[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 105 (Wednesday, June 16, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4578-S4580]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                  Utah

  Mr. LEE. Madam President, 100 years ago, in 1921, a young and newly 
married couple named Percy and Verabel Knudson saw the need for a 
gathering place in their community. Knowing they could make money 
selling ice cream and candy, they started Idle Isle Ice Cream and Candy 
Store.
  A few years later, after raising the necessary funds, Percy and 
Verabel Knudson--with the help of David H. Call and his wife LaRita--
shifted their business from sweets to full-service meals, and Idle Isle 
Cafe was born.
  Over the course of the last century, Idle Isle Cafe has endured 
remarkable events in history and served important people. It survived 
the difficulties of the Great Depression and World War II, all while 
serving locals and national celebrities alike, including Wallace Beery, 
Charlie Chaplin, Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, and Paulette Goddard.
  During the fifties, Idle Isle even served ``The Duke'' himself, Mr. 
John Wayne, who stopped in on a number of occasions while visiting Utah 
on hunting trips and movie shoots.
  In those years, the cafe also served as a meeting place for members 
of the Brigham City unit of the Utah National Guard, who were later 
called to

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serve their country in the Korean war. Idle Isle Cafe has endured both 
good times and bad over the last century. But whatever the times, it 
has always been a place where people from every walk of life could 
share a meal, enjoy friendship, and bear one another's burdens as they 
endured the ups and downs of life together.
  As the cafe celebrates its 100-year anniversary this year, it is 
worth recognizing all the good that it has done for Utah and for 
Brigham City. Of course, bearing one another's burdens is one of the 
things that Utahns do best.
  Travis and Jana Porter, the current owners of Idle Isle Cafe, 
epitomized this spirit. Everyone who befriends or works with the 
Porters quickly sees their love of community and their dedication to 
their country. Nearly everything they do, both inside of the restaurant 
and outside, stems from their passion for helping others and their 
optimistic outlook on life.
  Even with their five kids and the business of running the restaurant, 
the couple finds intentional time each day to love and serve those who 
work in the cafe and all who come to visit. As a result of their 
service, Idle Isle Cafe endures.
  We, as Utahns, are engaged in the work of enduring together. In fact, 
the State's economy is so robust, in large part, because neighbors care 
for neighbors, friends care for friends, and strangers even look out 
for strangers. It doesn't matter who you are. In Utah, you belong. 
Whether in the cafe or the community, there is a place for you at the 
table. Our doors are open. So, too, are our hearts. You see, Utah is 
one of these places where it doesn't matter how long your family has 
been in the State or whether you have been here for 5 minutes; to us, 
you are a Utahn.
  The endearing spirit of Utah is not inspired by government. No, it is 
inspired by moms and dads, teachers, small business owners, friends, 
and neighbors.
  Earlier this year, when neighbors in West Valley City were 
overwhelmed at the prospect of revamping and reclaiming their 
community, an opportunity presented itself. Aging homes, with peeling 
paint and cracked up driveways, broken fences, and neglected yards, 
needed to be refinished. So in typical Utah fashion, neighbors came 
together.
  After identifying problems, reviewing resources, and communicating 
with community leaders, an initiative was born--Operation My Hometown. 
Operation My Hometown is a neighborhood improvement coalition made up 
of residents, city workers, and volunteers from various churches and 
other organizations. It runs entirely on private initiative and 
volunteerism, two of Utah's hallmark strengths. Their process is 
simple: see something in need of repair, note it and join the group to 
help fix it and then, of course, fix it.
  Repair requests can be submitted online, and anyone can help. The 
projects are significant. And, quite remarkably, they are being 
completed. To quote one news report:

       Six days a week, the church is converting its meetinghouse 
     in the neighborhood into a community center. Corporations are 
     donating cash and goods. A new park is planned. The city is 
     adding street lights. Funds are being raised to finance home 
     ownership. And volunteers are streaming in from all over the 
     Salt Lake Valley to work side by side with residents.

  Neighborhood resident, Bonnie Shaw, stated:

       I am so encouraged, so hopeful, so blessed, I can't even 
     believe this is happening.

  Another resident, Nickolaus Orwin, shared, as follows:

       We live in a strange world these days. We hear this 
     ideology that if you don't look like me, talk like me, act 
     like me and vote like me, then we must be enemies, but 
     throughout all of this social upheaval . . . this community 
     has worked together and served one another in such a 
     brilliant and beautiful way that it just defies the ideology 
     that we're different and we have to segregate ourselves out 
     into groups. Even in the dark days of COVID . . . this 
     community service was such a bright, shiny star. Through all 
     of that hard, we have this, this really beautiful and safe 
     community service that was happening.

  It has been said that ``the greatness of a community is most 
accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.'' If 
that is the case, then Utah is truly a great place.
  To honor this tradition of greatness, I myself am grateful to host 
the annual Flavors of Utah event in partnership with Operation My 
Hometown in West Valley City later this summer. My office has partnered 
with this and other great community groups to collect food from local 
producers and distribute it to those in need. I encourage other Utahns 
to join me in this effort as we together look for opportunity to 
thrive.
  The spirit of Utah, the enduring spirit of Utah, is borne from a rich 
history of hard work, industry, innovation, and ingenuity--even against 
great hardship. Few individuals embody this spirit more than the late 
Obert Clark Tanner.
  Born in Farmington, UT, in 1904, O.C. Tanner was the youngest of 10 
children. Despite his position in the family, from a young age, Tanner 
felt an obligation to provide for his family. He did so by performing 
odd jobs around the city, including stoking furnaces. One of the people 
for whom Tanner stoked the furnace was a jeweler. The jeweler became a 
friend and a mentor to Tanner and, with time, schooled the young Tanner 
in the jewelry business. Tanner was a quick study. He swiftly 
implemented the lessons taught to him and began selling graduation pins 
and class rings from the back of his car.
  In 1927, he officially founded the O.C. Tanner Company. Though still 
an undergraduate student at the University of Utah, he used what little 
time he had outside of his classwork to make ends meet--and make ends 
meet, he did. The company quickly grew and endured the difficulties 
that put others out of business.
  Throughout the years, the enduring spirit of O.C. Tanner has been a 
guiding light and inspiration to many, and the company has achieved 
truly great heights.
  In 2002, the O.C. Tanner Company crafted the medals for the Winter 
Olympics, which were hosted in Salt Lake City. In 2019, O.C. Tanner 
designed a copper spike replica of the original golden spike that was 
ceremonially driven at the joining of the two branches of the first 
transcontinental railroad.
  Today, the O.C. Tanner Company maintains offices in the United 
States, Canada, England, Singapore, Australia, and India. The company 
is one of the largest manufacturers of retail and corporate awards in 
the United States, and it employs over 1,500 people.
  Through the dark nights of hardship, O.C. Tanner has endured and even 
succeeded, thrived. Through the difficulties of community building, the 
volunteers of Operation MyHometown endure, and they are succeeding.
  Through 100 years of historic highs and unforgettable lows, the Idle 
Isle Cafe endures and, yes, the cafe is succeeding too. As goes the 
saying, those who endure conquer.
  Similar to O.C. Tanner, volunteers of Operation MyHometown, the Idle 
Isle Cafe, and all Utahns have endured the difficulties of the last 
year with utmost faith and fortitude, and they are emerging victorious. 
The enduring spirit of Utah is strong.
  The 2020 pandemic, earthquakes, civic discord, confusion, and 
contention presented daunting challenges in the lives of all, and yet 
Utahns are breathing a collective sigh of relief as we embrace the 
shining horizon that lies yet ahead.
  Since the onset of the virus over a year ago, Utahns have seen near-
continual drop in unemployment. Utah's unemployment rate fell to 2.8 
percent in April--less than half the national number.
  Though earthquakes shook homes and businesses last year, Utah's 
economy has still been rated the best in the United States by several 
nationally recognized outlets. And while the discord, confusion, and 
contention seem to dominate the airwaves, Utah's citizens have banded 
together to bridge the partisan divides that can be so difficult to 
overcome.
  Utah and Utahns are remarkable.
  If you are seeking a place to start a business, ask those at Idle 
Isle Cafe. Utah is the place.
  If you are seeking a place where community matters, ask those at 
Operation MyHometown. Utah is the place.
  If you are seeking a place where opportunity is abundant, read the 
story of O.C. Tanner. Utah is the place.
  I am very grateful for the privilege of representing the State of 
Utah here in the U.S. Senate. It is my hope that the successes and the 
enduring spirit of

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Utah will continue to serve as an example for the Nation.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Heinrich). The Senator from Texas.