PREFERRED VENDOR/PARTNER n Marriott-Slaterville www.marriott-slaterville.org and turn it into a year-round farmers market plus we’re going to have a commercial kitchen where we can have classes about how to make food, can food, preserve food, or dehydrate - all sorts of interesting, fun things we can do in that venue.” Infrastructure improvements complement these cultural initiatives. “We’ve got two road projects providing better linkage, pedestrian traffic, curb gutter sidewalk, and trail systems,” Morris details. “You’re looking at $8 million for 1200 West and $5 million for 17th Street, plus upgrades to sewer and secondary water. We’re also applying for a CDBG grant to put in park restrooms and park facilities along the trail system on 17th Street near the Ogden River.” The Marriott family’s ongoing involvement adds a unique dimension to the city’s development. For instance, the city’s oral history project, supported by the Marriott family, captures the voices of longtime residents. “Russ Marriott would conduct interviews with residents aged 80 or older,” Morris explains. “Those interviews are sent to Weber State University for their Western Digital Library oral history project.” The family’s involvement extends to practical support: “They’ve invested funds to help sustain our senior center and given our senior library a computer lab over the years.” Mayor Van Leeuwen sees these various initiatives as part of a larger pattern of steady progress.“We’re working on a lot of these different projects to make a big improvement to our city, but all of them are little steps,” he reflects.“Just to be able to continue to work with these guys is a big plus for me. To watch the improvements in our city is pretty fulfilling.” In Marriott-Slaterville, these small steps are creating giant strides toward a future that honors its past while embracing innovation – a rare blend that keeps residents and the city’s founding family coming back home. 192 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 01
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