Anybody who was at Stansbury Days over the weekend had to have been impressed by how much the event has grown in recent years. It wasn’t just that there were more triathletes, frog jumpers, vendors, browsers and fireworks watchers than in years past, but that the event itself seems to have become a real expression of the community — something uniquely Stansbury-ish.

The Stansbury Park Community Association deserves plaudits for putting on a wonderful celebration, but organization alone can’t explain why a 35-year-old event seems to have recently caught fire. Stansbury residents themselves certainly deserve much of the credit. Not so long ago, they might have spent the same Saturday at home with their individual families or driven into Salt Lake City. But the last couple years they have chosen instead to gather with their neighbors to celebrate a residential development that seems to be on its way to becoming a community.

Stansbury Days is just one sign of that transition. Next week, the new Stansbury High School will open a new chapter in the community’s development. In time, the school will be a focal point for academic and sporting accomplishments. It will host public meetings, plays and other events, and in time, be a magnet for pulling alumni back to the area. It will bring the community together as they cheer on shared teams. Perhaps most importantly, it will ask Stansbury to define what’s important to residents: What academic programs and sporting traditions does it want to build an identity around? What types of values does it want its young people to have?

We’ve criticized Stansbury Park in the past for its lack of identity and community spirit. At times, it has seemed to represent the worst example of an apathetic commuter exurb. But there are signs that may be changing. The popularity of Stansbury Days, the new high school coming on line, a growing lending library, and local recreational sporting leagues for kids and adults are only a few of those signs.

We’re cheering for Stansbury Park and Stansbury High School as both come into their own. The unique enthusiasm, diversity and vitality they will bring can only enrich the Tooele Valley and the entire county.