For Shawn, that philosophy grew from a lifelong love of nature, gardening, and the outdoors. Before becoming a florist, she spent several years in North Idaho running a landscape design and installation company. Her work with gardens and natural landscapes eventually led clients to ask her to create floral arrangements. Though she was a self-taught florist at the time, Shawn decided to give it a try.

“I had no idea what I was doing. I hope this works,” she recalled.

What began as floral design in a basement and garage eventually grew into a retail flower shop. Seven years ago, Shawn moved the business to Midway, drawn to the town’s charm and the feeling that it was the right place for her brand. Today, Flower Bar Co. has become a destination for locals and visitors alike, welcoming people who come to Midway for day trips, weekend getaways, and lunch.

Flowers Made Personal

One of the things that sets Flower Bar Co. apart is its fresh stem bar, where customers can choose individual flowers and create their own bouquets. For those who would rather leave the designing to someone else, the staff can create an arrangement for them.

The concept reflects Shawn’s belief that flowers should be accessible to everyone. A customer does not need to know the rules of floral design or have a special occasion to walk through the door.

“Anyone can come in, and flowers are accessible to them,” Shawn said.

That same philosophy extends throughout the business. Flower Bar Co. offers everyday floral arrangements and local delivery, plus expert designs for weddings, private events, sympathy needs, holiday decorating, pop-ups, and flower subscriptions. The shop also carries plants and offers workshops and classes where customers can learn to create their own arrangements.

Shawn’s approach to floral design is rooted in her background in landscaping. Rather than forcing flowers into rigid arrangements, she allows them to display their natural shapes and growth patterns. A drooping garden rose, or a fallen petal, is not necessarily something to fix. It can be part of the beauty.

“I kind of like the imperfection of it, honestly,” she said.

That natural approach gives the arrangements at Flower Bar Co. an organic, nature-inspired aesthetic. Each flower is allowed to show its own character rather than being forced into perfection.

Growing a Community

For Shawn, however, the most important part of Flower Bar Co. is not necessarily the flowers. It is the people who walk through the door.

Over time, customers have become neighbors and friends. Shawn encourages her employees to build those relationships, and tells them, “You don’t have to know everything there is about flower design, but I do need you to remember our clients’ names, their dogs’ names.”

That emphasis on connection carries into the shop’s workshops. Rather than worrying about creating a perfect arrangement, customers are encouraged to experiment and enjoy the process.

“No, you can’t mess this up,” is part of the message Shawn wants her students to hear.

For Shawn, watching someone gain confidence through creativity is one of the most rewarding parts of owning the business. Whether a customer creates a small bouquet or Flower Bar Co. designs flowers for a large wedding, she wants every experience to feel thoughtful and personal.

The shop offers arrangements at a variety of price points, from $25 bouquets to large-scale wedding and event arrangements. No matter the size of the order, Shawn strives to create a curated experience that feels personal rather than mass-produced.

Putting Beauty Into the World

Flowers have allowed Shawn to become part of some of life’s most meaningful moments, from celebrations and weddings to times of grief and remembrance. Being invited into those moments is something she does not take lightly.

“The opportunity to feel this connection with people’s lives is very, very special to me,” she said.

Shawn describes Flower Bar Co. as a vehicle for joy. Her goal is to put beauty into the world and help people feel uplifted by it. That purpose is reflected in everything from the flowers selected for the shop to the relationships built with customers.

The shop’s subscriptions offer another way for people to bring that feeling into their everyday lives. Customers can sign up for weekly or biweekly flower subscriptions, while the shop’s “man-scriptions” offer personalized subscriptions designed to help customers remember important dates, such as birthdays and anniversaries.

For someone visiting Flower Bar Co. for the first time, Shawn recommends starting with the fresh stem bar. Visitors can see and smell the flowers, discover what is in season, and build a bouquet of their own or let the staff create one for them.

The shop’s popular classes and workshops teach floral design and build creative confidence.

As the seasons change, so do the flowers, giving customers a reason to return and discover something new.

At Flower Bar Co., beauty is not only reserved for weddings or other major celebrations. It can be found in a bouquet made for a friend, a workshop shared with someone else, or a handful of seasonal flowers chosen simply because they caught your eye.

For Shawn, that is the heart of the business. Flower Bar Co. is a place where anyone can walk in, make something beautiful, and take a little of that beauty with them.

flowerbarco.co

So, what is an alpaca? A lot of people will be more familiar with their cousins, the llama. Similarly hailing from South America, alpacas are a smaller, softer variety of camelid, a super fun word that essentially means related to camels; both herd animals were domesticated for their fiber. However, alpaca fiber is far softer than their larger cousins. Corinna explains that alpacas are prey animals, so they tend to be cautious and may run if they feel threatened. At the same time, they’re naturally curious, and once they feel comfortable, they’re often eager to approach visitors and investigate their new surroundings. It’s recommended that you move slowly around them, especially if you don’t want to get spit at.

Corinna moved to Heber Valley in 2002 and started raising alpacas in 2015, she explains, “I got alpacas just because I love animals and I wanted animals to be part of my life, but I also wanted them to have a purpose. And I didn’t want to have it be meat,” she continues, “they seemed like a good fit because they’re creating something valuable.” She showed me her little shop where she sells all kinds of goods made from alpaca fiber: hats, socks, and even yarn. Wasatch Back Alpacas will typically shear the herd once a year. Corinna recounts her most recent shearing, “I have a crew come in. They have all the equipment and go from farm to farm across the United States. They can get it all done in like six hours.” She sends the fiber to Crooked Fence Mill in Logan, Utah, where it is transformed from its raw fleece into beautifully spun yarn. Alpaca fiber is incredibly plush, softer than wool, and it’s hypoallergenic; even someone with the most sensitive skin would love it. Alpaca is often compared to cashmere in softness. Don’t just take my word for it, come down and pet the alpacas for yourself.

Wasatch Back Alpacas has been offering farm tours for a few years. Corinna got the idea when a friend suggested they do a Christmas event: “It was fun. We had cookies and hot chocolate, and then people would come through to see Santa and get a candy cane. The store was all done up, and so I thought, well, that was fun. So we started doing it every year.” The alpaca community is a close-knit one (pun intended). When a friend in southern Utah told Corinna how successful farm tours had become, she decided to offer the experience in Heber Valley. She initially promoted the tours through connections with the Heber Valley Chamber of Commerce, and word quickly spread.

Today, Corinna offers tours on weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to noon and on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. All tours must be booked in advance through her website, wasatchbackalpacas.com, where visitors can find tour options, pricing, and availability.

Each tour typically begins in the barn, where guests are introduced to the alpacas. Visitors are invited to pet them, hand-feed them, and feel their incredibly soft, plush fleece. Corinna also encourages guests to take the alpacas for a walk and capture plenty of photos along the way.

Because this is a working farm, visitors should come prepared. Closed-toe shoes are essential, and long pants make walking through the grassy pastures much more comfortable. Most importantly, come ready to relax, laugh, and enjoy spending time with these gentle, curious animals.

I asked Corinna what she loved most about alpacas. I expected something like my favorite thing, their long necks and tiny heads; however, I loved her answer even more: “I love their personalities. I have my favorites.” She points to a black-and-white woolly alpaca named Black Diamond, “She’s one of my favorites.” Black Diamond is the matriarch of the herd; she’s 19 years old, which is pretty old for an alpaca. Corinna muses about her favorites, “There’s some who are just really kind of friendly and personal, and she [Black Diamond] will put her head on my chest.” It turns out alpacas are just as soft on the inside as they are on the outside. As my tour came to an end, I asked Corinna how visitors have responded to the experience.

“Most of them feel like they’ve learned something,” she said, “and have enjoyed interacting with the animals, feeding them, and taking them for a walk.”

Judging by the glowing reviews—and the number of repeat visitors—it’s clear she’s succeeded. Guests leave Wasatch Back Alpacas with smiles, new appreciation for these gentle animals, and memories they’ll treasure. I left feeling much the same: warm, content, and comforted, much like wrapping up in a cozy alpaca sweater.

wasatchbackalpacas.com

Named for owner Georgina Peña and the shop’s address, GEORGIE / 45 Center Gallery opened in September 2025 and is the vision of mother-daughter team Teri and Georgina Peña. Together, they created a space that blends fashion, art, craftsmanship, and hospitality into something far more meaningful than a typical shopping experience.

Teri oversees the gallery side of the business, drawing from decades of artistic experience across painting, architecture, and design. Georgina, a seasoned stylist, curates the boutique’s clothing, perfume, jewelry, bags, and accessories with a sharp eye for quality and storytelling.

The Peña family’s journey to Utah began more than a decade ago as family members relocated one by one from Greenville, South Carolina, New York City, and Los Angeles before eventually settling in Midway. Teri had long dreamed of opening a gallery—and perhaps a boutique someday. Over time, the vision evolved naturally, especially as Georgina built a successful career in fashion, including four years as head stylist at Backcountry.

Once they committed to opening the business, the entire family pitched in. Parents, daughters, spouses, and grandchildren all contributed time, talent, and energy to restoring the historic home that now houses the shop. Georgina describes the project as a “true family affair,” explaining, “We are obsessed with each other!”

Restoring the building became deeply personal. Together, the family renovated the home from top to bottom, building custom shelving, repainting interiors, and furnishing the space with antique hardwood pieces sourced throughout Utah. Georgina says they felt “a lot of responsibility restoring this historic home in this historic town,” adding that the building itself helps connect them to the community.

Their goal was to create a “real shopping experience”—one centered on meaningful, lasting pieces rather than fast fashion or rushed consumerism. They want customers to feel “comfortable, special, wanted, and just good” while visiting the shop. Georgina believes quality clothing and craftsmanship can genuinely affect how people feel about themselves.

Her understanding of fashion’s emotional power began with a memory of her father, Jorge. While thrift shopping together years ago, Georgina picked out a coat for him to try on. She still remembers how his posture changed the moment he put it on—the confidence and joy written all over his face. That moment sparked her desire to help others experience the same feeling.

After high school, Georgina moved to New York City and pursued fashion head-on, applying relentlessly until she secured an internship that launched her career. She later completed a styling course at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin, Ireland, and worked with celebrity and commercial styling teams for brands and artists including Yves Saint Laurent, Lindsey Stirling, Shaun White, and Jackson Willard.

That experience shaped the vision behind GEORGIE. The boutique carries brands rarely found outside major metropolitan markets or Europe, including Il Bisonte, Kestin, Penelope Chilvers, and Joseph Cheaney & Sons. The pieces feel timeless, elevated, and intentionally selected rather than trend-driven.

When choosing brands, Georgina looks for exceptional craftsmanship, authenticity, and a strong creative identity. She prioritizes items made to last—both in quality and style—and values exclusivity over mass production. Staying committed to that vision can be difficult in an industry driven by cheaper alternatives and fast-changing trends, but she believes the lasting impact of well-made pieces is worth it.

The boutique and gallery feel seamlessly intertwined. Fine art hangs naturally throughout the space rather than being isolated in formal displays, creating an environment where fashion and art complement one another.

Many of the works featured are Teri’s own bold abstract-expressionist paintings. Art has always been part of her life; she says simply, “It runs in the family.” Her family history includes artists and architects on both sides of the Atlantic, and her background spans painting, architecture, and design.

Teri’s work is also represented locally at Trove Gallery in Park City, and she maintains relationships with galleries back east as well. Alongside her own pieces, 45 Center Gallery showcases a thoughtfully curated group of artists from Utah and the East Coast working in painting, photography, jewelry, and mixed media. Featured artists include Naha Marelez, Diane Kilgore-Condon, Katie Walker, Grey Flint, Paul Flint, Paulina Peña, Kevin Kehoe, Dancing Blue Stone Jewelry, and Scott Whittaker.

Part of what makes GEORGIE / 45 Center Gallery memorable is the atmosphere Teri and Georgina have created. Visitors aren’t treated like customers moving through a transaction—they’re welcomed like guests into a home.

I first discovered the shop while Christmas shopping shortly after it opened. I walked in pushing a stroller, unsure how a baby would fit into a boutique-gallery environment, but was immediately welcomed inside. Teri even offered to watch my daughter while I explored the space, sampled perfume, and picked out gifts—including a beautiful coin purse I love. The warmth and ease of the experience made the shop feel genuinely inviting, and months later, sitting down with Teri and Georgina for an interview felt no different.

The pair say they continue to inspire and balance one another creatively. Georgina laughs when describing their partnership: “We laugh together, we inspire one another—we are very balanced.”

Their next chapter is launching an online store to expand the experience beyond Midway while staying true to the intentional, personal feel that defines the shop.

Whether you’re searching for a standout wardrobe piece, meaningful artwork, a thoughtful gift, or simply an inspiring place to wander, GEORGIE / 45 Center Gallery offers something increasingly rare: beauty, craftsmanship, and connection all under one historic roof.

Visit Georgie + 45 Center Gallery

45 N Center St, Midway georgie-atelier.com

Storge — the love and support between parent and child

After more than 20 years as a graphic designer in the fashion industry, Kelly Coleman moved to Heber City ready for a slower pace and a new career in real estate. The move also opened the door to something unexpected: horses.

“I’ve always loved horses from a distance,” Kelly said. That changed after a birthday trail ride at Sundance, when her daughter Tatum announced, “I want my own horse.”

Kelly had no idea where to begin until a chance conversation with Kathy Carr in Smith’s grocery store led her to 4-H. Through the program, Tatum was introduced to horses, riding practices, and a welcoming equestrian community.

“Everyone was super gracious,” Kelly said. “They let Tatum ride their horses. It did absolute wonders for her. Her confidence and joy just blossomed.”

As Tatum became more involved, it became clear she needed a horse of her own. Kathy connected Kelly with Debra West, founder of Liberty Sanctuary, a nonprofit that rescues and rehabilitates horses. While Debra initially explained that most of the rescue horses were not suitable for a young rider, she soon called back with another idea: her own horse, Max.

“He’s a true gentleman,” Debra said. “He takes care of every rider.”

The connection between Max and Tatum was immediate. Debra allowed Tatum to ride and care for him, boarding him at a local farm where Tatum helped with daily chores to offset costs. Every weekday, regardless of weather, Tatum fed horses, cleaned stalls, and spent time with Max.

“She takes such pride in it,” Kelly said. “Max is a real priority for her. They have the most beautiful connection.”

Philia — friendship and trust

For Debra West, Liberty Sanctuary is about more than rescuing horses. It’s about teaching horsemanship, responsibility, and connection.

“When Tatum first came to the property, the bond between her and Max was evident,” Debra said. “Together with Kelly’s support, they were meant to be.”

As Tatum’s dedication became clear, Debra considered selling Max to her through a payment plan. But after seeing videos of Tatum working with Max using liberty training—building trust without ropes or bridles—Debra changed her mind.

“She was doing it instinctively,” Debra explained. “They were what we’d call a bonded pair.”

Instead of selling Max, Debra decided to gift him to Tatum. Local Liberty Sanctuary sponsors stepped in to help support his long-term care. Redmond Equine and Harward Farms donated hay and feed, while Knotty Girlz provided riding gear.

“This wasn’t just an animal to Tatum,” Debra said emotionally. “Max became part of her, and vice versa. I had no intention of separating them.”

Though Max was one of the best horses Debra had ever owned, she knew the right decision was to let him go.

“It’s Tatum’s heart that drives all of this,” she said. “I know she won’t let that horse down.”

Omofrosini — being of one mind

Today, Max, Tatum, Kelly, and Debra all seem united by the same purpose and love.

Kelly says the move to Heber and involvement with horses transformed her daughter’s life. “Tatum struggled with anxiety before we moved,” she shared. “Working with horses, 4-H, and the support from this community has been life-changing.”

Debra agrees that the relationship has benefited Max as much as Tatum. “The way Tatum works with him has made him healthier and happier,” she said.

Tatum lights up when talking about Max and 4-H. “It’s not just riding,” she explained. “You learn body language, how to care for horses, and how to bond with them.”

She’s also found lasting friendships through the program. “It’s great if you want to have fun and learn things you wouldn’t know otherwise,” she said.

Kelly now encourages other families to get involved in 4-H as well. “A year and a half ago, I was such a fish out of water,” she laughed. “Now I get to help someone else the way people helped me.”

One local equestrian summed it up best: “4-H at its heart is about community. It’s talented and passionate people welcoming others in and sharing that space with them.”

That spirit of generosity is what made Tatum and Max’s story possible—from a stranger striking up a conversation in a grocery store, to a nonprofit founder entrusting her beloved horse to a young girl who earned that trust through patience, dedication, and love.

Maybe the Greeks were right to give love many names. But at Liberty Sanctuary, watching Tatum and Max together, all those forms of love feel connected: people opening their lives to one another and creating something beautiful in the process.

Learn more about Liberty Sanctuary:
libertysanctuary.org

Jeff’s first career was not as a lavender farmer. He and his family—Jeff, his wife Sarah, and their five children—moved around the country and the world throughout his extensive career in the consumer products industry. He worked as a C-suite executive for recognizable companies, including Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson. His career gave them the opportunity to live in several cities across the U.S. and abroad.

During their time in Australia, they would rent a home in Midway each summer while visiting family in Utah. As retirement approached and they began deciding where to put down roots, Midway felt like a natural choice. They’ve called it home since 2009. They first lived in the Valais neighborhood and eventually purchased the five-acre property where they live now.

From my experience with retirees (read: my pilot father), the idea of spending the rest of your days in leisure doesn’t hold much appeal. Jeff seems to fall squarely into that category. He jokes, “I needed something to keep me out of trouble.” The result is Lonehawk Lavender—Midway’s very own bona fide lavender farm, nestled in the foothills near Soldier Hollow. It’s an extraordinary place to wander between rows of lavender, listening to the buzz of fuzzy bees, and to pick up locally produced lavender goods. Using a still purchased from a company in Oregon, they distill their own lavender essential oil on site.

The farm is primarily Jeff’s project. His wife, Sarah, spends much of her time traveling to visit their children and grandchildren, who are scattered across the country. Jeff has carefully thought through every detail—from the logo to the soil itself. The farm is terraced in tiers that wrap around the property, and the Strongs’ home is surrounded by lavender plants as well as a variety of stunning evergreen trees (another of Jeff’s agricultural ambitions, though that’s a story for another time).

Their home is beautiful and sprawling, with large, strategically placed windows that capture the best views of the property and surrounding mountains. There’s a pond, stocked with a self-sustaining supply of trout, and a newly constructed barn where they’ll process lavender for its many uses; it will also house the farm’s gift shop.

As I walk the farm, it’s a brooding, rainy early April day. The plants, trimmed back at the end of last season, are just beginning to wake for spring. Tiny, soft green leaves peek out if you look closely. At this stage, before their signature purple bloom, they bear a striking resemblance to sagebrush—the hardy native shrub that dots Utah’s landscape. They appear rugged, sturdy, and shrub-like.

Lavender’s similarity to sagebrush is part of what appealed to Jeff as he considered what to plant. He had been leasing the land for alfalfa but wanted to grow something with a broader appeal. He had four main criteria:

1. Something that would be hard work—but not too hard—so it could remain a hobby.
2. Something that would beautify the land.
3. Something with practical use and redeeming value.
4. Something that could produce value and profit.

Check, check, check, and check. As Jeff puts it, “[I chose lavender] because, once established, it’s hardy. These plants are hard to kill.” Lavender’s ability to thrive in Midway’s mountain climate, combined with its beauty (and unmistakable scent) and versatility, made it the perfect fit.

Jeff planted his first crop in 2023—1,600 plants across eight different varieties—from an organic farm outside Grand Junction, Colorado, called Sage Creations. Fitting all 1,600 plants into a Honda Ridgeline proved to be a bit of a challenge, but in true can-do fashion, he made it work. “They were just stacked everywhere!” he recalls. One can only imagine the wonderfully overwhelming scent.

The next challenge was getting them all into the ground. Jeff had just three days to plant everything and quickly realized he couldn’t do it alone. He reached out to friends, and a small army—his saving grace—showed up. Together, they planted every last one in a single evening. To speed things along, one person drilled holes with an auger while another followed behind, placing each plant.

That first year, he lost about 400 plants, largely due to irrigation and drainage issues. “[Lavender] needs very little water,” Jeff explains. “Learning that balance was hard.” Then came another challenge—one familiar to anyone with a yard. After the snow melted, he noticed small mounds of dirt running alongside his carefully planted rows. Voles had tunneled in and chewed the lavender plants down to nubs.

Three years in, Jeff is still learning and adapting. He’s working to “crack the code” on what the community wants—a process he knows will come with time and experience. With the still used to produce oil on site, he jokes, “If lavender doesn’t take off, we can always try our hand at whiskey!” In reality, much of that “code” lies in choosing which varieties—and how many—to grow. “There are hundreds of varieties,” he says, making selection a science.

Each variety serves a different purpose. Grosso—what he calls the farm’s “bread and butter”—is ideal for oil production. ‘Riverina Thomas,’ known for its massive blooms and long stems, is stunning for display. ‘Miss Katherine,’ a soft silvery pink, works beautifully for both essential oils and culinary use.

So why take on something this demanding in retirement? For Jeff, the answer is simple—and it’s also his favorite part. He loves watching people “get lost here.” As he puts it, “In our crazy, fast-paced, overstimulated, overcommitted world…nature and beautiful things make us feel better.” He wants people to “bring your heart and your brain to this beautiful place”—to experience the colors, fragrance, and calm. Visitors are free to wander, pick up a sickle, and cut their own bundle of lavender.

This season, Lonehawk Lavender’s new barn will expand production of dried bouquets, sachets, hydrosol, wreaths, and other lavender goods. The cozy farm shop will also feature products from other local makers. Jeff hopes the property becomes a gathering place for the community, with plans for a Fourth of July open house during peak bloom, yoga classes beneath the evergreens, and other events throughout the summer.

Take a little piece of calm home.
1233 S Lone Hawk Ln Midway
lonehawklavender.com

What gets lost in that is the human side of it. The people behind the nameplates. The learning curve. The responsibility that follows you home long after a meeting ends.

I recently sat down with Morgan Murdock and Scott Phillips, two people at very different points in their public service journeys. One is stepping into the role. The other is stepping back.

What stood out most was not policy or politics, but how personal the experience has been for both of them.

Stepping Into the Role.

For Morgan Murdock, the early weeks on Heber City Council have reinforced something he believed going in.

“The job isn’t about having all the answers,” he said. “It’s about how you show up.”

Murdock often talks about collaboration, not as a buzzword, but as something he sees as essential.

“I’m not an expert on every issue,” he explained. “But I really believe in bringing people together. The mayor, the council, city staff, the county, and neighboring communities. That’s how progress actually happens.”

That approach stood out during the council’s recent strategic retreat, where members worked to identify shared priorities and focus their efforts.

“It was exciting to sit down and say, okay, what really matters right now, and how do we move things forward,” he said.

At the same time, Murdock has been honest about the learning curve.

“It can feel like a firehose,” he admitted. “There are issues I’m still learning, and when you’re not fully prepared yet, that can make anyone uneasy.”

Rather than avoiding that discomfort, he has leaned into it.

“I’m putting in the time,” he said. “Reading, researching, asking questions. I want to be ready for those discussions.”

The Part People Do Not See.

There are aspects of Murdock’s life that residents would never learn from a campaign sign or brief biography.

While living in Hawaii, he once sailed from San Diego to the islands with his father and a small crew. It was a weeks-long trip across the open ocean with no land in sight.

“It was one of those experiences that stays with you,” he said. “You learn patience. You learn trust. And you learn pretty quickly how small you really are.”

He still speaks fondly of the time he and his wife lived in Hawaii, where they went to school and started their family. He has also spent more than three decades snowboarding in Park City.

Those experiences, he says, help keep him grounded.

When asked what he hopes someone feels after a brief interaction, maybe a quick conversation in the grocery store, his answer came without hesitation.

“I want people to feel like they were heard,” he said. “That they matter. That this is still a small town, even though it’s growing.”

He paused before adding, “It’s humbling. I don’t feel like I have all the answers. I feel honored to be there and to represent people.”

Looking Back.

Scott Phillips reflects on his time on City Council with the clarity that comes from experience.

One of the most demanding parts of the job, he said, was public engagement.

“What surprised me was how very smart people could hear the same message and walk away with completely different opinions,” he said. “That was really tiring at times.”

At the same time, those interactions were also the most rewarding.

“Dealing with the public was actually the best part,” Phillips said. “Understanding the why behind people’s concerns mattered to me.”

There were moments when the responsibility of the role became especially clear.

“One of the hardest issues we dealt with was ranked choice voting,” he said. “That’s when the weight of what we were doing really hit me.”

Lessons From the Campaign.

Phillips says his mayoral campaign offered a reminder of what drew him to public service in the first place.

“Knocking doors was my favorite part,” he said. “I loved it when people asked questions, even when they were challenging. I would much rather have that engagement than none at all.”

Those conversations helped reconnect him with the community beyond the council chamber.

“It brought me back to the people,” he said. “That’s why I ran.”

Away from city hall, Phillips shared something many residents might not know.

“I played college hockey,” he said with a laugh. “I started at Colorado State and later played at BYU before I got injured.”

When asked what he would tell himself before his first council meeting four years ago, his answer was thoughtful.

“I would say this is going to be hard,” he said. “Not just because of the issues, but because leadership is about working on who you are, not just trying to influence others.”

Different Chapters, Shared Commitment.

Murdock and Phillips find themselves at very different stages of public service.

One is just beginning. The other is reflecting on lessons learned.

Yet both describe the same underlying truth.

Local leadership is not about certainty or recognition. It is about listening when conversations are uncomfortable, showing up when the work is quiet, and caring enough about your community to keep trying.

In a town that continues to grow and change, those efforts often go unnoticed. But they matter.

The Small Town Girl

There’s a favorite fictional trope many of us have read before: A small town girl dreams of getting out of her hometown and making her way in the big, wide world, never to return. Tragedy strikes, and she’s forced back to her hometown, where, eventually, she learns valuable life lessons and appreciates the town that raised her. Fiction isn’t always aligned with real life, but that’s almost the story of Lindsay Flanagan.

Lindsay grew up a Clyde, part of one of Heber City’s founding families, raised on stories of her grandfather and father riding into the mountains to run cattle like “Wild West” cowboys. But she dreamed of seeing the world and becoming a writer. At eighteen, she left Heber—never planning to return. She stayed close, attending college in Utah County, yet it felt far from her mountain home. After marrying her husband, Shawn Flanagan, she planned to pursue a PhD at Penn State to become a literary professor. Instead, life led her to pursue studies in English and Creative Writing, earning a Bachelor of Arts in English and Literature and a Master of Arts in English and Creative Writing, where she realized fiction and beautiful prose had always been her true love.

While working for Eschler Editing, a Utah-based editing firm, Lindsay’s father was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a terminal diagnosis. Her plan to never return to Heber melted away, and Lindsay, Shawn, and their two young girls moved back to the mountains, and to have four more years with her dad.

As it turned out, she didn’t have to leave Heber to be a writer. After her dad’s passing, her family stayed, and in 2020, Lindsay signed on with a literary agent who led her to Roan & Weatherford Publishing and its founder, Casey Cowan.

The Western-at-Heart Boy

Casey Cowan knew he wanted to be a writer from the moment his parents put a Hardy Boys book in his hands at age seven. Unfortunately, they also told him to stop dreaming and “go do something real—you’re never going to get published.” Fiction became something he did in the closet, shared with no one until, in the aftermath of a devastating divorce, he joined the Northwest Arkansas Writers’ Workshop. Founded in the 1980s and run by legendary Western author Dusty Richards and his writing partner, Velda Brotherton, it became the place where Casey found a supportive community and learned the craft of writing.

He also learned more about the business of publishing, including what wasn’t working in the industry—particularly for talented but “small-name” authors. The life of a real author didn’t look like the Hollywood Stephen King version. Most authors saw very little support. In the workshop, Casey, a voracious reader all his life, sat alongside some of the best writers he’d ever encountered, yet they struggled to find the resources needed to get their books into the world.

Joining with other members of the workshop, Casey formed a group to solve those problems and lift up other authors. What began as a marketing group—helping with branding, editing, and cover design—quickly grew into a publishing company. One of their first authors was Dusty Richards from the workshop, and Western historical novels became their bread-and-butter genre. As they grew, they added new imprints, remained as author-centric as possible, and became what Casey proudly called a “scrappy community alternative” to the larger New York publishing houses: small-town in spirit, but an international press.

The Professional Meet-Cute

Roan & Weatherford Publishing took on Lindsay’s debut novel, Anna Grey and the Constellation, a middle-grade fantasy about a girl and her horse, and invited Lindsay to attend an author-publisher retreat in Arkansas. At the retreat, in an overwhelmingly personal approach to publishing, not typical for the industry, Lindsay met Casey, the president of Roan & Weatherford.

Upon hearing that Lindsay was an editor at Eschler Editing, he invited her to edit for Roan & Weatherford. She declined, but Casey didn’t give up. The next time he saw her in person, he tweaked his offer: What about being a publisher instead?

This time, Lindsay said yes. She partnered with her fellow Eschler Editing editor, Sabine Berlin, as co-publisher, and together they took on the young adult imprint Mad Cat, along with Radiance, which focuses on romance and women-centric fiction.

The Hometown and the Western Roots

Bringing on Lindsay and Sabine made the company’s growth–and its ability to expand enough to open the satellite office in Heber–possible. “Lindsay and Sabine are willing to take the bull by the horns and actually go out and do their part of ownership in running the business,” Casey said, which gives him the ability to turn his attention to other parts of the business, leaving their work in their capable hands.

With Lindsay as a partner and Vice President, and the Utah team growing, it made sense to open a satellite office in Heber City. Announced in January 2026, the Heber City office currently includes Lindsay, Sabine, and Janay Thornton as publisher for Dragonbrae, the science fiction and fantasy imprint, and two members of their marketing team, Alan Smith and Staci Gonzalez. The Heber team will launch a YouTube channel this spring, called West of the Page, where they’ll share the stories behind the stories they publish.

Lindsay stands a bit in awe of her story, which is almost like fiction. She’s now been back in Heber for a decade. “I’m kind of going back to my Western upbringing, and I’m with this publisher who has Western roots as well. . . I really feel like it almost couldn’t have happened in a better way.”

In April, Roan & Weatherford will release two Western crime anthologies—Rough Country and Hard Country—each featuring twelve New York Times bestselling authors. Proceeds from both volumes will benefit the U.S. Marshals Survivors Benefit Fund. The company plans to follow them in 2027 with another charity-focused anthology, one especially close to Lindsay’s heart. That volume will support the Heber City–based Horse of Many Colors Cancer Foundation, which helped her father during his battle with cancer. “I wanted to honor what they’re doing—honor my dad, honor my childhood—and also… tell some good stories.”

She’s proud to tell people that Roan & Weatherford’s satellite office is in her hometown. “This is going to sound super sappy, but I didn’t think my dreams could come true in this town, and all of a sudden, I’m like, ‘Wait a minute. They’re here. I’m making them in my little town.’”

roanweatherford.com
youtube.com/@WestofthePage

Ten years ago, a truly unforgettable funeral occurred in Park City. It feels wrong to describe the life that was cut short by a head injury as “promising” because that implies that there was potential Sam hadn’t yet measured up to. I’m sure there was, but everyone who knew Sam Jackenthal will use different words. His father, Ron, described him to me with an actual twinkle in his eye: “A bundle of bright light and positive energy. Just an infectious personality.” His memorial service, held at the Utah Olympic Park, immediately rippled outward into the assembled community. Sam had that kind of effect on people. Ron explained, “Wherever anyone met him, they would remember it. He was a larger-than-life personality.”

Even that feels like an understatement to me. When your peers are paying tribute to your memory by performing aeriels off of ski jumps into a pool while fireworks fill the air, I reckon you’ve managed to fit more living into 16 years than most people can into decades. A life that vibrant has real power to unite people, and it wasn’t long until the words “Fly Sam, fly!” appeared on tunnel walls in spray paint. Another slogan soon followed, an admonition from his many friends: “Live like Sam.”

Live Like Sam is, in addition to a memorial slogan, the premier youth mental health and development nonprofit currently operating in Summit and Wasatch Counties. The Park City-based foundation currently provides more than $500,000 worth of free counseling and mental health services to youth in communities throughout the region each year. It was born from the donations and initiatives that grew out of the community in the wake of Sam’s passing.

“For the first five years, we didn’t have a foundation; we had a fund where people could give money, and we would donate it to other nonprofits that helped kids. Character development scholarships and things like that,” Ron said. Today, Live Like Sam sits at the center of an entire network of nonprofit groups all dedicated to improving the future of Utah’s youth by helping them navigate crises and the challenges of everyday life.

After spending significant time processing his own trauma and loss, Ron began working with organizations that support grieving parents across the country. What he saw inspired the modern foundation: “I saw a pattern pretty rapidly, where 80% of the teens dying around the country were dying of overdose or suicide.”
He explained, “It sparked a look into the full-blown mental health crisis here in Utah. Suicide is the second leading cause of teen death in Utah. Close to three-quarters of kids in school districts along the Wasatch back are clinically depressed. Nearly 50% need some sort of clinical intervention.” Ron and his associates had found a massive crack in society, and with the help of a community eager to contribute, Live Like Sam was poised to help fill it.

Jessica Parker, the foundation’s programming director, and resident of Heber Valley, is currently in charge of running wellness and life success programs for all ages. Jessica has more than risen to the challenges the foundation faces. She originally came to Utah to be a ski instructor, but her background working with nonprofits soon led to a serendipitous meeting with the Jackenthals, and she has been working tirelessly ever since to spread the message of Sam’s unique life.

“All of our programming is designed to fill different cracks people might fall into. We have Sages and Seekers for connecting kids to trusted adult mentors in their lives. There’s our Digital Wellness Program for healthier habits with technology. Thrive teaches wellbeing skills. Challenge Accepted is all about stepping outside of your comfort zone to find friends and try new things.
All of these programs have stemmed from conversations in the community, talking to teachers and students we work with,” she tells me. “People reach out to us wanting to get involved. We get coffee, we have conversations, we put our finger on the pulse of the community. We’re trying to speak to youth; lift them up, give them purpose, give them leadership.”

And the youth do lead. High school students organize and volunteer for elementary school programs. A local 6-year-old, himself an adopted family member, organized a community-wide event for adopted people to connect to each other and share their stories. The Thrive program, a free six-week Zoom cohort, provides a $60 research stipend to all children/teens who complete the program, which enables them to easily get into hobbies, clubs, or other programs that will help young people connect with their peers and the broader community.

I didn’t know Sam, and I’m never going to be able to tell you what his favorite dinosaur was, but I can tell you that his legacy is a living, breathing thing that is inspiring and helping people every day. And that’s the sort of thing that inspires you to seize the day and wring some joy and purpose out of it because that’s the best thing any of us can do. Joining other people who feel the same way is what Live Like Sam is all about, and I figure that together we can seize a lot more day than we can by ourselves.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some people I have to go laugh with over a board game. I might cry with them, too, but I think that the little piece of someone irreplaceable we will all be carrying with us would be a little disappointed if that’s all we got up to.

Learn more: livelikesam.org

Her journey into mountain biking started a little unconventionally. “By the time I started high school, my whole family was in the biking scene—except me,” Alexandra says with a laugh. Her parents were ride leaders, her brothers raced in the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA), and she was deep into biathlon. But when the pressure to compete in biathlon outweighed the joy, Alexandra made a pivot. “I didn’t love mountain biking at first either, but the community pulled me in,” she says. Soon, she was riding with varsity girls and climbing her way to the top of the NICA field. The spark had been lit.

That spark turned into a flame during her junior year, thanks to a YouTube video featuring professional cyclist Sofia Villafane. “She was talking about her journey—and it was filmed in Midway,” Alexandra recalls. “I pictured myself in her shoes and thought, ‘I want that.’” With that motivation, she upped her training game and hasn’t looked back.

Now, living and training in Midway full-time, Alexandra credits the move from Los Angeles with leveling up her endurance lifestyle. Between the clean air, epic trail systems, and quiet grind of rural life, Midway offers the perfect backdrop for big dreams.

Family-Powered Ambition

Alexandra’s success isn’t a solo effort. Her dad serves as her coach, her mom is her nutritionist, and her twin brother? He’s her personal photographer. “It’s a unique dynamic,” she says. “But I wouldn’t be here without them.” On race days, that support turns into horsepower. “They’ve sacrificed so much—I carry that with me when I’m racing. It keeps me pushing when things get tough.”

Making a Statement at Leadville

Take the Leadville 100, for example. Despite not being placed in the elite wave (she started 15 minutes behind), Alexandra tore through the course, passing some of the top women in the sport. “My dad was zipping between feed zones on a dirt bike, giving me updates,” she says. “When he told me I was catching riders I’d only seen on TV, something clicked.”

She crossed the line in 17th overall, cementing her status as a future force in the Lifetime Grand Prix. “That race was a turning point. I knew I wanted more of this.”

Looking Ahead—and Lifting Others Up

For Alexandra, winning the U23 Lifetime Grand Prix in 2025 is just one step. “It’s a fast track to the big leagues and a paycheck, sure,” she says. “But my real goal is competing at the highest level—however I can get there.”

She’s already thinking about the future of the sport, and how to make it more accessible. “Support is everything. A lot of young athletes just don’t have the resources to get started,” she explains. “That’s why programs like ENVE’s Gravel Development team are so important.”

ENVE, a leading name in cycling innovation, is bridging the gap between junior racing and the elite off-road circuit with their Gravel Development Program, which aims to offer […] “mentorship, coaching, and resources to help young riders navigate gravel racing today […]”

As a member of ENVE’s program, Alexandra has gained more than gear and race entries. “They’ve helped me build a platform, connect with other riders, and find my voice in the sport,” she says. “They’re inspiring other brands to do the same.”

Mindset of a Champion

Alexandra isn’t just tough—she’s tenacious. After crashing early in the 2024 Unbound 100, she rode through a concussion and chipped tooth just to finish. “I had a goal and I wasn’t going to let it go,” she says. That grit carries through her training days, fueled by chocolate chip pancakes, kombucha, and big dreams.

So what does success look like for someone like Alexandra? “This year: win the U23 series. Long term? Win the Grand Prix and inspire younger riders to believe they belong here, too.”

With a racing style best described in one word—”relentless”—Alexandra Charles is carving her line in the cycling world. And she’s just getting started.

Follow Alexandra’s journey on Instagram and keep your eyes peeled—this local star is heading straight for the elite line. @alexcharles_6 racing

This journey of Joel’s began more than a decade ago, when he picked up a self-help book that advised him to write a heartfelt letter. Fortuitously, he misread the book’s instructions, thinking it said to write a letter of gratitude. Writing a simple letter of gratitude, Joel mused, “I can do that.” He explains, “I decided I was going to write a letter to a business associate of mine who had been very helpful in my golf writing career, and as I sat down to write the letter on my computer, it never occurred to me I would write a second letter.”  What he wasn’t expecting was how good he felt. At the time of our interview, he had written 280 letters of gratitude. Each letter brings an incredible elation not only for the recipient but also for himself.

In a 20031 study on the effects of gratitude and grateful thinking, the data showed that grateful thinking dramatically improves mood and brings about a greater sense of well-being.

Upon making this discovery, Joel wanted to share it with the world, so he created a presentation and wrote Gratitude Tiger. “Most people write a book and then speak. I spoke first, and then decided to write a book,” Joel exclaimed, “[I needed] a book as a calling card… a 160-page business card.” For Joel, the term “motivational speaking” reeks a little too much of a certain van-dwelling character played by Chris Farley on Saturday Night Live; that’s why he coined the term enrichment speaking. “I deliver it with a degree of entertainment and humor and poignancy, but the message is that if you write letters of gratitude, you, the writer, will feel good.” His presentation is titled The Seven Pillars of Expressive Gratitude. Joel has presented his philosophy of gratitude to hundreds of people and offers workshops to help attendees get into a gratitude-centric state of mind.

You can tell how clever Joel is from some of the names he gives to chapters in his book or the names of his workshops. My personal favorite is Thank Tank, Better than a Think Tank. This workshop is all about asking the kinds of questions with no wrong answers that get participants thinking about gratitude in ways they never have before. Joel is very pleased with the reviews for both his book and speaking seminars, “People feel moved when they hear my presentations. The Seven Pillars is funny but also poignant. There are sad moments in it, and a lot of people say I’m gonna write a letter [sic]. I’ll say, ‘Well, hopefully you’ll enjoy the feeling so much, you’ll write a second one’, because when I wrote the first one, it didn’t occur to me that I would write a second one.”

How about the titular tiger hiding in the metaphorical bushes? Most people assume it comes from Joel’s golf background. I personally thought it was about being fiercely grateful. Joel clarified that Tiger (or more appropriately, T.I.G.E.R.) is an acronym that means: Tapping Into Gratitude Engenders Rewards. He further elaborated why it’s so important to be grateful, musing, “a podcast interviewer said to me, ‘you can’t be grateful and angry in the same moment.’ You can’t be grateful and worried at the same time. They can come hot on the heels of each other. But creating a gratitude mindset is helpful for emotional well-being.” T.I.G.E.R is right on the money, neurologically speaking. The same regions that light up the brain’s reward centers fire off like crazy when it comes to grateful thinking. It’s no wonder that we have an entire holiday dedicated to recentering people’s minds on gratitude; it’s one of the first things we teach babies. Countless studies conclude that gratitude is an essential sociological response crucial for building social bonds.

As our conversation concluded, Joel shared with me what he explained as the difference between proactive and reactive gratitude. He listed several examples of reactive gratitude, from the benign, like seeing gridlocked traffic going the other way, feeling grateful you’re not in that, to receiving a good medical diagnosis. “Everyone feels that. Proactive gratitude is the brass ring that I’m chasing, and everyone should be chasing. When you’re proactively grateful, you take the time to be grateful, expressively grateful.” He proceeded to quote Gertrude Stein, “Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone.” So, I’ve been making an effort to express my gratitude. I haven’t gone so far as to put pen to paper to express my gratitude, but that’s okay because Joel’s final thought for me was this, “Just because I write seven paragraph letters, it doesn’t mean you can’t do the same thing in seven sentences, or even seven words.” As long as you are proactively expressing gratitude, you will see the reward, and, overall, you will have healthier emotional well-being. Thanks, Joel, I owe you one.

To learn more about Gratitude Tiger or to book Joel Zuckerman for a speaking engagement, visit gratitudetiger.com