Washington City Mayor Makes 'Historic' Announcement

Washington City City Mayor Kress Staheli made a number of announcements Tuesday at his "State of the City" address, but may have saved the best for last.

"I hope I didn't undersell this, but I am so excited for this new trail," he said.

Along with honoring a couple of long time citizens, showing off the new Heritage Hall (where the meeting took place) and touting the virtues of Washington City, Staheli spent the last few minutes talking about the new "Historic Canal Trail."

The trail (North to South) will begin near Shinob Kibe in the Indian Oaks neighborhood and will end near Crimson Cliffs High School along what Staheli calls "the Washington Bench area."

"Eventually it will wrap around the north side of Shinob Kibe tying into Country Way, crossing the bridge on the Virgin River, and connecting with the whole Virgin River Trail Network," Staheli said.

Staheli, a marathon runner and trail enthusiast, was understandably excited about the new trail, but he was also thrilled to honor two longtime Washington City residents.

He did add that "of the approximately 63 easements needed, we have already acquired 51 and we haven’t even approached all of the property owners."

Lee Bunnell, who once starred as a running back at Dixie College (and Weber State) and also coached the Rebels in the 1970s, was honored for his 35 years as Washington City's Justice Court judge. Bunnell received the American Trailblazer Award.

Robert Everett, a lifelong teacher and volunteer in the city, received the Mayor's Public Service Award at the meeting.

Staheli also noted the completion of Heritage Hall, where the meeting was held. The pioneer-era building, formerly known as the "old gym" was totally remodeled and during the reconstruction workers discovered pioneer-era rafters, windows and the building also still features sandstone on the exterior that was quarried by pioneers in the late 1800s.

Some other highlights from the Mayor's address include plans for development of the downtown area (the city has purchased most of the property downtown) and several of the pioneer-era photographs were "enlivened" by artificial intelligence and had the subjects in the photos moving and waving in realistic fashion.

Mayor Staheli annually addresses citizens and local business owners with his State of the City speech and luncheon. The next one is planned for March of 2026.

Washington City