Winter Walking

Barnes Park

There are several City-owned properties open for public use during the winter months. The Parks Department will keep the walkways clear of snow during the winter so that the following areas can be used for walking:

Angel Street Soccer Complex (150 South Angel Street) - 3/4 mile of lighted concrete 8' wide sidewalk.

Barnes Park (200 North 900 West) - 3 miles of concrete sidewalks.

Cemetery (500 East Crestwood Road) - 3/4 mile of perimeter asphalt roadways.

City Hall Block (Main Street, Center Street, 100 East, 100 North) - Approximately 1/2 mile - Walk along Main Street, up Center Street, along 100 East, down 100 North and back to Main Street.

East Mountain Wilderness Park (200 North Highway 89 - trailhead adjacent to County Animal Control Facility) - Hike, snowshoe or cross country ski on 1.5 circular trail.

Rotary Club Walkway (50 West Burton Lane) - 1 mile of 8' wide concrete/asphalt walkway.

Note: All restrooms in the parks are closed during the winter months.

Neighbor to Neighbor Response Program

Kaysville City recently participated in the Neighbor to Neighbor Response Program sponsored by the United Way, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the George S. and Dolores Dore' Eccles Foundation. This program is to help struggling Utahns in the midst of economic uncertainty. On December 12 and 13 donations were accepted at the Kaysville Recreation Center which were then delivered to the Family Connection Center in Layton. Thanks to everyone who donated.

Star on the Mountain

The star on the mountain above Kaysville has been a tradition since about 1950 when it was placed there by the Kaysville Jaycees. Originally it was made with light bulbs which were connected together with extension cords. A generator provided the power. Every night volunteers would travel up the mountain and start the generator. In the 1970's, the star was renovated by a group of volunteers who served on the Civic Committee. In about 2000, a new generator was purchased that held more gasoline. In 2002, following the Salt Lake Winter Olympics, Kaysville was fortunate to be able to acquire the lights and power material from SLOC (Salt Lake Olympic Committee) that had been used to light up the Olympic rings on the mountainside above Salt Lake City during the Olympics. The Kaysville star is lit from late November to January 1. Every night volunteers travel up the mountain on ATV's or snowmobiles (when there is snow on the mountain) to light the star at dusk. The star stays lit until gasoline in the generator runs out. We have been told that airplane pilots can see the star from as far away as Tooele and some private airplane pilots use the star to help orient themselves.

Kaysville Vietnam Veterans Honored

On Saturday, November 8, 2008, three Kaysville Veterans killed in action during the Vietnam War received special recognition. The war memorial in front of the Library was updated with the names of Captain Paul Albert Meiners, Private First Class Gregory J. Williams and Private First Class Thomas Harvey Schofield. We extend thanks to Kaysville Jr. High history teacher Mike Barton who conducted research and assisted City officials by adding these names to the memorial. All three men gave service worthy of thanks and recognition.

Football Mini Bowl Champions

Congratulations to the Kaysville Jr. Midget Brown team for taking the Mini Bowl Championship. The team is coached by Clark Hanson. They had a great season of 11-1 against teams all over northern Utah. The Jr. Midget age group is 12 and 13 years old and the boys are from Kaysville and Fruit Heights.

Ponds Park Playground

Our Parks Department has removed the big hill and slide at Ponds Park and will soon be installing a large climbing rock. The slide was fun for children, but we hope they will enjoy the climbing rock as much as they did the big slide.

The Old Bowman Building

The southwest portion of the old Bowman's Market building on 200 North has been renovated recently. Thanks to The Franklin Group and Dick Bowman for this lovely renovation. It looks very nice.

Winter in October

Joe Hill's corn field (200 North and Angel)

with snowy mountains in the background

View of the storm coming into

the valley from Morgan Elementary School

View of cloud covered mountains

Welcome winter! We welcomed winter to Kaysville this weekend - whether we wanted to or not. I guess when you live in northern Utah you never know when it might snow. So much for a lovely fall season. The only consolation is that it is beautiful - for a little while anyway. I hope this is not a sign of a long winter!

Heritage Park

Heritage Park (located on Fairfield Road

between Crestwood and 200 North)

All the dirt that is currently sitting on the Heritage Park property (former Clover Club property) is being stored there for use on future road projects. During the past summer, the Public Works Department completed a water project on south Main Street. Dirt from that project was the first to be stored on this site. Now, dirt from the former park and ride lot (on 400 West) is being stored here. The City decided that it would be more economical to store the dirt rather than pay to have dirt brought in next year for road projects. The plan at the present time is to use this dirt to fill in the road dip in Happy Hollow (on 500 East between 400 North and Oak Lane) so that the road does not drop as deeply as it does now into the hollow. This will improve the road structure and safety in that area. Hopefully, that project will be done next year, however, plans could change depending on the economic situation. The City is trying to think of ways to make the best use of your tax dollars and will save thousands of dollars if they do not have to purchase dirt for road projects.

Happy Hollow

(500 East 400 North)

Kaysville Irrigation Company Reservoir

The dam in the Kaysville Irrigation Company Reservoir, located east of Fairfield Road between Boynton Road and 700 North, is being repaired. This earthen dam was constructed in 1914 and had developed a leak. The reservoir was drained and design and reconstruction of the dam began this year and will cost approximately $1 million dollars. The work on the reservoir will continue into next summer with reconstruction hopefully being completed about one year from now. Next summer crews may dredge the bottom of the reservoir and remove about 14' of silt. Kaysville Irrigation is getting water to all users, however, there may be some limits on operation of ditches. Occasionally, the channel above the reservoir may be dry. When there is water in this reservoir, hundreds of geese fly through this area and sit on the water. That's an absolutely beautiful site and we hope the geese will return when this project is completed.

Cool Cars and Cold Cones

Gordon Christensen with Mayor Roundy

On September 10, 2008 hundreds of citizens enjoyed the City's Cool Cars and Cold Cones event which was held on Main Street. Every year the City celebrates the invention of the ice cream cone. This tradition was started by Gordon Christensen about 30 years ago. He used to give away ice cream cones at Hods Hollow Park for children in his neighborhood and he would tell them about the invention of the ice cream cone. This event is now a City-wide tradition held annually in September. Thanks Gordon for beginning this event in Kaysville.

H. Arthur Johnson

Kaysville's 29th Mayor, H. Arthur Johnson, who served as Mayor from 1994-1998, passed away today. We send our heartfelt sympathy to his family. Art was a great Mayor. He deeply loved Kaysville and worked diligently for the betterment of this City. The City staff are glad to have had the privilege of working with him. He had a great impact on Kaysville. He was a firm believer in the City staff and stood by us as we worked through the every day operations of the City. Art was an honest, fair, and upright man. We are better people for having known and worked with him.

Kaysville Firefighters

On Tuesday, October 7, 2008, at 7:00 p.m. the City Council will honor Kaysville firefighters who assisted with the tanker fire in 2005 on Highway 89 in Fruit Heights City. What began as a collision between a tanker carrying 13,000 gallons of butane and a van ended in the highway being closed and evacuation of hundreds of homes in the vicinity. The tanker, which was carrying two tanks of butane, flipped onto its side. The main tank cracked during the roll, leaking butane onto the ground and into the air. This was a very dangerous situation for emergency personnel from various agencies who responded as well as for neighbors in the vicinity. We appreciate the firefighters and emergency personnel who handled the situation so professionally. Citizens are welcome to attend this Council meeting and express thanks to the fire crew that assisted that evening.

Village Square Shopping Center

Have you been wondering what is happening in the Village Square Shopping Center parking lot (where Ben Franklin and the Family Dollar Store are located)? A new water line is being installed and should be completed this week.

200 North Overpass Lights

A lot of citizens have been asking when the street lights on the bridge will be turned on. The short answer to that question is ... soon. We have been told by the electrician that they will be on sometime this week. We hope that is true.

Update on 9-3-08: Sorry about the delay on this project. We keep getting promises from the electrical contractor, who promises us each week that it will be done that week. Mayor Roundy has decided to personally call the contractor to see if the work can be done immediately. We are all anxious to see how the lighting will look. Hopefully, it will be done before winter!

Update on 9-9-08: Mayor Roundy said, "Let There Be Light." And there was light. As of yesterday, the lights were on. They are beautiful! Good project done.

200 North Overpass

The 200 North overpass project is now finished and looks great. What a big project that was! It is good to have that done and have traffic be able to move up and over the railroad tracks. We are grateful for the federal funding that made this project possible. In case you have not seen the plaque at the top of the bridge (on the north side), here is a close up look at it.

Declaration of Independence

Do you want to see one of only 25 surviving "Dunlap Broadside" copies of the Declaration of Independence that was printed on July 4, 1776? Come to the State Capitol Rotunda Friday, August 15, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. or Saturday, August 16, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Free to view and free parking.

Heritage Park

Heritage Park (200 North Fairfield Road)

You may have noticed some activity on the Heritage Park (former Clover Club) property. Sorry, but the park is not being constructed yet. The Public Works Department is involved in a big waterline project on south Main Street. The dirt on the north side of the Heritage Park property is being stockpiled there temporarily from that project. The big cement culverts, dirt and debris sitting on the south side is from the 200 North/Main Street reconstruction project. Work on that intersection has commenced and will continue through next year. The curb on 200 North (from Fairfield to Main) will be moved north 5' and the intersection at Main and 200 North will be improved.

Utility Abatement Program

The City Council recently adopted a Utility Abatement Program for deployed military belonging to the National Guard or Reserves in which 50% of the electricity portion of their utility bill (up to $75.00 per month) will be abated. The head of household or spouse will be eligible for this abatement. Anyone interested in participating will need to fill out an application at City Hall and bring in proof of deployment.

How Did Kaysville Get Its Name?

Kaysville was settled by Mormon pioneers in 1850. This city has a rich history with the distinction of being the first city incorporated in Davis County and the 27th city incorporated in the Utah territory. Kaysville was incorporated on March 15, 1868. Hector Caleb Haight can be claimed by two towns, Kaysville and Farmington, as their first settler. Shortly after the pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847, Hector Haight was sent north to find grazing for the stock. On a beautiful stream in the Kaysville/Farmington area, he soon built a log cabin and brought his family to live there. In the fall of 1849, a spot not quite two miles north where two streams joined, was chosen by settler number two, Samuel Oliver Holmes. Two of his friends, Edward Phillips and John Hyrum Green, who were living in Salt Lake, decided to travel north to Brown's Fort (Ogden) to find a permanent place to settle. When they reached the "sandridge" (later known as Hill Field) the snow was so deep and crusted that their horses were unable to carry them through. The men returned to the cabin of Samuel O. Holmes, spent the night and decided the next morning that this was where they wanted to locate. They spent the winter in Salt Lake and then brought their families here to settle. The next day their friend, William Kay and his family, arrived. On January 27, 1851 Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball came to the Phillips home for the purpose of organizing an LDS Ward. Edward Phillips was asked to be Bishop, but feeling unworthy he suggested William Kay, who was appointed. It was not until September of 1852 that the Ward formally began to function with Wiliam Kay as Bishop, Edward Phillips as first counselor, and John H. Green as second counselor. This little settlement soon became known as Kay's Ward. Little really isn't the word to use because the settlement covered a great deal of territory at that time - from what is now Farmington on the south to the Weber River on the north. In 1856, William Kay was called on a mission to Carson Valley in what is now Nevada. The Kay family later moved back to Utah and are now buried in the Ogden City Cemetery. After Bishop Kay left, there was a desire on the part of some of the people to have the name of Kay's Ward changed to Freedom. The request was presented to President Brigham Young and when he bluntly asked, "When did Kay's Ward get its Freedom?" his reply was taken as disapproval and the matter dropped. Eventually people began calling the settlement Kaysville and when the city was incorporated in 1868, Kaysville became it's official name.

William Kay

Boondocks Fun Center is coming to Kaysville

The future location of Boondocks.

Boondocks has recently purchased 10 acres of property at approximately 500 South Deseret Drive (between Old Mill Lane and Burton Lane just west of I-15 and south of Tri-City Nursery). This recreation facility will be open year round, seven days a week. At this time, the plan is to offer indoor and outdoor attractions such as bowling, an arcade, a laser tag arena, pizza center/grill, max flight, miniature golf, go-carts, a rock wall, bumper boats, a kiddie cove, and batting cages. The owners have constructed the same type of family entertainment center in Colorado, Oregon and Draper, Utah. The outside attractions will be located between the building and I-15 to reduce noise impacts on the surrounding residential neighborhood. The plan for this facility is to have 330 parking stalls, employ about 150 people during the summer season, and about 100 during the off-peak season. A room in the building can be reserved for meetings, birthdays or family parties. This should be a fun addition to our community and provide tax dollars to the City.

Cemetery Expansion

The new "west field" expansion area.

A section in the west field being prepared for sale.

A new section in the west field opened in 2008.

In 2007, the Kaysville City Cemetery crew began work to expand the Cemetery to the west. In April 2008, one section in the west field was ready for sale. Spaces can now be purchased in this new area for $500.00 each (up to four per household). Three more sections are being prepared. The next section will be ready in 2011, another section in approximately 2018, and the last section will be ready in approximately 2025. Visit City Hall if you want to purchase spaces.

Main Street's New Look

Main Street before construction.

Main Street during construction (July 2008).

Main Street after construction.

There is a new look on Main Street this week. Take notice as you drive by. New street lights have been installed on the west side of Main Street between 100 North and Center Street. New trees (seedless Sunburst Honey Locust) were planted along that same area today. The same type of street lights will be installed along 200 North in the future (when money is available and approved by the City Council) so that the look on Main Street will tie into the look on 200 North. The trees along Main Street were dying so they were removed and new trees (that have a different root system) are being planted. Hopefully, those trees will grow better in a confined space. A few benches will be added later along with arms on the street lights so that banners can be attached in the future.

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