10 Blocks, 10 Block Parties! We hit our 100% goal for 2024! Congratulations to the Highlands. We have 10 blocks – and all 10 blocks had block parties in 2024. Our final block party for the season was Block 2. Thanks to all who attended and brought breakfast casseroles, Mississippi biscuits and gravy, sausage & bacon, yummy fruit, hot wassail, pumpkin bread, muffins, donuts, drinks, homemade pioneer fruitcake, and homemade cinnamon rolls. Yum!!


Spotlight on Kyle Merkley & Rachel Hamilton! We are thrilled to introduce Kyle Merkley and Rachel Hamilton, who recently joined our community in the Highlands. Rachel hails from southern Mississippi, where she cultivated a deep sense of care and compassion that led her to study nursing in college. After working as a nurse for three years, she embraced the adventurous life of a traveling nurse for four more years, exploring new places while sharing her talents. Kyle grew up in Indiana and attended Vanderbilt University, where he studied medical health, society, and history. After graduating, he worked in Dallas for a year at a health insurance company before spending seven years in Kansas City with a hospital software company, now part of Oracle. It was in Kansas City that fate brought Rachel and Kyle together when Rachel took a nursing assignment there. Their love story blossomed, and during the COVID pandemic, Kyle’s job became remote. With fond memories of his travels to Utah, Kyle and Rachel decided to make the move, drawn by the stunning landscapes and ski slopes. Kyle admires Rachel for her kindness, adaptability, and adventurous spirit, describing her as a great caregiver and a joy to be around. Rachel equally admires Kyle’s openness, love of learning, and culinary talents, noting his ability to embrace challenges and his warm acceptance of others. Both Kyle and Rachel hold inspiring values. Rachel believes it’s important to believe in yourself, have courage, and go out of your comfort zone. She says it’s important to know your values and shoot for the stars. Kyle values humility, overcoming pride, and finding fulfillment in service to others. Since moving to the Highlands, they’ve been touched by the kindness of their neighbors. Kyle said, “When we pulled in with our U-Haul to move in, within 20 minutes six people were helping us unload.”  Rachael said, “We have felt so welcome here. We had a great time at our block party. This reminds me of my roots in my small town in southern Mississippi.” They both appreciate the beauty of our surroundings and the camaraderie among neighbors. Kyle and Rachel, we are so glad to have you here (and your puppy Roux)! Your warmth and enthusiasm already make our neighborhood even brighter. Welcome to your new home!

Morgan High Football Takes State!  Congrats to Jett Larsen and Cole West from the Highlands. What an exciting state championship football game! Well done!!


Scott Runs Race in Every County! Congrats to Scott Standing who recently accomplished his goal to run a race in every county in Utah. He recently completed his 29th and final county race in Moab. Previously, Scott accomplished another “every-county” goal: hiking the highest peak in every county. As our local claim to fame, Scott was interviewed for this news story: https://youtu.be/XWwfTJU7ASI


Highlands Neighborhood Christmas Breakfast. Don’t miss the final get-together of the year. Enjoy our Christmas breakfast celebration on Saturday, December 7th at 9:00am. You’re welcome to bring a can of food for the Morgan Food Bank.


Spotlight on Cooper the Neighborhood Watch Dog. Cooper lives with the Tevault family at 6659 Weber Drive. He’s a four-year-old Border Collie and Poodle mix. They were looking for a poodle mix and found him as a puppy from a farm in Idaho. He’s everything they wanted: loving and smart and a wonderful companion. He loves to go hiking with Elizabeth on the trails behind their house, and he loves snuggling with the family on the sofa or any place they are. And he loves the snow!  Now he is enrolled in obedience classes at K9 Fluent Dog Training. He loves going to class and heads for the door if he thinks it’s time to go. This is a wonderful training program that also trains the owners, and Elizabeth is looking forward to trying out agility classes with him. When the family is gone, he usually waits for them in the front yard and watches over the neighborhood. Elizabeth jokes that if he could talk, he’d be the neighborhood gossip! 


Blast from the Past: Guess Who? Answer: Deven and Betseylee Browning.


The Highlands Hello. November 19, 2024 issue of the Neighborhood Newsletter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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