Gordon White Honored by Payson City

Mayor Rick Moore presents a plaque to retiring longtime employee Gordon White, on behalf of Payson City.

Gordon White, longtime resident and employee of Payson City, is celebrating his 34 years of dedicated service in the public works departments.  His retirement will vacate the Parks/Cemetery/Water Superintendent position.  He and his family were honored at a retirement luncheon on Thursday, December 13, at which his co-workers and Mayor and Council members expressed their thanks and the thanks of Payson residents for his long career.

Gordon began his career with Payson City March 8, 1979 as a water/sewer maintenance operator under the direction of Water/Sewer Department Superintendent, Don Muhlstein.  He quickly became an important part of the public works departments because of his willingness to work hard at whatever task was before him, and to willingly accept new responsibilities.  In August 1993, Gordon assumed the duties of Water Superintendent.  At that time, the culinary department and the sewer department were separated and the new Pressurized Irrigation Department was created.  Gordon also assumed the duties of the Superintendent of the PI.   In September 2001, the Parks and Cemetery Department was re-organized and Gordon was asked to accept the new responsibility of Parks and Cemetery Superintendent in addition to his duties of heading up the Water and PI Departments.  During that reorganization, the Administration complimented Gordon on his acceptance of these additional responsibilities and the stress which attended learning procedures and operations completely new to him.  Since 2001, Gordon has successfully developed the water, parks and cemetery departments into well-organized units which accomplish a great deal in the area of parks, cemetery, and water maintenance.

In his work as Water Superintendent, Gordon and his crew have been instrumental in accomplishing the following in Payson City:

Construction of five new water tanks.
Construction of the Pressurized Irrigation System.
Installation of the filters for the P. I System.
Bringing the canyon reservoirs up to the safety standards defined by the State of Utah.
Installation of the Springlake Pumps.
Installation and repair of many of the water mains throughout the city.

As Superintendent of the Parks Department he and his crews have successfully:

Contributed numberless hours to the success of various city celebrations.
Design and construction of the vast trail system and new parks in Payson City.
Maintenance of those trails and parks both for beauty and for use of the PI system.

In addition, Gordon personally created the design for the Veterans Memorial at the Payson City Cemetery and guided the construction to a successful conclusion.  

In 2009 Gordon was recognized as the Ted Bates Employee of the Year.

Payson City Administration, Mayor and Council and co-workers want to thank Gordon and his family for all his years of dedication and wish him the best in his new retirement adventure.

Payson Proclaims January 6-12 Cowboy Poetry Week

Cowboy Poets of Utah member and local cowboy minstrel, Bill Wright poses for a photo outside the Payson City Council Chambers.

Several notable hats are worn by Bill Wright within the Payson community. The most musically styled among them, perhaps, is that of a cowboy balladeer. This was the hat he wore when he approached the Payson City Council, December 5. He arrived seeking the penning of a proclamation that would designate January 6-12, 2013, as Cowboy Poetry Week.

Wright made the request on behalf of the Cowboy Poets of Utah, of which he has been a participant for the past three years. The organization, Wright notes, is led by President Jeff Coates, with C.R. Wood as Chairman of the Board. Local members include Paul Bliss, Gordon Thomas, who also serves as the Cowboy Poets' treasurer, and Marion Manwill, chaplain and Wasatch area representative.

Minstrels are drawn together for the Cowboy Poets' performances held throughout the year. These delightful gigs include Wright, humming and strumming alongside the talented Kevin Elmer on acoustic and electric guitar.

With the Payson City Council's support, Mayor Rick Moore's signature made Cowboy Poetry Week official. The proclamation highlights cowboy poetry's deep roots in United States, Utah, and Payson history. “[C]owboy poetry dates back to early settling of the west,” it states, “when cowboys would sit around the campfire and tell stories and recite rhymes composed during the long hours in the saddle.”

The timing of Cowboy Poetry Week could not better suit the group and the community, as the Cowboy Poets of Utah will retreat from their saddles for a Payson performance on Saturday, January 12. Poets and musicians will gather around the campfire inside the Payson High School Green Room, at 1050 South Main, from 6-8 PM. Tickets will be available for purchase at a cost of just $5 a person.

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Payson Chamber Christmas Party Warm With Season Cheer

Payson Chamber of Commerce members pose for a Christmas group photo: (front row, seated, left-right) Chamber director Carolyn Bowman, Payson Mayor and businessman Rick Moore, Chamber President Eric Buchanan; (middle row, left-right) Laura Evans, Shelly Thompson, Candy Martin, Janice Roper, Russell Gaede, Lou Ballamis; (back row, left-right) Maurice Evans, Christina Tanquary, Shawn Martin, Joe Vega, Rory Adams, Rhett Huff, and Zach Voorhees.

Good cheer was in abundance when the Payson Chamber of Commerce met last week. Members, old and new, gathered together in the Lions Club Meeting Room, December 6, to share food, conversation, and gifts. It was the annual Chamber Christmas Party, and one which seemed to bring much delight to members of the local business community that afternoon.  See complete story and additional photos in this week's edition of The Payson Chronicle.

A gift elicits a laugh of delight for Rhett Huff (right) and Rick Moore (left).

Chopper 5 Makes Landing at Two Payson Schools

Students at Park View get an up-close view of KSL's Chopper 5.

Students at Wilson and Park View Elementary gathered in fields outside each school today to cheer a special landing made by KSL Chopper 5. The KSL News helicopter transported Channel 5 anchor, Nadine Wimmer, who encouraged the local children to read.

Both Wilson and Park View Elementary schools, along with Payson City, have signed onto pilot literacy initiative through KSL. KSL's Read Today incentives reading and provides a venue for children, the schools, and their families to track their progress along the way.

Local business have signed on in support of the effort, offering prizes as incentives to local school children participating in the literacy program. KSL Chopper 5's visits today seemed a reward itself, with the children enthusiastically awaiting its landing and posing for photos beside the aircraft.

Segments from today's events at Wilson and Park View schools are expected to air during the 10 PM news program tonight on KSL.

Pictured (from right): Payson Mayor Rick Moore and his grandson, Mac, with KSL News anchor Nadine Wimmer, and Payson business owners, Zach Voorhees of Poor Boys BBQ & Dawgs and Rhett Huff of Mountain Air Assisted Living.  Mayor Moore flew along with Ms. Wimmer to Park View from Wilson Elementary this afternoon.

KSL News anchor, Nadine Wimmer (center) poses for photos with Read Today donors, Randy (left) and Renel (right) Webster, owners of Southgate Hardware in Payson.

Chamber Serves Poor Boys Business of Month Honor

Poor Boys BBQ & Dawgs owner, Zach Voorhees (front row, pictured right, with plaque in hand) was honored during the Wednesday, December 5, city council meeting in Payson.  To the left of Voorhees is Lou Ballamis, representing the Chamber of Commerce, who made note of not only the good food at Poor Boys, but the good Voorhees brings to the community.  Poor Boys is among local business contributors of the Read Today program, his business rewarding students at Park View and Wilson Elementary schools for reading accomplishments.  Pictured behind are (left-right) Payson Mayor Rick Moore, and City Councilmembers, Scott Phillips, Larry Skinner, and Jolynn Ford.

Poor Boys crew: (left-right) Tim Ellis, owner Zach Voorhees, and Jordan Avery, with a plaque presented by Payson Chamber of Commerce President Eric Buchanan (pictured in blue shirt).  Poor Boys was named December's Business of the Month by the local Chamber at the restaurant, Monday morning.  

Poor Boys' owner, Zach Voorhees cuts into a sheet cake to share with well-wishers at his restaurant, December 3.

Miss Payson Stefani Dimond enjoys a piece of cake, which was provided by Payson Market and shared during Business of the Month Award presentation at Poor Boys.