Mourning the Passing of Friends: Forthcoming Funeral Services

“What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. 

All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.” ~ Helen Keller

Forthcoming funeral services are planned for the following friends from our community. Complete versions of these obituaries may be found in The Payson Chronicle and on our website at paysonchronicle.com.

FLORENCE FOLKS MOORE

Florence Folks Moore, born February 11, 1915 at her father’s farm north of Ashland, Kansas, passed away on July 24, 2015. Florence was preceded in death by her son, William Moore. She is survived by the Neil Folks family, the Ray Folks family and the Laurel Johnson family. Graveside services will be held at the Ashland Kansas Highland Cemetery.

Anticipation Grows for Onion Days Flower Show

Flowers blooming in the Kester family garden are destined for entry in this year’s Payson Onion Days Flower Show.  A gifted gardener with artistic skill to match, Helen Kester has been entering her flowers into the local competition for years and has received countless awards for her stunning arrangements.  She looks forward to joining in the friendly floral competition again this year.

Mourning the Passing of Friends: Forthcoming Funeral Services

“What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. 

All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.” ~ Helen Keller

Forthcoming funeral services are planned for the following friends from our community. Complete versions of these obituaries may be found in The Payson Chronicle and on our website at paysonchronicle.com.

FRANK BALLARD

Frank Ballard passed away surrounded by his family and loved ones on Monday July 20, 2015 at his home in Payson, Utah. He was born to Sterling and Rosamond Ballard on May 4, 1946 in Payson, Utah.  He was educated in Payson, Utah, proudly served as a US Marine and went on to become a pipefitter.  He married Susan Kay on February 8, 1969 in Elko, Nevada.  Together they raised three children. Funeral services will be Monday, July 27, 2015, 11:00 a.m. in the Mtn. View 6th Ward Chapel, 789 East Arrowhead Trail, Payson. Friends may call at the Walker Mortuary, 587 South 100 West, Payson, Sunday, 6-8:00 p.m. or at the church Monday, 9:30-10:45 a.m. Interment will be in the Payson City Cemetery with Military Rites accorded by the American Legion, Dist. #4.

Andy Stevenson Wins Scholarship for Video about Santaquin

Andy Stevenson (front row, center) is pictured standing beside his parents, Douglas and MaLinda Stevenson, and video technology teacher, Clint Peery , as he receives a scholarship from Santaquin City Council members and Mayor Kirk Hunsaker (far left) for a film he created featuring the city in which he lives.  Santaquin.

Read about it in this week's edition of The Payson Chronicle.

Payson Braves Take Second in Mustang League UBBA State Baseball Championship

The Payson Braves worked hard all season to come in first in Payson to be able to continue on to the state level.  After playing a total of six games in mid-July heat while competing in the UBBA State Baseball Tournament, the team took second place.  See team photo and their success story in this week's print edition of The Payson Chronicle.

Ted Jones Reflects on Experiences, Friendships, and Community As He Prepares to Ride as Grand Marshal in the 2015 Orchard Days Parade

Orchard Days Grand Marshal 2015, Ted Jones stands at the Veterans Monument in the Santaquin Cemetery that he and friends with American Legion Post 84 were instrumental in creating. 

Ted Jones and his wife, Donetta “Donna,” were Santaquin newcomers twenty-nine years ago when they moved into their home on the northeast side of town.  While they were Utah natives, the couple and their children were nomadic travelers of sorts, relocating in a new town in a different state as Ted’s work with the Army Civil Service would require.

At the end of their travels, they decided to settle down in retirement in some small, nice Utah town.  Santaquin answered the call.

Community involvement began with a simple invitation by Post 84 Commander Clement “Jake” Kester for Ted to join Santaquin’s American Legion.  “I said ‘yes’ and signed a transfer form to drop my Post 8 membership and join Post 84,” Ted told The Payson Chronicle. “I quickly became acquainted with all the members of the unit, active in the functions, and ultimately was talked into taking over the command of the post.”

Jake had served as the commander for some time and had decided it was time to step aside and let someone else take the helm, according to Ted.  Having already been a Legionnaire prior to moving to Santaquin, he had the experience to lead.

“I asked Myron [Olson] to stay on as the recorder and adjutant,” he explained, “and Jim Peterson as vice-commander.  They both accepted and did a magnificent job.”  By the time the new Commander of the Santaquin Legion invited Myron and Jim to join him and assume command of Post 84, they had already become great friends.

“My first real close friend in Santaquin was brother Myron Olson,” Ted said. “He and I got along extremely well. I was adept at doing minor mechanical work and when he would ask me to help with his farm equipment, I would go and help him. Myron was impressed.  He told me his tractor had not started and run so good in years.”

The two friends shared a love of the outdoors and an appreciation of one sport in particular. “He and I used to go fishing together,” Ted said.  Scofield Reservoir was their favorite destination.

When Myron, due to age, could no longer drive a vehicle to tow his boat, Ted volunteered his truck and himself as driver to get them there. And when they did get there, Ted and Myron were nearly always guaranteed to catch their limit.

This despite a precarious moment or two on the water.

“One time we went fishing and Myron forgot to put the plug in the hull,” Ted said.  “We got about a mile from shore and the water was under the motor, inside the hull, and the stern was starting to sink.”

Thanks to some quick thinking,  Myron turned on the sump pump and heaved to a nearby shore.  He reached in for the plug, which was lying on the the boat’s floor, and the two were soon able to save their sinking ship.  “We got the water out and returned to fishing,” Ted laughed.  “We had a great day, in spite of the scare. The fish didn’t seem to care. We caught a bunch!”

Ted’s friendship with Jim Peterson, who passed away in December of 2011, also came with its own fishing tales to pass down. He met Jim through the American Legion and they, too, became fast friends, spending memorable days in Jim’s boat fishing at Strawberry Reservoir as well as Scofield.  

Fishing with his Santaquin friends at Scofield, for Ted, meant returning to his roots.  His dad, John T. Jones was born in the mining community in 1887.  Ted’s grandfather, who was also named John T. Jones, would die there tragically among the estimated two hundred men who were killed in the Scofield Mine Disaster on May 1, 1900.  Though only thirteen years old at the time, Ted’s father also worked in the mine, loading a mule to pull the loaded coal cars out of the mine.  He was there, May 1, but outside, dumping the coal car when the dust explosion killed his father and fellow miners.  He and surviving family members left Scofield after the disaster to try their luck at farming in Pocatello, Idaho.  They soon returned to Utah.

The Great Depression, too, would prove difficult for the Joneses, as it had for most everyone during the period of high unemployment and despair.  Ted, his siblings, and their dad and mom, (Edna Underwood, a Salem, Utah, native), spent two years of it living in a tent in the Spanish Fork canyon now well known as Skyline Drive, after his dad lost his job with D&RG Railroad.  He earned some money doing odd jobs in the canyon whenever they were available.

Ted made the best of the experience.  In fact, he enjoyed their outdoor accommodations.  He and his brother, Marion, were often off exploring the hills too long for mom and caused her much angst.

When the New Deal arrived to Utah it brought with it steady work for his dad.  He was hired on to help with the construction of the Springville Museum of Art, one of many Works Progress Association (WPA) projects that gave employment to Americans. Today, Ted marvels over his dad’s handiwork in the construction of the Spanish Colonial Revival style building.  He can recall watching it as it occurred as a child, taking sack lunches to his father as the carpenter was able to make good use of his trade and provide for his family.

In 1943, his dad was hit by a car as he was biking to catch his ride to a Geneva Steel construction job.  He never worked steady after that, due to his injuries.  The identity of the driver was never found.

As for Ted, he would find his career path at seventeen with the military, work that would eventually bring him to his close friends and community in Santaquin.

“I enlisted in and was sworn into the Army on the 29th of December, 1947,” according to Ted.  “I served a year on Guam and just over a year in the Korean War, arriving in Korea on the 14th of July, 1950.  After thirteen months of combat, I had earned enough points to be rotated back to the States.”

While his involvement in combat ended, his service continued. This provided him with the opportunity to develop skills and open his mind through new experiences.

“I was discharged on the 17th of January, 1952,” Ted explained.  “In August, 1952, I was hired at the Ogden Arsenal as a telephone technician, a department of the Army Civil Service position.”

Over the years, Ted took any and all extension courses that he needed to achieve a college level and was “educated and promoted in the Civil Service and assigned to the U.S. Army Material Command HO’s in Alexandria, Virginia,” he explained.  “A position of Director of Communication, Dugway Proving Grounds, Utah, was offered to me and in 1979 I moved back to Utah.  After two years, I was offered a promotion at the Combined General and Chief of Staff College as the Director of Communications in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, which I accepted.  After thirty-six years of civil service and many, many High Performance awards, I retired on the 31st of December, 1984.”

Ted and Donna Jones were married on December 17, 1954.  “We had five children,” he noted, “four girls, one boy, who grew up in Utah, California, New Mexico, Maryland, and Kansas.”  Their children are Teresa Beavers, Brenda Jordan, Tina Zedekar, the late Ted Jones II, and Joy Webber. Sixteen grandchildren and five great-grandchildren can be counted today.

Donna passed away in 2006.  Ted II died of kidney failure in 2008.  “He was a border patrol supervisor in Scobey, Montana,” said Ted.  “He had to quit his job due to health issues, just about ten months before he passed away.  His son, Ted II lives in Vernal, Utah, where his mom went (home) after his dad’s death.”

Ted’s daughter, Teresa, a security guard, was shot three times at a college in Massachusetts by an angry student, who killed three and injured others on the campus before being captured.  Teresa survives today after twelve surgeries, Ted noted.  She and her husband, Bruce, both in “less than good” health, are still very active in church callings and family matters.

Thirty-six years of civil service, four in the Army, nearly fulfilled, Ted and his wife returned to Utah, a state that never left his mind.  “The Tooele Army Depot Chemical Disposal Site, a location I visited several times on official Army business before retiring, offered me a position on their contractor-provided communications, so I went to work as a contract employee from 1985 until 1994,” he said.

Once he was officially retired from military and civil service, he set his eyes on his next project:  A veterans monument that could stand the test of time.

His vision arose after visiting the Salem Cemetery Veterans Monument. When it was dedicated, he saw that his dad, two uncles, and several cousins had been honored on the monument wall.  Ted was then determined to see to it that Santaquin would one of its own.

“When I decided Santaquin needed to build a monument, I talked to Post 84 members,” he said.  “They were enthused by the suggestion.”

But perhaps more than anyone else, Jim Peterson seemed especially excited. “So I visited Jim at his home and talked to him and [his wife] Neva about it,” said Ted.  “I asked them to become my fundraising committee and they leaped at the chance to work on it, and proved to be extremely effective in both fundraising and getting volunteer labor and materials.”

From there, the project took off until its completion and dedication in 2004.

The Veterans Monument in Santaquin is impressive.  Bronze statues of service men and one service woman represent the five military services. Striking walls memorialize Santaquin’s veterans past, behind flags towering high upon three poles and an inspiring stone marker.  The Veterans Monument stands in the center of Santaquin Cemetery, at the divide between its older section and a vast new space on the west side.  It invites all to pause, step in, and remember their service, “Lest We Forget,” as the marker at its entrance implores.  On special occasions the flags of the five armed services are flown on the rail fences that embrace the monument’s western perimeter

This week and next, Ted’s service is remembered and reflected upon, as he holds the honorable post of Santaquin City’s annual celebration. Next Saturday, August 1, Ted will ride in the Orchard Days Grand Parade as Grand Marshal of the celebration, a day in the spotlight for a lifetime of service that will benefit the community for years to come.

Order a subscription by mail, in person, or through Paypal to paysonchronicle@gmail.com. Be sure to include your mailing address. Yearly subscription rates are $25 per year or $23 for senior citizens mailed inside Utah County, and $50 or $45 for senior citizens outside Utah County. 

The Payson Chronicle is located at 145 East Utah Avenue #5, Payson, Utah 84651.

Sunday's Band Concert a Musical Celebration of Pioneer Day

This Sunday, July 26th is our Pioneer Day's concert.  The concert will be as follows: 

1.  Memorial Park 
2.  Rawhide
3.  Ghost Riders in the Sky 
4.  The Good  Ol' West 
5.  Bryce Canyon Overture 
6.  Dances With Wolves 
7.  Buffalo Gals  
8.  Call to Victory
9.  Boostin' the Basses 
10.  Flutes on the Run
11.  Amparito Roca 
12.  Star Spangled Banner
 
The music starts at 8 PM in Memorial Park, Payson.

-- Wayne Huff Conductor

Kenneth Abbott Withdraws From Race

Kenneth Abbott has withdrawn his candidacy for a seat on the Payson City Council. According to Payson City Recorder Sara Hubbs, eleven candidates remain.

Nathan Butterfield, Linda M. Carter, James Ewell, Jo Lynn Ford (incumbent), Kim Hancock (incumbent), Mike Hiatt, Brian Hulet, Scott Pinkham, Larry Skinner (incumbent), Doug Welton, and Brent M. Williams remain in the running. Voters will narrow the candidate pool to six during a primary election on August 11.  Voting will take place that day in the City Center Banquet Hall, 439 West Utah Avenue, Payson.

Early primary voting begins July 28.

The municipal election is slated for November 3. Three will then be selected by voters to serve the community for the duration of four years.

Councilman Hardy Proposes Easier Access to Polls for Payson Voters

Does having only one polling place in Payson contribute to a loss of voter participation?  The question arose last week when Councilman Mike Hardy suggested that the city pursue an analysis to determine if limited access to ballot boxes is keeping some residents from the polls.

In years past there have been at least three polling places at various locations within the city. Today there is only one.

Councilman Hardy expressed his hope for a shift in a current trend, one that is showing fewer people at the polls, by making access to voting easier.  “I think we owe it to the voters,” he said.

Although it is likely too late for this year’s election, Councilman Hardy remarked that he would like to see the analysis be pursued--and soon--to determine whether additional voting places could lead to higher turnouts.

For now, registered voters can plan on casting their ballots in both the August 11 primary and November 3 municipal elections at the Banquet Hall of Payson City Center.  A resolution was passed last Wednesday by city council members approving it as the sole voting place this election year.

"Meet Your Candidate Night" Planned for August 4 at Peteetneet

The Payson City Chamber of Commerce and the Payson Chapter of the Utah Public Employees Association will be hosting a  “Meet Your Candidate Night” August 4, 2015 at the Peteetneet Museum (566 East 100 North, Payson, Utah) from 7:00 to 9:00 pm.   Light refreshments will be served.  

This is your opportunity to meet the candidates that are running for three council seats on the Payson City Council before the primary election on August 11, 2015.   Questions from the audience will be allowed during the event, or may be submitted in advance to dorae@payson.org.

Heroin Use, Painkiller Addiction Linked, says CDC

Troy Wilde

SALT LAKE CITY - Heroin use and abuse in the U.S. is rising among most age groups and income levels, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Usage has risen the fastest, more than doubling, for young adults.

In Utah, it's reported that about 80 people die each year from a heroin overdose. The reasons behind the rise are complicated, says CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden.

But one thing is clear, there's a connection to opioid prescription painkiller addiction.

"The chemical is essentially the same," says Frieden. "So, when heroin is five times cheaper and much more widely available, it becomes something that's driving this trend of rapid increase in heroin use."

It may be a case of unintended consequences, with Frieden explaining that prescription painkillers became harder to obtain after limits were imposed because of addiction concerns. The CDC report says 45 percent of those who have used heroin had been dependent on prescription painkillers. Another finding, people without health coverage are more likely to use heroin.

There's also been a national uptick in heroin overdose deaths, more than 8,000 in 2013. Frieden says quality and potency varies on the street, and overdose-reverse medications aren't always readily available in emergency rooms, although he says that needs to change. He underscores the need to keep opioid painkillers as medical treatment options despite the heroin connection, with pros and cons weighed carefully.

"If someone has excruciating pain from a surgical procedure, or a car crash, or a severe, terminal pain from cancer, you absolutely want to provide all palliation," says Frieden. "For chronic non-cancer pain, you really have to look at the risks and the benefits."

Recommendations for stemming the tide of heroin abuse include increased access to treatment, including medication-assisted treatments, recognition of the link between past prescription painkiller dependence and future heroin use, and pain treatment plans for chronic sufferers that include options beyond medications.

Less Testing for K-12 Students in Utah?

Troy Wilde

SALT LAKE CITY - A bill moving through Congress could dramatically reduce standardized testing for kindergarten-through-12th-grade students in Utah and around the nation.

The Every Child Achieves Act would stop much of the testing linked to the No Child Left Behind law, said Sharon Gallagher-Fishbaugh, president of the Utah Education Association. In her view, the testing - which takes several weeks of the school year - has done more harm than good, for students and teachers.

"They've taken those assessments and they've used them in a perverse manner, to not only grade teachers but also to grade schools, and communities," she said. "And the focus has become hyper-focused on tests, as opposed to educating the whole child, so absolutely it's problematic."

Proponents of the testing say it's a reliable way to see how students - and schools - are performing, but some educators say standardized testing stresses some students to the point of quitting school and can cause frustrated teachers to retire or leave the profession.

Gallagher-Fishbaugh said grade-span testing is among the alternatives being considered to replace the current system. She said students in all grades would still be tested in major subjects but would have more time to focus on learning and develop critical thinking skills.

"It keeps a measure. It keeps assessments on the forefront," she said. "It give teachers more time - one-on-one time - with students - especially those kids who are in need of extra help."

Gallgher-Fishbaugh said the National Education Association, which has 3 million members, is strongly supportive of the Every Child Achieves Act, although it's still a work in progress. The original bill, introduced in April, has been amended more than 40 times.

More information about the Utah Education Association is online at myuea.org. A bill summary is at help.senate.gov.

Ted Jones: A man with a vision and passion for his community, and this year's Orchard Days Grand Marshal

Ted Jones: A man with a vision and passion for his community has been named Grand Marshal of the upcoming Santaquin City Orchard Days celebration.  Read his story in next week's print edition of The Payson Chronicle.

New "Cub" Inducted Into Club

Payson Lions welcomed their newest and youngest member into the den last week. Details can be found in this week's print edition of The Payson Chronicle.

Two World Records Set During Weekend's Payson Scottish Festival Highland Games

Scott Farr, age 22, of  Logan, Utah, set two world records during last week's  Payson Scottish Festival Highland Games.  Find out more about it in this week's edition of The Payson Chronicle.

Photo by Todd Phillips (PicMeShining.com)

Payson’s New Float Turning Heads on Parade Routes; Winning Awards Along the Way

Posing for a photograph with two sweepstakes trophies and a “Most Beautiful” plaque at the Payson City Center, July 7, (left-right): Events Coordinator Janeen Dean, Miss Payson Jenna Wright, Second Attendant Samantha Hayes, and Float Driver Margaret Gonzalez.  Missing from photo: First Attendant Camri Jensen

Payson is turning heads along parade routes in Utah Valley.  Only halfway into this year’s celebration season, the city’s new float has already won three notable awards. Find the story--and the award-winning new float--in next week's print edition of The Payson Chronicle.

Anticipation Grows for Onion Days Flower Show

Flowers blooming in the Kester family garden are destined for entry in this year’s Payson Onion Days Flower Show.  A gifted gardener with artistic skill to match, Helen Kester has been entering her flowers into the local competition for years and has received countless awards for her stunning arrangements.  She looks forward to joining in the friendly floral competition again this year.

Mourning the Passing of Friends: Forthcoming Funeral Services

“What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. 

All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.” ~ Helen Keller

Forthcoming funeral services are planned for the following friends from our community. Complete versions of these obituaries may be found in The Payson Chronicle and on our website at paysonchronicle.com.

TAMMY LEE LAURSEN

On July 7, 2015 we all lost an amazing woman.  She was born July 23, 1957 at Salt Lake City, Utah to Glen J. and JoAnn Roberts Zeeman.  Please come pay your respects on Friday, July 10, 2015, 12-12:45 p.m. at the Walker Mortuary, 587 South 100 West, Payson. Graveside services will follow at 2:00 p.m. at the Payson City Cemetery, 805 East 400 North.

Payson's First 100 Years, Part 9

“James Finlayson was elected Mayor in 1883. He was in for two terms. Seeing the need for a jail occasionally, one of modern style was built to the northwest of the City Hall in 1883," reads an excerpt from the book, The Payson Story.  Payson historian, L. Dee Stevenson shares his story, as well as others, in this week's edition of The Payson Chronicle.  Pick up your copy today.

We Want Your Help

The Payson Chronicle is considering hosting a meet-the-candidate night prior to November’s city council election in Payson.  We want YOU to help us plan it.

Where and when do you think it should be held?  Who do you think should serve as moderator?

Send your suggestions to thepaysonchronicle@msn.com.  We look forward to hearing from you.

FEATURED ADVERTISER: Santaquin Family Vision

Latest Yard of the Week Pick is Divine

A backyard divine.  And our latest Yard of the Week.  Do you know where this sublime spot is located?  Find out in this week's print edition of The Payson Chronicle.  While you are at it, send us your pick for an upcoming recognition.  Email your Yard of the Week nomination to paysonchronicle@gmail.com.

Mourning the Passing of Friends: Forthcoming Funeral Services

“What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. 

All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.” ~ Helen Keller

Forthcoming funeral services are planned for the following friends from our community. Complete versions of these obituaries may be found in The Payson Chronicle and on our website at paysonchronicle.com.

BERNELL CHRISTIAN EVANS

Bernell (Bernie) Christian Evans, 84, passed away July 2, 2015 in Payson, Utah.  Bernell was born January 8, 1931 to Frederick William Evans and Mary Lillie Schaugaard in Payson, Utah.  He was the oldest of 4 children; Julia Dean Sepulveda, Ferral and Keith (surviving).  Funeral services will be Monday, July 6, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. in the Payson 16th Ward Chapel, 650 West 800 South. Friends may call at the Walker Mortuary, 587 South 100 West, Payson, on Sunday, July 5, 2015 from 6-8 p.m., or at the church on Monday from 9:30-10;45 a.m. Burial will be in the Payson City Cemetery will military rites accorded by the American Legion, District #4.

Santaquin City Reminds Residents to Adhere to Fireworks Restrictions

For many in Utah, the use of fireworks has become a tradition. The beautifully colored sparks fly though the air in concert with thunderous reports.  As exciting as this may seem, people often forget that they are playing with explosive materials, dangerous chemicals and combustibles that can destroy property, harm or cause death to unsuspecting victims.

These deceptively simple objects explode, throwing un-burned powder, hot sparks and embers through the air at high velocities and often create temperatures hotter than 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit.   Each year along the Wasatch Front, there are numerous fire related incidents that cause brush fires, injuries, and property damage.  Here are a few tips for having a safe 4th and 24th of July!

Santaquin City Fireworks Restriction 2015 (See Map):

• No fireworks east of I-15 or in Summit Ridge. 
• Purchase fireworks from reliable, licensed fireworks dealers.
• Read the instructions to help reduce chance of fire and/or injury
• Children shouldn’t handle fireworks.  Adults are to supervise any activity that includes fireworks!
• Adults should never use alcohol, drugs or be otherwise impaired while engaged in handling, using, placing, or lighting fireworks.
• Use only legal aerial-type fireworks.  These may travel as much as 200’ in the air!  Use caution around dry grass, trees, homes, and other obstacles.  Avoid lighting fireworks in windy conditions.
• Do not attempt to alter, change, repair or experiment with fireworks.  Make shift fireworks are extremely dangerous and illegal.  
• Never use fireworks indoors, under carports, or in garages.
• Keep a bucket of water nearby or a hose with running water.
• Make sure spectators are out of range of all fireworks.  Keep all un-used fireworks at least 30’ away from ignition area. 
• Light fireworks one at a time.  Keep clear of the firework.  Never place a body part above or around a burning firework.  Never hold a lit firework in your hand.
• Ensure all used fireworks have been soaked in water before discarding them into a trash can

Fireworks are an American tradition. Safety and common sense are so important as we celebrate the holidays with fireworks. Shooting fireworks can provide hours of wholesome family entertainment, but must be use carefully and safely.

CFPB Marks Four Years of Helping Consumers in Utah, Nation

By Troy Wilde

SALT LAKE CITY - The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), which celebrates its fourth anniversary this month, has recovered billions of dollars on behalf of people in Utah and around the country.

Ed Mierzwinski, senior fellow with the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), advocated for the creation of the CFPB after the Great Recession. Unlike the Federal Trade Commission and other government entities, he says, the bureau can investigate businesses before a complaint is filed.

"So, it can say to a payday lender, 'Show me that you're complying with the law,' Mierzwinski explains. "It can say that to a credit bureau or a debt collector. It's got teeth, it's got power, it's got tools to protect consumers."

He says the CFPB regulates and investigates banks, credit unions, payday lenders and pawn shops, as well as credit bureaus and debt collectors. He adds that the bureau has recovered $5 billion and received about 400,000 consumer complaints.

Complaints can be made online at consumerfinance.gov.

Consumer complaints are vital for enforcement, says Mierzwinski, because they can demonstrate a pattern or trend of businesses that may be violating the law.

"If they start to see a spike in complaints against a certain company, that will cause their examiners to go into that company and say, 'Why are we getting so many complaints about your bank? We're not getting as many complaints about this other bank that sells the same product,'" he says.

Mierzwinski notes that today's number one complaint topic is debt collectors, replacing mortgage problems as the chief complaint category. He adds the CFPB now houses the biggest government database of consumer complaints.