The Morgan County News | December 16, 2022

Special needs nativity

By Verlene Johnson

Twelve years ago when Joleen Kearsley started the Special Needs Living Nativity, members with special needs from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, gather at the Milton church to tell the people of Morgan about the

birth of Jesus Christ. Now, over a decade later, two other churches in the Morgan Valley, Morgan Grace Fellowship and Morgan Valley Church, participate in the Special Needs Nativity. Filling the auditorium twice, these special angles performed spoken word and song Thursday, Dec. 8. See more photos inside on page 2. l

New grocery store comes to Mountain Green area

By Linda Petersen

Morgan’s county commission has approved the site plan for a Lee’s Marketplace near Mountain Green. It will be located at 4985 W. Old Highway Road, southeast of the north Trappers Loop Road and Old Highway Road intersection.

“We’re very pleased to see another grocery store in the county,” Commission Vice Chair Mike Newton said. “This will be the second so we’re excited about that and excited about the development that will hopefully ensue around this anchor store. Hopefully this is a good strategic moved for Lee’s as well with that [proposed] interchange that will someday be there.”

Lee’s will be located on one lot that is approximately 4.5 acres in the commercial subdivision. The property will be developed with two pads, one for the grocery store and the other for a hardware store. (The hardware store has not been named and has not yet come to the county for site approval).

There will be 214 parking stalls for this lot and 17 percent of the area will be landscaped, primarily with a mixture of trees, shrubs and lawn. The lot’s proposed lighting plan complies with the county’s Dark Sky ordinance.

The developer will extend 4500 West south through the development and connect it to a street that will

“We’re really excited about this project,” said Zach Swenson speaking on behalf of the applicant, Soderby LLC, at the Nov. 10 Morgan County Planning Commission meeting. “Mountain Green, as you guys all know, is

Four other pads in the 17.05-acre development are planned for other commercial uses. A sixth, which is more than eight acres, is expected to be multifamily when it is developed. l

Biden signs into law Respect for Marriage act

After months of work on Capitol Hill and years of evolving attitudes, Joe Biden will sign into law a bipartisan bill that will codify same-sex and interracial marriages today. In 2004, just 42% of Americans said they were in support of same-sex marriage. Today, it's 68%. The change in American attitude mirrors one the president has experienced.

Food prices continue to climb

Americans are saving money at the gas pump, only to spend it all again in the produce aisle. Gas is now selling for less than it did a year ago, but food prices continue to climb, and the Federal Reserve is ready to raise interest rates again.

CRISPR could boost cancer-fighting immunotherapy

Treating cancer with CRISPR – which allows scientists to make very precise changes in DNA – could make cancer-fighting immunotherapy more potent for a broader set of patients.

Inflation may stop Santa from making his rounds

Inflation has hit so hard that Santa might not be coming to town this year. Demand for his services have skyrocketed, and companies like Hire Santa are struggling to keep up. Will a rentable potted Christmas tree replace a real one? Which is more environmentally friendly: a real Christmas tree or an artificial one? Turns out there could be a third option: rentable potted trees that are planted in the ground when they grow too big.

First positive results of fusion reported

Nucelar fusion (the creation of energy through the combination of atoms) has apparently been recorded by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, with a net energy gain. Scientists are careful to explain that the experiment, while it did produce a viable result, was not produced at a level that would be economically or environmentally feasible under the test conditions. However, the results are a welcome sign on the road to the long sought after process of less dangerous nuclear fusion as a power source.

Utah Governor bans TikTok from govt devices

Joining governors from a number of states, Utah’s governor Spencer Cox has banned the installation or use of the popular social media site TikTok from phones, computers, and other electronic devices maintained by the state. The site, which has skyrocketed in popularity over the last two years, is owned by a Chinese company which has been accused of data harvesting. Out of an abundance of caution, South Dakota, South Carolina, Maryland, Oklahoma, and Texas have made similar moves.

extend east and west at the southern side of property. This southern street will curve northward to the east and then connect to Old Highway Road. It is anticipated to also extend westward toward the future possible interchange connection with I-84.

uniquely situated between two bigger cities and has no access to simple needs such as a grocery store. We feel this location is ideal for a grocery store. That way you residents don’t have to drive 15 minutes in either direction to get groceries.”

AN ARTIST’S RENDERING of the future Lee’s Marketplace near Mountain Green. Courtesy image

Special needs nativity

BELL CHOIR Katie Carter, Herb Crittenden, Stephanie Dickson, Maddie Francis, Katelyn Mayhew, Colton Miller, David Olsen, Alexie Randall, Hailey Reed, Emilee Robinson, Allen Shaw, Jenni Smith, Mariah Trollen and David Whittier.

THE THREE WISEMAN, Hudson Petty, Joshua Baggetta and Herb Crittenden.

MARY AND JOSEPH Libby Edwards and Gavin Christensen.

SHEPHERDS Matt Allen, Cameron Butcher, Israel Casey, Tommy Dobson, Nathan Grasteit, Colton Miller, Gus Morgan, Daniel Mudrow, David Olsen with Monroe Murry as the Inn Keeper.

ANGEL CHOIR Chole Allen, Dayna Bergman, Adaria Butcher, Katie Carter, Stephanie Dickson, Sarah Dockstader, Maddie Francis, Phoenix Grasteit, Chiara Johnson, Alacia Johnston, Katelyn Mayhew, Alexie Randall, Hailey Reed, Emilee Robinson, Jenni Smith, Kyrstin Spens, Mariah Trollan and Kristin Wixom with Allen Shaw as the Inn Keeper.

DAVID OLSEN singing “When Joseph Went to Bethlehem.”

SHEPHERDS finding the baby Jesus

TYSON GEORGE and Isaac Andrews as Roman Soldiers.

HEAVENLY CHOIR Dayna Bergman, Katie Carter, Mariah Trollan singing with their mothers.

WOODEN HAND CRAFTED nativities given to each member of the cast each year they perform.

By Verlene Johnson

W hen Teresa Christensen was a child, one of her favorite activities was building her own little books. Then, while raising her six children, working, and volunteering on boards, she wrote five different novels but never finished any of them. When she moved to Morgan County, she committed herself to finish one book no matter how bad it was. This is when “Angels Unshelved” came to life, and in 2017, a small Christian publishing company in South Carolina published this book.

Since the publication of her first book, Christensen has written many books. Currently, 11 of her books have been published: eight fiction novels, two non-fiction books, and one children’s book for her granddaughter to illustrate as her senior project.

Christensen says that so many things have inspired her to write. “I have so many stories in my head and when I walk the mountain trails in Morgan County the muses here fill my head with ideas,” she said. “Fiction books are the most fun because I can be as creative as I want. Each of my novels has at least one character from the other side of the veil (or who has passed on to another dimension). Inspiration for each book is different. Sometimes a character will make me laugh out loud or guide me to something or to someone they should end up with that I never saw coming.”

While in high school, Christensen was part of an exclusive creative writing class called Inscapes; however, she decided to be more practical in college and earned a Registered Nursing degree. Since then, she has worked off and on in the nursing field and currently still holds an RN license in Utah. In addition, her love of teaching lead her to 15 years of teaching Institute and Seminary in Oregon and Utah. For the last few years, Christensen has dedi-

cated herself to full-time writing. “It is more of a passion and hobby than a vocation,” she commented.

Christensen says she has six unique kids who give her a lot of material for characters and some of them even give storyline input when they think she has gone astray or may not be politically correct enough. Ten of her book covers have been created by family members. Four of her daughters live in the Pacific Northwest with one recently moving to Mountain Green. One so lives in Missouri and her youngest son is a literal prince at Disneyworld in Florida. These children have given her and her husband Roger 10 grandchildren. She has lived in Morgan County for seven years.

Two things Christensen would tell aspiring writers, first, “never give up. If you love writing, there will be a time and a place for it.” She was in her 50s before she could make it happen. Second, “only do it if you love and enjoy it. Rarely, unless lightning strikes, can an author support themselves by writing.”

Christensen is currently working on a sequel to her eleventh called PORTS 2. To see all the books written by Christensen, visit her website www.TeresaMeyerhoefferChristensen. com l

UDOT to study possible Trappers

U DOT has begun the process of looking at a future interchange between Trappers Loop Highway (State Road 167) and US-84 near Mountain Green. Earlier this year the legislature approved $5 million to study the possibility.

“This is something Morgan County officials have been wanting for a long time,” UDOT spokesperson Mitch Shaw said. “We’ve determined that there is going to be funding available [for a study] so it’s time to start the process. There is going to be a lot of development coming to that area, so we expect some increases in traffic.”

Currently the area is served by a half interchange where vehicles can get on but not exit the highway. The future interchange would include on and off ramps.

“It would make it a full interchange where you can get on and off in all directions at SR167,” Shaw said.

At this time UDOT is in the “purpose and need” phase of the project which will then determine whether an Environmental Assessment or an Environmental Impact Study needs to be done, Shaw said. In this process UDOT consultants will determine the purpose of the project and what the need is, he said.

“We identify why we need the project, what we hope to accomplish with this and when we have that established then we determine a class of action for what type of environmental study is needed,” Shaw said.

Environmental Assessments generally take about 18 months. During this time the project consultants identify the scope of the project, what the

potential impacts are and determine mitigation to address those impacts.

Environmental Impact Studies are much more detailed and, in addition to the above factors, look closely at the positive and negative impacts for the environment and offer different alternatives for the project. They usually take more than two years and must then be submitted to the Federal Highways Administration for approval. In both processes public open houses are held and public comment is collected.

UDOT should have identified which type of study needs to be done by late-summer 2023 and the study will commence in the fall, Shaw said.

Funding for the proposed project has not been determined but county officials are hopeful they can lobby the legislature to get funding sooner rather than later. Getting the study approved is an important first step, they say.

“We now have changed it from 20 to 30 years out to hopefully 10 plus years out [for construction] so we’re really pushing and trying to get it through,” Morgan County Commissioner Jared Anderson told the members of the Morgan Council of Governments at a Nov. 21 meeting.

At the same meeting, Wasatch Front Regional Council Director Andrew Brewster told COG members that if Salt Lake City got the 2030 or 2034 winter Olympics bid, it could easily move up the timetable.

If the Olympics return to Utah, “that will work highly in the favor of this project being accelerated,” he said.

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Morgan Valley City Arts Council Calendar of Events

Please feel free to contact us at morganvalleyarts@gmail.com with comments and suggestions! We'd love to hear from you.

A dversity is an amazing concept. It’s a part of life. It doesn’t mean that we’re bad, or weak, or hopeless. It simply means that this world has been designed for us. It is purposeful and necessary, and it has been developed specifically for us. And apparently, adversity is not here by accident. Elder Deter F. Uchtdorf wrote: “It is your reaction to adversity, not the adversity itself, that determines how your life-story develops.”

JOHN WATERBURY

So, when facing adversity, don’t make the mistake of misjudging who we are or what we may accomplish. Most of all, don’t make important decisions from a fear-based perception. We’re not here because we’re bad, or broken, or weak. We’re here because we were, and still are, valiant children of Heavenly Father.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland wrote: “An old proverb says that a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step – so watch your step!”

Each of us has a variety of gifts and abilities to be used throughout mortality, so don’t hesitate to use yours, don’t hold back, and don’t quit. In fact, Martin Luther once wrote: “Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would fall to pieces, I would still plant my apple trees.” With all of this in mind, I’m certain that we’re not done just yet.

Robert Fulghum must have been

referring to this when he wrote in 1990: “All I really need to know is what I learned in kindergarten: Share everything, play fair, and don’t hit people. Put things back where you found them, clean-up your own mess, and don’t take things that aren’t yours. Say you’re sorry when you hurt someone, wash your hands before you eat, and flush. Warm cookies and cold milk are good. Live a balanced life, take a nap every afternoon, and when you go out into the world watch out for traffic. Hold hands, stick together, and be aware of wonder.”

Brothers and Sisters, we cannot become who we want to be by remaining where we are. We’re in the midst of an essential journey. So, may we be enthusiastic as we follow Elder Uchtdorf’s words when he wrote: “Be gatherers of Light.”

John Waterbury is a retired Clinical Mental Health Counselor who has lived in Utah since 1984 when he moved to Bountiful with his wife and four children. Since then, he has written a weekly column for several years for the Davis County Clipper titled “The Dear John Letters” which was also used throughout the intermountain West focusing on addiction and mental health problems. This new column will focus on mental health and life management issues. l

9 more days till Christmas

Morgan wrestlers split duals 1-1

(RHS)

By Liisa London Mecham

The Trojans finished the week 1-1 after two tough duals against competitive teams. Morgan traveled to Millville December 7 to face the 4A Ridgeline RiverHawks and returned home the next day, December 8, to take on the 6A Layton Lancers. After picking up the 7-33 victory on Wednesday, the Trojans fell to Layton 46-18 Thursday.

In their dual against Ridgeline, organ’s 14 point victory included pins by Luke Woolsey (113), Drew Korth (132), Taite Toone (138), Zak Sargent (157), Rylee Creasey (190) and Aydon Thomson (215). At 150 pounds, Rylan Crowther earned a tech fall (17-2) and Ryler Jorgensen (120) got a forfeit.

“Ridgeline was a good win for the team. It’s a great early season experience for all of the kids on the mat,” Coach Dustin Rock shared.

The next night Morgan hosted the Layton Lancers. The Lancers boast one of the top teams in the state. In 2022, they finished second to Pleasant Grove in the 6A State Championship after leading the first day. Pleasant Grove has won 11 of the last 12 6A titles. Layton is the only team to beat them since 2011 at state, and they are the only team besides Pleasant Grove to win a 6A title in the last 12 years (2017).

Going into the match, the Trojans knew they had their work cut out for them, and the bouts were intense. Four Morgan wrestlers posted wins. At 150 pounds, Rylan Crowther pinned his opponent in 2:55 while Aydon Thomson (215) only took 1:23 to win by fall. Woolsey (113) claimed a 4-0 win by decision, and Creasey earned a 7-6 victory at 190.

Coach Dustin Rock remarked, “Layton is a solid team. This dual let us know where we’re at and what we still

have to work on early in the season. I thought Luke and Rylan wrestled really well against Layton.”

Rock feels that his team is “getting better every week” and “they are improving as they get more experience and practice.”

“I’m feeling good about where we are right now but realize that we have a long way to go,” he concluded.

The Trojans took on Bear River Wednesday at home. Friday and Saturday, part of the team will wrestle at the Christmas Clash in Farmington and several other wrestlers, including 2022 state champions and placers, will travel to Reno, Nevada to compete in the prestigious Reno Tournament of Champions against top competition from across the country.

Morgan vs. Ridgeline Dual Results

285: Caleb McMullen (RHS) over Lane Henderson (MHS) (Fall 5:48) 106: Kruz Allred (RHS) over Carter Wardell (MHS) (Dec 4-0) 113: Luke Woolsey (MHS) over Konnor Preece

BRAIN TEASERS

(RHS) (Fall 1:20) 215: Aydon Thomson (MHS) over Hollus Risher (RHS) (Fall 4:17) Morgan vs Layton Results 138: Jace Lemons (LHS) over Taite Toone (MHS) (Dec 12-7) 144: Ryker Brann (LHS) over DonavinGibson (MHS)

gensen (MHS) (Fall 5:20) 126: Aaron Yeates (LHS) over Dilyn Pentz (MHS) (Dec 6-0) 132: Noah Bull (LHS) over Drew Korth (MHS) (SV-1 12-10) l

(Fall 1:59) 120: Ryler Jorgensen

Galbraith (MHS) (MD 13-1) 175: Elijah

REESE CARTER goes for the pin.

Photos by Trudy Toone CHRIS WIMMER works to turn his opponent.

RYKER FIELD RETURNS his opponent to the mat.

2022 LIVING NATIVITY

Photos by Lynzee Oullette

Hundreds from the community attended A Living Nativity, hosted by Morgan Valley Church in Mountain Green. Photographer Lynzee Oullette captured several photos to highlight the experience.

NORTH FRONT SOUND provides a cappella music as guests arrive

GUESTS RECEIVE COINS from Cami Cordeiro to pay taxes for the Roman census

MARGARET BLIESNER describes Mary’s long journey to Bethlehem

TAX COLLECTOR (SEAN ODUM) receives tax payments from guests as they enter Bethlehem; Roman soldier (Nick Weiers) enforces the census.

SHEPHERDS OF BETHLEHEM.

YOUNG MAIDENS by the well at Bethlehem.

HERBS AND SPICES of Bethlehem.

BETHLEHEM BAKER (Nora Matlosz).

CASPER (ROBERT SMITH), one of the wise men seeking Jesus.

ANGELS QUOTING Scripture to guests.

THE SCOTSMAN CENTER, site location of The Living Nativity.

Happy Holidays and welcome to an easy quick “throw it in the pot” recipe. To those of you with an Instant Pot, who may need more confidence – this recipe is perfect! A slow cooker is always an option too. Most of these ingredients are from the pantry shelves and what I keep on hand in the refrigerator. This hearty chili makes a wonderful leftover warmed up. Does it sound like the perfect meal in one pot? Yes it is.

Hicks Haven

By Lisa Hicks

HUDSON AND MOLLIE POLLOCK as Mary and Joseph with the Christ child.

BALTHAZAR (OWEN BILLINGSLEY), one of the Wise Men, explains to guests the significance of their gifts.

SHEPHERDS VISIT MARY AND JOSEPH with the Christ child.

COOKIE TABLE HOSTESSES Jerrica Chavez, Delores Johns, and Nicole Johnson. BRENT HARM, PASTOR OF MORGAN VALLEY CHURCH, with his wife Lisa.

SCHOOL MENU

Morgan & Mtn Green

Elementary Breakfast

Monday, Dec. 19

Mini Bread, Cereal Variety, Scrambled eggs, Peaches, Apple Wedges, Tuesday, Dec. 20

Breakfast Pizza, Cereal Variety, Applesauce, Fruit Cocktail

Wednesday, Dec. 21

French Toast Sticks, Cereal Variety, Yogurt, Mandarin Oranges, Orange Juice

Thursday, Dec. 22

Egg McMuffin, Cereal Variety, Peaches, Apple Wedges

Friday, Dec. 23

WINTER BREAK

Morgan & Mtn. Green

Middle & HS Breakfast

Monday, Dec. 19

Scrambled eggs, Cereal Variety, Mini Bread, Peaches Apple Wedges

Tuesday, Dec. 20

Breakfast Pizza, Cereal Variety, Applesauce, Fruit Cocktail Wednesday, Dec. 21

French Toast Stick, Cereal Variety Yogurt, high protein, Mandarin Oranges, Orange Juice

Thursday, Dec. 22

Egg McMuffin, Cereal Variety, Peaches, Apple Wedges Friday, Dec. 23

WINTER BREAK

Morgan & Mtn. Green Elementary Lunch

Monday, Dec. 19

Popcorn Chicken, French Fries, Glazed Carrots, Fruit Cocktail, Grapes Ginger Snap Cookie, Fry sauce

Tuesday, Dec. 20

Macaroni and Cheese, Bread stick 1ww, Carrots and celery cup, Broccoli Applesauce, Peaches, Double Chocolate Chip Cookie

Wednesday, Dec. 21

Teriyaki Chicken, Wheat Roll, Broccoli Normandy, Edamame, Strawberry Cup, Apple Juice, Gelatin

Thursday, Dec. 22

Mini Calzone, Cucumber Slices,Grape Tomatoes, Pineapple Tidbits, Apple Wedges, Chocolate Chip Cookie Friday, Dec. 23

WINTER BREAK

Morgan & Mtn. Green Middle Lunch

Monday, Dec. 19

General Tso Chicken, Corn Dogs Oriental Chicken Salad, Baby Carrots Brussels Sprouts, Curly Fries, Mandarin Oranges, Sliced Pears, Apples Oranges, Texas Sheet Cake, Fry sauce

Tuesday, Dec. 20

Turkey Pot Pie, Drop Biscuits, Popcorn Chicken, Chef Salad, Potato Wedges, Peas, Orange Juice, Sliced Peaches, Apples, Oranges, Gelatin Fry sauce

Wednesday, Dec. 21

Chicken Fajita, Tortilla, Cheddar Cheese, Chicken Fillet Patty, Wheat Bun, Chicken Caesar Salad, Corn Black Beans, Celery Sticks, Fruit Cocktail, Sliced Pears, Apples, Oranges, Ginger Snap Cookie

Thursday, Dec. 22

Pepperoni Cheese Ripper, Mini Corn Dogs, BLT Salad, Cucumber Slices,Grape Tomatoes, Strawberry Cup Mandarin Oranges, Apples, Oranges Pumpkin Cookie

Friday, Dec. 23

WINTER BREAK

Morgan High Lunch

Monday, Dec. 19

General Tso Chicken, Wheat Roll Mini Corn Dogs, Oriental Chicken Salad, Baby Carrots, Brussels Sprouts Curly Fries, Mandarin Oranges, Sliced Pears, Apples, Oranges, Texas Sheet Cake, Fry sauce

Tuesday, Dec. 20

Turkey Pot Pie, Drop Biscuits, Chicken Nuggets, Chef Salad, Potato Wedges, Peas, Wheat Roll, Orange Juice, Sliced Peaches, Apples, Oranges, Gelatin, Fry sauce

Wednesday, Dec. 21

Chicken Fajita, Tortilla, Cheddar Cheese, Chicken Fillet Patty, Wheat Bun, Chicken Caesar Salad, Corn Black Beans, French Fries, Celery Sticks, Fruit Cocktail, Sliced Pears Apples, Oranges, Ginger Snap Cookie

Thursday, Dec. 22

Pepperoni Cheese Ripper, Popcorn Chicken, Wheat Roll, BLT Salad Cucumber Slices,Grape Tomatoes Strawberry Cup, Mandarin Oranges Apples, Oranges, Pumpkin Cookie

Friday, Dec. 23

WINTER BREAK

6 more days till winter Break

MHS TEACHER SPOTLIGHT

Marsha MacDonald

By Verlene Johnson

Marsha MacDonald was born and raised in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. After graduating from Saint John High School she attended the University of New Brunswick (BSC - math ) Nipissing University (BEd -Secondary Education).

MacDonald began her teaching career at Page High School in Greensboro, North Carolina. After one year there she moved to West Elgin Secondary School in the Thames Valley District School Board near London, Ontario, Canada, where she taught for nine years. Once she moved to Utah, she taught for two years at Cypress High School in Magna, Utah. MacDonald is currently in her first-year teaching math, to freshman, at Morgan High School. Although she has only taught math, she has taught every math high school class.

MacDonald said she became a math teacher, because she had the best grades in her math classes in university. She said her father was a teacher and it seemed like a fun job. “I love helping people learn,” said MacDonald. “It gives me a feeling of accomplishment when a student can say that a hard concept makes sense. I love having summers off to spend time with my family.”

Being friends since they were teenagers in the New Brunswick area, Macdonald and her husband have been married for 13 years. Together they have four children, two in elementary school and two in middle school. They moved to Enterprise in the Morgan Valley in 2010 to have more property for her husband’s mules.

When not doing “mom things” MacDonald likes taking care of her children and the house, she enjoys playing pickleball and baking. l

MES STUDENTS OF THE WEEK

JAMIE STEPHENS - 3RD

EMMA KARREN - 4TH

Morgan Elementary School

‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ a visually stunning retread of the original

By Jenniffer Wardell The Movie Guru

If the visuals were all that mattered in a movie, “Avatar: The Way of Water” would win all the awards.

Even if you’re not up on all the technical marvels James Cameron and his team used, it’s easy to see even from the first few minutes that the new “Avatar” is a feast for the eyes. The forests of Pandora are even more gorgeous than you remember, and once the characters move to the planet’s oceans the beauty only increases. There’s a depth and richness to the images I’ve never seen out of CGI, and if Cameron ever wants to do a fake nature documentary or video tour for Pandora I will be the first to buy a ticket.

Unfortunately, this isn’t a nature documentary or visual tour. This is

a dramatic narrative movie, which means that Cameron also needs things like plots, character arcs, and believable continuity. Ideally, these things should at least be reasonably well done, and if there’s at least a shred of originality than so much the better. George Lucas was a fantastic visual storyteller, but he was at his best only when he had an excellent film editor (Marcia Lucas) and a whole team of people working on his scripts.

In “Avatar: The Way of Water,” Cameron has none of those things.

I won’t bother telling you too much about the plot, because it’s literally a poorly done photocopy of the original movie’s plot. They go so far as to bring back the original movie’s villain, even though he was very definitively killed at the end of the last film, in such a way that ruins

some of the subtextual nuance of the original movie. Also, they invented an infant son for him that was supposedly born on Pandora at some point during the last movie, even though anyone with even a passing knowledge of that film knows that’s completely ludicrous.

That is, sadly, not the only ridiculous narrative leap the movie makes. At least twice, a major character makes a decision that is completely nonsense given everything else we’ve seen but is necessary for the creaky machinations of the plot. Cameron was far more interested in showing us the world of the water people than he was worrying about character motivations, and if you think about any of it too hard it all collapses into a pile of duct-taped cliches. Even though the movie runs more than three hours, you can pre-

dict literally the entire plot after the first half hour.

In fact, you can probably predict huge chunks of the plot of the next few movies, which Cameron clearly still has extensive plans for. This movie is stuck with a soft, incomplete ending because he’s clearly planning on keeping the same villain alive for at least the next few films. This also means he’s probably planning on recycling the same plots as well.

If he does, I’ll just re-run this review.

Grade: One and a half stars

Jenniffer Wardell is an award-winning movie critic and member of the Utah Film Critics Association. Find her on Twitter at @wardellwriter or drop her a line at themovieguruslc@gmail.com. l

‘Why is the Veteran Important?’

This is the question posed by the Veterans of Foreign Wars for this year’s Voice of Democracy contest. An annual event, the contest encourages high school students to consider what it means to be an American and to express their ideas on democracy and patriotism in a written and audio speech contest.

Our local chapter of the VFW sponsors this contest and awards cash prizes to encourage student participation. This year’s winner, Elijah Pfeifer, opens his speech by saying, “A man in a gray-camouflage life jacket bobs

aimlessly in the Pacific ocean among the debris of his decimated ship.” He continues by describing the significance of this moment from World War II and its influence on him personally; the importance of veterans as examples for today’s youth to embrace values of courage, sacrifice, and patriotism; and the role the U.S. does and can continue to serve as a “light” for other nations.

The veterans recognized four winners from the high school at their Christmas social on December 6. In addition to their prizes, the winners were

treated to entertainment and dinner with the veterans. Elijah also read his speech to those in attendance. The other winners are Ilana Felt, second place; Jacob Russell, third place; and Elli Lane, fourth place.

The four winners’ entries have now advanced to the district level and could move through the contest to the national level with an opportunity for them to earn scholarships at the state and national levels.

Perhaps the best prize of all was for all the students who participated in the

contest to consider the values that we hold dear as they are embodied by our veterans. As Elijah concludes, “I have realized that this is my most precious inheritance -- not money, or land -- but the character of my veteran forefather that makes me feel deeply rooted to my country, that evokes a sense of reverence for the millions of men and women who wear the uniform so that my family and friends can live in safety and security, and that inspires me to sacrifice for causes greater than myself.” l

Credit for photo ©20th Century Fox

The handsome Cowboy I met at Costco, who became my best friend and husband departed this world Tuesday evening, Dec. 6, 2022, after a brief, unexpected stop at Davis North Hospital.

Fred K. Singleton was born April 20, 1951, to Fredrick Lyman Singleton and Queena Wadsworth. He grew up and lived his entire life in Taggarts, five miles east of Morgan. His father died when he had just turned 4 years old. In addition to his mother, his older brothers and stepdad, Lawrence A. Porter, were instrumental in raising him.

Fred graduated with the class of 1969 from Morgan High School with high honors. He served as FFA president and was very active in school musical productions. He graduated from Weber State College with degrees in botany and zoology, majors he chose because he wanted to work outdoors. After graduation he went to work for the State of Utah as a government trapper protecting various livestock from coyotes and other predators. He was an excellent shot from an open-door helicopter or mounted on his horse. Some 38 years ago, he started his own business as a fence contractor. Fred Singleton Fence has become one of the premier fence companies in the West. After doing an excellent job on the fences along Legacy Highway, he was recruited to fence the extension of Legacy, known as the West Davis Corridor, tentatively to be finished in 2023. He and Pat were on the job the morning of his passing. Those who will be stopping at the gravesite will surely notice the yellow “Fred Singleton Fence” sign on the cemetery fence he built.

From his first marriage, he has been blessed with three beautiful daughters, Amber (Steven) McPherson, Annette Singleton (LaVoy), and Aubree (Chad) Benson.

Fred married Pat Freestone Groustra June 5, 2021. She has been constantly by his side the past four years building fences, fishing Alaska, and making memories. With this union, he gained another daughter, Wendy (Art) Rose and another granddaughter, Jenna Hertel.

He loved to work. He retired once from fencing, but his love for the job never let him quit. An avid outdoorsman, he loved hunting, fishing, and riding his horse.

You rarely saw Fred without boots and a cowboy hat. He always had a dog. He has made a special point to make sure the deer on the mountains surrounding his home are treated regularly with apples, deer pellets and even hay from the barn.

His greatest joys were Pat and his family. He had a special bond with his grandson, Rett.

Fred went on his first fishing trip to

Alaska on the Kenai River in 1999 and has returned every year after that. Since they met, he and Pat have spent summers in Alaska every year at a cabin they built together, fishing for salmon and halibut and making new friends. You could say he never met anyone that didn’t become his friend. The family was overwhelmed when searching his phone to find friends to reach out to and found he has 2386 contacts on his cell phone! A very patriotic person, he deeply loved his home, his family and his country.

In addition to his devoted wife, Pat, he is survived by his four daughters; granddaughters, Ava and Lily McPherson, and Jenna Hertel; grandsons Lane and Brett Benson and Rett Singleton. Fred is also survived by his half-brother, Stanton Taggart, sister Judee (Scott) Rees and half-sister Jean Bellingham.

He was preceded in death by his mother and father, his stepdad, and two half-brothers’ Dewey (Dude) Taggart and Stephen E. (Eddie) Taggart and two half-sisters, Doris Tingey and Beth VanMeeteren.

In Fred’s memory please slip into your favorite cowboy hat, boots, camo or fishing gear for the viewing and funeral services. The family would love written notes of special memories you can share about Fred. Mail them to Singleton’s P.O. Box 762, Morgan, UT 84050, email to 1tonfred@ gmail.com or bring them to the mortuary.

Funeral services were held Thursday, Dec. 15, 2022, at Lindquist’s Layton Mortuary, 1867 No. Fairfield Rd., Layton. Interment South Morgan Cemetery, 355 South State St., Morgan.

Condolences may be shared at: www. lindquistmortuary.com

Early morning on Sunday, November 27, 2022, Shirley Wilkinson Taylor at the age of 95 returned to her heavenly home to join her eternal companion Harold Elmer Taylor and her son Kelly Harold Taylor.

Born to John and Alice Wilkinson, Shirley grew up with five brothers and four sisters on the family farm in Mountain Green, Utah where she developed a sense of fierce determination and intense work ethic. Shortly following her graduation from Morgan High School in 1944, her quick-witted, adventurous spirit captured the likes of Harold Elmer Taylor, who had recently returned from military service. After a brief courtship they were married and built a lifetime of family-centered memories together including four-wheeling, fishing, hunting, rock hounding, family reunions, camping, boating trips to Lake Powell, and in their golden years escaping to the Baja in Mexico during the cold winters.

Shirley adored her family and enjoyed sharing stories of growing up on the family farm—affectionately dubbed the “Rosehill Cottage.” She was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where she served in various capacities.

Shirley is survived by one sister, Marge Hammer; daughter, Patricia (Jerald) Lamb; daughter-in-law, Gretchen Taylor; son, Ted W. (Debra) Taylor; son, Russell B. (Jeri) Taylor; son, Van A. (Beth) Taylor; 16 grandchildren, 54 great-grandchildren and 7 great-great-grandchildren.

The family expresses its sincere grat-

David John Carruth, a longtime resident of Morgan County, Utah died on Dec. 11, 2022 at 94 years old. He was born on Oct. 27, 1928 in Ogden, Utah to John Ellwood Carruth and Eliza Jane Branch. He married Marjorie Patterson on Sept. 29, 1952 in the Salt Lake Temple.

David was the youngest of eight children and spent his growing years in Coalville and Ogden. He loved baseball, singing in choirs and musicals, and telling jokes. He attended Lorin Farr Elementary where he admits to flunking first grade English. His academics improved and continued at Central Junior High, Ogden High School, Weber Jr. College and culminated at Northwestern University Dental School in Illinois.

During the Korean War he served in the United States Marine Corps. It was while stationed at the El Torro, California airbase that David attended church at the local singles branch and was asked to perform a vocal musical number. His piano accompanist for the piece was Marjorie Patterson, and he loved to say, “She’s accompanied me ever since.”

A lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he served four full-time missions throughout his life. The first was as a young man where he was called to serve in the North Central States Mission. Some of his favorite memories of his mission were as part of the traveling mission band. He was first recruited for his voice, but needed an instrument to be in the small group so he learned drums and tenor saxophone as well. David served later in his life, he and his favorite companion, Marjorie, served missions together to Indianapolis, Indiana; Warsaw, Poland; and Lubbock, Texas.

His employment as a young man included work at Ogden Union Railway and Depot Company and the Continental Baking Company. After finishing dental school, he opened a private dental practice in Morgan, Utah and then worked as the Clearfield Job Corps Center Dentist. While a dentist by trade, his favorite type of work was construction. He built six homes throughout Ogden, Morgan, and Mountain Green for his family to live in and helped many family members and friends construct homes and perform renovations. He was a master carpenter and enjoyed woodworking and home projects throughout his life – and even managed to keep most of his fingers intact.

He also loved boating and prioritized time with his family each year at Lake Powell with many fish caught, skiers

itude for the professional services and assistance provided by all the nurses and caretakers at The Lodge and Canyon Hospice Care.

A celebration of life will be held in her remembrance on Thursday, January 5, 2023, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Mountain Green Chapel, 4150 W Old Hwy Rd Mountain Green, UT 84050. Arrangements entrusted to Lindquist Ogden Mortuary.

Condolences may be shared at: www. lindquistmortuary.com.

pulled (if they could hold on for dear life), toilets repaired, games played, and many other memories made. His grandchildren remember watching him waterski even in his 70s.

We will remember him for his beautiful singing voice and great love of music which he shared willingly, boundless love for his family, hard work ethic, a quick and witty humor with a saying or joke for nearly any occasion, an inability to keep a straight face in a photo, and his tight hugs anytime he said goodbye.

Survivors include his wife Marjorie; children: Diane (Bill) Weaver, Robert Patterson Carruth, Thomas Mark (Ivana) Carruth, Marianne (Paul) Searle, David Branch (Kimberly) Carruth, Amy Castro, Michael Paul Carruth, and son-in-law, Blaine Fisher; 28 grandchildren and 36 great-grandchildren. Preceded in death by his parents; siblings: Mary, Louise (Van Dyke), Edna, Marie, Richard, Frank, Russell; children: Colleen (Fisher), Reed Patrick Carruth; grandchildren: Joshua David Fisher, Brittany Ann Searle; and great-grandson: Logan Brandon Searle.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022 at the Highlands Ward building, 5378 W. Old Hwy Rd, Mountain Green, with a viewing from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and funeral services at 11 a.m. Interment will follow at the South Morgan Cemetery.

Funeral directors, Walker Mortuary, Morgan Utah. Condolences and services will be at walker-mortuary.com

SPORTS PREDICTIONS

I

think the score will be Morgan 46, Skyline 45.

Follow the Nike Tournament results. Games will begin at 9:00 a.m, on Dec, 19, 20, 21 and 22. The last games

are scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m.

At the Dec. 22 games, the top division championship and third place games will be played at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., and will be broadcast on ESPN.

I think the Boys will beat Grand Red Devils with a final score of Morgan 56, Grand 40.l

Shirley Wilkinson Taylor

Daniel Mudrow

David John Carruth Oct. 27, 1928 – Dec. 11, 2022

Fred K. Singleton

Finding small business help just got easier

By Alisha Copfer

MORGAN—As a dedicated haven for small businesses, the Morgan Business Resource Center (BRC) is dedicated to contributing to economic growth. From free one-on-one management consulting to training sessions, the center is there to help any business with its growing company.

“We’re Morgan’s best kept secret,” said Marnae Hoxer, Business Resource Center Manager. “We have what we call rentable space, which is where businesses can rent cubicles that will be a dedicated space to just their business.”

The resource center provides these services for all business types, from travel agencies to construction companies. They also work with the local school district by providing space for adult education.

Most of the BRC’s services are free to business owners. However, the center also provides training and other events at a minimal cost. These events can be found on their website at brc.davistech. edu. “Training opportunities are offered through Workforce Education. These trainings provide certifications used to improve your business,” says the website. “The SBDC is a federally and state-funded program, with 14 centers in the state of Utah. We are a resource partner of the Small Business Administration.”

The Business Resource Center was remodeled in 2011 and opened its doors in 2012. It is an extension of Davis Technical College. And it is part of a nationwide program that provides no-cost business advising services and low-cost training opportunities. “We specialize in business plans and growth strategies,” says the website. “We support small business entrepreneurs from the idea stage through the growth stage.”

“We also work closely with the governor’s office for rural incentives and grants,” said Andrew Willis, the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Director. “We have incentives for existing businesses for them to know how to expand. We also help with information about how they can grow, such as hiring and buying equipment.”

The SBDC will also help local businesses look for, and obtain, grants for business growth. “One of the greatest assets we offer is letting business owners know where and how to formulate capital acquisition,” said Hoxer. Each grant the SBDC finds helps to fund a local, small business. They work closely with the Morgan Chamber of Commerce as well as other entities in Utah to get these grants.

“A grant we help with is the Wildcat Micro Fund,” said Willis. “While it’s only for startups, we help inform people when this fund is available.” No matter the size of the business, the BRC

is willing to help. From giving business owners the ideas of getting a company started all the way to figuring out how to pivot an existing business.

“This is a place where businesses can come to figure out their startups, grow their business and even learn how to give their business a refresh,” said

Hoxer.

The Morgan Business Resource Center is located at 314 E 300 North, Morgan. They encourage business owners to visit the website to learn more about them and how they help. A list of events and trainings is on the website as well. l

THE MORGAN BUSINESS RESOURCE CENTER has dedicated space for small businesses to grow.

Courtesy Photo