Category Archives: Mt. Pleasant Main Street Program

The Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area Has 4 Best Main Streets

These 13 Towns in Utah Have the Best Main Streets You’ve Gotta Visit

There’s just something about the Main Street in any town. It’s often part of the town’s historic district, and typically features some of the oldest buildings in the area. The best Main Streets are bustling, vibrant places where members of the community, along with visitors, shop, eat and mingle. Here are a few of Utah’s best Main Streets; maybe you’ve visited some of them recently!

Which Main Streets did I miss? Share your favorite in the comments.

‘Honest Apple’ Day Oct. 21 Event Celebrates Heritage Fruit, Includes Contests, Fun

DATE 09/25/2006 7:15 AM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89.

‘Honest Apple’ Day Oct. 21
Event celebrates heritage fruit, includes contests, fun

Sanpete County’s Native Wines will once again pay homage to one of its favorite ingredients during the 7th annual Honest Apple day Saturday, Oct. 21.

Numerous kinds of heirloom apples will be available for sampling, along with homemade apple pies, apple cider, apple butter and apple wine. There will also be a witch contest, poetry, musical performances, wine and cheese testing’s, an apple pie contest and more.

The fall event has become an annual tradition of Native Wines, a Mt. Pleasant company owned by Bob Sorenson and Winnie Wood. Located in a historic building at 72 South 500 West near downtown Mt. Pleasant, Native Wines is renowned for making unfiltered wine. Sorenson and Wood use fruits that are picked from wild trees and shrubs in the mountains and valleys of central Utah in their products, including apples.

Honest Apple Days runs from noon to 6 p.m at Native Wines. The festivities get underway with the symbolic “splitting of the apple” at 12 p.m by Jeffrey Berke, the event’s “highly distinguished poet laureate.” Mark Cantor will be master of ceremonies for the day.

There will be an “Ugliest Witch in the West” contest, with cash prizes being awarded for both children and adults. People may sign up for the contest at Country Squire, 74 W. Main Street in Mt. Pleasant.

The “World’s Best Apple Pie” contest will be held in the afternoon, with more than $200 in cash prizes to be awarded. Pies must be entered by 3 p.m. for judging. Other Honest Apple events include the “Crowning of the New Princess Pomona” and Live Irish Folk Music featuring “Last Night’s Fun.”

Apple goods of all kinds will be available for sampling and purchase throughout the day, and the owners of the local restaurant, Loose Caboose, will also be on hand selling refreshments. Some of the varieties of apples that will be available that day include Fameuse, Pinora, Samsou, Wolf River, Cinnamon Spice, Cameo, Goldrush, Goldblush, Hawaii, Winesap Wagner, and Ozark Gold.

For more information on Honest Apple Day, phone Native Wines at (435) 462-9261. Information is also available online at http://www.nativewines.net

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For more information Contact:

Monte Bona
Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council
(435) 462-2502

Plans for Equestrian Center Unfolding

DATE 02/10/2006 7:15 AM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89.

Plans for Equestrian Center Unfolding

Mt. Pleasant Main Street Committee, in coordination with Sanpete County Economic Development and Kevin Christensen, director of the county’s Travel and Heritage Council, has unfolded plans for the development of an equestrian center that will serve all of the county.

The proposal, which was presented by the equestrian center committee at a Mt. Pleasant Main Street Committee this week, will be presented to the Mt. Pleasant Redevelopment Agency (RDA) Board on Tuesday, Feb. 14 2006.

“The centre will be a great asset for Mt. Pleasant City and Sanpete County,” Christensen said. “It has the potential to bring hundreds of visitors to various events sponsored by the community and to local clubs. The new complex will also provide stall space for lease. Riders will have the ability to escape cold weather during the winter, and during the summer months, they can head to the nearby mountain trails and experience the beauty of the Manti-La Sal National Forest.”

The equestrian center will be located on 55 acres of land on the north side of the Mt. Pleasant industrial park. Plans call for an indoor arena, two outdoor arenas, covered stalls, trailer parking, RV parking, a multi-purpose building with showers, a play area, tent area, and, possibly, a swimming pool. The adjacent airport, which focuses on recreational flying, will add another important dimension for tourism plan.

“This project, which will be developed in phases, will make an outstanding contribution to the economy of Mt. Pleasant and Sanpete County,” says Monte Bona, a member of the Main Street committee and Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council. The center’s development is part of an ongoing campaign by the heritage council to promote outdoor recreation throughout the region.

“Horse enthusiasts along the Wasatch Front need a place where they can participate in arena activities, as well as take advantage of the outstanding horse trails in a beautiful mountain terrain. Local trainers, clubs, schools and horse owners will be proud to host activities and invite fellow enthusiasts to visit the equestrian center in the Sanpete Valley.”

Bona says the Sanpete County region currently has more horses than it did back in the days when the animals were the main source of transportation, and horse enthusiasts are looking to construct a facility that would let them exercise, train and hold horse-related events and activities year round. In addition to horse enthusiasts and local business owners, Bona adds that all of the county could see direct and indirect effects from an indoor arena.

Benefits would range from bringing more tourists into the region to filling up hotels and motels, to expanding educational offerings for people inside and outside the community.

“We are continually looking for new opportunities that will allow Sanpete County to promote its many historical and recreational offerings,” Bona says. “This facility would complement the many other attractions we currently have.”

The center will also tie into a equestrian program at Mt. Pleasant’s Wasatch Academy. The Century-old private boarding school will be a major player in the project. Vern Fisher, Wasatch Academy’s director of development, is coordinating the Center for the school. “This is a wonderful opportunity for Wasatch and for the communities of Sanpete County,” he says, adding that the school’s growing equestrian program will link with the Center. Betsy and Pat Page, who direct Wasatch’s equestrian program, will also serve on the center committee with Fisher.

Kevin Stallings, who is heading the center committee, praised the effort and the expertise each of the committee members brings to the project. Other committee members are: Jared Nicholson, Ernie Booth, Dean Daniels, Juanita and Keith Ranch, Wanda Terry and Robert Olson.

Architect George Olson, who is located in Mt. Pleasant’s old caboose in the Railroad Depot Heritage Village, has prepared the design work on a volunteer basis. He has designed many other major recreational projects and will be crucial to the Center’s development.

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For more information Contact:

Monte Bona
Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council
(435) 462-2502

‘J.C. Penney’ Store Being Restored Project Has Backing of Main Street Program, Heritage Foundation

DATE 10/21/2005 10:17 AM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89.

‘J.C. Penney’ Store Being Restored
Project Has Backing of Main Street Program, Heritage Foundation

An century-old building in downtown Mt. Pleasant City that once housed one of the regions first J.C. Penney stores is being restored, thanks to the efforts of a Salt Lake City business owner.

Pete Henderson, owner of the Rio Grande Café in Salt Lake City, has purchased the old “Wasatch Block Building” at 64 W. Main Street. Built around 1889, the structure has retained much of its Victorian charm. It was originally built to house Wasatch Mercantile Company. It later was home to the Star Theatre and, in 1926, a J.C. Penney store. Most recently it was a video and general store.

Henderson is working with architect Kim Hyatt to restore the building to its former glory. “I just have a great love of old historical buildings,” he said. “But I’m quickly learning that I’ve taken on a mighty big project.”

He is receiving assistance and input from the Mt. Pleasant Main Street Program, the Utah Main Street Program, Wasatch Academy and the Utah Heritage Foundation. Currently, Henderson plans to turn the upper portion of the building into an apartment, and is in discussions with Mt. Pleasant City and Wasatch Academy on bout how to best utilize the lower portion of the building.

Through the Utah Heritage Foundation, he is taking part in a pilot project to help finance his endeavor. Working with Zion’s Bank, the Utah Heritage Foundation has started a new collaborative rehabilitation loan program that offers low-interest and flexible financing to property owners seeking to rehabilitate historical commercial buildings.

The goal of the program is to provide a resource to Main Street partner communities to further their efforts to revitalize historical downtown areas, says Monte Bona, who heads Mt. Pleasant’s Main Street Program. “The loan program is unique because it specifically targets rehabilitation efforts that are aiming to restore a building’s original character,” he says.

Restoring old buildings to their original form helps enhance the marketability of that building, as well as restoring the identity of the city, which plays a pivotal role in enhancing the experience of visitors to the region, Bona says.

“People come to Mt. Pleasant and travel along U.S. Highway 89, the heritage highway, because they want to see life as it was 100 years ago,” he says. “Projects like Peter Henderson’s are helping us preserve the cultural and architectural treasures of this pioneer heritage area and strengthen opportunities for local heritage-related businesses.”

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For more information Contact:

Monte Bona
Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council
(435) 462-2502

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