Robert Kriegel said that a dream is an ideal involving a sense of possibilities rather than probabilities, of potential rather than limits. A dream is the wellspring of passion, giving us direction and pointing us to lofty heights. It is an expression of optimism, hope and values lofty enough to capture the imagination and engage the spirit. Dreams grab us and move us. They are capable of lifting us to new heights and overcoming self-imposed limitation.

Each month I sit in dozens of meetings often with people who have a dream and a passion to see those dreams come true. I am often asked what my thoughts are on seeing the valley move forward.

I would invite each of you to sit down and think about what you have a passion to see happen in this great valley. My thoughts often wander to seeing Utah Lake become what it could be and in many cases once was.

There were more than 20 resorts on Utah Lake at one time. I would love to see 500 yards of sand brought in near the Provo Boat Harbor and a dike off the shore to keep the sand in place. I would love to see that sand developed into a great beach for families to play and for 80,000 university students to play sand volleyball as well as other beach activities.

I would love to see us better utilize the Provo River. We have a city that the river runs through, and nobody knows it unless you live on the river. What if we could develop an area similar to the San Antonio River Walk along the river by 500 West in the Deseret Industries area?

I realize the environment issues associated with my dreams, but I believe they could be overcome. I would dream of a great connecting walking path that goes all the way around Utah Lake, up Provo Canyon, along the Bonneville Trail, and clear up the Wasatch Front. The plan is there, but the motion is slow.

I would love to see our airport have two or three new commuter air carriers come to the facilities. I would like to see a new highway from Interstate 15 to the airport for future planning and ease of flow. I would love to see a west-side corridor along the west shore of Utah Lake. It could accommodate what will definitely become a major population center on the west side in the next 20 to 30 years.

The talked about bridge may well be something we should consider more seriously for future east-west traffic. We have very few east-west corridors in the valley. This could really come back to haunt us in the years ahead if we do not start to develop better east-west roads. I would love to see the Trax System come to Thanksgiving Point in the near future to accommodate riders and to compliment the new Commuter Rail System.

I believe we need to be a great deal more cautious with our water systems. We need to stress a great system of conservation to both business and to homes. A more complex drip system needs to be looked at by all cities and home owners. As growth takes place our water will be a serious issue.

I would love to see all our cities have clean natural gas cars as a mandate for those who drive city-owned cars. This would be a great step forward in pollution and in savings.

Nuclear power is an absolute, and we need to get on board rapidly if we hope to catch up with the rest of the world. We can’t afford to be held hostage by foreign oil prices if we expect to maintain supremacy in our world’s economy.

I would love to see us develop a series of music festivals including one that could be held in downtown areas. The SCERA does a great job with their concerts, but I would like to see more outdoor Jazz concerts and Bluegrass or even a folk song festival.

I would love to see a greater emphasis placed on all students in Utah learning a foreign language, and I would like to see parents take control of teaching their children how to read at grade level and higher by the third grade. Utah should be a beacon of light to the world in education. We have the talent and resources to rise to the top regardless of the great number of children and the lack of money. I would love to see the new recreation center built as soon as possible. This is a prime time to build for cost and interests sake.

I have a great many more dreams and hopes for our valley. If you have a dream, give it a chance to happen.

Think about those dreams that we have seen in our life time. Somebody thought it would be great to have a Marriott Center Arena, which is one of the largest and best in the nation. There were those who wanted to see BYU football have a stadium that would rival the finest in the country. Someone thought a new Brent Brown Ballpark for professional baseball would be a great addition. A new Utah Lake Commission was formed to see dreams fulfilled at the lake. There were even those who thought Utah Valley University could rise out of Utah Tech, and now it’s a reality. And of course there were those who said a new UCCU Events Center could really be great for the local population.

Everywhere you look you can see where someone had a dream and now it’s real and tangible.

• Steve Densley is president of the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce.