LOGAN — Late last month it was announced that the long-running Summer Citizens program that welcomes older adults from hotter places like Arizona and California is being taken over by the Cache Valley Chamber of Commerce.
On KVNU’s For the People program last week, Chamber president and CEO Jamie Andrus talked about how this came about.
“This is an extraordinary 45 year-old program. And we’ve had as many as 800 of these senior citizens coming to our beautiful valley where it’s a little cooler in the summer, and having the opportunity to have some continuing education classes and enjoy all the great things we have to offer in Cache Valley,” Andrus explained.
She said in discussions with the program’s key long-time sponsor, Utah State University, the university expressed the desire to stay involved but not have to be the provider for the whole summer citizen’s program.
“So, I just said I think it makes sense that the Chamber is a place for these summer citizens, they’re a tremendous boon for our economy in Cache Valley in the summer. Utah Festival Opera and theatre and the Lyric Theater and many others…Summerfest. They just really rely on the customers that the summer citizens bring to us.”
Andrus said they are not actually owning the program officially until the summer ends.
She was asked if there will be any changes once the program gets handed over from the university to the chamber.
“We’re expecting no changes except for expanded opportunities. For instance, I’m very excited to introduce the summer citizens to the continuing education at Bridgerland Technical College. That’s not a group that they’ve been involved with much, and they have continuing education as well. I think that will give them some expanded opportunities for some events.”
She said they are planning on getting together sometime this month with ambassadors from the citizens groups about what they would like to see as far as offerings as they design it going forward.
Andrus said they are pretty excited at the chamber about this change.