MAYOR’S MESSAGE – MARCH, 2008 

FLOODING: The Coal Creek Parkway construction is on schedule, and the new irrigation diversion dams on the west side at Main Street should be completed by March 15 in time to divert the stream’s waters to the irrigation ditches. With about 150 percent of normal snowfall already on Webster’s Flat on Cedar Mountain, Cedar City is getting ready for an above-average run-off year. The City’s Public Works Department has equipment working in major flood channels, and both the City and county are assessing what more needs to be done. The hope is that the weather will allow a gradual snow melt. 

GATEWAY ACADEMY: Cedar City’s newest charter school for kindergarten through the eighth grade will open this fall. A 52,000-square foot building for the school is now under construction and should be completed by July. There will be a teacher and aide for every 25 students in the Montessori-based learning school. The other charter school is the Success Academy, operated by the Iron County School District. 

NOTED: SkyWest’s enplanements from the Cedar City Regional Airport totaled 567 for January despite service only having started January 7, so it only had three weeks of operation during the month. Mesa Airlines did 404 in January 2007 in a complete month with three flights. It appears the airport is on the way to a full recovery… Cedar City ranked 18th in Utah in direct taxable retail sales in October, 2007 with $41,444,000, a 1.8 percent increase over the same month in 2007 (St. George reported their retail sales decreased in the same period by 2.7 percent)… Iron County’s population in 2002 increased by 581 people, in 2003 by 1,437, in 2004 by 1,366, in 2005 by 2,472, in 2006 by 2,027, and in 2007 by 1,398… Iron County’s total population at the end of 2007 is estimated to be 44,813 compared to 34,079 in 2000, 20,910 in 1990, 17,500 in 1980, 12,300 in 1970, 10,900 in 1960, 9,700 in 1950, and 8,400 in 1940. 

DID YOU KNOW? That good friend Tina Davis reports that the beautiful peonies that grow throughout the community trace their origins to a single peony plant brought from England by George Perry who arrived in Cedar City on January 28, 1853 … That in the last quarter of 2007, the Iron County Care and Share was able to provide needy families with 1,276 40-pound boxes of food and 68 people were given shelter. At holiday times 912 children received gifts, 471 families received food help, and 712 turkeys were given out for holiday meals. 

REMEMBERING: Francis Webster served as mayor of Cedar City in 1872-1876. At the time, the School of the Prophets, which functioned similar to a chamber of commerce, complained that the City was both charging too much for City lots and some dry land properties on the outskirts of town. The School argued that young families should have an opportunity to acquire building sites, which they could not do at the prices the City was charging. Mayor Webster was in sympathy with the cause and pressed the matter through the City Council. As a result, city lots were reduced in price to $1.25 and 75 cents an acre for the dry land. Many of the best homes in Cedar City’s older section of town were built on those dollar and a quarter city lots. 

HOME SALES: The number of homes sold in the 4th Quarter of 2007 in Iron County totaled 177 (compared to 161 in the 4th Quarter of 2006) for approximately a 10 percent increase. Washington County sold 362 homes, but that was 31 percent less than the 4th quarter of 2006.There were 33 condos sold in the same time period in Iron County (compared to 24 in 2006). The average purchase price of a home during this three-month period in Iron County was $209,789 and $220,806 average price for a condo. 

AMERICAN CHURCHES: In a magnificent “coffee-table” book (size: 12 inches wide by 17 inches long) entitled “American Churches,” author David Miller, a highly respected journalist and author with several internationally successfully books to his credit, presents a series of beautiful color photographs of famous chapels throughout the nation. Utah is represented by the St. George and Salt Lake City LDS Temples, the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Madeleine in Salt Lake City, a small abandoned church in Moab, and the Old Rock Church in Cedar City which he cited for its “exceptionally pleasing architectural style” that he says would be at home in a quiet English village. The book is published by Chartwell Books. 

GREYHOUND BUS STATION: Greyhound buses have returned to Cedar City after several years’ absences. You can now board the buses for traveling south to Las Vegas and north to Salt Lake City at the freeway Sinclair station at 1495 West 200 North (near the middle I-15 Interchange). Greyhound accepts freight so it is also possible to send packages by Greyhound to Salt Lake City and Las Vegas that can arrive within hours, not days. 

COMING: The Ed and Deb Café that was scheduled to open in February is now scheduled for mid-March in the old Hunan Restaurant. The remodeling has taken longer than expected… Bryan Jorgenson’s three stores (Mountain West Books, Harmony Home Decor, and Art Gallery and Framing) formerly located in downtown Cedar City have opened in their new location next to the Pizza Factory. 

HOUSE NUMBERS: One of the difficulties ambulance drivers and others have at night is trying to locate house numbers. The numbers might be covered up by snow or are otherwise difficult to spot. One suggestion made to me: Use reflective plaques with the house number on them. If interested, call 586-8664. 

FESTIVALS: The new American Family Fest scheduled for the first week in June now (or soon) has its web site up and rolling at americanfamilyfest.org. You can check the web site for scheduled activities. The festival is designed to bring families to Cedar City to compete in a variety of activities under the leadership of the Hughes Brothers Family of Branson, Mo., who made such a big impact here last year. Volunteers are needed to help in the various competitions…. The Himmelsk Festival Royale (coming April 16-19) also has a web site—Himmelsk.org—that is attracting national attention and was recently described by a communications network as “the coolest we’ve ever seen.” For information on the Festival’s activities and a rundown on the Himmelsk Kingdom and its Royal Family, consult the web site. Himmelsk, too, could use volunteer workers (call 865-7107). 

CENTURY STEEL: One of the West Coast’s largest reinforcing steel providers, Century Steel, recently moved into the former Gilbert Development property on Airport Road. The company was founded in 1972 in Las Vegas, serving contractors with all sizes of projects, both large and small. It has supported projects ranging from driveway approaches to business parks to casino mega-resorts. Some of its mega-projects in Las Vegas include the Bellagio, Venetian, Mirage and the River Mountain Treatment Plant at Lake Mead. In 1982, the company expanded operations to include structural steel fabrication. Century Steel expanded again in 1998 to cover the growing Southern California market.  

ERRATA: The Leigh Hill Reservoir currently under construction will be 13 acres in size (including the dam and the planned beach area) and will be capable of storing 110 acre-feet of water.