A message from Cedar City Mayor Maile Wilson
I don’t know about each of you, but it seems to me like the summer is flying by! As always, there have been so many activities and events these last few weeks, from the Cedar City PRCA Rodeo, the Paiute Restoration Gathering and Pow Wow, the Larry H. Miller Utah Summer Games, Arbor Day, and the Flag Day Celebration to the opening of the Utah Shakespeare Festival, there has been something for everyone. And the many different fun activities throughout our community haven’t ended yet! There is always plenty to do in Cedar City, especially in the summer. I hope to see many of you out at the upcoming events and enjoying the beautiful weather in the prettiest town anywhere.
I hope each of you has a wonderful — and more importantly, safe — Fourth of July celebrating the independence of this great country! I would like to give a special thank you to the Lions Club for all of their work in organizing the Fourth of July Parade. This parade and the numerous other activities associated with celebrating Independence Day never disappoint.
I also want to specifically thank the Cedar City Fire Department for spending their holiday preparing the delightful firework show for our community. Prior to becoming mayor, I was unaware of the hours of work that go into the preparation for the firework show. The fire department starts preparing the fireworks weeks in advance by “squibing” the fireworks at the fire station. For those of you that don’t speak “fireworks” (I know I don’t), this means that our firefighters have to individually prepare the fuse for each firework. It’s a very tedious and time-consuming job! Following that, the department then has to set up all the fireworks and clean them all up following the show while the rest of us leisurely enjoy our holiday. Thank you to all of those who make the Fourth of July such a memorable day for the residents of Cedar City.
This past month, we welcomed a new leisure services director, Ken Nielson, to the Cedar City Corporation family. Beginning next month, we will have a section of the newsletter that will provide information about all the exciting things taking place within our leisure services department and will get us all better acquainted with the many events and services they provide to our community. Here are a few of the upcoming events associated with our leisure services department:
Cedar City Recreation’s USA Fast Pitch Festival will include 34 youth fast pitch softball teams and will be held at both the Fields at the Hills and the Bicentennial Complex July 6 from noon to 11 p.m. and July 7 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Once again, you are invited to join our community in a fun run down Main Street for the July 24 Cedar City Main Street Mile. The race will begin at 9:30 a.m. at Smith’s. For more information, contact the leisure services department at (435) 865-9223.
On July 29 at 5 p.m., The Gala of The Royal Horses will perform at the Cross Hollow Diamond Z Arena. Come experience the excitement, splendor, and majesty of the most beautiful horses in the world like never before in a spectacular show for the entire family. For more information, call (352) 208-2244 or visit galaoftheroyalhorses.com.
On June 14, Cedar City held its annual Arbor Day Celebration at the Bicentennial Soccer Complex Playground where eight trees were planted to provide much needed shade to the playground and surrounding areas. Those in attendance had the opportunity to learn about planting trees from Daniel Allen, a forester with the Department of Natural Resources. Additionally, there was a proper-planting demonstration by our parks division head, Wade Orme (who is a certified Arborist), showing how to plant a tree in compacted soils. I want to thank Lady Bug Nursery, which generously donated a free flower for the first 100 children who participated. In case you didn’t know, this year’s Arbor Day Celebration signifies 19 years of Cedar City being recognized as a “Tree City, USA.” Thank you to all of those who arranged the festivities and made Arbor Day a fun and educational experience for everyone who attended the event.
Cedar City loves the Tour of Utah, and that love was rewarded with a fourth opportunity for our community to serve as the race headquarters for the overall start festivities and to host the start and finish of Stage 1 Aug. 7 around the Southern Utah University campus. The event is free to all spectators!
Motorists, residents, business owners, and pedestrians are asked to join us in this celebration of cycling in Cedar City and to plan their schedules around the event, which will impact city streets on the morning and afternoon of Aug. 7. At 10:50 a.m., the race will begin with a neutral rollout from the start line at 300 W. University Blvd. The peloton will head west over the freeway to College Way, left on Highway 56, up Cove Drive to the top of Leigh Hill, then past the Aquatic Center on Royal Hunte Drive. Then it will proceed left on Ridge Road, take a sharp right on Sage Drive, and commence down the hill over the freeway and on to 600 South. At approximately 11 a.m., the race will begin in front of Cedar High School, where cyclists will then race northward out of town. From 600 South, the route turns north on 300 West, then east on 200 South to Main Street. The peloton will make its sole pass through downtown Cedar City about 20 minutes into the race. The race finishing laps (approximately 2:30 to 3:15 p.m.) will require a complete circuit lockdown (200 East to 1150 West and University/Center Street to 200 South). Police and volunteers will have barriers and cones or caution tape with instructions on how traffic can flow around the race. Main Street motorists approaching from the north will be rerouted east on 200 North to 300 East and 400 East to get around the closed circuit. Motorists driving north on Main Street may take 600 South either west to Ridge Road or east to 400 East.
The intersection of 300 West and University Boulevard will be closed one block in each direction starting at 6 a.m. Aug. 6 to allow crews to set up the finish line and the broadcast and expo structures. The intersection will reopen by 5 p.m. Aug. 7.
Roads in Parowan and Brian Head will also require some temporary street closures. While cyclists are approaching both the Parowan and Cedar Canyon routes, there will be total canyon closures to ensure rider safety. The first closure will take place as the cyclists begin the climb up Highway 143 in Parowan Canyon from approximately 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Highway 14 (from Duck Creek to the mouth of Cedar Canyon) will be shut down to traffic from approximately 1 to 3 p.m. Please check cedarcity.org or the “Velo Cedar City” Facebook pages for updated traffic information.
Cedar City’s LOC is still accepting volunteer applications online. To volunteer, follow this link.
At the end of the summer, Cedar City will again be the proud host of the Cedar City Half Marathon, which will take place Sept. 8 beginning at 7 a.m. The race also features the Intermountain Cedar City Hospital Trail Run (4.7k). The Cedar Half starts at the base of Cedar Breaks National Monument at Woods Ranch in Cedar Canyon and follows Coal Creek all the way to the finish at Bicentennial Soccer Complex, making for a stunningly beautiful (and fast!) course. With the total participation capped at just a thousand, the slots are filling up quickly, but there are still a few slots left!
Links to the registration page and additional information are on our Facebook page at “Cedar City Half Marathon.”
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