Pleasant Grove, Utah

November 3, 2009


As I grow older, I'm finding myself more interested in the history of places that I visit and where I live. Not so much from the academic side of things. But moreso, to understand the energy of the stories. To know what it might have been like for people living in these areas. To know more of what carries forward in an area that has often become invisible.


I currently live in Pleasant Grove, Utah. It is one of several smaller municipalities that run together in northern Utah County. Between the Wasatch mountains and Utah Lake. A more full description of Pleasant Grove is here. Here's also a bit in brief from a North Utah County Chambers of Commerce publication and perspective, highlighting points of attraction.


- incorporated in 1855, settled by Mormon pioneers
- old area of town named Little Denmark where Scandanavian descendents lived
- abundant annual strawberry crop that began celebrating Strawberry Days, the longest running celebration in the state of Utah


The Ute Indians were the first to live in this area, to the east of Utah Lake and the Jordan River. Staple food was fish, which they would dry for trading. Here's a brief overview of key points of history, cultures bumping into cultures:


- Escalante-Dominguez explorers were looking for an overland route from Santa Fe, NM to Monterey, CA when they discovered the Utes here
- Spanish claimed Utah from 1776 - 1820 but did not establish permanent settlements
- fresh-water sources in the north part of the state attracted trappers and mountain men in the beaver trade
- in March 1849 there was a dispute over missing cattle between arriving Mormon pioneers and Ute tribe. A battle occurred in which several Utes were killed. The location was called Battle Creek, and later renamed by city officials to Pleasant Grove. 


A few other often noted points:
- Utah War / Establishment of Camp Floyd -- In 1858, 3,500 troops ordered by President James Buchanan to suppress a rumored rebellion. No battle was ever fought. However, the camp was established which later helped to provide protection for pioneers passing through to the west coast.
- Pony Express -- Speeded communications and delivery of mail by land. Ten days rather than eight weeks. One of 150 stops was near Lehi, about 10 miles north of Pleasant Grove.
- Transcontinental Railroad -- In 1869, Union and Central Pacific railroad companies joined to create advanced transportation. The Golden Spike featured on the Utah quarter illustrates this accomplishment. It occurred at Promontory Summit. 
- Steeling Up for War -- Geneva Steel, a long time steel manufacturing facility was constructed between 1941 and 1944 with federal funds. It was intended to provide security of manufacturing to meet the needs for WWII. The plant was closed in 2001.

Health Care Reform in Utah

July 6, 2009

A bit from colleague, John Kesler, with whom I have worked a bit to support the evolution of health care in Utah...

The overview is here. The large change priorities follow...
Vision 2010 Sub-Committees

“Large Change” Priorities

Quality and Safety
• Support the IHI 5 million lives campaign. The Campaign’s goal is to protect patients from 5 million incidents of medical harm from December 2006-December 2008. The effort aims to enlist 4,000 hospitals in a renewed national commitment to improve patient safety faster than ever before.

Seamless Technology
• Support the creation of a universally accepted and accessible clinical records exchange tool
• Reduce “fragmentation” in the system and simplify exchange of clinical data.

Access and Affordability
• Link the various conversations related to access and affordability in the State of Utah—the Governor’s Plan, UMA’s committee, Healthcare Coverage Coalition, Salt Lake Chamber, Michael Leavitt plan, other conversations, etc.
• Support a Shared Values Model for a New System:
--A strong public health system
--A reformed insurance market that delivers essential core coverage
--A reformed healthcare delivery market that creates incentives for increasing value
--Systems that fully support the delivery of high quality care
--Transition bridge for existing community and volunteer clinics

Engaged Workforce
• Continue to support and pursue initiatives to support academia. Work in partnership with the Utah State Office of Education and Dept. of Workforce services to promote health sciences careers and “fill the pipeline” for future healthcare needs. Work in partnership with UONL and academia to initiate the USPIN proposal to streamline clinical placements for nursing students.
• Increase interaction with other sub-committees in the areas of safety, wellness and diversity. Focus on efforts to improve employee wellness in our hospitals, both physicially and emotionally, working toward the goal of “Treating the employee better than they treat the patient.”
• Further define levels of professional competence in the healthcare workforce.

Goblin Valley

March 14, 2009

I just spent the last day and night in Southern Utah with my son, 25 other scouts, and a few parents / scout leaders at a place called Goblin Valley. It is a place of very unique rock formations. The water and the wind has eroded 170 million year-old Entrada sandstone and siltstone into gnome and globlins. From an old, old, old inland sea to the park today. It is worth a bunch of exploring.

The area was first discovered by cowboys of the old west. In the late 1920s a ferry owner / operator named Arthur Chaffin came into the valley. He came back in 1949 to further explore and photograph the area and named it Mushroom Valley because of the shape of the figures and stones. It was made a state park in 1964.

A few hikes are available in the area. Lots of great sites. Some camping in a campground as outside the park. Really beautiful. And guaranteed to send you home with red dust in your shoes.

More on Goblin Valley

Photos of the area, along with a few boy scouts.