Welcome Leif & Emilee Lofgren!  We’re so happy to welcome Leif back to the Highlands where he grew up – and very excited to welcome his wife, Emilee, to the neighborhood!  Emilee grew up in Layton and is going to WSU in psychology. They’re living in Leif’s boyhood home at the end of Sierra Avenue while his parents are on a mission in Pennsylvania. Leif and Emilee met at USU where they both loved rock climbing. They married four years ago. Leif works at Wasatch Peaks Resort and Emilee works at Roosters. Leif loves how adventurous, dedicated and determined Emilee is. We’re excited to have you both here!

Friends Enjoy Block 4 Breakfast Bash!  Last week neighbors gathered on Davis Street for a yummy outdoor breakfast – and to catch up and enjoy one another’s company. It was fun to taste what everyone brought – and spend the morning laughing and talking with one another. There was a whole lot of love (and whole wheat pancakes) shared on Davis Street last Saturday! 😊 

Upcoming Block Parties. Check out the schedule for your upcoming block parties:

Block 1 – September (Angie)

Block 2 – September (Kim & Rick)

Block 3 – September (Jake)

Block 4 – July 20 (Lynn & Brad)

Block 5 – August 10 (Sharee & John)

Block 6 – Sept 13 (Betsy & Lynda)

Block 7 – July 27 (Rodd & Sharlene)

Block 8 – Sept 16 (Tracey & Kent)

Block 9 – August 1 (Jinger & Tom)

Block 10 – September 9 (Donica)

Farewell (for the moment) to the Russell’s. Tom and Michelle Russell, long time Highlanders on Spruce Circle, are moving to take care of Michelle’s mother. “But we’ll be back,” says Tom. They have raised their children here and have been such an integral part of our community.  We wish them well and look forward to their return. 

Spotlight on Buddy.  This is Buddy who lives with Norma and Tony Hassell and their daughter Layna at 5747 Cascade. Buddy is an eight-year-old Labradoodle. When Sadie, the lab they had before Buddy, died, they thought they wouldn’t get another dog because of the pain of the loss. But Layna said, “Dad (who has MS) needs another dog” and took her parents to see a litter of ten labradoodle puppies in West Jordan. Of course they were all darling, but Buddy, one of two white ones, stood out to them. His face and eyes and expressions seem almost human. Now he weighs 90 pounds, and, as you can see in the pictures, is none-the-less a lap dog. He likes to be where the action is, but always keeps good track of Tony. He senses if Tony is having a hard day, and sticks right beside him in that case, no matter what else is going on. He loves to ride in the car and goes everywhere with the family. He misses Layna when she’s at work, and always waits till she gets home to eat. A special  treat for him is a “betta belly bone”. He gets so excited when he hears those words in conversation, that they started spelling b-o-n-e instead of saying the words. But now he recognizes the spelling and gets just as excited when they spell it!

A Little Highlands History.  In the spring of 1825 two major fur trading companies explored Utah to identify the region’s beaver supply. American trappers led by Johnson Gardner had traveled westward along the Strawberry River and ultimately into Weber Canyon. Meanwhile, Peter Skene Ogden of the rival Hudson’s Bay Company, a British outfit, led his Snake River Expedition southward along the Green River. For several months the two parties saw little of each other. Aside from a few impromptu encounters, each company left the other alone. But the solitude quickly ended when both groups met at Mountain Green on the Weber River in what would later be part of Utah’s Morgan County. On May 22 Ogden set up camp at a spot on the Weber River now known as Mountain Green. Also in the vicinity was Etienne Provost (see picture), a Frenchman up from Taos, New Mexico, who was trapping with a license issued by the Mexican government. Provost, who would give his name to the future town of Provo, Utah County, was a neutral bystander in the events that soon followed. When Johnson Gardner’s American trappers camped less than 100 yards from the British group on May 23 and flew the U.S. flag, the stage was set for an international incident. Gardner and his men were prepared to fight for territorial rights; they claimed that the camp was located in the United States territory. Ogden countered that it was in an area under the joint control of the British and American governments. (Actually, Provost had the better claim since he had a license from the Mexican government. The Adams-Onis Treaty of 1819 had recognized Mexican rights to land south of the 42nd Parallel.)  On the morning of May 24 Gardner took his claim to Ogden’s tent and ordered the Hudson’s Bay trappers to leave. Ogden naturally refused, and tension filled the rival camps. (Stay tuned for the rest of the story in our next issue of the Highlands Newsletter.)

Blast from the Past: Guess Who?  (Clue: In 1988, these two met in Jackson Hole, married, and named their youngest son Jackson.)