Lehi City Councilor Heather Newall is asking residents to dig into the city's past and show up for its future in the August edition of the Lehi Ledger, published Monday, August 3.
Newall's leadership message, titled "You're Part of Lehi's Story," weaves together half a dozen historical vignettes to make the case that Lehi was "built by ordinary people doing extraordinary things." Among them: a 14-year-old girl named Mary Wanlass Hutchings who led her younger siblings and bedridden father more than 1,000 miles across the plains to Lehi; a train carrying 1,300 passengers that stalled at Point of the Mountain just days after the railroad arrived, forcing everyone to climb out and push; and neighbors who quietly harvested George Goates' entire sugar beet crop during the 1918 influenza epidemic after he buried his son and three grandchildren in a single week.
The councilor urged residents to visit the Lehi Historical Society, tour the John Hutchings Museum, and explore the city's growing collection of historical markers.
"I also encourage you to attend a City Council or Planning Commission meeting," Newall wrote in the August newsletter, published Monday, August 3. "Great communities are built by residents who stay informed, ask questions, and get involved."
Her message ties directly to a busy August calendar. Heritage Day arrives Saturday, August 29, from 2:30 to 6 p.m. at the Lehi Civic Center, with a parade, honoree celebration, classic car show, and food trucks. The Lehi Historical Society's free Historical Marker Quest, which as we reported July 25 sends families to 21 markers around the city to collect passport stamps and earn prizes, culminates that same day.
The newsletter also packs practical updates for families. Registration for the Rippy Literacy Center's fall ABC Pre-K kindergarten-readiness program opened August 3, with classes running Wednesday, August 26, through Thursday, December 17. A new $50 materials fee applies for Lehi residents. New-student registration for the after-school reading and math session (K–4th grade) is Monday, August 24, and Tuesday, August 25, from 3 to 5:30 p.m., with the fall session running September 9 through November 1.
The Lehi Legacy Center recreation facility will close for maintenance Monday, August 17, through August 22. Alpine School District classes begin Wednesday, August 19. The Grassroots Shakespeare Company will present "The Tempest" at the Lehi Library on Saturday, August 15, at 1 p.m.; registration opens Monday, August 10, at 10 a.m. on the library website.
That's not all on the calendar. Nearby, Alpine Days runs Saturday, August 8, through Saturday, August 15, themed "Celebrating America's 250 Years of Freedom." Rodeo tickets are available exclusively at alpinedays.com.
Upcoming community calendar
- Wednesday, August 5 — Historical Marker event at 151 E. State St., 7 p.m.
- Saturday, August 8–Saturday, August 15 — Alpine Days, Alpine
- Saturday, August 15 — "The Tempest," Lehi Library, 1 p.m.
- Monday, August 17–August 22 — Legacy Center closed for maintenance
- Wednesday, August 19 — Alpine School District first day of classes
- Saturday, August 29 — Lehi Heritage Day, Lehi Civic Center, 2:30–6 p.m.
- Saturday, September 12 — Lehi National Day of Service and Remembrance
