The Crossroads Journal

May 21, 2010—Eagle Mountain, Payson and Springville have each received a portion of Utah State Energy Program Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) to retrofit existing streetlights with new, energy efficient LED lamps and fixtures.

With their portion of the grant funds, Eagle Mountain will be able to replace 114 streetlights, Payson will be able to replace 285, and Springville 515.

The funds are part of a $1,165,772.30 grant to Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS) Smart Energy initiative.  CITY is one of 14 UAMPS members that participated the grant request. The other members include: the cities of Eagle Mountain, Ephraim, Fillmore, Holden Town, Monroe, Morgan, Oak City, Parowan, Payson, and Springville, as well as Heber Light & Power. 

The State Energy Program is part of the Utah Geological Survey, and provides assistance to Utah citizens, businesses, and organizations with energy efficiency, energy conservation, and renewable energy projects. The program’s EECBG grants are awarded through a competitive application process. UAMPS was the first organization selected to receive this award.

Each lamp and fixture that is replaced will both reduce the amount of energy each municipality uses, and cut personnel costs. For example, the life expectancy for the old lamps is about 24,000 hours. The new LED lamps have a life expectancy of about 92,000.  As a result, city employees will spend less time replacing lamps, plus they will see an energy savings of about 58 percent per new lamp and fixture.

The cities will also develop a disposal plan for the old lamps, and a recycling plan for the old fixtures. All new LED lamps and fixtures purchased with these grant monies will be manufactured in the United States, ensuring the replacement program will help support both local and national economic growth.  

ABOUT UAMPS AND SMART ENERGY

UAMPS, a joint action agency that provides comprehensive wholesale electric energy, on a nonprofit basis, to community-owned power systems throughout the Intermountain West. The UAMPS membership represents 51 members throughout Utah, Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon and Wyoming.

UAMPS Smart Energy is part of a comprehensive energy management plan that emphasizes energy conservation and wise energy development. Smart Energy is an extension of UAMPS’ strategic planning and decision-making process, designed to help both members and their customers make wise energy choices for their communities.

Eagle Mountain’s much anticipated grocery store has become a victim of the economy.

No meetings or discussions about store construction have been held since last fall, said Steve Miner, president of Market Development Inc., the real estate arm of Associated Foods, who announced the store in 2008 with city officials.

“Today, what I think we know about it is that the retailer, Phillip Cooper, has continued working on his financing,” Miner said. “When the credit market had challenges, it affected his ability to get financing. That is where it is at. I think everyone has stepped back from it to allow him to take a look.”

It is possible that plans for the store could one day be revived, if the economy changes, he said.

Called Coop’s Market, the store was to be the first of that moniker. The name Coop’s Market is a derivative of Phillip Cooper, who is president of CWC Inc., a new independent grocery store operator in Utah. Cooper did not return several calls for comment over several months from the Daily Herald.

City officials said they still want a grocery store.

“There are many retailers who want to be in Eagle Mountain and have submitted a letter of intent to the developer of this shopping center, but there needs to be an anchor tenant in place before they can come,” said Linda Peterson, spokeswoman for Eagle Mountain.

In May 2008, Eagle Mountain announced the project as the city’s first large-scale grocery store, slated to open in the spring of 2009. Today, there is still no grocery store, nor any construction work at the site. The store was to be located on the north side of State Road 73 at Ranches Parkway.

Associated Foods had said the $9 million, 50,000-square-foot store would include a bakery, deli, butcher’s counter, indoor pharmacy, drive-up pharmacy and organics. In addition, another 50,000 square feet of smaller stores was to have been built around the grocery store, for tenants likely to include financial services, sit-down and fast food restaurants, pizza, dry cleaners and similar businesses. The grocery store alone had been expected to employ 125 full-time and part-time workers. City officials had said the development would add hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to city tax coffers.

Thousands of elementary school-age children demonstrated what they’ve learned about patriotism through song and other performances at the Hope of America Student Showcase on Tuesday night. The show, in its 15th year, has been split into two nights because of the number of children participating — 72 schools were represented, with the first set on Tuesday night and the second tonight at 7:30 p.m.

About 8,000 Utah elementary school students from dozens of Utah County schools came together to show their flag fever at the 15th Hope of America Student Showcase at Brigham Young University’s Marriott Center in Provo on Tuesday. The musical show touted U.S. history, physical fitness and character education.

Joe Spier, of Lehi, came to the event suited up in his United States Army fatigues. He is a paratrooper for the military and has served four years oversees. His 10-year-old son, Zachary Spier, who is just as patriotic as his dad, had been practicing all week in anticipation of the event.

“He likes my uniform, he likes that I’m a paratrooper, he likes that I serve,” Spier said.

Brad Graham and John Morris both had children in the event. The highlight for them, apart from watching their children perform once they ferreted them out, was the bit where the Bill of Rights was referenced. They are both in agreement that while the celebration of patriotism is inspiring, political knowledge of both past and present is a more constructive way to express devotion to God and country.

“There needs to have a message behind it instead of chest-pounding patriotism,” Graham said.

“It would do better to focus on traditional education of the constitution of our country… to focus more on our founding fathers,” Morris added.

The event is part of America’s Freedom Festival at Provo, a months-long patriotic celebration that culminates in the Stadium of Fire fireworks show on July 4. In all, about 8,000 students will participate in the Hope of America events.