I would like to take a second and give some compliments were compliments are deserved. There is often so little time to simple recognize the good that people do. In a world of contention, fear, and anger it would do us well to count our blessings and see what we have. I love Orem! I love the people that have helped it become what and who it is. At a municipal level, I'm grateful for former Mayors, commissioners, council members, and city staff that through years of service, employment, planning, and implementation have brought so many opportunities to our city. From revitalizing University Mall, helping make UVX a reality, creating places to enjoy like the Nielsen Grove Park and All Together Play Ground, being the home of UVU - one of the top schools in the State, watching a temple go up in our back yard, to planning for our future by working hard today. I personally think that the staff of Orem City are some of the finest people in the world. Many of them are simply the best of the best. Our City Manager, Jamie Davidson has been an example of leadership, work, courage, friendship, and vision. He has built a team of people who are the brightest and most competent in their fields, and who truly care for the city with whom they work and serve. It would be very difficult to find a better team. Good leaders choose other good leaders. Kind leaders find other kind leaders, and that is what Jamie has done. Orem's department heads are kind, caring, hardworking, and welcoming. No one executes the policies, plans, and programs of a council like Jamie Davidson and his team have done in Orem. He has so dutifully helped to carry Orem alongside mayors, councils and staff to a place of admiration. Orem - at a State and National level - is considered one of the best cities in the world, and has been an example of municipal involvement for almost 2 decades. Orem has often been seen as the standard by which others cities try to live. While others cities struggle to service their community, provide a place for their people to live, maintain their businesses, balance their budgets, and plan for improvements, Orem has always shined. I'm a strong believer that a true indicator of success is predicated on your ability to plan for the future. We must look into the future to make today great. I also believe that a collective city preservation is a fallacy and will promote stagnation. If we are not planning for the future, growing with our community, building our commerce, and welcoming those that move here with open arms, we are simply falling behind, loosing our place, and deteriorating our assets. Our assets range from simple things as inconsequential as curbs and gutters, roads and signs, to things we hope to never loose to another city such as community centers, business, parks, and family members as they look for greater opportunities elsewhere. I believe Orem is great because it has always embraced growth and development, and has always welcomed people of all stages of life by planning and providing places to live, work, and grow. It has been a blessing to watch Orem emerge from the shadows of Provo to be it's own light on a hill welcoming all that come here. I love Orem. We are a blessed city. read more