Let’s Enjoy the Beauty of ‘New Flowers’ This Spring

When you visit the museum, you will quickly see that Taylorsville is not what it used to be. This is my reference to the “cut owers” in Neruda’s quote. Gone are the blacksmiths, the tack shops, soda fountains and one-room schoolhouses.

The new flowers, which have resulted from not being able to “keep spring from coming,” allude to my reference to spring cleaning. If you are a longtime Taylorsville resident, you’ve especially seen change in the last, oh, say 40 years. I hear family stories fondly remembering when the area south of 5400 South was nothing but farmland, and you could see all the way to the Point of the Mountain.

I could go on, but I think you get the point. It’s extremely important we remember the past — holding it near and dear to our hearts — but also equally important that we leave enough room in our hearts for new people, new businesses, new ideas and new opportunities.

Much of the “new owers” that we quite frankly cannot keep from coming will be people, housing, businesses and transportation. How we change our mindsets as a city, as a community, as neighborhoods and as individuals will help these new, inevitable events occur smoothly.

Lastly, I think back as to what it must have been like for the settlers of the Salt Lake Valley. As new settlers

New Culvert to Create Safe Walking Route for Junior High Students

A new culvert under construction at the corner of 2700 West and Longmeadow Drive will soon make it safer for area students to get to school.

The short area across the canal has no sidewalk on either side of 2700 West but the situation was made worse when a vehicle ran over the chain link fence on the east side, requiring city o cials to set up jersey barriers to protect the slim shoulder. Students were left with two untenable options, either walk along the banks much too close to the canal or step further into the busy road to avoid the barrier.

came in and wanted to make this area their home, I would like to think that those who came before welcomed them, their families, their businesses and their cultures with open arms and genuine interest to learn about them and how they could best incorporate their skills and customs into the community.

Spring is coming. Let’s remember to appreciate the cut owers of the past and enjoy the owers coming.

Many parents told their children to avoid the section altogether, either driving them the four blocks to Bennion Jr. High or requiring them to walk the long way around through the neighborhood, often in the dark in the early morning hours before school.

A concerned parent, Nicole McDermott, who is also a member of the Granite School Board, contacted the city for help. She was worried about the safety of the canal section itself but also noted that it has isolated the neighborhood and created an inconvenience for students as they have had to circumvent that small stretch.

She was joined this past month by another parent, Laura James, and 10 students who gathered at the canal to highlight the problem and thank City Council Member Anna Barbieri for her quick attention to xing it. “We are appreciative of the city for being so responsive and concerned about this area, as well,” McDermott said.

Once aware of the breadth of the problem, the City Council budgeted money to replace the old, corrugated metal pipe channeling the canal under the road with the new culvert. “I’m just so impressed with the work,” Barbieri said. “They’ve started construction, and it’s a major job. But it will be well worth it when it’s done.”

Placement of the culvert will provide extra width across the canal, enabling a sidewalk to be placed on either side of 2700 West. The work is expected to be complete in the next couple of months.

Registration for the 2023 Taylorsville Dayzz 5K and Kids Run is open! Register early for the best price! T-shirt or tank top, finishers medal, swag bag and chip timing all included for only $25 (5K) $15 (Kids Run) Scan the QR code below to register and for more details!