Miner Home Named Yard of the Week

Edward Miner at the foot of a fountain built in the southeast corner out back. A sign bearing the name “Eben-Ezer,” a place, its significance written in biblical text. It was a gift his wife, Dawna, gave him, notes Edward. Geological mementos shimmering beneath sunlight and ever-flowing water symbolize his lifelong fascination for nature. Science teacher has been one of Edward's career roles. His most recent occupations involved teaching language: Chinese at both local high schools and English with Dawna as visiting scholars in China.

Potted petunias on the front porch of the Payson Miner home are Mother's Day gifts from Edward Miner to his wife, Dawna, the mother of the couple's three adult children. Sprays of perennial arrangements and Elizabeth Taylor roses and vibrant shrubbery are planted in beds nearby to add to the beauty the brims at the site. But it is the scene behind the Miner home, which seems most supreme. A gate on the home's south-side is a portal to a splendid garden picture, all orchestrated to ripple waves of persistent blooms throughout the altering seasons.

A relaxing patio is a quick step outside a back door. The slotted pergola above may soon be covered by the honeysuckle, yellow and orange, that winds along its pale columns.

The lovely labor of a bee.

A statue out back to symbolize the Miner grandchildren.

Flora infused with Edward's chemistry.

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Thanks to the following Yard of the Week sponsors:


Behling Insurance: www.behlingins.cc

Hanks Signs: HanksSigns.com

Nominate your pick for 
Yard of the Week at
paysonchronicle@gmail.com

Sea To Shining Sea Bike Ride Finds a Big Welcome in Payson

Pictured above: Eighteen wounded veterans participating in the Sea To Shining Sea Bike Ride include Andrew Jansen, Bill Czyzewski, Greg Hoffman, Glenn Goulet, Henry Riley, Ivan Castro, Joe Frank, Jeff Henson, John Malkin, James Sheehan, Jonathan Snodgrass, Larry Gunter, Micheal Manning, Michael Sanders, Sabrina Hearst, William Lahman, here assembled with a Payson welcoming group on Monday.

Riders participating in the “Sea To Shining Sea” Bike Ride organized by World TEAM Sports reached Payson afternoon and received a warm welcome before spending the night at Payson’s Quality Inn.  State Farm, one of the sponsors of the event, has an office located just south of the Quality Inn and was ready with refreshments for the riders.

World TEAM Sports is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization chartered in North Carolina and headquartered in Holbrook, New York, dedicated to helping disabled participants build self confidence and physical fitness, and becoming a moving inspiration to other participants and to spectators when they see that disabled individuals can meet challenges beyond anyone’s imagination.

Bancroft Home: An Inspiration and Yard of the Week

A beauty nestled in a southwest Payson neighborhood: The Bancroft home at 1342 South 830 West.

Bees buzz in frenzied appreciation for the flowers that grow on a corner lot, not too far from the new Payson LDS Temple construction site. The blossoms bloom out of devotion by the property owners, Ferrill and Brooke Bancroft, who can count at least one hundred different varieties for pollinating bees to pick and choose. Their prolific gardening has gained the appreciation within the community, which led to the Bancroft home, at 1342 South 830 West, having been named Yard of the Week.

See complete story in this week's edition of The Payson Chronicle, available on newsstands stands now.

The Bancroft's backyard patio is a scene plucked out of a magazine.

The Sharifa Asma, a David Austin English rose, are in full bloom in the front yard.  The variety is among Ferrill's favorites. 

Blossoms get a morning taste of sunshine on the home's south side.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE: 

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Thanks to the following Yard of the Week sponsors:


Behling Insurance: www.behlingins.cc

Hanks Signs: HanksSigns.com

Nominate your pick for 
Yard of the Week at
paysonchronicle@gmail.com

Crusaders Named Division Two State Champions

Team Photo Coach Cecil Ledward (front); (first row, l-r) Max Robison, Nasili Peppers, Aaron Ormsby, Giovanni Ruiz, (second row, l-r) Andy Gillies, Noah Allen, Jake Condie, Jon Williams, Justice Cobb, Pitasoni Taumoepunu, Valu Vaitohi, Jordan Reder, Grant Allen, Mitch Kawai, Aldyn Ashcraft; (back, l-r) Justin Afualo, James Warren, Kyle Dwiggins, Ofa Taunauta, Tristan Bradley, Leni Neifufi, Ezra Hopoate, Bill Ungricht, (fan) Tyler Ledward, and Coach David Ledward.  Photo by Rob Allen.

by David Ledward

A win over Pineview Rugby Club sealed the title of Division 2 Champions for the Crusaders at the University of Utah Soccer Stadium recently.

The season started off strong for the Crusaders and they ended the regular season with a 4-2 record.  They then moved on to play in the quarter finals for state where we had a comfortable win over Davis High School Rugby Club and Hurricane High School Rugby Team, putting us into a tough finals against Pineview Rugby Club from St George. It was a well played game with The Crusaders coming up with a 19-14 win to take State.

This win means so much to us, for our team, and for the growth of Rugby in Utah. Crusaders Rugby Club is a high school rugby club consisting of players from Provo, Springville, Mapleton, Spanish Fork, and Payson. If any one is interested in playing Rugby for the Crusaders next season please contact David Ledward at 801-419-5794 or email at david @taxorganizer.biz.

Payson Woman Crafting Regular Guest Spot on Popular TV Talk Show

On the set of Good Things Utah: (left-right) Brianne Johnson, Payson's Melinda Baker, Nicea DeGering, and Gretchen Jensen.

A Payson woman's propensity for producing crafts has placed her in the realm of celebrity among Utah TV viewers. On any given weekday, once or twice a month, Melinda Baker travels to Salt Lake City, where she joins the co-hosts of ABC Channel 4's Good Things Utah. The local scrap-book and crafting pro has become a regular feature, sharing tips and tricks for homemade gifts on the popular Utah weekday talk show.

Richard and Alison Gray Awarded Yard of the Week

The peas in the garden at the Gray home in Payson are ready to eat. Husband and wife, Richard and Alison Gray have been sowing the spacious plot on their one acre lot year after year, dedicating scarce time to ensure a crop of fresh vegetables to last throughout the season. Precious time goes into the maintenance of their entire lot, so much so that their property is a worthy pick for the current Yard of the Week.  See complete story in this week's edition of The Payson Chronicle.

An American flag once flown by the late Richard Fearn Gray stands now at his grandson's Payson lot. 

SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE: 

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Thanks to the following Yard of the Week sponsors:

Behling Insurance: www.behlingins.cc
Hanks Signs: HanksSigns.com

Nominate your pick for 
Yard of the Week at
paysonchronicle@gmail.com

Kylie Jo Black Crowned Santaquin's New Queen

Miss Santaquin 2012 Kylie Jo Black (center) flanked by attendants, Shelby Mortensen (left) and Brylee Biggs (right) following the June 9 scholarship pageant held at Payson High School.

A trio of beauties contended for the Miss Santaquin crown earlier this evening at Payson High School. By the scholarship pageant's closing, Kylie Jo Black would walk away with the 2012 Miss Santaquin title. Brylee Jo Biggs and Shelby Mortensen, respectively, will share attendant status as runners-up to the queen throughout the coming year.

Kylie is the daughter of Branden and Jodi Black, Brylee's parents are Darryl and Kris Ann Biggs, and Shelby is the daughter of Scott and Karen Mortensen.

Brylee Biggs also received the Miss Congeniality award, an honor determined by her peers. The Miss Photogenic prize went to Santaquin's new queen, Kylie Black.  She was chosen to receive the award by local photographer and business owner, Russell Brown. Brown's business, Memory Lane Photography, co-sponsored the award with Karen's Art and Frame.

Gil and Maxine White Home Named Yard of the Week

It is hard not to notice the White house.  Blossoms in a multitude of styles and hues, surrounded by a well-manicured lawn, trees, and shrubs have become the norm overtime.  Homeowner Gil and Maxine White have spent fifty-six years living in the home and maintaining it to perfection.

A birdbath adjacent to the patio behind the White home.

Stone by stone, the Whites built a patio for family and friends to enjoy together.

A peaceful view behind the White home.

A sundial marks the time.

Flowers in bloom near the sidewalk on the east side.

A highlight among the homes along Utah Avenue is the yard maintained by Gilbert and Maxine White. As such, the corner-lot home is honored as this week's Yard of the Week.

The Whites purchased the home fifty-six years ago, when it was under the ownership of the Arthur Peay family. A yard-transformation commenced immediately after, albeit gradually over time, according to Maxine. Trees planted, pine, sycamore, walnut, and almond among them, charm in their mature state; a few of them have long since been removed.

A cozy patio was constructed by Gil and Maxine in the backyard, with stones from the Strawberry Valley. It sits beneath luscious shade trees, providing space for relaxation and social gatherings, not far from fruit trees and grapevines that will begin to climb soon.

The home was built by Joseph Reece, who, according to Maxine, was instrumental in the construction of both the Peteetneet schoolhouse and Payson Fourth Ward LDS chapel. “The Reece family raised show ponies here,” said Maxine of her home on Utah Avenue. The shed that kept these ponies still stands, with some additions by Gil. A long, deep gravel path which led to it from Utah Avenue was removed soon after the Whites moved in to stay.

The couple raised their seven children in the home and have used it as a frequent spot for special Sunday dinners and family gatherings. Their fare, no doubt, included crops from the White family garden, a mainstay that continues to this day, though its size has reduced as the home's occupants moved on to raise families of their own. And the family has grown; Gil and Maxine today have forty-two grandchildren and thirty-eight great-grandchildren who share in the joy they have created on their property.

As spring turns to summer, the yard is now in a state of transition. The yellow daffodils and hearty hyacinths have bloomed and gone. The scarlet blossoms that hang in the spring from the red horse chestnut captivating passersby on Utah Avenue have ceased for the season. But there are now summer blooms in line to take their place. Vibrant pink petunias, annuals which have been freshly planted on the property's outskirts, are taking root, and the roses, begonias, devil's weed, forget-me-nots, bishop's grass, columbine, and array of perennials are waking up.

Maxine and Gil, now in their eighties, continue to maintain a yard that has become a showcase on Utah Avenue. It is truly a sight to see. “There's so much to be learned,” said Maxine concerning a life spent gardening, “and it's a joy to work and learn and grow.”

The White property is one of Payson's treasures. “It is home,” said Maxine.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE: 

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Thanks to the following Yard of the Week sponsors:

Behling Insurance: www.behlingins.cc
Hanks Signs: HanksSigns.com

Nominate your pick for 
Yard of the Week at
paysonchronicle@gmail.com

Three to Contend for Miss Santaquin Crown June 9

Miss Santaquin Michaela Mecham will pass on the title to a new queen June 9.

Three will vie for the Miss Santaquin crown next week.  Brylee Biggs, Kylie Jo Black, and Shelby Mortensen will contend for the title at the Miss Santaquin Pageant, Saturday, June 9, at 6:30.  Doors will open fifteen minutes prior.  Tickets are $6 in advance or $8 at the door.  They may be purchased through the contestants, Santaquin City, or at Trading Talents in Payson.

See complete story, with contestant biographies, in the June 6 printed edition of The Payson Chronicle.  Subscribe to The Payson Chronicle at paysonads.com.

Brylee Biggs

Kylie Jo Black

Shelby Mortensen

Yard of Week Campaign Underway; Nominate Today

Poppies are now in bloom at the Rawlinson home at  643 East 600 North, Payson, the season's first Yard of the Week.

Nominations for yard of the week are now being accepted. Homes throughout the Payson-Santaquin area, including Elberta, Elk Ridge, Genola, Goshen, Salem, Spring Lake, West Mountain, and Woodland Hills, and areas in between, will be considered.

Residents should submit their nomination by email to paysonchronicle@gmail.com,through a Facebook message, inside the Chronicle office at 145 East Utah Avenue Suite 5, or by mail to The Payson Chronicle, PO Box 361, Payson, UT 84651. Please include the nominee's full name(s), address, and contact information.

Each resident in these communities is welcome to nominate one yard per week throughout the season, but can make a nomination for a particular location on one occasion only.

Those selected yards will be photographed and published in The Payson Chronicle as well as on its blog site, paysonchronicle.blogspot.com, and will be awarded a one-year subscription to the newspaper.