Cottonwood Journal | May 2023

Seven hundred and eighty-two Cottonwood Heights residents were surveyed about their preferences, expectations and perceptions regarding housing affordability, availability and development within the city. Y2 Analytics Partner and Vice President of Research Kyrene Gibb presented the results of the 2023 Housing Priorities Survey to the Cottonwood Heights City Council on April 4.

Overall, one in three residents reported walkability (35%), public transit (32%) and affordable housing options (40%) are in need of improvement within the city. Seventy-three percent of surveyed residents reported providing affordable housing as an important priority for planning for the future of Cottonwood Heights.

“Walkability being a high priority is a consistent theme we see throughout the survey,” Gibb said.

Homeowners were less likely than renters to give above-average ratings to trails and open spaces. Renters, however, were most likely to report that affordable housing needs improvement.

Within the city, 32% of renters report paying between $1,500 and $1,999 per month, while those

By Cassie Goff |

paying off mortgages pay between $1,500 and $2,499 per month.

Surprisingly, to both the researchers and city council, 31% of homeowners reported their mortgage already being paid off, while 24% of non-owners aren’t paying for housing costs monthly (one in four non-owners are rent free).

“About one-third of our residents are not paying for rent or for a mortgage anymore,” Gibb said.

Thinking about new growth and development for housing within the city, residents reported preference for traditional single-family housing on their own lots; followed closely by condensed lot single-family housing and townhomes. The least appealing options for residents are condominiums and apartment buildings. Overall, residents are not enthusiastic about higher-density options.

“Townhomes and luxury apartments were the relatively more dense options that residents gravitated towards,” Gibb said. “…options that immediately evoke higher density or taller buildings get initial pushback from residents.”

Residents believe the missing middle-style housing (townhomes

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The majority of residents would prefer new development be built near existing commercial areas, where new residents would have easy access to amenities without adding to traffic congestion, especially near the mouths of the canyons. (Photo courtesy of Kyrene Gibb/Y2 Analytics)

“Dozens of doctors told me that there was nothing more that they could do to expect to be in a wheel chair. I went from the top 1% in the army Special Forces to being in so much pain that I could not tie my shoe or hold my new daughter. I did physical therapy and pain killers for years, but nothing worked. Finally, I went to Dr. Smith and I improved exactly as he told me I would. I couldn’t believe it! My wife cried, “I have my husband back.”

—Steve M., Army Special Forces

D. Smith D.C. CSCS Chiropractic Physician

Plan outlines sustainable transportation solutions for Big Cottonwood Canyon

The Big Cottonwood Canyon Mobility Action Plan, drafted by the Central Wasatch Commission (CWC), outlines immediate, near-term, and long-term solutions to help address the canyon’s year-round and seasonal traffic congestion issues. This plan may help guide multi-modal transportation investments.

“There is currently a lack of convenient, frequent and reliable transit connecting to and serving the canyon,” said CWC Executive Director Blake Perez when he presented the Mobility Action Plan to the Cottonwood Heights City Council on April 4.

A slew of sustainable transportation solutions supporting positive economic

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By Cassie Goff | c.goff@mycityjournals.com

and environmental outcomes are proposed within the document. All of the potential solutions focus on reducing single-occupancy vehicles within the canyon by shifting vehicle transportation to transit.

“This is a menu of options that we could further pursue. This isn’t meant to be the solution,” Perez said.

Those itemized menu options have been categorized into six broad categories including roadway improvements, mobility hubs and bus stops, transit service, parking management, travel demand management and administrative policy.

“Roadway improvements are ground zero for Cottonwood Heights,” Perez said.

Two improvements for the Fort Union

Boulevard and Wasatch Boulevard intersection have been outlined. The first being an addition of a second left-turn lane southbound from Fort Union Boulevard onto Wasatch Boulevard (when facing the mouth of the canyon). The second option would extend the merge lane from the intersection into Big Cottonwood Canyon Road for onehalf mile to the east (after the Tavaci subdivision access on the north side of SR 190). The merge extension will allow more traffic to consolidate from the four intersecting roadways into one lane of travel.

“That has a lot to do with that mode shift of getting more people onto transit and reducing congestion,” Perez said. An additional improvement to the

Guardsman’s Pass road intersection to accommodate an exclusive travel lane has been outlined as well.

Mobility hubs and bus stops have been identified as playing a key role in delivering good transit throughout the canyon.

Three development options for mobility hubs and bus stops have been identified. A mobility hub within the future Gravel Pit Development (along the east side of Wasatch Boulevard between 3200 South and Fort Union Boulevard) would have the added benefit of creating an additional 1,500 parking stalls toward the mouth of the canyon. Two new mobility hubs at Solitude Mountain Resort and Brighton Ski Resort would provide busses with dedicated

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Conceptual rending of the planned re-striping of the Big Cottonwood Canyon Park and Ride for illustrative purposes only. (Photo courtesy of the Central Wasatch Commission)

space to get in and out of traffic. Bus stops at major trailheads throughout the canyon would serve as a year-round transportation alternative.

“We have to be working in tandem with the U.S. Forest Service on this front, as they’re the land managers,” Perez said.

Improvements to existing transit services at the mouth of the canyon would include re-striping the parking lot to create 150 parking stalls instead of the current 80 stalls and developing the Big Cottonwood Canyon Park and Ride to accommodate additional transit services and safer shelter.

“(Town of Brighton) Mayor (Danial) Knopp is adamant about how important these pieces are for the transit puzzle in the region,” Perez said.

Transit service solutions primarily focus on improving bus services to the canyon with local and regional connection points. Year-round busses serving Solitude, Brighton and potentially major trailheads, have been included as a long-term solution. The addition of an exclusive transit route to Solitude through the Brighton Loop has been proposed as well.

“This gives buses the priority and reliability of getting up there and through the bottleneck. It will decrease transit travel times,” Perez said.

UTA’s Five-Year Service Plan has identified the need to increase bus services along Route 972 (servicing Solitude and Brighton from the Midvale Fort Union Station) and Route 953 (servicing Snowbird Mountain Resort and Alta Ski Resort from

Continued from front page

with individual yards or detached single-family homes that share lots with open space) are not available within the city, while between 70% and 83% of residents believe apartments are the most available housing type within the city.

“Apartments topping the list was fascinating to me,” Gibb said. “There is an overwhelming perception that all of the development and growth is high-density. We are putting apartments everywhere and it’s changing our quality of life. I think that perception is driving a lot of the concerns even if that’s far from accurate.”

Concern echoed throughout the survey at various points reflected impacts to residents’ property values.

Residents were asked whether they would prefer to see more high-density housing developments with more opportunities for future generations of Cottonwood Heights residents or if they would prefer to maintain the current housing stock in the city with fewer opportunities for younger residents. The results were close to evenly split with 55% of residents preferring to maintain the current housing stock.

Preserving the feel of single-family housing neighborhoods throughout the

the Midvale Fort Union Station).

“There is an immediate opportunity to utilize canyon-specific funds (state-appropriated that came through this past session) to progress enhanced bus next stops,” Perez said.

In addition, the CWC would like to see third-party reservation-based shuttle services increased after Salt Lake County and Visit Salt Lake kicked this transportation solution off within the last three years.

“This could have the potential to connect valley locations directly to the ski resorts,” Perez said.

Parking management solutions focus on reducing and eliminating roadside park-

city was reported as an important priority for residents. For them, that meant keeping housing away from the canyons, preserving the mountain viewshed throughout the community and limited congestion and traffic throughout those neighborhoods.

When asked for their preference between allowing for a broader mix of housing types with more opportunities for residents of different socioeconomic backgrounds and maintaining the current housing stock with fewer opportunities for residents of different socioeconomic backgrounds, residents were almost evenly split.

“We see a close coin toss with a slight leaning (48% to 52%) towards maintaining the current housing stock with fewer opportunities for those of different socioeconomic backgrounds,” Gibb said.

Disbursement of that new development spreading throughout the city in existing low-density neighborhoods was reported as an important priority. Residents do not want new housing developments concentrating in high traffic, commercial or undeveloped areas of the city.

“More of what we already have in Cottonwood Heights is the most appealing thing to residents,” Gibb said.

At a rate of three to one, residents would rather see housing developments being built

ing. Reservation systems for parking at the resorts and trailheads have been noted as successful proactive solutions.

“I’ve heard from Michael Mawn up at Alta how great the parking reservation system has worked. That’s management that we need to minimize the number of cars that are going up there,” Perez said.

Mayor Mike Weichers asked Perez if Solitude has fully committed to a new reservation system for next year yet.

Tolling, incentive bus fare structures, and transit pass options for riders have all been identified as transportation solution options under the Travel Demand Management category.

horizontally than building vertically.

“This can help us with our general plan process as well,” said City Manager Tim Tingey.

Residents were asked if they would rather see more high-density housing that is multiple stories high, concentrated in high traffic areas of the city, or if they would rather see more townhomes, condominiums and multi-unit lots with restricted building height to preserve views, spread throughout the city. Twenty-one percent preferred concentrated high-density housing while 79% preferred multi-unit lots spread throughout the city.

Residents would like to see growth and housing development in small, walkable, neighborhood commercial centers. When thinking about development in growth in general, residents gravitated toward areas of mixed-use with recreation amenities like parks, connected trails and shared green space. Interest in increasing pedestrian friendliness in small urban centers was shown as statistically significant.

“Things that increase the community feel and the access residents have to the amenities they’re looking for on a regular basis,” Gibb said.

“Where residents largely agree is to plan for the development of small neighbor-

Additional transit pass options might include seasonal passes or canyons-focused passes.

One of Perez’s personal favorite options falls under the Administrative Policy category. A specific agency could be created to address the transportation challenges within the canyons. There are two main options for creating such an agency: a Transit District comprised of transportation partners with a strong partnership with UTA would collect tax revenue and work to commit to a certain level of service; or a Transportation Management Association (TMA) would consist of a group of members paying dues instead of collecting tax revenue.

“They could go out and focus on businesses and encourage carpooling,” Perez said.

The Mobility Action Plan was funded by the CWC, Town of Brighton, Cottonwood Heights, Brighton Resort and Solitude Mountain Resort. Participating partners include the U.S. Forest Service, Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities, UTA and the Utah Department of Transportation.

After being updated by the Transportation Committee on April 25, the Mobility Action Plan will be presented to the CWC Board with a final map on May 1.

To view the full Mobility Action Plan and Big Cottonwood Canyon final map, visit the CWC’s website at: www.cwc.utah. gov/transportation/big-cottonwood-canyon-mobility-action-plan l

hood commercial centers in future zoning to promote walkability (65%). That is more popular than maintaining large continuous residents zoning with requiring greater traveling to amenities (35%),” Gibb said.

Out of those surveyed: 88% were white while 12% were people of color; 47% were male, 51% were female, and 2% were other gendered; 87% had children at home while 13% reported having no children at home; 22% were between the ages of 18 and 34, 19% were between the ages of 35 and 44, 18% were between 45 and 54 and also 55 to 64, and 23% were over the age of 65 (and retired).

Thirty percent reported income of over $150,000, 18% reported income between $75,000 and $99,999 and 13% reported income of $100,000 to $124,999. All other income ranges were below 10%.

The highest income group (150k-plus) report the lowest satisfaction with activities and entertainment, walkability, and trails and open spaces within the city.

The Cottonwood Heights 2023 Housing Priorities Survey ran between Feb. 7 and March 8. Residents were asked to complete the survey online through postcard, email and text message. There was a 4.5% margin of error for this survey. l

The Brighton Resort parking lot during winter 2022. (Photo courtesy of the Central Wasatch Commission)

Fire truck siren starts city’s annual Easter Egg hunt as kids scramble to find eggs

By Jolene Croasmun | j.croasmun@mycityjournals.com

The first Saturday in April at Butler Park was busy with kids searching for Easter eggs, candy, prizes and visiting with the Easter Bunny.

Snow still covered most of the ground but the sun and the warmer weather brought families out to enjoy the annual Cottonwood Heights Easter Egg hunt.

The balloon artist was quite popular as he kept busy bending the balloons into somewhat recognizable animal shapes and trying to keep up with the demands from the crowd of children gathered around him.

The children were arranged in groups according to their age to start the egg hunt. Many children brought Easter baskets with them to collect as many eggs as they could find.

The Unified Fire Authority was on hand with their shiny tiller truck and sounded the siren at 10 a.m. which was the official start of the egg hunt.

Ryan from Taylorsville was one of the younger participants who came out to enjoy the festivities. “We wanted to check out the event. Ryan is 18 months old and he got one egg and lots of candy,” said Ryan’s mom.

Cottonwood Heights residents Rob, Ally and their daughter Madison were old pros since they attended last year’s Easter egg hunt. Decked out in pink and looking quite stylish in her sunglasses, 2 ½-year-old Madison enjoyed the goodies she collected. “Madison found eggs and candy. She also got a purple bird balloon,” said Ally.

Craig was with his almost 2-year-old son John. Craig said, “We live in Sandy and we came to the same event last year. John found eggs and he got a balloon too.”

Two girls with a frog and a rabbit toy were done with the fun and ready to go. “Chloe and Milla are just 2 years old and are from Holladay and Millcreek. This was their first time coming to this event,” one of the girl’s mothers said.

Firefighters from Unified Fire Authority station No. 110 on Fort Union Boulevard and 17th East brought their tractor drawn aerial fire truck. Firefighters Kurt Stevenson, Juan Delgado and Darren Park posed for photos with the truck and many of the kids at the event.

“This is called a tractor drawn aerial. We carry medical equipment on here and we are all EMTs since 85% of our calls are medical emergencies,” Stevenson said.

“We were in charge of starting the race with our siren,” Stevenson said. “With some slushy snow on the ground it was easier for the children to see the eggs and all the eggs were found and picked up off the field.” l

The Cottonwood Heights Youth City Council members helped distribute eggs to hunters. (Cassie Goff/City Journals)

UFA’s firefighters took pictures with Cottonwood Heights families during the annual Easter events. (Cassie Goff/City Journals)

Many bunny years were seen around Butler Park during the annual Cottonwood Heights Easter Egg Hunt. (Cassie Goff/City Journals)

Some youth visitors never wanted to leave the firetruck. (Cassie Goff/City Journals)

Free balloon animals were available for those attending the Easter Egg Hunt on April 8. (Cassie Goff/City Journals)

Look! Wave hello to the Easter Bunny! (Cassie Goff/City Journals)

Is there an egg down here? (Cassie Goff/City Journals)

Making the mad dash for the candy before the parents see! (Cassie Goff/City Journals)

Many parents wishing to share candy with their children were out of luck. (Cassie Goff/City Journals)

“Everything goes in 2 minutes,” remarked Youth City Council Advisor Ann Bracken. (Cassie Goff/City Journals)

Thousands of teen girls’ interests sparked at SheTech Explorer Day

More than 3,000 girls attending the ninth annual SheTech Explorer Day profited from the 1,000 mentors, tech companies and educational institutions who offered classes, tech zone experiences and advice to them.

“Think about something that you totally love, something you totally love to do,” said Cydni Tetro, president and one of the founders of Women Tech Council who oversaw SheTech Explorer Day. “Then think for just a moment how technology might be part of the things that you love to do. You’re going to have an opportunity today to see so many different technologies and to be able to apply to things that you love. Think about if you learn technology, how you can apply that and help us change the world—and some really big problems. Your objectives today are to learn about all sorts of things you don’t know about, to intentionally meet role models— hundreds of them. Take advantage of the time to go and meet those women; they are here because of you.”

Behind the “Imagine the Possibilities” SheTech Explorer Day, was a student board of about 100 girls.

SheTech’s student board has two ambassadors from each high school who serve a one-year term. As ambassadors, they share information at their schools, attend monthly events, belong to school SheTech clubs, and have opportunities interacting with women in tech, industry leaders and the governor.

Many of them participated in the SheTech summer internship program. Several donned cap and gown as seniors and 30 were honored with SheTech scholarships to further their education. Applications for the board and internship are open now at their website, www.shetechexplorer.com.

Hillcrest High Work-Based Learning Facilitator Cher Burbank said her school’s ambassadors have promoted SheTech’s event annually.

“I like how the day is interactive; they’re showcasing their innovation and changes in the industry, and it engages students year after year,” she said.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox supported that as he addressed the attendees.

“Technology is changing rapidly and it’s impacting every single experience that we have; it’s impacting every industry and we need more women involved in those industries,” he said. “I see some of the best leaders in technology in our state here and they are incredible women. You can look up to them. I look up to them. We’ve been working hard to remove those barriers in the past and that’s what today is all about. This will do more to remove barriers than anything else. These people here have broken down those barriers for you and are here to support you in exploration and journey in STEM.”

Tetro realizes the impact SheTech is making as former SheTech students become leaders.

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

“Last year, a presenter told me, ‘I’m teaching one of the workshops and the only reason I graduated in civil engineering is because I came to SheTech seven years ago. Another told me she had met a woman who was an aerospace engineer, and she decided, ‘I could become that person,’” she said.

Summit Academy senior Kaidence Johnson followed the footsteps of her older sister to serve on the student board. She also serves as vice president of her school’s SheTech Club, a group her sister founded.

“I love the message SheTech is sending of empowering women to get into STEM,” she said. “It’s definitely a field that is growing and I’ve seen on Instagram and on the news how powerful SheTech is. The program is exploding into every school across Utah and every tech industry, so it’s exciting to be part of it.”

Hunter High senior Paris Ott also is a student board member.

“The end of my junior year, I didn’t know what direction I wanted to go and that’s when I came across the opportunity for the summer internship,” she said. “It was through that, I applied to be a board member and found my passion within STEM.”

She learned from data analysts, product managers and software engineers.

“Seeing their passion and the opportunities I had, I realized ‘this is something I can go into.’ I started my school SheTech club and I’ve been helping others see opportunities. At Hunter High School, we have a lot of ethnic kids with Latina and Asian backgrounds. I think a lot of them don’t know that they even have opportunities, especially those like me, as a woman, to have a future in STEM. I think a lot of girls are scared to enter the STEM field because it’s been a male-dominated field. When I see all these women in STEM, it inspires me. I’ve gained so much confidence through this program, and I was able to get an internship with Pixar because of SheTech.”

Johnson said the male-dominance is changing.

“My dad works in tech and says the attitude is changing and they’d love women’s viewpoints, but there’s still the idea of 20 years ago when you didn’t have a chance,” she said.

During the day, students were engaged in workshops such as programming, engineering, robotics, biomedicine, web development, ChatGPT, virtual reality, entrepreneurship and others.

Copper Hills High sophomore Sadie Smith attended their first Explorer Day.

“It is a good way to learn more about different jobs and get that in-depth understanding of technology, specific for girls,” Smith said. “Having an organization run this that encourages women empowerment is cool.”

Riverton High junior Elizabeth West-

wood said she was researching engineering and learned about SheTech’s student board and scholarship program.

“Explorer Day seemed like a perfect opportunity to learn more about that and about STEM,” she said. “I love physics and math, which isn’t everyone’s love, but it’s normal here.”

The TechZone offered hands-on learning about aerospace programs, 3D printing, automotive tech, gaming, aerial photography and more. Students also used creativity and visionary skills in the annual TechChallenge, with the guidance of industry mentors.

Participants chatted with Miss Utah Lyndsey Larsen, who shared she was a SheTech ambassador and summer intern as a Skyridge High student.

“I’m hoping I’m breaking stereotypes by talking about tech with a tiara,” she said. “I was really intimidated by math growing up, but I came to SheTech and realized that STEM is all around us. My experiences inspired me to take a kinesiology class. As a dancer, it was interesting to learn about the mind and the body and how that connection and the science behind that. That early exposure here at SheTech helped me want to pursue kinesiology with ballet performance for my college degree.”

Hillcrest High senior Morgan Khantivong, who plans to study English and zoology at Weber State, appreciated what she said.

“It made me see how anyone, no matter what your title is or how people may perceive you, can do whatever you want with your life,” she said.

Nearby, girls crowded around the University of Utah’s entertainment arts and en-

gineering, where they learned about game development.

“We teach everything from the history of games to how to do it, like production, design, tech art, game art, programming, all of that culminating in publishing a game,” said academic adviser Miranda Klausmeier. “We want girls to disrupt the norm and envision their future where they can develop these games, whether it’s a traditional entertainment game, or an alternative game, say for the educational or medical field. These young women here are going to be our leaders in STEM fields.”

Through involvement with SheTech, Adobe Chief of Staff of Cloud Operations Jamie Dalton wants to engage more females into STEM by sharing more career choices.

“We have a community of women here who are wanting to give back and help these young women succeed,” she said. “A lot of times women are pitted against each other and don’t realize if you get into a good healthy environment, women can be your biggest allies. For these high school girls, they’re going to have a really big advocacy group, cheering them on to success.”

Tetro said that is one of the reasons the Women Tech Council founded SheTech— to increase students’ exposure to women in STEM and to have that network “of thousands of women in STEM.”

“We interviewed a 1,000 girls, who said, ‘We don’t know any women in tech and that’s why we don’t enter STEM fields,’” she said. “We knew we could change that.” l

East High ninth-grader Addy Feldman and 12th-grader Mia Feldman talk with Miss Utah Lindsey Larsen at the ninth annual SheTech Explorer Day. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Middle school athletes compete in first state unified basketball tournament

About100 athletes and their peer partners packed Jordan High School’s gym for Utah’s first-ever middle school unified basketball tournament.

The middle school unified basketball tournament is modeled much like the early March high school state tournament where three athletes and two partners play together on the court. The ball is shared with everyone on the team and partners help their fellow teammates be successful, said Boston Iacobazzi, Unified Champion School’s college-growth coordinator.

“We’re wanting to involve more of our middle schools and also elementary schools in Unified Champion Schools,” Iacobazzi said, adding the progression starts with Sports Days or various games at the elementary level. “Inclusion can happen at a young age. It doesn’t need to be later in life; we want it to start as young as possible. Last spring, we started a middle school unified golf program as more of an individual-type sport that students competed in this past year. Now, we’re adding the team sport of basketball. Our goal is to have 25 middle schools involved next year.”

Seven Canyons and Jordan school districts’ middle schools’ players practiced with their peer tutors since mid-winter for the March 23 tournament. Several schools brought more than one team to the tournament. The teams were set into divisions based on the players’ ability.

“It’s all about inclusion,” Iacobazzi said. “Everyone gets to play; everyone is on the floor dribbling, passing, shooting and being out there, having fun.”

Often during the games, unified sports players will clap or high-five a player after

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

a basket, even when the athlete is on the opposing team. Players break out in an impromptu dance with a big grin on their faces in pure joy, realizing that by being included, they’re an important part of their team and their school, he said.

“For me, middle school was not my favorite time. Middle and junior high is an awkward phase in a student’s life. So, it’s important that we add that inclusiveness, that sense of belonging and inclusion while everyone’s still learning how to be a young adult,” Iacobazzi said.

At the tournament, the division 1 middle school teams squared off, with Mount Jordan Middle 1 taking first place. Second place went to Mountain Creek Middle 2 and third to South Jordan Middle 1.

Oquirrh Hills Middle 1 was the champion of division 2, with South Jordan Middle 2 taking second. Mountain Creek Middle 1 took third and Mt. Jordan Middle 2 took fourth.

In division 3, West Jordan Middle won. Second place was Oquirrh Hills Middle 2, followed by Draper Park Middle and Mt. Jordan Middle 3.

“It was very cool seeing just the level of play and how well the coaches, most of them being special education teachers, had really coached their teams,” he said. “And it was great seeing some of the high school coaches supporting and talking to the middle school players, asking them to be on their team when they reach their schools.”

In addition to the middle school tournament, Special Olympics Utah held a March 24 alternative high school state basketball tournament after more than 70 teams competed for one of the 32 playoff spots.

“We offered this tournament to those teams who didn’t get the chance to play earlier at Weber State,” Iacobazzi said. “We wanted to offer more opportunities than just their one-day region tournament and the state tournament.”

At the March 25 college tournament, four Utah schools competed to advance to nationals. Brigham Young University won and was slated to represent the state April 13-16 in Maryland. It was also the first unified college tournament for the state.

Special Olympics had its state community basketball tournament March 25, which has been held for about 10 years. About 35 teams, with players age 8 years old and up, competed at the University of Utah.

“It’s one of our biggest events; we may have to pattern it after the high school tournament and hold a state and alternate state tournament just to make sure we have enough basketball courts,” Iacobazzi said. “It’s great that so many are wanting and getting the opportunity to play.” l

West Jordan’s unified basketball won its division in the first middle school unified basketball tournament. (D. Rae Garrison/West Jordan Middle School)

Mt. Jordan athletes and partners team up to play in the state’s first middle school basketball game, where all players are included. (Photo courtesy of Jamie Hakala)

In front of a packed gym, an Oquirrh Hills student-athlete brings up the ball in the game. (Photo courtesy of Jamie Hakala)

Celebrate Utah Wildlife contest calls for entries

From the bighorn sheep of Zion National Park to the countless shorebirds of the Great Salt Lake to the backyard chickadees, Utah residents encounter wildlife on a regular basis. No matter how each person interacts with wildlife in the state, Celebrate Utah Wildlife wants to hear about it.

The Utah Wildlife Federation and mural artist Chris Peterson will hold the first Celebrate Utah Wildlife contest this spring with 63 cash prizes for people ranging in age from 4 to 104. It’s as simple as writing a story, taking a picture or making a video.

“There are a lot of ways to celebrate our experiences with wildlife. We want people from across the state to show us how the wild inhabitants of our state inspire you or your family,” Peterson said. “Entries from this contest will become part of an exhibit that will go on tour across the state. It’s all meant to show how we connect with wildlife in Utah.”

More than $10,000 in cash prizes will be handed out in the form of $250 awards for first-place and dozens more for the best submissions across three age groups: children (ages 4-11), teens (ages 12-17) and adults (18 and up). Entries will be judged on four criteria: Utah wildlife-inspired, originality, artistic merit/craftsmanship (in relation to entrant’s age) and artist statement. Only submissions made by current Utah residents are

eligible.

Submissions must be inspired by Utah-wildlife experiences in any of the following categories: handmade art (2D, 3D, mixed media etc.), digital art, writing and stories, photography, videography, music, spoken word, sound, digital storytelling and animation. Entries must be submitted by May 10, 2023 to be considered.

The Celebrate Utah Wildlife contest is

made possible, in part, with funding from the Hansen Sisters Foundation and the Utah STEM Action Center. The digital art and digital storytelling categories are funded through a community impact grant from the center.

“Utah’s wild creatures need to be celebrated for all the wonder, awe and smiles they bring to our faces,” said Brett Prettyman, chair of the Utah Wildlife Federation

board. “We hope by seeing how others celebrate our wildlife that more people will be inspired to get out and create their own experiences.”

The goal of the Utah Wildlife Federation is to bring the diverse voices of this unique state together to create a cohesive goal in securing the future of wildlife and outdoor recreation, while providing the best practices to steward natural resources for generations to come. By crowd-sourcing wildlife content, the Celebrate Utah Wildlife contest will demonstrate the range and diversity of animal life in Utah.

Peterson is working to get wildlife murals displayed in all of Utah’s 29 counties, as part of the Utah Wildlife Walls Project. The project’s goal is to connect residents with Utah’s wildlife through prominent murals in each county. Launched in the fall of 2022, the Utah Wildlife Walls project’s first piece was a 120-foot mural of a Bonneville cutthroat trout, painted on a building in Sugar House.

For more information about the Celebrate Utah Wildlife contest and the Utah Wildlife Walls project, visit CelebrateUtahWildlife.org. l

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The Utah Wildlife Federation and mural artist Chris Peterson are holding the first Celebrate Utah Wildlife contest. More than $10,000 will be awarded across categories for children, teens and adults. (Adobe stock photo)

The Invention of the Year

GREGORY S. ANDERSON, DPM Foot & Ankle

Anderson found this to be incredibly rewarding and was able to mentor young Tongan surgical residents in complicated foot surgeries due to diabetic-related foot infections.

Dr. Anderson’s philosophy is to use conservative treatment plans to help avoid surgery when possible. He performs complicated foot and ankle and revision surgeries. He enjoys teaching, training, and mentoring residents/fellows through the IMC Podiatric Residency Program. He is a fellowship director for the ACFAS and is board certified.

Dr. Anderson joins Granger Medical Clinic from Steward Medical Group. He is a native of Salt Lake City and has been involved in the training of residents and fellows for over 25 years. He has devoted time and resources to ‘Amanaki Fo’ou by teaching limb salvage, foot/ankle surgery, and wound care. Dr. 801.576.2015

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!”

–Kent C., California

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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Do you have a bright idea for a new business? May is small business month, and according to Forbes council member, Terry Tateossian, “each year 305 million startups are born…out of them, only 10% are likely to succeed.”

So, how do you start up a business and where do you go after that to ensure you are part of that 10%? Before you give up on that dream, or invest your money aimlessly, you may want to take a look at just some of the practical steps to get your business up and going.

• Do your research. Look at the competition in your area. Perform a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) on the business niche you want to start.

• Name your business. Check out the United States Patent and Trademark Office (www.USPTO.gov) to see if your ideal name is available. A tip here: before choosing a name, check to see if that name is available through promotional avenues such as a website domain and social media handles. You may choose to secure them here, or we’ll cover that a few steps down.

• Decide how your business will be set up (i.e., LLC, nonprofit, joint venture, etc.).

• Register your business with your state and obtain your EIN (employee identification number). This is essentially your tax ID number. This is also a prime opportunity to use a professional business service, a business information service, or even hire an attorney to help you complete this step. This is especially helpful for home-based businesses as often attorney offices will let you use their physical address for your business, therefore protecting your home address information.

• Set up a business financial account and your accounting system. It is important to keep your personal account and your

How to start a business

By Holly Curby | hello@hollycurby.com

business account separate. Your tax adviser will thank you.

• If not done when naming your business, this is the time to secure your website and social media handles. There are many sites to accomplish registering your domain name, but my personal favorite is Squarespace. You may also choose to register an email domain, this often provides added credibility to your business.

• Depending on your type of business, you’ll need to secure pertinent permits, licenses, and insurances. Once again, this is where using a professional service or lawyer may be helpful in completing these final steps to protect your business and ensure you are within all legal requirements.

• Set up your systems. From email databases and newsletters to creating lead magnets and referral programs (i.e., ConvertKit and MailChimp). If applicable, hire your staff and set up payroll and benefits systems too.

• Promote! Promote! Promote! This may include simplicities of business cards and signage, to even joining your local chamber of commerce, Rotary Club, and setting up Yelp and Google Review accounts. Developing your brand and a marketing plan can help keep you on track in meeting goals and evaluating the data of what works for your business and what doesn’t.

Still not sure where to begin? Check with resources within your local community such as financial institutions, your local chamber of commerce, and even colleges and universities for their small business startup classes and trainings. Yes, starting a business can seem like a daunting task. As Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t—you’re right!” So, what are you waiting for? There is no better time to start working on your dreams than right now.

Want to dive in deeper to the ins and outs, tips and tricks of starting a business? Check out the following episodes on Holly’s Highlights podcast:

• How to Start a Business with Holly Curby (Season 1, Episode 2)

• Year-end Finances with Tony Wolff (Season 1, Episode 12)

• Preparing for the Unexpected with David York (Season 2, Episode 11)

Holly’s Highlights podcast is available at www.hollycurby. com, and wherever you listen to podcasts including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, and even “Alexa, play Holly’s Highlights podcast.” l

Salt Lake County Mayor proclaims April as Child Abuse Prevention Month

The thousands of beautiful blue pinwheels spinning in the sun on the lawn of the Salt Lake County Government Building (2001 S. State St.) represent a sad reality. In 2022, there were 9,695 confirmed cases of child abuse in Utah and each pinwheel represents a child who experienced child abuse.

On April 10, Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson declared April to be Child Abuse Prevention Month. She invited county officials and personnel from the Family Support Center to join her in dedicating the pinwheel garden to these children.

“I’m a mom and it’s just unthinkable to imagine what a child goes through,” Wilson said. “I will tell you, everyone here is completely committed to the cause and wants better for our community.”

Jocelyn De La Rosa serves as the executive director at the Salt Lake Family Support Center (1760 W. 4805 South), an organization that provides mental health services, child care, transitional housing and counseling to parents. The agency is dedicated to diffusing the stress related to domestic violence and abuse.

She said it’s not enough to talk about child abuse statistics but there needs to be solutions. Parents who have access to resources and have their basic needs met have fewer risk factors for abuse.

“We cannot continue to shame, abuse and neglect and stigmatize those who need resources and help,” De La Rosa said. “Our job as part of this community is to support all of our neighbors and friends when they need it most. We know that asking for help is a sign of strength.”

It’s her mission to prevent abuse through education, resources and programs like parenting classes and crisis child

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

care. She encouraged the community to work together to reduce cases of abuse, and to learn the signs of child abuse.

A wide range of child abuse symptoms include bruising or burns, chronic abdominal pain, poor hygiene, social withdrawal, substance abuse and frequent absenteeism from school.

Staff at the Family Support Center know that abuse and neglect is often the result of parents not having a healthy support system. It identifies five protective factors for parents as contributing to stable and safe homes: resilience, social connection, knowledge of parenting and child development, developing social and emotional competence in children, and having access to concrete support like housing and child care.

“This [number] doesn’t account for the cases that are unconfirmed which is highly important for all of us to be aware, to know what the signs are and to be aware of how to report, and how do we make sure we get support for these families,” De La Rosa said. “We know that if one child is not safe, then none of the children in our community are safe.”

Officials who attended the event included Salt Lake County Councilmembers Laurie Stringham and Suzanne Harrison, Salt Lake County Recorder Rashelle Hobbs and Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera.

“We are committed to working together to make sure every child is safe in Salt Lake County,” Harrison said. “Every child deserves to be safe and have the ability to thrive. I hope for a day when we no longer have any pinwheels to plant in celebration of healthy kids everywhere.”

To learn more about the Family Support Center, visit FamilySupportCenter.org. l

South Valley Chamber hosts Business Bootcamp. (Photo courtesy South Valley Chamber)

Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson proclaimed April to be Child Abuse Prevention Month during a pinwheel planting ceremony. The pinwheels represent the 9,695 confirmed cases of child abuse in Utah last year. (City Journals)

ANNUAL MEMORIAL DAY PROGRAM

ANNUAL MEMORIAL DAY PROGRAM

to Honor Military Veterans for Their Service to Our Country.

Monday, May 30, 2022 at 10:00 am.

Monday, May 29, 2023 at 10:00 a.m.

At Larkin Sunset Gardens Cemetery

1950 East Dimple Dell Road (10600 South), Sandy

FEATURED SPEAKER:

Jennie Taylor

Gold Star Wife, Civilian Aide to the U.S. Secretary of the Army

The featured speaker is Congressman Chris Stewart.

Program will include: Hill Air Force Base

PROGRAM WILL INCLUDE: Hill Air Force Base, Honor Guard, Utah Firefighters Emerald Society bagpipes, Patriotic Music by Brian Stucki and the Minuteman Brass Quintet

Honor Guard, Utah Firefighters Emerald Society bagpipes, Patriotic Music by Brian Stucki and the Minuteman Brass Quintet and Refreshments Courtesy of Cedarwood at Sandy.

OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC

OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.

It’s cap and gown time for hundreds of students

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Area schools are announcing their commencement exercises for the class of 2023. ADA accommodations are available at all locations. Here is the pertinent information.

Alta High — Canyons School District Assistant Superintendent Bob Dowdle is scheduled to speak to 522 students who are expected to graduate at 10 a.m., May 25 at the University of Utah’s Huntsman Center. This year’s theme is “We are better together.”

Bingham High — Commencement exercises will be held at 1 p.m., June 1 in the UCCU Arena at Utah Valley University in Orem. The theme is “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”

Brighton High — About 500 seniors are to walk through commencement exercises at 6:30 p.m., May 25 at the Maverik Center with Canyons School District Superintendent Rick Robins speaking. This year’s theme is “Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts,” spoken by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

Canyons Transition Academy — Thirteen students will graduate at 12:30 p.m., May 24 in the Canyons Center. The theme is a quote by Barnum & Bailey Circus founder, nicknamed “The Greatest Showman,” P.T. Barnum; he said: “No one ever made a difference by being like everyone else.”

Corner Canyon High — “Good things end so great things can begin” is the theme for 567 seniors who will graduate at 2 p.m., May 25 at the University of Utah’s Huntsman Center. Canyons School District Assistant Superintendent Bob Dowdle is scheduled to speak.

Cottonwood High — Seniors will walk through the traditional commencement exercises at 1 p.m., June 2 in the school auditorium. The theme is “What matters in life is not what hap-

pens to you, but what you remember and how you remember it,” by Colombian writer Gabriel García Márquez. During the ceremony, the school’s Madrigals, Concert Choir and jazz band will perform.

Diamond Ridge — About 60 students will graduate at 6:30 p.m., May 24 at Mt. Jordan Middle School. Canyons School District Assistant Superintendent Bob Dowdle is scheduled to speak.

Entrada — Incoming Canyons School District Assistant Superintendent McKay Robinson is expected to address 140 soon-to-be graduates at 7 p.m., June 22 at Jordan High School.

Hillcrest High — Canyons School District Superintendent Rick Robins will address the 450 seniors at the 9:30 a.m., May 25 commencement ceremony at the Maverik Center. For their theme, the seniors selected a quote from the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg: “Whatever you choose to do, leave tracks. That means, don’t do it just for yourself. You want to leave the world a little better for you having lived.”

Jordan High — About 400 seniors will “Beat the Odds: The odds are up to them, the end result is up to you” at their 2 p.m., May 25 graduation at the Maverik Center. The speaker is Canyons School District Superintendent Rick Robins.

Jordan Valley — Canyons School District Superintendent Rick Robins will talk to two students who will graduate at 4 p.m., May 19 at the Canyons School District’s boardroom. The theme is “Adapting to Change.”

Juan Diego Catholic High — Students and their families celebrate commencement week with a baccalaureate mass at 6:30 p.m., May 23 at The Cathedral of the Madeleine in Salt Lake City. The week concludes with commencement for the Class of 2023 at 9 a.m., May 27 at Juan Diego Catholic High

School’s auditorium. Contact the school for both ticketed events.

Murray High — The graduation ceremony will be held at 1 p.m., May 26 at the Lifetime Activities Center on Salt Lake Community College’s Redwood Campus.

River’s Edge — “Level Up” is the theme for this year’s commencement, which will be held at 1 p.m., June 2 in the school’s auditorium.

Valley High — Graduation will be held at 10 a.m., May 31 at Zions Bank Stadium at Real Academy in Herriman. This year’s theme is from Indian lawyer and activist Mahatma Gandhi, “A beginning, a struggle, and a victory.”

Waterford School — At 7:30 p.m., June 1, the school will honor its Class of 2023 on the campus’ main quad east. l

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Brighton High will hold its commencement exercises for 500 seniors on May 25. (Photo courtesy of Canyons School District)

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Day of Play unites Ridgecrest students, allows for creativity, fun

In the middle of a school day, Ridgecrest Elementary third-grader Sophia Munsee was painting a rainbow on a rock with the words, “be happy” on it.

“I like rainbows and being happy so when I’m sad or someone else is, I thought it would brighten up the day,” she said.

Sophia, like all the Ridgecrest students, was participating in Day of Play, a couple hours set aside at school twice per year to allow students the opportunity to engage in other activities. Students of all grades intermix in chosen activities, allowing them to make friends they might not have met otherwise and to bond over similar interests.

Principal Sara Allen said that the school holds the Day of Play for a couple reasons.

“Our students work really hard most of the time and this gives them a chance to just be kids and play, which helps build positive community within our school and gives them a chance to build pro-social skills with peers they don’t interact with most of the time,” she said.

After the time set aside for Day of Play, “most students are a little tired and it helps them to focus through the rest of the day,” Allen added.

Leading up to the Day of Play, students pick four top choices for rotations, then attend three of the options. Kindergartners, who have fifth-grade buddies, attend the sessions with the older students.

Fifth-grade teacher Annette Hubley appreciates the intermingling amongst students.

“They’re all different age levels which allows them to teach each other skills,” she said. “That’s pretty cool.”

She and PTA volunteer Anna Whiteley were overseeing the chess and checkers rotation.

“This is a favorite; the kids enjoy playing,” Whiteley said, who also helps with the 25-member before-school weekly chess group that will hold a schoolwide tournament at the end of the year. “This is a packed choice every round during Day of Play.”

In other rooms, students joined Allen, who participated in Just Dance, or they worked their Play-Doh into creative sculptures. With the inclement weather, chalk the walk was brought indoors as they used sidewalk chalk to draw on black butcher paper.

Students chose yoga, musical instruments, domino building, and sport cup stacking, the same activity which in November 2022 Ridgecrest helped set a new World Sport Stacking Association record for the most stackers participating in multiple locations worldwide during the same time.

Art was another favorite amongst students. In second-grade teacher Melanie Lee’s classroom, the kids were learning from Art for Kids Hub videos how to create step-by-step masterpieces.

“They love it, especially doing animals

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Pain & Spine

and characters,” she said. “This is a folded-up surprise so they learn to create a drawing inside, but there’s one on the outside of the folded paper as well.”

Third-grader King Hill chose this rotation.

“I wanted this because I love art,” he said. “I haven’t made a drawing like this before, and I want to learn how because I want to be an art teacher.”

In another classroom, third-grade teacher Bonnie White had Q-tips, pencils, straws, silverware, spirals, straws, yarn and other items with paint to allow the students to be creative.

“We used to have art club before COVID-19, and I like them to experiment with items other than a paintbrush,” she said. “In the fall, I had them paint with forks, but then I thought, why limit them to a fork? I looked in the supply closet and pulled out what all we could use.”

On a table drying, there was a painting of a monster, some of flowers, the school mascot and a painting using all dots.

“Abstracts have been huge, but students have created other beautiful drawings. I love that this allows them to use their creativity,” White said.

Kindergarten teacher Amy Dinkelman encouraged students to use soft and wood blocks for Day of Play.

“I love watching kids play without any restrictions,” she said. “They’re learning life skills like problem-solving, cooperation, and collaborating when they have ideas of what they can build and doing it together. Some just like the quiet times to play, and that’s fine too. Together, we’re building a community and it’s fun to see the old (former) students come back to be buddies with my kindergartners.”

In amongst a day scheduled of curriculum to teach and standards to meet, Dinkelman said it’s been a good time block to set aside.

“The best part is just letting them be kids. Sometimes, we forget to allow that time for them just to play,” she said.

Allen holds Day of Play on the day before a school break to incentivize students to be in class on that day.

Day of Play started at Ridgecrest four years ago, however, with COVID-19 restrictions it was suspended for a while, said former Ridgecrest Principal Julie Winfree.

“We did it to help students get to know other teachers and students,” she said. “We did it to create unity in the school and help everyone feel safe.”

That precedence was one of the reasons it returned, Allen said.

“It was one of the first things the teachers asked for us to reimplement once COVID restrictions were lifted. It felt like our community had lost some of its cohesion, so this became a priority for us,” she said. “We felt it was important for students to interact in fun and positive ways, so they feel invested in the Ridgecrest community and in taking care of and being kind to each other.” l

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Ridgecrest Elementary students engage in yoga as one of the Day of Play sessions. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Gavyn Gappmayer joins legendary Brighton wrestlers

Brighton High was legendary in the first two decades of the school's existence (the 70's and 80's) for producing star wrestlers and formidable wrestling teams. The list started with the first state standout, Joel Savage, in 1970 and continues with dozens of names that are on the banners adorning the walls of Brighton.

The program continues to produce dedicated, goal-oriented athletes evidenced by this year's team captain Gavyn Gappmayer. Gavyn is at the peak of his eight years of focused yearround wrestling. This season, his culminating senior year, he finished as a four-time state wrestling with a remarkable 131 wins to his credit.

His mother, Joidee Gappmayer, recalled, "Gavyn lost a ton of matches during middle school, but it was a family motto that 'you don't lose, you learn.' He learned a lot during his first few years. He never gave up when he would constantly get beat by others his age that had been competing since they were in kindergarten. He figured out quickly that if he wanted to beat them, he needed to close the gap and that meant he needed to do as much wrestling as possible to catch up."

Wrestling coach Burke Gappmayer also commented on his son. "When Gavyn started wrestling and learning a lot because he started later than most other wrestlers, I promised him that if he would work hard, trust his coaches, and work the techniques he was taught, that by the time it mattered he would be on the podium. He did do all of that and he was." Gavyn took fourth place in state his sophomore and junior years at 6A for Corner Canyon. At Brighton for his senior year, Gavyn compiled a 48-6 record, 72 takedowns and 27 pins—the wrestling equivalent of a basketball "triple double." And at the end of the season he was on the podium as his father promised—third in state while

By Jerry S. Christensen | j.christensen@mycityjournals.com

earning a 4.0 GPA.

"After every practice I knew everyone was tired from all the hard work but Gavyn would always make sure to put in extra work after practice," observed Gavyn's fellow captain, heavyweight Mana Nonu.

Through all of this, Gavyn also focused on jiu jitsu and is an IBJJF National Champion. He has also placed at several jiu jitsu tournaments through the last eight years. Gavyn started wrestling in fifth grade in 2015 in South Jordan. Gavyn started Brazilian jiu jitsu at Unified BJJ in 2014.

"Gavyn always gives 100% in wrestling practice, and the work ethic rubs off on his teammates," said sophomore Ben Tillman.

Competing in over 175 tournaments along the way (in addition to the high school seasons), Gavyn did indeed close the gap on the competition. His high school accomplishments include: four-time placer at the Viewmont Tournament; third place at Tiger-Grizz in Idaho; two-time placer at the Layton Invitational; Finalist at Richardson Memorial; Finalist at Skyhawk Showdown; Finalist at Viewmont Invitational; Finalist at Western States; Finalist at Best of the West; three-time placer at Rocky Mountain Nationals; Teammate on Team Utah for the 2022 Western States Turf Wars; four-time state qualifier; and three-time state placer.

His best wrestling memory is, "Beating a good wrestler with a technique my dad taught me, standing up and seeing how proud and excited he is."

And what has wrestling taught him? "To learn to be focused in the most distracting situations, and that nothing can be done without a smile and a positive attitude." l

Gavyn Gappmayer at the big stage during state 2023 at UVU. (Photo Joidee Gappmayer)

Brighton boys and girls basketball season review

Brighton's new gyms were packed this winter with girls and boys basketball teams at the sophomore, JV and varsity levels. Students, family and fans supported the teams in pre-pandemic numbers. All teams made the next steps in the playoffs.

The boys basketball team under firstyear head coach Tim Gardner made it to the state quarterfinals. The girls basketball team guided by coach Doug Nielsen made it to the second round of the state tournament.

The boys varsity team compiled a record of 17-8, retiring two seniors Owen Schmehl and Jace Matheson (three-year starting point guard). "I was impressed with our kids' work ethic and desire to get better. They responded to coaching, and I was proud of their consistent effort day in and day out," Gardner said.

Bengals to watch on next year's boys team include Nash Matheson, a senior next year and leading scorer the last two seasons; Kaden Morzelewski (a senior next year); Luke Christensen (a senior next year); and Josh Mawhinney (a junior next year). Nash Matheson was also named as "honorable mention" in 5A state teams.

"Our goal each season is to play our best basketball in late February,” Gardner

By Jerry S. Christensen | j.christensen@mycityjournals.com

said. “This year our team trusted the process and improved throughout the year. We are proud of our growth and look forward to taking the next step.”

The lady Bengals ended the season on a high note with a 15-11 record finishing third in the competitive Region 6—the highest finish since 2015 when Brighton took state with Dani Barton (Drews) handling the ball. More impressive is that the young team was able to post those stats with a single senior player, Addi Smith.

Brighton's former basketball coach and now Athletic Director Garrett Wilson noted, "We have two freshman on the varsity team, Sophie Nielsen and Olivia Stephens, who were top 12 scorers in 5A basketball." Those two underclassmen are flanked by the talent of Charlotte O’Neal (a junior next year), Lucy Chin (a junior next year), Maya Mismash (a senior next year) and Taylor Workman (a junior next year).

Coach Nielsen says the program is growing. “Our summer basketball camp has now had over 400 kids from the community attend, our youth teams have grown from one team to now seven in just three years. We are filling the stands, the energy is growing and growing for this team.”

All Brighton home games were streamed and captured for viewing by Brighton's state-of-the-art Hudl camera system. Watch any of those games on

the YouTube channel "Brighton Bengals Live." Photo galleries of the season are online at brightonbengals.org. l

Brighton boys basketball falls to No. 1 seed Olympus in state quarterfinals. (Photo Christine Yee)

Salt Lake City Rotary Club launches fundraising effort to expand transitional living services

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

TheSalt Lake City Rotary Club supports the expansion of the Salt Lake County Youth Services Milestone Transitional Living Program and is raising the money to prove it.

The Milestone TLP provides crucial transitional housing and support services for adults from 18 to 21 who have aged out of the foster care system or are at risk of homelessness.

The club held a kickoff event on March 28 to launch its fundraising efforts, with a goal to raise $3.5 million to purchase and renovate two five-plex properties to house young adults. Spring 2024 is the target for when the money is raised and the properties purchased. Since the event, Salt Lake Rotary has already raised roughly $250,000 for this project.

“We are thrilled to be launching this fundraising campaign to support the Milestone TLP,” said Jeff Young, president of the Salt Lake City Rotary Club in a press release. “This program has already made a significant impact in the lives of so many young adults who have experienced homelessness and with the community’s support we can do even more to help those in need.”

Currently, the Milestone TLP provides housing for young adults for up to 18 months and offers services such as case management, life skills training, education and employment support and mental health counseling.

This is the only program of its kind in Salt Lake County and many consider it crucial to address the increase in the youth homeless population. The Milestone TLP started operating in 2012 and has served more than 250 young adults. In 2022, 86% of the young adults that

exited the Milestone TLP were successfully housed and were employed, attending school or both.

“It’s been said that it takes a village to take care of our young, and the partnership with the Salt Lake City Rotary Club provides the opportunity for youth experiencing homelessness in our community to change the trajectory of their lives,” said Mina Koplin, in a media release. Koplin is the current section manager of Salt Lake County Youth Services and former program manager of the Milestone TLP for more than eight years.

More than 120 young people age out of the foster care system in Utah each year, which means they are no longer wards of the state. These young adults are often at risk for homelessness, substance abuse, crime and other dangerous situations.

Funds raised through the campaign will go toward expanding the program to provide additional housing for young adults at risk of homelessness and other negative outcomes. The goal is to have young adults moving into the new facilities in the fall of 2024.

Information on the Salt Lake City Rotary Club’s website shows that people experiencing chronic homelessness cost the public between $30,000 and $50,000 per person per year because of repeated emergency rooms and hospital visits, jails, psychiatric centers, detox and other crisis services. This cost is more than double the maintenance costs for the Milestone Living Program.

For more information on Milestone TLP visit SLCRotary.org. l

More than 120 people age out of the foster care system in Utah each year. The Salt Lake City Rotary Club is raising $3.5 million to expand services for these young adults to help them find housing and employment. (Stock photo)

Flood prevention efforts underway in Cottonwood Heights

With record-breaking snowfall and fast-rising temperatures, Utah residents are voicing their ever-increasing concern about flooding. Cottonwood Heights residents are taking precautions as Big Willow Stream began flowing on April 9 and Wasatch Boulevard flooded the morning of April 10 (around the 8555 South area). On April 13, Big Cottonwood Creek was reporting water discharge levels of 81.40 cubic feet per second (cfs) and Little Cottonwood Creek was reporting 54.30 cfs.

“I want our residents to know that we are taking this seriously. I want them to be educated,” said Cottonwood Heights Mayor Mike Weichers.

Assistant Chief of Police Paul Brenneman and Public Works Director Matt Shipp have been leading flood prevention efforts throughout the city. Emergency management and public works crews have been prepping and distributing sandbags, cleaning debris from creeks and storm drains, and monitoring weather conditions daily.

“Hope is not a plan,” Brenneman said. “Mother Nature controls the plan. We can do all we can to mitigate the risk.”

Cottonwood Heights residents at risk of flooding should prepare to sandbag their doorways and garage access. Brenneman will meet with residents to help them set a plan to do so, if needed.

Sandbags can be acquired at Crestwood Park (1673 E. Siesta Drive) anytime or at the Public Works yard (6579 S. 3000 East) on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Identification is required. Prefilled sandbags are limited so residents are encouraged to bring their own gloves and shovels to fill their sandbags.

“We are happy to work with the elderly to load them up,” Shipp said.

Sandbags can also be acquired from the Salt Lake County Public Works sandbag shed (604 W. 6960 South) between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays.

“Sand is becoming a hot commodity. We are doing this earlier than we ever have before,” Shipp said.

In early March, the emergency management and public works crews began acquiring the necessary materials for sandbags (conservatively $15,000). The intention was to get anywhere between 6,000 and 7,000 sandbags distributed to three staging locations strategically located throughout the city. By March 21, material for 13,000 sandbags was on site.

April was spent filling and distributing those sandbags. Volunteers, families, church groups and scout groups filled sandbags in varying five-hour shifts. As there are still sandbags that need to be filled, Cottonwood Heights is requesting neighbors to continue volunteering. By April 18, Cottonwood Heights had 40,000 sandbags

By Cassie Goff | c.goff@mycityjournals.com

ready to dispute from the help of over 300 volunteers.

“We are working hard to get things in place to help prevent flooding as much as we can,” said City Manager Tim Tingey.

Once in procession, residents are responsible for the disposal of their sandbags. Old sandbags can be brought back to the staging areas in the city for the public works crews to pick up (but they do not have the resources to collect them from individual homes). This year’s sandbags are made from polypropylene and will deteriorate quickly.

“The sand is good for sand boxes,” Shipp noted about the sand’s reusability.

Salt Lake County and Cottonwood Heights have been attempting to clear debris out of the creeks and streams as much as possible before the outside temperatures rise.

“We are in a much better position if we can get those things cleared out early,” Brenneman said.

But they can’t do it alone. Residents are encouraged to keep all yard debris away from streams, remove any debris they may notice within the creeks or along the waterbeds, report heavy debris dropping into flood beds, and collaborate with municipality crew members.

“If you see something in the creek— take it out,” Brenneman said.

Residents living adjacent to Big Cottonwood Creek or Little Cottonwood Creek (including Deaf Smith Creek) are responsible for monitoring debris in the stream banks. As the property lines for those neighboring residents extend to the midpoint of the creek, residents should clear

debris before water levels rise to help prevent flooding and property damage. If debris is too heavy, municipal crews can be called in to help.

“We need residents to be actively engaged and not wait until the last minute to report those things,” Brenneman said.

Once reported, Salt Lake County can begin making efforts to remove heavy debris. However, they are forbidden to put their equipment directly into the water (river channel). Crews must access the creeks and streams from someone’s property in order to clear out that debris.

“Give Salt Lake County access to your backyard,” Brenneman said. “Fallen trees need to be taken care of.”

Brenneman mentioned how impressed he’s been with Salt Lake County as they’re well aware of the points of concern within the city’s boundaries and surrounding area.

“It’s scary in that creek,” said Cottonwood Heights City Councilmember Doug Petersen. “We’ve had many branches come down…more than previous years because of these storms.”

Cottonwood Heights warns residents not to enter the creeks to remove debris once the water has risen. Safety is more important.

“The force of the water coming down this creek this year will be intense,” Weichers said. “You can easily be swept into the current.”

Cottonwood Heights Public Works crews have been working to clean the storm drain system throughout the city as well. They have been designating a few hours

each day to clean out the grates and drains. Residents can help clear the storm drain system if small debris (like branches, sticks and leaves) are clogging roadside inlets.

“Storm drains are not built to handle monster floods,” Shipp said. “Streets are designed to carry the 100-year flood.”

Shipp explained that if the inlets get inundated with water, the streets will start to flood, even if the storm drain inlets aren’t plugged with debris.

For flooding questions, visit the Cottonwood Heights FAQ page on their website at www.cottonwoodheights.utah.gov/ Home/Components/News/

For more information about Flood Preparedness, visit the Salt Lake County’s webpage at www.slco.org/flood-control/ flood-preparedness-manual/

Residents can monitor 18 streams and 15 precipitation gauges (including the three Big and Little Cottonwood Creeks) through Salt Lake County’s website at: www.rainflow.slco.org/map/

If you see debris or areas of overland flooding along rivers, creeks, streams, canals or areas of channel erosion, call Salt Lake County’s Flood Control at 385-4686600.

To report a blocked storm drain inlet within the city, local drainage problems or debris within local roadways or intersections, call the Cottonwood Heights Public Works team at 801-944-7000.

Or report online at www.cottonwoodheights.utah.gov/city-services/public-works. l

If needed, residents can pile stream debris in front of their homes and call the Cottonwood Heights Public Works team to remove and dispose of such debris. (Photo courtesy of Cottonwood Heights Councilmember Ellen Birrell)

Volunteers, including families, church groups and neighborhood groups, can continue to fill sandbags at the Cottonwood Heights Public Works yard, 6579 S. 3000 East. (Photo courtesy of Cottonwood Heights City)

Local professional businesswomen mentor high school girls in scholarship program

Itwasn’t expected to be a traditional cap and gown graduation, but one to celebrate 11 high school seniors at South Valley Chamber’s Women in Business meeting. Miss America 1985 Sharlene Wells Hawkes and two students were slated to speak.

These female students—one from each Canyons School District high school and Canyons Technical Education Center, four from Jordan School District and one from Juan Diego Catholic High School—have been part of the Junior Women in Business program this school year. It’s an opportunity for them to be mentored by professionals and be awarded with a $1,000 educational scholarship.

Corner Canyon High senior Chesney White, who plans to study international business at the University of Utah, is one of the junior members.

“I thought this would be a great scholarship opportunity for me, but since being a part of it, it’s been much more,” she said. “I’ve shadowed my mentor (Draper City’s Chief of Staff Kellie Challburg) and learned how the city runs and collaborates with other local businesses. It’s important to have good relationships because it impacts the community.”

The program pairs professional businesswomen with the students, who learn that even successful leaders may have been once just like them—ambitious, but maybe a little uncertain too.

Gaby Bernal-Camacho graduated from Junior WIB in 2019.

“As a first-generation college student, I was honored to have received that scholarship, but moreso, the resources that Junior Women in Business gave me were unmatched,” she said. “My mentor, Chris Whipple, was phenomenal. We immediately clicked. She was so supportive, I could have called her at two in the morning and she would have been there.”

Bernal-Camacho’s mentor helped her on her career path, supported her through graduating with a health society and policy major and a business minor and applauded her as she started her own business.

“When I shadowed Chris, she was passionate about her job. I remember thinking, ‘I want to be that in love with my job and have that kind of impact in the world,’” she said. “She and (former South Valley Chamber director of programs) Karla Rogers were always there helping me make decisions that impacted my life and my career.”

South Valley Chamber CEO/President Jay Francis is enthusiastic about the program that began about 20 years ago.

“I’m passionate about having these high school senior girls rub shoulders with successful businesswomen at professional lunches, perform a service project, be mentored; it gives these young ladies a boost up,” he said.

Former Sandy Chamber CEO/President Greg Summerhays agrees.

“Many of these girls have a great GPA, they know where they’re going, they know what they want to do,” he said. “Others look for direction and guidance. So that oneon-one mentorship helps these girls to discover what it’s like to be a woman in business, the challenges women face, and the amazing opportunities out there. They’re able to network and have their mentor’s cell phone number as they are graduating from high school, entering college and looking for jobs or internships. It’s an amazing connection for them.”

The mentorship helps the girls gain insight, support and guidance, said Susan Edwards, Canyons School District’s public engagement and legislative liaison.

“We match the girls and their interests with our mentors,” she said, adding that in the past 15 years she’s been

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

involved in the program, mentorships that once focused in business fields now extend to other careers. “(My mentee) this year is interested in environmental policy, so she’s had some experiences and talked to people in that field. Last year, my mentee wanted to understand politics so she talked to people at the Capitol. When a student wants to go into education, I introduce her to all the working parts of the district office so she learns the business behind education.”

White, and the other junior members, attend monthly luncheons featuring keynote speakers.

“We heard how small business owners learned from their experiences to become successful. We heard from the Policy Project, a nonprofit that recently got the legislature to pass getting menstrual products in schools,” said White, who afterward volunteered to be an ambassador with the Policy Project. “We’re lucky because as Junior Women in Business members, we get a shoutout and get to meet the presentation speakers. It’s a cool opportunity to be with these successful women, all who answer our questions. I’ve learned a lot of leadership skills; it’s been uplifting.”

Bernal-Camacho also remembers speaking to the women leaders.

“I’d ask every speaker for contacts and follow up with them,” she said. “I wanted to make the most of the opportunity. I’m still in contact with some of those people as well as my cohort of girls to this day.”

Through the years the speakers have ranged from Gail Miller, owner of the Larry H. Miller Company, to the local business entrepreneurs with Julie Ann Caramels and Ru-

bySnap Bakery.

In March, Salt Lake Community College President Deneece Huftalin shared how she uses her leadership style to lead the state’s largest two-year school. She hopes she inspired the junior members.

“I want them to think the world is their oyster,” she said. “They should never think that they can’t do things they care about. If they want to do something, pursue it. Work hard to get to that place, do your homework and be prepared, and realize, you can do more than you think. Sometimes, a job doesn’t always line up with what is on your resume, but when you’re passionate and have enough capability, you can do incredible things.”

Three-year WIB committee member Gayle Whitefield of Jordan School District said students appreciate the messages of encouragement.

“It motivates them to see the changes they can make and how women are leaders,” she said. “They realize, ‘I can be a part of this great thing;’ we’re here to make that connection and give students a step to achieving their dreams. These girls will be leaders, and we’re giving them support.”

As part of the program, the teens learned from legislators at the Utah House of Representatives.

“We learned how they work through bills and how the government affects how businesses run. I compete in congress debate in school, so I was able to relate to it, which was neat,” White said, adding that they helped with Women of the World, an organization that helps women who have been displaced become self-reliant. “This program is one of the

Salt Lake Community College President Deneece Huftalin talks with Junior Women in Business members during a recent South Valley Chamber of Commerce Women in Business luncheon. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Healing Utah Success Summit in Sandy spreads hope of addiction recovery

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

Coming home from a networking event in 2019, Al Richards reached one of the lowest points in his life. He’d been hiding his wife’s alcohol addiction from family and friends, without realizing the toll it was taking on his mental health.

“I decided I was going to get my pistol, go up in the mountains and take my life because I just couldn’t come home to what I was coming home to every day,” Richards said. “But then I got a phone call. When I hung up, there was a screenshot on my phone of my daughters and grandkids. I broke down and started crying, knowing I shouldn’t be thinking this way.”

He called a friend in the West Jordan Police Department who directed him to resources to get the help and support he needed. He started talking about the situation with people around him. Friends he’d known for years started opening up to him about their own addiction or a family member’s addiction.

Two years ago, the Sandy resident created The Other Side of Addiction Podcast, helping people share their journey through their own addiction or the substance misuse of a loved one.

In April, Richards partnered with Malory Ruesch and Brad Neufeld to host the Healing Utah Success Summit at the Miller Free Enterprise Building in Sandy, an event geared toward spreading hope of recovery from addiction.

Ruesch is a recovering addict, public speaker and author of the book “Inspired to Recover: An addict’s journey through addiction and healing.” She had a dream to create an event that would bring hope to addicts and family members, and to educate people along the way.

“Nobody’s condition is their conclu-

best things I’ve done; I’d do it again—in a heartbeat. I’ve loved it.”

The program evolved from Sandy Chamber of Commerce wanting to support a student interested in business into the mentorship scholarship, beginning with seniors in Canyons School District and at Juan Diego, Edwards said.

Former Sandy Chamber President/CEO Stan Parrish said that the strong WIB program allowed for more networking opportunities.

“There’s a lot of support in the program and a genuine goodness in the community to want to help,” he said. “We learn a lot from one another about running a business; when we share those stories with everyone, we become a stronger community.”

The junior program multiplied in 2019

sion. We can create a mindset of reconnecting individuals, because the opposite of addiction is connection,” Ruesch said. “If a world can be created where everyone feels like they belong and they’re important, it takes away a lot of the mentality that can drive you down the path of addiction.”

This was the second healing summit in what organizers hope will be a regular event that brings speakers, vendors and recovery resources to the community. By creating connections, and a safe space for sharing, the Healing Utah Success Summit continues to grow. Those interested in participating in future events can reach out to Ruesch at rueschrecovery@gmail.com or Richards at mralrichards@gmail.com.

“We’ve dragged ourselves out of the darkness and now we’re out helping other individuals,” Richards said. “We want to educate people about addiction and people who are battling addiction and what they go through. Because the stigma is it’s the drugs or the alcohol or the porn or the eating or the gambling that’s the problem, but it’s not. That’s just the band-aid.”

Richards has battled his own cocaine and alcohol misuse. In 2009, he failed a drug test and lost his job of 24 years. He said he’d never considered himself to be an addict because he only used substances on the weekend and never missed work. He hid it so well, even his wife didn’t know he was an addict.

“I pretty much kept a dirty little secret,” he said. “I asked people to come on my show and be vulnerable, and I wasn’t willing to be vulnerable myself.

“My wife is 27 months sober now. She’s now a certified peer support specialist and she’s out there helping people in their recovery.” l

when the chamber became South Valley and included four Jordan District high schools: Bingham, Herriman, Mountain Ridge and Riverton. It also expanded in its scope beyond the business pathway, Edwards said.

Summerhays said Rogers “elevated” the program during her tenure to include powerful speakers, strong mentors and meaningful service.

“What’s neat is the Junior Women in Business girls are right alongside these professional women; they see their impact in our community,” he said.

Rogers said the program’s focus allows girls to learn from women about their careers.

“I grew up thinking you were either a nurse, a schoolteacher or a secretary, so having these girls be exposed to women with so

many varying backgrounds is critical to their learning,” she said.

Juan Diego Catholic High’s John Moran, a WIB committee member, agrees.

“There’s a big push to get girls into these nontraditional tech fields, so we get them opportunities to see these women in action so they can learn successful professionals are doing and how to become those future leaders,” he said.

This fall, the Chamber plans to include girls from all Jordan School District high schools Francis said.

“We’re reaching to all the high schools in Jordan and some private schools to expand this opportunity to 17 or 18 girls. As a Chamber, we’re finding resources so we can mentor young women in careers and help with their college education,” he said.

Canyons’ Career and Technical Education Specialist Patti Larkin is serving her sixth year on the WIB committee.

“The biggest benefit is the connections that are made, those with the mentor, the speakers, the Women in Business and the other girls themselves,” Larkin said. “Most of the girls stay in touch with their mentors long after their mentorship ends and continue to connect with those people they’ve met during their senior year.”

Summerhays agrees.

“There are tears and hugs when they say goodbye at the formal end of the program, but the girls stay in touch as they move forward with their lives,” he said. “Those connections continue through college and as they enter the business world.” l

From left, Al Richards and Malory Ruesch created the Healing Utah Success Summit to spread hope of addiction recovery. Partnering with Brad Neufeld (not shown), Richards and Ruesch plan on holding the summit in cities across the state. (City Journals)

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Polish your teapots, iron your doilies and butter your crumpets. For the first time in 70 years, an English monarch will be crowned and the whole world will tune in to see if King Charles III, Prince William and Prince Harry bust each other up at Westminster Abbey.

Whether or not the coronation turns into a fistfight, there will be plenty of spectacle, pomp, circumstance, tradition, snobbery and a reminder that England adores fluffy hats.

King Charles will be 74 on the day of his coronation, code-named Operation Golden Orb (not even kidding). He’s much older than his mother was when she was enthroned. Queen Elizabeth was crowned at the age of 27 and reigned for 156 years.

The coronation is based on traditions going back centuries. In fact, for nearly 1,000 years, the Archbishop of Canterbury has conducted the ceremony. You’d think, at some point, people would start asking how he’s been alive for so long.

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coronation. King Charles and Queen Camilla will leave Buckingham Palace in a four-ton Gold State Coach that’s been used in coronations since 1830 and is notoriously uncomfortable. It’s covered in gilded statues and painted panels and will be pulled by eight dragons through the streets of London.

The procession travels from the palace, past Isengard at the southern end of the Misty Mountains, along Trafalgar Square, through Hogwarts to Westminster Abbey where the king will be anointed with holy oil using the Coronation Spoon. I don’t know if there’s a knife and fork. Wikipedia didn’t mention any other coronation utensils.

King Charles will then stand next to a really old chair (and it’s not even made out of swords pulled from the hands of his dead enemies), and given things to hold like the Royal Orb, a couple of scepters, gold spurs, a jeweled sword, gold bracelets and a ring. No wonder it’s hard to be king. That’s a lot to carry.

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Everyone yells, “God save the king!” and trumpets blare and, Bob’s your uncle, England has a new king.

Then the fun starts. Concerts will feature new musical pieces commissioned by the king himself, including an anthem written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and I can only hope it’s performed by the cast of “Cats.” A refugee choir and an LGBTQ+ ensemble will perform, because we all know how much the royal family loves diversity.

There’s even a Coronation Quiche consisting of spinach, broad beans, cheese, tarragon and lard, to celebrate the country’s devotion to bland food. You can get the recipe online and make it for your family as you watch the celebration.

Leaders from around the world will attend the coronation, except some countries who are afraid if they send leaders to the event, England will colonize them while they’re gone. But this is a historical moment you won’t want to miss, especially if the royal family starts throwing the crown jewels at each other.

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