Is Utah County a Good Place to Live?

August 25th, 2010

What makes Utah County such a great place to live?  That’s an easy question to answer when you look at the facts presented below.

  • Utah is ranked #1 among Tech Savvy States,
  • #2 for the best places to start and operate a business,
  • #3 with regards to life expectancy,
  • and the list goes on and on from there in the infrographic posted below.

Please feel free to share with us why you think Utah County is such a great place to live.

Post your comments below.  We hope you enjoy this post – feel free to share it with your friends.

What Makes Utah A Great Place To Live

Where to Get Your Hair Cut in Spanish Fork, Utah

August 6th, 2010

This is a guest post from Liz P.

I had a great experience at Supercuts in Spanish Fork yesterday. My daughter has the thickest hair I’ve ever seen and it’s very challenging to cut and style it.

The stylist we had Jordan did an amazing job and I highly recommend her! She was very knowledgeable, kind and patient which was exactly what we needed. And my daughter looks beautiful!

Supercuts
59 E 1000 N, Spanish Fork, UT 84660
(801) 794-9960

Update from UCR

Where do you get your hair cut in Utah County? Personally, I’m a “cut in myself” kind of guy :)

What are things you look for when selecting a salon?

Have you had good experiences at Supercuts?

We look forward to your feedback!

Why is Highway 6 in Spanish Fork So Deadly?

July 31st, 2010

I heard the police cars and ambulance speeding down Highway 6 this morning.

Really, it’s a pretty common sound.

What can be done?

Here was the result of another accident today in Spanish Fork Canyon:

SPANISH FORK CANYON — Two people were killed when a car collided with a semitrailer up Spanish Fork Canyon Saturday.

According to Sgt. Ted Tingey with the Utah Highway Patrol, a 78-year-old Texas woman was driving a Pontiac Vibe down the canyon near Thistle Junction around 8 a.m. when she drifted into oncoming traffic and struck a semitrailer carrying brick.

The impact caused the Pontiac to spin off the road, while the semi ended up in the opposite lanes of traffic.

Tingey says the driver of the Pontiac, Patsy Clark, was flown to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in serious condition with neck and back injuries. The two people in the car with her, 52-year-old James Stanrar and 75-year-old Joyce Finley, died at the scene…

What are your suggestions on how we can make Spanish Fork Canyon a safer place to drive?

How to Find the Best Mexican Restaurant in Utah County

June 1st, 2010

We all know that there are good restaurants in Utah County and bad ones.

What is the best way to determine whether or not a Mexican restaurant is good? Having a bad meal is always a disappointing experience; the good news is that there are a few things to look out for when deciding which Mexican restaurant to visit.

Family & Friend Recommendations

It’s always best to get recommendations from friends and family. Do you have friends who enjoy making or eating traditional Mexican foods? If so, they can probably name a few Mexican restaurants to visit or stay away from.

There is a world of difference between a good Mexican restaurant, which serves top quality authentic Mexican food and an inferior restaurant that uses poor quality ingredients and does not serve tasty Mexican food.

Restaurant Reviews

You might like to read the restaurant reviews in your local newspaper or visit the restaurant itself if it is nearby. If it looks busy, that is normally a good sign. An empty or near-empty restaurant can be, but is not always, a bad sign. The food might not be as fresh and if nobody else wants to eat there, there might be a good reason for it.

Restaurant Advertisements

Advertisements are not a good way to choose a restaurant because an advertisement, whether in print, on the radio or on the TV, just says what the restaurant owner wants it to say.

An advertisement might advertise a Mexican restaurant as “top quality” or as having “the best traditional Mexican foods” or something similar, but how far can you trust advertisements? Word of mouth is always more reliable and if your Mexican food fan friends have a favorite Mexican eatery, that is the best way to determine where you should go.

What’s your favorite Mexican restaurant in Utah County?

BYU’s Jimmer Fredette is Coming Back!

May 12th, 2010

PROVO — BYU guard Jimmer Fredette announced Saturday he has decided to withdraw his name from the NBA Draft and return to BYU for his senior season.

“I had a great experience going through the whole process,” Fredette said. “I met some great people and learned a lot. I was able to impresses a lot of people and I think they will be interested to see how I do this coming season. I hope to play extremely well my senior year and achieve our team goals and my personal goals and get drafted next year.”

The 6-foot-2 junior declared for the NBA Draft on April 19 but did not hire an agent to maintain his eligibility. Fredette earned numerous honors in 2009-10 while leading BYU to a 30-6 record and the second round of the NCAA Tournament. He was named to five All-America teams, the All-Mountain West Conference First Team and All-District by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). Fredette was also named the USBWA Player of the Year.

In 2009-10, Fredette averaged 22.1 points, 4.7 assists and 1.2 steals and eclipsed 20 points 22 times and 30 points eight times. Fredette had several notable games, setting BYU records with 49 points and nine threes at Arizona and an MWC Tournament record with 45 points against TCU. He tied the Cougar record for points in an NCAA Tournament game with 37 against Florida.

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Provo is One of the Most Liveable Cities According to Forbes

May 3rd, 2010

Provo, Utah made the top of the list of America’s Most Livable Cities.

The Utah college town ranked No. 3 in a list of 200, compiled by Forbes magazine using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and crime reports.

Pittsburgh, Pa., ranked No. 1 on the list.

Cities were ranked based on the last five years of income growth, current unemployment rates, cost of living, crime rates and arts and culture ratings.

Read more on the Forbes’ America’s Most Livable Cities project.

Why do you love living in Provo, Utah?

5 things I like about Provo

  1. The Weather (most of the time)
  2. The Provo River & Canyon
  3. Close to lots of great hikes & scenic views
  4. Excellent options for restaurants
  5. One of the best overall sports programs in the nation!
    1. Men’s Football
    2. Men’s Basketball
    3. Men’s volleyball
    4. Women’s Rugby
    5. Cross Country
    6. Track & Field

What are reasons I left out on why Provo is one of the best places to live?

Why Does a Small Business in Utah Need an Attorney?

April 30th, 2010

Small businesses try to operate in as lean and efficient a manner as possible. They try to eliminate as much waste and offer as much service as they can. So why should every small business build a relationship with a good Utah attorney or Utah law firm?

Even though the business may be small, the number of legal issues a small business may have to confront is not. And as any good parent will tell you, often times an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. By starting off on the right foot, from forming your business to creating HR policies, the legal counsel you receive from one of Utah’s law firms can be the difference between success and failure; between profits and loss. When a small business decides to retain the services of one of Utah’s experienced law firms, it is usually doing itself a huge favor both today and in years to come.

Starting a business in Utah isn’t the toughest legal hurdle to cross, but what kind of business you create and how you do it is a significant business decision. Whether you form an LLC, an S corp, or something else, the business formation you decide to use can have huge tax implications. An experienced Utah tax attorney can literally make the difference between turning a profit and suffering a loss come tax day.

Not only does choosing the form of your business influence your tax liabilities, but your personal liability for potential damages and debts the company may incur. A landscaping company may need very different liability protection from an accounting firm.

  • How much direct interaction will your company have with the public?
  • Does your company sell or operate any potentially dangerous equipment?

Better check with an attorney that understands Utah employment law, products liability law, and personal injury law.

  • Is it possible you could lose your house if your business can’t pay it’s bills?
  • What about investors?
  • Do you need them?
  • What role do you want your investors to have? Better check with an attorney that understands Utah business law.
  • Do you have vendors?
  • Are you going to be selling products or services?

Better check with an attorney that understands Utah contracts law. Are you going to be renting retail space or office space? Will you be buying facilities or using your home for your business? Better check with an attorney that understands Utah property rights and real estate law. What will happen to your business if you die? Who will own it? Who will run it? What will happen to your stock? Better check with an attorney that understands Utah Estate Planning.

All it takes is for one of these issues to go bad for a small Utah business owner to understand just how valuable an investment in good legal work can be, even before the business gets its first customer. Contract disputes, injured employees, tax liability, and dozens of other issues can cost unprepared businesses several times the cost of a good attorney’s services that can help reduce the companies exposure to these legal risks. Many of Utah’s law firms specialize in Utah business law and specific industries. These attorneys can provide the legal representation that will get small businesses off on the right foot, provide adequate protection, and allow the business to thrive.

Family Activities in Utah County (pics)

March 8th, 2010

If you’re looking for fun things to do with your family in Utah County this spring and summer, here are a few pictures that may give you some ideas.

Bridal Veil Falls is a great place to go hiking, biking, or a simple park and walk.

We also went to a fun family activity on Provo Center Street last summer where they had lots of fun activities for kids, including the pictures below ScalesandTailsUtah.com. They came with reptiles from all over the world.

Since Utah County is “Happy Valley”, there are definitely a lot of fun things to do with family.

What are some of your favorite things to do as a family in Utah County?

Bridal Veil Falls

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Provo Utah McDonalds Gets an A

March 5th, 2010

Price:
Kid Friendly:
Food Quality:
Cleanliness:
Promptness:
Location:

1225 S University Ave
Provo, Utah 84601

Yesterday, on my way to work, I decided to stop by the Provo Utah McDonalds across the street from the Provo Towne Center Mall.

There were multiple things I was impressed with:

  1. Can You Say FAST? In comparison to other fast food restaurants in Provo, Utah, the McDonalds was AMAZING. I don’t think it took more than 3 minutes to go through the entire drive through and I wasn’t even the only car there.
  2. Friendly Employees: Both the ladies I spoke with, the first at the money window, and the 2nd when I got my food, were very friendly. They said things like, “Have a great day!” “Thanks for coming – see you again.” I know, I know, these aren’t really new things but both these ladies seemed to be really sincere instead of mono-tone robots.
  3. Fresh Fast Food: yes, my Egg McMuffin and hashbrowns were both hot and crispy. I know McDonalds is one big system but not all McDonalds are cut out of the same cloth.

One other side note that I didn’t experience on this occasion but have in the past is their cleanliness. The employees seem to take pride in keeping everything spot free.

McDonalds in Provo, Utah definitely get’s a big

Gordon Monson Dumb Question of the Year!

March 4th, 2010

No, I’m NOT a fan of the Utah Utes unless they are playing a non-Mountain West team.

But this question by Gordon Monson had to be one of the dumbest, most pathetic inquiries I’ve ever heard in sports media.

Bless Jim Boylen’s heart for calling him out on the stupidest sports question in Utah history!

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

How would YOU answer that idiotic question?