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A large star lights up the night on the mountain above Pleasant Grove at Christmastime.

Courtesy Drew Armstrong

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A large star lights up the night on the mountain above Pleasant Grove at Christmastime.

Courtesy Drew Armstrong

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It is not unusual to see stars displayed during the Christmas season. In fact, a star is one of the most recognizable Christmas symbols. However, a giant star on a mountainside is not something that we see every day.

At Christmastime during the past several years, a giant lighted star has suddenly appeared on the mountainside near the giant G on “G Mountain” in Pleasant Grove.

This mountain is no stranger to lights. Former residents David and Tandi Hartle and their family create lighted designs on the mountain a few times each year, much to the delight of residents, young and old. This is the sixth year they have placed a lighted star on the mountain for Christmas.

About two years ago, the Hartle family moved to Meadow. It is an almost four-hour round-trip drive every time they travel back to Pleasant Grove to put up a display or fix lights or take the display down.

“The overwhelming love and support we have received from the Pleasant Grove community serves as a constant motivation to continue the tradition, even though we have moved away,” David Hartle said. “We love to spread joy and share the lights with everyone in Pleasant Grove, a place we see as our second home.”

Hartle said the family chose to create a star at Christmastime because it is symbolic of the Star of Bethlehem. The star on G Mountain is somewhere between 400 to 500 feet tall and about 150 feet wide. It took about 50 solar lights to create the star, but Hartle said they always keep a few extra on hand because deer inevitably step on a few once in a while.

According to comments on social media, residents love the star. The responses to a post on the Pleasant Grove Community Connection page were filled with gratitude for those who created the star. The comments included, “I saw it last evening and it made me happy,” “This puts a smile on my face every time I see it,” and “Love the week of our star in the East.”

We don’t have to hike up the mountain to see the star. In fact, it can be seen from far away, especially as the sky darkens in the evening. Traveling east on 200 South in Pleasant Grove will provide a great close-up view of the star.

A star can be meaningful to many people regardless of their spiritual or religious beliefs. To many, it is a symbol of hope, brightness and light. Seeing the star on the mountain adds some sparkle to the holiday.

Merry Christmas!

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