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Local news and information of interest about the Uintah Basin.

The local Newspaper, The Uintah Basin Standard has many articles of interest for our community, as well as those who are planning to visit the area. Stop by their web site to see current articles about what's happening here and more information about a subscription to the paper. Below are some recent articles we though you might like to see.

(click picture to enlarge)	PRESENTING - The plot thickens as curtain time draws near for the talented cast of "The Beggar of Abingdom." The original play, written and directed by Dr. Mark Mitchell includes handsome kings, queens and ladies in waiting and a mysterious beggar who visits a fairy tale kingdom set in medieval Europe. The curtain rises nightly at 7 p.m. on June 20, 21, 23, 27, 28 and 30 in the Roosevelt Junior High auditorium. Tickets are $6 and are available at Jubilee and at the door. The cast includes front row left to right: Sariah Mitchell, Audrey Muir, Alisa Winterton, Marci Hicken, Cheyenne Parrish, Dallin Winterton, Kiana Eddington, Emily Eddington, Emily Hicken and Elena Mitchell. Middle row left to right: Dr. Mark Mitchell, Jason Pugh, Mary Ady, Shelly Faucett, and Blake Duncan. Back row left to right: Alex Monson, Angeline Winterton, Lana Muir, Roger Hullinger, Hyrum Winterton, and Bryon Murray. Not pictured are Rachel Eddington, Jakcie Hicken, Kerry Hicken, and Ryan Pugh.
	DUCHESNE IS 1 OF 5 COUNTIES TO GET FEDERAL FUNDS: Wanted: Prospective teachers to enroll in program that quickly puts them in classroom. "We will help them get fully licensed and fully qualified in whatever subjects they are teaching."  (Read Story)
	SAVED FOR POSTERITY — The Bridgeland bridge will get a new coat of paint, a new platform and undergo other work to shape it up for retirement. The bridge will stay where it is and be used as a footpath. A new bridge will be built next to it.
	PHASE ONE FOR SANDWASH — The pipeline that will direct more water into Sandwash Reservoir is being put in place. The pipeline will funnel water from the Lake Fork River into Sandwash Reservoir. Ground was broken last month to begin work on a $50 million water storage project that will double the size of Sandwash. In addition to the pipeline, work is also being done on a diversion structure right now. It will take about five years to complete all of the construction projects associated with the enlargement of the reservoir.
	IT’S ALL NATURAL — Jhoane Robinson, co-owner of Cedar Bear and manager of publications and customer service, is a writer and researcher on natural health. She is shown here with organically tomatoes at the Cedar Bear Herb Ranch where she teaches organic and square foot gardening techniques, healthy cooking, yoga, and eastern healing arts. (Read Story)

Duchesne County is one of five counties in Utah eligible to participate in a new federal program designed to get prospective teachers into the classroom to teach while they learn.

The county will be able to take advantage of $1.4 million in federal funds - made available through the No Child Left Behind Act - to pay approved applicants with a bachelors degree to receive training to become teachers,
or gain an endorsement in a specified subject of study. Successful applicants will assume teaching responsibilities as early as the coming school year.

The county's high percentage of low-income residents made it eligible for funding to implement the new concept in teaching.

"Traditionally schools with a high number of students with families below the poverty line have a hard time hiring and keeping teachers, that's why the grant is targeted for those schools," said Ronda Nielson, advisor for
Utah's Transition to Teaching Alternative Program (UTTAP).

UTTAP will train, place and support those who want to teach. The two-part program includes a rigorous curriculum of teacher preparation course work and three years of closely supervised teaching in an elementary or secondary school. Those who successfully complete the program will receive a three-year Level 1 Utah Professional Educator license.

"We will help them get fully licensed and fully qualified in whatever subjects they are teaching," said Nielson.

Applicants must have a 3.0 grade point average and a bachelor's degree in one of the following areas: child and family development, English, math, science, fine arts or social studies. However, Nielson said that those
holding bachelors degrees outside of those areas will also be considered.

"That doesn't mean we wouldn't take an applicant from another (subject) area, that just means that generally those are the areas that have shortages. A specific school may not have a P.E. teacher for example, so we
are going to meet the need of  the schools."

A total of 25 applicants will be selected the first year of the three-year program. Administrators from the Duchesne, Grand, Ogden, Piute and San Juan county school districts are expected to identify their needs and open teaching positions next month so UTTAP will know how many of the applicants they will need, said Nielson.

"We will get with the Duchesne District and everyone who applied with our program. We are also asking that those who apply with UTTAP to apply with the district whether they are new teachers or teachers who need additional course work to become endorsed."

Successful applicants must agree to teach for 3 years in the district where they are placed or repay all costs. Those chosen are considered full-time teachers and will be paid a salary by their respective school district.

The program begins with an intensive two-week induction and training workshop during the second week of August. Participants will receive a $400 stipend for attending the workshops. Participants begin teaching under the guidance of a trained mentor when school starts this fall.

Additionally teachers must take two college courses during winter semester and two during spring semester. The classes will be available through Salt Lake Community College over the ED-NET system broadcast to Duchesne High. Tuition and books will be provided for all classes.

Applications will be taken during June. Nielsen and UTTAP Coordinator Ronald Stanfield will work with the school districts in July to determine how many positions each will have open for teacher placement. Successful applicants will be notified in August.

To apply contact Nielson at 801-538-7978.
© 2003 Uintah Basin Standard

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Working towards a healthier future, L. Carl Robinson developed a process of manufacturing liquid herbal products that are alcohol free and use whole herbs. Robinson is the owner and president of Cedar Bear Naturales, a Roosevelt-based company that sells their products nationally and in Utah.

Some of their main ingredients are also grown at the Cedar Bear Herb Ranch just off Highway 40 on north Myton Bench. Retreats, along with shun chun — a martial healing art, and yoga classes are hosted on the ranch by Robinson’s wife, Jhoane.

In 1999, the company moved from a small location in Fairview, Utah, to a manufacturing plant on Highway 40 west of Roosevelt.

"Our current location is perfect for our needs," said Robinson. "We enjoy the clean air and open space here. The country way of life here is wonderful. We are also able to get employees who are honest and have a strong work ethic."

Cedar Bear currently has six employees and four managers of which three have ownership, related Seth Forster, productions and operations manager of Cedar Bear Naturales. "That doesn’t include our 19 sales representatives in various states and cities, each with their own regional area in contacting and handling continuing sales of Cedar Bear products in retail stores and business.

"We’re a wholesaler, not a retailer. We sell locally to Basin Family Pharmacy and other stores here in the Basin. We also have a web site that explains our products and how to use them," said Forster. The company supplies their clients with informative brochures, a product catalogue and an extensive manual for store staff and owners. The printing is all done locally.

Cedar Bear ships their products out via UPS daily and uses high standards in their packing procedures. "We sell to health food stores, pet stores, chiropractors, specialty stores, salons, holistic practitioners, and pharmacies. We currently sell in Florida, West Virginia, Arizona, California, Utah, Nevada, Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, New York, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and we have an account in Singapore," said Forster.

"As our market grows, our need to expand the facility and operation will also. As we grow we are also going to offer more jobs to the area and a clean, low-impact operation," Robinson explained.

Robinson’s formulas were the first full line of children’s liquid herbal products to be introduced to the marketplace. They were first successfully tested by midwives, friends and associates.

Two and a half years ago Robinson added several more products to the company’s repertoire with adult, energy, and specialty formulas, enlarging their line to include over 275 products.

He believes in integrative health care working with modern medical practitioners, explaining that his efforts are "complementary health care, not primary."

In Utah there are half a dozen clinical herbalists recognized by the American Herbalists Guild, and Robinson happens to be one of them. "There are no professional degrees for clinical herbalists, no doctorate for it. But there are specialty degrees that can be had through certain colleges. I received my Master of Herbology through Emerson College in Canada specializing in classical herbal pharmacology, pharmacognosy and formulation and preparation of herbal formulas."

The American Herbalist Guild promotes professionalism and integrity of all practicing herbalists. The end result is that everyone benefits including the clients and consumers of herbal products, related Robinson.

Robinson developed his own process of completely extracting everything from a plant called the TinctTract process. Tinct stands for tincture which is a cold extraction process and Tract is for heat extraction. This process allows him to use all of the plant including the aromatic components that are usually lost in processing and preserving it in Kosher certified glycerine.

"The upshot of this complete product is that we end up with a product unlike any other. In 1982 I conceived of a process that used no alcohol and that resulted in products that work and taste good, which is not typically the case with liquid herbal products."

"We choose to go after a niche market to prove our unique formulas and check out the marketability of the products themselves," said Robinson.

The herbs used by Cedar Bear are bought in by different companies throughout the country. Cedar Bear prefers buying organic, however, sometimes an organic source is hard to find making their situation with the ranch perfect. They grow beets, and calendula — a form of marigold, wild-craft chicory, catnip, mullein and other herbs from the surrounding area with good success, related Robinson.

"This year we’re also growing tomatoes for the lycopene in the skin — a known anti-carcinogenic, we are also dealing with wild crafting comfrey leaf and cedar berries here in the Basin," said Forster. On the ranch they use a water and space efficient "square foot gardening" to deal with the local soil conditions.

"We don’t use any pesticides or herbicides at the ranch and because of that we can grow USDA certified organic produce and herbs. Even though many deem the soil here to not be good, many plants prefer this soil. Our biggest thing is to make sure the water level is correct," said Robinson.

"I used to go to the stores and businesses to personally introduce the product and to give consultations. Now we have grown too much for me to do that, but I can still answer questions," said Robinson.
© 2003 Uintah Basin Standard

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