In the end she did put her name forward and was approved unanimously. And she admits it sounds like an ego trip but from a spiritual place, "I was supposed to do this."

Gordon grew up in London and at age 20 moved to Salt Lake City in 1964 with her sister so both could be nearer the headquarters of the LDS Church and work as beauticians. On a blind date she met Brent Gordon, who swept her off her feet and whisked her away to mine country.

Brent worked for a time in the mines around Huntington, a period that helped Gordon understand the mining community's ability to have two minds about imminent disaster.

"You don't expect it any more than if you're going to Salt Lake City you think you'll have an auto accident, "she says. "You always have a prayer in your heart. With mining, too, you don't wake up each morning and say, 'I wonder what's going to happen today' because otherwise you'd never get out of bed. But at some level, you know it."

Saturday morning, driving from Price to Huntington on Highway 10, one could see a pickup truck that had recently swerved off the road and flipped upside down. People whizzed by on their way to some Labor Day fun.

In Huntington, there are rumors about lawsuits against the mine owners. But people aren't angry, Gordon says." If you start putting anger issues out there they say they'll close the mines. It's a very fine line. I don't see anger. I see sorrow."

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E-mail: jarvik@desnews.com