Draper Journal | December 2022

TO NATURE, IS PARAMOUNT IN PLANS FOR THE POINT

By Mimi Darley Dutton | m.dutton@mycityjournals.com

Progress is happening at The Point, the former prison site in its infancy of becoming an ul tra-modern development. Officials announced that the Utah Division of Facilities and Construction is running ahead of schedule on site abatement, the first step toward demolition. In December, the Phase 1 de velopment partner will present refined plans to The Point of the Mountain State Land Authority.

“This is getting more and more real. Rather than a place where people are constrained, it’s going to be a place of new opportunity…and change life for the better for the people of the state,” said Alan Mathe son, The Point’s executive director.

Innovation Point Partners (IPP), the Phase 1 development partner, is a team of three firms: the Lincoln Property Company headquartered in Dal las, Texas and local partners Colmena Group and Wadsworth Development Group. According to The Point officials, the IPP team has experience building large-scale, sustainable communities and innovative, mixed-use projects.

Though they couldn’t share specifics prior to the December Land Authority meeting, Matheson and IPP spokesperson Abbey Ehman spoke in general terms about refinements to the plan. Ehman is based in Los Angeles, but she previously lived in Utah.

A conceptual rendering of the River to Range plans for The Point. Phase 1 development plans are being refined with a focus on connection to nature. (Courtesy The Point)

“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

New Trader Joe’s store confirmed for Sandy/Draper area

By Heather Lawrence | h.lawrence@mycityjournals.com

fter months of rumors (and whispered updates from the Cottonwood Heights location employees), it’s official: there will be a Trader Joe’s store built at 11479 S. State St. The confirmation was posted on the company’s website Oct. 14.

People have been discussing the store online and asking employees about it for months. On Aug. 31, a resident started a thread on the Sandy area Nextdoor app saying the new store opening was post poned. This was six weeks before the company even confirmed there would be a store.

“To all those who were excited—and we still are—about having a more conve nient Trader Joe’s location: I found out this morning while at Trader Joe’s that they will not be opening now until February (2023). Sounds like there were several reasons for the postponement,” writes C.C. of Sandy.

Dozens of people commented, most of them excited about a location in the Draper/Sandy area. “Can’t wait for a clos er TJ’s,” posted A.M. “They usually have amazing staff that seem to like their jobs,” wrote B.F.

Others were curious as to why peo ple seem so loyal to this California-based chain. R.P. asked on Nextdoor, “I honest ly want to know (because) I am unfamil iar with (it), what is so special about this store? Is it a natural foods store like Whole Foods or Sprouts?”

Many people responded that they like the Trader Joe’s branded items, though it does sell a few things that are found in other stores. Because they carry only one or two brands of each item, the overall store is smaller. There’s also a selection of ready-made meals.

“It’s not very big, but it’s got a lot of items. You won’t see traditional brands that are in familiar grocery stores.

“They have their own products, they do their own thing. Some of the things they carry (you) can’t get anywhere but at a Trader Joe’s,” answered C.C., who had started the original thread.

On their website, Trader Joe’s de scribes themselves as “your neighborhood grocery store. You’ll find unconvention al and interesting products…as well as everyday basics.” Milk, eggs, produce, cheese selection and fresh flowers are also mentioned.

An ad called the Fearless Flyer is sent to homes close to the store. It advertises seasonal items and features old-fashioned looking drawings of people enjoying Trad er Joe’s products and making witty com ments.

A few people were less enthused about having a chain store that purported to be a neighborhood store, worried about how it might affect the established grocery store offerings.

“I want a real neighborhood grocery, not a niche store that I might visit once every three years. The (Sandy) Smith’s is absolutely horrible, and without any com petition they will continue to be so. Trader Joe’s is not the kind of competition they need,” wrote M.W.

Smith’s operates two stores in Sandy and several others close by. It is owned by The Kroger Co., which is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The location gets a lot of traffic—it’s right off State Street and 11400 South where there is a freeway entrance/exit. Many businesses seem to be flourishing there, though others have had a hard time.

The store’s location used to be a Whole Foods, but it closed in 2017. Months ago, a Taco Time in the same shopping area closed.

Curious neighbors have driven by

and watched for signs on development. “I peeked in the windows a couple of days ago and could tell by the state of the inte rior that there was zero chance they’d be open by October or November.

“It looks like they’ve only bare ly started demolition of the old Whole Foods,” wrote R.J. on Sept. 1.

When it opens in 2023, the location will be the fourth in Utah. The Salt Lake City location opened on 400 South in 2012, the Cottonwood Heights location in

the Fort Union area opened in 2015 and the Orem store opened in 2018.

Information on locations, including announced locations, is on their website, www.locations.traderjoes.com.

The final Nextdoor comment on the thread was a positive one. It was posted Sept. 7 by a current employee, S.S. “I work at the Cottonwood Heights location. Plenty of business to go around. TJ’s has a loyal following!” l

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Sandy residents discussed their excitement for the new Trader Joe’s, which carries many specialty prod ucts and basic staples. Renovation of the former Whole Foods location is ongoing. (Heather Lawrence/ City Journals)

Corner Canyon High student Anders Krantz has a goal to move up to a faster level in mountain biking. As a sophomore, he raced in the JV-C division.

“If I can move up to a different category, and get faster, then I'll get more points for our team—and maybe we can win state next year,” Krantz said. “A lot of my friends are faster than me and they go in faster groups when we practice. If I was faster, then I could ride with them.”

So, when his 10th-grade English Lan guage Arts teacher, Lauren Lewis, announced the yearlong assignment, “Be the Change,” his personal goal became his project.

“I want to get stronger. Before, when we’d drive somewhere, especially to races, we’d have to load the bikes on the truck. I couldn't do that very well. Now (since setting his goal), I can do it a little easier and hoping that it'll get even easier yet,” he said. “This is pretty cool assignment; it’s a good opportunity to try to change something.”

Under his teacher’s instruction, Krantz created his first website to track his improved fitness.

“I’m trying to ride more times a week. I starting running and now, I’m planning to run a half-marathon. I’m also lifting twice per week,” he said, adding that he documents his activity with pictures as well as recording it on the website.

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Lewis said this project’s goal “is to make a positive difference—and the students decide how they make that positive difference.”

Students have selected topics for “Be the Change” from learning to cook or learning a new instrument to money management or starting a fashion line.

Lewis said students can become personal with their projects.

“I’ve had students do mental health jour neys and they've researched different things to help with it; they’ve tried meditating, gratitude journals, facial masks, listen to calming music and therapy,” she said. “Others have champi oned an issue that they want to bring aware ness; I’ve had students who have worked on doing anti-bullying campaigns at schools. One student, who did that, wrote a book about her experience with bullying and had that book published.”

Whether it’s an individual plan or in volves family or a friend group, and is a plan for self-improvement or to serve the commu nity, the students need to set their goals and create an action plan.

“They tell me how they're going to get started on it, the milestones they want to have accomplished in one month, three months, six months and at the end of the school year. They have to prove through their research, that their projects can make a positive difference. Then, they give two three- to five-minute pre

sentations to tell the class how their projects are making a positive difference,” she said. “I teach them how to code an entire website and we track it there. It’s a helpful skill and coding is new for a lot of them. In the past, presen tation binders or portfolios were the expecta

tions, but I don’t think we live in that world anymore. Now students can show their web sites to help get scholarships, internships or jobs, which is pretty cool.”

The “Be the Change” project has evolved from when Lewis started it 10 years ago when it was a research project or a two-week service project.

“The first year, it was at the end of the year and the students did acts of kindness. As I’ve done this, I figured if they were doing re search, it might as well be on something they care about more than a random topic. So, I de cided to have them do their projects and choose a way to make a positive difference. It started pretty small, but it's built over the years,” she said.

Lewis joins the students in setting a goal and tracking it all year. This year, she’s chosen to try something new every month. The activi ties are selected by the students.

“Some of the kids also are doing the same thing,” Lewis said. “In September, the stu dents decided I was to learn to play basketball since they know I know nothing about sports. In October, I learned to disco skate. I’ve done ‘learn something new’ last year and I learned to skateboard. Sometimes, inspiration comes from other kids’ projects.”

While Lewis has had a variety of projects, she feels “Be the Change,” has had a positive impact on students and herself.

“I love it so much because I like having something that is just pure happiness. A lot of things in literature delve into the deepest ques tions of life and aren’t happy; we’re reading ‘Frankenstein’ right now and it's about a crea ture who murdered a bunch of people, so that’s not particularly happy. This project is different from that. They get to really focus on some thing that can benefit them in their own lives that they get to take away with them forever,” Lewis said. “I tell kids that they can go all in with this and it can change their lives.” l

Corner Canyon High students make websites for their “Be the Change” project, which then is used to track their progress on the assignment. (Rachel Bean/Corner Canyon High School)

Canyons

School District parents and guard

ians learned while there may not be an easy answer to being a parent, they learned some helpful hints at a recent parent night.

With the theme, “Let’s Succeed Togeth er,” guest speaker Rhonda Brimley outlined ways parents can help their children achieve academic success.

The former teacher, principal, communi cation specialist and Alpine School District As sistant Superintendent and Utah Association of Secondary School Principals Executive Direc tor said parents need to realize they’re partners in the education of their children.

“When school was taken away (during the COVID-19 pandemic), then we all realize the importance of being together, having social interactions, learning from someone. being able to ask questions and collaborate together,” Brimley said. “Even the students recognize that and they said we want to be in school.”

During the pandemic, she said parents were engaged more in their children’s learn ing and discovered how children are not only taught intentionally, but through observations.

“Our children are watching not just as the other adults and friends and other people in the community. They're watching. They're lis tening, and they're learning,” she said. “When a child is curious, we should celebrate that, I should respond if I don’t know by saying that and ‘let's find out together.’ Then we can re search together, but celebrate the fact that our children are naturally inquisitive.”

Brimley said that children need to learn to be resilient.

She shared a story that when her daughter had a lemonade stand, nobody came. Rather than let her daughter, who planned the entire “business” herself, face that consequence, she contacted friends and neighbors asking them to stop and make a purchase.

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

“We have a tendency to be mama bears and papa bears to swoop in and save them. I couldn't let her not be successful, right? I stepped in to make sure she was going to be successful and feel confident, but she didn't have the opportunity to struggle, even if it was just trying to sell lemonade. She didn’t have the opportunity to learn from that,” Brimley said. “We need to allow those opportunities for kids to learn to overcome failure or they will grow up not knowing how to deal with things when they don't go the way they want them to. When they fall off that bike, we're going to tell them to keep trying. These kids need to learn how to be resilient.”

She said that parents need to make con nections with the school community to help support their children.

“We've got to build those relationships with people and we've got to build that trust and as an educational community. All of us have the goal to help your student, to help your child be successful and learn to thrive,” Brim ley said.

She suggested volunteering in the class room, in the PTA or other school committees; making sure to be on email, newsletter and other communication lists; checking students’ backpacks for homework, field trip permission slips or notes from teachers; check Skyward for students’ academic success; and communi cating with teachers.

“When there are parent-teacher confer ences, meet the teacher face-to-face whether its offered in person or virtually. You might already have communicated by email, but it re ally is an opportunity to talk about your child, and hear from the teachers, not just about their scores, but what they have to say about your child, how they're interacting, how they're do ing, and are they participating,” she said.

Four break-out sessions followed the

guest speaker. Drew Johnson, who has four children at Alta View Elementary and one at Mt. Jordan Middle, picked digital safety so he could learn the latest tips on keeping his chil dren safe while online.

“I want to know some tools that I can use so I can monitor their usage,” he said. “I've had two parenting apps that my 15-year-old has hacked into.”

Brighton Principal Tom Sherwood was one of the principals on a panel in the breakout “The Recipe for Student Success.”

“We opened it up as a discussion and talked about students’ success and the differ

ent kinds of supports we have available in the schools,” he said. “Oftentimes, parents don’t know where to go so they jump to a principal or district administration instead of starting with the teacher. We talked about social-emo tional support and resources we have and how we all work together so students feel safe and cared for as well as succeed academically.”

Other break-out topics included parent en gagement and an insider’s guide to educational and extracurricular options in the district. l

Alpine School District Assistant Superintendent and Utah Association of Secondary School Principals Executive Director Rhonda Brimley shared with Canyons School District parents ways they can help support their children in school. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

JDCHS cross country teams top 10 at state

By Catherine Garrett | c.garrett@mycityjournals.com

uan Diego Catholic High School junior Ethan Stevens ran the 3A state cham pionship course at the Regional Athletic Complex Oct. 25 in 19 minutes and 29 seconds to come in sixth place while lead ing the girls squad to a ninth-place finish. On the boys side, junior Curran Madden came in 12th with an eighth-place for the seven-member group.

J

“We were hoping to run a bit better at state, but we’ll learn some lessons and get back to work,” said head coach Joe Elliott. “We’re already looking forward to spring track.”

Also competing for the girls team were Allie Sloan, who came in 36th, Maude Poirier (49th), Olivia Young (70th), Nicole Merhi (72nd) and Abby Quigley (77th).

The boys squad was also led by Pat rick Reilly (15th), Shepherd Foy (52nd), Connor Orges (64th), Gabe Woods (75th), Daniel Keegan (79th) and Hobie Hodlmair (80th).

Madden won the Region 1 individu al championship at Wheeler Farm Oct. 13 while helping the boys team successfully defend its 2021 title. Other All-Region runners in that race were Reilly, Orges and Foy.

Stevens also won the region race with

Sloan, Poirier and Young also being recog nized as All-Region.

Both junior varsity squads also placed first at the region race with Sebastian Galindo-Ramirez, Christopher Madden, James Vekjarides, John Deffner and Aidan

Mulligan running for the boys and Domi ona Marine, Catherine Stevens, Annette Rodriguez, Simone Nicolodemos, Lauren Keegan and Adriana Newton

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Phase 1 development focuses on Main Street, the central park, and creating a 15-min ute city that supports all forms of mobility including pedestrians, vehicles, cyclists and transit. Ehman was highly complimentary of the framework plan already created for The Point with public input from Utahns. “Nev er before have we seen such an effort…it’s a credit to Utah,” she said. The IPP team is working with that existing framework plan to further refine and enhance it.

“The adaptations are enhancing connec tivity, vibrancy and a strong sense of place. This is our opportunity to build a new down town in Utah…we’re very thoughtful on building types, the pedestrian experience… economic investment driving jobs, and think ing about how that all exists together. The signature element is the recreation space, the commitment to the outdoors and nature that makes it a Utah project. We’re making sure we have places of respite, places we tie into the trail network…we heard the desire to be connected to nature. Market conditions have informed our process, but connectivity to outdoors is the big shift we’ve seen through the pandemic. People want readily accessible outdoor space,” Ehman said.

Matheson indicated these revisions bet ter tie the central park to the River to Range trail and offer new connectivity elements to help people get around the site without ever getting on the road.

Ehman called the Main Street “the heart of our first phase” and said there will be “a keen focus on local businesses.” It will be pedestrian-focused with a mix of local and national shops and restaurants that spill out onto a promenade.

“We as a firm are so excited about Utah, specifically the demographic, the econom ic growth, the quality of life, this amazing canvas, and all the work that came before us to make this a preeminent development. There really is no better infill opportunity in the western U.S. because of the location be tween two population centers. And with the good work that’s come before us on transit and infrastructure, we’re excited to focus our efforts here,” Ehman said. l

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competing for the girls team.

Juan Diego Catholic High School’s Curran Madden (pictured here with teammates Sebastian Galin do-Ramirez and Connor Orges from left to right) placed 12th at the 3A state cross country meet at the Regional Athletic Complex Oct. 25. (Photo courtesy Joe Elliott)

JDCHS girls soccer finishes in state’s final four

By Catherine Garrett | c.garrett@mycityjournals.com

It was an interesting start to the season for the Juan Diego Catholic High School girls soc cer team as they played six games searching for a goalie.

“We tried several different players and fi nally found a senior basketball player (Brianna Aquilla) who had played goalie when she was younger,” said head coach Joe Baca.

Despite a 1-5 record at that point, the Soaring Eagle squad put together a 10-win sea son and reached the 3A state semifinals where they lost to Ogden 2-0 at Jordan High School Oct. 20.

“Not only did our goalie situation get re solved, but Brianna was the reason we won our quarterfinal game and got to the semis,” Baca said, referring to the double overtime and shootout game Juan Diego won 5-4 over Can yon View on penalty kicks.

After a first-round bye to begin the state tournament, seventh-seeded JDCHS defeat ed Richfield 5-0 Oct. 12 behind a hat trick by senior forward Hailey Mezenen. The Soaring Eagle squad was up 1-0 at half before pouring it on in the second half with four goals. Juniors Kate Digiandomenico and Abbie Alamilla also provided offense in addition to Mezenen’s three goals while Jada Mirabile recorded the shutout.

In the quarterfinal matchup against Can yon View Oct. 15, Aquilla’s save and freshman

Addison Pettit’s goal clinched the win for Juan Diego.

In their two-goal loss against Ogden, Juan Diego had some direct shots on goal that hit the crossbars but they were unable to continue their season for one more game.

“We were feeling really good going into state with who was in our bracket and we knew we had a chance,” Baca said. “Obviously, we wanted to win, but our girls felt like they had left everything out on the field.”

Baca credited Mezenen for her leadership as a captain this season as she also changed positions and encouraged other players to “be lieve in what we were doing” as other lineup spots were shuffled to fill in gaps left from the year before and maximize the talent on the field. Mezenen led the team with 22 goals and 11 assists while Jada Mirabile, a junior, added eight goals and 13 assists. “Jada was our un sung hero who played all over the field for us. She was an integral part of our team,” Baca said.

Sophomore Allison Green was also noted by Baca as someone who “found herself this year,” playing in an unfamiliar position in the playoffs and will be an important part of the program moving forward.

Baca was assisted on the coaching staff this season by Joe Alamilla, Troy Stroud and Whitney Shuman. “I have to give a lot of credit

to them as they are a big part of what we do,” Baca said. “It’s not one person, we are a staff and I can’t do this without their belief.”

Also on the 2022 squad were seniors Lily Edwards and Drea Murdock; juniors Elly Blair, Phuonganh Bui, Maddie Chiazzese, Hailey Cutler, Kennedy Jones, Hope Lowery, Peyton Montoya and Morgan Mulcahy; sophomores

Campbell Gentry, Abby Harbison, Clarissa Sanchez and Denver Whaley; and freshmen Piper Fennell, Makena Gardner, Alex Pepi, Hayden Pettit, Adri Priskos and Tessa Shuman.

“Our goal this year was to try and do one win better than last season and with nine wins last year, we did exactly that,” Baca said. “So, I’d say 10 wins and a semifinal finish definitely was a successful year.” l

JDCHS senior Hailey Mezenen led the girls soccer team with 22 goals and 11 assists this season. (Photo courtesy Ayshia Flores)

JDCHS junior Jada Mirabile played multiple positions for the Soaring Eagle girls soccer team, scoring eight goals and leading the team in assists with 13. (Photo courtesy Ayshia Flores)

Gov. Cox opens up to Alta High students, answers their questions candidly

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Nobody can say Alta High student body officers don’t do their homework.

Given the recent chance to escort Utah Gov. Spencer Cox around their campus and pose questions to him, the Alta Hawk student leaders researched his different policies and stands on issues such as the mental health crisis, gas prices and refineries and the shrinking Great Salt Lake.

But one question caught the governor off guard.

“I asked if he had ever aspired to be an actor,” Alta stu dent body audio visual officer Cali Jeppson said. “I was re searching him and learned he was an extra, a hippie guitarist, in ‘Saturday’s Warrior’ and I’ve seen that movie; my uncle was in that movie. He turned all red and was really embar rassed, but then said that his friend had asked him if he wanted to be in the movie, so he went along.”

Cox, who was greeted by Alta’s drumline and cheerlead ers holding a banner, toured the school as part of an opportu nity to go to multiple high schools across the state, getting the chance to speak and listen with students, learning what was on their minds, said Principal Ken Rowley.

“When they called, they just said, ‘We’d like to come and have him visit with a small group and then a large group. He can answer their questions and talk with them about things that he’s concerned about. He really wanted to touch base with kids. He wanted to get a feel of what kids are going through to day and what some of their issues are that they’re facing right now, that they’re concerned about,” Rowley said.

While touring the new Commons and field house, Alta student body financial chair Paige Haddock said she asked him about mental health.

“I was asking him if he was aware of how big of a deal mental health is with teenagers right now and what he’s doing to give them the services that they need to help out with that,” she said.

Her classmate and student body attorney general JJ Sulli van said Cox addressed it openly.

“He told us what he’s trying to work on right now and wanted to make sure we knew about the SafeUT app,” said the senior who attends the school that piloted the app that allows students 24/7 access to counseling services. “He talked to us about social media and those influences. He just encouraged us to put our phones down, which we hear a lot, and be present with each other, to show empathy and to disconnect to recon nect.”

Rowley said Cox shared with them his own experience.

“He opened up a little bit and showed a little bit of vul nerability to our kids when he shared his own story when he was in the eighth-grade and he was considering self-harm after being bullied and how a coach helped him overcome it,” Row ley said, adding that the governor told students that they are all important and to find time to talk to their peers.

Student body secretary Taylor Hadfield said he brought it up as “he doesn’t want anyone to go through what he went through. He wants us to be somebody kind and to encourage kindness.”

Canyons Board of Education Vice President Steve Wrig ley listened in on the discussion.

“The governor was really down-to-earth and concerned about suicide and he talked about that. He was really heart felt,” he said. “He was really open and personal in answer ing their questions. Sometimes with governmental officials, they’re an arm’s length away and on a time schedule, but he wasn’t like that. He was there for the students and stopped to talk to people. It was a real big thing for our students to have the governor to come to their school and recognize the excel lence in education and meet them, as our future leaders.”

In addition to Cox interacting with the SBOs, he also fielded questions from some of the 350 students who had so cial studies during that class period in the school’s new Per forming Arts Center.

“Seven kids came up on stage and were able to ask him their questions that made him think. He was just open and an swered the best he could and was honest from his perspective. He was being authentic with his answers. For these students to be able to have their questions answered by our governor, that was impressive,” Rowley said.

Those questions not only dealt with public issues, but also those at school such as attendance, how COVID-19 has impacted education, and how social media affects youth to day, said Rowley, who along with other administrators, teach ers and district officials, stayed in the background during the 59-minute 40-second visit.

“I wanted the kids to run the entire thing. I saw them or ganize it, lead the discussion and everything. These kids are amazing. They just stepped up and did it,” he said, adding that the school’s newspaper and yearbook staff also were invited to photograph the interactions. “Bottom line, if they remember anything about this, it may be that he was very personal with them. He was very concerned about things that they’re wor ried about, and he wanted to help them understand how our government and our state is trying to do to help them.”

Student body chief of activities Josh Anderson recalls the story when Gov. Cox, back in the day, ran for student body president.

“He lost by three votes,” he said.

When student body president Zach Scheffner recalled

one of those last deciding votes against Cox was cast by his wife, Abby, the student leaders laughed.

On the more serious side, they also talked about his plans and options for the Great Salt Lake and changing water rights, said student body historian Kimmy Ha.

“It’s a big problem,” Ha said. “I know the West is in a drought and everyone is trying to conserve water.”

None of the SBOs had met the governor before. Chill, approachable, easygoing and funny were terms they used to describe him.

“We really got to know him because he talked about his entire life and his mental health stuff. Obviously it could be a little intimidating because he’s the governor and that’s a pretty big deal, but then we learned he was just like us and relatable. It was a cool experience,” student body public relations officer Ian Smith said.

So much so, they shared some Alta swag, including Hawk flip flops with the governor, and now they’re planning to invite him and his wife to this year’s prom, which will be held at the capitol.

Before the spring dance, the SBOs are planning to hold community service projects and winter tournaments to help fundraise to sponsor a Make-A-Wish child in addition to host ing a spirit bowl.

“Our theme this year is ‘better together,’ said student body vice president Jake Motzkus. “We’re working on build ing better involvement after COVID at our school for all of our students, and especially for our 600 freshmen. We want everyone to feel included because when kids are involved in high school, they enjoy it a lot more.” l

Alta High student body leaders gave Utah Gov. Spencer Cox a tour of the high school and had candid discussions with him about issues from mental health to the drought. (Denise Ferguson/Alta High yearbook)

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Words, songs of gratitude by schoolchildren thank veterans

Schoolchildren across the Salt Lake Valley thanked veterans and active mil itary personnel for their service through school programs featuring students singing patriotic songs or sharing special words in appreciation of their sacrifice and service.

At many schools, it was the return of in-person assemblies after virtual celebra tions or classroom programs. It also meant veterans and those serving were welcomed back into schools to be honored.

Here’s a look at what four area ele mentary schools did to honor those who are or have served the country as well as two students who wrote essays for the Utah PTA Veterans Day essay contest.

McMillan Elementary, Murray School District

Twenty-two active military and vet erans, some in full uniform, stood with the singing of their branch of service during the Armed Forces on the stage of the 68-year-old McMillan Elementary, looking into the audience of first- through sixth-grade students.

“That was really sweet,” said McMil lan PTA President Andrea Pili, who has overseen the program the past six years. “They always sing along to it. They’re just really proud to stand for their song.”

The ceremony began with a flag cer emony conducted by local Girl Scouts who attend the school; students in each grade level sang patriotic songs including “You’re a Grand Old Flag,” “This Land is Your Land,” “My Country Tis of Thee” and “America the Beautiful;” and featured a slide show of the McMillan students, staff and faculty’s relatives and friends who have served.

“It makes the assembly more special for them, and the kids love to see there are people personal to their teachers,” she said.

Select students shared their own words of thanks to their guests.

Second-grader Isaac Smith’s great-grandfather flew a B-17 bomber during World War II. Isaac shared his sto ry:

“On a bombing mission, his plane was shot down. He parachuted out of the plane and landed in a farmer’s field. The farmer turned him over to the German army and he was taken to a prisoner of war camp. He had to ride in a box car without any seats for four days straight. He was only able to get out of the car for one hour a day. He was in the prison camp for eight months and then the war ended, and he was freed. He went home and lived a wonderful life. He died in 2013 at the age of 89. My great grandpa’s life-long motto was, ‘Perfect or better.’ He is one of my biggest heroes.”

Fourth-grader James Dunkelberger shared that he “thought about how veter ans chose to serve others instead of just

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

themselves” and reflected on ways he could do that now, such as doing his chores and taking care of the family dog, having a positive attitude in class to create a good classroom environment, and obeying the school rules of being respectful, responsi ble and safe.

“It isn’t always easy to do things for others,” James wrote. “It would be easier just to do whatever I wanted. I am thank ful for everyone who chooses to put them selves second in order to create a better place for the members of our community, society and world.”

Fifth-graders Janessa and Galen Ban croft’s grandpa served in the military and their mom served in the Air Force as im agery intelligence. In their essay, they shared: “They fought for our justice which means they fought for the rights we have today and our freedoms. We’re here today because of them and other people who fought for us. It is important to remember those who served because they fought for us and their freedoms too. When we think of heroes we think of guardians, soldiers, relatives, educators, health care workers, and people who keep us safe. We should always remember our heroes and thank them every day.”

Fifth-grader Ava Pili wrote: “Cou rageous, serve, honor, brave, protect, and willing. These are all the words that describe our amazing military men and women.” While Ava doesn’t have a family member who is active in the service now, she told McMillan’s guests: “Thank you for the freedoms we enjoy and for showing us what bravery is. Your sacrifice and ser vice should not and will not be forgotten.”

Suzie (last name and grade withheld) said she was grateful to be an American.

“Being an American means to be free and united as one country,” she said. “Be cause of veterans, we are free. It is our duty to celebrate and express gratitude for the brave men and women who have fought and who continue to fight for our country, the United States of America.”

The assembly concluded with the en tire student body singing, “God Bless the USA.”

“The kids are just belting it out, hon oring them, singing their little hearts out,” Pili said. “It's a beautiful way to end the program and a great way for our students to express their gratitude through music and words. It’s a very touching tribute.”

Woodstock Elementary, Murray, Gran ite School District

Woodstock Elementary students in vited veterans in their lives to attend their after-school program that also featured a PowerPoint slide presentation of those who are serving or served in the Armed Forces.

“It tugs at my heart,” said fifth-grade

teacher Kate Axtell, who has family mem bers who have served in the military. “When the kids sing the ‘Armed Forces Medley,’ the little old men stand up and are crying. The kids are crying back at the vet erans because they can't believe how much it means to them. Afterward, the kids say it’s the coolest thing they’ve ever done.”

The program also featured songs from World War I, such as “Over There,” “It’s a Long Way to Tipperary” and “Till We Meet Again” and World War II songs, in cluding “Sentimental Journey.”

Sprinkled into the program were some of the 90 fifth-graders sharing their thanks and appreciation to the veterans for the service. Axtell, who has coordinated the program three times, said the students re hearsed for two months, tying it into their curriculum of learning American history.

“They’ve learned about the different wars, and we talked about the music we sang and what it meant. I showed them where Tipperary is and we talked about it, we talked about the trenches, and they know the history of Armistice Day being the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month when the Great War ended,” Axtell said. “We’re wanting our students to think about their lives and have them understand the sacrifice and service.”

As part of the school’s celebration, third-graders wrote thank you letters to veterans and were sharing them with those in a local veteran’s hospital as well as one in California. The school’s PTA decorated for the celebration and provided refresh ments.

Channing Hall, Draper charter school

Fifth-grader Dhruv Sinha Ray gave visiting veterans at Channing Hall a pin he designed to honor their service.

The pin design is an annual school contest; students create designs and one is selected to be turned into a pin for the veterans.

This year’s design shows the silhou ette of a soldier saluting with an Ameri can flag in the background; below are the words, “Proud To Serve.”

At the assembly, the American Legion Color Guard performed a flag folding cere mony and the 50-member combined school choir and chorus performed the national anthem and the song, “Heroes,” written by school music teacher, Jamie Bunker.

Three speakers shared their thoughts on Veterans Day.

Raj Chowdhary, who served in the Air Force and National Guard and father to two Channing Hall students, worked on F-16 Infrared Cameras and Laser Target ing Systems; and program manager Quinn Good, spoke about the Salt Lake City VA Fisher House that provides living arrange ments for families while veterans are get ting medical treatment.

Channing Hall science teacher Jeff Meyers spoke about his service in the Army, including his lead up to and deploy ment to Afghanistan as a radio transceiver operator.

“I attended several Army training schools familiarizing me with the technol ogy I needed to know to work in the TOC (Tactical Operations Command) in Af

McMillan Elementary first-grader Amelia Jarman stands alongside her uncles, National Guard Staff Sgt. Christian Davis, on the left, and Marine Corps Cpl. Jonathan Thompson at the school’s Veterans’ Day assembly. (Photo courtesy of McMillan Elementary)

ghanistan,” he said. “I went with my unit to the JRTC or Joint Readiness Training Center in Fort Polk, Louisiana, where we conducted live action combat and opera tions training for a month. I found out that my wife, Kim, was pregnant shortly before deploying to Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, my battalion was in the Northern Kunar province, a remote mountainous northern part of the country bordering on Pakistan. I served in combat there and received the Combat Infantryman Badge as well as sev eral Army Commendation Medals (AR COM) and a battlefield promotion. My second son, Brennon, was born 2 weeks before I returned home.”

Meyers continued his service state side, graduating from the Army Leader ship Academy in the top 5% of the class and earning his Expert Infantryman Badge.

“I loved my time in the Army and am proud to have served my country,” he said.

As a school-wide service project, Channing Hall students brought in paper products ranging from Kleenex to paper plates to donate to the Fisher House.

Schoolchildren and staff also brought in photos of family members who served, which were displayed on a bulletin board, in appreciation of their service.

The Veterans’ Day program dates back to the early years of the school’s 16-year history, with this being the first

year returning to the assembly after the COVID-19 pandemic, said Annette Mum ford, president of the Channing Hall Par ent-Teacher Organization that organized the event and provided refreshments for the veterans and guests afterward.

Quail Hollow Elementary, Sandy, Can yons School District Army Master Sgt. Aaron Hilton and Air Force Lt. Col. Mark Hasara were guest speakers at Quail Hollow’s Veterans Day program.

After the presentation of the colors by the Utah National Guard and national an them by Liz Longaker, veterans stood to be recognized and waved to Quail Hollow students.

Then, they watched a clip of Col. Gail Halvorsen, known as “The Candy Bomb er,” who frequently spoke to Utah school children about his World War II experienc es dropping candy to children in Berlin. He died this past February.

There also was the recognition of Ma rine Corps SSgt. Darin Taylor Hoover, a nearby Hillcrest High School graduate, who died last year. A moment of silence followed, honoring all deceased veterans.

Relatives and friends who have served and are serving of Quail Hollow students were highlighted in a video after Brighton High sophomore Alexis Schramm played “Taps.”

With the help of volunteers, Melin da Rosevear has coordinated the school’s program for several years, highlighting veterans who have served in different time periods of history.

“It's important we highlight this and bring awareness to our students the signif icance of their dedication and service and its meaning,” she said. “This brings our community together.”

Silver Mesa Elementary, Sandy, and Draper Park Middle, Canyons School District

Two Canyons District students, Silver Mesa’s fifth-grade student Azaylea Olson and Draper Park’s eighth-grader Noa Pack, won the Utah PTA 500-word essay contest, “Why I am Proud of my Veteran!”

Azaylea, who loves playing cribbage with her grandfather who she calls Poppy, wrote her essay about his service in the Navy, starting with boot camp when he was up at 6 a.m., washed his clothes on cement tables, marched for eight hours per day, learned about M1 rifles, put on gas masks before entering burning buildings, then going to bed at 10 p.m.

After boot camp, he was assigned to a naval air station in Alaska when an earth quake struck.

“He climbed a mountain behind his barracks because of a tsunami warning and watched as the tsunami rolled up 40 feet

high,” she wrote. “The tsunami took six planes off the runway into the water. They had to fish the planes out of the water.”

Her Poppy went on to have other chal lenges during his military time, including serving in Vietnam.

“I am proud of my Poppy, my grand father, for serving in the military,” she wrote adding that “his job was very im portant as he was responsible for sending top secret information to our troops, so they had all the information they needed to be safe themselves. He is my veteran and my hero.”

Noa’s dad is currently deployed as a member of the Utah Army National Guard, and she now understands why her dad has missed special occasions and family gath erings.

“He has worked long hours, missed many family events, and has even known the hardship of soldiers who have fallen, both on and off the battlefield,” she wrote. “My dad has missed first steps, birthdays, anniversaries, school projects, and boy drama. However, he is still my biggest hero and role model in everything he does.”

In Noa’s words, “being a veteran means valuing safety, not just for us but for our country. That is why my dad goes to work every day, and I am proud of his sacrifice to help keep America protected.” l

Stories of service and sacrifice at Veterans Day ceremony

By Mimi Darley Dutton | m.dutton@mycityjournals.com

Barry Skinner was only 18 when he signed up for the Army. He’d just graduated from Ogden High School and was looking for work. “There wasn’t a lot of jobs around at that time. I had three old er brothers in the service, and I thought it was a family thing to join,” he said.

It all happened quickly. He contacted the recruiter and the next day he signed up at Fort Douglas where he underwent a physical and took his oath. (Because it was during the Cold War, he committed to three years of active duty followed by three years in reserve). Almost immediately, he was sent via train to Fort Ord, California for two months of basic training followed by two months of schooling. He studied to be a mechanic and his first assignment took him north of Chicago to Fort Sheri dan. There, he interviewed and was chosen to be chauffeur for the Post Commander. “He was a fine gentleman, very honest, very sincere and strictly military.” He held that “lucky” position for one year. Then Skinner got orders to report to Germany. The Post Commander offered to do pa perwork to keep him at Fort Sheridan, but Skinner felt obligated to go abroad.

“Beautiful country, beautiful people,” Skinner said of Germany. Once again, he was a driver, this time for the command

ing officers. Though he learned only a lit tle bit of the language, he said driving in Germany was easy because the signs were self-explanatory.

“The Berlin Wall was up and we were always on alert,” Skinner recounted. “There was a lot of contention between the Soviet Union and the U.S. at that time.”

When his assignment in Germany was complete, his time was extended because of the Cuban Missile Crisis. “That’s the highest alert our country has even been on during our whole Cold War. It was a very contentious time. I think a lot of citizens don’t realize it, but we had numerous ships stationed all around Cuba because it was only 90 miles from Florida and it was a dire threat to American citizens. Cooler heads prevailed between the Soviet Union and our President Kennedy and they re solved it within two weeks, but it was on the verge of a Third World War.”

Now 81, Skinner has never regretted that decision to join the Armed Forces. “If I had it my way, every kid would be obli gated to join the military or Peace Corps to do something for his country. It gives you a chance to get away from your parents, to be on your own, and to find out what adulthood is all about.”

Skinner has lived in Draper since 1965, when he left the service. He’s vol unteered for the last 21 years with the American Legion Post 140, mostly helping with military funerals. They did more than 120 of them last year. He also volunteers to put up flags for Draper’s Veterans Day ceremony. “He’s been such a big help to us over the years,” said David Wilks, the city’s community events manager.

Tyrone Foster spoke at Draper’s Vet erans Day ceremony about being a Gold Star son. Foster was just 5 years old in

1987 when his dad, Vernon Tyrone Fos ter, was killed along with 36 other sailors when an Iraqi fighter jet fired two missiles into the USS Stark.

“My father didn’t come home that day, but my mother made sure his good deeds did,” Foster said. He recounted how his mother made sure to share stories about his dad with him and how she took him to military events so that he could gain an appreciation for his father, veterans and those in the military. Foster distinctly re members meeting his father’s recruiter. “Your dad saved my life,” the recruiter told Foster.

When Foster and his brother were old er, their mom decided to share the love let ters her husband had written to her. “They showed his vulnerability, his commitment to his family and this country,” he said. Foster also found a list of his dad’s goals. “That was like a road map and guide for my brother and I.”

Foster said that learning about his dad’s life, military service, and meeting other members of the military inspired him to be a dad and to use his words to em power people. “I’m grateful for each one of you,” he told the service members and their families at the ceremony.

Skinner said he does get a bit choked up every Veterans Day. “I think about all these people, prisoners of war, or people who gave their lives,” he said. “Anyone who serves their country, they’re real pa triots.” l

Longtime Draper resident Barry Skinner joined the Army when he was just 18. (Mimi Darley Dutton/City Journals)

Gold Star son Tyrone Foster was keynote speaker at the city’s Veterans Day ceremony. (Mimi Darley Dutton/City Journals)

Which schools made the grade?

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

The recently released Utah School Report Card shows public and charter schools that were recognized for ex cellence, including area schools such as Academy for Math, Engineering and Science in Murray and Beehive Science & Technology Academy in Sandy, as well as how all schools can improve.

Produced by the Utah State Board of Education, school report cards are intended to inform parents, educators, and community stakeholders to learn more about accountability in schools.

The state report also said, “While no student report card tells the full story of a child, no school report card tells the full story of a school. Education is far more than a single score or letter grade, but it is important that families and communities can see both strengths and areas that need support and im provement.”

The report, which takes into account achievement and growth in core subjects of English/language arts, math and science; as well as English language learners’ progress and post-secondary readiness, and other factors, can be found at: www.utahschoolgrades.schools.utah.gov

AMES received an A or exemplary status.

“It's nice to be validated by another source other than our own data and our own workings,” said AMES Principal Brett Wilson.

While COVID-19 impacted many schools report cards, and they weren’t issued during those two years, Wilson said some measures AMES put in place has helped student learn ing.

“During COVID, we did synchronous learning, which means our students showed up for every class, every day, only it was held online, synchronous with their teacher. It wasn't just all online through Canvas (learning platform) without the teachers there, without some direction and that helped with learning,” he said. “What a lot of schools did is they would put assignments and content up on Canvas and have students watch videos and respond to their assignments. We did that, too, but additionally, we had regular classes on their regular schedule, online via Zoom.”

In addition to making students accountable, Wilson said it helped with relationships.

“It helped keep connections and it didn't let school get too far away. We’re not seeing the really big drop offs in terms of academic knowledge,” said the 11-year AMES principal, adding that the longevity of his teachers and staff have kept consistency in relationships important.

Wilson acknowledged his faculty and staff already have plans to improve their scores.

“We've seen students coming in with lower reading scores and some lower writing skills. It's just not something that anybody does very often outside of school,” he said about the diminishing importance of writing or reading for pleasure.

Wilson said AMES students, under the direction of a teacher, can select a title from a choice of three books, then will read and annotate together, predicting the plot and the characters’ actions.

“All that goes into good reading skills,” he said, adding that it will help with the ACT standardized college exam’s reading comprehension and speed test.

For schools that have lower marks, Wilson said that they can rebound.

“Dive into your data and see where your gaps are. Try to fill those gaps with either teachers that are highly trained for those students, or curriculum or smaller opportunities that you can really direct the learning. We've tossed around doing a better reading test for our ninth graders and tracking them

better as they move through our four years here, since we've noticed that the reading scores are going down — that's just a small example.”

Beehive Academy also received an A.

“We are quite happy that we are still maintaining an A after COVID, especially when so many things have changed,” said school director Hanifi Oguz, who said that the report card is more than an accountability of doing well. “We take it as a tool, an opportunity to see how we are doing and what we can focus on to improve and help our students.”

For example, in English, Beehive’s score has improved through the years.

“Typically English, in the past, was not as good as our other scores, and we have in recent years been working on it and it remains a high priority right now to further improve. It’s what we are working on with interventions, extra programs and support staff,” he said. “We have a collaborative team who work very closely to look at data and set the goals for the year—what we are going to focus on, what we are going to improve and what we are going to maintain. Our teachers are active team members and that makes a big difference because they are working very closely with the students and know how to use strategies to make those improvements.”

While test scores are indicators, Oguz said he also relies on the teamwork of students, parents and school staff.

“At the end of the day, the teachers and administration set goals, it comes down to the actual student who is learning and doing the work, and how the students are supported by their parents. So, they have to be a partner in that. Much success is shown by having a strong parent partnership through open communication and sharing the progress with parents; I think

we have done a good job in that over the years, and we’re con tinuing to develop and have those close partnerships,” he said.

Oguz said Beehive has added more counselors and ser vices to help the social-emotional health of students, which in turn, helps students have a better mindset so they’re ready to learn.

Beehive also introduced more free programs and clubs so students can experience learning in other opportunities.

“It makes a huge difference for those kids because it sup ports and enriches their learning, and it helps students become more well-rounded. It's engaging students very meaningfully, providing not only academic engagement, but also learning to be part of a team, experience working relationships, develop friendship, and those positive interactions that you want with their peers,” Oguz said.

Instilling a mentality of success begins at AMES from the first day, Wilson said.

“We start talking right away about success and college; we set that bar high. We tell them ‘Everybody's going to graduate; everybody's going to have the opportunity if they want to be ready to go to post-secondary school.’ We do that. We've got a whole staff and student body who are connected to that mission. That's the challenge, whether you’re 500 stu dents, 200 students or 2,000,” he said. “A lot of people refer to AMES students as nerds and we're OK with that because that means you're working hard. Our students aren’t afraid to stay up late and do the work that it takes to get good grades and to learn. We embrace the nerdiness of who we are; we have a whole school of 454 nerds all working together toward a common goal of success and we’ll take that.” l

Beehive Science & Technology Academy in Sandy maintained its exemplary status on its report card, which was recently released from the Utah State Board of Education. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Nature’s Virus Killer

Copper can stop a virus before it starts

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Colds and many other illnesses start when viruses get in your nose and multiply. If you don’t stop them early, they spread and cause misery.

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That’s why ancient Greeks and Egyptians used copper to purify water and heal wounds. They didn’t know about viruses and bacteria, but now we do.

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The strong scientific evidence gave inventor Doug Cornell an idea. He made a smooth copper probe with a tip to fit in the bottom of the nostril, where viruses collect.

When he felt a tickle in his nose like a cold about to start, he rubbed the copper gently in his nose for 60 seconds.

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Juan Diego football battles to quarterfinals, .500 record

By Catherine Garrett | c.garrett@mycityjournals.com

The Juan Diego Catholic High School football team lost to eventual state cham pion Morgan 51-20 in the second round of the 3A state playoffs Oct. 28. The Soaring Eagle squad had advanced to the quarterfi nals with a 38-35 win over Union Oct. 21 in the first round. They were led this season by running back Lukifanga Kaumatule who rushed for more than 100 yards a game and scored 13 touchdowns on the year. The se nior also played linebacker and recorded

nearly eight tackles a game on the other side of the ball while senior middle linebacker Kole Fox averaged more than seven tackles as well. Senior lineman Dalan Kennedy had five sacks, four fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles as a disruptive force on de fense for Juan Diego. The team, coached by Ron James, began the season with two losses and battled back to finish with a 6-6 record.

(Photo courtesy Bob McClellan, Shooting Star Photography) l

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Pirate O’s

If your goal is to find unique, deli cious and distinctive gifts for the holi day season, Pirate O’s Gourmet Market in Draper (11901 S. 700 East) should be your first stop.

The market is celebrating its 25th anniversary and this holiday’s invento ry of items is bigger than it’s ever been. Whether your taste runs sweet, salty, spicy or savory, finding the perfect treat is easy and affordable.

“It’s the biggest selection I’ve ever seen,” said Pirate O’s owner Orian Col linsworth. “There’s no doubt that we have an insane amount of product wait ing for our customers. There is no place they’ll be able to go in the United States, maybe the world, where they can get the variety of European Christmas items we have. After 25 years of doing this, this is not only the pinnacle of this year, but of 25 years of practice.”

For your sweet tooth, Pirate O’s has a wide selection of holiday treats, in cluding Cadbury advent calendars, gen uine German Haribo gummies, pandoros

and panettones (Italian holiday cakes) and torrone, a classic Italian nougat. It also has chocolate letters for those cel ebrating St. Nicholas Day in early De cember.

“We have all the Dutch chocolate letters that people buy and they put that chocolate letter in their shoes,” Orian said. “People will be buying all of that along with Dutch licorice, and stroop wafels and Dutch hagelslag, which are chocolate sprinkles.”

You can find your favorite choco late brands from all over the world, in cluding Milka, Maribou, Kinder, Lindt, Scharfenberger, Bissinger, and Ghirar

Creating a delicious charcuterie board is a breeze with Pirate O’s se lection of meats, cheeses and dips. The market boasts more than 100 different

types of cheeses and a resident cheese expert can help you find the best prod uct for your event. Adding authentic German salami, spicy pickles and an as sortment of unique crackers will make your charcuterie board a one-of-a-kind offering.

If you’re looking for exceptional sauces, oils, balsamic vinegars and hot sauce, you won’t be able to choose just one. Pirate O’s has more than 170 hot sauce products from brands like Igua na, Peppadew and Ring of Fire. The infamous Roasted Raspeberry Chipotle Sauce is a customer favorite, and wheth er you’re looking for bread dipping in gredients or a delicious salad dressing, the options are endless.

“We’ve never had so much product for Christmas,” Orian said. “The store is at its pinnacle. We sit back and look at it and go, holy smoke! We get these 30 days of Christmas and it’s magical, in a sense.”

A personalized gift basket is perfect for an office party, corporate event or

hostess gift. You can create your own, purchase a grab-and-go, or have a Pirate O’s basket artist conjur up the best in gredients for your needs.

For more information about Pirate O’s, including store hours, visit Pi rate-Os.com

“It’s a one-of-a-kind, eclectic place,” Orian said. “Shop early for best selection, shop late for best price. But don’t wait because once it’s gone, it’s gone. The store is really fun. There is not a shop like this anywhere in the world. It’s worth a visit.”

More than half of the Corner Canyon High mountain bik ing team qualified for the state championships this fall—that’s 135 riders out of the 220 mem bers on the squad—and they all helped the defending state cham pion Chargers to a third-place finish in St. George Oct. 21 at the Utah High School Cycling League’s mountain biking state championships.

“That’s a really high number and we’re super proud of that,” said first-year head coach Paul Andersen, who has been an assis tant with the program since it be gan in 2013.

CCHS had five state podiums within the top 10 spots including champion Brennon Pena in the freshman A boys division. Also earning All-State honors were Annika Gilson (third, JV B girls), Harrison Reading (sixth, varsity boys), Alyssa Meadows (seventh, JV A girls) and Morgan Taggart (10th, freshman girls).

“As with all races, we had our heartbreaks and mechanical struggles, but it’s not all about the race result, it’s about the hard work you put in,” Andersen said. “Sometimes that’s really what you can be proud of.”

The team placement for CCHS was the lowest it’s ever been as the Chargers or Lone Peak have owned the last seven titles, including four for Corner Canyon. This year, it was Skyline that won and Andersen said he is genuinely happy for the Eagles. “The nature of rivalries in mountain biking is very friendly,” he said. “There is no animosity among the teams.”

Corner Canyon is part of Region 3 within the Utah High School Cycling League and the Chargers rode in three regular season races this season. At Eagle Mountain Aug. 27, they played first as a team with Calvin Chris tensen (freshman B boys), Ethan Shirey (JV A boys) and Joe Han sen (varsity boys) winning their individual races.

At Cedar City Sept. 10, Bren non Pena (freshman A boys), Lau ren Montague (freshman girls) and Shirey (JV A boys) won their events in leading Corner Canyon to first place.

At Soldier Hollow Sept. 24, the Chargers again won overall with Pena claiming first in the freshman A boys race.

CCHS mountain biking team third best in state

By Catherine Garrett | c.garrett@mycityjournals.com

The fourth race, held at Rich field Oct. 8, was the region cham pionship with CCHS again coming out on top behind region champi ons Joe Hansen (varsity boys), Shirey (JV A boys) and Pena (freshman boys). Also making the podium at Region were Gilson (second, JV B girls), Lauren Mon tague (second, freshman girls), Reading (second, varsity boys), Ezra Thomas (second, freshman C boys), Taggart (third, freshman girls), Ella Balls (fourth, freshman girls), Alec Barnes (fourth, JV A boys), Jacob Hamblin (fourth, freshman A boys), Mason Quin ton (fourth, JV B boys), Brook lyn Shallenberger (fourth, JV A girls), Brooklyn Bailey (fifth, JV A girls), Tate Larrabee (fifth, varsity boys), Luke Mendenhall (fifth, JV D boys), Madelynne Taggart (fifth, varsity girls), Bryce Flamm (sixth, freshman A boys), Ayden Graham (sixth, JV B boys), Lexi Wheatley (sixth, JV A girls), Parker Andersen (tied for seventh, varsity boys), Andrew Engh (tied for seventh, varsity boys), Dai sy Miller (seventh, varsity girls), Michelle Petersen (seventh, JV B girls), Olivia Burton (eighth, JV B girls), Emma Rasmussen (ninth, JV B girls), Esmee Hadden (10th, JV A girls), William Harrison (10th, JV B boys), Olivia Lew is (JV B girls) and Jayda Nelson (10th, varsity girls).

The competition part of mountain biking is important for the Corner Canyon program, but Andersen said there is another as pect to this team that is even more meaningful. “We have a require ment of community service hours for our riders and we have col lectively given over 1,000 hours on the Draper trails this year,” he said. “We pride ourselves on be ing courteous trail users and we work with the city and the Draper Trails Committee to do our part to take care of those trails.”

In seeking sponsors before the season, Andersen said they saw firsthand how much the Drap er community has to offer and that there might be a greater need elsewhere. Draper resident Dal len Atack, who heads up the Utah High School Cycling League, told Andersen about a man named Richard Bennett who was trying to bring access to biking to Hill dale and start a program there.

“We realized we could create

something that could have a direct impact so we reached out to the families on our team and we had more than 20 good racing bikes donated along with $7,000 to the Creek Valley Composite team,” Andersen said. “They ended up having 24 riders sign up for their team and it’s been life-changing for a program that had no funding and they have been so apprecia tive.”

Andersen, along with the help of his wife Jeni, have been heading up the Corner Canyon team this season, which still lays claim to the largest mountain bik ing program in the country, since training in the spring and then three-day-a-week 6:30 a.m. prac tices over the summer. But, they have not led the 220 riders with out a ton of help. For each prac tice, 50 to 60 parents—and even those who aren’t affiliated with the program, including 2002 gold medalist speed skater Derek Par ra—are needed to assist the sep arate ride groups which are based on ability.

“Every year we recruit ride leaders who go through a certi fication process with us and the Utah League,” Paul Andersen said, whose four sons have gone through the program, includ ing their junior son Parker. “On our team, we have stuck to the welcoming culture that Whitney Pogue established where there are

no tryouts and there is no physical or racing ability that is required. It does take a lot of time to manage it all and we’re all volunteers, but we’re so excited that it brings so much to these students who show up and are dedicated and motivat ed to practice and improve.”

Paul Andersen said one of the highlights of the season was seeing the hard work pay off for so many of the riders, particular ly within the varsity ranks where 23 boys and nine girls made the field—which accounted for half of the region riders. He also not ed the “great results all season” for the 76 girls on the team. “The

girls worked so hard and they en couraged and built each other up all year,” he said.

Paul and Jeni Andersen were assisted by Jeff Barnes, Ja son Grimes, Tiff Grimes, Norm Krantz, Corey Larrabee, Mark Menlove, Ken Montague, Kea we Nalaui, Liz Shaespear, Seth Shearer and Mandy Sybrowsky on the coaching staff this season.

“This community is full of such great people and we also get great support from our school and administration,” Paul Andersen said. “That relationship couldn’t be better and we are grateful.” l

Corner Canyon High mountain biking continues to be the largest program in the nation and this year they are 220 members strong. (Photo courtesy Paul Andersen)

The Corner Canyon High mountain biking program is run by head coach Paul Andersen and his wife Jeni along with 11 other coaches and dozens of ride leaders and volunteers from among parents and community members. (Photo courtesy Paul Andersen)

Navigating Grief and the Holidays

By Kathie Supiano, PhD, LCSW

The holiday season is nearly upon us. This is the time of year when grieving people often feel dread and sorrow about the very events and traditions that formerly brought happiness.

As every grieving person handles loss in their own way, each one of us observes holidays in our own way in time of bereavement. There simply is no one right way to experience the holidays. Some find meaning in following cherished traditions, and others benefit from avoiding traditions because their associations are now tinged with loss. Some people find great comfort in being with other people, others prefer solitude to camaraderie. For all of us, how we gather is as important as gathering at all.

Plan ahead for the holidays: The first step in planning is to listen to yourself….what will help you most at this time? You may have strong memories and powerful feelings. Accept this as normal, but prepare for it. Anticipate the pleasures and the stresses of events, and select those you want to participate in. If you expect to be lonely, arrange supportive companionship. If you can’t bear the thought of connecting with the entire extended family, let the family know of your needs. Be creative and accept support by using distance technology.

Accommodate your plans to your new limits: Most grieving people have significantly lowered physical stamina and emotional reserve. Perhaps you can’t get every decoration out this year. Accept these limits as temporary, and good enough for this year. Choose to put your energy into the things that matter most to you.

Accept that the holidays will be different this year: The holidays are often filled with unrealistic expectations that may overwhelm you. You may need to revisit your goals and find a balance between continuity and change. Many people find a special comfort in establishing a new holiday tradition that honors the memory of the person who died.

Recognize that other family members or friends may have struggles, too: Look for opportunities to discuss your feelings and wishes with others who may also be grieving for your family member. Try to respect their choices, if they are different from yours. You all may need to make compromises.

If the holidays have always been hard for you: Use this transition in your life to try something completely new…an untraditional-tradition. Perhaps you have never taken the occasion create a new experience on your own. As challenging as loss can be, it can bring momentum to grow and to try something new.

For all of us, whether the holidays are a time of personal significance or not, it can be a season in which we reflect on what we do cherish as we journey through grief.

Kathie Supiano, PhD, LCSW is

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an Associate Professor at the University of Utah College of Nursing and the Director of Caring Connections: A Hope and Comfort in Grief Program. Caring Connections is a not-for-profit program that offers clinician-facili tated grief support groups in Utah. 801-585-9522 healthcare.utah.edu/caring-connections

Corner Canyon cross country teams finish in top 10

By Catherine Garrett | c.garrett@mycityjournals.com

The Corner Canyon High girls cross country team placed third at the 6A state champion ships at the Regional Athletic Complex Oct. 25 while the boys were also top 10 with a sixth-place finish. For the girls, Paige Rhoads came in 16th with Anna Nelson (20th), Charly Murie (23rd), Jackie Andrewsen (34th), Aubrey Wahlquist (42nd), Courtney Madsen (44th) and Laureli Edmunds (66th) rounding out the Chargers lineup. Connor Whatcott led the boys team with a seventh-place finish which also included Grayson Milne (15th), Darren Randall (54th), Erick Yuan (79th), Ryan Etherington (84th) and Brandon Smith (103rd). (Photo cour tesy Devin Moody) l

Even though 2022 seemed to last as long

as a 5-year-old reading “Green Eggs and Ham,” the holidays rushed in like a wicked case of intestinal flu. But high grocery prices? Rising inflation? Those things have never stopped Americans from over-celebrating the holidays.

If you’re finding it hard to capture the spirit of Christmas this year, just remem ber the real meaning of the holidays: get ting presents. All those brightly-wrapped packages will bring you hours of tempo rary joy and fulfillment.

I wonder if we have lost our senses, in a very literal way. Maybe if we come back to our senses for the holidays, we’ll stop eating when we’re not hungry, partying when we’re tired and buying a doghouse full of gifts for the family puppy when we’re already overbudget.

Let’s start with the sights of the sea son, like the piles of enticing Amazon box es shoved into hiding places and spilling out of closets. The twinkling lights of po lice cars at the neighbor’s house. The deadeyed stare of a Target cashier and colored globes hanging on the Christmas tree that drops needles when someone walks by.

How about the sounds of the season, like your favorite holiday tunes played by an accordion, or the infinite Mariah Carey

song remix/mash-ups/covers. You’ll hear “Carol of the Bells” so often it becomes part of that nightmare where you’re run ning to get the last LEGO set but you’re wearing furry slippers and keep tripping over elves. And there’s so much jingling!

What does Christmas feel like? A tod dler’s fingers, sticky from a candy cane, leaving pink fingerprints down the hall. Paper cuts from wrapping gifts. Cold, wet toes as you trudge through snowy parking lots and discover a hole in the sole of your boot. Frozen fingertips, runny noses and being bustled by bustling crowds.

The tastes of Christmas include nasti ness like eggnog and fruitcake, but also the sugary sweetness of gumdrops that suction to your molars and must be surgically re moved. Then there’s scalding hot choco late with toasted marshmallows. (Hint: don’t toast marshmallows in the actual toaster. I know that now.)

December smells like cinnamon, cloves, Seussian roast beast and smoke from your overused credit card. I’ve never smelled roasted chestnuts, but I imagine they have an aroma like a wet dog lying by the fire. Real evergreen trees emit the scent of fresh forests while making it hard to breathe for people with pine allergies.

Obviously, it’s easy to get caught up in what’s going wrong with the holidays, without paying attention to the feeling

behind the scenes. When I sit with that emotion, it’s one of peace, generosity, kindness, forgiveness and love. Things Hallmark Christmas movies are always going on about.

What if Hallmark is right? And I’ve never said that before.

Maybe the miracle of Christmas is noticing the small pleasures like when your friend sends you a funny card or your husband brings you a soft, fluffy blanket as you binge holiday movies. Maybe it’s reading stories to your grandkids or listen ing to grandparents share favorite Christ mas morning memories.

More than the senses, Christmas is about time. A time to pause. A time to be still. A time to remember. A time to breathe. A time to be grateful. A time to be with family. A time to reflect with wonder and awe at the beauty of this world.

Coming back to our senses, in a real way, slows time. It reminds us we’re not alone as we move together through these dark nights with bright stars, just doing the best we can.

Peri Kinder is an award-winning hu mor writer, hosts the Life & Laughter pod cast and was voted Best of State for 2022. She’s also a yoga/meditation instructor and life coach.

Peri Kinder Life and Laughter