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Our little valley is known for amazing results from volunteer efforts to improve the community and Morgan’s new bike park will certainly add to that legacy.

Three Morgan County Boy Scouts and four adult leaders were recognized for their exemplary service and leadership in Scouting and in our community.  

The Morgan County Republican Party recently chose new party officers including Chairman Lars Birkeland, Vice Chairwoman Tina Cannon, Secretary Lydia Nuttall, Treasurer Pamela Smith and State Central Committee Member Kera Birkeland.

Monday, April 22, the Morgan Community Choir held its 15th Annual Spring Concert.  The choir took center stage in their matching blue dresses, cummerbunds and bow ties. Milan Mecham narrated the program as Lois Manning directed the choir.

Over the past few months I have had the opportunity to try out MyHeritage.com.  MyHeritage has been around for a few years now.  Their primary product has been family trees and they have specialized in helping families work together.  

“I’ve looked at it as a blessing in disguise,”  Gentry Lawson said of being too sick to attend Monday’s Boston Marathon.  Lawson had been excited to compete in the Boston Marathon; it was something on his bucket list that he was really looking forward to.  

Reid Wilkinson, son of Dee and Lori Wilkinson, arrived at the Salt Lake City Airport on Thursday, April 17 in the evening. Reid just completed a nine-month deployment in Afghanistan and gets to spend two weeks with his family.  

When many people think of family history, they think of Aunt Mabel.  The image conjured up is that of someone who is a little eccentric whose idea of a good time is going to a cemetery to take rubbings of headstones or visiting a county courthouse to pour through county records.

The annual Morgan Lions Club Easter egg hunt is one of their most prominent activities and always a favorite event. 

Commercial Street has experienced a recent boom in businesses opening their doors.  The newest addition is Traders Apparel.

Opening day of the new Wildflower Outdoor store on Old Highway Road brought a healthy stream of shoppers to the new store dedicated to fulfilling women’s outdoor needs.  

Whether by starting a talk with song in front of a large crowd or by towering over others with a 6’7” stature, David Glover is sure to stand out. His comedic talent and genuine personality have influenced many who call him a great friend. He loves to laugh and joke, and is often described as quite the “character.” His wife, Heidi, kids she was born talentless with only the ability to talk and smile. Smile and talk she does and in so doing claims just as many hearts.

“It’s all about family” is a fitting motto for the Skinner household. Joey and Lisa Skinner have been blessed with four wonderful children:  Shantelle (married to husband Nate), Colby (currently serving a mission in Mexico), Cameron (a high school senior), and Tucker (eighth grade). A new highlight in the Skinner family has been the addition of Shantelle and Nate’s baby girl, Brielle. Joey and Lisa love their new role as grandparents. 

Morgan Valley Crafts hosted a grand opening last weekend welcoming the public to its creative shop, located right here in Morgan.  Refreshments were served which only diverted attention for a moment from the crafts which fared to be a bigger temptation for the great turnout of shoppers.  

At the base of our famous “M” hillside sits one of the best power sports dealerships around.  Born of a family’s passion for outdoor recreation and snowmobiling, Morgan Valley Polaris offers true family-style service.

As Morgan County residents watch as the last patches of snow melt away, they often wish for better weather and the luxuries of summer.  Beautiful lawns, trees that are healthy enough to let children climb in while bearing delicious fruits, and vegetables overflowing onto our neighbors’ properties are often things people dream about but think they must wait until warm weather to prepare.  Now is the time to begin planning and preparing for your summer gardening and fall feast.

Construction has begun on the building that will house the new Family Dollar store.  Morgan City issued the building permit at 391 East 300 North, Dec. 10, 2012.

Michael L. Newton from Croydon and Debbie Sessions from Peterson were appointed to the Morgan County Planning Commission.  The Morgan County Council appointed them for terms set to expire on Feb. 28, 2017.  

When you live in a close-knit community like Morgan County, it is easy to run under the assumption that nothing bad ever happens here.  However, victims of domestic abuse in this county know the unfortunate truth behind the facade.

Eight months after opening the Trojan Century Center, Morgan school officials are saying the facility is seeing a lot of use.

Resident asks for ice rink in Mountain Green park

While preparing the year in review piece for last week’s newspaper, I really was amazed at all the things that took place in Morgan County during 2012.  Sometimes I get stuck in the weekly rut of attending meetings, listening to recordings, writing stories and editing the newspaper.  The chance to look at every newspaper published by The Morgan County News in 2012 gave me the opportunity to step back and really get an over-all picture.

For over 100 years, 4-H has been giving kids useful skills and wholesome recreation.  The 4-H program in Morgan County, as well as many counties throughout the state, has been limited to children in the third grade and older.  The Utah State University Extension Office has been working on bringing a program called Cloverbuds to Morgan County that will involve students in Kindergarten through second grade.  These students will have the opportunity to “learn while doing.”

The growth of indexed family history records has allowed the development of new family history experiences.  The goal of a variety of companies has been to allow individuals with less genealogical experience to have success.  

Is there anyone who hasn’t heard of Taggart’s Grill in Taggart?  The establishment has been serving lunch and dinner for nine years, and its fame has spread far and wide. It began as a gas station in the 1930s when two Taggart boys asked their uncle for some money to start up a station and some cabins.  It expanded to a place that sold burgers and fish bait.  At one point, a bobcat was kept on the porch. In the 1970s or early 80s, it burned down and Howard Taggart sold it to Elaine Stoddard, who owned it from 1996 to 2003. It is now owned by the Tuttle family and if you haven’t been there, you are missing a treat!

Goldenwest Federal Credit Union recently released financial results for 2012.

Tara Hammer is now a teacher at Morgan Elementary School. Almost 21 years ago, she was Morgan High School senior Tara Wilkinson, featured in the Morgan County News as “Youth in the Work Force.”  

Seventeen years ago a teaching job brought Doug and Jane Curfew to Morgan. Since then, they have had the opportunity to serve many Morgan children. Doug, a fifth grade teacher at Morgan Elementary, plays a very influential role in the lives of these young children as they begin to make the transition from elementary to middle school. He really enjoys the students he teaches and they in turn enjoy him. The students especially enjoy Doug’s love of ‘80s music as they get to partake of it in the classroom.

It is nearly time again this year for RootsTech. This has become one of the best genealogical conferences in the United States, and it is right in our back yard.  The conference runs from March 21-23. This year will have more sessions, a bigger display floor, and larger attendance that ever before.

The coming of the new year brings new health care resources to Morgan City residents.  The new Morgan Health Center opened its doors to patients on New Year’s Eve.

The members of Morgan Grace Fellowship are so excited about starting a new church in Morgan County.

The 100% for Kids Credit Union Education Foundation awarded Utah schools with over $58,000 in grants last year.

In the spirit of the holiday season, some amateur radio (ham) operators have found a way to bring joy to disadvantaged and shut-in children.  Thanks to the world-wide range of amateur radio equipment, it’s possible for hams to communicate with other hams almost anywhere on earth, including Santa Claus at the North Pole.  Thus was born the North Pole Network (NPN) which purports to use special satellite links to allow kids to talk one-on-one with St. Nick.

Captivated by twinkling lights, sparkling ornaments and visions of baby Jesus and Santa Claus swimming in their heads, most children are easily caught up in the magic and spirit of Christmas.

Over the last several months, residents of Morgan County have become increasingly interested in concealed weapons permits.  Months before the recent rampage in Connecticut and other terrible scenes, local citizens started the process to legally carry a gun.  

What started as one mom wanting to spend extra time with her two youngest daughters quickly blossomed into something benefitting many families in our community. Last spring Natalie Tibbitts decided she wanted to share her love of ballet, something she grew up participating in, with her two young daughters-Emma (9) and Abbie (7). Wanting to find a couple of other children to participate she put the word out and soon many other parents sharing her passion signed their daughters up. From this early beginning teaching ballet to her two young daughters, Natalie now heads up the Morgan Valley Ballet Company (MVBC) featuring four different classes and almost 50 young dancers, ages 3 to 11. 

Thursday, Dec. 13, the Morgan special needs mutual performed the third annual, “A Very Special Nativity,” for standing room only crowds.  

In her second year of competing, Krista Johansen took first place for her edible architecture.  Last year’s creation was a mock-up of Commercial Street that took second place honors.  This year’s creation was started a week before the turkey and pumpkin pie were served on Thanksgiving Day.  For the average gingerbread house, starting this early would mean there was plenty of time to work on it here or there.  But Johansen’s elaborate design required her to work about four hours daily to complete it in time for judging.  

When it comes to selecting a place to get in shape, many people are intimidated.  Chans Porter, owner of CrossFit Unknown, hopes that he can help ease that intimidation with his new fitness center.

This time of year is generally filled with shopping and stress.  There is all this pressure to make sure everyone is happy on Christmas morning.  It is rare that we actually take the time to step away from the hustle and bustle and enjoy a day with our families.  

As one Mountain Green couple is finding out, it can be difficult getting a business license in Morgan County.

Monday evening many gathered at the library for “The Gift of Reading” family fun night. 

Midway through the fundraiser Debbie Trussell was beaming with the support her family received from the community.  “It’s going amazing!” Trussell said happily, “People are so amazing.  So generous.”  The courthouse auditorium was filled with donations and shoppers.  Sections for clothing, electronics, toys, furniture, and more lined the walls and filled the room.  

“I felt like it was one of those small towns off of an old Christmas movie,” Sunni Heywood said of last weekend’s Ol’ Time Christmas celebration on Commercial Street.   While our beloved Front Street has actually been the scene of several movie sets, our Christmas celebration was better than any script.  It brought together friends and family to enjoy the season together.  We are lucky to live in one of the places people dream about.

Melanie and Eric Moore and their family collected over 100 bags of items to be donated to St. Anne’s homeless shelter in Ogden.  They filled a trailer with clothes, books, used and new toys, blankets, gloves, hygiene items, diapers and other types of donations.  “Anything people brought we took,” Melanie explained.  The shelter needs warm items to hand out during the cold months.  They love to have toys to hand out for holidays and birthdays.  The shelter accepts any kind of donation.  St. Anne’s goal is to help individuals and families move into permanent housing, so any items that are not used at the shelter are used to help people when they accomplish that goal.  People are generally moving with no possessions and these items help them get established.   

The Morgan community mourns the loss this week of a great leader, service man and friend.  Don Mathews passed away in the early hours on Friday, Nov. 23, of heart failure. Don was born in Cedar City on Nov. 8, 1953, to George Clark and Marcelene Mathews.  Later his family moved to Orem, where he attended school and graduated from Orem High. An active child, Don especially enjoyed playing soccer and was able to be the team’s goalie. He loved to snow ski in the winter and would often catch the bus to Sundance to enjoy a day out on the slopes. Don especially enjoyed listening to radio broadcaster Paul Harvey and as a child he would run home from school to hear Paul quip his famous tag line “now the rest of the story.” He was well liked as a child and quite the character. He would often be found hanging out with his brother Jeff. He loved to make his family laugh and in turn, they found enjoyment in making Don laugh so hard soda would come out of his nose. 

Donald Lee Mathews was born on November 8, 1953 to the parents of George Clark and Marcelene Lott Mathews in Cedar City, UT.  He grew up in Orem, Utah and graduated from Orem High School.  Don attended BYU and served an LDS mission to Mexico, Mexico City.  He married his true love, Cheri Lyn Bell on April 29, 1976 in the Salt Lake Temple.  Don passed away on November 23, 2012 due to heart failure.

Morgan County recently bid a fond farewell to a household name, Barber Brothers Ford.  In 1981, the Barber brothers opened their first location in Morgan City.  They started out as High Country Chevrolet Oldsmobile and after several changes, ended up taking on the Ford franchise and moved their building to its current location in 1998.  

Local writer Jeremy Taylor had a dream to become a published author when he started his business, C.N.F.I. Publishing (Creative Notion Foundation of Imagination), in 2003.  He has accomplished this by believing in his dreams and working towards them.  “I do believe that if an individual believes deeply enough one can accomplish their goals!” Taylor expresses on his blog http://cnfi-publishingproducts.blogspot.com,   “I had to believe in my own abilities and in my dreams.”

Encouraging customer to mail early this holiday season, Utah Post Offices have released suggested mail-by dates to ensure holiday cards and packages reach their destinations in time.

The Young Automotive Group added a new dealership to their company with the purchase of Barber Brothers Ford, in Morgan, on Dec. 3, 2012. The new dealership will run under the name of Young Ford.

If you are wondering what to get for that certain person on your list, you should really consider a book written for specifically for Morgan County residents.

More than a century and a half ago, one American author wrote of the cold, desolate, distrustful, phantoms that invariably haunt the mind, on the eve of adventurous enterprises, to warn us back within the boundaries of ordinary life.  

Like most parents, Jeff and Debbie Trussell spend each day trying to raise their family with love and provide for their needs. Unlike most parents, this effort is complicated by the severe medical challenges they face every day with their 9-year-old son Brennan.

“Great things happen here during the holidays,” said Morgan County Food Pantry Director Tracy Kummer. She explained that people innately really want to help each other out.

On Nov. 1, Morgan’s digit to analog television conversion was finalized with $71,000 worth of equipment installation.  However, older TV sets are still having problems displaying the three KBYU channels, or channel 11.

Saturday, Oct. 27, the Mountain Green Kids Club had their first open house.  This will be Morgan County’s only state licensed child care center. 

Carolyn and Kent Kolan are long term residents of Mountain Green. They built their home in Monte Verde in 1971.  Carolyn is originally from Heber City and graduated from Wasatch High School.  Kent was born and raised in Lehi and graduated from Lehi High School.  They met attending a junior college in Provo, now known as Utah Valley University.  “We didn’t really like each other when we first met, but with a lot of pressure from a mutual friend, we started dating the fall of 1965,” Carolyn said.  Those dates resulted in their marriage September 1966.

After two high-profile domestic violence cases have gripped the Morgan community in the past year, efforts to protect victims in abusive relationships are becoming increasingly important.

A brisk but sunny 40 degree morning welcomed flying enthusiasts to the airport in Mountain Green.  “It’s a great day to fly,” said Joe Garfield, airport manager. “A great day like this brings everyone out.” 

If you like Wood Creations, you are going to love the newest store on Commercial Street: Morgan Valley Crafts.  For some time now, many Morgan City Council meetings have been focused on revitalizing Commercial Street and we are starting to see the success of their hard work.

On Thursday Oct. 26, Morgan High School staged an event to help educate and remind our community about our history, rights, and freedoms related to government.  Morgan County resident Lydia Nuttall worked with our local government to bring this event to our community to celebrate the 225th Anniversary of America’s Constitution.    The Ellis Island program presented history from our founding fathers as well as from the famous Island that welcomed millions of immigrants from 1892 to 1954. 

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.

According to organizers, the Morgan County Fair this year was one of the best attended in as long as a decade.

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.

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.

 
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.

2012 Morgan County Sheriff’s Office reports for Sept. 30 - Oct. 6, total of 117 calls

If you believe in ghosts or not, there seems to be something haunting Morgan High School.

The Sons of Utah Pioneers held their monthly dinner meeting featuring speaker Sheila Wilkinson along with her husband Mark Wilkinson.  Sheila presented a brief history of Devil’s Slide.  With Sheila’s bubbly personality, her presentation was very pleasant as well as informative.  

Fifteen years ago Amanda Hadlock’s roommates at Rick’s College found an ID on the ground.  They tracked down the owner and when he came to pick it up, Amanda and Markus met for the first time.  The two had grown up in Vernal and had many ties to each other. However, they had never met.  After that chance meeting they dated that summer and then they both attended Utah State the next year.  They were married in the Salt Lake Temple in 1997 and have built a life together -all because of a misplaced ID.  

The annual opening social for the Daughters of Utah Pioneers (DUP) was held on September 11, 2012.  The social was held at the DUP Museum where the theme, “Preserve the past – strengthen the future” was announced as the theme for 2012-13. 

Every year there is an annual weigh-off to determine the largest pumpkin grown in the state of Utah.  It is sponsored by the Utah Giant Pumpkin Growers Association.  Matt McConkie, Mountain Green resident, holds the current state record.  His enormous pumpkin weighed in last year at a whopping 1,600 pounds.

Long time business owner and restaurateur, Larry Wiggill, is ready to embark on a new adventure. Larry Wiggill owns  Larry’s Spring Chicken Inn  which has not only been known for its deep fried chicken but also for the gift shop contained inside the restaurant. Larry has long had a passion for gift shops and through the years the gift shop has expanded to include more and more merchandise. It has been a dream of his for quite a while to be able to open a separate gift shop to accommodate the growing décor.  As space became available on Commercial Street, Larry remembered his childhood when Commercial Street was the place to shop. Loving historical things, such as the building his own restaurant is housed in, Commercial Street was a perfect fit for his new shop. Although Commercial Street is the official name, it holds the nickname of Front Street from the days when the train station was the main hub of Morgan. Holding true to this history, the store will be known as Front Street Gifts and Home Décor. 

Can you believe that summer has come to an end and school has begun? As we can see all around our beautiful valley, the leaves have color and fall is here.  With fall upon us the Morgan County Library has lots of wonderful things coming up and some amazing events that have passed.  

The Morgan County Council granted a tax abatement to Loydene Berg, who recently lost her home in a tragic fire.

There has been significant focus on the Social Security Death Index by Congress in the last year.  It is a good example of government reacting to public misunderstanding and actually making a problem they are trying to solve worse rather than better.  

The Tykonis held their opening social at the Riverside Park Wednesday evening, Sept. 12.  Everyone enjoyed catching up after the long summer.

Move over Amazon and Barnes and Noble, the “Little Free Library” has come to town. Bringing to Morgan a relatively new concept in sharing literature, River Pinhey designed and built Riverside Park’s latest addition. River Pinhey is the 14-year-old son of Bambi and Scott Pinhey, and grandson of Earl and Julie Anderson. 

The Morgan County Library is a great place for people to expand their minds, encourage creativity and explore places.  This kind of knowledge and growth should not be limited to the youth or the more mature, everyone should take advantage of this remarkable resource.

Mountain Green resident David Sawyer, who recently returned from serving with the U.S. armed services in Afghanistan, presented both Morgan County and Boy Scout Troop 576 with American flags for their service.

After a successful first year hosting a women’s biking event in Morgan County, Wildflower Pedalfest organizers donated proceeds to the county’s food bank and Sub for Santa funds with promises for additional donations in years to come.  However, talk of future biking events stirred some controversy in a recent Morgan County Council meeting.

55 Alive Class Aug. 6 from 9 a.m til 1. Please let us know if you would like to attend since there is limited space. Anyone who has been in the education field can attend for $4, AARP members $12 and non-members $14. You can receive a discount on your car insurance for a three year period just for taking this class. Marie Nye is an excellent teacher and you gain a great deal of knowledge about your driving habits.
 
September
 
11: Temple trip - please call Emma Lou to sign up. Lunch at noon.
12: Enjoy a ride up to Jeremy Ranch and around the Jordanelle and Echo dams following lunch on Wednesday.
The group will leave around 1:30.
13: Right after lunch there will be a book review. Just come and relax and listen to a very interesting book.
19: Have lunch and then a great hand massage with ShaRon. The massages and conversation are free and then everyone will be put into a drawing for free hand lotion.
20: Blood pressures with Alice Hirai. Then following lunch, Madeline, from USU Extension Office, will give everyone tips on nutrition, plus have samples for your enjoyment.
25: Foot Clinic with Happy Feet. Please call in for your reservations: 845-4040.
26: Back massages with Val. Cost is $5 for 10 minutes. Please sign up when you come or we can put your name down by calling the center. Appointments will begin at 12:30.
28: The Annual Fall Leaf Tour to Cache Valley will leave the center at 9 a.m. with Mary Kaye as your volunteer driver. Enjoy a fun day of sightseeing, eating, gathering goodies and great companionship. The group will return around 3 - so plan your day.
Keep in mind all the great volunteers we have serving everyone at the center and give them an occasional "thank you" - they do many kind acts!
Come and check out the new computers at the senior center. They are here for everyone to enjoy. Loiis Woody is willing to help you out with any of your questions. Let’s get you started.

Did you know that Morgan/USU Extension has a great FREE resource available to all its residents that can help your family eat healthier, save money at the grocery store and make your food dollar go farther?  It’s called Food Sense.  

This year has marked the one-year anniversary of several businesses on State Street, and LiquiFaction Internet Café is one of them.  LiquiFaction first opened its doors on Aug. 29, 2011, but the grand opening was two days later.  At that time, owner, Lee Kellogg, invited all city and county employees to come in and get a free drink for the day to give him some training time.    

It may be nearing the end of the outdoor watering season, but several water companies have asked for voluntary restrictions in the name of conservation.

Each summer the Morgan County Library sponsors a reading club as an incentive to keep the mind sharp and the imagination active. Last Thursday, participants celebrated their commitment to reading with an end of the summer Pajama-Rama party. Each week throughout the summer, participants earned prizes by reading a specified number of pages. Kids and adults alike could choose weekly prizes including books, toys, and certificates to local businesses. To cap off the successful reading program, children wearing pajamas came for a morning event full of books, food and fun. 

High school senior, Travis Carter, grew up loving music. As a young child he enjoyed sitting around and relaxing while listening to different bands express themselves through music. He learned to appreciate the range of human emotion music can evoke. This sparked a passion fueling his desire to create music and inspire others. Originally he aspired to be a drummer—however, the idea was soon abandoned once it was discovered how much room a drum set can take up in the home. Next, he moved on to the guitar. With no formal training, he picked up a guitar and taught himself to play.

Have you ever imagined your life as a puzzle?  Ever wish you could go back to the days of those cute cardboard puzzles where the shapes and colors were easier to find and put together?  Nowadays it seems the pieces are too small and there are too many of them!  How are you supposed to find the time and patience to put them all together?  Some days you may find only one piece and some days you look at the pile of pieces and keep on walking to some other less daunting distraction.  Yet, there are some days where you find several pieces that renew your energy and excitement for life.  Those are amazing days!  There are also days when you realize a piece is in the wrong place.  While it seemed to fit at the time, you realize now that there is a better place to put it, or that it doesn’t belong anymore.  And I’m sure you’ve felt at times like the winds of doubt and discouragement have blown your pieces all over the floor.

Morgan residents—especially those in East Canyon, Milton and Stoddard—are getting tired of power bumps, failures and surges.  They have complained to power officials, who are reviewing damage claims but are still unsure the cause of all the problems.

Jo Ann Smith, Mountain Green resident for 45 years, moved here in 1967.  Her husband, Kent, used to say she was an Okie—not an Okie from Oklahoma—but from Oak City, Millard County, Utah.  She was born in Oak City in 1933, the first of seven children born to Allen Lovell and Virginia Lyman Lovell. She lived there until age 5.

“Every relayer has one thing- a story…” Trevor Wynn began his speech at the opening of last Friday night’s Relay for Life.  He talked about losing his grandmother and then his father.  When he researched this deadly disease, he found that the survival rate around that time was 67 percent.  He wanted to do more to help with the cause.  Shortly after his father lost his fight to cancer, he got involved with Relay for Life through Ellen Poll.  “I relay for my dad, and that’s my relay story.” 

Tucked into a corner of Mountain Green—in the industrial park by the airport—is a family owned and operated dental lab.  David and Emily Cox and their three children moved to Mountain Green from Oregon to be closer to family in Utah, and they moved their business with them.

Many contests and challenges were held during the three days at our county fair.  The most recently added game to the fair line up was the Cantaloupe Chuckin’ event.  Inspiration came when 12-year-old Easton Turner was watching a favorite show about pumpkin chucking.  He told his mom this event needed to be part of the fair.  His mom, Kim Turner, is in charge of the activities and games at the fair and she agreed that it would be a fun addition to the fair.  Easton started making plans with his friend Talon Thorton.  They compiled their favorite designs for catapults and took their favorite parts from each to build their ideal thrower.   

Karly Prescott, daughter of Annette and Roger Prescott, of Morgan will travel to Cuenca, Ecuador on Aug. 9 to spend 12 weeks volunteering in orphanages. Prescott graduated in 2009 from Morgan High School and is currently majoring in Family and Consumer Development at Utah State University.

While it is very difficult to track figures of how many people participated in the events of the fair, ticket sales for the two rodeos and the demolition derby suggested record-breaking numbers.  Each of these events sold out early with packed bleachers full of enthusiastic spectators.   The open horse show earlier in the week had more entrants than in the last five years.  

This last week there were two major announcements from the organizations working on indexing the 1940 census.  Work began early April to take the millions of digital images created from the enumerators work as they visited each household in 1940 and transcribe the information into a searchable index.  This allows individuals to search for those in the census by name rather than browse through hundreds or thousands of images to find their ancestors.

After months of feeding and caring for their animals, over 160 hard working kids were able to sell their animals to generous and eager buyers.  The junior livestock show and sale are the final event of a program encouraging youth to raise and care for livestock animals.  The annual event allows kids to take responsibility for their animals and learn how a business is run.   

Pioneer Day was celebrated in different ways throughout Morgan County this year. One of the celebrations was the Milton round-up, which was inspired by the hard work of two Milton Eagle Scouts. In an earlier article, credit was given to Brayden Stegelmeier and Miles Mecham for their huge undertaking. The two scouts replaced the Milton park horse arena fence. The arena is used by the entire northwestern area of the Morgan Valley, especially by 4-H horse enthusiasts. 

With the recent of arrest of two sex offenders with Morgan ties, public interest in the state’s sex offender registry has piqued.  However, the registry should be used carefully, county and state officials say. 

Marion Lott, founder of River Valley Veterinary Hospital, has always taken great care and dedication in ensuring optimal service to both the animals in need and their owners. One might say that Marion’s dedication originated from as early as 1988 when his business was first established. He’s always been a very hard worker and genuinely cares for those he serves, though his caring attributes don’t stop there.

Each year Morgan County residents look forward to the first week in August. It is the time to showcase their talents, enjoy good food, and be entertained, all at the Morgan County Fair. Adults and children alike work all year getting their various projects ready, whether it is hand-stitching quilts, weeding gardens or capturing the beauty of the world behind their camera lens. Many solely come to see the handi-work of others. 

Pamala Sutton Bindrup has lived in Utah since she was 5 years old—first in Washington Terrace and then Mountain Green.   She and her three sisters were raised in the Terrace.  Her father was a linotype operator for the Standard-Examiner.  She remembers when she was a child going down to the newspaper office, and he would run a slug with her name on it which could be printed with ink.  When computers replaced linotypes, her father retired.  She said that the keyboard for the linotype was totally different than a computer keyboard. Her mother managed S & H Green Stamps, which was on Harrison Blvd.

Pioneer Day is the perfect time to pull out family books of remembrance and journals.  I did just that this past week.  It pulled me in and reminded me of grandparents who have been gone for many years.  Two hours later I had read many pages and reminisced about the time I spent with my grandmother before she died.  What I did not expect to find, although I knew my grandparents were both born in Morgan, was a history of Enterprise.  It was a surprising history to me. My grandmother, Martha Vera Mecham Ogden, recorded many of her memories and this  was among her writings.

An announcement was made last week that the Morgan community theatre is officially back for 2012.  The idea of having a community theatre was originally started by Adam Slee four years ago.  It began as a theatre camp for the children of Morgan County.  Their first production was a Disney musical review.  It included excerpts from Aladdin, Little Mermaid, and Beauty and the Beast and was a big success.   It was followed by The Wizard of Oz in 2010.  

The Genealogy Star blog this week reported that editing has now come to FamilySearch’s new version of their family tree.  The family tree will be a replacement for new FamilySearch when it is released.  It has been in development for many months and its aim is to fix many of the challenges with the current tree.  

Max Robinson is nearing 90 and is a great story-teller.  He is a walking history book of Morgan County. Max Robinson lives on Robinson Lane in Mountain Green; you know when you have a lane named after you that you are a landmark. His ancestors were some of the first settlers in the area, and the Robinson family has the distinction of being the family that is still here.

Each summer we watch with grim fascination as wildfires burn across the western United States. This summer has proved to be as bad as any.  Fires in Colorado and other states have consumed both wild lands and homes with equal ferocity.  You may wonder, “What would I do if I lost my home to a fire?  Would I be prepared?”

 Morgan city announced a new initiative called ShopsQA to promote local business to its citizens. The service provides all local businesses with a link on the city’s website that directs citizens to new web-pages designed and updated by each local business.

Ever since she was a young girl, Samantha Lawrence knew she would be involved in the sciences. In fifth grade, her science teacher decided to have the class participate in a science fair. Having helped her parents build their home in Morgan, she had always wondered why nails turned orange in exposed stud walls, so she decided to investigate that phenomenon for her science fair project.  Through that project she discovered corrosion and has been fascinated by the processes and mitigation of corrosion from then on.  Samantha continued to nurture these interests and eventually graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at Colorado School of Mines. She is currently a candidate for a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering at Washington State University.

The cement plant in Croydon, built in 1904, has been a major part of our community for over a century.  The name has changed several times over the course of the last 100 years.  

Every year residents enjoy events put on by their local cities and counties, but not many people truly have a grasp of the magnitude of work that goes into their success.  One shining example of the hard work and dedication of these volunteers is the annual Morgan 4th of July celebration.  

Living in Morgan makes us all a little happier.  We love the fresh air, the beautiful mountains, and our friendly neighborhoods.   Results of a recent study give us one more reason to be happy we call this valley home.  A study completed by the University of Wisconsin, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation named Morgan the healthiest county in Utah.  Even better, this is the third year they have published results of county comparisons and we have maintained the top spot every year.

Morgan City is very close to completing the Splash Pad.  The final concrete pour will be today.  The water features are already in place.

Wildfires are common this time of year and they destroy hundreds of buildings and force the evacuation of thousands each year. People who live in areas at risk of wildfires should pay close attention to weather conditions and use the following safety tips:

The Morgan Lion’s Club annual installation dinner was held on July 5, 2012.  That evening Larry Durrant was put in as the new club president, DeOrr Peterson is now 1st vice president, CarDell Mortsensen is 2nd vice president, Harold Laughter is 3rd vice president and Jeff Lucas is secretary/treasurer.   The newly installed presidency will serve for one year.  The Lion’s Club would like to give a special thanks to George Francis who served as president for the past year.  

What’s more American than apple pie? The small town Independence Day celebration! While there were no fireworks to end the night, the celebration really popped!

This Friday, July 13may just be a lucky day after all for Morgan residents. The long awaited and much anticipated splash pad will open for the public. For years, local residents have dreamed of something to help cool off on hot summer days. Looking for fun for the kids and refuge from the heat, many Morgan families would make long trips to enjoy the refreshing water found at other cities’ splash pads. Now they can enjoy this same summer favorite right here in Morgan.  Last year Riverside Park was updated with new playground equipment and this year it will be topped off with a splash pad of its own. Morgan residents will be able to enjoy one of the largest splash pads in Utah. The Morgan splash pad features 26 different water features; 10 above ground and 16 in ground. Covering over 70’ by 70’ of space, the Morgan splash pad is second in terms of size right behind Vernal, and has more water features than any other in the state of Utah. 

 
Leon LaMadeleine has seen the challenges that women have in balancing their efforts to achieve family goals while also trying to meet their personal needs.

Randolph Peay of Porterville is budding as an up and coming artist on both a local and national level.  In April he graduated from BYU Idaho receiving his BS in Fine Arts.  Now he is receiving accolades for his growing portfolio.

Whether you only have a day to spend as a port of call on a cruise or a week or longer where you can really kick back and enjoy, the Cayman Islands are a great vacation destination.  With a population of about 55,000, the islands are often regarded as the safest islands to visit and its people the friendliest in the Caribbean.  The people of the Cayman Islands speak English (British English) but with their own Caymanian flair.  Each island and its residents take on their own personality and will make your visits to any of the three islands a unique experience. 

Geni.com had a wonderful infographic this week that I thought would be worth sharing.  Geni provides an online family tree service to help individuals find their families and collaborate with family members.  This is only a portion.  The entire graphic can be found at http://www.geni.com/blog/independence-day-by-the-numbers-375769.html I hope you enjoy it and that you had a wonderful fourth of July.

The Chief Genealogical Officer at FamilySearch is a world-renowned Irish researcher.  Irish records are challenging and often necessitate a visit to Ireland to fully research the records.  He is fond of saying, “You don’t have to visit Ireland. You GET to visit Ireland.”

Tawra Kellam editor of LivingOnADime.com feeds her family of six for $400 a month.  Most people say that’s an impossible feat but what’s even more impressive is that she does it without using coupons. 

The Shoshone and Ute Indians made Richville their home during the summer time. For the most part they were friendly and the pioneers shared with them. Some of the journals say, “As they would ride through the area the scalps could be seen hanging about them. These scalps were from other tribes of Indians and not from white men.” 

Memorial Day has passed, bringing another end to the vacations and celebrations and we’ve gone back to our own battles and battlefields.  But are we better for the battles?  Did we truly celebrate our freedom, or just the day off from the office, school or other rigorous responsibilities; that is, if we even were given the day off? 

   Leon LaMadeleine is 70 years old.  Forty years ago, he recalls the lower incidence of disease.  Today, it seems, when he calls his relatives, something bad is happening.  Someone has cancer, has had a heart attack, has pancreatitis or kidney problems, has a child with autism, or has lost a job. 

Friday, June 1, 1st Bank hosted a barbecue for the community at their Morgan City location.  The event brought in a crowd of over 300 people.  Kent Francis served up hamburgers and hot dogs and guests had an array of chips, cookies and drink to choose from on the table beside him.  1st bank has 10J branches, and anyone who brought in a friend to open a new checking account received a free gift.  They were also entered into a drawing for a Kindle Fire or an Apple iPad.  There were 10 given out in all, one at each branch.  1st Bank would like to thank the community for coming out and sharing their day.  The bank’s next event will be a car wash on July 13.  It is a big event each year and proceeds go to their Relay For Life team which raises money for the American Cancer Society.  They would like to invite everyone out to come and support them in the fight against cancer.

Memorial Day is a great time for family history.  Each year my family makes an outing to three or four cemeteries.  A part of our outing is that we have breakfast at the same restaurant each year.  While it may be true that the kids enjoy breakfast more than the cemetery visits, our annual trek has become family tradition, one that my kids even seem to enjoy and look forward to.  

It was a mixture of old and new traditions at the Morgan High School 2012 commencement.  For the first time, the ceremony was held at the Dee Event Center in Ogden.  Graduates were able to have their entire family join in the celebration as they begin this new phase of their lives.  The spacious auditorium offers room to grow for the high school as the years progress, should the school decide to continue ceremonies at the new venue.

Brayden Stegelmeier, 14, and Miles Mecham, 16, have taken on what members of the community consider a “huge, worthwhile” project for their combined Eagle Scout project.

See pictures inside

Exciting improvements are coming to Carrigan Chrysler Dodge Jeep. Over the next several weeks customers will be able to enjoy a larger more comfortable waiting room all the while keeping the same great Morgan service they have come to love. Those driving by will notice a change as the building undergoes construction on a new more modern exterior.  Not only will the exterior be affected but two new sales offices will be added to ensure a more efficient car buying experience. Customers will appreciate the updated ADA bathrooms while they wait and will also benefit from the new customer pick up area.

The community is mourning the loss of a long-time Morgan City Councilman when Lynn Mickelsen succumbed to stage four pancreatic cancer and related complications May 15, 2012. 

There have been several new additions to the Morgan County News and Jennifer Vesper is one of them.  She is excited to be a part of the newspaper staff and hopes to make a difference in the community through her new position.

The Morgan County Council approved studying the reorganization of several departments, including the parks, road, weed, fairgrounds, and building and grounds departments.

Utah will be available to search by name within the next day or two in the 1940 census at FamilySearch.org.  The total states published to search by name as of the present time are Delaware, Virginia, Colorado, Kansas, Oregon, New Hampshire, Utah, Florida, and Wyoming.  An additional seven states are close to release.  They are Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Vermont and Hawaii.  Several other states are completing quickly.  The project is nearly 50 percent complete. 

Sometimes parents discipline their children when they kick and punch each other, but some find that their children discover discipline through kicking and punching.  Discipline, self-respect, coordination, confidence, integrity, determination, and attention are just a few of the attributes students can learn while developing their martial arts skills at Martial Science. Martial Science began instructing in February and has been a hit.  

Morgan County Horse 4-H is preparing for their first show of the year.  Remember 4-H youth you must enroll at the Morgan Extension office prior to the show.  The show will be on Saturday, May 26 starting at 9 a.m. at the Morgan County Fairgrounds.  

Miss Kynzie Zuech, daughter of Tammy Zuech, has been chosen as a state finalist in the National American Miss Utah Pageant to be held June 29-30 at the beautiful Sheaton Hotel in Salt Lake City.  The National American Miss pageants are held for girls ages 4-18, and have five different age divisions.  Kynzie will be participating in the princess age division, along with other outstanding young ladies from across the great state of Utah.

May 28    Antelope Island Cowboy Poetry and Music Gathering: Join us in celebrating the West in our Seventh Annual Cowboy Poetry and Music gathering at the historic Fielding Garr Ranch at Antelope Island State Park. Activities include dancing, wagon train, horseback riding, vendors and more. 801-649-5742 or www.cowboylegendsai.com.

The seasons of our life are vast and varied.  Some days are full of blue skies and cool breezes, while others are cloudy, dark and cold.  Of course we know that each season is necessary to not only keep the circle of life  of refreshed, but renewed.  

On Saturday, May 19, Armed Forces Day, the Morgan County Pilot’s Association will be sponsoring the 2nd annual Veteran’s Recognition Day beginning at 10 a.m. at the Morgan County Airport (located at 5000 Cottonwood Canyon  Rd., Mountain Green) to recognize and honor all veterans from all services. 

Morgan Valley Voices is a non-profit music organization that teaches children of all ages to use the one instrument they always have with them, their voice. Singers ages 5 and up are taught music theory and principles through games and songs using the methods of Zoltán Kodály.

Jim Nickerson was a young man in the air force when he met Nell while attending a wedding reception in Morgan.  He was stationed at Hill AFB, which was a long way from his home in Massachusetts.  As stories go, they soon had their own wedding at Nell’s parent’s home in Morgan and lived in their first apartment in Ogden.

Residents and strangers came together for a great cause on Monday.  Rob Saunders and friends came up with an idea to do something wonderful for their friend and neighbor, Charese Foster.   Charese was diagnosed last year with invasive ductal carcinoma (breast cancer) that has also spread to her liver, lungs, lymph system and brain.  

Our readers asked for more complete news coverage of the county and school board, and we’ve done our best to deliver.

On Saturday, May 19, 2012, which happens to be Armed Forces Day, the Morgan County Pilot’s Association will be sponsoring a Veteran’s Recognition Day to recognize and honor all veterans from all services. The Pilot’s Association invites all citizens and veterans from Morgan and nearby counties to come and mingle with one another, swap stories and view the static displays of various aircraft and military vehicles. The event is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. A flag ceremony will be conducted at 10:30 a.m. by our own Morgan County’s American Legion Post 67 and VFW Post 6154 veterans. 

“Alcohol is a drug; it’s the second most dangerous drug next to nicotine!” emphasized Brad Barton to an audience of approximately 400 in the Morgan High School auditorium on Tuesday, May 1 while levitating spinning cards in the air, shooting mini fire balls, and magically making a newspaper “whole” after shredding it in pieces.

Each month Morgan County 4-H has hosted a family craft night at the courthouse.  Crafts have varied and reflect the season.  Aprils craft celebrated Earth Day by planting different kinds of seeds in toilet paper containers to grow indoors until it is warm enough for them to survive outside.  Kelly Carter 4-H Assistant has planned and presented the activities.

“The whole thing with hot rodding is using original parts” said hot rod maker, Earl Steen from Morgan.

A fatal crash near Roy and Sunset claimed the life of Eva A. Trump of Morgan. Witnesses said her vehicle was traveling on Interstate 15, darting in and out of traffic.  The Dodge Neon she was driving had drifted into a construction area, where she over corrected, crossed the median, dropped off the embankment, and went down the hill to the bottom.  The car then went under a cable barrier and into oncoming traffic near mile marker 338 and  collided with a semi-trailer.

Many years ago I visited The Family History Library.  I had received a significant amount of genealogical information from my grandmother and I wanted to continue the work that she and my grandfather had done over many years.  I had never done genealogical research before and I understood little about what was required.  I was anxious to learn what I needed to do and find additional information.  

Utah State Republican Delegate Kristin Price,  from Congressional District 4, was asked to attend a Utah State School Board meeting on April 13, to get a better understanding of the controversial Common Core Initiative supported by Gov. Gary Herbert. 

On Tues. May 1, The Morgan Elementary School had visitors from The White House, even Senator Mike Lee and some of his office staff Larry Shepherd, and Boyd Matheson. They talked with Mr. Wolfe and presented him a gift for the school, of a flag that has flown over the United States Capitol on behalf of the students and faculty of the Morgan Schools. “Senator Lee was kind enough to surprise us and present the school with the flag that was flown over the capital,” said Mr. Wolfe. 

The beautiful cemetery that stands on the hill behind the LDS Ward on the old Highway Rd. in Mountain Green was the original pioneer burying grounds for the pioneer community. It was laid out in 1860 on land that was owned by David Bowman Bybee.  He sold .45 acre to the settlement of Mountain Green to provide a place of burial for early settlers.

The American Cancer Society Relay for Life represents the hope that those lost to cancer will never be forgotten, that those who face cancer will be supported, and that one day cancer will be eliminated.

Citizens of Morgan County are invited to attend the open house and dedication of the new Trojan Century Center Tuesday, May 8.  The open house will run from 6:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. with dedication ceremonies running from 6:30 P.M. to 7:00 P.M.

We live in a time when it is quite common to witness the devastation around the world from hurricanes, tornados, tsunamis and earthquakes on the nightly news. To many, it seems as if these disasters are becoming more frequent. 

If you ever felt like being in the presence of angels, you could attain your desire by attending an event with the Morgan County special-needs mutual.  This inspirational group includes nearly three dozen participants with various physical, mental or learning disabilities and their church leaders from various parts of the county.  On March 30th, the group put on a production of “Joy Story” in front of a packed auditorium.  “Joy Story” is a spiritual adaptation of the popular “Toy Story.”  Written and directed by Nolan and Cathy Johnson, the production is a moving story about friendship and involved every member of the special-needs mutual.  

Franklin and Connie Abplanalp have been married for 50 years come April 20, 2012. They both grew up in the Vernal, Utah area and attended Uintah High School together, but they only knew each other because they were in the same graduating class.

“Create a plan...but remember - be prepared to change the plan!”, words of advice from a young Morgan High School graduate and who has followed her plan - and finding out that “plans change” - and Melissa Ovard has made the changes successfully by following her simple goals she made early in her life. Her story of how it “all came down” to leading a full and successful career now moving forward with confidence was told to the North Summit and Morgan High Schools’ Sterling Scholars at a Recognition Banquet hosted by Holcim, (US) Inc. The evening of March 29th Sterling Scholar Nominees from these two schools came with their parents to enjoy dinner with their families at Larry’s Chicken Inn in Morgan.

Well, it’s finally here.  On April 2, the United States National Archive released the images of the 1940 census.  Almost immediately the National Archive site was virtually down, it was so slow.  Over the past week the site performance has steadily improved, but it continues to run a little slow.  What is not as well known is that the images are also available on FamilySearch.org/1940census and on Ancestry.com .  Both of these sites are making the images available for free.  If you know where your ancestor lived, you can now find the image in the census.  If you don’t know where they lived you can go to FindMyPast.com who has offered to find your ancestor for you in the 1940 census.  Images will also shortly be available on FindMyPast.com.

All Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts were called on to do the annual food drive in Morgan. The Cub Scouts were responsible for getting the food bags out to every household, and the Scouts picked up the food bags and delivered them to Morgan Food Pantry.

Cheryl grew up in Hunter, which is now West Valley City.  After graduating from Cypress High School she attended two years at SUSC on music and academic scholarships. She then attended Utah State where she met Brian through a friend.  Brian lived in Markesan, Wisconsin until he was ten and then moved to Preston ID.   He graduated from CSI, College of Southern Idaho, and then joined the National Guard.   They were married in 1990 and moved to Provo where Brian began working for UPS and has worked there full time, except when deployed.  They made Morgan their home 21 years ago.  

It’s that time of year when spring is in the air and Evanston Cowboy Days is getting ready for their big rodeo over Labor Day Weekend.  First we must have a queen to reign over the festivities and promote the sport of rodeo.   Evanston Cowboy Days is looking for any young lady ages 16 to 24, living within a 50 mile radius of Evanston, to fulfill this fun and exciting job.

Chances are, most people in the community have benefited from the service, works, and influence of the Morgan Lions Club.  Through their many acts of service, sweet smiles and genuine joy have been reflected on the faces of Morgan children for many generations.  George Francis jokes that the Morgan Lions Club has been around “since the time Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” While the exact date is not known with certainty, the Morgan Lions Club has been around for a very long time, well over 80 years.  Throughout these years it has touched young and old alike. True to their motto “We serve”, the Morgan Lions Club has sponsored many of the celebrations Morgan residents have grown up with and continue to cherish with their own children and grandchildren. Lions clubs can be found serving throughout the world. In fact, they are the world’s largest service club organization. Although the parent organization is an international club, the Morgan Lions Club has been especially focused on the needs of our own community. They have structured the service they provide and activities they sponsor in a way to connect very personally with the people of Morgan.

Spring is in the air, bringing with it the excitement of outdoor activities for everyone. Morgan County is no different. We are going to be participating in the Utah Shake Out Exercise that will be held April 17-19. What is the Shake Out you ask? Well, Counties throughout the state will be exercising emergency plans. This exercise was started by FEMA and backed by the State. The scenario is as follows: a 7.0 earthquake will be reported from the Wasatch Front at 10:15 a.m. on April 17, 2012. Schools will be in session, family members may be elsewhere at work, and telephone lines will be down.

Disasters can hit at anytime, whether it be from natural causes, earthquakes, floods, windstorms, fire, or unnatural disasters, power outages, wrecks, and chemical spills. Though not something most of us think about most the time, but for Morgan’s Peggy Mecham it stirs constantly in her mind of how to ensure safety for the community in times of unforeseen events.

From spring cleaning to spring singing, the beauty of the world is reborn. For those who celebrate Easter’s true miracles and meanings their baskets and hearts are full of hidden treasures and treats to discover.  One of my favorite parts of Easter is the hiding and hunting for eggs.  It’s a true test of creativity when you can hide a dozen eggs or more and they stay hidden.  Of course, you don’t want to leave any unfound for too long, or else your nose may get a hidden surprise as well.

Earl and Carole have lived in Mountain Green for 43 years.  They moved here when Earl received a job offer from Weber State University and have been here ever since.

Recently, the Dots and Doodles Preschool has open their doors to a second location, 185 North Commerical Street, in Morgan City.

Writing a personal history can be daunting.  If you are like me, most of your journal entries begin with, “It’s been a while since I have written in my journal.”  Many individuals struggle with writing a daily journal.  A history of your life, however, will likely be the greatest gift that you can leave your family behind.  I guarantee that it will be treasured in generations to come as your life experiences will give them hope, insight, and understanding.

Wesley and Janet Grandsen bought the house and the property from the Ostlers, according to Bob Huerta who worked and roomed with the Grandsens for five years.  County records verify they bought it from the Ostler Land and Livestock Co. in 1952. The Gransden’s ran cattle on the land which extended all the way to Snow Basin.  The Huertas said Gransdens had Arabian horses, and Carol Ralphs said they also grew hay for their cattle. There was an irrigation ditch where the Highlands office now stands. Mr. Hubbard said he was told the property was 3500 acres or more at that time.

In the year 1859, David E. Henderson, Issac Morris and Jonathan Hemmingway families formed the nucleus for the town of Richville. Lured to this spot in 1861 come Thomas Rich (1817-1884) who had the honor of having the town named after him but moved to Porterville. David Henderson built the first log house down by the east canyon creek. When other families came they were advised by David Henderson to build on higher ground because of the flooding, which he had experienced from the 1860 spring runoff. This same year John H. Rich, Gillerpie Waldron and Solomon Conley joined the group, followed by Albert Douglas Dickson and a year later his two brothers, William and John and his father, Billa Dickson in 1862. Add to the list names of George W. Taggart, George Seaman, Henry and Morgan Hinman, and later on the Oluf Rose, Sanford Colson Porter, Baltzar Peterson, John Wood, Fredrick Clark, George Brough, and William Smith families and others who were attracted to this beautiful place. I have often wondered how they were able to communicate with each other as many were Scandinavia and others were English.

Often, the best lessons in life come during the most difficult moments.  It’s an ironic twist to your torment.  However, just because there’s a lesson to be learned doesn’t lessen the fact that it really did hurt you, break you, embarrass you, scare you, or scar you.  Whether a million other people have experienced similar pains and perils, made the same mistakes, or tripped and fell at the same spots you did, doesn’t matter.  Don’t ever let anyone generalize, or belittle your battles because they are yours and the pain is personal.   Of course your true lessons should go deeper than any obvious commitments to just make better choices.  Beyond your choice to choose more wisely, you should also feel a new strength of purpose within yourself.  You’ve faced your fears, or maybe you’re still facing them, but that’s what makes you better for your battles; you are still pressing forward.

This time of year April Matthews and her oldest daughters, Naomi and Kiley, become a little more visible as they ring the doorbell of hundreds of Morgan homes delivering the long standing tradition of Samoas and Thin Mints.  

Do you have plans for Memorial Day weekend? If you don’t, then you’re in luck. And if you do, you may want to reconsider spending some time at one of northern Utah’s most spectacular community events.

There are new items in the Morgan County Library display case, it’s Morgan High School Student Art. This colorful variety of art work will be displayed throughout the month of March. The students participating in this art display range from 10th to 12th grade.

Have you ever had a day when everything seemed to go your way?  When you see a penny do you pick it up hoping all the day you’ll have good luck?  If you have, you’re not the only lucky dog in town.  Many would be wishers, down on their luck are always on the lookout for the next lucky charm to change their lives.  From handshakes and hairdo-dos to superstitious routines and voodoos, they want to try and get the edge on their competition and hopefully their lives.  They live and die by luck.  They believe that being lucky is the only way out of their dire straits, and to get ahead and be happy in this hard luck world.

Carla was born in Mesa, Arizona and her family moved so she went to different schools and colleges but she has spent considerable time in Utah over the years. Her husband, Gregory, was a school superintendent, and they moved a lot in that capacity.  Greg is now the superintendent of a charter school in Kaysville after many years of serving in the public schools.

Wanda was born in Kaysville, graduated from Davis High and served a LDS mission in Scotland.  Rob was born in Renton, WA and then his family lived in Fresno, Ca.  He moved to Mountain Green when his mother Shirley married Wayne Wilkinson.  He attended Morgan schools and served an LDS mission in Uruguay. 

On Sunday, March 4, a Court of Honor will be held for Braxton N. Bingham to award him the Eagle Scout Award.

I know I have written a few times about the 1940 census, but here I go again.  We are only a little over a month from the release of the census.  If you have not signed up to index I encourage you to do so.  

A mark of progress and care for our U.S. Soldiers and Veterans again came to light as the official dedication of the Salt Lake Fisher House opened its doors Feb. 29 for the public to view in the ribbon cutting ceremony for this new facility. The Fisher House will be a huge benefit to any military and their family who have to travel a distance from the 5 states the VA hospital encompasses. (Including Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Nevada, and Idaho).

If being involved in something for 72 years makes you an expert, then Josephine Clark would definitely be an expert in 4-H!  She is one of the many people in our community that has helped shape 4-H in Morgan County. Josephine’s 4-H experiences have ranged from being a member, a leader, and a mother of 10 children who were very involved. 

The annual Morgan Lions Basketball Tournament will be held, Friday, March 9 and Saturday, March 10 at the Morgan Middle School Gym. The games will start at 4:30 p.m.

The Sons of the Utah Pioneers have placed the Early Morgan Pioneer Monument in the Morgan City Park.  In the last two years Charles Sreeve Peterson, George Washington Taggart, Thomas Jefferson Thurston and Sanford Porter have been recognized.  This year we are adding two additional names to the monument.  

Bowling: The Morgan Stars had a great time competing in the Snowball Classic Winter Games.  Throughout the Month of January, our athletes had an opportunity to compete in singles, doubles, team, and unified team tournaments.  The athletes won a lot of medals, forged new friendships, and most importantly, had a lot of fun!   We would like to extend a special thanks to all of our parents, families, and especially our amazing Coaches, Keith Orton, Misty Spendlove, and Dennis Peterson.  Thanks to the coaches for donating so much time, talent, skill, and patience.  It was amazing to watch the athletes as they learned new skills and accomplished so much.

Morgan’s Relay for Life, “The Magic of Relay” kick-off  will be held Monday, March 12 at Parkside Lanes, 200 East 125 North, from 6-8 p.m.

Who doesn’t love a good game of bowling? Ever since Parkside Bowling Lanes opened in 1964, bowling has become one of Morgan’s favorite recreational fun spots!

Skyler Prochnow, son of Brian and Cheryl Prochnow recently graduated from basic training. 

This month Christians and other Deity devoted denominations began celebrating Lent.  Traditionally, Lent is the forty days before Easter.  It is symbolic of the Biblical account of Jesus’ journey into the wilderness to fast and pray for forty days in preparation for His temptations by the Devil, His suffering in the garden of Gethsemane, His cruel crucifixion and His exalted resurrection; which also leads us to the celebration we know as Easter.  During Lent a person will choose to give up something of significant value in their lives--or something that may not really be valuable, but which a person has placed a value on.  It is a personal and usually private sacrifice not only to increase piety, but to remind oneself that to truly live a more excellent life there are things that must be chosen to be left behind to achieve it--bad habits, sweets, laziness, poisonous people, places and patterns that are unhealthy and unworthy of our time and energy.  They choose to sacrifice them, at least for forty days, so they can excel and learn to live a better, healthier, and happier life.