SALT LAKE CITY — Just as school let out in May, J.E. Cosgriff Memorial School student Christopher Clyne took first place in the seventh-grade category in the “Why I Like My Community” essay contest, which is sponsored annually by the Utah League of Cities and Towns. Now, at the beginning of the new school year, members of the organization were able to hear Clyne’s essay as well as the winning fourth-grade essay, by Mercy Smith of Rock Canyon Elementary School in Provo. The students read their compositions Sept. 12 at the Utah League of Cities and Towns’ annual convention. Clyne is carrying on a Cosgriff tradition; for five of the last six years, a student from the school has placed in the top three in the contest. Shown from left are Clyne’s grandparents, Saint Olaf parishioners Phil and Shirley Hopkins; Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker; Christopher Clyne; and his parents, Saint Ambrose parishioners Dan and Melissa Clyne. Read his winning essay, “The Homey Street Lined with Maples,” below.
The Homey Street Lined with Maples
By Christopher Clyne
Special to the Intermountain Catholic
Hollywood Avenue. My community. Home. It is a quiet suburban neighborhood off 2100 South, lined with maple trees. It is a diverse place, with big homes and little homes, big people, small people, architects, writers, and painters. No matter what, it will always be a special place to me, from all the memories on the street as well as fun traditions. My neighborhood is truly an amazing place.
My street is on a slight hill, and that has provided hours of entertainment for me and my neighbors. In the summer, we always enjoy having some high-speed races, usually with my neighbor Annie’s parents cheering us on. Her father, Alex, used to be in the U.S. Army but now works at the oil refinery. He is a favorite in the neighborhood, taking on the personality of a 60s hippie. He can be heard playing his guitar on his front porch in summertime, or seen raising the American flag on his front lawn. Another special person on the block is the kind Irish lady named Bev Clarke. She has lived on Hollywood Avenue her entire eighty-nine-years, part of which she spent with her ex-fireman husband, Harlow. They both have seen the street develop over the years, and always keep a watchful eye out for trouble. Once she even caught our cat when it got out. The next door neighbors have the cutest little girls that throw the best birthday parties catered by Chick-Fil-A. They usually have either a bounce house or water slide. My neighbor Riley and his family are always a big help when we go out of town. They watch our cats and take care of our chickens while we’re away. We always know our animals are in good care, because Riley’s mom has her own pet-sitting business.
Our newest neighbors always host the best “summer bash.” It is a fun ice cream party where the whole neighborhood is invited. The children run around and play while the adults catch up on the latest neighborhood gossip. The Fourth of July is a big event as well. The local families are invited to go to the neighborhood Ward early in the morning for a pancake breakfast, then a big parade with a fire truck, and finally a big water fight using the fire truck’s hose. We have barbeques and pool parties all day long, followed by an awesome combined fireworks show that night. The Bennetts go all out and buy massive aerials. We make sure to get together and watch the Sugar House fireworks in our backyards, oohing and ahing at the “pretty lights” after the store-bought ones. In the fall, around Halloween, the whole neighborhood gets together to go trunk-or-treating at the ward. After, we swap candies and even do the whole trick-or-treating thing together around the neighborhood.
Later in the year, when the weather gets colder, my neighbors and I have epic snowball fights. It is family versus family, but since I’m an only child, I join the family with the fewest people in it. The winner gets a treat from the losing families, and we all sit in the snow and gorge ourselves on sweets. Speaking of sweets, my neighborhood is the best about giving holiday goodies. The Lloyds go all out, giving fresh baked bread or chocolate Advent calendars. The Limburgs give the tastiest boxes of chocolate, and the Bennetts give the best assortment of either homemade cookies or hot cocoa mix. The Clarkes give out homemade peanut brittle, which is made by Harlow from an old family recipe. It is certainly my favorite holiday treat.
I really like how close my neighborhood is, and how we can depend on each other when times get tough. When my next-door neighbor Nancy got breast cancer, we did all we could to make it better for her family. We all pitched in on meals, and went to stay with the kids when the parents were at the hospital.
This may seem like a really fun-filled community, and it is. But when it isn’t all fun and games, you can sense that there is happiness in the air. It makes everybody feel content to know that we each have each other’s backs, in the best and the worst of times. But it is the worst of times that prove as true testaments to what a great community I live in, like the incident with Nancy. For all the great times, wonderful neighbors, and beautiful households, I am truly thankful.
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