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Celebratory ceremony for installation of council members

Jan 21, 2020 10:22AM ● By Mimi Darley Dutton

Draper’s City Council L-R Cal Roberts, Tasha Lowery, Marsha Vawdrey, Mayor Troy Walker, Fred Lowry and Mike Green. (Mimi Darley Dutton/City Journals)

By Mimi Darley Dutton | [email protected]

On the first Monday of the new decade, with sunshine streaming in the windows of City Hall, the three winning candidates of Draper’s election for city council took the oath of office. 

They promised to uphold both the Constitution of the United States as well and that of the state of Utah as they begin their four-year terms. City Recorder Laura Oscarson administered the oath to each person individually. 

Incumbent Marsha Vawdrey took the oath first. She spoke about 2020 marking 100 years of women having the right to vote in America and noted that Utah granted that privilege to women 50 years ahead of the nation. She recounted an entry in her mother’s journal dated February 7, 1978 when her mother wrote that she’d voted that day for Draper to become a city. Vawdrey indicated her gratitude for that decision, saying, “Draper had lived in the shadows of Sandy City in the past.”

Finally, she shared a warning with her newly elected, fellow officials. “Today you’re in a room full of people who love you, support you, and who worked hard to get you here. I just want to give you a warning, the people in the room may change in the near future. As people told me, today is the swearing-in, tomorrow begins the swearing at,” Vawdrey said. 

Fred Lowry repeated his oath of office quietly. “You don’t have to run for office very long to find out how vulnerable you are,” Lowry said. He saluted the others who ran and he recognized the spouse, special companions or family members of the elected individuals. “We’ve become acquainted with the sacrifice it takes to serve,” Lowry said. 

Lowry noted the painting in the lobby of City Hall and said it makes him look back two generations in his family as well as two generations forward. His infant grandson was in the audience. “That’s not lost on me. To be able to serve is an honor,” he said, indicating he’s “committed to preserving this amazing community.” 

Cal Roberts, the youngest member of the council, was last to take the oath. “I feel like an imposter up here,” he said. Unlike Lowry and Vawdrey, Roberts doesn’t have planning commission experience. But he did serve on a taxpayer advocate board for SunCrest, which led to him pursuing election to city council. 

Roberts reiterated his hope to foster a sense of community and to think “smaller,” at a more neighborhood level, in his first term. 

Mayor Troy Walker quoted Winston Churchill in saying, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” 

In a celebratory event that included singing by a quartet from Corner Canyon High School and an acapella solo performance of “Proud to Be an American” by Juan Diego student Audrey Tita-Munoz, friends and family of the newly installed city council members offered hugs, pats on the back, handshakes and words of encouragement for the three newly installed council members.

Among those in the audience were former Draper city councilman and current House District 51 representative Jeff Stenquist, former Speaker of the House Greg Hughes, former Draper mayor Darrell Smith and former councilman Bill Rappleye. 

Rappleye had some words of wisdom to offer from his time on the council. “Always remember it’s not about you, it’s about Draper City, the citizens of Draper and the future. That’s the key to being a good public servant. Everybody is not going to like you, but you have to serve with integrity always,” he said.