Heber Valley Life

Tag: City CAMS

  • 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.

  • Latinos In Action

    Latinos In Action

    On November 6, the City CAMS committee hosted a cleanup of the City Office Building grounds. Volunteers were asked to bring their pruning shears, brooms, rakes and gloves to get the landscape ready for the winter. It was a perfectly crisp fall morning; the chill of the night was just being overcome by the sun making it warm enough to keep the frost from your fingers and toes.

     There were a small handful of volunteers at first, in addition to the City Manager, Matt Brower, and City Councilwoman Rachel Kaehler. We began pulling out the plants that we hoped were annuals and trimming back the assumed perennials. All were consistent in their efforts but there weren’t too many of us and I was thinking it would take a good portion of the day to accomplish the task! Enter the Latinos In Action class from Timpanogos Middle School to save the day – or at least the service project.

    I had my head down over the Black-Eyed Susans when they arrived without a leader, about 10 of them, and went straight to work piling the leaves, pulling annuals, and scooping up armfuls of trimmed waste into bags. They easily cut an hour or two from the time it would have taken the rest of us to accomplish the task if they hadn’t been there. They had positive and respectful attitudes, and following the project, while they waited for their lunch, I made a point to go talk to them for a few minutes.

    I told them how impressed I was that they would show up on a Saturday morning for something like this, to which one young man responded that he had nothing better to do and woke up early so he figured he may as well come. Not entirely the answer of a philanthropist, but I know many young teens who would gladly choose the option to do nothing. They shared that they are part of a for-credit class that meets every other day, under the instruction of Mr. Scott Bardin. The idea of the class is to find opportunities to serve the community. The students are required to complete 10 hours each quarter for their grade and this was just one way they could fulfill some of those hours. Other ways they have found include volunteering at the school by taking out garbage, facilitating Parent-Teacher Conference nights, and some light cleaning.

    It was time for me to get home so I told the students thank you again and said goodbye to the other volunteers. It was a wonderful opportunity to serve; the grounds are ready for the snow; and I was able to learn about an incredible group of kids right here in our community.

    Thank you to all who came and for the CAMS committee for facilitating the event in the continued effort to keep the Heber Valley a desirable place to live, work, and visit.

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