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Show Ul3lt l-'fttSS MSSUUdllUlI AN The E D I T I O N O F P R I D E L O C A L L Y Tear Sneets 13.21 E 3900 S Ste 100 Sail Lake City UT 84124-1550 & PI; i ii I mi it in llu!<l.[..i,..ll,l.lul.f.ll I.!.1.1...!!.! Fork JNews O W N E D A N D O P E R A T E D WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2008 VOL. 3 / NO. 33 SPANISH FORK, UTAH ULUG to exhibit at County Fair Marilyn Nielson STAFF WRITER * * • -iSf. S This year, the displays at the Utah County Fair will include something quite different from the usual beets, hogs, and homemade pies: an enormous Lego city. The 18-foot by 25foot layout is the creation of Utah's own "LUG," or Lego User Group, and will be open for viewing during the entire run of the fair. ULUG was started in spring of 2006 by Gary Mclntire and Brian Pilati, and is one of about 30 LUGs across the nation. The group is comprised of 25-30 active members, with others who participate occasionally. The members refer to themselves as AFOLs. or Adult Fans of Legos, and they come from areas ranging from Payson to Ogden. There is even one member who lives in Wendover, Nev. Brian Pilati, president and cofounder of ULUG, is a resident of Spanish Fork. He said ULUG welcomes new members, and usually picks up about one new member per show. "There's kind of a pattern to people's involvement with Legos," Pilati said. "Of course a lot of people love playing with Legos when they're kids, but then as they get older and start getting interested in the opposite sex, there's this period where they realize Legos are no longer cool. We call those years 'the dark ages.' You grow up and gel a job and go on with your life, and maybe you quietly start amassing Legos in your basement, but you never want to admit it to anyone. Then eventually maybe some event occurs to bring you out of the dark ages — something like seeing the displays at one of our shows. People will come up and say to us, This is so cool — I never realized you could do so much with Legos!' And they realize there are like-minded people out there, and that there's a lot more you can do with Legos than you ever thought as a kid." All of ULUG members have other jobs, and they aren't affiliated with the Lego corporation in any way, but creating Lego universes is their hobby, and they are very absorbed in what they do. Pilati thinks it's the creative expression that AFOLs enjoy most. "We love finding new things to build, and new ways to create," he said. "And then sharing the things we make with other people — we really love that too." For the Utah County Fair, See ULUG * A12 Salem Days visits ii ance Marilyn Nielson STAFF WRITER Spanish Fork's Karen Anderson returned recently from a trip to Iceland, the country of her ancestors. Anderson and all but one of her children and their spouses were able to make this once-in-alifetime trip together. Anderson has a mostly Icelandic heritage, and many of her ancestors settled in Spanish Fork during its early days. In fact, together she and her husband Ed, who passed away last year, have Namon Bills / Spanish Fork News MAN OF THE HOUR: At the Salem Days' Li'l Buckaroo Rodeo Mayor Lane Henderson congratulated PRCA cowboy Jessy Davis on his accomplishments in pro rodeo. Davis1 first rodeo experiences were at Salem's Wahoo Arena, where he was honored Thursday, Aug. 6. Davis qualified last year for the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas — the Superbowl of pro rodeo — and he currently sits second in the world in bareback standings. For in-depth coverage of Salem Days events, including photos and results from the Li'l Buckaroo Rodeo, see pages A l l , B1-B7 and BIO. 11 direct ancestors named on the Icelandic monument in Spanish Fork. After her husband's death, Anderson, who has terminal lung cancer, decided she would like to make her longtime dream of visiting Iceland a reality. "I feel like this was such a miracle trip," said Anderson. "I was worried that I wouldn't feel too well, but 1 felt great and I was able to do everything we had planned." The group spent six days in Iceland, and packed as many activities as possible into that time. One of Anderson's favorite parts of the trip was their meeting with the President of Iceland. Olafur Ragnar Gnmsson. He has visited Spanish Fork before, and been the recipient of several gifts from the Icelandic Association. "We got to spend about an hour with the president, and the neatest part was seeing several of those gifts the association has given him, displayed just beautifully in his home," said Anderson. "He is such a courteous, nice See ANDERSON•A12 Courtesy photo / Karen Anderson PRESIDENTIAL WELCOME: The Anderson family was welcomed to Iceland by Iceland's President blafur Ragnar Gnmsson. Pictured, left to right, are Allison Anderson, McKay Anderson, Wren Anderson, Nord Anderson, President Grimmson, Boas Anderson, Karen Anderson Mike Robertson, Kristy Robertson, Jason Anderson and Whitney Anderson. |