• Daybreak Daily Forums: Periodic air smell in Daybreak

It reminded me of my worst worry when we were first moving here. This “smell” issue was the scariest thing for me. I had learned about it AFTER signing our lease here, so there was no going back. I was so worried that it would be like the DoWiSeTrePla episode of How I Met Your Mother. If you haven’t seen that episode, here’s a full synopsis:

• Wikipedia: How I Met Your Mother: DoWiSeTrePla

In that episode, Marshall and Lily bought an apartment in New York that they could barely afford in a up and coming neighborhood called DoWiSeTrePla. The real estate agent told them that all the cool new neighborhoods are abbreviations. For example, SoHo is short for South of Houston Street and TriBeCa is short for Triangle Below Canal Street.

At the end of the episode, they are driving in a cab to their new apartment when they smell the an ungodly stench. The cab driver informs them that “DoWiSeTrePla” is short for: Downwind of the sewage treatment plant.

We’ve lived in Daybreak over two years now and I’ve smelled it ONCE. It was a pretty minor smell and reminded me of the Great Salt Lake when it gets stinky.

I was SO worried about that smell when we were moving here and the complainers at Daybreak Daily had me convinced that I was about to move into a smelly armpit. Instead, I’ve only caught a whiff of the landfill once and it gave me a kind of nostalgia for my childhood in West Valley City when we smelled the Great Salt Lake every time the wind blew the wrong way.

Is the landfill stinky? It might be, but the residents of Daybreak only smell it about once every two years, so stop complaining and stop scaring away people who are thinking of moving here!

we are contemplating a move to daybreak from harvard/yale area. can you provide me with your opinions both good and bad.

our rationale: i am sick of the cost of maintaining a drafty old house. looking for something that feels the same without the expense (time and money). daybreak seems like a good choice, but i know nobody who lives there. plus it seems like a fun neighborhood for kids.

thanks you for your insights,

kendal

oh, and how are the schools?

Kendal,

Living in Daybreak is definitely different from Sugarhouse. If you work downtown, your commute will be horrible unless you are able to take Trax. That is the worst part of living here. Sometimes, it takes me thirty minutes just to get from Daybreak to I-15. I thought the 114th South exit would help, but it’s still an ordeal just to get to the freeway. If you can take Trax, it’s awesome because you can read or listen to music, but driving it is miserable.

I LOVE that our house needs no maintenance. We were constantly fixing things in the Lake Street house because it was over a hundred years old. It’s so nice to live in a house that just works. One caveat, building a new house is always a nightmare. It would be better to buy one of the existing homes here than to try to build a new one.

This house takes less money to heat as well. Even though it’s twice the square feet, it’s so energy efficient that we pay less in heating and cooling.

One unexpected plus is there is less smog out here. Since we moved here, Mike’s asthma has improved so much that the doctor has cut down his dosage of all his medications. That saved us money, but more importantly, my husband is much healthier. We will never move back to Sugarhouse for that reason alone. This is our third winter in Daybreak and I am not dreading it like I used to because I know that Mike isn’t going to be struggling for his every breath.

I love the Daybreak activities. They do something every month and I really look forward to them. The summer is the best because they have live music every Friday and Saturday night. If you want the Sugarhouse feel where you can walk to and see the activities, try to get a place near Soda Row or the Community Center. East Lake and the North Shore don’t have as many activities within walking distance as Founders Park does.

I don’t have any children, so I can’t tell you about the schools. It’s nice that there are so many kids here, though. I always found it a little creepy that there were never any children around in Sugarhouse.

Best of all, I haven’t had anything stolen off my porch. I haven’t had anyone arrested in my backyard. And not one panhandler has knocked on my door asking for money. The cops are so bored here that I feel VERY safe. All those things happened to us when we lived in Sugarhouse, so you can imagine we were pretty sick of it by the time we left. I’ve talked about the crime problems in Sugarhouse here:

• Pick Me! » Mike’s Bike Was Stolen Yesterday
• Pick Me! » Daybreak Dream a Nightmare?

The one negative that I can say is that the children run positively WILD here. It’s not uncommon to see a three year old child wandering alone with no adult supervision, so drive SLOWLY.

If you’re thinking of moving here, I say go for it. I absolutely adore it here, so I would definitely recommend it.

Best, Laura

TRAX from Timothy Hood on Vimeo.

I’ve been using TRAX to get downtown when Mike has the car and it’s quite efficient. Since we are a one-car family, it’s such a blessing to have the train “take me where I’m going and take me home again.”

This morning, I had the audacity to wear curlers in my hair as I walked Nina. I watched one of the old ladies point at me and the other two turned to look. I pretended I didn’t know what they were pointing at and looked behind me as if wearing brightly colored curlers in my hair while walking the dog was the most natural thing to do. They embarrassedly turned away from me, and when I got close enough to them to look them in the eye, I cheerfully said, “Good morning.”

I’ve seen more shoes abandoned at Soda Row, near the splash fountain than at any other spot in Daybreak. The Abandoned Shoe Phenomena is more understandable there because the fountain is a veritable cry to everyone to throw off their flip flops and take a run in the water. In the early mornings, however, the fountain is quiet and dry. There are no children playing in it because they are in school or maybe even still sleeping.

Late at night, the music from the outdoor speakers seems very loud without the din of traffic and voices to drown it out. It plays easy listening music all night long, despite the fact that Mike and I are the only wanderers through its abandoned walkways. Lamphead Man, the huge metal sculpture in the middle of Soda Row, creaks and squeaks eerily, keeping his eye on us as we walk past him in a desperate attempt to get Nina to go potty so we can finally go to bed.

This video advertising Soda Row features the noisy and happy times during the day when children splash in the water and San Gelato serves up iced confections. Strangely, it’s missing any reference to Tio’s, my favorite restaurant at the shops.

Watching this video is strange to me because I usually experience Soda Row at its most quiet times. The serene peace that I feel when I walk through it every morning and evening is a stark contrast to the fun activity that I see there at other times of the day. There are two personalities to Soda Row: Outgoing Fun and Serene Peace. I urge you to visit it for the Outgoing Fun, but if you truly want to take a breath of fresh air, come in the early morning or late evening and experience the Serene Peace.

Stay on the right and take no more than half the trail

Just like on a road, walk on the right side of the path so that you are not in the way of oncoming traffic and so that others can pass you. If you are pushing a stroller with a friend, it is VERY impolite to walk side by side, taking up the entire trail. If you are walking with a group, taking up more than half the trail is rude as well. If you are bike-riding with friends, you should go single-file so that there is room to get around you.

Pass on the left and announce your presence

You are bound to encounter people who are going slower than you, so a few seconds before it’s time to pass them, announce in a loud voice, “Passing on the left.” That way you won’t surprise them when you come from behind. If you are on a bike or skating, announce yourself earlier and slow down, or, even better, ring your bike bell. If there is more than one person in your group, advise those who are passing how many more people will be passing them soon. i.e. “Passing on the left. There are two others behind me.”

Greet oncoming traffic politely

Look the person in oncoming traffic right in the eye and say, “Good morning (afternoon, or evening).” If the oncoming people are engaged in a conversation and are not polite enough to stop talking to greet you, just look one or the other of them in the eye and nod your head. If the oncoming person is wearing headphones, you can just look at them and mouth the greeting with a smile. The second time you pass an individual, it’s usually polite to say, “Hello, again!” The third time, however, you do not need to greet them again. Just nod politely as you pass.

Watch out for blind turns

There are many turns (especially under the bridges) in which you cannot see ahead of you. Slow down when you approach these turns and announce your presence. If you’re on a bike, ringing a bell before you speed through the turn will warn the people walking that a fast moving traveler is coming. If you are walking, make sure that you only take half the trail, even if your group is big. You cannot see what might be speeding toward your crowd of people, so make sure you don’t get hit.

Watch your kids and pets

The Daybreak trails are not your personal backyard. There are others on the roads, so you must keep your children and pets near you and leashed. There have been so many times when I’ve tried to pass a family on my bike and their toddler has jumped out in front of me. I’ve never hit a child with my bike because I’m notoriously cautious, but relying on others to be cautious around your children or pets is stupidity in action. Additionally, make sure your animals or children are not tormenting the wildlife.

Pick up after your kids and pets

If your child throws their milk bottle (cereal, shoes, etc.) on the trail, it is your responsibility to pick it up. The garbage cans are scattered across the trails for a reason. The same goes for your dog excrement. When you pass the Dogi-Pot station, tear off an extra doggie poo bag and tie it to your leash or stuff it in your pocket. There is NO excuse for leaving dog mess on the side of the trails for others to step in. It is your responsibility to have a plan in place to clean up after your children and pets.

Move off the trail when you stop

Whether you need to rest or you’re enjoying the beautiful views Daybreak has to offer, get out of the way. Others are trying to ride, skate, bike, run or walk on the trail and you stopping on it without moving to the side is incredibly rude.

Be Aware of Your Surroundings

If your headphones are so loud that you cannot hear a person when they announce that they are passing you, then TURN THEM DOWN. I understand that music is very helpful when exercising, but you have a responsibility to be aware of what is going on around you. Additionally, it is impolite to act as if you’re the only person on the trail. If your family is too large to watch each child, then you need to enlist help from other adults or take walks in smaller groups. If you are riding your bike and find that the walkers on the trail are slowing you down, it’s time to find a different route that is more suited to your fitness level. Speeding past walkers without even a warning is inconsiderate and dangerous.

I compiled this list of etiquette rules from various lists on the Internet. These are general rules that have been recognized over the years and work well in other communities. I love walking on the Daybreak trails every day and, for the most part, people are friendly and considerate. There are only a few people who seem oblivious to general trail etiquette and a little education can go a long way.

Walking around Daybreak so often has left me noticing a strange phenomenon. At least once a week, I find a pair of abandoned shoes.

Once abandoned, they stay there a couple of days until, presumably, they are removed by the lawn care employees.

When I was a kid, my mom would have made me return to wherever I had lost my shoes and retrieve them that very day, yet these shoes stand unclaimed for two or three days before disappearing. Have shoes lost their value over the years? Are they now disposable?

Just last week, however, I found myself walking Nina in the grassy area of Founders Park. It was so wet that my ballerina slippers were getting soaked, so I took them off, shaking off the droplets of water and letting the cool grass soak between my toes. I set my shoes on the stone seat and let Nina run around the grass for a bit. After a few minutes of looking at the scenery, it was time for us to leave.

I laughed to myself as I realized that I almost left, abandoning my shoes…

The scent of the flowers flanking the front of this house drew me from across the street. I was walking Nina and we were both particularly tired, but I eagerly went the few extra feet to enjoy the smell of the flowers in the yard.

I also liked the vinyl lettering on the door:

It reads:

Welcome

No Solicitors

The sign is so beautiful that I want to find out where it came from for my own door. Does anyone have any ideas?

Here is a video of the new line from the point of view of the driver:

This will also be handy when I have to leave the car at the mechanic’s to get maintenance. I can just take TRAX home and back when they’re done because they are right on the TRAX line.

Every time I feel a little bored with Daybreak, they add something new to the neighborhood to make it better for me. I’m so grateful to be living here.

Within seconds, Mike found the videos of the burning home on YouTube. The most informative video of the fire has been pulled from YouTube, but has resurfaced here. It showed exactly WHERE the house was (close to Soda Row) and verified that, yes, it WAS our irritating neighbor who set his house on fire. It also proved to us that our home was safe. The fire was horrific, but it didn’t spread to the neighboring homes.

The local bishop and two other ward members discuss the fire as it burns. It’s obvious that the man had a garage full of fireworks. Amazingly, the fire department showed up within three minutes. The homes are so close in this neighborhood that this fire could have been just as devastating as we imagined.

At the 5:45 minute mark, two witnesses talk about it. The speaker in bold saw what happened.

He must have had his garage open.

He did. He had it open.

He did? Well, anyway, I was way over here when that fire hit and this exploded. There was [unintelligible]. And then apparently, some of this must have tipped over or something.

Yeah, one of them hit there, hit over there, hit a guy who was… he went to the hospital.

Oh did he?

Yeah, I don’t know if it was his pants or something caught on fire. He was in bad shape.

Was it one of the guys who was running it?

No, it was one of the guys who was there. There were two: my van and his van. It just deflected off my roof and it hit him on the leg.

According to ABC 4 News, the man who was hit by the fireworks was Ryan Fischer:

“I could hear my wife screaming at me that my pants were on fire, but at the same time I could see the blood going down my legs from my cuts,” Fisher said.

Fragments of the fireworks pierced his legs and was taken to a local hospital.

KSL has yet another video here: ksl.com – Illegal fireworks the cause of 2 Utah fires

FOX 13 actually gave the address to the house: FIRE: Illegal fireworks displays set home ablaze – KSTU That would have been very helpful if we had found it before the YouTube video.

This video was filming the end of the amateur fireworks show when they realize that one of the fireworks had gone into the garage full of fireworks.

Is there anybody in the house?

No.

Fuckin’ kitchen’s on fire. Fuck! Crap!

This next video is the iPhone video that KUTV showed and it has the most coherent explanation of what happened at the 1:23 minute mark:

The guy who was putting on a fireworks show out here, one of ‘em tipped over and shot into the garage [unintelligible] with the rest of ‘em.

At the 1:44 minute mark, you see a grief-stricken woman approach the fire and is pulled away by the firemen.

So, it was just like… and he musta had a lot, I mean, ’cause you can see all these.

At the three minute mark, you can see the fireman approach the house and start to spray it down with water. The fire keeps sparking up over and over with new fireworks igniting despite the gallons of water.

Fireworks are restricted in Daybreak because we have so many dry grass (wild) areas nearby. This guy was doing a fireworks show in a dry field right next to his garage FULL of fireworks. I immediately felt guilty for not calling the police on this guy because people were hurt and an entire home went up in flames, but apparently, had we called the police, we would have gotten the same reception as others did. Here is an excerpt from the discussion on the LiveDaybreak Community Council Facebook Page:

LiveDAYBREAK Community Council This is a solemn reminder of why fireworks aren’t allowed at Daybreak. Our thoughts are with those who were injured and lost their home. Please be safe over the holidays.

Dean Derhak It was a great fireworks show until it went into the garage. Maybe if Daybreak did a community fireworks show residents wouldn’t feel the urge to do this on their own. Sunday at 10:47am

Lonnie Steinke Well then why does DayBreak not enforce their own rules? We have had fireworks going off for 2 days and everyone knows we are not supposed to use it in DayBreak. We will see it through the 24th so just enforce the convenience’s we all agreed to. No reason to have them if you do not have the means to enforce them! Sunday at 11:02am

Lonnie Steinke @Dean…If you want to see fireworks just come to Eastlake and sit on the East hills and you can see the entire valley. Much better show. DayBreak does not even have enough money to enforce their own convenience’s let alone buy fireworks. Sunday at 11:04am

Wendy Memmott That is right Lonnie. I live in the townhomes and had an incident on Friday night. When calling the afterhours line, it is an answering service and they refered me to the police department. I called them, an off duty officer called me back and said, the only reason he was calling me is because he was doing security in daybreak. It is legal to light fireworks in South Jordan and I would need to take it up with my HOA. What good is having so called security if they are not going to enforce Daybreak rules?? Where they were being lit on Friday night, there is NO water sources available so if one of them would have gone awry, more than one family could have been displaced because of one person breaking the rules. Sunday at 11:09am

Wendy Memmott Jo,I tried to alert the HOA office and all I got was an answering service that had no clue. I then called the non emergency police and was told it is not illegal to light fireworks in South Jordan but he wwould go talk to them. I think there needs to be more communication between our HOA and our security. Sunday at 3:12pm

Now, they are talking about taking donations to help this family after the fire and I can’t bring myself to agree with that. Timothy Hood said it best on Daybreak Daily:

Timothy Hood on 03-07-2011 23:48

So, to clarify… The family living in the home where the garage burned:

1. Was renting

2. Did not bother to purchase renter’s insurance

3. Set off fireworks, which is not allowed in Daybreak

4. Set off fireworks which are illegal in the state of Utah

5. Set off fireworks in a crowd of homes next to a field of dry grass

Wants others to pay for their irresponsible acts? How do we know they would use the donations/money responsibly if they prioritize purchasing illegal fireworks over renter’s insurance. The amount spent on those fireworks would have paid for more than one year’s worth of insurance.

As a renter, I am incredibly angry at this guy for giving us a bad name. While, I don’t believe that this guy petitioned for donations, I’m not willing to donate.

In the end, I’m incredibly grateful to all the people who posted the videos to YouTube and discussed things on Daybreak Daily and Facebook. Even though we were miles away, we could ascertain what happened that night and verify that our own homes were safe. There was a horrific fire in Daybreak over the Fourth of July weekend and I hope that everyone will take it to heart when they consider lighting fireworks in our neighborhood.

Update 07-06-11 3:01 pm: This is a video of the NYPD destroying 5,000 pounds of fireworks. I wonder how much that guy had in his garage.

Via: Make: Online | Happy Fourth of July!

Update 01-01-2012:

The house has been rebuilt enough that it looks like the family is back in the home. Oh, and did I fail to mention? The idiot was doing fireworks at midnight for New Year’s Eve. It’s legal in Utah to do fireworks, but it’s STILL against Daybreak regulations.

You’d think that a trip to the hospital for both him and his son would have scared him off fireworks for the rest of his life, but apparently, it didn’t. I think we have a pyromaniac on our hands.

I talked to Marcie Hennessy, who works at Nine Salon, and had a front row seat to the accident. She said that the gray minivan was crossing Daybreak Parkway and clipped the Blue Tahoe on the rear, flipping it over.

Considering that the Tahoe flipped TWICE, I asked Marcie if she thought the Tahoe might have been going over the speed limit and she said probably.

They saw children and the drivers of both cars taken away in the ambulance, so all our thoughts are with them right now, hoping that everyone escaped from the accident without injuries.