Centerville/Farmington Journal | February 2023

BEAMS PLACED FOR NEW BRIDGE STRUCTURES CONNECTING I-15 WITH WEST DAVIS HIGHWAY

Byline

FARMINGTON—For the next four to five months, motorists traveling on Legacy Parkway and I-15 will see some big changes as the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) places beams for bridge structures over I-15, Legacy and the railroad to connect with the new West Davis Highway. The first of the series of closures southbound on Legacy took place at the end of January and northbound closures are set for the beginning of February.

“The first of eight beams went up the weekend of Jan. 21,” said Rex Harris, UDOT project director. “Those will be connected together to make a set of four longer beams that will go over top of the southbound Legacy Parkway. We want to limit the impact to drivers. All of the traffic from Legacy will be forced over to I-15.”

Each of the four longer beams are 192 feet long, more than 6 feet tall and weigh about 99,000 pounds, according to UDOT.

The West Davis Highway is a new

Continued page 5

By Becky Ginos | becky.g@davisjournal.com

UDOT closed southbound Legacy Parkway between Park Lane in Farmington and Parrish Lane in Centerville the weekend of Jan. 21 to allow crews to place beams for bridge structures. A series of closures are set for the next four to five months.

Photo by Roger V. Tuttle

Centerville Police Department tests new crime-fighting technology

CENTERVILLE—Centerville Police Department is trying out a new safety camera/software program that is anticipated to help them track crime in the city more effectively. Lt. Allen Ackerson and Flock Safety Territorial Sales Manager Kraig Gardner presented the program to the city council at its Jan. 3 meeting.

Flock Safety’s solar-powered cameras, which can be installed at key locations in a community, and its software allow law enforcement to search by “vehicle make, color, type, license plate, state of the license plate, missing plate, covered plate, paper plate, and unique vehicle details like roof racks, bumper stickers, and more,” according to the company’s website.

The cameras only collect indiscriminate evidence “so it’s not going to be faces, personal identifiable information, there’s no traffic enforcement ever or any component of that,” Gardner said. “This is really meant for serious crimes.”

The software can only be accessed by law enforcement officers under very strict conditions and is very secure, he added. “The data automatically deletes on a rolling basis after 30 days.”

“We want to be really, really cognizant of the public’s privacy,” Gardner said. “… When we look at the data, it doesn’t support the need to keep data for more than 30 days. We’re seeing a massive amount of success that happens pretty much immediately when cases are solved quickly after the crime happens. The odds of needing to go back is very, very rare and so we thought 30 days was a great balance.”

Centerville PD has already used data from the company’s cameras located in other communities to help it solve several crimes, including locating a vehicle that was involved in a hit and run, along with a stolen vehicle and suspects in burglaries and aggravated assaults, Gardner said.

The city council unanimously approved moving forward with the pilot program. The pilot program will be implemented in Centerville in April. It will include 11 cameras although Ackerson said if the city continues with the program, they will likely utilize just five cameras.

“After the 30 days, we will analyze our data and figure out which cameras are producing the most information and then make a determination whether we’re getting a good return on our investment on the proposed amount and then identify which locations to keep those cameras out,” he said.

Depending on the number of cameras utilized by Center-

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ville, the contract would cost between $15,000 and $32,850 a year. Flock retains ownership of the cameras and maintains them and replaces them if they are stolen or damaged, Ackerson said.

“This is exciting technology,” he said. “We’ve presented those cases that we’ve used Flock to help solve, and they’re not even our cameras.”

“I think giving them the option to go up to 11 is totally appropriate, because we don’t really know [best locations], and honestly the technology does replace a lot of the legwork pretty quickly to find some of these things out,” Councilmember George McEwan said.

The council even discussed the possibility that if the businesses wanted better data for law enforcement protecting their premises that they could donate the cost of a camera to the city to allow Centerville to place a camera nearby.

Utilizing technology such as this also helps the city mitigate the difficulty of recruiting new employees, City Manager Brant Hanson commented. “Employees are getting increasingly more expensive so really what we’re trying to find is how to be more efficient with technology, and you’re starting to see a number of items that have come before you to help us be more efficient, eliminate the potential need of hiring a person or whatever that might be. This is going to be another one of those tools that is going to help the police department be more effective and more efficient with their time.”

Ackerson said after the piloting period, the department will evaluate the program’s effectiveness and will likely ask for funds to implement it during next year’s budget process. l

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Flock Safety’s software allows law enforcement to search by vehicle make, color, type, license plate, etc. The cameras only collect indiscriminate evidence. Photo/Flock Safety website

Outgoing school board members leave lasting impression

FARMINGTON—There have been some changes in the Davis School District Board of Education as four members finished out their terms in December. Julie Tanner, Marie Stevenson, Cheryl Phipps and Gordon Eckersley chose not to run again. However they have all made an impact in the district during their time serving.

“I came on in 2015,” said Tanner, who has served for eight years. “My dad had served in southern California so there was a bit of a family legacy.”

Tanner said she decided to run because she’d seen a need for improvement involving parents and teachers on the ground. “Decisions were being made at the district level but they needed to add teacher and parent voices and make them a part of the decision making.”

Politics are kind of messy, she said. “I ran again though because I kind of wanted to show myself if people liked what I was doing. When I won that was the feedback that they did like what I was doing.”

Tanner said her goal was to listen respectfully to anyone. “I’d think deeply about their concerns.”

Parents would sometimes speak negatively about the district, she said. “I’d say I know someone is working hard. Then I’d set up a meeting and go with them so they would feel confident to talk to them.”

It’s important to bring people together, Tanner said. “We need consistent public comment. At times it got a little rough and some said untrue things but it gave us good feedback to improve and clear up misunderstandings.”

COVID was very challenging, she

Continued from front page

16-mile, 4-lane divided highway under construction in western Davis County between I-15/Legacy Parkway in Farmington and the future extension of S.R 193 in West Point, a UDOT release said. Six new interchanges will provide access to Farmington, Kaysville, Layton and Syracuse. The project also includes more than 10 miles of new trails. Its anticipated completion is 2024.

“Crossing over I-15 will be the milestone,” said Harris. “We’ll be using big heavy 300 foot beams, about the size of a football field. We’ll get it done as quickly as possible to limit the impact.”

I-15 has five to six times the traffic of Legacy, he said. “Legacy has about 30,000 vehicles a day and I-15 is pushing 150,000 a day. The biggest route will be Parrish Lane to Legacy. We’ll have signage back on I-15 before I-80 so that drivers have a few choic-

By Becky Ginos | becky.g@davisjournal.com

said. “People had different needs and different thoughts on how to handle it. It was difficult to find an answer for what everybody needed. The positive was it got more parents involved so overall it was good.”

“It was peer pressure that made me decide to run,” said Stevenson, who has served for four years. “I’d retired after 40 years as a teacher so I had the background to be involved in the district so friends encouraged me to. I decided I needed to step up and do what I could for good or bad.”

A big part of her term was taken up by COVID issues, she said. “I think we did a great job getting kids back (to school) safely. We were pioneers.”

Even with that Stevenson said she had a good time being on the board. “I feel like it was a positive experience. I know there are so many good people, teachers and students. The highlight was watching people work tirelessly for our district.”

Stevenson figured out she’s been involved in education for 60 plus years. “I was a student in K-12, then a teacher, a board member and as a parent. My whole life has been that and I still have a lot of grandkids in the district.”

Stevenson’s assignment on the board was serving with the Davis Education Foundation. “It was wonderful watching the teen centers come to fruition,” she said. “Being part of that at the start and seeing the generosity of the community who reached deep into their pockets to make it happen was a joy and delight.”

Cheryl Phipps has served for four years but had previously served starting in 1994 for eight years. “I ran originally because I didn’t feel like the north end of the

county was getting much attention,” she said. “I wanted to make sure that any child in school would have an equal opportunity no matter where they lived in the county.”

Phipps said after leaving the board the last time about four years ago she became concerned about the negative environment where public education was not being put in a great light. “I love public education. That negative talk about our public schools four years ago made me decide to get involved again to be a positive voice for public schools.”

es to get off before they get to Parrish Lane.”

By the time drivers get to Parrish Lane there will be 30 percent more traffic, said Harris. “They need to plan ahead to get to I-215 or onto Legacy as soon as they can. That will make it so much better for traffic flow. The schedule may need to be tweaked depending on the weather but we’re anticipating it to take place mid-April.”

The January closure finished ahead of schedule and Harris hopes that will continue. “That exceeded our expectations,” he said. “We’ve planned ahead to impact people as little as possible so it will be a win, win for everybody.”

For more information about the West Davis Highway visit the project website at westdavis.udot.utah.gov or the Facebook group, facebook.com/groups/westdavishighway. The project team can also be reached at 877-298-1991. l

Parents were feeling like they weren’t being heard, she said. “I wanted to be an advocate to listen to their concerns and work through the problems and find a way to bring all people together.”

“It’s about the students,” said Stevenson. “We (board) always tried to remember it was about our students and make our choices based on what was good for them. I hope I changed lives and have done something good.” l

Crews install steel bridge beams. The set of four beams each weigh about 99,000 pounds. Photo by Roger V. Tuttle

(Back row left to right) Board members Marie Stevenson, Brigit Gerrard, Liz Mumford and Cheryl Phipps, Board President John Robison and Assistant Superintendent Craig Carter. (Front row left to right) Board members Gordon Eckersley and Julie Tanner, Superintendent Dr. Dan Linford. Stevenson, Phipps, Eckersley and Tanner left in January. Photo by Becky Ginos

Free classes invite photographers to fall in love with bird photography

The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in Brigham City (2155 W. Forest St.) is a vital habitat for more than 250 species of birds. Millions of migratory birds use the refuge to rest and find food, and nearly 70 species make nests at the site.

Jeff Strong started photographing the birds more than 30 years ago and created a website, BearRiverBlogger. com, to help people become aware of the refuge and the opportunities there are to get fantastic wildlife photos.

“A lot of people aren’t even aware this place exists. Some people in Brigham City don’t even know it’s here and it’s in their own backyard,” Strong said.

The Davis High School grad combines his appreciation for birds with his love of photography by offering free classes at the refuge. Although he's taught classes there for many years, COVID shut everything down. But now he’s back with two free classes that coincide with special events at the bird refuge. Each one-hour class starts at 11:30 a.m.

The class on Saturday, Feb. 11 is Eagle Day, with a celebration of the majestic creatures. The final class, Saturday, March 11, features the migrating tundra swans that visit the refuge every spring and fall. For more information about the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, visit Fws.gov/refuge/bear-river-migratory-bird.

“We encourage people to stay after class to put the lessons into practice and go out on the bird refuge to get pictures,” he said. “Especially in March, because that’s when the tundra swans are migrating and there are thousands of them out there. It’s pretty spectacular to see that.”

The free photography classes are geared toward beginning photographers but anyone is invited to attend. No equipment is needed and class members are invited to spend the day at the refuge, enjoying the wide variety of feathered friends. The classes are free, but attendees must register online at BearRiverBlogger.com.

The February class will focus on how to take better wildlife and bird photos. The March class will be about capturing beautiful landscapes including sunset and waterfall photography. Participants can register for individual classes, or take both.

“It’s fun,” Strong said. “It’s just a way to get away

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@davisjournal.com

from civilization for a few minutes, you know, the crazy world we live in, and connect to nature. I think sometimes we have to get away from our phones and bosses and bills and traffic, and get out and enjoy the peace and quiet. I think it rejuvenates us.

“It’s just one of those things you have to feel. It’s hard to explain. You get to watch birds be birds. I’d have everyone birdwatching if I could explain it, because there’s something about bird watching that just has to be experienced.” l

Photographer Jeff Strong will teach a series of free photography classes at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in Brigham City on Feb. 11 and March 11. Photos courtesy of Strong

It’s fun, it’s just a way to get away from civilization for a few minutes, you know, the crazy world we live in, and connect to nature.

Jeff Strong

New school board members make students number one priority

FARMINGTON—As 2023 began, four new Davis Education School Board members took their seats at the Jan. 17 meeting. Emily Price, Julie Powell, Kristen Hogan and Derek Lamb will fill the positions left by Julie Tanner, Marie Stevenson, Cheryl Phipps and Gordon Eckersley. The new board members were sworn in on Jan. 4.

Lamb is from Layton and will be representing District 5 that covers Layton, Clearfield, Sunset and a small part of Kaysville. “There’s a lot of diversity there,” he said. “I want to have more town hall meetings to find out what the issues are in the community and with parents. I want to hear everybody out and not just make decisions. I want to give back if I can.”

Lamb grew up in a small Utah town. “I had 15 kids in my graduating class,” he said. “My father was killed when I was six and school teachers made a big impact in my life. That perspective allows you to process things and keep your eye on the ball to make sure the students can be the best they can be in the school system.”

The ability to communicate, listen and be patient are the skills Lamb believes he brings to the table. “I like to look at the third side,” he said. “We (the board) might be disagreed with or not liked sometimes but they’ll know we did the best we could and worked through the challenges. I’m not the sharpest tool but I know where the sharpener is. We need to collaborate and mold everyone together to make decisions.”

“I’ve lived in Syracuse for 18 years,” said Hogan, who represents District 6 that encompasses Syracuse, west Layton and a little bit of Clearfield. “I was heavily involved in the PTA and a couple of times I was president. It was through that service I got to the point of running for school board.”

Last January and February it kept coming up in conversation with people that Marie wasn’t going to run, she said.

By Becky Ginos | becky.g@davisjournal.com

“I started the process of running because I had an interest in Davis schools because my kids are there. I’ve always had an interest in education and government. This was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up in this way.”

Hogan said there’s always a few things as a parent that she is concerned about. “Screen time and learning platforms that aren’t working for kids that we should be looking at closer. We should be making things easier for teachers and simplifying, really focusing on the education aspect of school so that things run smoothly.”

There needs to be a parental voice on the board as well, she said. “There should not be such a divide of parents versus teachers. Sometimes ideas between two groups are in opposition but we have the same goals.”

Hogan said she’s willing to listen to anybody. “I’ll hear all different sides. I want people to know that I’m accessible and they’re heard even if they don’t like the decision we make.”

Powell has been following the school board for many years. She will represent District 3 that covers Farmington, Kaysville and Fruit Heights. “I’ve been on community councils and served as a volunteer in schools. I’ve been super involved. I’m interested in the academic success of schools overall.”

Powell said she never planned to run for school board. “There was just something in me that made me decide to run. I’m an attorney and I think board legal issues intersect with the district and I hope my legal background will be helpful.”

Ironically, Powell wanted to be a teacher. “I wanted to teach math,” she said. “It was just a fluke that I ended up being an attorney. I love learning – period. I want students to achieve success and have the highest quality of education.”

The Davis School District is a large district, said Powell. “I want to improve the decision making process and make it more

balanced, thorough and objective. We need to look at what’s being proposed and do outreach to get a perspective on how the community feels and take that into account in the decision making.”

“My Davis County roots run deep,” said Price, who will represent District 7. “I was raised in Davis County and went to Davis County schools. My children have all gone to school here. I’ve been a parent volunteer since my oldest was in kindergarten.”

Public education is important, she said. “We have to keep it. It’s good for our children so they can learn, grow and succeed. It’s wonderful that everybody gets a chance to participate.”

Price said she knew Cheryl’s (Phipps) spot was up. “I thought ‘we need to find somebody good.’ I didn’t even think about

running. I talked to people in the community and the Syracuse High principal suggested it. I want what’s best for students and I want them to succeed and I’ve had a good experience with Davis School District.”

The board’s biggest responsibility is to make informed decisions, she said. “We need the information to find what’s best and most beneficial to students and understand teacher and parent perspectives. I want to work together to find what’s best for the district and make sure everybody has a seat at the table and their voices are heard.”

Price is very optimistic about the district. “I recognize things aren’t perfect but it’s important as board members to work together with unity and respect,” she said. “What’s best for the students is the bottom line. They’re the number one priority.” l

Davis School District Business Administrator Craig Carter gives the Oath of Office to the four new board members at a special meeting on Jan. 4. Photo by Becky Ginos

Derek Lamb Kristen Hogan

Julie Powell Emily Price

Farmington goes to the dogs with The DogGroom

Dog grooming. That is something every pet owner is in need of for their furry friends. The trick is, finding the right dog groomer that people know will take care of their pets. In Farmington, at 36 Main Street, is a dog groomer that has been trusted to do just that. Megan Johnson is the owner of the DogGroom and has been taking care of people’s furry family members for 28 years now.

“Before the DogGroom, I raised Great Danes my whole life and I had champion Great Danes that I used to show,” she said. “So while I was out showing them, I was learning how to groom. And then I decided that that’s what I wanted to do.”

With this expertise, she brings knowledge that many groomers may not have. It is also well known that she takes good care of the dogs and her love for what she does shines through her work. Especially, when occasionally a customer's furry friend comes back to them with the personal touch of a bandana around their neck or a bow on their ear. Her care for the pets she grooms even extends to when she is grooming them. When it is cold, after washing the pet, she wraps them into a warm towel.

“I foster cats and if any pets get left behind I take them in as well and make sure they all have a safe home,” said Johnson.

By Shania Emmett | s.emmett@mycityjournals.com

“And if anyone comes in and wants to give them a good home, they can.”

When anyone arrives at the DogGroom they are immediately met with how warm and welcoming the place is. The front of the business looks like a little cottage straight from a storybook with a white picket fence and a wooden dog on it and other pet motifs around. Inside the atmosphere is very warm and welcoming. Some of the cats she fosters lounge on the counter or on the floor.

Some may think that it would be hard to be a dog groomer, but through the years, no matter how many problems or obstacles may arise from complicated details a customer may need for their dog, or when Johnson had to move her business from Centerville to Farmington. She has come out on the other side each time.

Prior to showing Great Danes and dog grooming she was a welder for 13 years and she was aiming to do underwater welding as well.

Both her unique experience in welding and her years of showing Great Danes makes her stand out. Johnson’s experiences and expertise have made her grooming business successful. l

Megan Johnson gives a Pomeranian that she’s working on a trim.

Photo by Shania Emmett

Centerville preserves large swatch of hillside with purchase

Linda Petersen | lpetersen@mycityjournals.com

The City of Centerville has purchased property south of Bernard Creek at approximately 1000 North Fire Break Road, totaling 32.82 acres, for the price of $205,000 plus closing costs. The land has been under the ownership of the David Nash Revocable Trust. The property purchase is part of the city’s efforts to preserve the hillside in the area. The trails committee was made aware that the property was going up for sale at its April meeting.

Since that time committee chair Mikael Remington, committee member Mitzi Gray and City Councilmember Spencer Summerhays who is a professional realtor, have been working to ensure the agreement was reached.

“This is a great opportunity to purchase this property,” said City Manager Brant Hanson at the Jan. 3 city council meeting and thanked Summerhays and City Attorney Lisa Romney for their efforts. “I do want to share that this is not necessarily a clean title. There are easements and encumbrances on this property, similar to any other hillside, whether it’s federal easements and things like that, but based on the cost that we’re purchasing

this thing, it’s still a heck of a deal.”

Councilmember George McEwan congratulated everyone involved in the process. “This is definitely consistent with the goals for hillside preservation, and adding to that a large chunk of property, I’m just thrilled that this is taking place,” he said.

He thanked Summerhays and those who participated in the transaction including the trails committee. “This is small government working the way it is supposed to for the benefit of its residents and this is one of those times were you actually get to see that come to fruition in a quick period of time,” he said.

Summerhays said he was happy to be able to use his professional capacity as a realtor for the benefit of the community.

“This is a very generous reduction from the David Nash Revocable Trust,” Hanson commented, saying in the future he’d like the city “to do something to recognize that.”

On Jan. 3 the city council unanimously voted to formally ratify the real estate purchase agreement at that Jan. 3 meeting. l

Getting to Know Dr. Heaton

Jared Heaton is an attentive and thorough dermatologist, serving his patients in Davis County. Dr. Heaton is Board-certified in dermatology, and he is currently a member of the American Society of MOHS Surgeons.

Dr. Heaton prides himself in serving all patient populations and treating all areas of dermatology from children through retirement age. He places a strong empahsis on catering to the retirement population in his community as skin cancer is more prevalent in this age group.

Dr. Heaton earned an undergraduate degree in International Relations with a minor in Asian Studies from Brigham Young University (BYU). His medical degree is from Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine (AZCOM). He completed both his internship and medical residency in Tampa, Florida.

In his spare time, Dr. Heaton enjoys mountain biking, snowboarding, parafoil kite flying, and spending time with his wife and three children.

Dr. Jared R. Heaton Board Certified Dermatologist

Shalise Owens DNP, FNP-C

Centerville revises its moderate-income housing plan to satisfy state requirements

By Linda Petersen | lpetersen@mycityjournals.com

Centerville City’s planning commission had to go back to the drawing board on the city’s moderate-income housing plan after the Department of Workforce Services indicated its goals were not specific enough. (All Utah municipalities are required to submit a moderate income housing plan to the state).

“The City’s specific benchmarks and measures for strategies … are unclear and insufficient,” it said. “Ongoing actions … do not detail where in the implementation process the strategy is and they do not provide actions and timeline information for monitoring, continued implementation, etc. in future years.” DWS gave Centerville City until Feb. 16 to submit a revised plan.

Centerville City is just one of 66 cities whose plans did not pass muster, Community Development Director Cory Snyder told the city council Jan. 17 at their council meeting. Since receiving notification, Snyder, his staff and the planning commission have been refining the city’s plan to make it more acceptable to the state, he said.

“At the direction of the [planning commission] the staff was instructed to go back to the strategies that were originally proposed, look at some of the costs and intensities that are

associated with it, pare some of the strategies down … and they came up with five,” Snyder told the planning commission in presenting the new plan to them on Jan. 11.

That plan, which was approved by the planning commission that night and the city council on Jan. 17, outlines those specific goals that Centerville officials plan to achieve within the next three to five years.

Under the revised plan, after researching funding sources for it, the city will create a moderate-income set aside program (which would create or subsidize moderate income housing) and establish its qualifying requirements. If city officials can identify funding for them, they will solicit/fund two different projects in 2026 and 2027.

Centerville will also try and find other South Davis communities that it can partner with to combine resources to purchase property for moderate income housing. After researching the issue, it will also implement a mortgage assistance program for city employees in 2025 “if deemed suitable.”

The city will also change its regulations to allow for detached Accessory Dwelling Units (such as in a garage or out-building) in residential zones. (The city passed an ordinance al-

lowing internal ADUs such as basement apartments last year). According to the plan, the city will evaluate the current ordinance in 2026 and “if deemed suitable” will adopt an ordinance allowing detached accessory dwelling units in 2027. The same year, it plans to eliminate impact fees for these units.

Although the state does not require Centerville to allow external ADUs, Snyder suggested that Centerville consider them in its plan, he said. “I thought ‘Let’s do what the state wanted: evaluate the uses of the internal ADUs, see how that plays out’ – I think we have seven ADUs officially adopted – I suspect it’s not going to be widespread per se, but given the housing changes maybe it will increase within the next few years.”

“We have a five-year horizon so let’s wait for the internal ADUs and see how it is responding,” Snyder told the city council of the city’s strategy. “I’m not convinced that ADUs solve our moderate-housing problem, and I think it’s going to take a while before this reporting and feedback start outlining where some of the problems truly are.”

At the Jan. 11 meeting the planning commission elected a new chair, Heidi Shegrud, and a new vice chair, Matt Larsen.l

OUR donates cyber-sniffing dogs to hunt down child predators

WOODS CROSS—Flash (for flash drive) is a specialized Woods Cross Police K9 that can sniff out electronic devices such as SD cards, USBs and hard drives during child sexual abuse investigations. The anti-trafficking organization Operation Underground Railroad (OUR) donated the dog to the department. OUR recently placed the 100th specially trained dog and Flash is one them.

“OUR is a nonprofit that empowers law enforcement all over the world to eradicate human trafficking and child exploitation,” said JC Holt, OUR Director of Domestic operations. “We provide funding to police departments to get the dogs and go through a training program to implement the dogs into the department. We sponsored Woods Cross fully for him and his handler to go to Indiana to be trained.”

Holt said OUR supported Flash when he got home too. “We pay for all of his food, vet bills, etc. Our role is as a funding mechanism. We funded the first dog in 2019. Police Departments have said to us that if not for our donation they couldn’t afford to get a dog.”

It’s all private donors, he said. “We have a variety of supporters who want to further the work in this way. Everybody loves dogs. One donor paid for a dog in its entirety.”

The dogs sniff out a chemical compound called triphenylphosphine oxide (TPPO) found in electronic devices, said Holt. “They help find hidden devices. It’s monumental because a lot of offenders are storing illicit material but they don’t store it in the Cloud, they’ve gotten great at reporting and they don’t store it on the computer they’re sitting at because they know law enforcement will seize that.”

Offenders use cellphones, SD cards, thumb drives and hide them, he said. “Investigators are looking for a tiny SD card. To have a dog that can find it is pretty awesome.”

The specialized dogs are trained by Jordan Detection K9 in Indiana. Owner Todd Jordan had been training dogs since 1997 when he heard about TPPO in 2014. “I didn't know dogs could actually do that,” he said. “An ICAC (Internet Crimes Against Children) task force asked me if I could do it (train). I said, ‘I’ll try.’ The next day I had my first K9 dog.”

Jordan said he got dogs that were too energetic to train for a disability or as a regular police dog but should still be working. “They were jumping on tables, etc. and I would work with them.”

The dogs started going on search warrants with the Indiana ICAC, he said. “One of the search warrants was for Jared Fogle. That got a lot of media attention so agencies wanted to know about them. Police Departments called and wanted a dog.”

In 2017, OUR bought a dog from him for a Seattle task force, said Holt. “OUR spon-

By Becky Ginos | becky.g@davisjournal.com

sored the first couple of dogs then.”

Jordan said they have a facility with a room that’s set up to look like what it would be in a search warrant. “We give the dogs a real world experience. We get them prepared so they’re already ready to go for the two week handler course. We get a personality bio of the handler and look for dogs that are like minded and pair the dog with the right handler. We get that done beforehand so they don’t need to spend eight weeks.”

They get a call or text from law enforcement agencies every day or a photo of a dog at a search warrant, said Jordan. “In one case initially investigators didn’t find a device but the dog did. It was only a micro SD but had 200,000 video images of the victim – the dog saved them. I want to keep pumping out dogs so more kids are being rescued.”

For more information about OUR visit ourrescure.org. l

Woods Cross Police K9 Flash finds a cellphone for his handler Det. Kimberly Burton. Photo by Becky Ginos

A suspect is arrested for possession of child sexual abuse material. Electronic sniffing dogs assisted investigators in finding the suspect’s hidden devices. Photo courtesy of Jordan Detection K9

Self-expression through lash extensions

org. The Studio. When someone hears that name the first thing that comes to mind is what is it? What do they do there? Well, Morg. The Studio is a beauty salon created by Morgan Leota. Specifically, it is a beauty salon that one may not think of right off the bat when the term beauty salon comes to mind.

M

want them to feel like they have a family here, and they can create friends.”

Leota says she wants to be unapologetically herself and lives for being herself so she can help empower others, especially young women who want to go into the beauty field. Morg. The Studio even offers classes so people who are interested in learning can know how to do what they (the stylists) do and achieve their own dreams in the beauty industry.

Leota, or Morg. for short, has always dreamed of making her love of doing lash extensions among many other talents into an actual business for a long time, so after doing what she loved in her studio apartment for 10 years she made her dream a reality and opened up Morg. The Studio.

“I wanted to bring in a concept that Farmington Station has never seen before. I wanted to diversify Farmington and change the way people look at the lash industry.” said Leota. “When people come in here, I

At Morg. The Studio, they specialize in the following: Anything that has to do with styling eyelashes, hair tinsel, tooth gems, permanent jewelry, and eyebrow detailing. They plan to bring tattooing into the list of their services as well. They are located at Farmington Station 955 Richards St. and just opened a few months ago on Sept. 31. They currently have six stylists, Morg. included, who are specialists in each of their fields.When it comes right down to the business side of things, as a young businesswoman she is determined to be taken seriously and have her voice heard and help her business thrive and help other young women like her succeed in doing what they love. As a young woman running a business, she has come up against many different roadblocks along the way and was doubted by others that a beauty salon like what she wanted to create would truly succeed. But in the end, she made her dreams a reality.

“It isn’t always easy or fun, but I’m determined and I demand to be taken seriously so I can achieve my goals and hopefully help and inspire others to do the same,” she said.

Though, at the heart of it, she still wants to make sure she stays true to herself and doesn’t take herself too seriously or else she

1 Selling W lk I T

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Morg. The Studio opened in Farmington Station in September. The salon specializes in styling eyelashes, hair tinsel, tooth gems and other beauty services. Photo courtesy Morg. The Studio

feels like it takes all the fun out of what she loves to do. Leota is determined to live her life to the fullest.

Leota wants Morg. The Studio to be a friendly place where anyone can come in and express themselves through the different services they provide. Whether it be getting colorful lashes for the holidays, or trying something new, like getting a tooth gem for

the first time. Leota and her fellow stylists have tried to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere. With their passion and love for the unique beauty industry that is lash design and all of the other services they specialize in Morg. The Studio has something for everyone.

The salon is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. l

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Woods Cross mom makes it her mission to feed kids in need

By Kaiimilani Crockett | Davis Journal intern

Michelle Benedict went to West High School where she saw lots of classmates who were homeless and hungry. After she graduated from West a few years later her and her husband moved to Rose Park where she saw a greater need for serving the people around her. Her small family loved the area and loved their neighbors and friends, when they had outgrown their house and moved to Woods Cross, she missed constantly serving her peers.

“Living in Rose Park, we saw tons of need and it was easy to jump in and serve,” said Benedict. “When we moved here, there was still a need, but it was more hidden.” Benedict missed serving her peers and sought for a way her kids could learn how to be service minded and serve their community.

After careful consideration, Benedict called the school district to see where her small family could help. She came up with the idea to provide bags of non-perishable food for students over the holiday breaks. They received donations from local businesses to buy the food and her and her family packed the bags. The first year this was done they were able to get enough bags and food to give bags to the whole elementary school. The next year, friends and neighbors of the Benedicts wanted in on the fun, they had more volunteers and were able to cover even more schools. The program grew bigger and bigger reaching a wide range of students and an ample number of volunteers from the community.

A few years passed and Benedict decided to create her own non-profit called “The Kids Next Door” in 2009. She received sponsorships from companies that allowed her to get bags of food to children in need not only for winter break, but spring

and fall break as well. When students received the bags, some were curious to know where the food had come from, Benedict always answered “just from the kids next door.” Her goal was to teach her own children how to serve their peers and Benedict wanted the focus of the program to be kids serving kids.

The Kids Next Door program lasted for 10 years, and their service reached thousands of kids along the Wasatch Front. The USANA Foundation recognized Benedict for her outstanding program and brought her on to direct their local program, USANA Kids Eat.

Since 2019 USANA Kids Eat, a local program is working to eliminate hunger in Utah. More than 56,000 children along the Wasatch Front do not have stable meals at home and USANA Kids Eat works to ensure safe and healthy meals to those children in need.

USANA Kids Eat provides weekend bags full of non-perishable, child-friendly, and healthy food to over 65 local schools and organizations along the Wasatch Front. Since 2019 over 150,623 backpacks have been delivered to over 79 schools and organizations to children in need. With over 1,345,051 meals provided by USANA Kids Eat they are still working to reach even more struggling families to provide them with their needs. Not only does the USANA foundation serve locally, but they also send food to countries and communities around the world who do not have a sustainable food supply.

To donate money or volunteer to pack bags and get involved with the USANA Kids Eat program visit their website USANAkidseat.org. l

Layton-based nonprofit helps find missing persons

Thousands of people in the U.S. go missing every year. The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System database states nearly 600,000 people are declared missing each year.

Most of those cases are resolved quickly, with people found alive and well, but for many families, the mystery behind their loved one’s disappearance can extend to days, months or even decades.

Layton resident Marki Davis founded We Help the Missing in 2014 as a resource for families to help find missing persons. As a private investigator with a background in criminal justice, Davis has dedicated her time and resources to getting answers for families.

“I felt like we could come together and do advocacy and investigation and put it all together in a package. I felt family support was lacking so I got some volunteers and just started,” Davis said. “Some missing persons were found, unfortunately, deceased, some came home on their own and some were found. A large number are still missing.”

There are many reasons a person

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@davisjournal.com

goes missing. It could be a fight with a family member, financial trouble, trauma, trafficking or abuse, or it could be an accident that left a person unable to reach out to family members.

Davis’s organization partners with Road Warriors for the Missing as a rapid response team that gets volunteers to the area where the person went missing. The volunteers canvas the area, put up posters, post on social media and report back to investigators.

“We stay with the family and let them know we care,” Davis said. “We let them know we’re getting the name out there and investigating and keeping the case active. A lot of times, sadly, law enforcement is not engaged.”

We Help the Missing has worked on cases where people have been missing for days or decades and Davis said every case is unique and traumatic for family members. Missing persons are often found through the implementation of social media campaigns and through a network of investigators across the state.

Davis also admits that some missing people don’t want to be found.

“If they’re of age, we have to respect their privacy. We report back to the family and tell them they’re alive but they just don’t want to communicate right now.”

We Help the Missing is a nonprofit corporation that takes no fee for its services. It operates through donations,

volunteer work and private investigators who often work pro bono. Davis understands that having a loved one missing for any amount of time is overwhelming and terrifying. Part of her services includes support for the family and continual updates as volunteers search for the missing.

For those who have information about a missing person, We Help the Missing has an anonymous tip line at 1-866-660-4025. Call 435-671-8100 or visit WeHelpTheMissing.org for information about the organization. Investigators who would like to donate services can also reach out to Davis.

To enlist assistance from We Help the Missing, visit the website to fill out an intake form and upload a photo of the missing person. The organization will create a poster, reach out to an investigator and spread the info across its social media channels.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” Davis said. “It’s the best feeling in the world to get them home and get them safe.” l

(Left to right) Kaiimilani Crockett, Abby Preas and Emerald Haycock shop for food to donate to the USANA Kids Eat holiday bag project. Photo by Rhett Benedict

The real reason behind blinding headlights

Complaints keep circulating about the lights coming on at night. No, it isn’t about just any lights; it’s about headlights. It seems that vehicle headlights, year after year, get brighter and brighter. And many people are asking what can be done to dim these lights.

There are three types of headlights: standard halogen (which are most common), high-intensity discharge or HID (which came in around the 90s) and LED (light emitting diode) highlights (which are found in a lot of newer vehicles). Each lighting type is measured by candlepower and lumens. They each measure different light qualities, and one candlepower equals 12.57 lumens. When measuring lumens, it refers to the light illuminated in a one-square-foot area one foot away from a single candle.

Utah Code states, “A lighted lamp or illuminating device on a vehicle, which projects a beam of light of an intensity greater than 300 candlepower, shall be directed so that no part of the high intensity portion of the beam will strike the level of the roadway on which the vehicle stands at a distance of more than 75 feet from the vehicle.”

A technical report from 2004 titled “Drivers’ Perceptions of Headlight Glare from Oncoming and Following Vehicles” gives some perspective. The report reads as follows:

“Recently, U.S. drivers have been expressing concern over the discomfort and reduced visibility that they experience from headlight glare from other vehicles. Drivers have focused their concern on the relatively new high intensity discharge lights, high mounted lights and various auxiliary lights. In order to better understand this glare problem, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration collected data on drivers’ percep-

By Alisha Copfer | alisha.c@davisjournal.com

tion of glare from a representative sample of U.S. drivers. The survey was conducted through Omnibus Survey of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. The present study is based on the information (data) collected on two types of glare: glare from oncoming and following vehicles.

“The survey data were analyzed to find out how U.S. drivers perceive the two types of glare and if glare perception is associated with respondents’ age and gender. Contingency analysis was conducted to establish these associations. The statistics showed that a sizable number of respondents feel that glare was ‘disturbing.’ It was found that the age group 35 to 44 had the highest percentage of night drivers as well as among those who felt glare ‘disturbing.’”

Basically, the survey found that 88% of drivers noticed headlight glare, with 31% saying the glare is “disturbing.” While headlight intensity may extend the visibility of objects ahead of drivers, the glare also seems to increase the discomfort of other drivers and pedestrians. This glare can also reduce visibility by reducing contrast or causing drivers to turn away from the roadway to avoid any eye discomfort.

Science explains why LED lights seem so much brighter than halogen. This phenomenon is called color temperature. While many may think lights are clear, each light has a spectrum ranging from orange-yellow to blue-white. The brighter the light, the bluer the light. LEDs and HIDs hit on the blue-white spectrum where the halogen is closer to the orange-yellow.

Studies have found that these blue-white lights tend to hit people’s eyes harder, especially in the dark. Those cooler color temperatures can be blinding but are also helpful when behind the wheel as they illuminate farther distances. And, when it

comes right down to the science, these bluer lights are not actually brighter than the yellow spectrum.

Some auto repair shops say factory lights are typically brighter than after-market. These after-market lights have simply been changed from the original factory model. The most common cause of visually brighter lights is that they have not been appropriately adjusted for that vehicle. They are also difficult to calibrate due to not having an environment in which to adjust (not dark enough or long enough spaces to test them). The worst part? Enforcement is difficult as there are no reliable ways to measure these lumens. l

Intermountain Layton breaks ground on new Ambulatory Surgery Center

LAYTON—The Intermountain Layton Hospital campus is growing and the newest addition is an Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) that will enhance efficient and affordable outpatient surgical care in the county. Hospital administration, physicians and other dignitaries participated in a ceremonial groundbreaking for the new facility last month.

“Continual growth and success is key to what we do,” said Administrator/CEO Scott Mortensen. “The ASC is part of the growth in the community and will provide services close to home at a lower cost. From the hospital’s perspective it just makes sense.”

“We’re excited,” said Layton Mayor Joy Petro. “Before this whole development there were hayfields here. We’re fortunate that the hospital decided to come here and purchase the property. At first they said it would be a full service hospital but then they decided to take a step back and see what the community needed. We were devastated because we thought there would be no hospital but they reevaluated and decided it would go here. The project started in 2015.”

Petro said the city let the neighbors know what was going on. “They love the

By Becky Ginos | becky.g@davisjournal.com

hospital and what they’ve done here. Intermountain has done an excellent job analyzing what is best for the client and not necessarily the bottom line – that speaks volumes.”

The new center will be nearly 18,000 square feet with four operating rooms and is projected to be completed by 2024.

Chief Medical Officer Glen Morrell, M.D. remembers visiting his grandma where his aunt was convalescing after having cataracts removed. “She had sandbags on each side of her head so she couldn’t move,” he said. “Today that can be done in a same day surgery. What a difference. If you had to have your appendix out it took three days before you could go home. If you came in now in a few hours you’d be home in your own bed.”

The ASC will maximize the recovery of patients, he said. “It also increases the value of care for patients. Healthcare is expensive especially for the middle class. This will decrease cost. It will be a wonderful thing for patients.”

“Without the overhead of a hospital, we can provide the same great care and charge about half as much,” said Mortensen. “We’ll have 23 hour stays where patients are not admitted to the hospital. We can do total

joints and other surgeries because of that.”

Sixty to 70 percent of the operating volume will be done in the surgical center, he said. “That opens up more capacity for surgeries that do need to be done in the hospital.”

“Top of mind for doctors and surgeons is where patients can get the very best care

possible,” said Morrell. “The number of hospital cases keeps going up. Joints, hips, knees had to be done in the hospital now that can be done as an outpatient. Infection rates are lower because you don’t have to be with sick patients like in a hospital. It’s so much easier to recover in your own bed.” l

Bright headlights can be distracting and “disturbing” to drivers and pedestrians at night. Courtesy photo

Administration, physicians and other dignitaries turn dirt in a ceremonial groundbreaking held inside the hospital. The boxes were filled with dirt from the actual site where the new facility will be built. Photo courtesy of IHC

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Throughout the ages, there have been many important advances in mobility. Canes, walkers, rollators, and scooters were created to help people with mobility issues get around and retain their independence. Lately, however, there haven’t been any new improvements to these existing products or developments in this field Until now. Recently, an innovative design engineer who’s developed one of the world’s most popular products created a completely new breakthrough . . . a personal electric vehicle. It’s called the Zinger, and there is nothing out there quite like it.

“What my wife especially loves is it gives her back feelings of safety and independence which has given a real boost to her confidence and happiness! Thank You!”

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The first thing you’ll notice about the Zinger is its unique look. It doesn’t look like a scooter. Its sleek, lightweight yet durable frame is made with aircraft grade aluminum so it weighs only 47.2 lbs. It features onetouch folding and unfolding – when folded it can be wheeled around like a suitcase and fits easily into a

backseat or trunk. Then, there are the steering levers. They enable the Zinger to move forward, backward, turn on a dime and even pull right up to a table or desk. With its compact yet powerful motor it can go up to 6 miles an hour and its rechargeable battery can go up to 8 miles on a single charge. With its low center of gravity and inflatable tires it can handle rugged terrain and is virtually tip-proof. Think about it, you can take your Zinger almost anywhere, so you don’t have to let mobility issues rule your life.

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Abby Harding receives Outstanding Student Award at city council meeting

By Alisha Copfer | alisha.c@davisjournal.com

FARMINGTON—Recognizing outstanding citizens has become a priority for Farmington City. And this includes the recognition of students as well. Abby Harding, the most recent recipient of the Outstanding Student Award, has been working hard for her education.

“She is always striving to improve,” said Darrin Harding, Abby’s father. “Everyone loves Abby. She’s loved all of her teachers, so they love her back.”

Harding explained that even though Abby doesn’t fit well with traditional programs, she has worked hard at overcoming these obstacles. “She doesn’t fit the traditional mold,” he said.

Abby is described by many as being artistic and hard working. She learned Spanish and Latin while in school. She is also involved with Farmington City theater programs and enjoys singing. “I’ve been involved in theater most of my life,” Abby said.

Tery Binkerd, a Language Arts teacher at Viewmont High School, where Abby is a senior, recommended Abby for the award. Abby also attends Davis Technical College in the esthetician program. She plans on going for her master’s degree once she graduates.

One of Abby’s favorite roles was during a production of Sweeney Todd. “She makes scary things fun,” said Kim Harding, Abby’s mother. “She is typically one of the leads in the Halloween and scary productions.”

Abby was invited to be recognized at the city council meeting on Jan. 17. Abby’s family came in support, and they were a large group. Her mom, dad, sister, brother and grandparents were all there to support her as she received the recognition.

“Such a sweet honor for such a sweet girl,” said Jolene Keate, Abby’s grandmother. “Abby is always positive, kind, selfless and pure.” l

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Abby Harding (fourth from the left), is Farmington City’s third recipient of the Outstanding Student Award. Photo by Alisha Copfer

Centerville and West Bountiful cooperate on possible industrial project

By Linda Petersen | lpetersen@mycityjournals.com

CENTERVILLE—Centerville and West Bountiful city officials are working together to help facilitate a new industrial flex warehouse project in the former Trinity Steel development at around 1250 West (Child Lane) 200 South. The area is zoned Industrial Very High in Centerville. The two cities and the developer, Stokes Stevenson, have entered into a non-binding memorandum of understanding which outlines how the two cities plan to handle the project’s approval process.

The bulk of the 16.85 acre-property which is being purchased by Stokes Stevenson, about 11.5 acres, is in Centerville while the remaining 5.35 acres falls within West Bountiful boundaries at about 640 West 2300 North.

“With the property being split between West Bountiful and Centerville City, this creates a unique situation,” Community Development Director Cory Snyder said as he presented the issue to the Centerville City Council at the Jan. 3 council meeting.

The project will be built in the vacant property surrounding the green steel building and will have no impact on that site, City Manager Brant Hanson said.

According to the Memorandum of Un-

derstanding, the project will go through Centerville City for its approval and Centerville will receive all related fees. All Centerville ordinances and conditions are acceptable to West Bountiful even though the two cities have slightly different zoning ordinances, Snyder said.

“We want to use Centerville as the pinpoint for the development review process and West Bountiful is basically saying, ‘In our understanding, we agree to that,’” Snyder said.

South Davis Sewer will provide sewer for the proposed three-building project, while Dominion Energy and Rocky Mountain Power will provide gas and electricity, respectively. The two cities will share taxes from the project on a pro-rata proportionate basis.

If the project gets approved, the two cities will enter into a formal interlocal agreement which will spell out all of these details. It’s possible that the two cities may determine it makes sense to adjust the boundary between the two cities sometime in the future, supporting documents say. The two cities are also expected to hash out the details of how tax revenue from the project will be divided, addressing, policing and municipal services in the formal interlocal agreement, Snyder said.

“We’re excited to develop this project in the city, and we look forward to working with Centerville,” developer Brian Stephenson told the council. “There are some issues we’re going to have to work through just because of the nature of how the lot lines line up … This is our first attempt at saying, ‘Here is the project. Here are a few of the issues and let’s start off on a good foot together with an MOU.’”

Councilmember Spencer Summerhays said he had some concerns about the location of the project. He also expressed frustration that the city has not updated its general plan in some time.

“In my mind, this is the perfect location for our future TOD [Transit Oriented Development], for our future FrontRunner station …,” he said. “This development effectively kills any future multi-family development there … and we just don’t have any control over that.”

In the end, all five city council members voted in favor of entering into the memorandum of understanding. West Bountiful City Council approved the MOU in its Dec. 20 meeting. l

Medallus Medical Membership is a simple membership program to all of our 8 clinics. Members can receive discounted medical services at $10/visit at fee in exchange for a monthly membership fee:

• $50 / month (1 member)

• $75 / month (party of 2)

• $100 / month (family of 3)

• $120 / month (family of 4 to 6)

*$25 additional per person (family of 7 to 12) $20 registration fee – 12-month contract

Q: What is your name and position with the company?

A: Wade Glather, Lead Director.

Q: Tell us more about you. How long have you been with the company and what qualifications do you have?

A: I have been with Ascent since spring 2014, since before the first schools opened. I helped prepare the schools to open and hired teachers prior to our first day of school. I've been a part of Ascent since day one!

Q: How long has your business been in business?

A: We opened our first 2 schools in August 2014 in West Jordan and Farmington. Since then we have added 3 more schools, West Valley, Lehi and our brand new school in Saratoga Springs!

Q: What products and services do you offer?

A: Ascent Academies is a Tuition-Free Public Charter School open to all families, fostering small classes and personalized education led by supportive faculty. We are on a mission to provide enriching, individualized and varied educational experiences.

Q: What sets your company apart from your competitors?

A: Award winning schools and staff! We recently won charter school of the year in 2021! This year we had 19 of our teachers and employees nominated for teacher\employee of the year and our Network Librarian, Cymberly Erni, won! Besides having amazing teachers and smaller class sizes, our network of schools combines the Schoolwide Enrichment Model’s (SEM) researchbased strategies with curriculum and instructional methods aligned to the Utah Core Curricula in order to provide students throughout the network with engaging learning opportunities.

Q: Does your business solve a problem for your customers?

A: We are a school of choice - Students and Parents choose to come to Ascent and we are honored.

Q: Who is your ideal client/customer?

A: At our Farmington school we serve students from K-9, our West Valley school serves K-6. We love all students who are ready for a challenge and ready to learn!

Q: How do potential clients normally choose between you or a competitor?

A: Our Schoolwide Enrichment Model is a huge draw along with our award winning teachers and staff. Individualized learning! Who doesn't love smaller class sizes?

Q: What is your best advice for someone who is considering doing business with you?

A: Come take a personal tour of one of our schools. Register for our new student lottery, our classes fill up quick!

Q: What is your favorite product/service your company offers?

A: Schoolwide Enrichment Model

Q: Are you currently running any special or hosting any upcoming events?

A: Our new student lottery is open! The lottery will be drawn on January 24th 2023.

Q: Where can customers find you?

A: Farmington Ascent K-9, 22 S 650 W, Farmington, UT 84025, (385) 220-2200, www.ascentutah.org FB: www.facebook.com/AAUFarmington/ West Valley Ascent K-6, 5685 W Cilma Dr, West Valley City, UT 84128, (801) 685-0228, www.ascentutah.org, FB: www.facebook.com/AscentWestValley

Q: If you are a service provider, what is your service area?

A: Service areas include Farmington, West Valley, West Jordan, Lehi and Saratoga Springs.

Q: Anything else you would like our readers to know about your business?

A: We are proud our schools were some of the handful of schools statewide that stayed open safely during the pandemic.

Utah must be nimble to adapt to an evolving landscape

Irecently toured Lone Peak Hospital in southern Salt Lake County. This facility, in the heart of one of the fastest growing areas of Utah, must adapt to the constantly changing economic and demographic landscape. Although the hospital opened its doors only 10 years ago, it just completed a major expansion, including nearly doubling its bed count and expanding its women’s services, surgical services, and interventional radiology services. It is also expanding into other communities, including Herriman, Riverton, and South Jordan.

To survive and thrive in our changing environment, all businesses must remain nimble and responsive to the needs of a growing population.

Our state continues to grow. Utah’s population topped 3.4 million last year, and grew by more than 61,000 people, according to the recently released 2023 Economic Report to the Governor. This is like adding a new city the size of Herriman every year. And Utah remains one of the fastest growing states in the nation.

Our birth rate is slowing. One of the traditional unique characteristics of Utah’s population growth is that because of our high fertility rate, most of the population growth has come from “natural increase” — the number of births minus deaths in the year. However, in recent years Utah’s fertility rate dropped and is now lower than South Dakota, Nebraska,

By Robert Spendlove, Zions Bank Senior Economist

and North Dakota. But Utah recently saw a resurgence in births. For the first time since 2008, Utah births increased, topping 46,000 in 2022.

Migration is driving our growth. On the other hand, Utah has seen a migration surge in recent years. The Utah Population Committee estimates that net migration (in-migration minus out-migration) brought more than 38,000 new residents to our state in 2022. This represents 62% of the total population growth in Utah and it is the highest number of people moving into the Beehive State in a single year.

Growth is a struggle and a blessing. There is no doubt that our state has struggled under the weight of high population growth and high migration. Population growth puts greater strains on roads, schools, housing, public utilities, natural resources, and social services. It is vital for civic leaders across the state to appropriately plan for population growth and build the infrastructure necessary to support these new residents. And we must all adjust to higher demand for our limited resources as the population grows.

However, while population growth produces challenges, it is much better than the alternative. Many states in our country are currently experiencing the struggles of population loss. In these states, governments struggle to fix roads, bridges, and infrastructure; businesses struggle with decreasing demand as customers move away; and housing price growth slows or drops as people leave. On the other side of the world, China just announced that for the first time since 1961 the country’s population shrank. A shrinking population will cause the supply of workers to shrink, which may cause productivity and overall economic growth to languish.

Supporting the needs of China’s aging population will place a greater strain on workers and taxpayers as the dependency ratio increases.

Utah is blessed to have unmatched natural beauty, a high quality of life, and a strong and vibrant economy. Businesses are attracted to our state because of our strong and growing workforce, which is driven by strong population growth. And nimble companies and communities will be able to thrive in our growing state. l

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Kids tell tall tales at the Davis School District Storytelling Festival

By Megan Gleason | m.gleason@mycityjournals.com

The art of storytelling is alive and thriving in Davis School District. On Jan. 19, Davis County schools held their annual Storytelling Festival at Shoreline Junior High School. This year nine different elementary schools participated in the event, each school holding its competition prior, before sending the winners on to the district festival. A total of 22 students presented and performed their stories for the audience.

“The Davis Storytelling Festival provides opportunities for student creativity and connection to the value of stories,” K-12 Library Supervisor, Selena Campbell said. The stories performed were each three – five minutes long and could be either an original creation, a true story, or a favorite book. Each student was encouraged to tell their story in the way they felt most comfortable with an emphasis on performance and vocal clarity. Preparations for the festival began in November 2022 and students had a little over two months to choose their story and begin practicing for it.

Students didn’t have to prepare for this alone. Across the school district was a team of volunteer coaches to guide students in the art of storytelling consisting of teachers, librarians, parents, and staff members.

“The Storytelling Festival is made possi-

ble by our coaches,” Campbell said. Before every reading, each student was asked to mention who their coach was and most added a special thanks to their introductions for their mentors.

“I didn’t like stories in third grade,” Titan Moser, a fourth grader said, “but I do now.”

Moser performed an original story titled “The Family Secret” which was about suddenly discovering that he and his family had superpowers. Moser said his favorite part about participating in the Storytelling Festival was “unlocking imagination.”

“This also provides students to be a part of a unique extracurricular program,” said Campbell. “Youth storytellers are taught that true storytelling does not equate to recitation, but that engaging the audience in the story is a vital part of the experience.”

“Fat and Thin,” performed by Jackson Dibb, a third grader, was a retelling of a story his grandfather told him and had many in the audience laughing along to the antics of the two main characters Fat and Thin.

The two-hour event was not only a celebration of stories and the students who told them but also the final step before the chance to move on to perform at the Weber State University Storytelling Festival held Feb. 27 – March

1. Every year Weber State University partners

with local school districts and provides a platform for youth storytellers to perform at the same level as professional tellers. Eight students from the Davis School District Storytelling Festival will be chosen based on their performance to move on to the university stage.

Titan Moser said he had mixed emotions about

‘She Loves Me’ a romantic comedy treat

By Becky Ginos | becky.g@davisjournal.com

the possibility of performing at the university festival.

Whether participants move on to the university festival or not, the Davis School District Storytelling Festival was a celebration of stories and the art of storytelling. l

CENTERVILLE—Looking for some fun with a romantic twist? Then “She Loves Me” is the ticket. CenterPoint Legacy Theatre’s production of the 1960s Broadway musical is a sweet story of misunderstanding between two people who find out the other isn’t the person they thought they were.

“She Loves Me” first appeared on Broadway in 1963 but originally got its start as Hungarian playwright Midlos Loszlo’s “Parfumerie.” In 1940 it was made into the movie “The Shop Around the Corner” starring Jimmy Stewart followed by “In the Good Old Summertime” the 1949 musical film with Judy Garland. Probably more familiar is the 1998 version “You’ve Got Mail,” starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks.

The story is set in 1930’s Europe at the perfume shop Maraczecks that is all about pleasing the women who come in to find just the right lipstick, creams and perfumes. Amalia Balash (Claire Glaittli, MWF) and Georg Nowack (Ben Lowell, MWF) both work at the shop and have been at odds with each from the time Amalia came into the shop looking for a job. If he says one thing, she says another.

In the meantime, they have both been writing secret letters to someone they met through a lonely hearts ad. Unbeknownst to

them they’re writing to each other! Finally, they set a date to meet in person and start worrying about what the other will think because they’ve both been embellishing the truth a little.

The scene at the restaurant where they are supposed to meet is hilarious. Head waiter Matt Ford (MWF) and busboy Ky Hartley (MWF) are especially funny and the dance number is delightful. The set was also impressive with the restaurant coming up out of the stage.

The cast of characters in the shop all had their own quirks that just added to the fun. Ryan Bruckman (MWF) plays clerk Steven Kodaly, a smooth lady’s man who has been wooing clerk IIona Ritter (Jordyn Tracy, MWF) but proves to be very fickle. Ladoslov Sipos (Chad Wilkinson, MWF) is the steady employee who is always trying to please his boss and supports Georg when things aren’t going well. Owner Mr. Maraczeck (Darin Stite, MWF) does a charming jig as he recalls his youth when he went to dance halls. He encourages Georg to do the same and try to find a date.

In the end love wins out and Amalia and Georg realize not everyone is as they seem. “She Loves Me” is full of surprises and great music that is sure to win your heart.

“She Loves Me” runs now through Feb. 18 Monday – Saturday at 7:30 p.m. with Saturday matinees at 2:30 p.m. Ticket prices range from $19-$37. Call the box office at

Students hold up their certificates after performing in the Storytelling Festival held at Davis High in January. Winners will move on to the Weber State University Storytelling Festival held Feb. 27 – March 1. Photo by Selena Campbell.

Claire Glaittli (Amalia Balash), Ben Lowell (Georg Nowack) play feuding co-workers in CenterPoint Legacy Theatre’s production of “She Loves Me.” Photo courtesy of CPT

If you’d told me 20 years ago that I’d be a yoga instructor, I’d have laughed hard enough to tear a hamstring because I was very inflexible.

I took my first yoga class as a dare. My tennis instructor laughed at how tight I was and challenged me to try yoga. I hated every minute of that stupid class. I hated the words and I hated the poses and I hated the teacher and I loathed downward facing dog with a fiery passion.

But I realized my tennis instructor was right. My muscles were as tight as two-byfours, but less bendy. So I kept going back to yoga. Hated it every single time.

After about two months of practicing yoga, I noticed, little by little, my flexibility was improving. I could almost touch my toes without the usual amount of grunting and tears. My hips didn’t scream out loud while doing pigeon pose. My shoulders dropped away from my ears, where I’d held them at strict attention for decades. Even my back stopped hurting each time I rolled out of bed.

I grudgingly had to admit yoga wasn’t the hippy-dippy dumpster fire I thought it was. But learning the poses was just the beginning. As I explored yoga’s history, philosophy and favorite recipes, I came to realize yoga was a lifestyle that encouraged, nay demanded, self-love and com-

Peri Kinder Life and Laughter

passion.

Yikes. As a lifelong subscriber to self-loathing, I wasn’t sure how to handle that type of ideology. Just like when I started the physical practice, I took lots of tiny, baby steps toward accepting myself as a worthy human.

Fast forward 20 years and not only do I teach yoga but I LOVE yoga with a fiery passion. Yoga has changed me in so many ways. I used to be sarcastic, cynical and snarky but after studying yoga for so many years, I’m a sarcastic, cynical and snarky yoga instructor.

See. People change.

I’m also much less judgmental. I’m not so hard on myself and I give most people the benefit of the doubt. Most people. Maybe someone can propose a bill that would require our legislators to take a yoga class each morning before discussing the divisive and harmful bills proposed

this year. OK, when it comes to our lawmakers, I’m still pretty judgmental.

Being a yoga instructor is super silly. As an instructor, I get to say things in class that don’t make a whole lot of sense, and my students listen to me!

I’ll say, “Breathe in through your collarbones, breathe out through your kneecaps. Inhale to fill up your armpits, exhale to release tension in the ear lobes.”

Or I’ll instruct students to “Melt into the mat, send energy out of your fingertips, ground through your sitz bones, wring out your body and lengthen the crown of your head.” And I’m totally serious. (Laugh emoji)

My yoga practice has evolved from trying to do the most difficult poses and making my students sweat and swear, to focusing on deep stretches and stress-reducing breathing exercises.

It isn’t about who can be the bendy-est or the one who can hold crow pose for five minutes. It’s about appreciating what my body can do today. Not what I think it should do or what I want it to do tomorrow, but what it can accomplish right now.

I appreciate all the yoga teachers who took this rigid block of a body and mind and transformed it into a pliable, warm and accepting human being. My hamstrings thank you. l

IT’S A WRAP 2022