Editor’s notes: Appreciating local business and Emery County

By PATSY STODDARD Editor

Beginning in 2014 the Emery County Business Chamber is recognizing a business of the month. In January the business was Stewart’s Market in Castle Dale and in February, Food Ranch in Orangeville is being recognized. The business will have a sign on display that states they are the business of the month and will receive a plaque from the business chamber as well as a write-up in the Emery County Progress.
The business chamber has a lunch and learn every other month where they also highlight a local business and let them tell their story. Emery County is a unique place. We don’t have one central large town like most places, the county is made up of small towns; none of them much over 3,000 in population. With a population this small it’s hard to keep businesses going.
I’ve had the chance to visit these businesses to take pictures and to get information to let the public know what’s available in our county. We don’t have tons of options here. Clothing is pretty limited, as are shoes and items like that. But, what we do have is quality. I was lucky enough to be able to purchase Food Ranch doughnuts. They are always a big hit with my family and at the office. I’ve had to cut back on the doughnuts because I was beginning to resemble a doughnut a little too much. But, recently I said what the heck, and I’ve purchased two dozen just in one week. One dozen to take to the office in Price and one dozen for personal use.
I like shopping in our stores, because you can always find a friend there. There’s someone you know to say hi to and visit for a moment. Even if you don’t know them say hi anyway and make a new friend.
I decided recently to paint a bathroom at home, I talked to Patty at Magnuson Lumber and she said, I’d picked out some good colors. I doubt if most people really care what color you paint your bathroom, but Patty did and mixed the paint just right. We are so lucky to have such a great community and such great people to serve us.
We should take advantage of what we do have here. I go to Wal-Mart too and I expect I have seen many of you there. It seems like Emery County folks like to get out and run to Price and eat and shop. And, we can do that too, but try to buy as much as you can locally. If everyone does a little more shopping at home, the sales tax revenue will stay in our communities so they can grow.
Is there anyone in Emery County that hasn’t had a BK pizza from BKs in Huntington. I swear when my boys were growing up I kept Kent in business with the number of pizzas my kids and their friends ate. Kent was impressed that I know their phone number by memory, 687-9393. If you haven’t had a BK pizza get in there and have one. You can even get a free one if you fill up your gas card.
One of my daughters is hooked on calzones from Big Mamas. Every time they come to visit, one of our stops is always Big Mamas. Over Thanksgiving they brought some friends down to visit and we took them to Big Mamas and now they are hooked too. Our small communities offer a personal hometown touch. These Salt Lake dwellers said, “We don’t have anything like this place in Salt Lake.” And, they are right, Castle Dale has the only Big Mamas.
Ferron has the only Gillys. If you haven’t had Mark’s BBQ dinners then you are missing out. What about Jon Judd and his catering? His dutch oven meals are fantastic.
What we don’t have in shopping experiences, the county more than makes up for with recreational opportunities. We have bouldering, snow mobiling, mountain biking, ice climbing, snow boarding, fishing, hunting, ATV and motorcycle riding, horse riding, hiking, camping all within a few short miles of our towns. It only takes a few days out of town for me to want to get back to the EC. Emery County. My son who is serving a mission in Bolivia always said, when we would come back into the county after we had been off to an out of town game or somewhere, “Back in the EC where everything makes sense.” In all his letters he says, How are things in the EC? Well, it’s not perfect here. We have our problems as do most places. But, I would say things are pretty darn good here in the EC. We rally around those who need our support as a community and I would like to see more of that, more unity in our county and more support for each other. A rising tide lifts all boats and I hope we can all rise together as we work to make Emery County a greater place to be.