All Give Some, Some Give All. January 9th is Law Enforcement Appreciation Day.

Today is the day to get the LEAD out. It is Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. Of the seven officers we list, two were killed in the line of duty and both acts were linked to local law enforcement and our communities. Additionally, each of those cops contributed in other areas such as the military; church or civic activities. Randy Ingram not only had 20 years of service with the National Guard, but worked for Nephi City; Juab County and Dick's Service. Ray Jackson not only served as the Juab County Sheriff, but went on to serve as the Utah Public Safety Director and a Major in Nephi's 145th Field Artillery, fighting the Japanese Empire during World War II. Ray Jackson and Beaver Police Chief Gerald Nowers had the same "old school" ways of being a cop. If you did a misdeed, they either took you up the street and kicked your butt or took you to your parents, and they kicked your butt. Chief Nowers kicked butt all the way up "Battle of The Bulge". Pete Hayward was short and stocky, with the same girth and grit as Gene Fullmer. You didn't want to box either of them. Pete learned to be tough in the Navy. For a cop, you couldn't ask for a better guy to be arrested by than Capt. Glen Cahoon. He could talk you in to surrendering with no shots fired. Jim Simmons could arrest you, but take you fishing once the matter was finished. I pay tribute to these cops and all others who serve us. Sgt. Wride stood for what Utah is all about-family, the deer hunt, riding horses and service.

On this the last day of 2016, I hereby officially tender my resignation.........as an adult!

I have decided to go back to being an 8 year old kid again. I want to walk down to Pick's Drive Inn and think its a four star restaurant. I want to sail sticks down the irrigation ditch and make ripples in Burraston Pond's with rocks. I want to think Snaps are better than money because you can eat them. I want to lie under the old cherry tree and run a lemonade stand; do kick the can at the home of Scott Sparks. I want to think back when the world was colors; adding and subtracting the 2 cents I got for turning in pop bottles at the Serv or a penny for beer bottles at the IGA. To learn poems again. I want to return to happy times, not being aware of the dangers of the world. I want to think everything is fair and all people are honest and good. I want to believe that anything is possible. I want to be oblivious to the complexities of life and be excited by little things, such as watching butterflies. I want to live simple again. I don't want my day to consist of computer crashes; watching depressing news; bills; gossip, illness, and the loss of loved ones. I want to be a kid again, and not worry about my own kids who are now adults. I want to take a long stroll from Whiting Bros. gas station all the way to the Frost-T-Freeze and look at the new Impalas that just arrived at Greenwood's and gaze at the beauty of Linda Howard and Betty Jo Greenhalgh. Perhaps Mike Royce would let me touch his new Honda 50 when he wasn't trying to dress so dapper. Maybe even stop at the Snak Shak where a Banana Cream pie is just 20 cents. I want to hike to the glory holes behind the J Hill. I want to believe in the power of smiles; hugs; a Juab County handshake for a deal; work; truth; justice; family; dreams and imagination. So this is it, the last day of being adult. If you want to discuss this further, you'll have to catch me first, cause........"Tag! You're it".

We hear and read a lot about "fake news" lately...but actually it has been around for a long time.

Years ago I had a college professor teach of the importance of reading and research, and not blindly believe everything you see or read-that some of it pertains to personal interpretation. Such is the case with the recent political campaigns and a lot of the "fake news" and who is writing it. People like to read about shocking stuff even if it is not completely true, so we may have false news for ever. Although a Salt Lake newspaper reported that a young boy was killed in Nephi when swept away by the "Juab River", the real truth is there was a lad swept away and nearly drought, but he wasn't killed and there is no such river called the Juab River. Oh well, it probably sold papers and in those days, anybody could write what they thought happened, and receive money for their submitted declarations. If any of you are driving by Garrett Honda in Nephi, Utah, stop by and congratulate Kirk Sanders who is still working there even though the Tribune thinks he was killed 64 years ago. Hey, I wonder if they would pay his life insurance claim!

Well, it is that time of year again....yup...property tax time.

More than a hundred years ago, Hyrum (Uncle Hy) Tolley was accused of horse theft. He denied it as he merely picked up a rope in Nephi and walked to his home in Nortonville four miles away. Once home, he found a horse on the end of the rope. The charges were dropped. As a cousin of Uncle Hy, I am not sure how our family got a hold of the official record of those that paid their property taxes in Juab County, Utah in 1892, but we will show them, then give them to the Juab County Treasurer for better safe keeping. The biggest property owner appears to be mult-million dollar Mammoth Mining Co. and the smallest was a nickel from Peter Norton of Nortonville. Even the notorious brothers paid their sixty cents.

List Number Two of those who paid Juab County, Utah Property taxes in 1892

Hopefully, this page will contain additional data of those who paid their property taxes for Juab County, Utah, in 1892.

Today is the day. If you don't know a US Veteran, find one and buy them breakfast or just shake their hand....they have earned it.

Today is a day that all Americans can be Americans! It is our day to pay tribute to the Veterans, both living and dead, who helped give us the freedom we have. As a kid, I loved listening to Matt Howard tell the stories of he and Teddy Roosevelt in the Spanish American War. Later on I was saddened to hear Ches Williams explain how many of his World War Two buddies came home "Shell Shocked". Last photo is of Dell Jones, of World War I. We not only pay respect to Veterans, we also honor the non-Veteran Veterans! They are those mothers and fathers who cry not knowing if their soldier is returning home. We also pay respect to people such as Nephi's Norman Jarrett, whose work remains classified. It can be said that he worked as a civilian for the US Navy-underground, to help develop a nuclear warhead to be launched from a submarine. After 30 years of working with chemicals, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know how clean living Norman was hit with an unknown but deadly cancer which took his life in a painful way. To our military family, friends and neighbors, my thumb is up for you, both living and passed. And if you see Mona's Ed Newton, tell him thanks.....his body took the blast so the rest of us could last!

"The Crisis is over, now the healing must begin", so says Winston Churchill following World War II.

In 1901, Winston Churchill authored the book "The Crisis", of which we have an original copy which belonged to Vern Skeem of Nephi, Utah. At the beginning of World War II England's Sir Winston became the solitary leader fighting against Nazi controlled Germany. Through unbelievable odds, he was instrumental to muster up courage to fight to the end. If he had lived long enough President Franklin Roosevelt would have followed the Churchill lead to not harbor ill feelings to the people of Germany, but to assist them to heal as did President Truman. Even Japanese Emperor Hirohito declared "his desire to terminate the war". Perhaps, just perhaps, their thoughts could now help all Americans, who can recognize the importance of putting down the weapons of words, and take up the cause of continued freedom and permit political entities to heal for the benefit of all. On page 522 of  "The Crisis", Winston Churchill concluded "One more word. This book is written of a time when feeling ran high. It has been necessary to put strong speech into the mouths of the characters. The breach that threated our country's existence is healed now. There is no side but Abraham Lincoln's side. And this side, with all reverence and patriotism, the author has tried to take. Abraham Lincoln loved the South as well as the North." The book was donated to the Nephi City Library on Nov. 18th, 2016.