Teton Dam: 5-Minute Histories Project
It's been 49 years since the devastating flood did its best to wipe Sugar City off the map. In the summer of 2026, there will be a big commemoration in Rexburg, Sugar City, and the surrounding areas. The multi-day commemoration will include lectures and museum events, bus and walking tours in Rexburg and Sugar City, and shuttles out to the newly improved facilities at the dam site, etc.
(This photo, taken after the flood waters had receded, is looking east on 3rd North in Sugar. The old sugar factory and the WWII POW camp building can be seen in the left corner.)
This year, as part of our Sugar Days 2025 celebration, we're going to have a booth set up for residents who remember the flood to drop in and record up to a five-minute video in which they share their memories of that fateful time. We invite all who would like to participate.
Sugar Days 2025
Speaking of Sugar Days, we invite all residents, sponsors, and vendors to put Saturday June 21st on their calendars!
As always, please contact or drop in city hall to reserve your booth spot. We hope we have even more kids, families, and vendors this year!
We plan to have plenty of free bounce house-type activities for the kids, prizes, music, and the early morning community breakfast. Plan to participate with the whole family! It's always wonderful to see so many residents and families out enjoying Sugar Days in Heritage Park.
City Parks Long-Term Planning
And speaking of parks, we're currently reviewing the city's parks plan. If you have a crystal ball or a magic telescope and can peer into the future, near and far, what do you foresee for our great community pertaining to parks and open space and other recreational opportunities for residents? We welcome all ideas.
My personal general philosophy is that parks and open space should benefit all and should require a minimum of additional city funding or other revenue and bureaucracy to maintain and manage. Also, I could entertain the idea of well-planned municipal and private partnerships that created public-use facilities available for all residents with limited additional cost to public coffers.
I guess what I'm saying is if you have ideas for our current and future parks and walking/biking paths and open areas and additional recreational facilities, please share them.
A few near-future ideas on my list would include a pavilion in Heritage Park, additional walking and biking paths throughout the city, a few multi-use outdoor court facilities, and a "park-like" revitalization of our downtown area.
A parks plan is important as we try to maintain the health and welfare of our residents and the beauty of our community. Also, a plan is necessary as we try to benefit from growth that may come our way over the years, including long after some of us are gone. We can really bless the lives our our current and future residents if we have a good, workable, economical, and public parks plan.
If you have ideas or suggestions or concerns, you can stop by or contact city hall or you can email me at gdayley@sugarcityidaho.gov.
Here's hoping spring will finally arrive and we can enjoy the warming sunshine in wonderful Sugar City.