Voice of the City: I enjoy the opportunity to chat with our citizens when they come into the City Office. Over the past few months two recurring questions/comments/concerns have been expressed that deserve a response. First concern: why doesn’t the City do more work/why do we see two men in one truck. Answer: Each morning the men tour sections of the City trying to stay on top of problems.  It is much more effective having a set of “non-driving eyes.” In addition, much of our work entails safety issues requiring two men to be present on the job. When I was first hired there were four maintenance workers plus summer help. Today we have two full-time and one part-time workers to take care of a city of over 2,300 people. We have grown, and continue to grow, so we no longer have the luxury of City workers gathering up branches, etc., put out on the curb. Our efforts go first into water and sewer safety, then street and road maintenance followed by park and public building maintenance. We have three very hard working people who are taxed to the limit meeting these basic needs.

    Second concern: Why is the City Office often closed? Answer: Two part-time people, many required meetings (USEPA, water and sewer training/reporting, legal meetings, etc.). As small as we are, we are held accountable for everything that a major city would need to accomplish. Last month you received the annual Consumer Confidence Report on drinking water. All of the data reported is the results of testing samples we take. For instance, I must sample culinary water from each of three residences a minimum of three times a week to ensure the drinking water is safe. On the other end, literally, once a week I must perform a series of laboratory tests on our sewer discharge. We try to avoid closing the office, but there are times when the demands just exceed the means to do both.  Marlowe Adkins, City Manager.

 

Conserve Water!: Hot weather arrives, water usage goes up and up. Please be very conservative in your use of culinary water. Two factors are very much in evidence. First, we have limited storage capacity for our system. Second, our City is growing and growing. With each new family or business comes increased demand and usage of culinary water. If everyone will be considerate and use their intelligence, we can get though the summer without too much stress. Otherwise we could have very real problems, very rapidly. Please, do not water lawns and gardens with culinary water between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. (Even better would be 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. respectively.) Don’t over water. Researchers at Utah State University have proven over and over again that watering once a week for fifteen minutes per site is more than adequate to maintain a healthy lawn and a productive garden if the water is applied in the cool of the day. One last thought: Neither concrete nor asphalt grow, no matter how much water you put on it.

 

Library News and Views:“My early and invincible love of reading, I would not exchange for the treasures of India.” Gibbon - Memoirs

    Despite the hype, sometimes Google may not be the best source for Utah Health information.  The Eccles Health Sciences Library has put together awesome resources online: http//library.med.utah.edu/.  Give them a try when looking for reliable health information.

    Wireless internet is now available at the library.  Just come in and we will give you the key to use your laptop

    One of the library computers has been replaced with an updated model.  The old computer is now up for bid.  The specs are: 3000 AMD Sempron, 120 gig hard drive, 512 MB memory, Windows XP.  Bids may be placed at the library until July 31st.

 

Job opening:  Part-time (average 12 hours per week) Library Assistant position will be open at the end of the summer.  Applications may be picked up at the library and must be returned by August 15th.

 

Summer Teen Book Club (ages 12 and up) will meet again on Monday, July14th in the basement of the library at 3:30 PM.  If you missed the first meeting, just read a fantasy book of your choice and come prepared to share with the group.  Through the summer months each book club member will read one book of their choice (or more) within a certain theme.  The club will meet monthly to discuss the books read, get some ideas for good reads, and hang out with friends - and of course, there will be refreshments, too.  Come join us!

 

Summer Reading Program will continue, each Thursday at 10:00 AM, through July 17th.  Children’s theme is: “Catch the Reading Bug!” - Teen’s theme is “Metamorphosis @ Your Library”.  More fun to come!

 

   Don’t forget to check out the new link, “Kids Korner”, on our website (richmondlibrary.us).  It is a fun spot for kids to enjoy, whether they are doing homework or just having fun.  It’s a great place to keep polished up on school topics over the summer.

   The library will be closed Friday, July 4th for the holiday and also the week of July 21-26 for our annual cleaning and project week.

 

New Playaways: (Great new audio format)

Phantom of the Opera

The Importance of Being Earnest

Charlie Bone and the Beast #6

Wednesday Wars

The Giver

Emlyn’s Moon

Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians

Loser

Sherlock Holmes-The Hound of the Baskervilles

Wild Magic

Count of Monte Cristo

Beggar Hing and the Secret of Happiness

Emma . . . . . . and more.

 

Fire Department Fund Raiser: Richmond’s Fire Department is having a fund raiser on Saturday, July 12, at Big J's here in Richmond. We will be trying to raise money to upgrade our equipment and to earn funds to help build onto the existing station. We will be holding a "Pig Out" from 12:30 until 9:00 pm. The entire department will be there so that our fellow community neighbors can meet and chat with us. Please come out and support us. Remember, the equipment we need and use may save your property and even your life!

 

Public Lecture: On Thursday, July 10, at 7 p.m. in the Library basement, Terrie Wierenga will share pictures, video, and tales of her recent safari in Tanzania, Africa. All are invited. 

 

Summer Lunch Program at Park School: The cafeteria at Park Elementary is providing lunches to Richmond City children through July 31st. They serve from 11:30 until 12:30, Monday through Friday.  July 4th, 24th, and 25th will be the exceptions, with no lunches served those days. The lunch is free to anyone 18 years and younger; adults may purchase a meal for $2.50. No food can be taken from the cafeteria, and note that the serving time is for only that one hour. Susan King, Cache County School District

 

Bear River Head Start Preschool: Applications for 2008-09 are being accepted. Educational services to families are at not cost, but Head Start does not bus any children to or from school. For Center Based Services, child must be 4 years old by September 1, 2008. For Home Based Services the child must be 3 years old by September 1, 2008. For Richmond the Center Based Services are provided just north of Park Elementary at 90 South 100 West. For information please call 787-8885 or go on-line to www.brheadstart.org.

 

We All Have Neighbors: One of the very attractive things about Richmond is the general feeling of compatibility and “neighborliness.” With the coming of summer, however, let each of us remember to be considerate of our neighbors and neighborhood. Aside from animal matters, the most common complaint we receive deals with noise. During the winter this is, for all intents and purposes, a non-issue. However, once the windows are open for summer ventilation....  Usually the problem is musical...occasionally live instruments but more common are sound systems turned up too high, or being run too late into the evening (or early morning in one instance some years back). Early morning lawn mowing is also at the top of the list.

   What can you do? In nearly every instance a polite call or visit with the offending neighbor will take care of the problem quite readily. If that fails, you have our nuisance ordinance to fall back on.  While we don’t have a “noise” ordinance as such, the wording of the nuisance ordinance (as quoted below, areas underlined for emphasis) can accomplish the same thing:

10-312.  PUBLIC NUISANCE.  A crime against the public order and economy of this municipality and consists in unlawfully doing any act or omitting to perform any duty, which act or omission, either:

A.  Annoys, injures, or endangers the comfort, repose, health or safety of three (3) or more persons;

B.  Offends public decency;

C.  Unlawfully interferes with, obstructs or tends to obstruct, or renders dangerous for passage, any lake, stream, canal or basin, or any public park, square, street or highway; or

D.  In any way renders three (3) or more persons insecure in life or the use of property.

An act which affects three (3) or more persons in any of the ways specified in this definition is still a nuisance regardless of whether the extent of annoyance or damage inflicted on individuals is unequal.

 

   Should a situation occur that requires this drastic of action, the ordinance requires that three written and signed complaints be submitted. You can turn these in at the City Office and they will be forwarded to the Nuisance Committee. That committee, made up of Richmond citizens, will then investigate the matter and take appropriate action. For our youth under age 18, it is wise to keep in mind that Ordinance 98-1 states that you must be off the streets, sidewalks, public places, etc., between 10:30 p.m. and 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday nights; midnight to 5 a.m. Friday and Saturday nights. No exception is made for summer vacation so if problems occur, you are also liable for punishment on curfew violation.

 

Local Business Spotlight: This month’s featured local business is Sheryl’s Express Tanning, Inc. Get S.E.T. for the summer with Sheryl’s Express Tanning. We have the hottest bed and lowest prices in the valley. Featuring two twenty-minute beds with facial tanners and one fifteen-minute bed with facial, one ten-minute stand-up bed with 48 bulbs. We have a fun and friendly atmosphere. Come in and check us out at 230 West 100 South, behind Ellen & Jerry’s Hair Den. Our hours are 2—7 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 10 a.m.—7 p.m. on Thursday, and 10 a.m.—5 p.m. Saturday. You can make appointments for later times by calling 258-5677. 

 

Sewer and Water Up-Date: In response to a request, here is how things stand. The bonding has been completed for the new sewage treatment plant (commonly called the “MBR plant”) and active construction should begin within the week. When completed in a year it will look like a light tan farm building with a green roof. We are currently doing the engineering for a new water storage tank, hopefully in the two million gallon range. 

 

Swimming Safety: The Bear River Health Department has issued a health alert letter. Please read it relative to cryptosporidium, a very nasty disease!

 

 

 

 

The Richmond Record

 

    A Newsletter for the Citizens of Richmond, Utah                                July 2008

Richmond, Utah

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