Council makes move to beautify Star Valley
The Star Valley Town Council is inviting residents and all interested parties to volunteer for a new beautification committee.
Lag in surveys could cost Star Valley $200,000 federal grant
Star Valley residents served by the Milky Way Well could face higher water bills if the town does not get enough of them to participate in a survey due by Jan. 31.
Star Valley fears loss of $200,000 grant
A monumental mistake by an organization designed to help small towns navigate state and federal red tape might cost Star Valley a $200,000 award from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.
Star Valley’s financial bliss:
Town running behind on spending, but ahead on revenues
Colors, pie charts, graphs and more show the status of Star Valley finances.
Star Valley council conservative with funds
The Star Valley Town Council will continue to stash its cash. “Probably the most important issue a council can decide is what to spend its money on and how much money it should have,” Town Manager Tim Grier told the council.
Payson strikes deal with Star Valley to provide inspections
What’s well trained, under-utilized and can save Payson and Star Valley money at the same time? Sounds like a trick question — but there’s a simple answer: A building inspector.
SV not likely to repay ‘Rainy Day’ loan
The months-long debate among members of the Star Valley Town Council over its Rainy Day Fund may finally reach a conclusion at its next meeting.
SV photo radar extended for a year
Star Valley will continue its photo radar enforcement program for another year. The council first signed a five-year contract to run the program with RedFlex back in 2007, with the option to extend the agreement for a year. At its July 17 meeting, the Star Valley council exercised that option.
Star Valley council mulls spending limit
As new operators of the water system in Star Valley, the members of the town council are learning about wells, monitoring systems and the cost of repairs. At its July 3 meeting, the council heard a report from Town Manager Tim Grier and town water operator Robert Rippy. Grier led off by telling the council he had a concern about the $5,000 limit on his spending authority when it came to emergency water issues. The concern arose when the pump at the Milky Way site well went out over the weekend.
Toddler dies: ‘A grandparent’s worst nightmare’
A toddler died early Friday morning when officials say he rolled off a bed at his grandparents’ Star Valley home and got lodged between the mattress and footboard. Paramedics tried briefly to revive Brendan, but believe he had passed hours before his grandmother discovered him, said Hellsgate Fire Chief Gary Hatch. Brendan was reportedly visiting his grandparents for two weeks at their Star Valley home. Brendan, from the Valley, reportedly took turns visiting his grandparents, who are in their 40s, with his two other siblings.
Barbecue claims SV home
An alert neighbor probably saved lives when for the third time in a month an untended patio grill sparked a house fire in Star Valley. The deck on a hilltop two-story home ignited early Friday morning when a propane grill was left on high inadvertently for several hours. Frantic efforts by the homeowner and neighbor Jim Carlen to douse the flames with garden hoses likely kept it from spreading to the attic and destroying the house on East Pine Canyon Road, said Hellsgate Fire Chief Gary Hatch. “Between the two of them, they saved the home,” he said.
Star Valley man imagines life after Alcatraz
Local author writes novel speculating on the fate of the escapees his father’s book made famous
Writing is part of Kevin Bruce’s genetic code. His father, J. Campbell Bruce, wrote for the San Francisco Chronicle for many years, was a Sunday stringer for the New York Times, wrote for Readers Digest and authored the non-fiction book, “Escape from Alcatraz,” which inspired a successful movie starring Clint Eastwood. Bruce himself has authored two books on art published by Random House’s Ten Speed Press. “I always wanted to write fiction, but I didn’t know what to write,” he said. A couple of years ago he attended a book signing by Michael Connelly, author of award-winning detective novels including those featuring LAPD Detective Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch and criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller. Connelly was the president of the Mystery Writers of America from 2003 to 2004 Bruce said Connelly gave the age-old advice, “Write what you know.”
Star Valley’s budget features huge reserve fund
Council likes budget format that puts off decisions on major water, road projects
The Star Valley Town Council Tuesday expressed satisfaction with a budget for fiscal 2012-13 that includes money to run and upgrade its new water company and a big reserve fund to fund still unspecified projects. The town remains in far better shape than most, thanks to state formulas that have rewarded it for population growth and revenue coming in from traffic ticket cameras at both ends of town. The town each year brings in between $300,000 and $400,000 more than it needs for ongoing operations, giving it money for special projects.
Fire wouldn’t die
A hilltop house fire ignited by sparks from a backyard grill hunkered down in the attic of a Star Valley home and fiercely resisted hours of effort by crews from Hellsgate, Payson and Houston Mesa fire departments. The residents and their seven dogs escaped injury as the fire enveloped the attic and managed to escape firefighters every time they thought they had it cornered. The home reportedly belonged to Misty and Robert Duffy, longtime residents of the rambling house perched on a hilltop at the end of a steep, winding driveway on Buckskin Drive in Star Valley.
Star Valley ‘fat and happy’ despite ticket, tax decline
Speed cameras still yield $900,000 in revenue despite decline in tickets
Star Valley’s four budgetary workhorses need a feed bag of speeding tourists, with the town projecting another drop in photo enforcement revenue in next year’s fiscal budget. Fortunately for the town’s bottom line, Star Valley still expects to bank nearly $900,000 from the four cameras fixed at opposite ends of town. However, ticket revenue has dropped by 23 percent since Star Valley installed the cameras in 2008. Ticket revenue is not the only thing decreasing. City sales tax is also expected to continue its downward spiral. Although neighboring Payson this year saw a heartening rise in sales tax revenue, the numbers show that Star Valley’s businesses continue to struggle.
