Those being honored with the Chamber Legacy Award are Wayne Winegar and Haven J. Barlow, and the late Glen Flint, Dr. G. Evan Taylor, William Holt and Dale Smedley.
The theme, "The Road to No Where," has been chosen because that's how then-Gov. Calvin Rampton dubbed the project. It reportedly was the culmination of more than 100 years of dreaming, says Acting Chamber CEO Diane Town-send.
"The island, always inaccessible to most, was never the less a dream, always out of reach but never out of sight to all in the valley," says incoming Chamber Pres. Vaughn Jacobsen.
"While only two (of the recipients) are still with us, the vision and dedication of all lives on, impacting each of us every day," he said.
"These are the men who had not only the dream but the vision and drive to fight against the odds and elements as well as non-believers and skeptics to build the causeway to Antelope Island," he said.
Island access was always by boat until the early 1960s when the group banded together to work for the project.
"Working against the ad- vice of state engineers, this group of dedicated men enlisted the expertise of Dale Smedley, a local contractor, to help them build the road," Jacobsen said.
"When confronted with the challenge and daunting task, Smedley led the charge telling the group to 'Just start digging.' Without state funding or support, these men put their reputations on the line," he continued.
"They went to work, night and day, 24 hours a day, six days a week," Jacobsen said.
"Today, we all enjoy the Causeway for a variety of reasons," he said. "The crown jewel of the State Parks Department, Antelope Island is available for the world to put their feet in the Great Salt Lake," Jacobsen said.
"The Causeway opened the door for Davis County, Gateway to the Great Salt Lake," he said. "Hikers, bikers and nature enthusiasts all enjoy the wilds of the island. The attention the Causeway drew forced municipalities to upgrade waste disposal systems, no longer draining raw sewage into the Great Salt Lake as well as drew needed attention for the responsible retrieval of mineral resources."
"We want to give the award to outstanding citizens who have provided great leadership to the Chamber and the county," Acting Davis Chamber CEO Diane Townsend said.
"It is for recognizing people who have done something instrumental, above and beyond what's expected in their position," she said.
In addition to the foresight of then-commissioners Winegar, Taylor and Flint, and to the group itself "who literally started digging," Townsend said "if it hadn't been for Haven, he made it so we could get the last mile funded."
Smedley, the project engineer, "after they dedicated the plaque on the island, who went through all that work, within 24 hours he passed away," Townsend said. The plaque was dedicated May 26, 2005.
"It's going to be a wonderful affair," she said of the Jan. 19 event. "It's a nice way for us to honor all of the people in the county who do extraordinary work, a nice way to give back to the community."
The Chamber currently counts about 900 members, is among the state's largest. About the 2007 theme, "Defying Gravity," she said, "It's going to be a great year of change. We have so many things going on, new staff, new leadership, new ideas. We're having fun."
tbusselberg@davisclipper.com
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