On September 7, the entire seventh grade took a trip to Mormon Flats. This year these students will have the opportunity to study about the impact that this trail had on travelers heading west to California. Groups such as the Donner-Reed party and the Pony Express travelled up and over big mountain. Students will also study about the Mormon trek west and the struggle the pioneers had crossing the plains and scaling big mountain.
The day was started when Linda Smith, a local historian, came and shared the stories of many people who traveled the trail the students hiked that day. She did a wonderful job as she dressed in pioneer clothing, while sharing interesting stories.
After hearing the stories of those that traveled on the trail, students loaded the buses en route to Mormon Flats. The seventh graders picked up the pioneer trail in Henefer and traveled along SR 66. The students did not have to hike up the hill; they took the easier route and hiked down the trail. This five mile hike took the students around two hours to complete; students gained an appreciation for what some of those early settlers went through. When they reached the bottom the buses were parked and waiting with the lunches. Students sat and ate their lunches surrounded by the beautiful mountains we enjoy in our valley. The students were also able to participate in games like leg-wrestling and stick pull. There was also an advisory tug-of-war challenge which the students really enjoyed.
When the students returned to the school they finished the day by watching a video “A Trail of Hope.” This film relates experiences of those that traveled along the same trail the students just hiked. It was wonderful and the students were well behaved and appreciative of having the chance to see and learn about Mormon Flats.
Oct. 17, 2012, was an exciting day for the fourth grade students at Morgan Elementary School. Students had just put the final touches on their published drafts after completing a unit on “Writing a Personal Narrative.”
The way recreation programs are handled by the city, county and school board may be changing in the near future. Changes could affect the annual 4th of July celebration.
Developer Rulon Gardner has plans for a new 22-lot development, and is approaching the county and school board about the possibility of using tax increment funding to build a reservoir feature. The reservoir would double as a private amenity for the development as well as storage for secondary water.
Thursday, Oct. 25, snow packed roads caused numerous slide-offs on I-84. Because of the slide-offs, several semis pulled over only to get stuck in the snow on the sidelines. The road was closed for several hours to allow time for snow removal and clean-up.
After a Utah State basketball game Rob Colvin met Suzanne Udy for the first time. Rob who is from North Ogden, and Suzanne who is from Salt Lake City (a Skyline High School graduate), were both enrolled in the university. Rob knew he had met someone special and was immediately interested in getting to know her better. However, he didn’t have a scrap of paper or a pen with him to jot down her information. Being the creative person that he is, Rob used an aluminum foil gum wrapper in his pocket to scratch down her phone number. It took two tries to make the phone call but fortunately he was able to find the right combination of numbers.
There has been quite a storm of interest in the mountain biking and BMX industry in Morgan as of late. There is a new mountain biking team featuring students from Morgan High and local resident, Jason Johnson, has proposed a new bike track in the area. This may be a great idea for kids like Brewer Snedden.
Loydene Berg and her son, PJ, lost their home to an electrical fire last month on Sept. 4. The home was a complete loss. This included her Yamaha Grand Piano which had a lot of sentiment attached to it from her late father and her husband Peter, who was murdered 12 years ago at Chevy’s Restaurant in Salt Lake City. The home was also not insured at the time of the fire, due to a suspension in the insurance coverage until a rain gutter was replaced. The work had been done, but had not been reinstated before the fire destroyed the home.
Elder Dane Craig Carter has returned from the Korea Daejeon Mission, for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He is the son of Craig and Lisa Carter of Morgan. He will report on his mission on Sunday, Nov. 11, 2012, at 11 a.m. at the Morgan 7th Ward.
Elder Joshua Duncan, son of Scott and Michelle Duncan has been called, and has accepted the invitation to serve as an LDS Missionary to the Brazil São Paulo Interlagos Mission. Josh will speak in the Highlands Ward (Highland Chapel 5378 W. Old Hwy Rd.) on Oct. 28, at 10:50 a.m. Josh will report to the São Paulo, Brazil MTC on Oct. 30, 2012.
On Saturday, Oct. 20, members of the Morgan Mountain Bike Race Team participated in the first-ever Utah High School Cycling League state championships. Seven team members and their coaches traveled to Soldier Hollow in Heber Valley to compete against 24 other Division 2 high school teams in what was the perfect ending to an incredible first year of high school mountain bike racing in Utah.
On Wednesday, Oct. 10, nearly 2,000 students and faculty members from Morgan High, Morgan Middle and Morgan Elementary schools participated in a full evacuation drill. This drill led them roughly a half mile from the school grounds to Wilkinson Construction.
Thursday, Oct. 25, snow packed roads caused numerous slide-offs on I-84. Because of the slide-offs, several semis pulled over only to get stuck in the snow on the sidelines. The road was closed for several hours to allow time for snow removal and clean-up.
Highway 39 through Ogden Canyon was also closed temporarily due to a weather related accident.
Morgan County was hit with more than six inches overnight. Teachers who commute from Ogden were stuck in the canyon and buses were stuck in the snow, so Morgan Elementary and Mountain Green Elementary were both closed for the day. This is a rare occurrence in Morgan, so students were thrilled and kids all through the county pulled out their sleds and made the most of it.
The first snowfall of the year is historically bad for driving conditions, which makes it especially important to slow down and drive carefully.
As the Morgan community lays one of its own to rest today, the man suspected of causing her death sits behind bars.
Jeffrey Dene White, 43, was arrested Thursday and booked into the Weber County Jail on first degree felony murder and two counts of third degree felony charges of commission of domestic violence in the presence of a child.
According to Ogden Police Lieutenant Danielle Croyle, two children under the age of 10 were present during the murder of Marnie Franich Stark, 38. She is the daughter of Morgan locals Matthew Joseph and Jessie Franich.
The Ogden Police Department responded to an “unattended death” Oct. 20 on the 1300 block of Douglas Avenue. During the course of the investigation, Ogden Major Crimes Detectives determined there was evidence to support the cause of death as a homicide.
Stark was pronounced dead at McKay-Dee Hospital that day. White was her live-in boyfriend.
Once a week for three weeks, a student in a Morgan High School classroom passed out while attending Mr. Rock’s health class during first or second period.
The Morgan County School Board is considering administering the Student Health and Risk Prevention survey to students in select grades in February or March of 2013. In years past, some parents have objected to the content of the survey and claimed the schools did not properly follow through on the “opt in” parent permission procedure.
I published this article a few years ago, but recently I have received some questions about it again so I thought I would re-print the article. If you have information that shows your line traced back to Adam, I don’t mean to offend you. I only hope to dispel the misinformation that exists on this topic.
On Oct. 13, 2012, Marilyn Liddle Gillmore passed away peacefully at age 79, in Morgan, Utah, from age-related complications. Marilyn was born Nov. 25, 1932, to Wallace and Alfarette Sorensen Liddle in McCloud, California.
Rachel and Greg Denning are creating an unconventional life for themselves and their five children: they travel almost constantly, live independently (no 9-5 job) and do humanitarian projects. No, they are not retired. They are a young family that decided one day to live their dream—and they made it happen.
George and Gwen Francis of Morgan will be honored for their 60th wedding anniversary by their children on Saturday Oct 27, with an open house from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Field Street Church, 240 S. 300 W. in Morgan. The celebration will also be in honor of his 80th birthday. Family and friends are welcome.
Board to experience busy 2013 year
The Morgan County School Board is anticipating a busy 2013 year with a voted leeway on the ballot and the need to hire a new superintendent.
Many view Morgan County as a sleepy town slightly removed from the crime and drugs along the Wasatch Front. But Interstate 84 makes sure the county is on the footpath of many criminals travelling to and from other locations.
Matt Kendell and Kaylee Boydstun have chosen Saturday, Oct. 20, 2012, to begin their “happily ever after” in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. They will have a reception that evening in the LDS church on 770 South Angel Street, Layton, Utah from 6 – 8 p.m. Matt is the son of Carl and Mary Kendell of Layton. He is a graduate of Layton High School and LDS Seminary. He served in the Atlanta, Georgia North mission. He is currently attending the DATC and is employed at J&J Nursery in Layton. Kaylee graduated from Morgan High School and LDS Seminary. She has attended Snow College and the OWATC. She is currently employed as a staff assistant at James Madison Elementary School and the YMCA afterschool program at Highland Junior High School. Kaylee is the daughter of Jileen Boydstun of Ogden and John Boydstun of Morgan. She is the granddaughter of CarDell and Joan Mortensen of Morgan. After a wedding trip to Fish Lake, the new Mr. and Mrs. Kendell will make their first home in Roy, Utah. In case of an oversight, please join this happy couple at their reception.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT OWLS Our high scores and series for this week go to Natalie Coleman 153, Cindy Coleman 173, Steve Michaelson 203, Shelly Betz 159, Misty Spendlove 162 and a 470 series, Kacie Chappell 153, Pat Olsen 195 and a 524 series, Mike Shope 181 and a 506 series, Teresa Shope 156, Lynsey Enlow 171, Craig Mahoskey 251 and a 630 series, Cathy Friery 160, Ruth Preece 162, Dillon Smith 181, Danny Kline 195 and a 503 series, Pat Scoville 170, and Chad Hayes 193 and a 516 series. Our team standings for this week are in 1st place is Shooters, and team members are Mike Shope, Teresa Shope, Lynsey Enlow, and Craig Mahoskey. In 2nd place is Northrop Grumman, and team members are Ashton Hoopes, Pat Olsen, Pat Bird, and Randy Glanville. we also have a four-way tie for third place this week. Great Bowling!
In 5th grade, the students at Mountain Green Elementary School learn about American history. Near the beginning of their studies are early explorers. Students were put into pairs and chose an explorer to research about. They needed to find out the basic birth/death date, birthplace and what country the explorer sailed for. They also had to find why their explorer started their voyage, what they discovered, what they are most famous for and other interesting information about that explorers life. The students had four days to research information from websites, short readings and the encyclopedia. Students then used the information they gathered to create a poster and present their explorer to the class. The class took notes on each explorer. This information will later be used to write an informative essay on “Why People Explore.” Students discovered many interesting things such as Christopher Columbus was not actually the first European to land on the Americas, how America got its name, how the lack of vitamin C caused the dreaded scurvy, how some explorers mysteriously disappeared, and how some men even spent months searching for cities of gold or a fountain of youth. This was a very fun learning activity for the students.
Now that school has been in session for a few weeks, it’s a great time to take a few minutes and review with your children some safety guidelines about going to and from school. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children found that approximately 36 percent of attempted non-family abductions happened when a child was going to or from school, or a school-related activity. With this fact in mind here are a few tips for parents that will help our school children with a safer journey.
The Utah Giant Pumpkin Growers held their annual weigh-off on Sept. 29 at Thanksgiving Point. There was a lot of excitement as the pumpkins were weighed from smallest to largest. As the pumpkins got bigger, the crowd grew both in size and intensity.
If you have Mormon immigrant ancestors there is a resource of which you may be unaware. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has substantial records of those who travelled to Utah during the period when the saints were commanded to gather to Utah.
The interlocal agreement between the recreation board and the city is up for renewal. The recreation board is formed as an entity that provides recreation for the county and has interlocal agreements with Morgan City, Morgan County, and the Morgan County School District.
Matthew Richard Gallen has been called to serve in the Canada Vancouver Mission. He will speak Sunday, Oct 14, 2012, at 11 a.m. in the Morgan 10th ward. Matthew is the son of Jodi Walker Gallen and Matt Gallen.
The Manning family would like to wish their father, grandfather and great-grandfather, Leland Manning, a very happy 80th birthday! To celebrate this milestone in Leland’s life, we are planning an open-house for friends and family at their home on Sunday, October 14 from 3- 5 p.m. Stop by and wish Leland a happy birthday and share some cake and ice cream.
Early Tuesday morning, October 9, 2012, Travis Larson Crane, son of Mark and Candace, was called home to live with his Father in Heaven due to an auto accident. Travis was born May 2, 1985 in Burley, Idaho.
The holidays are filled with fun and tradition wherever you go, but very few communities have such a wide array of things you can participate in for free. The city, local businesses and community members all pitch in to make sure that there are plenty of holiday memories made right here at home.
Morgan Elementary School , Middle School, and Morgan High School will be having an evacuation drill at 9:45 a.m. Oct. 10, in preparation for a chemical spill or events such as a dam break. Superintendent Ken Adams, staff from the district, the schools and Morgan County Sherriff’s office will be along the route to maintain order for approximately 1,600 students. They will be leaving the schools and meeting above Wilkinson’s Construction on 1st South. Please treat this area as a school zone to help us make this a seamless evacuation.
We are extremely fortunate to live in a community filled with kind-hearted people who really care about our children and schools. Three recent events exemplify this attitude amongst the citizenry.
MONDAY MORNING LADIES Our high scores and series for this week go to Cathy Friery 152, Susan Crandall 164 and a 458 series, Misty Spendlove 168, Pat Olson 151, Shawna Froerer 165, Cindy Matthews 172, Becky Wilde 170, Lynette Bosworth 183 and a 493 series, Pat Bird 159, and Berniece Warner 189 and a 502 series. Our team standings for this week are in 1st place is Layton Leftovers and team members are Terrie Stephens, Cathie Layton, Shawna Froerer, and Pauline Maxwell. In 2nd place is Eagle Rock Construction and team members are Ethyl McQueen, Barbara Roemmich, Berniece Warner, and Gloria Marcellin. In 3rd place is LR Originals, and team members are Amy Lopez, Bonnie Jeffrey, Cathy Friery, and LeeAnn Rudd. Our bowler of the week is Lynette Bosworth. Great bowling ladies!
Mountain biking is a sport full of competition, smiling kids and self endurance. Plenty of all three were found at the second race in the Utah High School Cycling League race series last Saturday. Teams from high schools across the state came to compete and Morgan’s team again showed up ready to prove their toughness, skill and determination.
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