Now the truth can be told.
The grand vision for the city's civic center area was conceived in the middle of the night in a motel room in Williamsburg, Va.That was where then-Mayor Steve Newton, after touring the colonial village with his family the day before, awoke with an inspiration.
"I remember, I woke my wife up," Newton said Tuesday during a ceremony to honor Sandy's former mayors. "I sketched on the back of the Williamsburg guidebook how it would look."
Newton's concept of a civic center, patterned after the founding fathers' design of Williamsburg, was to place government, education, religion and business facilities in an organized fashion along a main corridor. Nearly 10 years later, that idea is blossoming as corporate entities scramble to become a part of Sandy's "new downtown" in the South Towne area.
"We felt if you grouped the services together in a way that would complement each other, it would just be a matter of time" before the vision became a reality, Newton said. "We tried to simply plow the ground and sow the seeds for a mini-downtown for the south valley where you can get whatever you can get in downtown Salt Lake right here."
Newton, who served from 1986 to '89 and is now an attorney for Sinclair Oil Corp., was one of eight living former mayors honored by the city Tuesday. Each former mayor was recognized for his contributions to the city and was asked to hang a picture of himself along the south wall of City Hall's second floor.
It was a chance for the men who helped make the city what it is today to share old times and reminisce about how the city has changed - or hasn't.
David Shelby, in office 1962-1965, recalled how citizens wanted him to improve roads, guarantee safe streets, provide adequate fire and police protection and improve the overall quality of life in Sandy.
Frank Mumford remembered how being mayor, 1967-73, nearly killed him. Mumford, 76, said he worked 40 hours a week in his butcher shop, then put in at least that much time as the city's "part-time" mayor. Near the end of his final term, he suffered a heart attack.
"Between the two, it took its toll," Mumford said of his two occupations.
While some former mayors, like Newton, have kept their distance from City Hall since they left office, Noal Bateman has remained active. Bateman, the city's oldest living former mayor at 83, serves on two city committees. And he's not about to slow down.
Bateman, mayor from 1952-57, engineered the city's first major annexation. He said he persuaded Orren Greenwood to bring his huge farm into the city, which nearly doubled the size of Sandy.
Newton recalled how the Delta Center nearly came to Sandy during his tenure, when Utah Jazz owner Larry H. Miller appeared to be at an impasse with Salt Lake City. The Delta Center would have been built on the site where Sandy City Hall now stands.
The construction of City Hall was the main accomplishment attributed to Larry Smith, mayor from 1982-85 and again 1990-93.
Other former mayors said many of their dreams did not fade when they left office but were instead realized by future administrations.
Tuesday's ceremony was the brainchild of Mayor Tom Dolan's administration. The mayor said it's important for the community to recognize the years of service the men gave to the city. Many of them were volunteers or worked long hours at low pay, he said.
Each former mayor was given a book about Sandy's history and a picture of City Hall.
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Additional Information
8 men recognized for contributions
Here is a brief look at each of the eight living former mayors honored by the city Tuesday:
- Noal Bateman (1952-57) - Bateman has continued to be active in local politics and civic affairs. He supported Paul Thompson in the 1977 election and still has one of Thompson's campaign signs hanging above his garage.
- David Shelby (1962-65) - As mayor during a time of rapid growth, Shelby had to manage a whopping budget of $84,000. He moved to the city in 1948, buying an 18-acre farm and home for $3,500.
- Ravell Beckstead (1966-67) - Beckstead, currently serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, concentrated his efforts on widening and paving the city's roads.
- Frank Mumford (1967-73) - The man who never aspired to be mayor was appointed by the City Council after Beckstead resigned to take a job out of state. "I was sitting at home minding my own business when they called and told me I was the mayor." He went on to win re-election twice.
- Dewey Bluth (1974-77) - In 1977, Bluth declared the city had "catapulted into a stage of adolescent growth that is bursting its britches."
- Paul Thompson (1978-81) - The city's first full-time mayor focused on obtaining federal and state monies for the city and securing the I-15 interchange at 10600 South. He was only 28 when elected.
- Steve Newton (1986-89) - Newton, 46, served on the City Council for six years before being elected mayor. He still lives in Sandy.
- Larry Smith (1982-85, 1990-93) - In addition to City Hall, Smith spearheaded construction of a fire station, several parks and pavilions and also improved roads - all without raising taxes.