Utah Lake Bridge Controversy

A bridge over Utah Lake has been proposed and hotly debated in Utah Valley.  It is projected that the valley will double in population from the current nearly 600K to1.2M by 2040, and that the population west of Utah Lake will go from 40K to at least 250K.  From the standpoint of added time and fuel expended, not having a bridge over Utah Lake will become wasteful for a rapidly increasing number of commuters who will be traveling twice daily around the lake to get to the central business (Provo/Orem) area.  The bridge is opposed on the grounds of disrupting migratory waterfowl, being too expensive, and being built prematurely.  Here is a detailed document with pics of the proposed bridge from various vantage points, including those used in this blog entry.

Having lived in southern Louisiana for over ten years, it becomes hard to understand why there would be much controversy as to whether to build a bridge over Utah Lake.  Try going anywhere from New Orleans without going over a substantial amount of elevated highway not much different than is needed to go over Utah Lake which itself is only 12' deep at its deepest point.  The causeway over Lake Pontchartrain is 24 miles compared to the 6 miles proposed to go over Utah Lake.  The stretch of elevated freeway from Ponchatoula to the Mississippi River (I-55, I-10, I-310) with nothing but swamp and open water underneath, is nearly 50 miles.  Maybe the die hard opponents of building the bridge need to come live in New Orleans for a summer. Let them go on I-10 from Slidell to New Orleans to Baton Rouge to Lafayette.  Each leg will take them over far more open water than the 6-mile proposed bridge at the north end of Utah Lake.  And by the way, they will see plenty of bird life down here, for those who worry about how a bridge over the north end of Utah Lake is going to disrupt bird migration as it relates to the lake.  As to the prohibitive cost of building the bridge ($300M to $600M, depending on the estimate), perhaps Utah needs to get an estimate from those who built the elevated highways in Louisiana.  These estimates seem excessive, but then again, what do I know?

One final thought:  We have committed to living in Tennessee and look very much forward to what we believe will be a rich experience there.  If we had decided to return to Utah Valley, living on the west side of Utah Lake would have had enormous appeal for me.  The west side is a respite from the rat race on the east side. Yet it is close enough to have an amazing view of the "big city" across the lake and the Wasatch Mountain backdrop behind it.  One example of a future planned community is Mosida Orchards...worth checking out for those who live in the general area.

Tew Reunion in Salt Lake City

Last Saturday, on June 12, descendants of William Thomas Tew / Clara Elizabeth Snow Tew (my paternal grandparents) enjoyed a day together, renewing old friendships, and, in many cases, developing new ones.  The cool, rainy weather prevented us from meeting outdoors, as originally planned, so we met indoors in the recreational area of a large LDS church building, the one that Patricia (my niece) and Dan Potts regularly attend.  All in all, there were about 130 attendees.  We had plenty of food.  Brad Berntson (my nephew) and his wife, Jane, brought  a large commercial scale grill to the event in a trailer, and grilled hamburgers and hot dogs outdoors.  Louise Tew (my sister-in-law) and her daughter, Patricia, did most of the work preparing for the reunion, handling invitations, program agenda, facility reservations, decorations, name tags, meat and condiments,and so on.  They did an outstanding job and are to be commended for their effort.  There are others who substantially contributed.

We had descendants representing all but one of Grandpa and Grandma Tew's seven children who are long since deceased.  My father, 2nd youngest, died 32 years ago (1978), at age 78.  At age 62, I am the youngest living grandchild of Grandpa and Grandma Tew.  At this point, only 15 of 44 grandchildren are still alive, so this reunion was of special importance to those 7 who were able to attend.  Three of Uncle Will's 7 children are living, of which Roy and Dean were in attendance.  All of Aunt Reba's 6 children are deceased; this was the only line not represented at the reunion.  Only one of Uncle Warren's 9 children is living, namely Vivian Dredge; she and several members of her extended family were in attendance.  Three of Uncle Bird's 7 children are living, of which none were in attendance.  Two of Uncle Bryan's 7 children are living, of which neither were in attendance.  Six of my father Burton's 7 children are still living, and Burton Jr., Norma, Carolyn, and I  were in attendance.  Aunt Melba had one child who is deceased. 

We set up a large family tree for attendees to put their family pictures/information on.  Highlights of the reunion for me included the terrific lunch, a great group picture, the family tree, senior member(s) of each of the seven family lines bringing us up to date on their own family lines, and a pinata for the kids at the end.  My main regret is that I didn't get a chance to visit with my niece Heidi, who I was later told was actually at the reunion for a short time with her mother, my sister Norma.  I was also disappointed that neither my brother Fred, his wife Sandra, nor any of their 10 children were able to attend the reunion.  From our family, in addition to myself, Julie and Matt and their three children (Plymouth, IN), and Neal (SLC, UT) attended.  Alan (SLC) was in Portland and Lori and James (Loveland, CO) were unable to attend.  Judy stayed in Louisiana; we couldn't financially justify both of us going.

Bradly Tew Berntson and Jane Anne Fitts Wedding

I don't always acknowledge extended family wedding announcements, but this one had special interest to me. I have always had a special place in my heart for my sister Norma. Brad is the oldest of Norma's two flesh and blood children, Heidi being her other child. Norma raised four boys who came from her husband, Dale's first marriage. Dale, a prominent surgeon in SLC, died in 1999. Norma now lives in an apartment complex just off Foothill Drive, southeast of the University of Utah. Brad lives in Holladay, Heidi in Sandy, both in the Salt Lake Valley.

Not too long ago, while I was in Utah on a trip, Brad let me stay at his house while he was away. I regret that Brad and my sons Alan and Neal have never gotten to know each other. Here they are, cousins, living so close, and actually having what I believe are very compatable personalities. Brad was formerly married; I believe this is his second marriage. I wish him and Jane the very best. They are getting married in the Salt Lake Temple on May 8, and will have a pot luck wedding barbeque about a month later on Saturday, June 6, 2009 (11-3 pm) at Sugar House Park. Maybe Alan and Neal can attend and represent our side of the extended family at the reception. I'm sure most of Burton and Louise's clan will be there.

Former U.S. Congressman Bill Orton killed in an accident

I was surprised to see that Sunday's lead story in the Deseret News was about the untimely death of former Congressman Bill Orton. Bill was a political maverick who served three terms as a Democrat in one of Utah's most conservative districts. The 60-year-old died in an all-terrain vehicle accident Saturday afternoon at the Little Sahara Sand Dunes in Juab County southwest of Provo, Utah. His past political opponents, primarily former Congressman Chris Cannon and former Governor Mike Leavitt, paid generous tributes to Orton for his integrity and his unwavering adherance to the principles he believed in. In other words, he wasn't the typical political animal that stuck his finger in the air to see which way the political winds were blowing before he acted or voted on an issue. To read the readers' comments following the Deseret News article, it is obvious that Orton was a good and decent human being. During the time we lived in Utah between 1993 and 2000, we had some exposure to Bill Orton during election campaigns. I just remember being very impressed by him, and appalled by Cannon's underhanded campaign tactics. Some of this comes out in the article. Orton was an unabashed supporter of Obama. He married and started a family late in life, and has left two sons who are now without a father during a crucial part of their lives. The picture above was taken in 2000. Hopefully, they will have a strong support system surrounding them that will help carry them through. I wish his wife and children well.

Utah Jazz owner Larry H. Miller: 1944-2009

One of the most generous and extraordinary men Utah has ever produced, has fallen at the not-so-old age of 64, at least not old from my perspective. Quoting from a Deseret News write-up on Miller, "Miller's rags-to-riches story is a chapter out of Horatio Alger. A poor high school student and a college dropout, he started his professional career as a stock boy in an auto parts store and, through the sheer force of his personality, work ethic and natural intelligence, became one of the most successful entrepreneurs in Utah history, and one of its most prominent residents. He graduated from SLC's West High School with a 1.77 GPA, and lasted six weeks at the University of Utah before dropping out. He worked a series of odd jobs for a time before he found his place in car-related businesses. In 1970, he moved to Colorado, where he became a parts manager and eventually general manager for car dealerships in the Denver area. During a vacation visit to Salt Lake City in 1979, he passed a dull afternoon by visiting an old acquaintance in the car business. By the end of the day, he owned his first dealership, purchasing a Toyota store from his acquaintance after writing up terms of the deal on a blank check. Miller not only became the 10th largest car dealer in the nation, with 42 dealerships in six states, but he also began acquiring other businesses in the coming years. The Larry H. Miller Group eventually included 74 business enterprises — movie theaters, auto dealerships, a world-class race track, a movie production company, an advertising agency, ranches, restaurants, TV and radio stations, a real estate development company, an NBA franchise, a professional baseball team, an NBA arena, a motorsports park, sports apparel stores and various philanthropic organizations. At one time they produced $3.2 billion in sales annually."

His association with the Utah Jazz is equally extraordinary, and well worth reading. I recommend going through the entire Deseret News article written by Doug Robinson. It's four web pages long. While we lived in Utah, Miller frequently made the news. I thought his storied life was most fascinating. The man had a reputation for getting very passionate and emotional about issues. It was obvious that he had a heart of gold inside of him. Many benefited from his generousity, adherence to higher principles, and willingness to take enormous business risks that most of us would never have considered taking. He had one of those rare personalities that made him stand apart from the average entrepreneur. I couldn't help but admire him. Here is the sports video associated with his passing.

100 things I've done

Inspired by someone else's blog with the same title, I decided to jot down 100 things I've done. The blog that inspired me was much more playful and imaginative than mine ended up being. My list was intended more as a collection of random memorable occurrances than of major life-changing events. I'm sure that I could have easily come up with another 100 if I tried, and many of those would have been every bit as memorable as the ones I show here. These are simply the first 100 I happened to have thought of, roughly placed in chronological order. Disclaimer: Hyperlinks are of similar events (not taken by me) and are for effect only.

100 things I've done

1. Grew up in a country town named after a Mormon apostle (Talmage, UT) located at 6,800 ft elevation where it snowed deep enough to obscure fences
2. Went to elementary school in an old two-classroom building
3. Fell on a cement basketball court and got knocked out cold for over an hour
4. Got “chased” up a boat ramp by the first fish I ever caught ‘til I let go of the pole
5. Rode horses bareback for years before ever riding with a saddle
6. Milked a herd of cows every day from age 12 until graduating from high school
7. Watched our herd dog snap its teeth at a fleeing cow and get dragged over 100 yards until it could get its teeth unstuck from the cow’s tail…nearly died laughing
8. Made a pond-worthy flat-bottom boat from a plywood board and two 2x10’s
9. Traveled by horseback, camped, & fished in the High Uinta’s several times
10. Went deer hunting annually with my father during my teen years
11. Hoisted over 10,000 bales of hay one summer on our farm
12. Got blue ribbons at our county fair for vegetables I raised in our home garden
13. Went to Boys State at USU (Logan, UT)
14. Pole vaulted on my high school track and field team
15. Got pinned in a high school wrestling match in under 10 seconds
16. Won the right to challenge our principal in a ping pong match at a high school student body assembly only to get nearly skunked at the event
17. Learned that JFK was assassinated while in a history class in high school
18. Played baritone sax from 6th through 11th grade
19. Played trombone for 1 year in a dance band while a senior in high school
20. Had only one date in high school…and it was traumatic!
21. Listened to Jimmy Dean live at our HS Senior Trip to Salt Lake City
22. Picked Concord grapes for Welch’s in western New York for a day
23. Attended the Washington D.C. Temple ground breaking ceremony as an LDS missionary
24. In shop class at BYU, replaced the rings in the motor of my brother’s Grand Prix Pontiac
25. Bought a souped-up ’67 Pontiac GTO as my first car purchase…no regrets
26. Watched man’s first step on the moon at the BYU de Jong Concert Hall
27. Was best man at two weddings during my college years
28. Took karate while at BYU until injuring my neck in a diving accident
29. Did my personal best in golf by several strokes with a neck brace on
30. Scored a personal best of 177 in bowling
31. Pruned cherry trees in Payson, Utah
32. Honeymooned in a teepee-shaped motel room on the Ute Indian reservation
33. Harvested wild rice in a canoe in Minnesota with Judy
34. Visited a brewery in St. Paul, MN while on the barley project in graduate school
35. Got a PhD without ever taking a language course in school…regretfully
36. Watched humpback whales breach and sea turtles body surf in Hawaii
37. While snorkeling at 12’ depth, watched a friend spear octopus and fish
38. Saw lava flowing from the Pu’u O’o vent in Volcano NP from a helicopter
39. Watched the sun come up at the rim of Haleakala on Maui
40. Witnessed a near-total solar eclipse on Oahu on 11 July 1991
41. Walked on the Kalapana Black Sand Beach before and after lava reclaimed it
42. Ran a quarter marathon on Oahu (team’s time: 3:16)
43. Climbed Olomana on the Island of Oahu solo on a New Years Eve
44. Participated in deafening New Year’s fireworks displays on Oahu
45. Slept family of six in a VW pop-up EuroVan for two months camping in Europe
46. Visited Paris, London, Madrid, Munich, Cologne, and Rotterdam with my family
47. Ate dinner with a French family in Montpellier France on our Anniversary
48. Took an overnight train to Venice Italy from Austria and rode in a gondola
49. Visited a cheese factory in Gruyere, Switzerland
50. Climbed part way up the Matterhorn from Zermatt, Switzerland
51. Took a tram to Gimmelwald and a ski lift above Grindelwald in Switzerland
52. Went to the Netherlands with Judy to interview for an Oregon-based breeding position; stayed in Amsterdam and circled around the Ijsselmeer region afterward
53. Visited sugarcane collections in Miami, FL; Kannur, India; & Camamu, Brazil
54. Ate an Indian dinner with our fingers (no utensils) in Coimbatore, India
55. Visited a Michelin rubber plantation in tropical Brazil
56. Went on a sugarcane collecting expedition in Indonesia
57. Visited a cacao plantation while on the Island of Sumatra
58. Traveled over water on a hydrofoil from Sumatra to Java passing by Krakatoa
59. Visited a tea plantation in Bogor, Island of Java, Indonesia
60. Traveled by foot over the Island of Halmahera surviving on coconut milk
61. Drove from Johannesburg to Durban with a fellow sugarcane breeder
62. Had a private pristine beach to ourselves (two scientists) in Fiji for a day
63. Was served kava kava in a coconut shell in Fiji and felt my mouth go numb
64. Ascended la Roche Ecrite on the Island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean
65. Took two sets of Vietnamese refugees into our home while in Hawaii
66. Had four exchange students live with us while in Utah
67. Picked huckleberries with family in Idaho’s mountains
68. Hugged a koala bear in Australia
69. Visited a coffee plantation in Costa Rica
70. Ascended to the top of Mt. Timpanogos (UT) with Neal
71. Failed to reach the top of King’s Peak two separate times because of weather
72. Visited 25 National Parks and hope to visit more
73. Helped found the Hawaii Tropical Flower and Foliage Association (HTFFA)
74. Started a successful business and had it shut down by a former employer
75. Was the star witness in a successful lawsuit against another former employer
76. Logged 110 hours work one week while working at Walmart & Quality Inn part-time and Twinlab full-time after returning to Utah from Hawaii
77. Never went snow skiing in Utah…until after returning from Hawaii
78. Never surfed in Hawaii…unless body surfing counts
79. Caught a 41 lb redfish in Louisiana
80. Took a cruise to Alaska through the Inside Passage with Judy
81. Saw glaciers calving at very close range (Harvard & Aialik Glaciers)
82. Had dinner with Judy in a revolving restaurant above Niagara Falls
83. Got stung by a Portuguese Man O’War jellyfish
84. Visited the Smithsonian Institution museums in Washington D.C.
85. Went to the top of the Washington Monument in D.C.
86. Went to the top of the Empire State Building in New York City
87. Went to the top of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis
88. Sang in a barbershop choir
89. Listened to the Utah Symphony Orchestra play Christmas music in the Tabernacle
90. Visited historic LDS Church sites at Nauvoo, IL; Kirtland, OH; and Palmyra, NY
91. Conducted three funerals in our local church unit while bishops were out of town
92. Witnessed a real life bank robbery shoot out (crook vs. police) in Cheyenne, WY
93. Survived 8 hurricanes (Iwa, Iniki, Isidore, Lili, Katrina, Rita, Gustav, Ike)
94. Participated in the cleanup in and around New Orleans after Katrina
95. Went to a Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans (Krewe of Endymion)
96. Was once on the lead boat in the annual shrimp boat blessing event in Chauvin, LA
97. Took up kayaking after getting a kayak for Christmas a year ago
98. Married a partner who is far stronger spiritually than myself
99. Raised four terrific children…Judy gets the lions share of the credit
100. Started my own blog
     

Perhaps I will create a list 100 things I've would still like to do

Sugarbeets and Sugarcane played important roles in LDS Church History

Sugarbeets and sugarcane were both surprisingly integral to the economic history of the LDS Church in Utah and Hawaii. Leonard J. Arrington, LDS Church Historian for several years, provided a brief synopsis of the beet sugar industry in Utah, in which he cited two of his own works, namely the widely acclaimed Great Basin Kingdom: An Economic History of the Latter-day Saints, 1830-1900 (1958), and Beet Sugar in the West: A History of the Utah-Idaho Sugar Company, 1891-1966 (1966). While visiting Salt Lake City, Utah some 30 years ago, I happened to spot a hardback copy of the latter book at a Deseret Bookstore. I got the urge to buy it, because, at the time, I was doing sugar research in Hawaii, and I knew that my father had worked in the beet sugar factory that was located in Spanish Fork, Utah, and that he had much experience with sugar beets. There was a connection. My brother, John, was visiting Utah at the same time. On a whim, I convinced John to join me in visiting Dr. Arrington at his residence in Salt Lake City. It was a very pleasant visit, considering that Dr. Arrington didn’t know either of us, and he agreed to sign the book. Sorry to say, when we left Hawaii in a rush in 1993, I believe that this book was one of the many casualties that never made it back to the mainland with us.

In Hawaii, the early Latter-day Saints settled in Laie, where they established a sugar plantation. It was later absorbed by the Kahuku plantation a few miles further northwest of Laie, which remained active until 1975, just two years shy of when Judy and I arrived in Hawaii. The history of sugarcane in Laie is woven into the outlined history of the town online. The most compelling picture at this website, related to sugarcane was taken around 1928 (see above), where one can easily see that the LDS Hawaii Temple grounds are practically surrounded by sugarcane. We lived on the windward side of Oahu in the town of Kahaluu, about 20 miles (30 minutes) from Laie. There was (and as far as I know still is) some abandoned sugarcane that can be observed from the road between Punaluu and Laie.

While sugarcane and sugarbeets played a significant role in the history of the Church, the role has long since diminished into insignificance…just nostalgic memories now.

Friends from Provo staying in Houma

We got a surprise call, and learned that Lynn & Laurel Odgen and some BYU students were in Houma, staying at the home of Mike & Sarah Voisin. They were in our church ward in Provo, so we knew them quite well. They were attending a food convention/conference in New Orleans, and had the opportunity afterward to visit the oyster processing plant in Houma that Mike and his family run. The Voisins have developed a unique method of processing oysters that give them a distinctive competitive edge, so Lynn apparently wanted his students to see this. Lynn is a professor in the Food Science Department at BYU. His claim to fame is that he developed and perfected carbonated yogurt. His product used to sell off the shelves at the BYU Creamery on Campus. Through much effort on his part, and with support from BYU, his product was picked up by Yoplait, and today sells as "Fizzix." Lynn said the 3rd quarter information is coming in from Yoplait, so they will have a decent feel as to how well the product is selling after that. We told them we have become hooked on Fizzix. I only wish it could be packaged more similar to the product we used to buy at the BYU Creamery. Lynn and Laurel came over and filled us in on happenings in our old ward and on where their kids are at. I forgot that they had so many children. I remember their daughter Lena & her husband being in our ward, before we left. Their kids are scattered, just like ours are. It was fun to see the Ogdens, and we're glad they called us so we could connect.