I have stories to write about housing, the fire, water quality in Moab, redistricting… Feeding the beast requires that I write about these things first.
Isn’t there a free newspaper in town that could cover all of this instead? I would happily hand all these stories over to them to get them off my plate.
Rotary cooks lunch for middle school kids
I can’t make heads or tails of this email Britta wrote, so I’m just pasting it here. I haven’t fact-checked it. I promise you I didn’t edit it in any way (except to add captions to the photos and add newlines in some places).
Just want you to know all went well here in Moab on the subject of the 6th graders and the BBQ mostly thanks to Monte and Melinda who stepped up big time. Kim and his partner also was very helpful and then Joe and I did the rest .. Hi Hi.
So here’s a few photos showing what went down when you feed 100+ HMK “graduating” students in 30 minutes… and all cleaned up and no evidences left for any to complain about in the park after that.
PS. Both teachers and students were very appreciative of the BBQ and even after my 2 minutes “blip” on Rotary to them, they still stayed around… good kids.
A Rotarian works the grill during a barbecue for middle school students hosted by the Moab Rotary Club. Photo via Moab Rotary Club, licensed for exclusive use
The same dude, grillin’. Photo via Moab Rotary Club, licensed for exclusive use
Middle schoolers line up for lunch at a barbecue put on by the Moab Rotary Club. Photo via Moab Rotary Club, licensed for exclusive use
and did you see this water0 splash being executed at HMK the day before… I just happened to drive by when it started and all I could do was stop and enjoy the emotion, co-motion and loco-motion….
Kids play in the water at Helen M. Knight Elementary school. Photo via Moab Rotary Club, licensed for exclusive use
A kid doesn’t play in the water at HMK while his classmates do. Photo via Moab Rotary Club, licensed for exclusive use
and then we also awarded two scholarships the night before at the HS….. despite our lack of April Action Car-show this (and last year) we still had enough funds to help two students into their next adventure.
and here are the two recipients of this year… well done to both!
Britta is second from left. It looks like the dude on the right is Jayden Stocks, based on his certificate about a $1,000 scholarship. The other dude’s certificate may or may not say Porter Ricks. Photo via Moab Rotary Club, licensed for exclusive use
so YES this week was “business as usual” and I have never been this happy. Thanks to someone!!! whomever she is… I am here to Serve Above Self.
Britta Kingsley
Past, Present and still Future President of the Moab Rotary Club … oh yes that would be 3 years in a row and very unheard of in past years.. now Rotary are warming up to at least 2 years.. however we are doing 3 and that might be the magic number!
If you like to join the Rotary Club and have questions about how or why or when to do that… please contact me and I will do the best I can to help you out
Britta Kingsley, president of the Moab Rotary Club; June 10, 2021
If you know what that says, let me know. I see what appears to be a reference to God, perhaps?
They need to hire someone to format press releases. I don’t want to do it anymore.
Rotary builds a yurt for the multicultural center
Staff of the Moab Valley Multicultural Center present a certificate of appreciation to the Moab Rotary Club in front of a yurt for the multicultural center that the club helped to fund. Photo via Moab Rotary Club, licensed for exclusive use
The inside of the yurt. Photo via Moab Rotary Club, licensed for exclusive use
Thanks to many donations, including that of the Moab Rotary Club, the yurt has helped increase space and capacity for the MVMC. Our yurt is 27’ in diameter, totaling 572 square ft (which has been great for social distancing). The yurt also has electricity, heat and a ceiling fan. We are still working on installing a cooling system and a handicap ramp.
The yurt is a welcoming and safe place for clients and their families. We have also been able to have staff trainings, youth clubs, fundraising events and partnership meetings in the yurt.
This extra space allows us to maintain extra distance for our frontline staff who are helping vulnerable people everyday and keep our operations going without delay. Thank you for helping us make this a reality!
Bradia Holmes, education coordinator, Moab Valley Multicultural Center; June 8, 2021
They might want to get going on that cooling system. I’m sure they know that.
Four Corners breaks ground on new building
Officials from Four Corners Behavioral Health, Grand County, the City of Moab, MHTN Architects, Westland Construction, and others held a ceremonial groundbreaking on Wednesday, June 9 for the new home of the mental health and substance abuse services organization. Photo by Carter Pape, licensed for exclusive use
The building is set to replace both the Clubhouse and the Four Corners’s main office on Center Street. Opening is scheduled for Spring 2022.
Clients of and clinicians for Four Corners also showed up and had their own go at the groundbreaking task. Photo by Carter Pape, licensed for exclusive use
There was a small fire near the hospital last week
A small fire broke out on Tuesday, June 8 in the backyard of a trailer on Williams Way. Crews quickly responded and suppressed it without much spread to neighboring trailers.
Firefighters with the Moab Valley Fire Department got to a fire in the backyard of a Williams Way trailer through the fence. Photo by Carter Pape, licensed for exclusive use
A car flipped on its side last week
According to Grand County EMS Director Andy Smith, it was a two-vehicle accident, and all five of the patients had minor injuries. I saw the crash on my way out to photograph the Pack Creek Fire.
These vehicles collided Wednesday afternoon, June 9. All passengers suffered only minor injuries. Photo by Carter Pape, licensed for exclusive use
Southeast Utah doesn’t have a lot of water this year
A monthly report from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture) indicates that Southeastern Utah (which in the report extends from San Juan County up to part of Daggett County) saw 72% of normal precipitation through June 1.
In historical terms, the Moab region in particular was in the 14th percentile for water availability compared to previous years. In other words, we have had more water in 86% of previous years on record.
Since October, when the water year began, Moab has seen precipitation at or above average in only one month: March. Years with this little precipitation were 2018, 2012, 1989, and 1990.
JJ Wang gave a high schooler $5,000 toward the cost of college
This man came into the office two weeks ago to buy an ad, thinking he was getting an ad and news coverage from us. He was just getting an ad; we decided it was worth a story in its own right, as well.
Not every Grand County High School graduate gets $5,000, and not every local entity gives out this much money to individual students.
Kaci McKinney won the scholarship of the six students who applied. Wang said she was selected for maintaining a 3.8 grade point average during high school, getting As in the college-level classes she took, working since she was 14, volunteered as a coach for the Moab Area Recreation Center, and more.
High school seniors graduate in a totally normal ceremony
I mean it was like absolutely normal. I remember one graduate wearing a mask, and that’s it. There were masks in the crowd, as well. It looked almost exactly the same as two years ago.
Three Grand County High School students and a dinosaur walk down the grassy aisle during the Class of 2021’s graduation ceremony. Photo by Carter Pape, licensed for exclusive use
A dude walks through the big G during graduation. Photo by Carter Pape, licensed for exclusive use
Graduates throw their caps in celebration of putting their primary education to bed. Photo by Carter Pape, licensed for exclusive use
