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Show LeW Free Press New Utah! - Wednesday, April 14, 1999 - Page 3 Trek BUYING, SELLING, REFINANCING! Continued from front page those on horseback, and the walkers and handcarts coming last. Those palling the handcarts lined up to cheer the wagons on t as they took off. It was a scene that would be reenacted each of the trek. Later that & day found j. evening, the walkers those from the wagons waiting to cheer them in return as.they arrived at their destination Janis and Taylor Williams were among those taking up h. t to be freshly plowed, and over a golf cart bridge to the Point. Watkins said coming through the fields one of the Clydesdales blacked out. Some of the wagons just about turned over and he says he gained a lot more respect for his heritage and the sacrifices that went on before. For the Andersons, the experience of going through the fields was also one of the most memorable times on the trek. the rear with the handcarts. Donna said while they were f Jani3, who is Alpine City waiting on the west side for Recorder, claims she pushed their turn to cross the rather than pulled. It was more Thanksgiving Point bridge she looked back and saw all the I comfortable that way. "The first day was fairly wagons lined up r, just like the easy" she says, noting the hard-- f old pictures, with horses and t j est part was in getting the legs people milling around the wagto move and learning about the ons. body. But they knew they had "Just being in that complete to keep going. western atmosphere with no ,. They wound through resi-- r sign whatsoever of houses she dential areas, away from heavy said, "we were pioneers, right ', arteries of traffic. The trek out there in the west." She three passed elementary described it as a very spectacuschools along the way. Donna lar experience for her. , said the children would line up While the Watkins, along the fence as they passed, Andersons and others in the , , pressing their faces against the wagons were waiting to cross links and waving to the group. the bridge, the walkers with She was struck by the broad the handcarts were still makcultural diversity represented ing their way down the hill. The by the students they passed storms from the night before and how much a melting pot had left the ground muddy with ! Utah has become since the puddles of water. Pioneers entered the valleys. Janis says the wheels on the The weather, which started handcart are five feet tall and out so pleasant, just kept getas they traveled through the ting worse and worse that mud, it flipped off the wheels Wednesday, and as the wagon into the hair, face, and mouth of train got closer to Gardner those following behind. She Village Donna says the storm says she wasn't too worried just kind of settled in with a lit-- ; about getting dirty, but sometie sleet, a little snow, lots of times the mud burned. She was so exhausted she rain, and lots of wind. It would rain all night, strikfinally let go of the handcart to ing hard at their tents. It drove travel at her own pace, which the participants to hunker she learned all too soon was a down in solitary groups, wait- -' big mistake. As she watched ing out the weather in whatev-- v her husband and their friend er protection they could find. move ahead with the handcart, Diana said Bob Lowe, father of she became aware of just how wagonmaster Gordon Lowe, much she had relied on the cart . woke up at 5 am and could hear to pull her along. Now, left hail and snow hitting against alone, she faced one of her the sides of the tent. greatest challenges of the trek ' He would relate to the as she finally pulled herself ; campers later that day that he into camp. ' , thought, "Here we go. We're Waiting for her at . the eoine to have a huee snow- - entrance were friends, includtoday." There in the tent ing, Alpine's mayor, ., Don ., Tie said a ...Watkins., Janis says she will, prayer that the would be lifted. By 6 never forget how much" it meant to her to have the ,,.m. the storm had passed. But challenges lay ahead of friends there. them. Alpine Mayor Don Better weather Thursday Watkins was driving his docnight allowed the travelers to tor's buggy, and said he had dry out a little and join togethbeen hoping for something a lit-- 1 er for Fireside entertainment tie more authentic than what and visiting. The pungent smell they experienced the first day. of campfire mingled with the ' He was about to get his wish. sounds of banjos and giggles of Janis tells of dipping down to children who still had enough the Jordan Narrows following energy to dance. There was still one more day Thursday's lunch to where the to go, but the challenges behind group had its first experience pulling through a dirt road. them left them stronger and However, she says she didn't more united as a group, ready have any idea how tough it to face the longest day to come. would be until they started Friday brought more rain, towards Camp Williams. She more sleet, and more snow as describes the pull up the hill as the wagon train made its final "slow, grinding, and really, realtrek to Provo. Winding through ly long." Lehi, American Fork, and Then, when they got to Pleasant Grove, citizens lined Camp Williams, she said they the route with cameras in hand could see Thanksgiving Point to catch a small glimpse of the just down the hill, but it was past. still five miles away ... five Watching the wagon train miles along a seldom-use- d dirt pass by in the driving sleet had road turned to mud, through a singular effect for those who the fields which she claims had came to cheer them on. Cheryl Allgaier of Lehi expressed the sentiments of many when she spoke of the impact she felt. Describing herself as "cyni- cal" of the previous wagon , train see them. Members of the trek displayed an air of purpose and hope in the face of adversity which gave their audience cause to pause and reflect, even if only for a moment, about the great heritage left by those who sacrificed so much to build our .ele-jn'me- A A A A A A A A :A A & -- -- -- -- -- v- - tf-- - -- A -- 1 Mi Spring. 1' NOW is m am k w WU ..lull - I ! i m nine 10 v"- SEE OUR GIGANTIC SELECTION OF: Seed Potatoes Perennials Seeds in a can Pansies Ground covers ALL YOUR PLANTING NEEDS! . Participants talk of learning to work together. They share stories of what the trek meant to them personally, laughing at the humorous side of human nature and speaking in reverent tones of deeply personal - yia , . nursery OPEN TO THE PUBLIC ii l l ! 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I really like being able to get information on all the local cities. It's great. Keep it up!" "I just logged on to your online newspaper and was very surprised at how easy it was to read. When I log on to the Tribune, it takes me all day to 1 nnd the section want, but New Utah! was Verv easv: Tt'va hKn nirA to rtilr vVr. the obituaries and see the pic- I illPh (111 11 V VllUl III UJl tures of the deceased." "Our favorite thing about the New Utah! online edition is that it covers a lot of com- . .V . munity news and is very easy ' to read and pick out what we , y 1 want to see. We also like the V advertisements that show up now . and then. We think it's great." 1. e "I like the menus on the left side of the screen. You can easily go to any one of those headings. My personal favorite is the Sports section. It's nice to get online and see the outcome of local sports." "The thing I liked best about your newspaper on the internet is that I didn't have to scroll down through the content of all the articles. I could choose what I wanted to read from the title and first few sentences of the article and just click on it if I wanted to read the whole thing. I also like the fact that I didn't have to look at the advertisements if I didn't want to." "I recently visited your online edition of New Utah! I found the navigating tabs help me get quickly to the particular section I want to read. The classified ads were also quick and easy and I appreciate the short synopses of the news articles so I can get a glimpse of the story before clicking on the link to the complete text." v We're Here! f spiritual experiences during the trek. They've returned to their warm beds and comfortable homes a little changed for having been where they've 756-79- 4 1130 East Main Street American Fork, Utah NOW IS THE TIME! You can't afford to wait! "I'm glad to see a local newspaper on the internet. jf.i-sjqr- -- mostly said those sentiments were completely erased as she watched the wagons and handcarts go through Lehi on Friday With heads lowered to brace against the stinging cold of snow mixed with rain, participants still managed to smile and wave to those who came to 4 ce enactments, because she felt modern conveniences would never allow the experience to be genuine, she communities. .4 mm T. f More LOCAL news than any other source! www.newutah.com |