If you have a brother living in the basement, roommates upstairs, a tenant in your detached garage apartment, or a college student home for the summer, they can all have their own Daybreak membership cards. For $10, any resident age 14 and older can stop by the DCC and pick up a proximity card. It’d be a good idea to bring along proof of residency.

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  Several years ago, I stepped into the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris and, looking up at an original rose window, I thought of the people who had dedicated so much time and material and artistic talent to construct the building, of the hundreds of thousands of people who have visited through the centuries seeking solace, sanctuary, and God, and of the French people today, whether believing Catholic or not, who are proud of their historic building. And I thought, this is a special place. Walking into the newly finished Oquirrh Mountain Temple built by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and located right here in Daybreak, while it has neither the spaciousness nor extravagant decoration of the famous cathedral, I felt immediately that I was in a special place.

 

     With its façade the color of dry native grasses—comprised of Uinta gold granite from China—and straight-forward lines, the new temple reflects its arid valley setting and the hard-working, down to earth culture of the people around it. And yet it is breathtakingly beautiful.

 

     The prairie themed colors and no-nonsense architectural style continue in the interior. Gorgeous fabrics in muted browns, golds, greens, and cream complement the dark-stained oak woodwork and abundant brown limestone from Morocco and Egypt. And although the 19,447 Swarovski crystals in the Celestial Room chandelier are imported from Austria, local artisans also helped furnish the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. Bronze handrails on the grand staircase are made from Julius Blum components forged in the United States. Fluted, struck with stars and bordered by circles, the fabulous art glass windows were brilliant cut by John Quist of Salt Lake. Local volunteers, asked on a special Church-service mission and supervised by Utah artist Linda Curley Christensen, hand-painted the lovely murals of Utah mountain country that appear in the upstairs instruction rooms. But best of all, a local landscape architect and Daybreak resident (my very own neighbor, in fact), Greg Boudrero with MGB+A designed the plantings on the grounds surrounding the temple.

 

     It struck me as I moved through the building that while the materials used in the temple are of the highest quality and the craftsmanship is evidently first-class, the space does not have a fussy, extravagant feeling. Beyond the many framed prints taken mostly from well-known LDS paintings and a few carefully placed vases, there is very little extra decoration. Clean-lined moldings and classic, contemporary furniture, including some very comfy chenille chairs in the upstairs sealing rooms, focus the space to its purpose. These rooms are meant to be used by hundreds of people every day. This temple is built for work.

 

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    UPDATE: A Neighbor's Tour of the temple will be held Saturday, May 23, 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM for all residents living in Eastlake Village. The local LDS youth will soon deliver invitations to every home in the area and the temple hosts/ushers will check for these invitations as guests arrive for the Neighbor Tour.

     Ticket reservations begin today, Monday May 4, 2009, for the upcoming Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House. Whether you belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints or not—whether you’re thrilled, or curious, or concerned about the new temple in Daybreak—the Open House will be an opportunity to explore a local Daybreak feature that you won’t want to miss.

     The Oquirrh Mountain Temple will be open to the general public from June 1 to Aug 1, Mondays through Saturdays, with breaks for the Fourth and Twenty-Fourth of July. One-and-a-half hour tours will begin at 8:00 AM and run every ten minutes until the last one each day at 8:50 PM (except Mondays when the last tour will end at 4:30 PM). Tours will include a short video in an air-conditioned tent about the history of South Jordan and the importance of temples to LDS people, a tour of the interior of the temple building, and light refreshments (it wouldn’t be a church function without those refreshments!)

.     You can make reservations by calling 801-240-7645 or online at www.lds.org/reservations. Only groups up to ten can be accommodated online, to make reservations for larger groups you’ll need to call. Everyone is welcome to attend the Open House including children in strollers and people requiring wheelchair assistance. There will even be Spanish language translators on hand.

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     Judging by the busy playground, most of you Daybreak residents with kids have already visited the recently opened park by Oquirrh Lake. As my school-age boys would say, isn’t it awesome?! The largest and, by far, the best playground in Daybreak, the new west end of Rowdy Park offers a whole lot of fun for kids of all ages.

     First of all, there’s the playground. Unlike many other parks in Daybreak, at the west end of Rowdy Park you’ll find entertainment for both very young children and older kids, too. To start, there are swings—not only regular swings, but also the first baby swings in Daybreak! There’s a tube slide set right on the side of a hill (make sure your kids wear durable pants because they’ll probably end up sliding right down the hill, too). And there’s this merry-go-round contraption that you can hang from and go around and around. But the best part, according to my kids, is the incredible climbing structures made of sturdy ropes webbed around metal frames. Like ships or towers or giant three-dimensional spider webs, the structures encourage imaginative play and some great games of tag.

     And then, of course, there’s the lake with its jogging trails and deep blue beauty that we’ve all enjoyed for awhile now. Just beyond the playground down at the water’s edge, there’s a sandy beach complete with sand-castle perfect wet sand. But even though the spot seems perfect for cooling off on a warm spring day, don’t even try to get in the water. Kennecott’s infamous no swimming rule is still very much in effect and the lake security guards will descend on you promptly if you so much as touch the water with your feet—I understand “stay out of the lake” signs will be posted soon. Maybe when South Jordan City takes over the lake someday, they’ll allow swimming—or at least wading—and we’ll be able to enjoy the beach as it was meant to be enjoyed.

     In addition to the exceptional playground and lake, there are some other great features at the new park. Two adjustable basketball hoops with separate half courts invite pick-up games and shooting practice. Plenty of park benches, picnic tables, and well-placed rocks provide rest for supervising parents and worn-out grandparents. Tons of extra sand around the playground gives kids with wise parents who steer clear of water a place to dig, too. And the landscaping—like always at Daybreak parks (yes, even Founder’s Village parks have better landscaping than what you find at a typical neighborhood park)—adds beauty, character, and atmosphere to the area. There are even lots of shade trees.

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The child care at the community center is excellent—who better to leave your precious children with than neighbors and friends?—but pricey. At $2.50 an hour per child (ages 18 months to 8 years) or $3.50 an hour for an infant (older than 6 months) the rates are pretty comparable to typical daycare but extremely expensive for gym child care. And you have to pre-pay in 10-hour increments. They increased the fees last year in order to make the child care more self-reliant, so residents who aren’t using the child care don’t have to pay for it, but if you’re bringing even a couple kids to the gym regularly, you’ll honestly probably save money working out somewhere else. Also, the child care fills up quickly, especially for infants—I would’ve been sent home this morning without my workout if someone else hadn’t canceled at the last minute—so don’t be like me and make sure to call ahead for a reservation.

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From heart-pumping indoor cycling to muscle-building Body Pump (a Les Milles barbells and step class) to inner-peace-finding yoga, there’s lots of fun ways to become a healthier you. For a full schedule of available classes, stop by the community center or check the calendar at www.daybreakliving.net. If you’re not thrilled with the range of classes currently offered, they’ll be sampling new classes soon so make sure you get involved to lend your two cents.

The instructors at the community center are excellent. If you can’t afford a personal trainer (they have those, too), the next best thing is an instructor who tells you when—and how—to warm up, work hard, work harder and cool down, too. And they’re friendly, kind people who’ll take time to make sure your step is properly aligned and give advice for comforting sore calves or easing injured muscles.

Speaking of friendly, that’s one of the best assets of the Daybreak Community Center. As opposed to some other local gyms, the atmosphere is relaxed, casual and low-key. Everyone’s there to get a good workout, not care whether your sports bra matches your running shorts. And since you often run into friends and neighbors, or maybe drag them in with you, there’s a lot of moral support and general encouragement which really help keep you going in your fitness goals.

But there is a drawback to all these great benefits: you have to pay for them. Your HOA fee, which covers your membership to the community center, does not include the classes so that those who don’t take them don’t have to pay for them. But at $30/month (or $5/lesson), the rate is pretty comparable to other gyms in the area and your $30 gets you into any class offered throughout the month (except yoga, which is privately run—you have to pay the instructor separately).

And I have some good news if you’re thinking about taking the DCC classes: you can try them out for free! The much heralded re-launch classes (new music and new moves) on Saturday, January 31—Body Step at 7:30 a.m. and Body Pump at 8:30 a.m.—will be free to all Daybreak residents, no class pass required. If you plan to go, make sure you call ahead to sign up starting Thursday, January 29. Come down and get your feet moving, your heart pumping, and your fit on!

Coming up: basketball, volleyball...sitting in the corridor?