Author: zpodmore

Zak Podmore is a freelance journalist and editor of the Canyon Echo: A Journal of Southeastern Utah.

Announcement: Become a homeowner with Community Rebuilds!

Community Rebuilds has secured land in Bluff and will be building two homes starting this summer. We are looking for homeowners to process today! The application process will begin in April and we will start building in July. The homeowner will be able to move into their new home in February 2020. If you, or … Continue reading Announcement: Become a homeowner with Community Rebuilds!

Letter: Commissioner Bruce Adams’ Proposed Bears Ears Referendum Is Ahistorical and Tone-Deaf

Dear Editor, Bruce Adams, San Juan County Commissioner, has made a jaw-dropping, tone-deaf proposal. At the Commission meeting on April 16, 2019, he insisted that the Navajo-majority San Juan County Commission not take any action related to the Bears Ears National Monument issue, as the BENM is too “controversial" in the County. Adams thinks a … Continue reading Letter: Commissioner Bruce Adams’ Proposed Bears Ears Referendum Is Ahistorical and Tone-Deaf

San Juan County Commission Tables Motion to Sue County Attorney, Weighs Referendum on Bears Ears

By Zak Podmore Published: April 17, 2019 A resolution put forward by San Juan County Commissioner Kenneth Maryboy to sue County Attorney Kendall Laws was debated at Tuesday's commission meeting before being tabled. The resolution lists a number of complaints against Laws, including his failure to compile an inventory of litigation that the county is … Continue reading San Juan County Commission Tables Motion to Sue County Attorney, Weighs Referendum on Bears Ears

Bluff Town Council Briefs: April 9, 2019

The Bluff Town Council hosted its second public hearing on Tuesday for its plans to use a $96,300 Community Development Block Grant to fund a town water study. Mayor Ann Leppanen said, "The purpose of [the study] is to analyze and identify available water resources, water rights, water distribution facilities, and water needs for the … Continue reading Bluff Town Council Briefs: April 9, 2019

Letter: Davina Smith of Monument Valley to Direct Salt Lake City Air Protectors

Dear Editor, Davina Smith (Diné) is now the new executive director for the SLC Air Protectors. She was elected to this role on April 3 by the SLC Air Protectors Council of Directors. Ms. Smith joins the SLC Air Protectors after serving as the director of operations at our sister nonprofit organization, Utah Diné Bikéyah … Continue reading Letter: Davina Smith of Monument Valley to Direct Salt Lake City Air Protectors

Bluff Animal Rescue Committee Up and Running

By Dudley Beck Greg and Ginny Burns began coming to Bluff in 2014. Greg had recently retired from the Office of Comparative Medicine and the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Utah, and Ginny finished her positions as an RN, care manager, and diabetes educator with Intermountain Healthcare. They passed through Bluff on semiannual … Continue reading Bluff Animal Rescue Committee Up and Running

Conservationist Rose Chilcoat Sues San Juan County Attorney and a Rancher for Pressing Charges in Gategate Case

Gategate continues. On Apri 1, Mark Franklin, a Colorado-based biologist and historian, pled "no contest" to two misdemeanor charges related to closing a cattle gate on state land in San Juan County in 2017, ending a two-year-long saga. But on Wednesday, a new suit was filed, this time by Franklin's wife and former associate director … Continue reading Conservationist Rose Chilcoat Sues San Juan County Attorney and a Rancher for Pressing Charges in Gategate Case