Heber City hosts a spring cleanup event every year to spruce up Main Street. Around 40 volunteers helped this year, about the same as years past. City Manager Matt Brower said the volunteers pull weeds, remove dead plants, pick up trash and this year got to help with a special project — installing a water fountain in front of City Hall.
Brower said the water feature has been in the works for four years. Wasatch County School District students in the Center for Advanced Professional Studies program came up with the idea and raised $50,000 for the project. The Heber Leadership Academy then got involved and raised another $200,000.
The cleanup volunteers are part of the nine-month Heber Leadership Academy. The academy meets for four hours each month and works on projects between meetings. Volunteer Ryan Walton said the class decided to help work on the water fountain project to beautify City Hall.
“We’re hoping that this will be a draw, to bring people downtown and give them a place to come and hang out with their families and friends, and just have a good time,” he said.
Another volunteer, Adam Thompson, said the fountain aligns with the city’s vision to make downtown Heber more vibrant and walkable. Thompson said he decided to volunteer because community involvement is what makes a city like Heber great.
“The No. 1 indicator whether your kid is successful in school is how involved the parent is, going to parent teacher conferences, right?” he said. “Well, that's the same thing with their community.”
Walton, who is a fourth generation Heber resident, agreed. He also said the project, academy and city vision are meant to encourage acceptance in Heber.
“Bringing everybody, whatever faith whatever background you have, to come down, enjoy Heber City and get to know people that you maybe wouldn't have been able to know,” Walton said.
The water fountain officially opens June 8 with a ribbon cutting.
