New Old Iron Foundry Sign: part II

Jeff Orton

Introduction:

My service-learning project this semester is a continuation of my project from the previous semester with two additions. The first part of this semester’s project was the placement of the sign that I built for the Henry Lunt Park earlier this year. The second part included the publicity of both The Southern Utah University Service-Learning program and myself through the use of public relations. This second part would have not been possible without the help of Southern Utah University’s Director of Information Services, Renee Ballenger, to whom I was directed to by Dr. Earl Mulderink. The third and final portion of this project actually involved an interview with Cedar City resident, Guyla Barber. Without Mrs. Barber’s overwhelming activism and pride in Cedar City's heritage, the Henry Lunt Park monument would still be a plot of sagebrush, weeds, and trash.

Project #1

The placement of the new sign for Henry Lunt Park began with York Jones’ approval of the sign upon its completion in early December of 2001. “It looks very nice Jeff,” York said with a nod, while stepping closer to inspect the craftsmanship of the sign. York said that he will have the Parks and Recreation Director Bob Tate come down to see to the shop and have a look at the sign to see what he would want to do with it. More than a month passed and Bob Tate had not yet seen to see the sign. It was at this time that I took it upon myself to give Bob a phone call at the Cedar City Parks and Recreation offices located at 286 N. Main St. 

The following morning on January 13, 2002, Bob meet me at 450 West Coalcreek Road at the Cedar Woods Cabinet shop to see the sign. He seemed to like it, but he could not give me a clear answer as if he would actually use the sign or not. He said that he would have the Parks Superintendent Glenn Spencer come by the shop to see what he would like to do with the sign. As days turned into weeks and still not hearing from Glenn Spencer, I called Bob and asked him what they had decided to do with the new sign. Bob said that he spoke to Glenn about the sign, but did not know when or if Glenn would stop by the shop to see the sign. With this, I became somewhat discouraged and frustrated with the fact that the fate of my project was no longer in my hands. One month passed and as the mid-point of the semester began to draw near, it was still not even clear if the sign would be used or merely tossed in the dumpster. This project definitely became an all or nothing situation.

Once again I called the Department of Parks and Recreation, but this time asked to speak to Glenn. Glenn had not yet seen the sign, but enthusiastically said that he already had a place picked out for it and that he would mark the grass with paint to avoid breaking any of the underground pipes of the sprinkler system when the sign went it. This is when my attitude began to change regarding this town’s bureaucratic officials and the red tape that had been placed between me and the completion of this project. I was literally expecting them to tell me that my sign needed some kind of clearance and approval from the E.P.A or something.

By this time, school was in full swing and every weekend became accounted for with book reviews, studying, and what not. My first free weekend following the counties’ approval of the sign did not come until Saturday April13, 2002. This phase of posting the new sign began by gathering the necessary tools. A wheelbarrow and gardening hoe were needed to mix the post-mix. Next on my list was a post-digger to dig the holes for the sign’s two posts. These items, along with a shovel to get the post mix from the wheelbarrow to the post-holes and a level seemed to make my list complete. I acquired these items from Hammond Brinton, who is my employer. While collecting these items from Hammond’s house, his son Jared Brinton, who is also a student here at Southern Utah University, offered to tag along and help me with this part of the project.

The first stop was the cabinet shop to pick up the sign. At the shop we wrapped the sign with blankets and loaded it into my truck. Then we were off to Anderson’s Lumber to purchase the post mix. Once the post-mix reached the desirable texture, we began digging the holes. Then after filling the holes about three quarters full of post-mix, the sign was placed in the holes.

 It was at this time when the lady next door walked over to see what we are doing. She looked at the sign and commented on its attractiveness. She added by saying that we do a good job keeping up the park. I assume that she thought that we worked for the city or something, but I said nothing. Jared simply replied with a thank you. She then smiled and walked back to her yard. It was at very that moment that I truly felt that all of the countless hours of work and frustrations all had been well worth it. This was my sense of accomplishment and recognition and funny thing is, is that the lady didn’t even realize that I had built the sign. By placing a level on the top of the sign, we were able to make sure that the sign did not slope. The post-mix package said that it takes about one hour to set and twenty-four hours to cure, so we broke out the good old hacky-sac.

Project #2

On January 31, 2002, I approached Dr. Mulderink with a problem. It seemed that merely posting my sign would not be a sufficient workload when expecting any kind of a grade comparable with the one that I received from the previous semester. He was very helpful by suggesting quite a few options. One in particular was the suggestion of incorporating public relations into my project. He went on to provide the first step of my public relations project by giving me Renee Ballenger’s phone and office number. Renee is the Director of Information Services here at Southern Utah University and whose office is located in room number 106-C in the Administration building. Her news distribution list covers all of Southern Utah and includes various news publications in Salt Lake City, Utah and Las Vegas, Nevada. I immediately called Renee and scheduled an appointment to meet with her regarding the possibilities of receiving some kind of publicity on my project.

My first meeting with Renee took place on February 3, 2002. This is when I gave her with all the information on my project including a few pictures of the sign. She said that it was a very good project and a great way to get the Southern Utah University’s Service-Learning program and myself the recognition it truly deserves. She also said that the project itself is very interesting and extremely well done. During spring break on February 18, Renee e-mailed me a copy of the press release to make sure that all the information was accurate and to my liking. When reading the press release I did find some minor mistakes, but nothing that could not be fixed with the press of a keyboard.

A second press release was sent to me on February 25, and I found it to be no less than perfect. The press release was sent out on April 15, following the posting of the sign.

The second part of this project was also very successful .The newspaper article not only ran once, but it was picked up twice in the Daily Spectrum on Monday April 22, and then again on Wednesday April 24. Even though there were no pictures included in either of these articles, I have been personally been told by the lady that lives next door that traffic to the park has increased quite a bit since the two articles were printed. Although many visitors were probably family members and friends, the missing picture seems to have more of a positive effect than negative effect.

Project #3

On Saturday April 20, 2002, I conducted an interview with the lady that lives next door to the park to maybe get a better idea of what she thought about my sign and the park in general. At about 1:30 PM, I knocked on her door. I introduced myself and asked if I could ask her a few questions about the park. Once inside, she told me that her name is Guyla Barber, but her maiden name in Rosenberg. I revealed that I in fact built the sign for a service-learning project at Southern Utah University. I began the interview by asking her how long she has lived in Cedar City. Guyla Barber then told me that she was born her and that her family (the Rosenbergs) was among the first few groups of settlers in the mid-1850’s.

After graduating from Cedar High in 1957, she left Cedar City for California and returned in 1996 upon retirement. She said that she was happy to see that a monument was placed at the sight of the Old Iron Foundry on November 11^th 1978. Cedar City’s one-hundredth and twenty-seventh birthday. She recalled that within the first summer of being back in Cedar City that a relatively large tour group came to the park to see the monument. Guyla continues by telling me how disgusted and embarrassed she was because of how tall the weeds and sagebrush had become, not to mention the large amounts of trash that literally covered the area. She immediately called the Cedar City Parks and Recreation, the Iron County Visitors Center’s Tourism & Convention Bureau, and the Mayors office with her complaint. Sadly to say there was no action taken by the city or county. The following summer Guyla began to circulate a petition in the neighborhood to have something done with the mess that the park had become. Within a few weeks of submitting the petition to the Mayor’s office, two city workers arrived with some topsoil and sod. The sod was placed two feet around the monument and the weeds were cut down.

Over the next year, the weeds returned and the trash began to accumulate once again and the sod started to be overcome by weeds. Guyla then drew up another petition to have the whole park covered with topsoil and sod. Then within that same month twice as many workers arrived with the topsoil and sod. This city project was extended with numerous ailanthus trees, a concrete boarder and a picnic table. Guyla became overwhelmed with joy, but had one more request. The weeds and sagebrush were now under control, but still worried about the trash, especially now that there was a picnic table. On the day that the picnic table arrived to the park Guyla asked that a trashcan be placed somewhere in the park to maybe keep the trash off the new grass. I am happy to report that the next morning the park had its own trashcan.

I asked Guyla if there is any thing that she would like to see happen to the park that may increase its beauty or function as a possible future service-learning project. She said that she would like to see some different trees in the park, because the ailanthus trees create somewhat of a problem when its seed end up in her yard. I told her about the proposed bridge and trail project. She replied by saying that she would love something like that as a new addition to the park and would be more than happy to assist anyone or group in making the project a reality.