Heber Valley Life

Tag: 2021

  • Chamber of Commerce Christmas Gala 2021

    Chamber of Commerce Christmas Gala 2021

    The Chamber of Commerce hosted the party of the year, possibly even the decade, at their 4th annual Christmas gala on December 2nd! Two years in the making (thank you COVID), the event was planned to perfection; and made me feel as though I had traveled through time to a lively and entertaining era of 100 years ago.

    Citizens of the valley – some representing local businesses, others there for a good time, and all dressed in their best 1920’s attire- were greeted upon arrival at the Zermatt Resort by a ‘Moffia’ gangster who presented each individual with a ticket and explained the outline of the evening. Guests were then invited to the buffet tables for an incredible high class dinner that included an oyster bar, prime rib, charcuterie options, and several desserts; my favorite was the white chocolate mousse fig tart. During dinner, the BYU ballroom team showcased a few of their dances in flamboyant elegance.

    Following dinner, several awards were presented by the Chamber to well-deserving members and businesses of the community. Roonies Ice Cream was given the Business of the Year award. This local business was a by-product of the quarantine season and has taken off! Amanda Pensis, founder and owner of Boutique 1921, received the CAMS Community Partner of the Year Award. The dynamic duo of Reggan Jastram (owner of Innovative Real Estate) and Nicole Ferguson (owner of Mountain Refined) deservedly won the title of Ambassadors of the Year. Valerie Kelson of Midway was presented with the Wasatch Community Member of the Year award for her dedication and service to the community. She was pleased and surprised with the presentation and grateful to have many of her children there to witness the announcement.

    With dinner and awards finished; guests swapped out dinner plates for dancing shoes and traded tickets for poker chips. The next hour and a half or so was a constant uproar of hollers and laughter as round after round of Blackjack, Craps, and Roulette were played. Some people boogied to the sounds of the Heber Big Band, who did a remarkable job performing classic songs by Frank Sinatra and other iconic artists of the 1920’s era.

    To wrap up the evening, poker chips were exchanged for raffle tickets and a few lucky participants were awarded with incredible prizes like an overnight stay and dinner at the Black Rock Resort, a hot air balloon ride, or a gift certificate to Sundance. The Chamber of Commerce would like to thank the CAMS committee, the Zermatt Resort, and all of the local businesses who were present or donated to the incredible evening. I would like to thank them all for creating a memorable experience.

  • Bar J Wranglers

    Bar J Wranglers

    A chuckwagon is a time-honored piece of history in the story of the American West. All the cowboys’ nourishment on the trail came as grub hauled and served from that iconic wagon following the cattle. The chuckwagon was the heart and soul of any proper cattle drive.

    The Bar J Chuckwagon in Wilson, Wyoming, has been the heart and soul of the community and visitors for 44 years. Carrying on the cowboy tradition of music, song, and storytelling over beans and biscuits, Babe Humphrey and his family have created their legacy. The Bar J treats folks from all walks of life with the western experience. All summer long, seven days a week, they host between 600-700 dinner guests nightly. The cook rings the dinner bell and folks come running for a filling cowboy-style meal and entertainment.

    The entertainment is provided by the Bar J Wranglers, founded from scratch by Babe Humphrey in 1977. The band currently consists of Scott and Bryan Humphrey, Tim Hodgson, Donnie Cook, and Danny Rogers. Over the years, Babe has taught them that to truly shine is to share the spotlight as a group and never over-emphasize any one member. Everyone brings something unique and special. Credit is given where credit is due and the member given the most praise is God. Scott shares that, “when you visit the ranch here, maybe somewhere along the line you’ll see a light. It comes from the light that we have within us that we try to shine to the world to say there’s a greater, stronger power out there and He’s the one controlling what we do here.” Babe agrees, saying, “I give Him [God] all the credit in starting the Bar J…He’s the one that actually built this. We were kind of an instrument of his choosing because we plant seeds.”

    This being said, they are respectful and sensitive to the feelings of all religious outlooks and beliefs. As Scott describes, they are careful to not “bang a religious hammer over peoples’ heads.” Nor is their stage used as a “political soapbox.” In each performance, one spiritual song is embedded amidst western ballads, family-friendly comic relief, and original cultural content. He continues, “We want to have people laughing. We want to uplift people. We want them to go home knowing they were able to come forget their cares, have a good clean wholesome family show and entertainment and go home feeling better because there’s not a lot of that in the world right now. The goal of our show is to take people back.” As an added new verse to an old Sons’ of the Pioneers song says, “Leave your cares behind, sit back and unwind, spending time with the ol’ Bar J.” They use Western music as the catalyst to take people there.

    Speaking of ‘taking people back,’ over 25 years ago in Heber Valley, Tom Whitaker was musing how best to grow what began as a small gathering of cowboy poets into a notable event. Lindsay Tanner was assisting Tom in this dream and brought a gem of an idea from his brother, Tim Tanner. Tim had been working at Bar J Chuckwagon that summer and mentioned they would be the ticket to raise the Cowboy Poetry Festival to a new level. He was right. When the Bar J Wranglers came to town, so did crowds from all around. The band filled the house again and again and has come back almost every year since, bringing fans of all ages.

    The ‘Wranglers’ were a real treasure and more events were created around them. The band became a regular headliner in the valley. Old West shows were orchestrated for both the World Cup and the 2002 Winter Olympics. It’s well known that winter weather is not gentle in Heber thus the fingers were cut from gloves so the fiddle could be played in -10 degree temperatures. Instruments don’t particularly love cold and had to be tuned time and again but it was a tremendous hit and one of the great memories of their career. People from all around the world encountered the Americana experience of hats, boots, and the Wild West with the help of The Bar J. Wranglers, and the band discovered a strong love and admiration for their Utah audiences.

    When asked about a highlight of Bar J’s experiences in Heber, it was agreed that a favorite gem is the creation of the non-denominational Sunday morning service. Babe described it as “off-the-cuff.”  The service began small and has grown to be a favorite venue of the festival. It has always been used to say thanks and to worship God regardless of beliefs or religious affiliation. The band doesn’t preach; they just “let the music speak the message.” Other musicians have joined them in honoring a higher power through the music they sing and the way of life they lead.

    The past 44 years have been good to these cowboy musicians and their little chuckwagon. With minds full of memories and hearts full of songs the time has come for them to clean their cast iron pots and hang up their spurs. Join the band in one of their last performances at the Heber Valley Western Music and Cowboy Poetry Gathering this October. There are new adventures to come on each of their horizons, but collectively, The Bar J Wranglers and their blessed chuckwagon will continue together only as precious memories in the hearts of the band, the Humphrey family, and their fans. They have lived the American Dream. As Scott expressed, they have been “delighted to exercise hospitality.” Babe had a vision to share his Western music and lifestyle. It manifested in a beautiful reality. Scott spoke from the heart about their experience, “Be faithful and persistent to the good things — the fruit that comes from that is something you never could have dreamed of.”

     

    SEE ‘EM ONE LAST TIME FOLKS!

    The Bar J Wranglers Will Be Performing One Last Time At This Year’s Heber Valley Western Music & Cowboy Poetry Gathering, October
    13-17, 2021

  • Discover The Bronzes Of Midway

    Discover The Bronzes Of Midway

    The following words are transcribed on the invitational bronze plaque that is part of “The Bronzes of Midway,” located in Midway’s Centennial Park. “Brigham Young encouraged the early settlers to beautify their homes and respective cities and towns, to ‘do that which will increase beauty and excellence among the people,’ and to surround themselves with the sounds of pleasing and beautiful music, together with thoughts and words that edify. He went on to say, ‘This will make us happy.’ These words and sculptures are an invitation to you, to beautify your homes and communities through the planting of flowers and trees, through neatness and industry, through music, and through your own unique gifts and contributions.”

    The Bronzes of Midway project was unveiled on August 8, 2020. It is the brainchild of the Wasatch County Centennial Committee: Jim Smedley, Florine Whiting, and Kay Probst. Kevin Watts designed the setting for the sculptures, and his son Russ executed the construction of the site. Mayor Celeste Johnson, the city of Midway, and Carl Berg supplied the landscaping. Artist Leroy Transfield created the bronze sculptures.

    Leroy was born and raised in New Zealand and, as a child, loved to draw. Dyslexia made reading very difficult, so drawing was always a safe place to flee.  Sometimes he’d get in trouble at school for filling his composition books with drawings rather than words. Leroy eventually learned to read; his passion at 14 was running, so the first book he read thoroughly was on that subject.

    Leroy began experimenting with sculpting small figures as a teen but still enjoyed drawing and might have become a painter if not for a decision that would change his destiny. While at BYU-Hawaii, he heard about an amazing sculpture teacher and program. He decided to give it a try. Leroy fell in love with the art and has been sculpting ever since.

    Leroy shared, “I work out of my studio in Orem, which is also where my wife and I raised our family. I’ve been sculpting for what seems like most of my life, about 38 years. I trained at BYU-Hawaii, and I’ve been living in Utah for 26 years. Since I’ve been in Utah, I’ve done some work for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I’ve done a number of public pieces, veteran’s memorials in Springville, Salem, Santaquin, and Orem, and other pieces for various cities in Utah, as well as sold my pieces through galleries, and completed private commissions.”

    Some of Leroy’s past projects made him a good candidate for the Midway project; including his veteran’s memorials, the bronze relief sculpture “Peace be unto you,” above the doors at the LDS Newport Beach California Temple, and eight relief sculptures for Prairie Park at Martin’s Cove in Wyoming, which depict the story of the Martin and Willie handcart company tragedy.

    Richard Oman of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Church Museum had worked with Leroy before and referred him to Jim Smedley of the Wasatch County Centennial Committee. Leroy was interested in the Midway project for several reasons.

    “Midway and Heber are nice areas, and I have friends there. It’s always nice to do projects close to where your friends live and close to where you live. Also, Jim Smedley sounded like an open guy. He wasn’t just looking for a gun for hire. He explained to me what he was hoping to achieve with the project. He was interested in my thoughts and ideas about it, so I had the opportunity to draw upon my experience and skills and be creative in coming up with pieces that visually spoke the words contained within the bronze invitational plaque.”

    Coming up with the ideas for sculptures wasn’t an easy task. Leroy explained, “It was a lengthy process. Jim told me about the Brigham Young statement about the importance of beautifying our homes and neighborhoods. He gave me some poems about planting a tree and gifts that grow. He then told me what he wanted people to think or feel when they saw it [the sculptures] and how he hoped the project would impact the community.  I made quite a few sketches and small clay sculptures between 6 and 12 inches tall; some of them were simple, and others were more refined. Then I showed them to the committee, and they gave me feedback.”

    The finished project consists of three sculptures: a mother and her young son planting a tree, a girl playing the violin, and a large relief of a family under a grown tree enjoying its shade and one another’s company while the father plays the guitar. Leroy shared, “The first one I came up with was the violin player. Florine Whiting, from the committee — as a violinist herself — really liked that one. Next was the life-size sculpture of a mother teaching her young son how to plant a tree. The third piece was a large bronze golden rectangle-shaped wall piece of a family sitting under a tree. I created a sketch of this one which received a lot of good comments from the committee. Because they liked all three of these pieces, rather than just do one of them, the girl, the mother, or the family, they decided to commission all three. So, that’s how it came to be.”

    The entire project, from start to finish, has taken an incredible amount of time and effort on the part of many in our community. Anyone who has visited Midway’s Centennial Park can attest that it was all well worth it.  Leroy stated, “This was a challenging but rewarding project. I liked working with Jim, and the rest of the committee, and I liked the idea of what they were trying to create. The project actually took a long time. From the time I started on it until it was finally unveiled was eight years, so that’s quite a big chunk of my career as an artist. I didn’t spend eight years making it, but it took eight years to finally have the unveiling of it. Others had been working on it even longer, so I’m glad that it is now in place and people can enjoy it and hopefully be motivated to beautify Heber Valley and really contribute the best of themselves in their lives.”

    Leroy’s art is inspired by life, family, and community, “The ideas for these sculptures came from my experience of being a father and raising a family, we had a daughter who learned to play the violin, and we also taught our family about plants and how to work, and that family time was a top priority. When I created the sculptures, I was hoping that people would look at them and be inspired to take pride in their homes and community and beautify them. My feeling was, if we create something nice with the sculptures, then the visitors will want to go home and also beautify their own homes and neighborhoods and take pride in where they live. In addition, these sculptures have to do with the cultivating of talents, striving for excellence through your talents or chosen vocation. Also, there is the theme of family, enjoying family, and being a responsible member of a family. And the last theme is that what you do now can bless people in the future, so the mother is planting a tree with her son and then in not too many years, that tree is going to grow, and people from future generations will sit under it and enjoy it as well. These are the things I hope visitors take away when they visit the “Bronzes of Midway.” 

     

    Visit the “Bronzes of Midway”

    Midway’s Centennial Park
    77 North Center Street, Midway

     

    EXPLORE Leroy’s art

    leroytransfield.com
    Instagram @leroytransfieldart

  • Soldier Hollow Hosts Utah’s Annual Skijoring Competition

    Soldier Hollow Hosts Utah’s Annual Skijoring Competition

    Utah’s annual skijoring competition was held on Saturday at Soldier Hollow. Skijoring is an event where a skier or snowboarder is pulled by a horse and rider. The group races through a course including jumps, gates, and rings.

    Skijoring is not a new sport. Reindeer skijoring occurred in the Nordic Games of 1901, and it was used as transportation for hundreds of years before that. Skijoring behind horses made its way to North America in the early 1900’s.

    Brian Gardner and his friend, Joe Loveridge, had seen the sport in Colorado and decided to introduce it to Utah. According to Gardner’s nephew Gavan, “It’s popular out in Colorado where [Brian] used to work, so they kind of took things that they saw out in Colorado and brought a little bit of that back here.” In 2017, the first Utah Skijoring competition occurred in Midway. Its popularity has grown since then, and tickets available for this year’s event sold out in 24 hours!

    The Skijoring Utah website explains that it “combines Utah’s signature ski heritage with its cowboy roots, creating a wild, fast-paced, and spectacular event.” Aside from racing, the competition also includes a “big air contest,” where participants try to jump the farthest. Winners of the annual event receive belt buckles, cash, and other prizes.

    Park City locals James and Ed Clissold both participated as skiers. “I think competing is fun and the atmosphere here, just hanging out and having everybody here cheering everybody on. It doesn’t matter if it’s the 12-year-old or somebody cruising, it’s just fun to cheer them on,” said James. Ed added, “To combine my two favorite sports of horses and skiing is just an awesome way to spend the day.”

    Competitor Cub Keller, from Lehi, was participating with his three boys, including his 4-year-old. “It’s the outdoors, it’s cowboys, it’s skiing, it’s competition, it’s everything all packaged into one event,” he commented.

    A full list of 2021 winners, along with photos of the event, can be found at https://www.facebook.com/skijoringutah.

  • Heber City Announces Parking Ticket Forgiveness Initiative

    Heber City Announces Parking Ticket Forgiveness Initiative

    It’s tough work driving a snowplow. When everyone else is staying in, they are going out in the worst weather. The plows are there earlier than the commuters trying to keep the roads clear, even while it’s still snowing. And it’s almost impossible to clear the roads well when cars are parked along the street.

    That’s why it is against City Code to park on the street when plowing is necessary. But some are surprised about the regulations. In fact, Heber City police have given over 300 tickets in the past few weeks for parking on the street during and after snowstorms!

    Heber City has now announced a Parking Ticket Forgiveness Initiative. The Police Department is willing to forgive the citations from now through February 22nd at 5:00 p.m. Those with parking tickets can bring 5 non-perishable, non-expired food items to the Heber City police building, the Heber City Public Works building, or the Heber City Building. The food should be presented along with the parking ticket, and the parking citation will be forgiven. All food will be donated to local food banks.

    “You may bring more food items. You may bring food items if you don’t even have a ticket,” said Mayor Potter in her weekly Facebook message. She also reminded everyone to “drive safe, and don’t park on the streets during the snow.”

    For future reference, the Heber City Municipal Code reads, “Beginning November 15th of each year and terminating April 1st, it is unlawful to park or leave parked any vehicle upon the City’s paved portion of the street or within five feet thereof under the following circumstances:

    1. When there is any amount of snow on the street;
    2. When it is actually snowing or within twenty-four hours thereafter; or
    3. The street has not been plowed since the snow fell.”

    Any vehicle that is parked in violation of this rule may be impounded. (10.16.040)

    In addition, in section 10.16.070, Heber City prohibits many other types of parking on public streets at all times. These include trailers, boats, farm equipment, construction vehicles, dumpsters, off-highway vehicles, campers, etc.

  • 10 Reasons to Love 2020!

    10 Reasons to Love 2020!

    Goodbye 2020. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out!

    We have been barraged with negativity about the year 2020. True, there were some bad things that happened this year. Okay, a lot of bad things. However, there’s always another side to the story.

    10 reasons to love 2020:

    1. The kids got more sleep.

    Really, sleep has so many health benefits. So, when the kids all came home from school permanently in March, definitely a shocker, they were probably completely sleep deprived from years of waking up at unearthly hours to catch the bus or make it to school before the tardy bell. So, thank goodness they could finally sleep in, day after day, week after week, and get caught up!

    2. The adults got to work from home.

    We all had SO MUCH extra family time in 2020. Everybody was able to spend 24/7 with his or her significant other and children. We had breakfast, lunch, and dinner together. Mornings, afternoons, and evenings together. Wasn’t that fun?

    3. The environment received a much-needed break.

    Were there really dolphins in the canals of Venice? It was on Facebook anyway.

    4. We had a mini, preparatory earthquake.

    All those years of trying to get people to take the big one seriously finally paid off. And we switched out the size 2T clothes we had in our 8-year-old’s 72-hour kit. And got new granola bars.

    5. The government handed out free money.

    We don’t know where it’s coming from, but hey, free money! Who knew the government could just print whatever money they want? Maybe we should just print our way out of the national debt too. So many possibilities here!

    6. The presidential election is over.

    Or is it? Just kidding. Whether your first choice won or not, I think we can all agree that at least, for the most part, hopefully, it’s over, and we don’t have to watch any more debates.

    7. We had a preview of what things will go first in emergencies.

    I, for one, am buying an extra package of toilet paper every time we go to Costco from here on out. And water bottles. And maybe some yeast and flour in case there is no food, and I need to learn how to make bread. And whatever they make Oreo cookies from. Let’s stock up on that too. And maybe plant a cacao tree.

    8. We realized other counties are jealous of Wasatch.

    Remember when the Governor said Utahns could only recreate in their own counties? That was awesome! Could we make that an annual thing?

    9. The shelters ran out of dogs!

    Awwww…So many pets found new homes. And they were taken on walks all the time. And their owners got more exercise too.

    10. ESPN showed the Cornhole Championship, old spelling bees, and the NBA players in a super-competitive game of HORSE.

    Ha. That was super entertaining. I’ve never seen a huge, billion-dollar, maybe trillion-dollar, network scramble more. I can only imagine what the network meetings were like. “Ummm…We could have the NBA players compete in a game of HORSE.” Silence. The president of ESPN starts to cry.

    Bonus: We learned to be more resilient and thankful.

    Seriously, we all received a much-needed course in resilience. And we realized how many things we’ve been taking for granted. The Covid pandemic knocked us off our feet. Will we come back stronger and more prepared?

    We badmouth 2020 like it was the worst thing ever. Covid has been devastating for communities and families. We have lost almost 2 million people worldwide. It’s unquestionably a tragedy.

    However, the Spanish Flu, the one that our pandemic is sometimes compared to, happened at the same time as World War 1. Can you imagine how difficult that would be? It’s estimated that 20 million to 50 million people died worldwide from that flu, in addition to the 16 million who died in the war. Some estimates have Spanish flu deaths as high as 100 million because of difficulties in record keeping. Could we have handled that?

    2020 brought with it plenty of trials, but also amazing advances in science and worldwide cooperation to stem the tide of this most-recent pandemic. 2020 was amazing in so many ways. Plus, now we have bragging rights to talk forever more about how we handled the pandemic of 2020, how it affected our lives, and how it made us stronger, more creative and innovative, and better able to handle challenges in the future. We’ve got this! Bring it on 2021!

    Kidding. We don’t actually want 2021 to bring on anything. But if it does, I have lots of Costco toilet paper in the garage.

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