In The Middle of Everything City Hall – 7505 South Holden Street • Midvale, UT 84047
The Heart of the Matter
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MIDVALE CITY ELECTED OFFICIALS MAYOR Robert Hale Email: Rhale@midvale.com
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CITY COUNCIL District 1 - Quinn Sperry Email: qsperry@midvale.com District 2 - Paul Glover Email: pglover@midvale.com District 3 - Heidi Robinson Email: Hrobinson@midvale.com District 4 - Bryant Brown Email: bbrown@midvale.com District 5 - Dustin Gettel Email: dgettel@midvale.com
WHO TO CALL FOR… Water Bills Ordering A New Trash Can Reserving the Bowery Permits GRAMA requests Court Paying For Traffic School Business Licensing Property Questions Cemetery Water Line Breaks Planning and Zoning Code Enforcement Building inspections Graffiti
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AUGUST 2021 CITY NEWSLETTER By Mayor Robert Hale
August is one of the months in which dren, some of whom have never walked these sidewalks before, are many things, habits, acquaintances, and going to be riding, running, jumping and walking (and some will yes, even weather, start to change. Living be dragging their feet) to school. As we drive our streets, we must in a temperate zone on the Earth’s surface be overly cautious for children not in their expected locations, and provides us (hypothetically) four seasons. to crossing guards that are in their expected locations. Give them I know, I know! This summer seems to space, time, and your attention so all can live another day. Now a word that I promised a citizen: Our neighborhoods are have outstayed its welcome, especially since it has not provided the usual thunderstorms and monsoon made up of a mixture of homeowners and renters. Each have their showers we can remember from years past. The number of 90°+ worries, dog problems, car problems, cranky neighbors, and lawn and 100°+ degree days has been at or near record numbers since problems. I am inviting all to be conscious of our fellow neighJune. Old-timers can relate having years like this in decades past. bors. If something we are doing or allowing to happen is causing It is nothing new, but it is also never easy to disturb our lifestyles someone else to have extra work to clean up or dread (think dogs, or tree limbs or leaves, etc.), please, let us all be considerate of our that we wish were flush with rain as in years past. I know from our city records that water conservation has been neighbors! Neighbors cannot just up and move. Most are lenient implemented by residents and businesses, schools and the city. to occasional disturbances or a little yard cleanup, but let’s do Thank you! I just hope your knees are getting a bit more callused more to prevent what we can and reduce or eliminate becoming from your prayers to the Creator asking for mercy and rain. It a problem for someone else. That’s all I’ll write. You know where takes a long time for the atmosphere to adjust as the tilted Earth it needs to be applied around where you live. Thanks to all! See you at Harvest Days! rotates through the sun and in its seasons to gather atmospheric moisture in sufficient quantity, and then to get the air currents directed to the Great Basin. But if we are doing our best to conserve while pleading our case, the Almighty will hear our prayers and grant what we ask for. Harvest Days are ready to begin! If you have planted vegetables or are nurturing fruit trees through this tough time, you have probably had some harvest already. My peas and lettuce finished in June. The varieties of tomatoes are coming along with their first fruits just now. Apricots were harvested in mid-July. Pears, peaches, and apples will be ready in another month or two. No hurry, Mother Nature, – I like those fruits ripe and tree-ripened sweet. I hope you enjoy your harMidvale Community Center vest, too. Growing even a small pot of tomatoes Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on an apartment balcony gives great satisfaction when the ripe fruit of the vine is sliced onto a salMayor Robert Hale, Council Member Quinn Sperry, and Council Dustin ad or sandwich or hamburger. Enjoy!! Gettel hosted a Ribbon Cutting Ceremonny. The former Midvale Senior Please checkout the calendar of events for Center building is owned by Midvale City and was built in the late Harvest Days in downtown Midvale and at our 1950's. The renovated center and new outdoor paviliion include: park at www.midvaleharvestdays.com . There 4,806 square feet are many activities planned: Hall of Honors Multi-purpose room has a seating capacity of 80 and local artists’ art show, block parties, bingo, concerts, festival, and fireworks. I know you have Amenities include a kitchen with refrigerator, sink, and microwave been waiting for these! Now, I can write this to Stage has been upgrade to be ADA compliant you: THANK YOU for your care in conserving 6,514 square foot outdoor Pavilion your fireworks. Our city had the least amount of sky and ground fireworks in years – and as you The Community Center and new Pavilion are both available for rent. know, this year, it was essential. Now come to Visit our website for more information. the park and enjoy a great show on Saturday, 7 August, 10 PM. www.MidvaleCity.org/CommunityCenter August brings safety concerns for all children, parents, law enforcement, crossing guards, and school personnel: school begins this month. Chil-
In The Middle of Everything
Honoring Mayor Seghini
HARVEST DAYS
MIDVALE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER RENAMED JOANN B. SEGHINI AUDITORIUM AFTER CHAMPION OF THE ARTS
Neighborhood Block Parties Midvale Arts Council Hall of Honors
Midvale Performing Arts Center (695 W 7720 S) www.MidvaleArts.com.
FREE Bingo Night (5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.)
Midvale City Park (425 W 6th Avenue @ the new Pavilion) 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Food Truck Dinner 6:30 p.m. Free Bingo (12 years and older; raffle prizes for under 12)
Music on Main (5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.)
Historic Main Street (Center St. to 4th Avenue). Park at Midvale City Hall.
Food Trucks, games, music, Live Band (Exit Strategy) performs from 7pm-9:30pm
8:00 a.m. 10:00 a.m. 11:30 a.m. 5:30 p.m. 8:00 p.m.
Baby Goat Yoga (pre-register) & Skillets Food Truck Harvest Days Parade Harvest Days Festival (see more details below) Coco's Rumba Libre Band The Dance Doctors
10:00 p.m. Fireworks
Additional Festival Entertainment
12:00 p.m. Starlite Dance Academy 12:45 p.m. Miss Margene's Creative Generation 3:00 p.m. Spiderman: Superhero Training 3:30 p.m. Midvale Main Street Theatre 4:00 p.m. 1520 Arts Hip Hop Dance Group 4:30 p.m. Scales and Tails
Free Festival Activities
(11:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.) Midvale Historical Society & Museum Tours Thrive 125 Exhibit Nerf War Social Photo Booth Balloon Animals Bounce House, Inflatables, Obstacle Course and more
Festival Food Trucks & Snacks Taste of Louisiana Worlds Best Corndogs JDawgs
WWW . MIDVALECITY . ORG
Ma & Pa's Dutch Oven Pulled Pork Haole T's Beach Grill Food Truck Audrey's Philly Cheese Steak
Garden O'Veaten San Diablo Churros Radd Lemon Shakers
www.MidvaleHarvestDays.com
Tricicle Leilani's Eatery Snowie Snow Cone
The pandemic caused many things to be postponed and among them was the introductions into Midvale’s Hall of Honor. But as that is being rectified, the space that holds that Hall is also being renamed in honor of the person that is not only very responsible for the Midvale Performing Arts Center’s creation, but also fought so hard for the arts in the city she loved – Mayor JoAnn B. Seghini. During the normal Hall of Honor ceremonies held during the week of Harvest Days – in which Mayor Seghini was inducted into the Hall, the Midvale Arts Council also unveiled a plaque inside the theater proclaiming its new name: The JoAnne B. Seghini Memorial Hall. It is a fitting tribute to someone who was such a big champion of the arts. Midvale Arts Council Chairman Wade Walker commented, “It’s no understatement to say that this building would not be here in its current shape and form without the unwavering support of Mayor Seghini for the arts in Midvale and this particular building project. She was also Mayor when the stage in the park was completed. Without her, neither of these two great performance venues would exist here in Midvale.” Stephanie Johnson, President of the Midvale Arts Volunteer Council, also noted that Mayor Seghini came to every concert, theater production, and event that the Arts Council held until her health no longer allowed her to attend. “She was just a fantastic supporter of the arts and always went to bat for us.” Shortly after the 2002 Winter Olympics, Midvale City had a big decision to make – what to do with the significant funds the city had advanced for the Olympics that would now be returned to the city. As a strong supporter of the arts, Mayor JoAnn B. Seghini quickly threw her support behind the idea of using those funds to renovate the vacant, old City Hall building on the southeast corner of Main and Center. That idea became a reality, and for nearly 20 years now, the building has served as the Midvale Performing Arts Center and been host to hundreds of theater performances, dance and music concerts, visual and literary art exhibits, and other community events and classes. For a time, the building even served as a temporary dental clinic and home for the Community Building Community non-profit organization. As mentioned, the building also houses the city’s Hall of Honor. And with the latest induction of honorees, JoAnn B. Seghini’s name is now a part of that as well. The Hall, and the newly named JoAnn B. Seghini Memorial Auditorium are open to all during performances, but if you’d like to visit the theater and see the plaques of all of the current members of the Hall of Honor, arrangements can be made. Contact the Midvale Arts Council through midvalearts.com and make your request known. The space looks forward to honoring her name for many years to come and keep her dreams of a Midvale city full of arts alive for generations to enjoy.
AUGUST 2021 CITY NEWSLETTER WWW . MIDVALECITY . ORG
Prize car returns to Midvale after 65 years By Erin Dixon Midnight, August 1956, Midvale, Center Street. Elizabeth and Wilford Sisam wake to two police officers at their door. What might have been panic quickly turned to elation as the officers told Elizabeth she won a brand new car in a raffle in Harvest Days. She was so overwhelmed she fell into the officer’s arms. The prize was a 1956 Ford Fairlane Club Sedan, worth over $2,000 at the time. Elizabeth paid $1.00 for her raffle ticket. $1.00 is worth $9.99 today, a cumulative inflation of 887%. Bread was $0.18 a loaf, and gas $.23 a gallon. Would you pay $10 for a chance to win a car? We don’t know why a brand-new car was in a raffle, but Elizabeth and generations to come hit the jackpot. In a newspaper article from 19.., Elizabeth’s grandson, Brent Jex published his grandparents story. “My grandmother Sisam asked my grandfather if he would like to purchase a chance on the automobile and his answer was ‘No, I do not care to throw my money away.’ My grandmother, not being as frugal as grandfather, decided she would take a chance on that car. …[I]t had only been a few days ago that her neighbor Mrs. Iasella had given her a dollar for her birthday, so why shouldn’t she be a little extravagant. This happened to be one time in her life she really used good judgement when she spent her only dollar.” Even though the prize was Elizabeth’s, she didn’t have a driver’s license, nor did she know how to drive. Wilford agreed to claim the prize; his pride in the prize shows in the way he cared for her car. “[Grandfather] never drove it on a stormy day,” Brent continued in the article. “He hardly took it away from the city of Midvale, Utah. He never exceeded the speed limit, never came close to it. The body is in perfect condition, free from rusts, dents and scratches. It still has the original owner’s manual, the cigarette lighter and ashtray have never been used.” “I can still hear him saying, “What do you think of the car we won for a dollar?” By the time Brent inherited the car in 1975, 14 years later, there were only 9,000 miles on it. He kept as meticulous care as his grandparents. The car’s tires rarely hit the streets on its own. Brent preferred to transport the car in it’s own celebrity trailer to autoramas, shows and parades.
Fast forward to August 2021. A few months ago, Brent needed to move into a care facility to help with his aging eyes and mind. The car has been passed to Brent’s nephew, and Elizabeth’s great-grandchildren, Craig and Karla Leuing. Craig spent a lot of time helping his uncle Brent with the car. “Every car show he showed it in, if he didn’t win first place trophy he was upset. He was a fuss fart,” Craig said. Craig and Karla often helped Brent take care of the car as he showed it off. On one occasion, at the autorama in Sandy city, Brent offered Karla a ride from the building into the trailer. Craig said, “He asked my wife if she wanted to ride in it. He told her if she wanted to ride out from the autorama into the trailer she had to take her shoes off and anything sharp in her pockets.” Today, the car is 65 years old. The paint is original. The interior upholstery and dash are original. The carpets are original. Nothing has been updated or modified; it is perfectly manicured to look as if it came brand new from the dealership today. The white wall tires are new, but that is because even perfectly cared for tires degrade over time. Craig is continuing to honor the wish of his great grandmother and uncle. He will keep the car in a garage, away from bad weather and accidents. “It’s got sentimental value to me,” Craig said. Craig was born the same year Elizabeth won the car. “I remember her well…. Going to her house every Christmas and [the boys] always got a Tonka toy. She had all her children plus her children’s children; a lot of people in a little house. She was always really nice to me and my siblings,” Craig said. At retail, the car in it’s condition could go for $30,000 or more at auction, but it won’t be leaving the family any time soon. The car is destined for Craig’s son, making it’s journey through four generations. “My uncle [Brent] laid carpet all his life. Every time we needed carpet laid ,he was always good to come lay the carpet for us, and wouldn’t charge us hardly anything. It was his wish to keep it in the family and someone that would take care of it and he knows how I take care of things,” Craig said. The Fairlane will return to Midvale for Harvest Days this year. Craig said Brent is excited to ride in the car in the parade this year, though his mind is failing him. “He’ll know he’s in it. He’s excited.”