Click here to view a pdf the changes in the Utah Fireworks Laws

For many in Utah, the use of fireworks has become a tradition.  The beautifully colored sparks fly though the air in concert with thunderous reports.

As exciting as this may seem, people often forget that they are playing with explosive materials, dangerous chemicals and combustibles that can destroy property, harm or cause death to unsuspecting victims.  These deceptively simple objects explode, throwing unburned powder, hot sparks and embers through the air at high velocities and often create temperatures hotter than 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit.

In Utah from 2002 to 2006, 367 fireworks related fire incidents were reported, resulting in over $490,000 loss. The safest way to enjoy the thrill of fireworks, pyrotechnic displays and flame effects is to let the professionals handle these products and attend a public fireworks display, a concert where pyrotechnics react to show design, or professional community displays.

For fireworks enthusiasts who enjoy shooting their own this year, there have been some significant changes in Utah fireworks laws that go into effect this firework season.   Please, pay particular attention to safety recommendations and safety tips from manufacturers and retailers who sell fireworks.  Reading instructions this year will be significantly important and necessary to help reduce the chances of a destructive fire or debilitating injury.

* Purchase fireworks from reliable, licensed fireworks dealers. Read all instructions to reduce the chances of a destructive fire or debilitating injury.  Follow all safety guidelines exactly. * Children should not handle fireworks. You must be at least 16 years of age to handle or light fireworks.  Adults are to supervise any activity that includes fireworks.

* Never let children handle, play with or light fireworks. Only knowing and clear-headed adults should handle fireworks.

* Adults should never use alcohol or drugs or be impaired while engaged in handling, using, placing or lighting fireworks.

* New aerial type fireworks are now lawful. Aerial devices, also known as “multiple tube”, “repeater”, or “cake” fireworks often look like miniature professional displays and can travel high into the air, as much as 150 feet.* These fireworks need sufficient space from trees, carports, structures, power lines or other high or low obstacles. Aerial or “cake” fireworks need at least a 30 foot clearance around on the ground and at least 150 foot clearance in the air.

* Not allowed still are: firecrackers, M-80’s, cherry bombs, bottlerockets, roman candles, single or reloadable mortars, and ground salutes.  All local, state and federal laws must be adhered to. * Use common sense at all times when handling fireworks.  Do not alter, change or experiment with makeshift or any firework device and do not allow others to violate the law.

* Store fireworks in a cool, dry place.  Do not place fireworks in your pockets.

* Only use fireworks out of doors. Never play with, set or light fireworks under a carport or overhang, inside a building or compartment.

* Never shoot fireworks in windy conditions. * Keep a bucket of water or running hose nearby during the time of lighting and disposing of fireworks and in case of an emergency.

* Wear safety glasses when shooting fireworks. Keep all unused fireworks 30 feet away from the shooting area.

* Make sure other people are out of range at a reasonable distance before lighting fireworks.  Do not point or throw fireworks at people, animals or where they may not be under proper control.  And remember, sparklers burn at 1200 degrees Fahrenheit. They are extremely deceptive in nature and can be an extraordinarily dangerous device in the hands of children and can cause serious burns and injuries if not cared for properly.

* Light fireworks one at a time.  Do not attempt to light multiple fireworks at any time.  Do not relight a firework whose fuse has burned away.  Do not attempt to repair broken fireworks. Soak fireworks that did not ignite in a bucket of water. Once the firework is lit, get away quickly to a safe distance.

* Keep clear of the firework.  Never place a body part above or around a burning firework. Never pickup a burning firework. Never look into the tube or stay close to the burning end of the device. Never hold a lit firework in your hand.

* Use caution with animals.  Excitement, noise and lights can cause fear and stress.

Fireworks are an American tradition. Safety and common sense are so important as we celebrate the holidays with fireworks. Shooting fireworks can provide hours of wholesome family entertainment, but must be use carefully and safely

The first of the 2011 Cottonwood Heights Movie in the Park series.

Fun for the whole family, bounce rides, snacks and entertainment.

June 17th, 2011 7PM till… at Bywater Park 3149 East Banbury Rd, Cottonwood Heights UT 84121

Bring blankets, food, drinks and have fun

The first movie is “Megamind” an Animated Film starring the voices of Will Farrell, Brad Pitt and Tina Fey

Cottonwood Heights Garbage, Recycle and Debris Pick Up and Dumping

There is no place in the city of Cottonwood Heights to actually dump normal everyday debris such as tree limbs, remodel demolition…

Normal curb side Garbage/Recycle pick up day is Wednesday, with recycle being every other week. There is talk about Salt Lake County going to a weekly recycle pick up.

There are special occasions like Christmas Tree pick up, you leave the tree on the curb and The Salt Lake County Sanitation Department will pick it up from January 4th to the 31st.

Then there is the Fall Leaves beginning October 1st you can pick up FREE Leaf Bags (1 bundle of ten per household) at the Whitmore Library 2197 E Ft Union Blvd (7000 S) or at the Cottonwood Heights Recreation Center 7500 S 2700 E

You can drop off full leaf bags at Cottonwood Heights Bywater Park from October 15th through November 30th.

Then there is the annual bulk pick up from April through October, typically Cottonwood Heights is late summer. You will be notified 1 to 2 weeks in advance about your scheduled collection day. Containers are dropped off in your neighborhood sometime between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm, and are picked up the following day between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm.

The city of Cottonwood Heights has an over the counter medications, prescription drugs, and illicit drugs drop off with a no questions asked at the medication drop-off box in the lobby of the Cottonwood Heights Police Department.

Where can I dump on that not so special occasion?
You can rent a green waste trailer or you can just haul it to the Salt Lake Valley Land Fill located at 6030 West California Ave (1300 S) Salt Lake City UT 84104 801-974-6920 and their email address is landfill@slco.org
Hours are 7:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday – Saturday Closed Sundays, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Cottonwood Heights PRESCHOOL

NOW ENROLLINGfor 2011-2012

(The year before Kindergarten)

If you do my preschool is for you.

Mrs. Dana’s Preschool L.L.C.

Located at Mrs. Dana’s home

7133 Watermill Way (3230 E.)

Cottonwood Heights UT 84121

Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays: 9:00am-11:45am

Price: $130/month September-May

Tuesdays & Thursdays: 1:00pm-3:00pm

Price: $100/month September-May

The First Day will be Monday, September 12^th, 2011

It will be lots of fun and learning!

I am only taking 12 students (per session), so hurry and sign your child up.

Phone Number is 801-450-1547

Dana Middlemiss

Educational Background and Experience:

Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education–Summa, Cum, Laude

Minor in Biology (Westminster College)

Kindergarten Teacher

First Grade Teacher

Preschool Teacher

Teaching License—Utah & Montana

After School Program Director

Coached 4 Years of Women’s High School Basketball

Mother and Wife

photo of kids courtesy of flickr.com

Reforming America’s Housing Finance Market

Here is the 32 page document

So the Federal Government has come out with a 32 document trying to explain how they are going to fix the housing finance market.

Remember back when they said they were going to lower the FHA upfront mortgage insurance and raise the annual mortgage insurance to save you money? That’s OK if you don’t they did. Well it never saved anyone any money! In fact it increased a $200,000 loan by about $48 per month. Save money? REALLY?

Well one of the things the feds also did in that move was to give themselves the right to increase the annual mortgage insurance without going back to congress.

Page 15

“We have already acted on this front, raising premiums two times since the beginning of this Administration. And we will put in place another 25 basis point increase in the annual mortgage insurance premium that is detailed in the President’s 2012 Budget.”

Does increasing the insurance premium really help? I guess the better question is who or what does it help? It doesn’t help the housing market, it doesn’t help the job market.

Just as a rose by any other name is still a rose or if it smells like fish its fish, a tax by any other name is a tax! If the government raises a fee or whatever they decide to call it is a tax.

What it really does is move a little more equity from the market and gives it to the feds, and we all know how responsible with money they are.

The more people that are employed, the more taxes the government can collect, less houses would go into default and so…

Let’s take a look at how many people are directly and indirectly employed by the housing market.

When a home sells there are a boat load of folks involved.

This does not account for the all the cell phones, web sites, marketing, supplies, cars, gas. What about the folks moving, they hire movers, buy boxes, order lots of pizza. Then there are the several trips to Home Depot, Target, Walmart.

Then there are the investors that buy houses and “remodel” which is code word for people working and the buying of materials which employs more people.

So here is the question. Would making it more or less expensive for a buyer to buy a home create more jobs?

As you may or may not know we have voted and we are giving the Canyons School District a $250 Million Dollar Bond for much need building and renovation of the east side schools. One of the projects is right here in Cottonwood Heights.

The Board of Education this month hired VCBO Architects for the Butler Elementary project, but no further action has been taken. However, public meetings on the future of Butler Elementary School will be held in the months to come, and we look forward to your participation at that time.

We have set a community meeting for the Butler Middle School project on Thursday, Jan. 20, 2011, at 6 p.m. in the Butler Middle School Auditorium. Input will be taken on the following:

·         Butler Middle School facility concepts by VCBO Architects

·         Costs and construction timeline

·         Services for Butler Middle School students during the period of construction

Thank you again for your input. If you have further questions, please feel free to continue to keep in contact with our office.

So I encourage you all to attend and know what is going on. Remember, if you are not involved you shouldn’t complain about those that are.

If you would like to be on the Butler Elementary PTA’s mailing list please send an email to  butlerelempta@gmail.com

Cottonwood Heights has a reputation for arresting too many DUIs.

Wow that’s a good reputation to have I guess. Unless you like to frequent a tavern in the City of Cottonwood Heights and then drive home.

Since the City has created its own Police Department back in September ’08 it has made it a point to clean up the DUI in the area.

People have complained that the Cottonwood Heights Police Department of harassing them. According to a statement in a September 2010 SL Tribune article the CHPD along with the Cottonwood Heights Government wants the owner of the Canyon Inn to sell to a developer. The owner of the Canyon Inn a local watering hole claims that his business is down 47%. While I believe CHPDs efforts to get drunk drivers out of the city may be part of the blame. I am assuming the economy has some part.

The owner and the staff of the Canyon Inn asked customers to sign a petition to stop targeting them. I find it laughable the fact that people that drink and drive in our community are petitioning the police to stop arresting them for a DUI.

Here is a little story that supports the efforts of the Cottonwood Heights Police Department’s efforts on DUI.  On Christmas Eve a woman driving drunk in Cottonwood Heights was fighting with a passenger in the vehicle. Her car crashed into a gas meter and then a house, causing a gas leak and the evacuation of at least ten homes. This was Christmas Eve, you know families celebrating Christmas.

The Christmas Miracle was no one was seriously hurt.

The driver has been arrested and put in jail.

As a husband, father and resident of Cottonwood Heights I am glad that the CHPD is serious about DUI and stand and applaud Police Chief Robby Russo and his gang.

There’s a little known ordinance that is often broken and a challenge to enforce in Cottonwood Heights that does not permit more than three unrelated people to occupy a single residential unit.

Most cities and the Salt Lake County have the same ordinance. It was my understanding that it started up in Salt Lake City where the housing density is higher and four room mates could pose a parking problem, not sure if it’s true. But it makes sense, there are plenty  of homes in Salt Lake City that do not have off street parking,

According to an article in the tribune The City of Cottonwood Heights is considering changing that to four.  The idea that three or four does not make a difference as to the flavor of a neighborhood.

The city is not in a hurry to get it done it will just go through the process.