Intellectual Nourishment

The nice part about living in a small town is that when you don't know what you are doing, someone else does.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

March GSSD

By Sara Laub
On Monday Feb 28, Kip Bowler, Scott Holt, and Judy Leavitt met with 9 FEMA representatives to discuss flood repairs. FEMA was given a tour of the damage to the water system and given information that they needed. The board is going to get plans together and get bids from contractors to fix the flood damage. FEMA allows 45 days to provide funding and if they do, it will be seventy-five percent of the cost. The GSSD does have funds in savings to cover the twenty-five percent if FEMA helps but there is an opportunity to receive a grant to cover the twenty-five percent and they are pursuing that.
Progress is continuing with the detachment of the Smith Ranch connection. Water rights will have to be traded by the GSSD and given to the Smith’s in order to sever their connection with the GSSD. As each item is dealt with, more items have come up but all are achievable. “We are moving forward,” Kip Bowler commented.
The street lights have been fixed and discussion on the park fence falling down ensued. A chain link fence with honeysuckles on it to conceal neighboring property was discussed to replace the old fence. Nothing was determined.
The certified operator reported that all water tests passed, hand chlorination is still being done, residual levels were fine when taken, telemetry issues are being addressed, and materials for the tank gasket have been discovered and will be attended to. Arsenic test will continue for another year since the tests are not consistent. The arsenic levels pass without problem. All tests were done on time for the EPA.
A few board members went to the RWAU conference and stated it was “worthwhile” and “invaluable.” It has already been of immediate help with the Smith Ranch connection and also working with FEMA. It is a good investment because it informs the board of the changes in procedures, parts, maintenance, and also legislative changes the GSSD has to be aware of.
The board wants to encourage community support at the GSSD meetings. There is a lot going on for our town and it is good to have the community involved and informed. Come to the water board meetings the first Thursday of the month.

Helpful Reminder

The GSSD has requested that all users be mindful of water usage. Remember that we are currently not using our primary water source and the water is limited. As spring comes, limit the use of water in your yard until the water system is fixed. Please be conservative in water use. Thanks!

Ironman 2011

The Ironman race will be coming through Gunlock on May 7th. A representative will be coming to the GSSD meeting on April 7 to discuss the race. There will be handouts and an opportunity to ask questions and talk about concerns the residents of Gunlock may have.
The Ironman also needs more volunteers for the morning and afternoon shift at the Gunlock bike station.
Go online to www.ironmanstgeorge.com and click on volunteer to sign up.

Still Don't Want To Go?

By Sara Laub
I have heard people say that board meetings are terrible, that no one wants to go to them since people aren’t very civil. I’ve been to nearly every one in 4 years and I can say that although there was truth to the above statement, it has not been that way for some time.
Perhaps it is because the new water system is in and there isn’t controversy over what goes where and why. There really are no debates at this point especially since the GSSD is held tightly to the rules of the state. They are being pushed and prodded and molded into a professional entity. It is very fascinating and encouraging. The GSSD used to be a small town district that was able to do things their way but time and rules have changed that. There is no way to go back, but with that there are positive things. I think one of those is the civility in the meetings themselves.
Old ideas die hard but there is always a chance. I spoke to my husband the other day about how difficult it was for me to understand how some people tend to make up their minds about things even if it means they will miss out on good things. I’m sure it is a protection for some, possibly a lazy excuse for others. How can we make up our minds when we know we don’t know everything? We know life changes and even surprises us sometimes. Maybe change is hard and it is easier to believe the past than jump into the present.
I guess my article supports the GSSD meetings. I believe residents should go to the meetings and support and voice opinions, good or bad. If anything, there is much to be informed about. My newsletter can’t possibly cover it all. There is a new water system in town and there are a lot of new things to know about it and how it needs to be run. The board members have made incredible progress filling their roles in this different system. There is even a feeling of success as the GSSD has enlisted in its purpose to provide water following all the guidelines.
Simply, I think people should go to meetings for the community and for themselves.

Donations

Thank you for your donations. I was ready to buy rubber bands and that is what I received. I really appreciate the support and it makes me smile.
- Sara Laub

St. Patrick's Day

About Saint Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated each year on March 17th. In Ireland, Saint Patrick’s Day is both a holy day and a national holiday. Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland as he was the one who brought Christianity to the Irish.
According to legend, Saint Patrick used a shamrock to explain about God. The shamrock, which looks like clover, has three leaves on each stem. Saint Patrick told the people that the shamrock was like the idea of the Trinity – that in the one God there are three divine beings: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The shamrock was sacred to the Druids, so Saint Patrick’s use of it in explaining the trinity was very wise.
Although it began in Ireland, Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated in countries around the world. People with Irish heritage remind themselves of the beautiful green countryside of Ireland by wearing green and taking part in the festivities.
Saint Patrick’s Day is usually celebrated with a parade. The one in Dublin, Ireland is known to some as the Irish Mardi Gras. But the one in New York City is actually one of the biggest. It lasts for hours. Two Irish wolfhounds, the mascots of the New York National Guard infantry regiment the “Fighting 69th”, always lead the parade. More than one hundred bands and a hundred thousand marchers follow the wolfhounds in the parade.
Saint Patrick and the Snakes:
Another tale about Patrick is that he drove the snakes from Ireland. Different versions of the story, tell of him standing upon a hill, using a wooden staff to drive the serpents into the sea, banishing them forever from Ireland.
One version says that an old serpent resisted banishment, but that Patrick outwitted him. Patrick made a box and invited the snake to enter. The snake insisted it was too small and the two argued. Finally to prove his point, the snake entered the box to show how tight the fit was. Patrick slammed the lid closed and threw the box into the sea.
Although it’s true that Ireland has no snakes, this likely had more to do with the fact that Ireland is an island and being separated from the rest of the continent the snakes couldn’t get there. The stories of Saint Patrick and the snakes are likely a metaphor for his bringing Christianity to Ireland and driving out the pagan religions (serpents were a common symbol in many of these religions). www.dltk-holidays.com

Water Conservation in Utah

Here are some tips to conserve water taken from www.slowtheflow.org.
Simple steps to a healthier lawn:
*Raise the height of your lawn mower to 3”
*Add more days between irrigations.
*Don’t water during the hottest part of the day.
*Check and repair any sprinkler heads that are leaking or are tilting to the side.
*When watering, break up the zone times by cycling your sprinkler system.
*Add a pressure reducer to your sprinkler system.
*Add a “smart controller timer” to your sprinkler system.
Indoor Water Conservation Tips:
*Do full loads of dishes and laundry
*Fix leaks (averages 14% of indoor water use)
*Take shorter showers
*Keep water in the refrigerator for drinking water
*Turn the water off while you brush your teeth
*Install Faucet aerators, they can reduce output from 2.5 gal/min to 1.5 gal/min.

St. Patrick's Day Wordsearch

St. Patrick's Day Word Search
Find the St. Patrick's Day words.
P F S G D P C B L A R N E Y S T O N E I
Y W C H C U M B S I P T X J F D N P K X
D Z U N A L B Z A R A I N B O W Y S Q N
E C O T S M X A X X T T N Q N N X N M S
G S J O K M R N E K O F M U V B Q L U E
O U O T O A M O G P K T A N K M D D F H
Z G X G I A E I C U P H V K P I A N E H
E D K I O B U W C K C D M S P I N R S N
I V C U I L Z S L E T U S B G E B I C X
C K I E R E D S R M K B J Z E P R O U H
J R R T E X C P C I N L Z R A I K B D J
L Z T N L C E X X L Z I G G L W S S V X
T K A M A L E P H X O N W R V U H W K M
X P P R N P E E D V U V U I N F C I O O
J J T G D I P E Q B W D E M G F O K F N
L G S F M B Z J F O R Z P R U B W E R R


Ireland
rainbow
green
gold
clover
Irish
pot
luck
St. Patrick
Dublin
Blarney Stone
leprechaun
shamrock
March



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