Fake Grass for Eagle Mtn.

It looks like grass, feels like grass, and comes with a 30-year warranty. Trying an experiment, Eagle Mountain has installed fake grass inside a median at the City Center turnoff onto Eagle Mountain Boulevard from Highway 73.
Fake grass, as it turns out, has benefits in spades. It requires no water, it looks good all the time, and the city doesn't have to pay anyone to haul mowers to it all summer, fertilizer it, pump scarce water to it or even maintain it.

At least that's the hope. This small patch, which replaced existing grass that had gone to weeds, will be watched over the winter to see how it weathers, and if its a success, more could follow, said city manager John Hendrickson.- Daily Herald

Eagle Mtn. Yard and Bake Sale to Benefit Teen with Cancer

The sale is this Saturday, Nov. 15, from 8 a.m. to noon at The Ranches Academy, 7789 Tawny Owl Circle. Additionally, an account in Luc's name has been set up at Zions Bank for folks who want to make cash donations. All of the proceeds and donations are going to pay for the family's medical and travel expenses, according to a flyer circulating in Eagle Mountain.-Des News

Fatal Plane Crash Near Cedar Fort

A private bi-plane crashed this morning around 11 a.m. in the Oquirrh Mountains near Cedar Fort in Utah County killing the pilot.

Cedar Fort is west of Eagle Mountain in the northern part of the county.

The Utah County Sheriff's Office says hunters in the area, on private property, saw the plane performing flips and other acrobatics.

Then they heard the engine make a funny noise and saw the plane spiral out of control and crash in the foothills of Long Ridge in the West Canyon.

That is in an area about five or six miles north of Cedar Fort.

The plane erupted into flames and because the wreckage is charred crews have not been able to remove or identify the pilot or his plane.-ksl.com

Eagle Mountain Goes Green

On Thursday the city, looking to get information on energy efficient home building, met with an expert in that field from a private company, Steve Mumford and city spokeswoman Linda Peterson told the Herald on Thursday. In addition, one of the city's inspectors is being trained on solar panels, and Mumford is working with the city's building and energy departments to propose future sustainable living ordinances for Council debate.

Those future proposals could target water conservation, zeriscaping, incentives for solar panels and windmills, community gardens, reducing the lot size requirements for windmills, and giving density bonuses for green-certified building.-Daily Herald

Eagle Mountain's "Bridge to Nowhere"?

The Daily Herald is reporting that funding for a study about building a road bridge over Utah Lake has been cut.

Because of the slowing economy, legislators slashed the original budget of $3 million to just $750,000.

Rep. Ken Sumsion R-American Fork insists that the study for the project isn't dead yet.

More Traffic in Eagle Mountain?

Developers will have to wait for a traffic study before adding nearly 40 acres to the northeast corner of Eagle Mountain complete with a master plan for 389 homes.

Developers of the Scenic Mountain Master Development Plan are proposing a mixture of residential uses with a gross density of nearly 10 homes per acre. The City Council held a hearing on Aug. 18, but took no action because the land, which is near the Ranches Golf Course driving range, is in Saratoga Springs.

Capital Security Mortgage and Tracy K. Gibbs own the property but want to be in Eagle Mountain. The City Council approved changing the boundary, but want a traffic study to see if a signal is needed at state Route 73 and Mt. Airey Drive, the street that enters the area, city spokeswoman Linda Peterson said.

The study may be completed next time the council meets on Nov. 18, she said.- Deseret News

— Rodger L. Hardy

Charges Filed Against Eagle Mtn. Couple

Police call it one of the worst cases of abuse and neglect they have seen. Now, the Eagle Mountain couple accused of abusing two children in their care, and leaving them malnourished, face criminal charges.

As the two suspects made their first court appearance, prosecutors filed several charges against them resulting from last week's discovery of the abuse. And there is a new allegation that the boy was sexually abused.-ksl.com

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Meet Them Before You Vote for Them

Eagle Mountain Direct Online is reporting that the candidates from the Utah House District 56, Utah Senate District 13, and U.S. House District 3 will be attending a "Meet the Local Candidates Night".

October 28, 2008 at 6:30 PM

Hidden Hollow Elementary School
2546 E. Pony Express Parkway

Eagle Mtn. Skate Park Set to Open

Eagle Mountain Direct Online is reporting that the Eagle Mountain City skate park is near completion and set to open Nov. 5th (Just in time for Winter).

There ijavascript:void(0)s a ribbon cutting ceremony slated for 4:30p that day.

Harry Potter Comes to Eagle Mountain for Halloween

"If you happen to see a professor from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry -- or even a dementor -- floating around Eagle Mountain in the next few weeks, don't be alarmed.

Residents of the Saddleback and Liberty Farms subdivisions are putting on a very special Halloween celebration, creating the world of Harry Potter for trick-or-treaters.

Muggles and wizards alike can tour such places as the Forbidden Forest, Azkaban Prison or Madame Puddifoot's Tea Shop. In all, organizers expect to have about 20 homes decorated. So far, you can visit the Daily Prophet and meet Rita Skeeter, find at gag at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, pick up a drink at the Three Broom Sticks, or do your detentions in Snape's potions classroom or Professor Umbridge's office."-Daily Herald

Eagle Mountain Couple Now Being Accussed of Sexual Abuse

"A couple charged with starving and abusing two children now is being accused of sexual abuse.

Mary Heath and her boyfriend, Sekoa Aiona, were arrested last week. Police say they locked Heath's 9-year-old niece and 6-year-old nephew in the bathrooms of their Eagle Mountain home, beat them and didn't feed them.

Now a doctor says the boy has injuries consistent with sexual abuse."-KSL.com

What One LDS Author Thinks of Eagle Mountain

Brittany Mangus, author of the book "Prepare Now for the Temple: An Essential Guide for Young Adult Sisters" had this to say about Eagle Mountain in her recent blog post.

"What is going on out there? You're only 12 years old but I need to inform you that you're getting a strange reputation. No, I'm not talking about clogging the streets of Lehi with your commuters. Lately, it seems whenever something weird happens, the TV tells us that the person involved in the questionableness was one of your residents (or mayors!).

For example in only 12 years of being in existance, you've had something like 8 or 9 mayors. Remember your crazy mayor who said he was kidnapped and forced to drive to California, but it was all a lie? (He was feeling underappreciated.) What about your other crazy mayor and the allegations of fund stealing? (He was however, acquitted.) Even if he hadn't been accused of stealing city fundage, let's not forget his so-called master's degree. Well, I guess I can over look that one. So what if he printed off his diploma from his computer at home? Does someone really need a Master's to reign over you?
Then there was the domestic violence committing paraglider, (not the mayor, whew!) and lately it seems there are more than one news story about child abuse.
I think you need to re-evaluate your priorities and get back to tricking people into thinking they're living in the "country", even though all the houses are 3 feet apart."-authorbee.blogspot.com

Two Eagle Mtn Residents Arrested for Child Abuse

The Utah Valley Special Victims Unit and the Utah County Sheriff's Office arrested Mary Heath, 33, and Sekoa Aiona, 37, of Eagle Mountain.

The sheriff's office says the two children were severely malnourished and neglected.

The boy and girl were being kept locked in a bathroom and were punished regularly with a leather belt.

Heath is the children's aunt. They were living with her after their mother lost custody.-KSL.com

Trespassing, Property Damage Upsetting To Property Owners

The Daily Herald reported Tuesday that landowners are desperate for help in keeping intruders away from posted no-trespassing areas.

Eagle Mountain landowners along Lake Mountain Road have had it with motorbikes, all terrain vehicles and automobiles driving on their property to get to BLM land.

Those folks' property has been stolen, their horses frightened and their grass trampled.
"We just want them to respect the fact that private property has a right to be protected," resident Judy Hooley told the Herald.

She has asked her City Council for help, but posting of signs seems ineffective.

"We have put up signs two or three times a year and they disappear. I have even gotten signs from the Sheriff's Department and they don't care about those either," Hooley said.

Utah County Sheriff's Sgt. Eric McDowell acknowledges deputies have been called numerous times about trespassers. He suggests fences.

But Marcie Taylor, who lives on Lake Mountain Road, says she put up an orange snow fence -- only to have repeatedly cut by off-rode recreationists.

Fmr. Eagle Mountain Mayor Tells "The Rest of the Story"

Olsen said he did not want to resign on Oct. 20, 2006, nor had he planned to.

The city offices were closed on that day, and Olsen had just returned home from picking up his children from school. State Sen. Mark Madsen, R-Eagle Mountain; Councilman David Lifferth; Olsen's chief of staff/public works director Mike Wren; and Chris Kemp, a developer, were waiting for him at his house.

"As soon as I stepped out of the vehicle there were three of them standing right behind me," Olsen said. "They wanted to come in the house. I said my wife was on bed rest, and they said, 'You have to come with us now' and they were serious and firm and you could tell they would not take no for an answer." Olsen's wife was in the last days of a fragile pregnancy.

The men then drove Olsen to Eagle Mountain Properties, to the office of John Walden, the developer who founded Eagle Mountain. "That is when they demanded that I resign," Olsen said.

Lifferth handed Olsen a pre-made resignation letter, written as though Olsen had written it, and told Olsen to sign it for the good of the city, Olsen said.

"They put the resignation letter in front of me and said, 'We know you are going to be criminally charged,' " Olsen said. "They said they were no longer going to support me." Olsen noted he had always counted the men as "friends and political supporters."

Wren then accused Olsen of stealing "thousands upon thousands of dollars," Olsen said. Wren could not be reached for comment.

"I said, 'Guys, there has to be a misunderstanding, I did not steal,' " Olsen said.

He said Lifferth then told him about a former mayor having to wear a bullet-proof vest after leaving office and that CNN would be parked in Olsen's driveway, "and said if I did not leave immediately my wife and kids would not be safe."

In an interview with the Herald, Lifferth confirmed the conversation, saying he had been genuinely concerned about the security of Olsen and his family.

Lifferth said he and the others confronted Olsen with a resignation letter because "we were all concerned about what was going to happen to the city when a sitting mayor was exposed for reimbursement fraud."

Olsen said he made a decision on the spot to sign the resignation letter, and then went home and told his wife what he had done.

"You can imagine the disbelief," he said of telling his wife. "We felt betrayed because of who had made the demand."

Olsen took his family and fled the city that night, afraid of Lifferth's warning.

In retrospect, Olsen said he regrets that decision because his sudden resignation and disappearance left a public impression of guilt.

"I understand how people saw it," he said.

With his wife very near her due date, Olsen rented a home in Sanpete County to be near the doctor who had delivered the couple's first four children. Olsen said he naively thought the political storm could be quickly resolved.

"I never believed this would take two years," he said. -Daily Herald, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008

They Tried to Make Eagle Mountain Go to Rehab

They tried to make Eagle Mountain go to rehab, but they said, NO NO NO!

Well not really, but when the idea of having the "Arc of Little Cottonwood" group provide a drug rehab home for those trying to kick their substance abuse problems, residents of Eagle Mountain said, thanks, but no thanks.

Currently there is one of these facilities next to an elementary school in Sandy.

My opinion is everyone agrees that we need places for people like this, but when these types of places want to come to your neighborhood it's always a "not in my neighborhood" kind of mentality.

It is similar to a person who builds his house with his backyard facing a golf course, then complains because golf balls hit his house. You knew the golf course was there when you built and even if it was wasn't, you knew that empty field behind your house had to be something someday.

It's fine to voice concern with facilities like this wanting to be in your neighborhood, but hear them out. Let them explain their setup. For goodness sakes, show a little compassion for people that have problems looking to get help. Especially here in Utah County where studies have shown prescription drug abuse reigns. Who knows, a drug rehab home may not be such a bad thing after all.

Eagle Mountain Resident Challenges Utah County SWAT Search

"Eagle Mountain resident Matthew Paul Graham, 35, a former Utah National Guardsman, stands charged with aggravated kidnapping, a first-degree felony, stemming from a standoff Jan. 31 with Utah County SWAT. Earlier that morning, Graham got into a fight with then-wife Mindy. Police arrived on scene, and Graham barricaded himself inside the home with a small arsenal of weapons after Mindy fled with the couple's four children, ages 11 to 2." -Deseret News

Graham's defense is now claiming that Utah County SWAT illegally removed guns from his home without a search warrant.

Does Graham have a case?

Another Eagle Mountain Park To Be Ready 09'

Little soccer stars and soccer moms long ago out grew Eagle Mountain's Nolan Park.

Now those future stars and mini-van driven moms will have more room to roam during games beginning in Fall 2009.

According to the Salt Lake Tribune, Eagle Mountain City Council has approved phase one of Mid-Valley Regional Park.

According to Eagle Mountain Mayor Heather Jackson, phase one will be 4 acres of mainly grass for soccer fields and a parking lot.

The park could take up to ten phases with uncertainty as to how much all the phases will cost.

Child Abuse Case Hits Eagle Mountain

An Eagle Mountain man has been arrested by police for allegedly hitting and throwing his 13-year-old son to the floor.

The alleged incident took place around July 24th.

Craig Perkins, 34, was arrested Tuesday afternoon and booked into the Utah County Jail for investigation of child abuse. Rutsch said Perkins was cooperative when officers came to talk with him Tuesday, but invoked his right to speak with an attorney. -Des News