Dear Leeds Residents,

I wanted to take a moment and mention the upcoming, first annual, Leeds Fall Festival.  This is planned for the 2nd weekend in October.  The name that we have considered calling this Festival is "Wildwest Days." in commemoration of the Silver Reef and Leeds histories.  We are building a float for a few parades around Washington County, and are using other means as well, to bring more awareness of the event to Residents of the Town and the County alike.

Some of the festivities include a soap-box derby for the youth, water rockets and other children's games, a chile cookoff, homemade sourgum treats and display, a wild-west 'shootout', dancing, a small play, storytelling, booths, and more.  We look forward to creating memories, and we hope that you will take special interest in these events.  We, on the Cultural and Beautification Committee, believe that the momentum will build, helping us create a culture of wonderful events for the community.  By working as a committee we are spreading the load of coordinating these events, and we of course can always use more hands, minds, and energy to help in the cause! 

Thank you all for the great contributions you bring to our Town.  We look forward to the great times expected in October.  Remember also the Trunk or Treat which will be held again at the Leeds Town Park this year!  More information will be coming about that event.

Sincerely,

Mayor Hyrum D. Lefler
Town of Leeds

Cell: 435-668-9387
Email: hyrum.lefler@gmail.com

Dear Leeds Residents:

It is summer time again and we all look forward to our traditional activities.  We are holding our 4th of July activities on the 3rd of July (Saturday); we invite each of you to come and join us.  Festivities begin at the Town Park at 7am with a Walk/Run. Breakfast will begin at 8am with a small cost ($4 per individual or $15 per family), and the revenue from this will go to pay for the food as well as to help pay for other festivities and activities to come.  At noon the Fire Department (LASSD), will be hosting water games at the park and their traditional hot dog dinner will begin at 6pm.  This will be followed by a Variety Show at 7pm and dancing and musical talent at 8pm.  All of this will be followed, of course, by the FIREWORKS SHOW!!!  The show will begin when Chief Lewis determines it is dark enough and safe to proceed.  The Town and the Fire Department have pitched in to pay for the fireworks, and the Fire Department will light them for us.  We hope to see all of you there!  Remember to look at the Town website for more information also.  www.leedstown.org

Note: You may bring your own fireworks to set-off on the Basketball court at the park.  We ask that you NOT set them off at HOME, nor in other places around Town.  This will help prevent wildfires and house fires.

Along with coordinating the 4th of July activities, our Cultural and Beautification Committee is helping put together an event for the 24th of July (Utah State Holiday commemorating the arrival of the Mormon Settlers to the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847).  A parade is planned for that Saturday morning at 9 am, and some festivities are also being planned for that evening (stand-by for more information).
 
A Leeds Town Festival is also being planned for October.  It is my hope that this Festival--unique to Leeds--can become a tradition we all look forward to and fondly remember.
 
Now a word about our Town Finances.  Over the past year, the Council has cut the yearly budget expenses by about $90,000.  This is a significant number considering the size of our total budget.  We are now operating with about a $30,000 per year surplus and our General Fund is growing accordingly.  As a Mayor and Council we are making our best efforts to see that the Town runs as efficiently and effectively as possible.  We surely appreciate all volunteer efforts that come from so many Citizens of the Town.
 
I would like to close by thanking those who serve on the Historical and Preparedness Committees.  With the leadership and work of these Committees, headway is being made on the renovations to the CCC Camp as well as on the Leeds Area Emergency Plan.  I invite you to stay abreast of these and so many other efforts they are making, and provide input and support whereever possible.  Your help can always be used as a member of one of these Committees!  Thank you again for the opportunity to serve the Town, and on behalf of the Council I would like to wish all of you a happy summer!
 
Sincerely,
 
Mayor Hyrum D. Lefler

I appreciated the opportunity for Residents to meet Town Hall here in Leeds the candidates to our Local School Board.  All four candidates (Kelly Blake, Wes Swaney, Frank Lojko, and Dale Ure) took the time to come to Leeds and were very gracious and willing to share their views and background.  Each expressed an invitation to contact them with any questions.  I have invited each of them to send me a statement about themselves and what they stand for, so I can forward that information on to the Town Residents via email.

Again, I would like to thank the Candidates and the Town Residents in attendance.  Remember to learn all you can about the Candidates to this and other elections, and take the time to vote!  The Primaries are on the 22nd of this month.

Dear Residents of Leeds and surrounding areas, 
 
I have invited the Candidates to our School Board's local district to come to the Town Hall this next Tuesday (the 15th) evening at 6pm for a half hour or so (longer if needed--depending on the questions and answers).
 
I know that education is extremely important to us as individuals, parents, grandparents, friends, etc.  Please take this opportunity to come and meet these Candidates, and I encourage you also to vote in the Primaries on the 22nd of June.
 
We'll see you at the Town Hall at 6 pm on Tuesday the 15th!

I'd like to extend a big Thank-You to so many of our Residents who participate and serve selflessly day after day.  This has been brought to my mind with the recent donations that the Town has received from Residents towards the restoration project on the CCC Camp.  We will be able to proceed with restoring the steps and landings, putting in a hand rail, as well as several other projects to beautify the buildings and the general area.  All of this will be accomplished without any cost to the Town of Leeds.  As the grant we received from the Utah State Historic Preservation Office is a matching grant... the opportunity is now ours as Residents to give of our time and skills.  Individuals with plumbing, electrical, carpentry, weilding, masonry, and strong backs for clean up.  I would invite you to let Martha Ham, LoAnn Barnes, or Frank Lojko of our Historical Committee know of your interest in helping.  Please let us know also if you know of someone that would be interested in helping so we can approach them for that help.  

Again, thank you for all of your support and efforts.  We have such wonderful people in this Town.  It truly is an honor and a priviledge to live in Leeds!

I would like to encourage every household within our Town limits to participate in the Census this year.  Our U.S. Constitution provides Congress with the power to perform a census every ten years.  It should be considered as a priviledge to be counted as a Citizen and a Resident within the U.S.  I recognize also that there are legitimate concerns about privacy.  A simple way to participate in the Census with less intruciveness into your privacy is to either fill out the form delivered to your home and mail it back, or you may call this number 1-866-872-6868 to complete the survey by phone.  By participating in the Census by Mail or by phone you will avoid having a Census working coming to your home.

For more information you may also refer back to our Town's website (www.leedstown.org), or you may visit http://2010.census.gov/2010census/.  Feel free also to call the Town Hall at 435-879-2447.

As a Town, we continue to face budget shortfalls and the Council and I are taking measures to remedy the situation.  You may know the previous Council made cuts this last fall, and in the last three months we have cut the Town Manager’s position from full time to part time with no benefits.   We have also had under consideration the decision to cut back on our Leeds Police Department’s budget.  In the Public Hearing we had last month on the subject, most who voiced their opinion felt we are better off with our own Police Department.  As Mayor, I also feel we should have our own department, and have been very impressed with the great job that Chief Crouse has been doing for our Town.   Because of budget shortfalls, I have made additional cuts to the budget for Police; this includes a temporary suspension of patrol time by our Department.  We will be able to easily increase hours and coverage as the budget allows in the future.  Because of this we will need to rely on the Washington County Sheriff Department.  As a reminder, the Dispatch number for the Sheriff’s Department is 634-5730.  Again, these decisions are being made prudently with an effort to balance the needs of our Town within the budget. 

I hope that each of you will take the opportunity to donate a little time and/or money towards the pending restoration of our Historic CCC Camp .  Any donations will be greatly appreciated, and any amount will help.  By combining donations of money and time from us as local Residents with the matching grants from the Utah State Historic Preservation Office/National Park Service as well as a possible grant from the Washington County Historical Society, these improvements will cost nothing to the Town of Leeds.   Many thanks to our Leeds Historical Committee!

We have scheduled the first Cultural and Beautification Committee meeting for the 24th of this month at 6pm (just one hour before the Town Council meeting).  Mike Eagar, a native of Leeds, has willingly agreed to come and talk to us about Sourgum and the Town of Leeds.  He has a refurbished sourgum press and will be bringing some genuine sourgum butter or syrup for us to taste!  We are looking forward to inviting Mike back to one of our upcoming festivals where we can have his press there on display and we can see how it works.  Sourgum used to be a big part of Leeds.  It is an integral part of our history here.  I am excited to bring this history back to life for ourselves and our children and grandchildren.  It will be a lot of fun and we certainly thank Mike for his willingness!

The Public is certainly invited to attend any of these Committee meetings and participate.  We are looking for more support on this Committee, and would invite you to come and become a part of the Committee.  If you have any questions you may email me (hyrum.lefler@gmail.com) or you may also call the Town Hall at 435-879-2447.  Thanks again, and we look forward to seeing you there!

Sincerely,

-Mayor Hyrum Lefler

We had our first meeting as a Preparedness Committee this past Thursday evening at 6 pm, at my home here in Leeds.  The committee nominated Shane Sullivan as Chairperson and Becky Welch as the Secretary to take minutes and help with agendas, etc.  I will continue serving on the Committee to ensure that I am fully involved in the safety and preparedness needs of our Town.  I feel it is vitally important that we coordinate our efforts in being as prepared as we possibly can be for any emergency that we may face in the future.

We had a presentation by Melissa Sevy who represented an initiative of the Health Department to be better prepared as a community in the event of an emergency and the overflowing of the Hospitals.  We really appreciated her taking the time to do this.  We look forward to coordinating our efforts with other entities such as the Health Department.

The Committee decided to meet at the Town Hall on the first Tuesday of each month at 8pm.  The Public is always welcome and invited to attend.  Please come and and participate.  It was discussed in the Committee's last meeting that the most effective way for us to be prepared in our area is for each of us to take responsibility and prepare the best we can for own homes and families.  I hope that the efforts of this Committee will ignite a spark in each of us to consider our own level of preparedness in the event of an emergency.   

Sincerely,

Mayor Hyrum Lefler