Charlene Freestone

Choosing Family Limits Over More Work

Charlene wanted to work more at the hospital but struggled with childcare for older children during the summer. She ultimately chose a more limited, on-call schedule so she could be present for her children. She identified this as a real community gap: older children who have aged out of daycare but still need support and structure.

Mark Johnson

Parents in Tears — Children Who Can't Afford to Stay in Lehi

Mayor Johnson describes a recurring, heartbreaking experience: parents sitting in his office crying because their children cannot afford to buy homes in the city where they grew up.

Andy Hadfield

My Daughter's Cancer Changed Everything

When Andy’s daughter was four years old, she was diagnosed with cancer and underwent two years of treatment. Plans could disappear overnight — a vacation cancelled instantly because a fever sent them back to the hospital. The family learned to live day-by-day. That experience reshaped how Andy values presence, ordinary mornings, and the gift of being able to do something you love. 'When that gets taken away from you, you realize how important it is. I wish there was another way.' He doesn't romanticize what his family went through — he acknowledges plainly that suffering is not the lesson he would choose. But it became a profound teacher anyway.

Lara Bangerter

William Hadfield's Christmas Package — A Small Kindness That Changed Everything

For twenty years, William Hadfield drove his postal wagon in a figure-eight through Lehi. One Christmas Eve, a package arrived and he felt strongly it shouldn't wait. After dark, he delivered it to a poor family whose son had disappeared. The package was from the son — gifts for his siblings, and proof to his parents that he was alive.

Paige Albrecht

Baby Land — A Place of Refuge Most People Don't Know About

Asked what she was most proud of after a decade in public service, Paige bypassed fire stations and park projects. She talked about Baby Land — a special section of the Lehi Cemetery for infants, with a beautiful statue, created during her time in office. Her nephew and his wife lost their baby and found comfort there. "That's when you know you live in a community that cares — even when nobody's watching."

Paige Albrecht

Buying the 1899 Brick Home — Preserving Old Lehi with Personal Sacrifice

When a 1899 brick home next door to Paige's downtown Lehi house went on the market and she learned out-of-state investors planned to demolish it for duplexes, she and her husband bought it. "If you want to control what happens on a piece of property, the very best way is to own it yourself." Mystery jars in the crawl space included.

Paige Albrecht

Cancer, Purpose, and the Hardest Lesson

During triple-negative breast cancer treatment, Paige made a deliberate choice: keep city council, defer everything else. Her husband believed her sense of purpose kept her alive. But the biggest lesson she took from the experience was unexpected — the hardest thing is not having cancer yourself, but loving someone who does.

Despite vendors telling them they should double their prices, the Nerdins and their committee have fought to keep the price of a rodeo hamburger low—only increasing by two dollars over 15 years. They explain that the goal isn't to maximize profit, but to ensure that a family can afford to attend the rodeo and eat dinner without a massive financial burden. Dave mentions that people travel from as far as South Jordan just to buy these burgers, which have become a legendary staple of the Lehi summer experience, complete with a 'secret sauce' that they go through 70 gallons of in a single season.

John Wallwork recounts his diverse upbringing, spanning from his birth in Auckland, New Zealand, to living in Samoa with grandparents during his parents' divorce, and then to Hawaii and Washington State. He describes moving to Lehi four years ago to take the principal position at Skyridge High School, a move motivated by a desire to be near his adult children and grandchildren who had already settled in Utah.