Thanks to Sheriff’s Office- Letters to the Editor

By James “J.R.” Nelson Ferron

Dear Editor,
Kudos to the Emery County Sheriff’s Office and Price City police. Recently, I’ve had an amazing experience with these local law enforcement agencies. Because I live in a more remote area, I am susceptible to burglary. I’ve had stuff stolen off my front porch and out of vehicles parked in my driveway. The “stuff” is sometimes insignificant other than the monetary loss. I have insurance, but that includes a deductible usually higher than the value of my stolen property. I always feel horribly violated to have someone invade my home turf.
The difficult aspect is having something stolen that has irreplaceable, intrinsic value. There have been two of these. One was an antique, potbelly stove I kept as a front porch decoration. It was my father’s assignment to keep a fire going in that stove in my grandfather’s bedroom the winter before he passed away in 1911: a family heirloom. The next was a saddle stolen in connection with a burglary of copper tubing, several hand tools, and other valuables. The “stuff” was replaceable, but my father bought me that saddle when I was 14-years-old and told me I was now the farm cowboy. That was 50 years ago: another family heirloom. I didn’t want another saddle. I wanted my saddle back. I knew it was gone forever along with my potbelly stove.
The night of the theft, a very observant Emery County deputy recorded the plate on an empty vehicle parked in front of the family homestead. It took a year, but through cooperation with Price City Police that saddle was located in Grand County with saddles stolen in Carbon County.
Good work gentlemen. I have my saddle back. The only drawback is that a Price City Police officer got to watch me weep. It was kinda embarrassing.
James “J.R.” Nelson
Ferron