Digitizing Orem's Past

Here's an interesting article from the Salt Lake Tribune about a project underway to digitize and preserve old photos of Orem. The article begins with a story about Germans in a World War II era prisoner of war camp near the present-day location of Canyon View Junior High and ends with information about how to submit any photos you may want to donate.

Speaking of old photos of Orem, here are a couple of great ones of the construction of Geneva Steel with Mount Timpanogos in the background from the Library of Congress' donations to Flickr.

A Call for Websites

Do you have a family or personal website or blog that you would like to let other members of the class know about? Send us the URL and we'll post it here and on the class website.

OHS Construction Update #3

This past week we got a newsletter from the Alpine School District that included an update on bonding projects. Here's what it said about Orem High:

The construction on the rebuild of Orem High School on the existing property began in April. Partial demolition and the construction of parking lots and tennis courts started in June. The entire project is scheduled to be completed by July 2010.

I went by the other day to check it out and took a few pictures. I'll post a few below, but you'll find more here.

Here's a new parking lot they've added north of the school.


The hole that was the C-gym.


A shot from the north-west corner of the school lot showing the new parking lot they've added in front of the building.


Looking across the new parking lot at the welcoming main entrance.


Some people might be confused by this.


Looks like they are almost ready to pour the new tennis courts.


The remaining 3 tennis courts are getting new net posts and new fencing.


A little more parking behind the east bleachers.

Orem High Contruction Update #2

Here are some more photos of what's going on at the high school. It's not as dramatic as the piles of rubble, but it's progress.

Looking south along the front of the school.

Would the person who stole the D from "Golden Tigers" please come to Mr Delaney's office?

Looking north from what used to be the parking lot.


What's left of the shops from the south-west corner of the lot.


What's left of the shops from what used to be the driving range.


The 3 remaining tennis courts and the football field from across a newly leveled portion of the former driving range.

OHS Debate Reunion July 12, 2008 at Cascade Elementary

We received this message from Danny Newall the other day:

There is an Orem High debate/forensics reunion for all debate participants from the "Steve Bringhurst era" (1977 to 1991) planned for Sat. July 12th, 2008 at the pavilion at Cascade Elementary School at 6 p.m.

It looks like it will be a very informal bring-your-own-food/pot-luck affair, and they are asking $3 to help pay for the pavilion.

Most of the "big names" from the various years have said they will be coming.

If you need more information, let us know.

The continuing deconstruction of OHS

Seemed like things were going pretty slowly with the demolition for a while, but tonight when I went by I found some real progress.

They've pulled out all the grass and trees from the front of the building and are getting things leveled off.
Here's a view across the parking lot at the gym and the rubble pile of what was the shops, the KOHS studio and Neil and Jerry's Theater.

I got there just in time to see them tearing down the A gym. Here's a photo, followed by a short movie.

And here's a look back at the gym across a cement pile that used to be the tennis courts and the shops.

You can find bigger versions of these and a few other pictures here.

Changes Coming for Orem High

I went by Orem High the other day and took a few pictures of some of the things that are happening there, just in case some of you might be interested.

They've torn up the single strip of parking out in front of the school (looking east from 4th east):

They were packing up the marquee when I drove by (looking east from 4th east):

They've torn up the driving range and torn down the tower (looking north from 3rd south):

They're ripping up the track and the football field (looking north from the tennis courts):

Here's the new driving range they have put in the north-east corner, over by the soccer fields (looking south-west from Campus Drive):
I'll try to take pictures of the construction every now and again as it progresses and post them here.