists to the hospital but they were just recognized for a job well done by LifePoint Hospitals Inc for their excellent performance in the 2010 year.

    "Our Staff is very focused on making sure each and every patient has a positive experience when they come to our hospital, " explained a very proud Si Hutt, CEO of Ashley Regional Medical Center. "The High Five Award is a big deal for our company, and our staff has worked very hard to earn this honor."

    And proud is one thing that Hutt should be of the staff that he currently oversees. The High Five Award is the highest honor awarded annually to one hospital in each of LifePoint's four divisions in order to recognize high overall performance by the hospitals on specific measures related to the Company's High Five guiding principles:

 Delivering compassionate, high quality patient care

 Supporting physicians

 Creating excellent workplaces for employees

 Strengthening the hospital's role in the community

 Ensuring fiscal responsibility

    In 2007 ARMC earned LifePoint's overall High Five award for the entire company. This year ARMC was once again awarded the High Five award, but this time for the American division which is where they are located.

    "There are 12 other hospitals in the American Division, including some nationally recognized leaders in quality and patient satisfaction, so there is tough competition. We make a constant effort to improve every year; until we are perfect, there is room to improve."

    In order to understand the competition that ARMC was up against, it should be known that the average size hospital in the American division supports 100 beds in contrast to ARMC's 39 beds. This says a lot about the superior health care that ARMC has been able to provide for this community. The American Division of LifePoint Hospitals Inc includes all of their hospitals in Louisiana, Tennessee, and Utah.

    Out of the 53 hospitals competing for the overall high five award, ARMC was ranked as 10th for employee satisfaction, 13th for physician support satisfaction and they were graded as 100% in completing the core measures set up by Medicare to judge quality care for pneumonia patients. This is a big achievement by itself considering how rough the 2010-2011 winter was with pneumonia and RSV, as well as other lung capacity illnesses that found their way into our community. ARMC saw a 14% growth in surgeries in the 2010 year and an overall growth of 4% in adjusted admissions, a measure of the number of patients for both inpatient and outpatient services. Much of this growth can be attributed to the new specialists that Hutt and the hospital administration have worked hard to recruit to ARMC. These specialists have afforded the residents of the Uinta Basin "big city" care with lots of "small town" heart.

    One of the exciting side benefits of ARMC receiving this award is the fact that it also comes with a $100,000 check that the hospital can use in the areas where they see fit. Hutt was excited to announce that ARMC plans on using this money to install a state of the art patient monitoring system in med surg. This new monitoring system will allow nurses to respond to patients needs in an even more timely manner.

    As Ashley Regional Medical Center continues to grow, Hutt emphasized that their main goal is to provide the highest level of care possible and still remain a strong, integral part of the community. From community health fairs and a number of event sponsorships to members of the staff helping with little league sports and boy scouts, being a part of the community is a priority for Ashley Regional.

    "We are very excited, not only to receive this recognition, but also for our future. Our goal is to provide any medical services that are viable for our community size. We are working hard to make sure that those services are provided locally and with high quality based on national standards. It is great for our physicians and staff to be recognized, not one time for a good job in one area, but rather for consistently doing a great job across the board."

    The year 2010 brought many new advances in technology for ARMC such as a new state-of-the-art nuclear medicine camera and expanded surgical capabilities. With 2011 off to such an amazing start, Si Hutt and his staff are excited to see what the future holds for not only Ashley Regional Medical Center, but for the Uinta Basin as a whole.