SNARR
COVER PHOTO BY BRANDON ORTON
© Best Version Media
EXPERT CONTRIBUTORS
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT EXPERT
Jenn Kikel-Lynn, K Real Estate 5411 S. Vine St. #3, Murray, UT 84107 jenn@kikelrealestate.com 801-641-1571 | jennkikellynn.com
EVENT EXPERT
Tom Brazill, Elevate Event Bartending 4547 Peach St. Holladay, UT 84117 801-477-4452
tom@elevateeventbartending.com elevateeventbartending.com
FUNERAL SERVICES EXPERT
Blake Soffe, Owner/Funeral Director Jenkins-Soffe Funeral Homes & Cremation Center | 801-266-0222
4760 S State St. Murray, UT 84107 JSM@Jenkins-Soffe.com | www.Jenkins-Soffe.com
MORTGAGE EXPERTS
Jamie Nielsen
VanDyk Mortgage Corporation
5330 S 900 E Ste 200, Murray, UT 84117 801-694-0822
jnielsen@VanDykMortgage.com
Quinn Richins
5330 S 900 E Ste 200, Murray, UT 84117 801-703-8325
Qrichins@VanDykMortgage.com
HOME & COMMERCIAL FLOORING EXPERT
Goodrich Flooring 836 E. 4500 S. Murray, UT 84107 801-262-4444 www.goodrichfloors.com
INSURANCE EXPERT
Randy Buchmiller, State Farm 5063 S. State St. Murray, UT 84107 randy.buchmiller.b7pg@statefarm.com 801-261-4337
www.randybuchmiller.com
PERSONAL INJURY AND ACCIDENT
LAW EXPERT
Resh Jefferies | Resh Law resh@reshlaw.com | 385.888.RESH (7374) 45 E. Vine St. Murray, UT 84107 www.reshlaw.com
AESTHETICS AND PLASTIC SURGERY EXPERT
Dr. Renato Saltz Saltz Plastic Surgery and Spa Vitoria 1441 Ute Blvd. Suite 140, Park City, UT 84098 435-216-9876 | saltzplasticsurgery.com
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EXPERT
Kathy White, President
Murray Chamber of Commerce 141 E. 5600 S. Ste 300, Murray, UT 84107 801-263-2632 | themurraychamber.com president@themurraychamber.com
MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING EXPERT
Mountain Medical Health 4516 S. 700 E. Ste 370, Murray, UT 84107 385-449-9990
www.mtnmentalhealth.com
REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT EXPERT
Alen Kantarevic, UVO Group 7650 S. Union Park Ave. Midvale, UT 84047 alenkantarevic.myrealtyonegroup.com 801-664-9028
alen@uvorealestate.com
REROOFING
S and S Roofing Emergency Repairs & Free Estimates Utah’s #1 Roofing Company 435-658-4344
PLUMBING EXPERT
Jonathan Cheever
Team Cheever Plumbing & Heating 8430 Gambel Dr. Park City, UT 84098 435-252-7697 teamcheever.net
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• Now Accepting New Patients
FINANCE AND TAX EXPERTS
Danielle M. Meister, CFF®, CDFA® Madrona Financial & CPAs 833-673-7373
daniellem@madronafinancial.com PHONE 801-609-1442
WEBSITE www wellnestfertility com
ADDRESS 1491 East Ridgeline Drive South Ogden, UT 88405 Redhead Marketing & PR Hilary Reiter Azzaretti hilary@redheadmarketingpr.com
JARED DEMANN Publisher jdemann@bestversionmedia.com
BETSY DEMANN
Assistant Publisher bdemann@bestversionmedia.com
JACQUIE SYMES
Executive Assistant to the Publisher & Content Coordinator jacquie@bestversionmedia.com
EMILY REZIN Designer
© Best Version Media
Lexie Larson Meet YourTeam!
Hello! Nice to meet ya! Being born and raised in Charleston granted me such an amazing childhood, getting to explore, grow, and get into heaps of trouble when the times called for it. Technically Charleston is Heber, to us its different, same zip code, different flow of life. Climbing bales of hay that were precariously stacked, jumping in cow pastures we had no business being in. How lucky to be surrounded by beauty everywhere you turn, that is Charleston!
Being raised by my Mother and Grandma was a hoot, thank goodness the teenage years pass, like a kidney stone.
When you visit the little white house with the green roof, the weeping willow in the front yard will greet you, the house is always warm, with love full to the brim. That will forever be home.
Since the beginning of time, animals have greatly inspired me. Most of all dogs. Through sculpting, photography, and just plain ol' creating, dogs have always been poetry. Getting to take photos of these little creatures that we hold so near and dear, that's my jam. May my camera lens be smudged with nose marks for the rest of my days.
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Jared DeMann | jdemann@bestversionmedia.com | (801) 520-3342
Betsy DeMann | bdemann@bestversionmedia.com
Jacquie Symes | jacquie@bestversionmedia.com ADVERTISING CONTENT
Have feedback, ideas or submissions? We are always happy to hear from you! Go to www.bestversionmedia.com and click “Submit Content.” You may also email your thoughts, ideas and photos to: jdemann@bestversionmedia.com FEEDBACK/IDEAS/SUBMISSIONS
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CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
TAYLOR LARSEN SHAUN DELLISKAVE
MEGAN O'BRIEN
KATIE O'BRIEN
RICHARD ELLIS
AIMEE L. COOK
DANA KLEIN
LEXIE LARSON BRANDON ORTON
DEB DEKOFF
ERIC RAMIREZ
EXCEPTIONAL CARE AND EXPERTISE:
How Jamie and Quinn Turned a Challenging Mortgage Journey Into a Success
I want to take a moment to rave about the incredible work Jamie Nielsen and Quinn Richins of VanDyk Mortgage did for me. These two mortgage professionals truly went above and beyond to help me achieve my financial goals, and I am grateful for their dedication.
They successfully completed two very complex loans for me: a condo refinance that was far from straightforward, and a new home loan I share with my sister, who is a single mom. Both of these loans were complicated and not your typical transactions. Many other lenders might have walked away or refused to take on such challenging scenarios. But Jamie and Quinn didn’t flinch. They tackled every obstacle head-on, jumping through hoops and navigating complex situations with confidence and expertise.
What stood out most was their kindness and patience throughout the entire process. It was clear that they genuinely cared about helping my sister and me achieve our dreams. They provided constant guidance and reassurance, sharing their insights and experience at every step. They weren’t just professional—they also brought a great sense of humor to what could have been a stressful journey, making everything much more manageable and even enjoyable.
They worked tirelessly to secure the best rates possible for us, which ultimately saved us a significant amount of money each month. Their dedication to finding the right financial solution truly made a difference.
Beyond their professional expertise, Jamie and Quinn showed they cared deeply about us as individuals. During the process, we experienced a devastating loss in our family,
and they were there for us — sharing tears and offering genuine support. They even loved on our fur babies when we brought them into the office, demonstrating kindness and compassion far beyond what is typical of a mortgage service.
Their professionalism was outstanding. They handled everything with integrity, attention to detail, and a level of care that made me feel like I was their top priority. Thanks to Jamie and Quinn, we were able to secure our loans when others might have given up, and I couldn’t be more grateful.
If you’re looking for mortgage pros who combine expertise, kindness, and a genuine desire to help, look no further than Jamie Nielsen and Quinn Richins at VanDyk Mortgage. I recommend them wholeheartedly to friends, family, neighbors, and everyone reading this. They made what could have
been a stressful process smooth, manageable, and ultimately successful for me and my family. They are truly the best. Trustworthy, caring, and exceptional at what they do.
TRANSFUSION The
The Transfusion is a classic drink that is experiencing a fresh wave of popularity. Known as a golfer’s drink, this slightly tart but oh-so-refreshing cocktail combines vodka, ginger ale, grape juice, and fresh lime juice. The finished product leaves you with a wonderful thirst quenching drink to get you through the course.
The Transfusion was originally created to drink while teeing-off on the golf course (possibly to fight off a hangover from the festivities the night before). The drink’s refreshing and revitalizing qualities will not only get you started, but easily get you all the way to the “19th hole.”
You don’t have to be a golfer to enjoy a Transfusion. You can make this simple cocktail at home. The recipe is easy and you end up with an invigorating drink you won’t soon forget.
Prep time: Less than 5 minutes
and weddings
INGREDIENTS:
• 1 ½ oz vodka
• 1 oz concord grape juice
• ½ oz fresh lime juice
• Top off with ginger ale or ginger beer for a slightly spicier drink
• Lime wedge and/or frozen grapes for garnish
DIRECTIONS:
Add vodka, grape juice, and lime juice to a high ball glass filled with ice. Fill the rest of the glass with the ginger ale. Garnish with a lime wedge and/or a few frozen grapes. Sip, swing (or don’t), and smile!
Did you try a Transfusion?
If so, hit me up on Instagram @elevateeventbartending
BY SHAUN DELLISKAVE
Crewing Connection:
The Woman Behind Murray’s Most Uplifting Event
At dawn, Kathy White is already hauling nylon and unraveling ropes, her hands blackened with soot and a grin stretched wide across her face. She’s not just the CEO of the Murray Chamber of Commerce — she’s also part of the crew. Specifically, a hot air balloon crew, responsible for launching these glorious, fire-fed orbs into the sky at the city’s annual balloon festival.
“For me, it's the deep connection with our balloon family,” White says. “Crewing a balloon is all about trust and teamwork — you rely on every person around you to keep things safe and to make something truly extraordinary happen.”
Extraordinary is an understatement. At the Utah Hot Air Balloon Palooza, wicker baskets, propane tanks, and heaps of colorful fabric come alive at sunrise, becoming airborne ambassadors of community pride. At ground level, thousands gather with coffee cups and pajama-clad toddlers in tow. Overhead, the balloons drift peacefully, suspended by fire, physics, and a whole lot of behind-the-scenes hustle.
“There’s this moment where a bundle of fabric, with the help of fire, lifts off the ground and floats into the sky — and it’s pure magic,” White says.
Magic may be the word for it, but what makes this festival soar isn’t just what’s above ground. It’s what’s happening below. From the chaos of set-up to the hush of liftoff, White orchestrates both her balloon crew and her civic mission like a conductor coaxing beauty from brass. “It’s not easy. Sometimes it’s exhausting,” she admits. “But what makes it even more meaningful is that the community gets involved too. If someone walks by and wants to help, we invite them in. They roll up their sleeves, join the crew, and suddenly they’re part of something unforgettable.”
The invitation is open, and the turnout proves just that. Over 6,000 people attended the first festival, far outpacing expectations. “We wondered if maybe only the crew would be there, standing in a big open field,” White says. “But instead, the community showed up in full force. It told us something powerful: the people of Murray want this.”
In fact, wonder is what drives White — both as a balloonist and a civic leader. “When something looks seamless — an event, a ribbon cutting, a successful new partnership — it’s only because someone behind the scenes made
the hard calls, did the planning, and stayed grounded when things got chaotic,” she says. “There’s a real burden that comes with creating beauty — but it’s worth it.”
She sees parallels between hot air ballooning and her work at the Chamber of Commerce. “Just like a hot air balloon, a Chamber of Commerce carries this sense of tradition and history,” she says. “But to truly lift a chamber off the ground — to make it relevant and effective today — it takes a lot more than tradition. You need strategy, technology, data, communication tools… The beauty is in the blend.”
And while the festival may only last a weekend, its impact stretches far beyond the morning fog. “I hope people walk away with a sense of joy — that’s really the heart of it,” White says. “Especially for those experiencing it for the first time, I want them to feel that sense of awe when they see a hot air balloon inflate right in front of them.”
She recalls a morning that still gives her chills: “The sun was barely up, and the field was still quiet. We were inflating one of the balloons, and I looked up to see it fully standing, lit from within by the burners. In that second… it hit me how surreal and beautiful it all was.”
Then, she turned around.
“There were kids on shoulders, families in lawn chairs, people in pajamas with coffee in hand. They were smiling, pointing, just taking it all in. That was the moment I fell in love with it all over again.”
In a divided, screen-soaked age, a balloon festival feels almost defiantly analog. White leans into that. “Even when the world feels divided or overwhelming, at our core, we’re all human. We all want to feel joy. We all want to feel safe. And we all want to connect — to laugh, to stand side by side, to experience something beautiful together.”
For White, crewing balloons has even shaped her leadership philosophy. “Professionally, I’ve always believed that people just want to know they matter. That someone sees them, hears them, and genuinely cares,” she says. “Leadership isn’t just about making decisions — it’s about building trust.”
And trust, like a balloon at liftoff, requires
letting go of a little control — and embracing the elements. “You’re working with forces you can’t control — like the weather — and learning to stay calm, adapt, and rely on each other.”
It’s no surprise, then, that when asked to describe Murray from 2,000 feet up, drifting in a basket suspended by fire and fabric, White doesn’t mention real estate trends or commercial corridors.
“From up there, Murray feels peaceful,” she says. “It’s a reminder that this is a community where people live real lives, raise families, and look out for each other. It’s not perfect, but it’s home.”
The annual Utah Hot Air Balloon Palooza is floating back into town SEPTEMBER 19-21 at Cottonwood High School. Balloons launch early in the morning, with Saturday also featuring a special evening launch.
WHEN NOT CEO OF THE MURRAY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, KATHY WHITE CREWS A HOT AIR BALLOON.
THE MAYOR, THE MUSTACHE, AND THE MUSCLE BEHIND MURRAY © Best Version Media
If you blinked while driving down State Street in Murray, Utah, you might have missed him: a man in a battered pickup, mustache billowing like a pair of victory flags, personally spraying weeds in the city medians. That was Dan Snarr—four-term mayor, self-proclaimed cowboy poet, and the kind of public servant who preferred boots to bureaucracy. For sixteen years, Snarr ran his city like a small-town hardware store—hands-on, loud, and with a tool for every job.
At 76, the four-term former mayor of Murray, Utah, is technically retired—but still moving like a city on fast-forward. He speaks with gravel-smooth gusto, gesturing like he’s still giving direction to public works. And while he’s most famous outside of Utah
for his handlebar mustache—a 22-inch marvel once featured on American Idol—locals remember him for something else: doing the job himself when others wouldn’t.
“What I wanted to do was show people if there’s a better way to do things,” Snarr explains. “They used to fine people for not doing weed control. I said, ‘There’s a more efficient way.’ But the way I showed that was by doing it myself.”
This wasn’t a metaphor. Snarr would personally plow streets after snowstorms and show up to trim neglected parks and medians. He once sprayed weeds citywide for six hours using a system he designed after timing city crews. “I just said, ‘There’s a smarter way,’” he shrugs. “But I didn’t tell
them how to do it. I wanted to prove it first.”
His signature blend of blue-collar hustle and bold showmanship earned him both praise and pushback. “Someone said, ‘You’re a showboat,’” Snarr recalls. “I get it. I heard that. But I’ve always just believed in doing what’s right—even if it doesn’t win votes.”
And yes, there was the mustache.
Snarr’s handlebars became Utah-famous after he grew them for Murray’s 2003 centennial. He initially grew it to cover a scar under his nose.
“I grew the one that was 22 inches end-to-end,” he says. “They called me from The Steve Harvey Show, and I went back to Chicago, where they
COVER STORY BY SHAUN DELLISKAVE
PHOTOS BY BRANDON ORTON
© Best Version Media
"THEY CALLED ME A SHOWBOAT. MAYBE I AM. BUT I GET THINGS DONE."
were filming. We made a big deal about it.” He later appeared in media segments across South America and Europe. “It kind of gave me an image throughout the state,” he says. “Ron Bird and Mary Nichols, they made a big deal of it—Channel 2 did a bit where they all wore fake mustaches. I got a kick out of that.”
At times, the mustache even became a referendum. In 2009, he allowed Murray residents to vote—thumbs up or thumbs down—on whether he should shave it. “We had fun with it,” he says. “I dressed up as Uncle Sam, and my wife had a big pair of shears. She was going around begging people to vote it off.”
Behind the spectacle, however, was a mayor who
could wheel and deal with the best of them. Snarr helped broker the removal of the old ASARCO smelter chimneys and redevelop the site into Intermountain Medical Center. “I told the CEO of IHC, ‘You don’t have enough land,’” he recalls. “I said, ‘You ought to buy all of it.’ And they did. That project brought thousands of people into the city every day.”
Another coup? Luring Costco to Murray. “They said, ‘We’ve got a problem. The council passed an ordinance—you can’t build bigger than 50,000 square feet.’ I said, ‘We’ll change that.’” The council agreed to adjust the cap to 150,000. Costco followed. “That store generates more money than any other single store in the city’s history,” Snarr
says. “I did it so I’d be closest to the hot dogs.”
He also championed UTOPIA, Utah’s municipally owned fiber-optic broadband project, long before it gained popularity. “People said I was crazy. We lost money for 15 years. But now? They can’t install it fast enough.”
Snarr’s blunt style drew criticism, particularly from those who felt the city was losing its small-town soul. “Sometimes, yes, I worried,” he admits. “But I said, ‘If you don’t invest in the future, you don’t have one.’ Look at South Salt Lake—it’s struggling because it didn’t.”
His style was appealing enough that over 250 couples asked him to officiate their wedding.
© Best Version Media
BY RICHARD ELLIS
PHOTOS
COURTESY OF
THE ARCHIVES OF UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
Murderer or Martyr Part II
Joe Hill’s Last Song
ON DEATH ROW, LABOR ORGANIZER AND SONGWRITER
JOE HILL PUT ON THE PERFORMANCE THAT MADE HIM A LEGEND—AND AN ONGOING SOURCE OF CONTROVERSY
The mail room of Utah Governor William Spry would have been a chaotic place to work in 1915. Thousands of letters poured into the Governor’s office that year, all having to do with the labor organizer, songwriter, and alleged murderer Joe Hill.
Letters from Hill’s fellow “Wobblies”—members of Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), the infamous labor union—petitioned for the release or retrial of Hill. Oppositely, one Ohio man offered to execute Hill for free if Utah paid his travel expenses.
Today, we pick up where Part I (NOMC July 2025) left off, with Joe Hill arriving in Utah two days after a professional strikebreaker instigated a riot at an IWW rally in Salt Lake City. Hill traveled with a friend and fellow Swedish immigrant, Otto Appelquist, whose actions would cement Hill’s fate as a murderer or martyr.
Upon their arrival in Utah, Hill and Appelquist stayed in Murray City in the home of brothers John and Edward Eselius, fellow Swedes who’d met Hill while working in California. The brothers had a twenty-three-year-old niece, Hilda Erickson, who Hill and Appelquist both fell for. By Christmas Eve, 1913, Appelquist was engaged to Erickson—though not for long.
On the night of January 10, 2014, three men were shot. John G. Morrison and his eldest son, Arling Morrison, were in their family grocery store at 778 S. West Temple closing shop. Two masked men burst in, gunned them down, and stole nothing.
Joe Hill was also shot that night. The question is whether Hill murdered the Morrisons or not—and if not, who shot the Morrisons and who shot Hill?
Writer William M. Adler takes up this question in his book, The Man Who Never Died: The Life, Times, and Legacy of Joe Hill, American Labor Icon. The night of the crime, Hill showed up at the Murray home of Dr. Frank M. McHugh with a bullet hole in his chest and said a friend shot him during an argument over a woman. Hill happened to be carrying a pistol and a red banana resembling the one witnesses claimed to have seen the Morrison murderers wearing.
When news broke of the Morrison killings— including testimony that Arlin shot one of the assailants—Dr. McHugh reported Hill to authorities. On Wednesday, January 14, 1914, Marshall Fred Peters of Murray arrested Hill
AND
in the Eselius home, where he was recovering. Police had also arrested alias Frank Z. Wilson, a career criminal with a history of violence. Under pressure to announce a suspect quickly, police released Wilson (likely the killer, argues Adler) and pinned the crime on Hill—a convenient choice given his affiliation with the hated IWW.
During his research, Adler discovered a 1949 letter written by Hilda Erickson to a scholar researching Hill. “I was engaged to marry Otto,” wrote Erickson, and “A week before Joe was wounded, I told Otto that I had changed my mind, that I was not marrying anybody. He got very angry and asked me ‘if I liked Joe better than him.’ I said no. I heard Joe tease Otto once, that he was going to take me away from him.”
While recovering from his gunshot wound, Hill confessed to Erickson that Appelquist shot him “in a fit of anger.” Apologetic, Appelquist carried Hill to Dr. McHugh then fled the state. Hill insisted that Erickson keep all this secret. He seemed to believe that Utah would hold him innocent until proven guilty, and since he didn’t murder the Morrisons, they couldn’t find him guilty. That legal idealism proved fatal. Convicted for the Morrison murders and sentenced to death, Hill appealed to the Utah Board of Pardons, outlining all the problems with his case in a letter. Yet he wouldn’t say anything about Appelquist or Erickson. “Where or why I got that wound is nobody’s business but my own,” he told the Board.
In his final months, Hill began to embrace his fate: to become a casualty of the political and economic order he’d spent his adult life trying to overthrow. “I have lived like an artist and I shall die like an artist,” he wrote to the Salt Lake Telegram. Hill’s death indeed became performance art. After efforts to prevent his execution failed, Hill doubled down on the drama. “Goodbye Bill: I die like a true rebel,” he wrote to “Big Bill” Haywood, an IWW founder. “Don’t waste any time mourning—organize!” Hill also wrote one last poem, "Joe Hill's Last Will," that would be turned into a well-known labor song.
On November 19, Hill insisted that he face the firing squad without the usual blindfold because “I want to look in the eyes of the men who are to commit willful murder,” he stated. While being fastened to a chair outside the Utah State Prison—in what is today Sugar House Park—he said, “Gentlemen, I have a clear conscience. I have
Hill’s last work of writing, later made into a song
(Right) Songs written for I.W.W. meetings and demonstrations. 1916 Joe Hill Memorial Edition.
never done anything wrong in my life. I will die fighting, and not like a coward.”
“Let it go! Fire!” were Joe Hill’s final words, directed at the firing squad.
Hill didn’t die a coward. Whether he did anything wrong in his life remains up for debate.
HELPING HANDS IN THE HEART OF MURRAY
Randy Buchmiller was born in Salt Lake City, raised in Sugarhouse, and attended South High. He went on to graduate from the University of Utah with a business degree and scoffed at the idea of working in insurance. He laughs now at the memory of those early ideas. “When you just graduate from college, you think you know everything.” He said.
For a decade after college, Randy tried out different paths. He worked mostly in sales between northern Nevada and California, even managing a pie restaurant called Bumbleberry. He enjoyed the adventure but felt the pull of home. “This is the best place in the world,” he said of Utah. Back in the valley, a close friend who was a State Farm agent kept nudging him to join in the business. While skeptical of the industry, he knew himself well enough to see the value of giving it a shot. “I do better when I am the boss,” he said. “The idea of hiring all my own people and making the decisions was appealing to me, if I was going to go into insurance, I was going to do it the way I saw as the right way.” The timing was not easy. When he started his agency, he and his wife had six children, ages one to eleven.
The friend was winning company trips, an appealing perk to be sure,
and the very first trip Randy earned took him to Germany, where he had served a mission years before. “It was just awesome. I knew I had made the right decision.”
If you want to understand Randy, you start with family and you end with service. Randy and his wife, “Suzan-with-a-z,” first met as sophomores at South High. Life separated them when her family moved to Murray, a restaurant meet-cute reunited them by chance years later. Suzan and Randy got married, raised six children, and
Randy Buchmiller
© Best Version Media
now enjoy twenty grandchildren who “drop in all the time to say hello.” He grew up in Scouting and still lives by its motto. “Do a good turn daily,” he said. “That is what insurance is. You help people when they do not have any place to turn.” He is the rare agent who puts his home phone number on his business card. “If you cannot sleep at night, you can call me. I will tell you the answer so you can go back to sleep.” He laughs that not many people actually call, but the offer says everything about his philosophy.
His Murray roots run deep. Early on, he rented a tiny office in a small strip mall, but as his business grew, the demand for more space grew with it. Two decades in, he bought his own building in the heart of Murray and watched the city change around him. The stories he tells are homespun and vivid. A notable one is about a neighbor whose house caught fire. “They smelled of smoke,” he said. “I put them in a hotel, wrote them a check so they could buy food, and thought, what a great job I have.” He also keeps a trusted network of local contractors ready when clients need help. “Oh yes,” he said. “Plumbers, electricians, roofers. People I trust.”
Randy’s joy spills over when he talks about Rotary. He joined the Murray Rotary Club years ago, unsure of what to expect, and found a second home. “I felt like I needed to give back,” he said. The club cleans parks, plants trees, and joins international service projects. He proudly shared the memory of getting a dictionary into the hands of every third grader in the Murray City School District.
Today, more than forty-four years after he started from zero, he still lights up when he talks about work. He grins about staff he calls “fabulous,” and about kids and grandkids who have filed and answered phones after school. He speaks with gratitude about clients who have become friends and about a community that feels like an extended family. “Every year it is a little better,” he said. “It has never gone down.”
Ask him what matters most and he returns to service and family, often in the same breath. While he and his family live in Sandy now, he loves doing business in Murray because it, too, feels like home. He loves that it’s central, that anything is fifteen minutes away, and that grandkids still wander downstairs to watch old movies. “I have loved it,” he said. “And I still do.”
"I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Randy to learn more about his life, his business, and what fuels his passion for insurance. Hearing his story reminded me why I love working with our magazine, you truly get to know your neighbors. Everyone has a little magic to share, and we get to carry pieces of their story with us.
Insurance, I learned, is far more personal than policies and paperwork. It’s a trust-based business, rooted in understanding and protecting what matters most. During my visit, I shared my current insurance situation. Cassie Bowers graciously ran three reports: one mirroring my current coverage at State Farm’s rates, one based on Randy’s agency’s recommendations, and another factoring in umbrella coverage and homeowners insurance with earthquake protection.
Once Cassie worked her magic, Randy joined us to review every detail. He explained each line in plain language, never pushing, never upselling…just genuinely excited to help. I lost count of how many times he said, “Isn’t this exciting?!” His joy in saving people money and ensuring they’re protected is infectious. I’m switching to State Farm and not only am I saving money, but I’m finally properly insured. That peace of mind is priceless.
-Jacquie Symes
MURRAY HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS
SEP
2025
FOOTBALL
DATE VS./@
Sept. 5th @ Jordan 7:00 PM Sept. 12th HOME vs Cottonwood 7:00 PM Sept. 19th @ East 7:00 PM Sept. 26th HOME vs Highland
GIRLS SOCCER
DATE VS./@
Sept. 9th HOME vs Jordan 3:30 PM
Sept. 11th @ East 3:30 PM
Sept. 16th HOME vs Cottonwood 3:30 PM
Sept. 19th HOME vs Juan Diego 3:30 PM
Sept. 23rd @ Highland 3:30 PM
Sept. 26th @ Park City 7:00 PM Sept. 30th HOME vs Judge Memorial 7:00 PM Oct. 3rd @ Jordan 7:00
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
DATE VS./@
Sept. 9th @ Juan Diego
Sept. 11th HOME vs Highland 6:30
Sept. 16th HOME vs Park City 6:30 PM
Sept. 18th @ Judge Memorial 6:30 PM
Sept. 23rd HOME vs Jordan 6:30 PM
Sept. 25h @ East 6:30 PM
Sept. 30th HOME vs Cottonwood 6:30 PM Oct. 2nd HOME vs Juan Diego 6:30 PM
GIRLS TENNIS
DATE VS./@
Sept. 2nd HOME vs Highland 3:30 PM Sept. 4th HOME vs Park City 3:30 PM
Sept. 9th @ Liberty Park vs Judge 3:30 PM
Sept. 10 @ Riverton 3:00 PM
Sept. 11th HOME vs Jordan 3:30 PM
Sept. 18-19th Varsity Region Tournament @ Highland
Oct. 2nd State Play-In @ Brighton
Oct. 3rd-4th State Tournament @ Liberty Park
Braxton Jones
BIG PRESENCE, BIG IMPACT
Towering above a sea of youth football players during a mid-July summer football camp—often by well over a foot—stands Braxton Jones.
At 6-foot-five and 240 pounds, Braxton has a big smile and bigger presence on the field of his alma mater, even if he isn’t ready to go toeto-toe with NFL defensive linemen just yet.
“I’m definitely trimmed down,” he smiles as he speaks about getting his body back in football shape, and soon. Training camp is just weeks away from the time we speak, and he’s feeling confident for a new season. In the meantime, he’s enjoying time spent back home with friends and family, a visit he said he makes often. Murray may not have Chicago’s food scene, he joked, but its mountains and its scenery are first rate—“It beats everybody.”
Amidst the majesty of the mountains,
Braxton and many others helped make the Braxton Jones Football Camp possible. Over 250 participants, boys and girls aged 7-14, came from all over the state to rub shoulders and run non-contact drills with an NFL star. As the camp wound down with push-up competitions and 40-yard races, the young players listened intently to Braxton’s final words before everyone broke for sandwiches, sports drinks, and shade—temperatures are high this July afternoon, and so is the good energy radiating from the camp.
“This has been incredible,” Braxton says a few minutes later the huddle broke. “It’s the experience of a lifetime, and I’m happy and blessed to be in the position that I am.”
Braxton paid for all of it. He never mentions it—others at the camp tell me the fact—he says he didn’t want kids or parents worrying about costs, he just wanted kids to come out and play football.
Behold, Copper! L’Oreal called, they want his hair care routine. Have you ever laid eyes on such a beautiful dog? He was blessed with wavy beach hair, even Jason Momoa would be impressed. Imagine the hairdos, the style, the flair. Copper would pull off a manbun and I know you’d agree with me.
Copper gets to explore this world on three legs, he’s a tripod. After breaking his leg, his previous owners were unable to move forward with the surgery he needed. That’s where Fetch Cares stepped in! They were able to have his medical needs taken care of and he has healed wonderfully. Being so young at two years old, he will be able to navigate the rest of his three legged life with confidence. Getting to take photos of adoptable dogs is great for my day dreaming tendencies. Can you imagine a life with this boy? Waking up in the morning with him at your feet. Picture the road trips, when you look in the back seat he is fast asleep dreaming of you. The laughter, the barking, the living! His golden eyes watching with adoration, also watching for when you drop food. Copper will make an amazing best friend, no doubt in my mind. This dog will make a house a home. You just need to reach out!
Please reach out to Tori with Fetch Cares for more
“Use every opportunity to the max.” - Braxton Jones
Jones at Soldier Field in 2023
© Best Version Media
He enlisted the help of a stellar set of Murray volunteers like Michelle and Shane Cross (Ute Conference Football), Winston Jones (Valley 7v7), Murray High football players, Danielle Williams (his mother), and others dedicated to helping youth. With take-home bags full of Chicago Bears and NFL swag, and the chance to play with Murray’s most famous football player, these kids must be living the dream. Braxton is.
“I’m just happy to be back,” he says. “Happy that Coach Dunn is here and allowed me to come back and hold this camp.”
For Danielle, it’s special to see her son lead a camp and dedicate his time to the youth football community.
“It was great. We had a great turnout,” says Danielle. The camp reached full enrollment just days after registration went live a month ago. While attendance is great, there’s a bigger lesson out there that Braxton continues teaching without saying a word to these young athletes.
Braxton and mother, Danielle.
“It’s important for kids in our community to see that you can make it,” Danielle says. “It doesn’t matter what it is. It could be the NFL, it could be as a pianist, it could be as a violinist—you can make it.”
Having him home brings her another joy as well.
“The best thing about it is all these kids,” she points to Braxton and the other camp leaders chatting nearby. “They’re all adults, but they’re still the same kids living the dream and having a blast. It’s really fun to see him do that.”
Junior year at MHS in 2015
Will Braxton and his team be back next year for another Murray football camp?
“Definitely,” he says. “We’d love to do this again. We had kids from all over the state here.”
The former Spartan spent all four years in Murray playing football before graduating in 2017, echoing his mother’s thoughts about achieving success in whatever lane you choose to follow.
His advice?
“Use every opportunity to the max,” he said. “When I was in college, I did a lot of extra work on and off the field. I had a great diet. I was doing extra training to become a better NFL prospect.”
He has taken every opportunity since, progressing during his final year at Southern Utah to earn an invitation to the Senior Bowl. Later that year, Braxton was selected by the Chicago Bears in the 5th round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Hard work at camp earned him the starting job as left tackle, where he started every game during his first season. He helped his team lead the NFL in rushing yards that year, with a stellar debut season that earned him a spot on the Pro Football Writers of America's honorary all-rookie team. After fighting through injuries over the last two years, Braxton stands ready for his fourth NFL season. He’s focused on the job at hand and ready to show kids— adults, too—that “making it” is possible. Not just professional success, but also as a pillar of support in the community.
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RaeMorrison
Discipline: Artistic Gymnastics Favorite Things: Backpacking, climbing mountains, and throwing flips (indoors or outside)
This month, we are proud to recognize Rae Morrison as our Athlete Leader of the Month for her ability to push herself to be her best and inspire those around her to do the same. Rae has always been known for her strong work ethic, but over the summer she has taken her leadership to the next level— guiding her teammates toward making smart, strategic choices that support their long-term gymnastics goals. She consistently leads by example, demonstrating a willingness to
embrace new techniques, explore new skills, and put in the same steady, focused effort day after day to improve her consistency.
What truly sets Rae apart is her ability to recognize when challenges arise and proactively communicate with her coaches. Rather than pushing through in silence, she seeks collaboration, ensuring that solutions are tailored to help her succeed. This openness, combined with her patience and intentional approach, reflects an impressive level of maturity and self-awareness for an athlete her age.
Coach Taylor Craig describes Rae’s leadership as, “Not about being the loudest voice in the
room—but rather, about modeling the habits, mindset, and resilience that inspire her peers to follow suit. She understands that progress takes time, and she’s willing to trust the process while giving her best every step of the way.”
Rae’s mom Courney added, “It makes us so proud that Rae has been recognized for her dedication in the gym. She has worked hard this year on her communication skills, patience, and keeping an ‘I can-do-it’ attitude. Rae, whether it’s in the gym, in the mountains, at school, or simply baking at home, be patient and keep believing in yourself because you can do incredible things.”
KID-POWERED PLAY!
tumble tumble
- Cory C. “
- Ellen A.
