In Memoriam: Thomas Young, Jr.
Thomas Young, Jr. April 2, 1928 ~ June 30, 2023
Tom’s father started the family business, Young Electric Sign Company (YESCO), in 1920 and Tom Jr. built it into what it is today, 103 years later. He is dearly loved by his coworkers.
He was born in Ogden, the fifth of six children to Thomas and Elmina Young. When he was 9 years old the family moved to Normandie Circle in Salt Lake. Tom attended Utah Elementary, Roosevelt Jr. High, East High and the University of Utah. Tom began working at Young Electric Sign Company (YESCO) when he was 14 and just celebrated his 80th anniversary with the company. He was the president and CEO for 18 years and for the last 35 years, Chairman of the Board. During many of Tom’s years at YESCO, he was an active private pilot flying Beechcraft Bonanzas and Barons.
He built a lifelong commitment, dedication and loyalty to Jesus Christ and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and helped build the church on two missions. He served in the British Mission from 1948-1950 and married Dwan Louise Jacobsen in 1951 in the Salt Lake Temple. They lived in Canyon Rim, Cottonwood and for the last 62 years in the St. Mary’s neighborhood in Salt Lake City, where he served in numerous ward and stake leadership positions. Tom was a builder. He built a loving and eternal partnership with his dear wife, Dwan. Most importantly, Tom loved Dwan beyond measure. He served her and she served him. They recently celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary.
He and Dwan built a family of 5 children, 24 grandchildren and 58 great grandchildren and spouses. Tom and Dwan’s children are Mike and Karen Young, Paul and Kathryn Young, Christine and Steve Knudson, Suzanne and Steve Jones and Jeff and Cathy Young.
Tom loved serving in the community as an active member of the Salt Lake Rotary Club for 65 years and received the Rotary Summit Award in 2022. He is also the recipient of Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year award as well as the Distinguished Service award from the International Sign Association.
Tom delighted in music and played the harmonica, accordion, trumpet, French horn and organ. For 63 years the family has had a Bear Lake cabin near Fish Haven, Idaho. It has been and will continue to be a place of refuge, hard work, fun and family love. With his own hands he built cabins at Bear Lake, docks, flagpoles, medicine cabinets, light fixtures, handcarts, signs (of course), stools, floats, photographic dark rooms, stereo speakers, on and on. But most of all Tom built others by his selfless, generous and untiring work and example.
Tom lived this scripture to its fullest, “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.”
Funeral services will be held at 12:00 PM on Saturday, July 8, 2023
Monument Park Stake Center, 1320 South Wasatch Drive, Salt Lake City.
Visitation on Friday, July 7th from 6:00 to 8:00 pm and Saturday from 10:00 to 11:30 am, prior to the funeral at the church. For those unable to attend, the funeral will be
streamed via Zoom.
Services Handled By Larkin Mortuary
Sign the Guestbook or watch the services via Zoom.
A Capitol Idea Realized!
CSA: Day at the Capitol – Sacramento
On May 10th, the California Sign Association led a group of its members, business, and community leaders to Sacramento for a Day at the Capitol.
The delegation gathered at the Old Spaghetti Factory late that morning to prepare their unified voice of talking points. These topics were focused on items relevant to the on-premise sign industry and doing business in California. Following a fabulous lunch, thirteen CSA members, along with legal counsel and staff, broke into teams, headed to the Capitol, and met with numerous Capitol Representatives from the Assembly and Senate! It was a wonderful opportunity for CSA to have a seat at the Legislative Table!
Thank you to all who participated in this event:
Pete Michelini, Sign Designs
Jason Rieman, Gemini
Ken Person, YESCO
Neal Tibbs, Ad Art
Skip Moore, Bill Moore & Associates
Sarah Bergh, Ainor Signs
Joe Bergh, Jr, Ainor Signs
Tom Johnson, Keystone
Ken Mehler, Port Plastics
Paul VanDyke, TubeliteDenco
Bob Shimmin, Montroy
Janet Weaver, Glantz
Jeff Aran, CSA Legal Counsel
Roy Flahive, Executive Director
Cheryl Flahive, Director of Member Services
Great Golfing and Networking in August!
2023 CSA Golf Tournament
Lake Tahoe Golf Course
(Only 8 miles from Harveys Lake Tahoe Resort)
Wednesday, August 2, 2023
8:30 AM SHOTGUN START
Registration to open May 17th!
Registration includes:
• Lunch
• 2 drinks
• 18 holes of play with cart and range balls
You are going to love this Tournament and you are going to love this golf course!
- Memorable Tee Prizes
- Outstanding Sponsorship Opportunities
THEN CLICK HERE TO JOIN US AT –> OUR CSA CONFERENCE!
TO REGISTER FOR GOLF TOURNAMENT FOURSOMES, CORPORATE CHALLENGE, AND OTHER VALUE PACKAGES, YOU NEED TO DOWNLOAD THIS BROCHURE (PDF) and you can pay securely for everything online here!
Would you like to make your golfing customers feel a part of YOUR team?
Are you looking to reward yourself or your golfing employees with a day on the links by giving them the chance to bring home the bacon for the company?
If you answered YES to any of these questions, the 2023 CSA Golf Tournament in Lake Tahoe is for YOU!
2023 Annual Convention- Lake Tahoe
2023 CSA Annual Convention & Education Conference
Elevate your adventure at Harveys Lake Tahoe, the very first casino hotel built on the South Shore. Sample the fine dining and cocktails, try your hand at a popular table game, or explore the great outdoors. With stunning views of Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Harveys gives you easy access to all-season thrills that Lake Tahoe has to offer.
After three busy days of conference activities, take a dip in the year round heated outdoor pool, unwind and soak up some sun on a comfortable lounge chair, or take advantage of the modern, co-ed fitness facilities with stunning mountain views. As a hotel guest you’ll enjoy access to sauna, steam, and whirlpool facilities!
Group Rate: $134.95/night (+tax) on Tues., Wed., & Thursday nights.
$284.95/night (+ tax) on Friday.
Note: The Group rate will be extended three days prior & three days following blocked dates. Group Rate Deadline: July 18, 2023 (based on Room Block Availability). Reserve today! Scan QR or visit: Reservation Link
Exhibitors: Please download your copy of the Exhibitor Package here. Please note that separate registration has been developed for both of these, with Package and A-la-carte purchasing available. You can purchase Tabletop Booths online in our shop, but you must still submit your Exhibitor form to CSA.
TO REGISTER FOR GOLF, YOU NEED TO DOWNLOAD THIS BROCHURE (PDF) or for individual registration, pay online here!
Preliminary Schedule of Events
Wednesday, August 2, 2023
8:30 AM
GOLF TOURNAMENT – Shot Gun Start – Click to learn more or to Sponsor
12:00 – 6:00 PM
Convention Check-in
4:00 – 6:00 PM
CSA (2022-23) BOD Mtg.
7:00 – 10:30 PM
Golf Awards & Opening Convention Party
Thursday, August 3, 2023
8:00 – 10:00 AM
Education Session #1 – “The Generation Map”
This special keynote address from Whitney Klinkenborg, Marketing Director, Gemini, will drill down into what your sign industry BUYERS and HIRES are expecting – by generation! Not only will you hear the fascinating results of latest surveys, but you will also discover how to work with the changing communication styles and needs of the marketplace more effectively. This keynote is your GPS to navigate through changing demographics of the signage industry!
About Our Presenter: Whitney Klinkenborg
Whitney Klinkenborg joined the Gemini Marketing team in 2021. Since then, the team has grown from 3 individuals to 9. Prior to Gemini, Whitney spent 11 years with Pella Corporation in a variety of Marketing and Sales roles. She resides in the Minneapolis area with her husband, two children and golden retriever.
She loves to travel, exercise and spend as much time outside as possible, preferably hiking or biking. Also, she can never say no to a good glass of red wine. Whitney’s marketing experiences include product management and marketing, B2C acquisition, B2B, digital, internal agency management and opening/leading a luxury showroom in the Merchandise Mart in downtown Chicago.
10:15 – 11:15 AM
2023 CSA Annual Meeting & State of the Association Luncheon
Slate of the 2023-24 Board of Directors and Officers for membership vote
11:30 – 12:30
Exhibit Hall Open
1:00 – 4:30 PM
President’s Reception
6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Banquet
7:00 – 10:00 p.m.
California Sign Industry Awards
Installation of Officers
Live and Silent Auctions
$10,000 Drawing
Friday, August 4, 2023
7:30 AM Breakfast
8:00 – 9:30 AM
Education Session #2 – “To Engineer is Human”
In this fun, enlightening, and sometimes shocking presentation, Mike Sullaway, PE, will show us The Role of Failure in Successful Design, a presentation based on the book by Henry Petroski. The infamous failures that do occur are ultimately failures of design, and of course can be quite heartbreaking. But the lessons learned from these failures sometimes can do more to advance the knowledge of engineering than any education can provide. These failures inevitably lead to greater design successes. This presentation will cover a few of those catastrophes and some of the hard lessons that have been derived!
9:45 – 11:45 AM
2023-24 CSA Board of Directors Meeting
12:00 – ?? — Lake Tahoe Attraction (includes lunch)
The Clock is Ticking Again on LA Deadlines
All Deadlines Prescribed in the Los Angeles Municipal Code to Restart
Effective February 28, 2023, in accordance with the end of the State of California COVID-19 emergency declaration (per order of March 21, 2020 by the Mayor of the City of Los Angeles under the provisions of the Los Angeles Administrative Code) all previously tolled and suspended permit applications, plan checks and other municipal approvals and deadlines have expired. Thus, the Tolling Period is defined as March 21, 2020 through February 28, 2023. When the time to meet a deadline is “tolled”, it means that the time to meet the deadline has been stopped. Continue Reading
The Great Fishing Trip August 12, 2023!
Back for the 21st voyage off the coast of Dana Point, Captain Neal Tibbs and 44 lucky fishermen, women & children will set sail early, early Saturday, August 12th! This event sells out every year, so be sure to MARK YOUR CALENDAR & book early! This is an all-day cruise launching at 5:00 am (please check-in by 4:30 am) out of Dana Point Harbor and returning around 5:00 pm that afternoon.
We are almost sold out! Click “PURCHASE” link above today!
The boat could hold 60, but we limit the total number of guests to 45 give everyone plenty of room to stretch out.
For more information about the fishing, call Call Neal Tibbs at (209) 603-0629. For information about registration, call CSA at (916) 932-0021 or email cflahive@calsign.org.
- License, equipment, food, drink or fish cleaning is NOT included in your registration fee.
- Additional fishing details and information (parking instructions, licensing, equipment, food, etc) to follow at a later date via email notification. Please make sure to have at least one email address listed for your party in order to be included in our follow-up notices.
Saturday, August 12, 2023 – Sailing on the Clemente
Check-in at 4:30 am, boat departs at 5:00 am sharp!
Dana Wharf Sportfishing in Dana Point Harbor
34675 Golden Lantern, Dana Point, CA
Return approximately 5:00 PM.
WSSC Networking Hospitality Event 2023
Welcome all WSSC Affiliates! CSA Members are invited to join the other WSSC Affiliates for a Networking Mixer! The Western States Sign Council HOSPITALITY EVENT is scheduled at the ISA Expo, Thursday evening – April 13th. Affiliates invited to this event include; Arizona Sign Association, California Sign Association, Colorado Sign Association, Nevada Sign Association, Northwest Sign Council, and Utah Sign Association.
Join fellow industry professionals at at hospitality event hosted by Western States Sign Council! This event will run from 5:00 – 8:00 PM in the WSSC Suite at Mandalay Bay. Bring your colleagues and significant others for drinks and hors d’oeuvres! RSVP and Sponsor today! Sponsorships will support the association you choose. Registration is free, but please register!
Platinum Sponsor: $500
Gold Sponsor: $250
Silver Sponsor: $150
CEC Forms Update!
Recent changes were made to Title 24 and the forms utilized when securing sign permits in California. Implementation of the reporting forms now includes your ability to complete the form online, OR you can download the PDF versions and complete and submit. These PDF forms are now approved for submittals. As noted during the March-2023 NorCal and SoCal CSA Dinner Mtgs., at the request of several CSA sign company members, we entered into discussions with the California Energy Commission (CEC) regarding providing the CEC-NRCC-LTS and CEC-NRCI-LTS 2022 forms in PDF format.
We are pleased to report the request has been granted for PDF forms; those forms are available NOW at:
https://www.energy.ca.gov/programs-and-topics/programs/building-energy-efficiency-standards/2022-building-energy-efficiency-5
This will take you to 2022 Supporting Documents – Forms – Nonresidential. Click on Lighting Category, then to NRCC (Certificates of Compliance), and if necessary NRCI (Certificate of Installation).
Military Ops, Secret Phone Lines, and a Sign
“Fabrication, installation, and maintaining of community ID signs are an integral part of the sign industry and the “Hillcrest Sign” in San Diego is no exception. CSA member companies have played a part of this landmark’s history, most recently with YESCO, retrofitting the San Diego neon sign with changing LEDs. The sign, built in the 1940s for the Hillcrest neighborhood, celebrated Mardi Gras in green and yellow. It now has 16 million color options.”
As one of the owners of Pacific Sign Construction Inc. in 1984, we were asked to be part of the ID Sign retrofitting team. (Roy Flahive, 1984, pictured right.) Little did we know it would become an international incident… well, almost! With my then partners John Walker and Larry Russ, we accepted responsibility for the installation of the iconic sign, with new steel columns, larger deeper footings, stronger support cables, etc.; all volunteer work, no compensation whatsoever. After securing the building permit for the project and having the locations for the new concrete footings reviewed and approved by all underground locating services, (indicating it was all clear to have Anderson Drilling dig both new footings), two days later, I received a call from the President of the Hillcrest Association, indicating there was a problem with the digging operation. My response was, Anderson was one of the largest excavating companies in the state and they could handle any problem that might have arisen. His response was, “The US Marine Major, who is on site with armed guards posted at one of the new footings, wants the owner of the sign company holding the installation permit present at the job site immediately!”
The US Marine Major, who is on site with armed guards posted at one of the new footings, wants the owner of the sign company holding the installation permit present at the job site immediately!
Needless to say, I arrived on site ASAP where I was confronted by a very angry Marine Major asking me if we were attempting to break into the National Defense Telephone System, under guise as a sign installation project. Once informed of the true scope of this project, along with the fact that all our work was being donated to this community ID sign restoration project, cooler heads prevailed. Only then did the Major inform me that, located in the bottom of the new footing hole, there was a very old style Red-Tile electrical conduit, which housed the Very Top Secret phone lines for all the military bases in the greater San Diego area!
When the auger drill bit bumped the conduit, alarms went off at 11th Fleet Naval Headquarters located in downtown San Diego. I was ordered not to share this with anybody other than my two partners (which meant, all the other companies donating their services to this project unfairly thought we were a weak link). The marines stood guard at the site, 24hrs a day for several days, until all reviews and testing had been completed and the phone service was once again ruled, Top Secret Compliant, and the concrete and new steel column had been poured in place. Needless to say, that installation has been a great story – “you ought to hear about this installation!”
History in Brief: Taken down for “refurbishment” in 1984, relit at 8pm on 8/16/84. Later, Repainted in July – 2003; Repainted August – 2009 for 25th anniversary rededication; August-2011, sign was lowered for removal and retrofitted with LED technology and refurbished.
I can now share this information, because all those Secrete phone lines have been replaced with secure satellite communication capabilities.
Hybrid Virtual Meetings for LA City Planners
In accordance with Mayor Bass’s Revised COVID-19 City Updates Memo, Brown Act bodies will resume meeting in person as of March 1. As City Planning staff noted important growth and depth of participation once they began virtual meetings, City Planning will conduct meetings in a hybrid format that preserves the option for remote participation for public comments. Commissioners and board members will attend in person, as will applicants, appellants, and staff members.
City Planning’s Brown Act bodies comprise nine commissions (the City Planning Commission (CPC), the Cultural Heritage Commission, and seven area planning commissions), 21 Historic Preservation Overlay Zone (HPOZ) boards, 12 design review boards, and one plan review board. Of these bodies, only CPC will meet in the City Council chambers in Downtown and Van Nuys, which are outfitted with specialized audiovisual equipment.
While the meetings of the area planning commissions, design review boards, CPC, and HPOZ boards will adopt a hybrid model, please note that the Office of Zoning Administration, hearing officer, and subdivision public hearings will remain fully virtual.
Read More: Commissions, Boards and Hearings