October 2010 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.

Duchesne County School District

October 7^th School board Meeting

14^th & 15^th UEA no school

29^th First Quarter ends

AARP SAFE DRIVING CLASSES

October 7^TH 8:00am until 1:00pm Crossroads Center Call Julie at 722-4296

Open House

October 8^th Urgent Care open house at the Basin Clinic from 10:00am until 5:00pm.

Watch for Witches Night Out at the pink shop inside Uintah Basin Medical Center

Jr. Jazz basketball

Sign ups will be done on line at rooseveltcity.com and at the Roosevelt city office. Grades 1 through 7 sign up between September 13^th through October 29^th. Grades 8^th through 12^th Sign up between September 13 through December 27^th.

Senior Health Fair

October 20 from 9am until 3pm. At the crossroads senior center (50 E. 200 So. Roosevelt)

Great preventive health care advise.

Social Security

October 21, Thursday 9:30-1:00 at the Crossroads Senior and Community Center 50 East 200 South

Duchesne County early voting

Roosevelt: Crossroads Community Center (50 E. 200 So.) 435-722-4598

October 19^th, 22^nd, and 26^th from 9:00am until 5:00pm

Duchesne: Duchesne County Administration Building (734 N. Center Street) 435-738-1100

Every weekday October 19^th trough 29^th.

Halloween Parade Downtown Roosevelt. 10/29/10 3:00 P.M. 4:30 P.M.

The parade will be on Friday Oct 29. Dress up and come to main street ….begin on any corner. Children ages 1- 12 will receive treats and prizes at dozens of downtown businesses. All Children Must Be Accompanied By an Adult. Participants walk one direction and cross safely at Zion's Bank and The Uintah Basin Standard. Thanks to our local businesses who participate.

Mayor's Halloween Walk Downtown Vernal.

October 30 4:00 P.M.

Come join the Uintah Recreation District as they celebrate Halloween with a walk down main street with Mayor Showalter. Kids will have the chance to participate in safe trick or treating. Then at 4:30 PM there will be a Halloween carnival with activities and fun for all ages. Plan to attend now!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month:

Support breast cancer this month

Curves of Roosesevlt:

Breast cancer awareness drive get your membership fee waved with proof of a mammogram. First 10 to sign up with a mammogram get a free breast exam kit.

Food Drive

Devon Energy has a food drive drop off your items at the Crossroads Center through the month of October.

Bluebell Corn Maze

Sept. 24^th-October 30th

Experience fun, excitement and enjoy getting lost in one of Utah's largest Corn Maze attractions.

Tuesday & Wednesday: By advanced reservation only-please call in advance to make reservations for groups of 20 or more.

Thursday & Friday: 5-9 pm

Saturday: 11 am – 10 pm

Sunday & Monday: Closed

Prices: Adult 11 and over $7.00 Children 5-10 $5.00 $2.00 per person more during the haunt

Children 4 and under Free with accompanying adult Courtyard Fee: $3.00 per person if not participating in the maze

Fieldtrip Information: Field trips begin September 21 and will continue through October 29. Fieldtrips will be hosted Tuesday-Friday or each week. Contact Kim Layton at 454-3369 to schedule a day and time

Directions: ¾ mile north of the Bluebell Store Watch for signs in Roosevelt

Special Events: October 14 & 15 UEA holiday open at 11 am (no fieldtrips)

Beginning October 14, during normal hours or operation at dark- Family Friendly Haunting (Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays): Tickets are $2.00 per person more for the haunt- No group reservations during the haunt. Contact 454-3732

Family Support Center
will be holding Parenting Classes in Oct. at 259 N 700 E. Roosevelt, Ut.

Active Parenting series ages 1-4 yrs. 4-7 each Tuesday beginning October 5^th through Tuesday October 26^th.

Active Parenting Now ages 5-12yrs. 9am-12pm each Wed. beginning Oct. 6^th through Oct. 27^th.

Active Parenting of Teens 1:00-4:00 p.m. each Thursday beginning Oct. 7^th through Thursday Oct. 28^th.

Child Care Provided to register call 722-2401 you're welcome to take one series of classes or all three series. No charge for classes Everyone welcome! Check out our website at http://Roosevelt.utahfamilysupport.org

 
 

Mark your Calendar for November November 5^th & 6^th Holly Fair 3 Locations

Enchanted Forest November 19 & 20 Crossroads Center Call 722-4598 for Info.

 
 

 
 

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

Mail it to us at

PO Box 287

Neola, UT 84053

 
 

Buck Revenge - October 2010

By : Jennifer Rook

When Ryan Harrison and his 16 year old daughter, Kadea, started out for an evening deer hunt during deer season in October 2009, neither one knew this hunt would leave an indelible mark, both figuratively and literally. Neither one could have known that this year the buck would fight back.
    The hunt started out like any other. Ryan took Kadea to some neighboring pastures and wooded areas hoping to get his daughter on a decent buck. The pair was hardly settled in when they jumped a nice one. Ryan let Kadea take him and she made quick work of her hunt. The buck was down in a matter of seconds and Ryan began the task of field dressing. As he worked, some movement caught his eye across the draw. Not one, but two bucks were sneaking their way through the trees. Ryan could tell one was pretty nice so he decided to follow them to see if he could get close enough for a shot with his muzzleloader.

    He followed for quite some distance before a shot opportunity presented itself, but when it did, Ryan let the lead fly and sent a ball into what he had hoped was the buck's lungs. When the smoke cleared Ryan saw that he had indeed hit the buck, but that the shot was a little further back than he had expected. He immediately began tracking the wounded buck following a good blood trail until daylight faded into dusk and it became too dark to track any more that night.
    As he picked up the track again early the next morning, Ryan saw something glinting in the first sunlight not far from where he had left off the night before. It was the buck's antlers! He had fallen in some thick sage brush and as Ryan approached, he soon realized the deer was still alive. When the buck stood up a few seconds later Ryan didn't hesitate to shoot and fired off a shot aimed squarely for the buck's vital organs. Ryan was sure he had made a solid, fatal hit but a split second later, the buck was up and charging. He rushed at Ryan from twenty feet away, taking him down full force, gouging his sharp antlers deep into Ryan's arm as he reached out to defend himself. The buck didn't stop there either. He kept fighting – raking his sharp points up and down Ryan's back, puncturing the skin in several places.     
    Instead of panicking however, Ryan kept his wits about him and put his rifle between himself and the deer, but as the buck continued the assault, the sling caught on the deer's antlers and suddenly the gun was out of Ryan's control. Thinking quickly however, he remembered he was carrying a sharp knife in his calf pocket. Reaching down and grabbing the large butcher knife Ryan went right for the buck's jugular and with a crude swipe across the throat the fight was over as quickly as it began. A few tense moments later, the buck finally sagged down with Ryan's muzzleloader wrapped up in its antlers.
    Ryan and his gun were both gouged up a bit, a little worse for the wear, but not hurt too badly. As he dressed the buck out, Ryan found that the first shot from the night before had indeed hit far back on the deer's body, taking out part of his genitals but that the bullet he had fired off just before the attack had taken out the buck's vitals, shattering ribs and leaving a large hole as it exited.
    Looking back on the incident, Ryan realizes it was a freak accident that doesn't happen often, but thinks that when he wounded the deer the night before and took out part of his "manhood" it angered the buck just enough that when he saw an opportunity for revenge, it didn't hesitate to go from prey to predator and turned the tables on Ryan in the blink of an eye. Others may argue differently, but that's Ryan's story and he's sticking to it!

 
 

Koins for Kenya - October 2010

Submitted By: Sherrie Christiansen

When I wrote my book, The Power Of A Penny, I had no idea that it would take me across the world and change my life forever. I found out about the organization, Koins for Kenya, from a friend and incorporated it into the last chapter of my book because it seemed like a great way to end the book. I have been donating a portion of the proceeds to this organization and been working with one of the founders, Bret VanLeeuwen, at speaking events. Every time I would hear the stories about the villagers, my heart would soften and I could only dream about meeting these people for myself. 

     My fifteen year old son, Brayden, wanted to do his Eagle Scout project this summer and Bret VanLeeuwen invited us to travel to Kenya with an expedition that was traveling with Koins for Kenya. So, my son sold flowers and candy for Mother's Day and raised enough money to pay for his trip. 

     We went with the goal to build one hundred desks for the school children in several villages outside of Mombasa for my sons Eagle project. But we did much more than build desks and it has changed our lives forever.

     We collected baby receiving blankets before we left and distributed them to the village dispensaries around Mynzeni. Most of the village women deliver their babies at home in their mud huts which results in a high infant mortality rate as well as many mothers die during child birth. These women are told that if they will come to the village dispensaries to deliver their babies, they will get a new baby blanket.

     The first day, we traveled to a village called Dzvani. We were greeted a mile before the school by hundreds of smiling children who were running to greet us with their loud African voices singing, "We would like to say welcome to you! Welcome, welcome here!" over and over again. The feeling of love they were showing us was overwhelming! Before we left, my son collected pencils and school supplies to distribute. One of the members of our group asked, "Who would like a pencil?"  There were shouts and clapping because the children were so excited, over a simple pencil. It was amazing!

     We saw the children sitting four and five to a desk that was made for three kids so they wouldn't have to sit on the dirt floor with the chiggars or get bot eggs. It was overwhelming and we knew we had to build as many desks as we could while we were in Kenya to help provide these sweet children with a place to learn. This was not an easy task because we kept running out of wood. In Mynzeni, you don't just go to the local lumber store and get more wood. You have to buy a tree, wait for it to be chopped down, then have it split, planed and cut before it can be made into a desk. The Kenyan people kept saying, "Hakuna Matata... no worries, we will get you the wood." During the building process, we also ran out of screws, which were carried over in several members of our groups luggage. This meant a day long adventure into Mombassa to get more. One day the power went out in the workshop, so after the batteries ran out on the cordless drills we brought over, hand saws were brought out and our efforts were slowed to a snails pace.

     In the end the desks were finished and a lot of them were put into a new two room school that was dedicated while we were there in the village of Dzvani, the Austin Frampton School. This was a very special school because the twenty one year old man who raised the money all by himself to build the school. He actually lived in the village for five months and helped the villagers with the building which he donated for his ten year old brother, Austin, who has Down's Syndrome brother. Dallin put on a concert in his neighborhood in Salt Lake last October to help raise the $10,000.00 needed to build the school. He had a friend with the voice of an angel help sing during this concert. Her name was Sophie Rose Barton. She died unexpectedly in June from an unknown heart problem while she was at the LDS girls camp in Heber Valley. So a rose was branded on the desks that Brayden made before they were loaded up on a trailer pulled by a tractor and delivered to the school to remember her. It was very touching and made our efforts to build the desks even more special.

    One night while we were sitting under the moonlight talking about the day in Kenya, we got word that a twelve year old boy had just passed away under a mango tree no more than fifty feet from where we were sitting. He and his uncle were trying to get to the dispensary to get medicine but they didn't make it in time. They had walked six miles and been to two villages trying to get help but had been turned away because there wasn't anyone to help them at the village dispensaries. The boy was worsening so they had hired a motorcycle to carry him along with his uncle to the village where we were staying. As the mother and the rest of his family came running into the village and found that her son had died, there was a lot of wailing and singing of a very sad song announcing his death. The boys name was Charo and was still wearing his little yellow uniform that he had worn to his school in the village of Gona earlier that day where he was one of the top students in his class. Charo had gone to school that day despite his horrible headache because he didn't want to miss his testing for the end of his term. By the time his mom returned home from working in the corn fields near their home, he was very sick and the family tried to get him help without success. This had a tremendous affect on all of us on the expedition because the next day we visited his village and met his school mates all dressed in their bright yellow uniforms. The villagers put on a big ceremony welcoming us and then the chief gave Bret VanLeeuwen an envelope which contained ten percent of the money the villagers had raised to go towards a new school they want the Koins foundation to build. When the average person makes $300 per year, this was a huge sacrifice coming from them. So I came up with an idea to try to help them get the money to build the school which I would like to donate in Charo's name. The last day we were in Kenya, I had several of the Kenyan girls from the secondary school come to the Koins center and help me make Christmas ornaments with wire and beads so I can decorate and donate a tree for the Vernal Trees for Charity in November. It will take $10,000.00 to build this school, and I am hoping to raise a portion of that from the sale of the tree at the auction.

 
 

  

Friday Nights In A Small Town - Urban Legends - October 2010

By: Jennifer Rook

    Friday nights in October…darkness comes early and the light of the harvest moon casts creeping shadows across the landscape. The chill in the air only helps create a sense of impending doom as a car full of teenagers slowly makes its way up the windy hill. The stereo is off and the only sound to be heard is the howl of a lonely coyote in the distance. The teenagers speak in hushed whispers as they strain to hear the sounds of the night.
    The vehicle slowly bumps along the dirt road and hearts beat faster as they near their destination. Whatever danger lurks in the gloom is all in the imagination of the willing participants in one of the Basin's creepiest time honored traditions. Searching for local spooks, creeps, ghosts and other unfriendly foes has kept teenagers and adults occupied on lonely Friday nights in October for generations. The stories handed down from parent to child have become some of the best known Uinta Basin Urban Legends and the temptation to see if the stories are real is sometimes too great to resist.
    Screams pierce the night air as yet another Basin Urban Legend is confirmed. The night is a success. Someone is thoroughly frightened and has a story to tell his or her posterity. Long live Uinta Basin Urban Legends!

    Pickle Head- One of the most popular urban legends in the Vernal area is the story of Pickle Head. Hundreds of teenagers have searched for Pickle Head over the past four decades at the Dry Fork Cemetery. Legend has it that Pickle Head's husband loved her so much that when she died he couldn't bear to let her go. The bereaved husband had his wife's remains interred, except for one body part. He was so sad at her passing and knew he would miss her too much that he placed her head in a pickle jar so that he could gaze upon her beauty even in her absence. The husband passed away shortly after his eternal love, but confused family members didn't know what to do with his wife's head. Knowing of his undying love for her, family members commissioned a special "head"stone constructed in which the pickled head was placed inside. Right where it remains today. Find it if you dare! No one knows where her husband is buried, but some swear his spirit remains with her body and is quite protective of her. Intruders and thrill seekers beware!

    Devil's Stump- Taking a trip to Devil's Stump is not for the faint of heart. The blackened tree stump on an abandoned ranch in Duchesne County is said to have spontaneously combusted one night during a satanic séance ritual. Apparently, the stump bears the likeness of the Dark One and the evil presence of something wicked can be felt just by being in the vicinity. Not many dare get too close, but many make the attempt.

    VooDoo Cabin- There is an old, long-abandoned cabin, several miles south of Ouray that was once occupied by a successful cattle rancher from Louisiana. The cattle rancher was happy with his grazing acreage in the scarcely traversed land, but an infiltration of deer hunters soon disrupted his peace. Local hunters soon learned the hard way however, to stay away from this man's lease. Hunters began complaining of sharp, disabling pains in their shooting arms that would overtake them as they drew their rifles in the rancher's self proclaimed territory. Some out of state hunters decided to be brave one, chilly October night. The men entered the cabin only to find shocking evidence of voodoo, complete with small dolls made in their likeness and plenty of evidence of animal sacrifice. The men beat a hasty retreat and warned all who may go near to stay away.

    The Glowing Headstone- The story of the glowing headstone in a Vernal cemetery that marks the grave of a once beautiful young woman dates back to the early 1900s. The young woman buried inside the grave is said to have been left at the altar by her love. Heartbroken and stricken with a deep depression the jilted bride jumped to her death off a tall, sandstone cliff near Vernal. She was buried in a local cemetery and her parents placed a white marble headstone atop their daughter's grave. As soon as the headstone was placed, locals began to notice a strange glow in the cemetery. Two young men were walking by late one night when they noticed the glowing headstone so they ventured into the cemetery to check it out. This would prove to be a fatal mistake for at least one of them. A cold chill crept over the cemetery and a strong wind began to blow. Scratching noises were heard beneath their feet near the glowing headstone and a terrible wailing and moaning sound ensued. It was "confusion and mayhem" as the men ran for their lives, but only one man made it out alive. The other was never heard from again, nor was his body ever found. Many locals believe the young bride found a suitable companion to join her forever; others believe she still searches for the perfect mate, while others believe she is just getting revenge. After all, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

    Baby's Crib- In yet another graveyard near Vernal an urban legend begins with a child's grave surrounded by an iron fence. By day it's a regular iron fence around the small grave. By moonlight it takes on the strange likeness of a baby's crib, with iron bars forever keeping the baby inside. Late night thrill seekers have reported hearing the cries of a baby as they approached the "crib". Maybe he just needs you to pick him up…

    UFOs- Visitors from another planet? Yes indeed. The Uinta Basin is apparently a hotbed for alien activity. National Institute of Discovery Science researchers, Colm Kelleher and George Knapp, have dubbed the Uinta Basin, "a heavyweight contender for UFO capital of the world." Since the 1950s, thousands of UFO sightings have been reported in the area. Many Basin residents have reportedly seen evidence of signs of life from un-earthly visitors. Crop circles, cattle mutilations, flying objects with many lights, varying in shape, size, and color and intelligences that "just seemed to know what we were thinking" have also been reported. These stories of UFOs are compared with Native American legends, such as otherwordly entities called "tricksters", and "skinwalkers", which have the reputation of being malevolent and are capable of being transformed into another form such as a person, wolf, coyote, bear, bird, or any other animal and would be also capable of mind control and other trickeries.

    Bigfoot- "In a remote mountain range, near the town of Altamont, Utah, the search for a "large, hairy, ape-like creature" continues….." Anyone been messin' with Sasquatch lately? It may seem like fun on television, but anyone who has encountered Bigfoot is not laughing. Basin residents have reported seeing creatures that could only be the legendary Bigfoot from the mountains above Vernal to the far reaches of the Basin near Hanna and Tabiona. A truck driver fighting his way home during a snow storm, trying to find traction on snow packed and slick roads near Bluebell says he definitely encountered Bigfoot when he decided to stop his truck to chain up one blustery winter night. The man stopped his truck and peered into the whirlwind of snow coming down to make sure there wasn't any traffic coming towards him. His heart skipped a few beats as he found himself staring straight into the face of a large, hairy, ape-like beast standing a few feet in front of his truck. The beast approached the side of the driver's truck, not taking his eyes off the driver the whole time. The truck driver knew immediately he was staring right into the face of Bigfoot and decided not to chain up after all. Especially since the ape-like creature was at eye level with him as he sat in the driver's seat of his semi-truck. Driver and Bigfoot stared at each other for just a moment before the driver decided it was time to move out. The creature kept pace with the truck as the driver began to roll away, but eventually disappeared in the snow bank along the side of the road as the trucker pulled away. The driver didn't stop until he got home…not even to change his underwear.

    There are many more stories of specters and otherwise strange happenings in the Uinta Basin and plenty of opportunities to frighten even the bravest man. Just remember to be respectful of the dead and their final resting places or you might just become the next Basin Urban Legend. See you in the cemetery!

 
 

Girls Get Big Bucks Too!

By: Jennifer Rook

With the wide open flat lands of Wyoming's high mountain desert stretched out before her on a beautiful September morning in 2009, RaShea Simmons wasn't really in a hunting mindset as she set out to take her kids to the bus stop on the first day of school. She took her archery equipment along anyway, just in case. She had drawn an antelope tag and had been keeping her eye on a particularly large buck all summer, but hadn't ever been able to get close to him. Little did she know that just yards from her house she was about to get that opportunity.
    The buck had been running with a harem of about 150 does all summer and RaShea, four months pregnant, had been stalking him. With not much cover in the wide open expanse of land, she had been crawling through the tall grass hoping to get close enough to put an arrow in him. Just as she was nearing the bus stop, her sons, Hayden and Stetson, spotted the buck just yards off the road. Hayden ranged the buck at 43 yards as Stetson grabbed her bow. From the roadside, RaShea let her arrow fly. The arrow struck the antelope in the front shoulder, just missing the vital organs that would have dropped him in an instant, and the buck ran off.
    This is when RaShea's real hunt began. Getting close to the buck for a second shot would prove to be most difficult given the terrain, but RaShea was determined to get her buck. After several blown stalks, searching for him on horseback, and an encounter in a pasture with an curious mule while trying to sneak up on him, Rashea finally got her chance at a second shot as she snuck up on him again. This time her aim was deadly and the arrow found its mark, dropping the mighty buck instantly.
    RaShea's buck was indeed a big one. His antlers scored 77 6/8^ths, plenty large enough to make the Pope & Young book (coming out in March 2011. A minimum score of 68 is required to even make the book). Rashea, the daughter of Rod and Kathie Harrison of Duchesne, will be entered in the books with a record Wyoming antelope buck for women archery hunters.
    RaShea is also a great example for other women interested in hunting. When kids come along and life gets in the way, it's sometimes tough for women to find time to enjoy hunting as much as men get to. Yet, somewhere between the laundry, cooking, cleaning, taking kids to school and activities, not to mention incubating a new life herself, RaShea found the time and the determination to track her buck down and harvest the trophy of a life time. Shea credits her husband, Jason Simmons, for inspiring her and teaching her how to hunt with archery equipment. She has definitely found a love for archery hunting and loves being able to spend more time with her husband doing something he enjoys too.

 
 

The Basin's Dirtiest Jobs - Meat Processor - October 2010

By: Jennifer Rook

    We are happy to debut this latest feature; "The Basin's Dirtiest Jobs". We hope to highlight some of the dirtiest jobs in the Basin and introduce you to some of the hard working folks from our community who get dirty every day or have to deal with undesirable substances, perform nasty tasks or deal with all manner of muck, slime, dirt, guts, oil; you name it. If it's a Dirty Job, we want to tell you all about it.

 
 

Meat Processor

    It's not the most dirty job around as far as getting really grimy, filthy and dirty, but meat processing is not a job for the faint of heart. It's a job that not many would ever choose and it can be pretty nasty, mentally taxing, and physically exhausting. The title "meat processor" definitely qualifies as one of the "Basin's Dirtiest Jobs".
    Becoming a meat processor isn't something Chuck McKinnon dreamed about doing his whole life, but he definitely saw a need for a quality processor in the Roosevelt/Altamont area about 45 years ago when he began doing "farm kills" for folks in the Arcadia area where he lives. He opened up Chuck's Meat in Arcadia. His son-in-law and daughter Ryan and Julie Ann Harrison now run the successful business and say that it's really not as "dirty" as one would imagine. "There are days when I'll come home and need to change clothes immediately, particularly on slaughter days" Ryan admits, "but on the whole it's not that bad."
    Perhaps the hardest aspect of the trade is the mental side of things. Steve Reynolds of Roosevelt Meats grew up helping his father at Superior Meat in Vernal, (now owned by his brother, DJ Reynolds) but it doesn't make slaughtering any easier. "It's definitely not a fun job." Steve says of slaughtering, "but it's necessary. I just try to get through it as quickly as possible. It is a little tough mentally."
    Both Roosevelt Meat and Chuck's Meat process big game as well as domestic animals so their busiest time of the year begins in August after the Duchesne County Fair and at the start of archery season. "We'll run between 1,000 and 1,500 big game animals through here during hunting season." Ryan reports. "It's just crazy busy around here until the end of hunting season."
    Big game, beef, pork, mutton and swine all come through our local meat processing plants. Kathie Harrison helps out at Chuck's Meat and says she isn't too bothered by meat processing. "I love meat." Kathie says. "I love to eat it and I have always been around it my whole life so it doesn't bother me to cut it up. The only thing that really bothers me is when people try to bring big game in here that hasn't been cared for properly. That's when things get a little gross. We have seen some pretty nasty things try to come through here, but really it's not bad at all. We keep it very, very clean so that helps. In fact, I sometimes go crazy with the bleach and the guys all know when I've been cleaning because they can smell the bleach outside the building before they even walk in."
    The men and women who own those shops have been practicing their craft for years and some consider it an art. Some locals even say that nobody cuts up a more beautiful prime rib than Don Anderson at Uintah Packing in Vernal. Many processors also do custom orders and typically process each animal according to different specifications. It's definitely not a job for just anyone, that's for sure, but we definitely appreciate the work these folks do and salute them as we cut into a juicy, tender, tasty pork chop and they carry on with one of the Basin's Dirtiest Jobs.

 
 

If you have ideas for "Dirtiest Jobs" please send them to jennifer@theedgemagazine.org with contact information if you've got it.

 
 

a•quat•ic [uh-kwot-ik] - October 2010

By: Shallin Squire

    For the past several months, members of the volunteer committee "Citizens for a Duchesne County Aquatic Center" have practically become aquatic animals themselves: many of their thoughts, efforts, and spare hours have "pertained to water" as they've sought to make it possible for Duchesne County residents to "live" and "grow" in water year round–rather than being limited to swimming for exercise, therapy, and recreation between Memorial Day and Labor Day as they've been with the county's 30-year-old outdoor facility.

    The committee, headed by Kirk Wentworth of Roosevelt, has one major goal: to convince Duchesne County residents to vote "yes" on a bond that will be part of the November 2 ballot and will fund the construction and maintenance of the facility.

    In addition to swarming spectators at the UBIC parade to ensure everyone received a flier about the proposed facility, the committee has proven their willingness to answer questions about the project by devoting several evenings to meeting with interested and concerned citizens, with at least 8 total public meetings that have been or will be held at various locations throughout the county "Citizens for a Duchesne County Aquatic Center" is also on Facebook and has a blog that's maintained by Brandon and Danielle Aycock.                     The foremost concern for most voters is, "What will this cost me?" According to the committee's estimate (after meeting with an architect and discussing the budget for the facility), "The owner of an average home worth $150,000 will pay about $43 per year–a little less than $4 a month...An owner of a home worth $250,000 will see a tax increase of about $70 per year..." Another concern for some is the timing of the project, but the committee sees this slow economical period as a perfect opportunity to provide jobs to locals to build and run the facility and to keep citizens' recreational money in the county in the future.

    According to the committee's Facebook page, the center would offer the following benefits to Duchesne County residents: year-round aquatic exercise, a year-round therapy pool (run by Uintah Basin Medical Center), more swimming lessons options, school P.E. curriculum usage, year-round scouting and other group activities, family party options, family dressing rooms, outdoor play areas during the summer, employment opportunities for youth and others, handicap accessibility, and competitive swimming options. In addition, the new facility would feature pools with the latest Mrytha lining, which would be remarkably safer than the current pool's crumbling tiles and cracking drains.

    Facebook page fan Joan Ryan of Roosevelt summed up the pros of the proposed facility with the following comment:

"Swimming laps at the Roosevelt City pool over the past 25 years, and having three children lifeguard and teach classes there, has made me grateful for that facility in our area. Over that period of time, I have seen residents from all of the communities within our county come and benefit from the facility. Not only have I found swimming to be one of the few forms of physical exercise that can be continued for a lifetime, but the pool has also provided jobs for our youth, taught them essential lifesaving skills, and filled recreational needs for families during the summer months. The only thing that could improve upon this would be for it to be accessible year-round to all county residents. I encourage you to vote YES on the bond in November."

    For more information about the proposed Duchesne County Aquatic Center, attend a public meeting or visit http://dcountyaquacenter.blogspot.com.        

"Citizens for a Duchesne County Aquatic Center" October public meeting schedule:

*October 6 from 7-8 p.m. @ Neola Elementary

*October 7 from 7-8 p.m. @ Altamont High School    

 
 

What Do You Want To Know? - October 2010

By: Crissy Knibbe

Many real estate consumers have questions, but not sure where to turn to get answers. I have compiled a few questions that seem to have many consumers puzzled.

Q- "I want to know why what you pay for houses property taxes uses an home value that is different from appraisal value. Also is appraisal value different from market value?" –Facebook User

Well, this is a very tricky answer, but I will tell you exactly how the County Assessor will tell you. Buyers and sellers create value by their transactions in the market place. The Assessor is required to value each parcel by annually updating values based on current market data (sales comparables) and physically inspecting each property at least once every five years. Adjustments are made up or down as the market dictates. Property values are based on activity in the marketplace. If homes similar to yours are selling for a higher price, State law requires the Assessor to value your property at that market value. The County Assessor does not establish the amount of taxes you pay. If the market value placed on your property by the Assessor remained the same as the previous year, the increase in your taxes can be attributed to an increase in tax rates within your particular tax district. Tax rates can increase due to public voting on bond issues, such as school bonds, jail, etc., or an increase in the budget of a taxing entity. The method for figuring ad valorem taxes* requires four steps (1) you must know the taxable value of your property; (2) the assessment ratio (55% of market value for Primary Residential Property - 100% for all other property); (3) any exemptions and (4) the tax rate for your area of the County. Tax rates are set by procedures outlined in the Utah Constitution. Rates are not set by the County Assessor. There are many different rates in individual Counties, and they vary depending on where the property is located (county, city, water/sewer districts, etc.). The tax rate levied against a property makes a considerable difference in taxes owed.

Q- "I just purchased my property, why does the County have it valued for more than I paid for it?" –Real Estate Customer

 
 

There are numerous types of sales occurring throughout the County. Some are at less than market value, some may be greater than market value. Market value must be viewed as a willing buyer and willing seller without any undue pressure to buy or sell. For example: if an individual's employment transfers them out of the County, or perhaps they inherit family property, they may choose to sell quickly at below market value to free themselves of the burden of trying to maintain two households, or the home or property was a foreclosure and bought or sold less than market value to unload the property. On the other hand, one might choose to purchase a home above the indicated market value for reasons such as location to employment, relatives, schools, or a fondness for the overall structure and layout of the property. These, along with other sales that have occurred in the neighborhood, must be considered. The County analyzes what the majority of similar properties are selling for in your neighborhood and apply those findings, in terms of market value, to each property. If you have questions concerning your real or property taxes, you can always request to have it reevaluated. Just go to your County Assessor's office, they strive for factual evaluations.

 
 

Q- "Are bank owned or foreclosed homes a good deal to get and how can I get a list of all the foreclosures listed?" –Interested in Investing

 
 

This is a VERY good question! As our real estate market is always changing from good to bad to worse then back to good again, the answer to this question is universal. You can always get a list of bank owned homes through me! You can also find companies such as RealtyTrac online that charges a fee to see them. As far as whether they are good deals or not, that is the opinion of the person purchasing them. If you plan on investing in bank owned properties, there are a few things that you should consider before jumping in feet first. First of all, the price. Everything in real estate is negotiable, however the banks are more sophisticated about pricing than they were years ago. So those "Get a great deal on a foreclosure!" days aren't what they used to be. Lowball offers generally don't go very far. Second, plan on doing some repairs. And third, make sure you complete your due diligence. Do an inspection not only on the property itself, but on title too. Many times, the home has been taken back by the bank, but the bank does not have title transferred and this could take some time to resolve.

 
 

    One of Vernal's local mortgage brokers, Cort Pierce from Republic Mortgage, says "Tell all renters to pay their rent with a check... This way it is easier to verify later..." When you transition from being a renter to applying for a mortgage, the lender will require proof that you have been paying your rent. Writing a check or getting a receipt are the best ways to provide that verification. Thanks Cort for that valuable information!

 
 

    I am here to help! If you have questions about real estate, please feel free to ask me and I'll do my best to get you answers too.

I take buying and selling real estate seriously and so should you. I am driven to provide the best possible care and service to all my clients, old and new. I am caring, creative and committed to provide the best real estate experience you could have.

 
 

*Ad Valorem Tax- A tax, duty, or fee which varies based on the value of the products, services, or property on which it is levied.

 
 

Grandma's Resident Ghost - October 2010

By: Cheryl Mecham

    When my brother Mark and I were kids we practically lived at Grandma Brown's house because it was a stone's throw from the single-wide trailer that we called home. Imagine a tall, two story clapboard that stood against a bank of tall, weedy lilac bushes.
    The old house doesn't get much sun because it's tucked beside a hill and timber stands behind it, dark and misty. A werewolf forest, where the trees grow straight and limbless for a glimmer of warm sun and season's of fall leaves and pine needles pad the earth beneath. Out front a sloping patch of lawn meets the barn yard where the old weathered barn stands on a parcel of acreage that's part of Catskill Mountains, in New York State.
    Generations of Browns have lived out their lives there. The old clapboard was erected to house boarders and allow family privacy, sort of a bed and breakfast, except lunch and dinner was served too. Artists and writers from the city appeared each summer to paints and compose under the spell of the quiet countryside.
    My kid-self found all kinds of evidence it was haunted; doors that squeaked on their hinges, cold pockets of air swirling in bedrooms and the hollow sound of footsteps on the staircase and hallways long after everyone was settled in bed. Then to top it all off ... the hanging. One of Grandma's boarders didn't come down for breakfast one morning. He was found swinging from a light cord in a second story bedroom.
    Was the suicide's ghost the cause of the haunting? Alone in the house one night my mother heard the echoing foot falls descend the staircase herself. A ridge of gooseflesh tingled across the nape of her neck and crept up her limbs. She wouldn't stay in the house alone after that, even when the sun streamed through the south windows.
    When twilight settled around the house and the back-woods creek cooled sending off a gauzy fog around its foundation the ghost story not only sounded plausible, but down-right authentic. I didn't like to stay after dark ... ever.
    But once in awhile Grandma would ask me to sleep over. She'd have to bribe me with chocolate flavored Yoo-hoo at dinner and promise we'd bake a cake before I'd consent.
    I'd forget most everything about ghosts while Bonanza was on, but the minute Grandma switched off the TV and all you could hear was the drone of the old refrigerator I'd panic. She'd always ask as we climbed the haunted stair case, "Where would you like to sleep dear?"
    "With you," I'd give my routine response, not breathing until she'd say, "Well, sure then."
    She'd drop her top denture plate into a glass with a bubbling concoction then tuck the chenille bedspread snugly around me, only to yank it off once she had crawled in bed.
    It wasn't until her snoring started that I'd begin to hear the noises. Pressed against her back and hardly breathing I'd listen as the old house moaned and creaked. Terrified, my heart hammering wildly and my eyes squeezed tight I'd lay awake and listen until Grandma's warmth and rhythmic snores eventually lulled me to sleep.
    Once I grew up and grandma grew very old the haunting seemed like a figment of my imagination. Until we were staying in the house and my husband said, "It sounds like people are whispering in the hallway. It's just creepy."
     I didn't hear the late night whispers – probably too tired to care after chasing our kids around all day – but one evening as we retired to bed and had just clicked off the bedside lamp we were haunted.
    "Do you see that?" my husband whispered as I raised up on my elbow. Now I can't see much without contacts, but I did see It.
    When something paranormal is floating around the furniture it's good to have another eye witness present because you can hardly believe what you're seeing. The Thing bobbed around in the very air that we were breathing, if we were breathing at all. It seemed to be a tubular mass of soft florescent-type light which spiraled off in all directions as if probing the room. It had no recognizable shape or features. Oddly though it appeared as light – it didn't give off light, the room surrounding it remained pitch black.
    In utter amazement we watched a few seconds in terrified awe and then It noticed the two of us. All at once it's spiraling-probing stopped. Then, it seemed to suck its glowing limbs back into itself then abruptly descended the stairwell. In half a mili-second I was out of bed and tearing up the stairs after It, because our two young daughters lay vulnerable in the second story room above us.     
    Nobody's messing with my kids – even if they don't have a body or recognizable life form! In momma-bear mode I arrived breathless and straining to see in the pitch dark of their bedroom. My husband was suddenly behind me. Our little girls were sound asleep until we carried them down stairs and made a bed for them right beside ours. And there they stayed for a few days until we were sure the specter wasn't coming back.
    But, what was it? In the light of day we marveled at what we had seen, and began to share our story. Folk patiently listened then look at the ground or across the room, but never at us and said, "Well, I'll be darned," polite speak for, "that's unbelievable."
    When it comes to paranormal happenings its tough for people to wrap their mind around them. No one wants to believe. Even I didn't want to believe what we were saying, but I had seen it. My husband had seen it. It had seen us – and once it did, ran off with its tail tucked between it's legs.
    Now I'm not sure what it was, but I'm sure it wasn't from the dimension I live in. Was it lost? Probably not. I think it was exploring. Was it intelligent? Heck yes! It had the good sense to fly when it saw us, and kept on going when a mother was protecting her young.
    Living a scary story is much different than hearing one, I've been around long enough to have the hair stand up on the back of my neck a time or two. The only reward for having the wits scared right out of you it getting to tell your story and having someone, anyone believe it. So, during this spooky season when witches and goblins and ghosts of all sorts are haunting our neighborhoods share your scary stories about spooks and spirits. And you never know ... if you're lucky someone might tell you a tale that will scare the socks right off of you