Lucille, a 2-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel from Midway, was the coolest dog on the block during Heber City’s “Dogs Day in the Park” at Main Street Park on Saturday morning.

She got her name from “Arrested Development,” “I Love Lucy” and a heart-shaped patch of fur on her back. Wearing pink goggles and a little helmet, sitting cozily inside a custom backpack secured to an electric skateboard, Lucille won the doggie costume contest by a landslide. 

And when it comes to skating, this pup is no poser. Lucille rides about 40 miles a day with her owner, Rich Cizmas, who places his feet on either side of her. The pair have clocked around 6,000 miles in all.

Cizmas got into electric skateboarding because traditional skateboarding became harder on his body in his 50s. He said he loves losing himself in the high speeds of up to 45 mph. 

“I have people all the time, neighbors and friends from church or whatnot, and they’re like, ‘Hey, I saw you, I tried flagging you down.’ And I apologize because I’m like, ‘Yeah, hey, sorry, I’m just so in the zone,’” he said. 

Riding around the Heber Valley, Lucille’s become a bit of a celebrity. She gets her picture taken “half a dozen times a day” and gets much more loving on top of that.

“I’ll be at Ace Hardware. We’re looking at nuts and bolts to keep this (skateboard) running, And it’ll be the 350-pound construction guy that’s on his knees playing with her and (saying), ‘Thank you. I needed that,’” Cizmas said.

She’s even met Karl Malone, the former NBA player and owner of Karl Malone Powersports.

“Everybody knows little Lucille,” Cizmas said. 

He’s thinking about creating a social media account for her because “it’s kind of chill watching a dog on a skateboard, looking at the horses and the cows and the beautiful scenery we have out here.” That, and Lucille’s career as a watchdog didn’t pan out.

Lucille wasn’t the only dog to get her laurels during the day’s festivities. Our furry friends of the Heber Valley were given the opportunity to star in a parade, run on a treadmill, frolic in a foam pit and imitate their humans in a dog/owner lookalike contest.

The winner of the latter competition was Otis. Voting through their cheers, the crowd agreed that Otis’ bullish frame, round head and stuck-out tongue in some way resembled his owner, Michael Griego. 

Griego said they get it all the time. The only real difference is their tongues.

“I keep mine in,” Griego joked.

“Dogs Day in the Park” was not only for fun. It was also a test of local dogs and their owners to see whether lifting the citywide ban on dogs in public parks might be feasible.

That’s why the event also featured informative booths on pet ownership, health and adoption from organizations like Paws for Life, Rocky Mountain Therapy Dogs and Wasatch Animal Clinic.

Otis, for one, was a model citizen.

“He’s a good example of bringing a dog anywhere. He’s great. He can sit down outside a restaurant. He’ll sit down and watch kids play,” Griego said. “I’d love to take him more places. But he’s totally happy just going where he can.”

An ad hoc committee formed by the City Council is considering allowing dogs on-leash in Eagle, Mill Road Estates, Cove and Private Kay Pete Murdock Jones parks, as well as off-leash in Private Key Pete Murdock Jones and Jordan parks. The ad hoc committee will not consider lifting the ban on Main Street Park except for special events. No change to the citywide ban has been made yet.

Holly Argueta, animal services coordinator for Heber Valley Animal Services, said she hopes any change in restrictions wouldn’t place too much strain on the organization’s two animal control officers, who cover the entire county themselves.

“My biggest concern is people not obeying the rules around that, letting their dogs off leash, letting their dogs on the playground where the children are and not picking up after them,” she said. “But I think if we can get enough people to be accountable and hold others accountable, I don’t think that there will be a big issue with that. I think it’s going to be a pretty awesome way for people to bring their animals out and bond better with them.”

The post Heber City hosts Dogs Day while considering lifting canine ban appeared first on Park Record.

“Where do you take guests to experience Heber?” 

That was a survey question intended to gather resident feedback on the redesign of Heber City’s Main Street Park.

While many of the top answers referred to the great outdoors, beloved restaurants and the Heber Valley Railroad, the second-most popular answer was not even in town. Fifty-six of 400 respondents said they spend their time in Midway when friends and family come to visit.

That’s part of why Heber City plans to redesign Main Street Park as a Trailhead Plaza by the 2034 Olympics: to increase foot traffic and spending downtown, host year-round activities and shape a community identity.

Engineering firm Terracon led an effort earlier this year to gather feedback on what residents want to see in a park redesign, which included three open houses and the aforementioned survey. Representatives from Terracon and MHTN Architects presented their findings to the City Council on Tuesday.

Terracon identified a set of priority elements for the Trailhead Plaza, and representatives asked the City Council for direction on a preliminary design for the project. Principal Dave Harris said the goal is to align the consulting firm’s vision with the city.

“We’re going to do the right thing for the city and for the community and for the majority. … I think we can take this information and figure out what’s just right for Heber,” he said.

To gauge residents’ interests, Terracon drew up three designs based on the initial 134-page plaza design created by architect Roger Brooks last March. Brooks’ vision included elements such as a 12,000-square-foot ice ribbon, a splash pad and space for community vendors. His goal was “to have at least 20 vendors on the square at all times.”

Brooks’ plan had a price tag of $23 million. Terracon’s designs explored low-, medium- and high-cost versions of Brooks’ plan but did not include precise cost estimates. Each design tweaked elements like the amount of retail and the size of the lawn and ice ribbon.

Respondents consistently ranked the lawn and preservation of historic trees as their favorite elements in each concept they were presented with, though Brooks’ plan did not emphasize those elements.

“(Trees are one) of the few public assets that increase in value over time. Whereas others fall apart, trees get stronger, healthier and more robust, providing irreplaceable shade and beauty,” said Ryan Wallace, a planner and architect with MHTN Architects.

Retail was less popular. Terracon’s designs included a mixture of retail buildings and glass kiosks rented as incubator spaces to local businesses. A common response was to “consider less or no retail and buildings on the site,” according to Terracon’s presentation. Some requested that the park host vendors in the summer instead of year-round.

The ice ribbon received mixed reactions, particularly about its potential costs and maintenance. Some public commenters at Tuesday’s meeting added that it was inessential given Heber City’s proximity to the Midway Ice Rink. So, Terracon plans to minimize the ice ribbon’s size.

Terracon’s other listed priorities for the park include shaded areas, upgraded restrooms and a new all-abilities playground.

Thirty-one percent of respondents to Terracon’s survey indicated they did not like any of the concept designs for the park. Several commenters also spoke against the Trailhead Plaza redesign.

However, resident Alexandra Fullmer pointed out that doesn’t mean respondents were opposed to any changes at the park. Fullmer said many of the people she had talked to desired smaller, less expensive improvements — like the bathrooms and playground — instead of a complete overhaul.

Community member Tracy Taylor argued the city could use its money “much more frugally” by improving existing parks. She also voiced her discomfort with adding retail to Main Street Park.

“I’ve heard from Main Street merchants themselves that don’t want the competition. They can barely make their lease payments or their mortgage payments,” she said.

Although the official public feedback period is completed, City Councilor Yvonne Barney welcomed the engagement. 

“If you’re seeing this, and you’re going, ‘Wow, we don’t want that,’ let us know,” she encouraged.

City councilors did not provide specific design direction for Terracon, instead asking to continue the discussion to May 19 to provide time to digest the survey results. 

However, they agreed Terracon had given them a great place to start. 

“I appreciate that we’re whittling down Roger Brooks’ presentation,” Barney said. “I think that’s been the biggest source of frustration for most of the citizens, is that it was just so much, and there was such a huge alteration of the community park that we have currently. … I’m really glad that we’re starting to see (it) a little bit more (realistically).”

After incorporating City Council feedback, Terracon will present a final preferred master plan and construction budget for the Trailhead Plaza sometime in June.

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On the horizon, a small silhouette flew across the backdrop of the Wasatch Mountains. Without even pulling out his binoculars, birder Dan Roberts identified it as a red-tailed hawk. As he walked along a southern stretch of the Provo River, he explained that he could identify the bird by its markings.

“I can also tell by the way he’s flapping his dad gum wings,” Roberts added. “If you have a dog, your dog moves in a certain way. If you saw him 1,000 yards away (you’d say) ‘That’s my dog,’ because of the way he’s moving. … You can see certain things that your nervous system and your brain has tuned into.”

Roberts’ nervous system and brain are certainly tuned into the avian world.

As a wildlife biologist for the state of Utah between 1997 and 2012, Roberts monitored non-game birds. Now, he spends his retirement birding for pleasure. He was one of about 25 who participated in the Audubon Christmas Bird Count at Wasatch Mountain State Park on Saturday. 

The Christmas Bird Count occurs annually from Dec. 14 to Monday across the western hemisphere. The citizen science project started by ornithologist Frank M. Chapman has been running since 1900. 

Each count takes place in a defined circle 15 miles in diameter. Last year’s bird counts garnered over 83,000 participants around the globe.

The Heber Valley bird count was one of more than 25 held in Utah this year, taking place everywhere from Antelope Island to Park City. Wasatch Mountain State Park has been participating in the bird count since about 2000.

The goal of the census is to provide long-term data for conservationists. For example, the Environmental Protection Agency used data from the Christmas Bird Count in its 2012 report on climate change indicators in the United States.

The comprehensiveness of the bird counts doesn’t quite compare to the studies Roberts performed in his career. He and his co-workers would walk exactly on defined lines using GPS. And each participant was tested rigorously to recognize bird songs before being allowed to count birds.

While the birders who participate in the Christmas Bird Count are generally on the more experienced side, there’s no barrier to entry.

Roberts said the data for the Christmas Bird Count is far less precise but still valuable. 

“If laws need to be enacted, what’s going to make that happen? You have to have data,” Roberts said. “We could find all kinds of faults with the data, but if you have lots of data, even if it’s not the best-quality data, it still has a lot of power in it over a long period of time. And not just a long period of time, but a lot of places.”

The bird count data also includes factors like hours counting, distance covered and weather and water variables, such as cloud cover and snow depth. 

In the case someone sees a bird atypical for the area and time of year, the birder is expected to take a photo and fill out a rare bird form. 

For example, Roberts could have sworn he’d heard the twittering of a sage thrasher, though the bird should be in Mexico at this time of year. But because he couldn’t get a visual on the bird, he couldn’t verify it. 

“It’s better to omit the truth than to make up a lie,” Roberts said.

There was, however, a group that identified a long-tailed duck with its signature cowlick on its tail feathers. Just what the arctic bird was doing in Utah could have come down to any number of factors.

“The bird can’t tell you why,” Roberts said. “He’s got a different gene. A photon hit his brain at the wrong way. You know, with quantum mechanics, all this stuff, who knows? In fact, we can’t even prove we have free will.”

As Roberts continued talking about predetermination, Cary Hobbs chuckled at his friend’s lecture. He’d followed Roberts down the Provo River, dutifully penciling down data as the pair identified migrating flocks of Canada geese, round chickadees singing their “chicka-dee-dee-dee,” and a bald eagle sitting on a telephone pole.

The Watson to Roberts’ Holmes, Hobbs provided levity to the experience, pointing out a couple of ravens dancing in the sky on a “date” and asking, “What do you think that one is?” as a helicopter passed by.

Hobbs’ birding claim to fame was identifying a great gray owl in 2017. It was the first the state had seen since 1989. 

“I put a picture of him on Facebook. This was on a Sunday afternoon, and on Monday morning … the place was full of cars out there, people that had taken off work to go find and see a great gray owl,” he recalled.

The Midway resident has been participating in the Wasatch Mountain State Park bird count for 20 years. He said this was his first year participating that he’d seen green grass and not a flake of snow on the ground. That led to a lot of other firsts: only two flocks of geese, zero ducks and not a single robin.

“Normally, I’d come up with maybe 300, 450 birds. Today was 162,” he said. “Normally this time of year, it’s cold. For example, the eagles don’t really come down until it gets really cold enough to drive them down. Usually, I have a lot more eagles than we saw today.”

Roberts said the lack of birds has been something he’s observed this winter, too.

“Everybody says, ‘I haven’t been seeing the juncos around my house,’” he said. “The snow brings all the juncos to around your bushes and around your house. … They can still eat all these wild seeds. And when it gets covered up with snow, they come to your bird feeder.”

Kathy Donnell, a park ranger who has run the bird count since 2012, confirmed that the bird count was low across the groups that spread out over Wasatch Mountain State Park’s 23,000 acres. Last year’s bird count at Wasatch Mountain State Park counted 54 species and 4,416 birds. This year’s numbers will be finalized and sent to Audubon and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology by the end of February.

The post 126-year-old bird count attracts quirky characters appeared first on Park Record.

The Park City High School boys and girls cross country team traveled to Sugar House Park in Salt Lake City Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016, to participate in the 3A State Cross Country Championships. The girls team placed 4th and the boys team placed 10th overall in the classification. (Tanzi Propst/Park Record)

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Chamber Music in the Park Concerts presented the final series of the Beethoven Festival Concert in the Park at City Park Monday evening, August 15, 2016. Admission was free to guests who were invited to bring lawn chairs, blankets and picnics. The concert, recurring weekly on Monday evenings at 6 p.m. ran from August 1 – August 15. (Photos by Tanzi Propst/Park Record)

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