Draper Journal | January 2023

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

He’s polite, articulate and quick with a slew of clean jokes. He has a commercial driver’s license and currently works in security. He’s a “Star Trek” fan, a dad, and a dog and cat owner. His name is Lawrence Horman, and he’s homeless (depending on your perspective).

“I never intended to be a spokesperson or a poster boy for the homeless, but somebody has to speak up and advocate...I’ve been put in a unique position that allows me to do what most homeless can’t do for themselves,” he said.

Horman has been traveling to city council meetings throughout Salt Lake County to give insight into the plight of people in his predicament and to offer ideas for potential solutions. “Things have changed for the homeless, some for the better, some for the worse. I give a perspective of lived experience,” he said.

Horman said people in the homeless community and their advocates prefer the term unhoused, but he’s OK using the term homeless since it’s most familiar.

He was there in 2017 when a public meeting was held about Draper being a potential homeless shelter location. He was driving home from work that evening and heard a radio report that the meeting was happening at Draper Park Middle School. “I found out it was still going on so I went there, and I stood up to speak up for the homeless,” he said.

It was intended to be an open house with then Salt Lake County

Advocates for the homeless argue that housing should be a right rather than a privilege. Lawrence Horman has been sharing his lived experience as an unhoused person in hopes of being part of the solution. “Those who are in the situation might have something to contribute to better steer solutions,” he told Draper’s city council. (Courtesy Lawrence Horman)

“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

Former White House photographer chronicles, shares inside the presidency

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

When former White House photographer Pete Souza was in fourth grade, he taped a photo from the New Bedford Standard Times on his closet door.

It was soon after the assassination of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy in November 1963 with Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson being sworn into the presidency with Jacqueline Kennedy by his side aboard a plane that would fly to Washington, D.C.

“For whatever reason, I was transfixed by the images that came out,” Souza recently told a standing-room only auditorium at Salt Lake Community College’s Grand Theatre. “There was something about the still image that even as an 8 year old, I was struck by enough so that I taped these pictures to my closet door. I know that the photograph taken by Army Capt. Cecil Stoughton, one of the two military photographers assigned to the Kennedy White House, became probably the most famous official White House photograph ever.”

Little did he know then that he found his future career. It took Souza enrolling in a photography class during his junior year at Boston University to realize “it’s what I wanted to do. It was magic to me.”

Souza, who photographed Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama during their presidencies, began his career shooting for the Hutchinson, Kansas newspaper. He moved on to the Chicago Sun Times, where amongst his assignments, he was to photograph the campaign of Harold Washington, who in 1983, became the first Black mayor of Chicago.

That same year, Souza received a call from a former photo director at the Kansas City Star, where he was turned down for a job. She invited him to join the White House photography staff during the Reagan era.

“One of the things I used to tell my

(Ohio University) students was, ‘don’t ever piss anybody off professionally because you never know how they’re going to help you some day,’” he said. “Being an official White House photographer was an amazing experience. Documenting the presidency for history, in a lot of situations, I was the only photographer in the room.”

He recalled covering Reagan when he greeted wounded Marines in 1983 after a terrorist attack in Beirut; watching the space shuttle Challenger explosion in 1986, all four summits with Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev; the Iran-Contra scandal; at the hospital following his wife Nancy’s breast cancer surgery; and even, joining him on vacation.

“He and Nancy would go to Camp David every weekend and ride horses and here he is helping her from a horse,” Souza said as an image projected on a screen behind him. “The idea is that you’re making photographs, not for the next day’s newspaper, but for the National Archives. Every single picture that I made during both during the Reagan administration and the Obama administration are now at the National Archives.”

Souza not only took the photos of the serious moments of the commander in chief, but also, the lighter ones.

“I’m trying to humanize them as much as possible. This is Reagan at a hotel in Los Angeles,” he said referring to another image. “I walked into the hotel room where he was staying, and he was folding a piece of White House stationery into the shape of paper airplane. He looked up at me and he’s, like, ‘I’ll be right with you.’”

Then, Reagan flew his official White House stationery paper airplane off the hotel deck.

After Reagan left the White House,

Souza freelanced for several publications, including National Geographic. Then, as a national photographer for the Chicago Tribune, Souza was among the first photojournalists to cover the fall of Kabul, Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks; he did so by joining the local Northern Alliance soldiers and crossed the Hindu Kush mountains by horseback in 3 feet of snow. Also, while at the Tribune, Souza was part of the team who were awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 2001 for explanatory reporting on the troubled air traffic system.

In 2004, Souza served as the official photographer at Reagan’s funeral. It was

during the flight from Washington, D.C. to Reagan’s final resting place in Simi Valley, California that he realized then he had never seen any pictures of JFK’s casket being flown from Dallas to Washington, D.C.

“Cecil made the decision not to be on the plane with JFK, but to take this film to a lab there in Dallas, get it processed, and get that picture sent out to the world. I can’t imagine trying to make that decision because my instinct would have been you got to be with the President on that plane. Cecil probably chose the right thing to do, but I don’t know that I would have been able to make that decision,” Souza said.

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The photograph of Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson being sworn into the presidency intrigued former White House photographer Pete Souza as a boy. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

That same year, while working for the Chicago Tribune, Souza was documenting newly elected U.S. Sen. Obama. He recalled Obama’s first D.C. office in the basement of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, with no windows or anything on the walls.

“People already were talking about that someday he might be a national candidate and I was like, ‘Man, this is going to be a great contrast photo if he ever makes it.’ The thing that struck me so much about that first day was that I’ve just met the guy, and I’m in his personal space, photographing as he’s having lunch,” he said, pointing out in his photograph that Obama’s young daughter Sasha was eyeing part of the uneaten sandwich. “It’s as if I’m not even there. He’s just more about his businesses. I’m about my business. For a photojournalist, that’s the kind of stuff that you want, right? Somebody who’s just going to do their thing while you’re doing it.”

Souza went on to become the chief official White House photographer.

“I was able to say to him, ‘Look to do this job the right way, I need unfettered access’ and he agreed. My goal was to create the best photographic archive of a president that had ever been done,” he said.

Souza captured moments, which now the world can see on his Instagram posts.

He has moments that highlight the passing of the Affordable Care Act to samesex marriage, from the president receiving the Nobel Peace Prize to Obama singing “Amazing Grace” as an eulogy for Rev. Clementa Pinckney, who was killed in 2015 in a Charleston church shooting. He also shared photographs of Obama touring the 9/11 Memorial Museum while under construction and visiting the firehouse where 18 firefighters died during the twin towers’ collapse.

Souza snapped historic moments.

He photographed Obama visiting Nelson Mandela’s prison cell in South Africa; reflecting at Martin Luther King Jr.’s memorial as the first Black president; sitting on the bus where Rosa Parks refused to give her seat to a white man; and joining in the 50th anniversary of the civil rights march in Selma, Alabama.

Souza’s lens not only saw the occasions that marked Obama’s presidency, but also personal times, when Obama and his wife have a quiet moment in a freight elevator or intertwining their hands on a boat rail in the Gulf Coast. His photographs show the president playing in the snow with his daughters, intensely coaching daughter Sasha’s basketball team or getting zapped by a 3-year-old boy dressed for Halloween as Spider-Man—all which audience members chuckled at as stories were shared.

“I would use quiet cameras, usually one with a wide-angle lens and another one with a short telephoto lens. I had a knack for being unobtrusive. President Obama, in his memoir, says I had an ability to remain invisible. I don’t think I was invisible, but I

think I was able to blend in so much so that I became part of the presidency. I could go right behind him and show things from his perspective and do it in a way not to disturb anybody,” he said.

Perhaps the first of two of the most emotional photos, Souza said, is when Obama and all the national security team were gathered inside a small room within the Situation Room complex in May 2011. Souza took a spot opposite of the officials who were watching a screen that showed Special Forces on the ground raiding the Pakistan compound of Osama Bin Laden, who claimed responsibility for the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

“You’ve essentially got all the most important people in the executive branch of our government all jammed into this room and there’s nothing they can do. They are powerless in this moment because it’s totally up to those Special Forces guys on the ground. You can imagine the tension and anxiety,” he said, recalling that Obama quietly took a place in the corner. “As soon as they had Bin Laden, and the helicopters lifted off from the compound in Pakistan, everybody started filtering through. The reaction was very subtle. There was no high fives, no cheering.”

A second poignant photo Souza shared was when Obama gave a hug to the Wheeler family who just lost their 6-year-old son Ben during the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting.

“The worst day (of Obama’s presidency) happened five weeks after he was reelected. That morning, John Brennan, his homeland security adviser, came upstairs saying there were reports of a shooting at a school in Connecticut,” Souza said, looking at a photo he snapped at the time of the president “reacting as a parent.”

Before Obama spoke to the nation in the press briefing room, he took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. It was the first time Souza had ever seen him do that.

“I think he was worried he was going to lose his composure. Later that afternoon when he went up to residence, Malia had just come home from school. He latched on to her and wouldn’t let her go,” he said to a noticeable collective sob in the audience.

As Souza looks back, and shares his first-hand account through books he published, talking and having his photographs

been displayed globally, and being featured in the 2020 documentary, “The Way I See It,” he knows his experiences are making an impact on others as it did himself.

“I realize how lucky I’ve been when I look back and see how much I’ve been able to witness, especially considering I did get a D in U.S. history,” Souza said, adding that history lessons when he was in school lacked stories and pictures. “There were some days where photographing at the White House was like watching paint dry. But when things were happening, there’s no other place I’d rather be than documenting things as history is unfolding. That was a great honor and privilege to be there.”

During his visit, he also met with SLCC students where he gave the advice to “go out and make pictures every day because that’s how you’re going to get better.” Souza said that because he had been a photojournalist prior to the White House, he was able to “anticipate and recognize moments—and that’s experience more than anything.”

SLCC Humanities Associate Professor Claire Adams said students came to know Souza as a storyteller as well as a photographer.

“His conversation was really informal and came from the storytelling angle as well as the more technical questions from our photography students,” she said, adding that each student received an autographed copy of either his No. 1 New York Times bestseller “Obama: An Intimate Portrait” or his recently released book, “The West Wing and Beyond: What I Saw Inside the Presidency.” “It’s apparent that it’s the dignity of the office that he cares about, not politics. He highlights it through his eyes and through his literal lens.”

Adams said that her Honors 2100 Intellectual Traditions class had watched portions of the documentary preceding his visit and was reviewing his presentation.

“The theme of that class is storytelling specifically. Pete Souza is a really good resource to use in terms of artifacts that we look at in the humanities, such as literature, photographs, art, music. His photographs are definitely something I’ll continue to use in classes,” she said, adding that students and the community took advantage of seeing his “Obama: Intimate Portraits” display at SLCC’s George S. & Dolores Doré Eccles Art Gallery.

SLCC Provost for Academic Affairs Clifton Sanders also was drawn into Souza’s photography and storytelling.

“He was captivating,” Sanders said. “The way that he was able to chronicle history through the photographs and give a little bit of information that no one would know other than him being there in those moments. The pictures are very compelling, but the stories really give depth to the pictures. I just got a sense that he was the person for that time in history. He’s really down to earth. There are no airs about him. What you see is really what he’s like. I can really appreciate that the way he documented and is sharing the history for us all to gain insight and witness it through him.”

The annual Tanner Forum on Social Ethics, funded in part by the O.C. Tanner Co., has hosted about 20 speakers from journalists to scientists “to encourage the community to learn more about the world and encourage us to think more critically about issues,” Sanders said. l

Pete Souza, former White House chief photographer, shared the story behind the photo of President Barack Obama and his family joining Sen. John Lewis and others at the 50th anniversary of the civil rights march in Selma, Alabama. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

I realize how lucky I’ve been when I look back and see how much I’ve been able to witness, especially considering I did get a D in U.S. history.

Pete Souza

Inclusivity increasing as more area high schools support unified sports and activities

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Hillcrest High School junior Kori Carmona Lopez wants to win, the same as any high school student-athlete.

“It’s my favorite part, of course,” she said.

Carmona Lopez, who plays unified soccer and basketball, bonds with her teammates.

“The best part of being a unified player is having helpers and making and being friends with them. I just love it,” she said. “We hang out, walk the mall, watch movies, do anything. They asked me to join LIA (Latinos-in-Action) so I’m doing more at school now. I just went to the Salsa-Salsa party; it was fun.”

That is a welcomed outcome, said Courtnie Worthen, manager of Special Olympics Utah’s Unified Champion Schools, that promotes a three-tier approach through unified sports, inclusive youth leadership and whole school engagement.

“The best things are the inclusion, the friendships they create, how the athletes are celebrated and are included in school activities,” she said.

Inclusion is increasing in area schools. When Worthen joined the Special Olympics staff four years ago, there were about 15 schools. Now, it’s “pushing 100.”

While Special Olympics encourages inclusion in all schools, a noticeable difference is seen in high schools. Brighton High Principal Tom Sherwood said it’s important.

“Everybody benefits,” he said. “We want our school to be a microcosm of our communities. Our special needs students don’t just make up 10 to 15% of schools; they make up 10 to 15% of our population. Inclusion needs to start in schools. The more we can learn to understand each other, the more it expands our humanity.”

Unified sports are a catalyst, Worthen said.

“Training and playing together often leads to friendship and more understanding,” she said.

Unified sports empower individuals with and without intellectual disabilities to play together, promoting inclusion through training and competition. Whether it’s sharing the ball in soccer and basketball or passing the baton in a track relay, students are participating in unified sports from elementary school to the professional level with Real Salt Lake’s unified team.

While the Utah High School Activities Association partnered to bring unified sports into high schools in 2012, a big push came two years ago when Gov. Spencer Cox and First Lady Abby Cox cheered on the high school unified soccer teams in the state championship games at Real Salt Lake’s stadium. Previously, state was

played on a high school field.

“The First Lady, as part of her initiative ‘Show Up,’ came on board and gave us a bigger microphone to share our mission. People started to notice and see what unified sports is and can be and they want to be a part of it,” Worthen said.

At this fall’s unified state soccer championships, Miss America Emma Broyles sang the national anthem, and Miss Utah Lindsey Larsen and RSL goalkeeper Zac MacMath joined her to award medals.

Last year, the unified state basketball tournament was held at Weber State University, which attracted college and semi-professional mascots and cheer squads to join high school cheerleaders in supporting the athletes. Unified track this year will be included in the state track and field meet at Brigham Young University.

Unified Champion School’s College-growth Coordinator Boston Iacobazzi said 37 high school unified soccer teams competed this fall and estimates 56 teams will play basketball in March.

“We’re looking at having three unified team sports and three unified individual or pair sports per year,” he said. “We have soccer, basketball, swimming and track and field right now; we’re deciding which sports to possibly add.”

Brighton, which won a state unified basketball title last year, also has students compete in unified soccer and has individuals on the swim team.

“If we truly believe high school sports add value to students’ educational experience, why wouldn’t you want as many students who are able to participate? It’s a very authentic experience and opportunity for everybody to benefit,” Sherwood said. “It’s a win-win.”

Jordan teammates sophomore Xavier Steggell and junior Cael Sieverts played together this past soccer season.

“It’s great to get to do sports and support each other,” Sieverts said. “We spend time practicing and hanging out together.”

Steggell added that it’s competitive, yet fun.

“We’re getting to enjoy the sport for the pure fun of it,” he said.

That’s what six-year Hillcrest High unified coach Shannon Hurst appreciates.

“I like the joy little things bring to the athletes, like kicking the ball or dribbling it down the field or court,” she said. “It offers perspective. Those little things bring so much happiness. The more buy-in and getting involved as faculty, with support from admin(istration) and our community, the bigger it has grown and been accepted. That’s important. They deserve the same kind of recognition, the same programming and the same support.”

Iacobazzi, who completed his student

teaching for his college degree at Alta High, reignited unified sports at the school.

“Being a coach gave me a different experience than being a partner,” he said. “As a unified partner, I was there to have fun playing alongside the athletes. As a coach, I’m teaching them how to be inclusive, playing together. What helped was the partners. A lot of them were peer tutors in the classroom. Alta’s girls’ soccer team taught a bunch of drills, and some of those girls just kept playing with the team.”

Iacobazzi didn’t grow up playing soccer. He first was a peer tutor, then his first soccer experience was playing for his high school unified team, under Hurst, when Hillcrest represented the nation at the 2018 Special Olympics USA games. Iacobazzi helped gain momentum with forming Real Salt Lake’s unified team.

In a state qualifying matchup, Alta played against Murray High, who eventually became state champions. Murray brothers Braedon and Turbo Domiguez played in the championships and their parents, Kim and Dean, witnessed their gold medal win.

“This program gives our kids a chance to get out and participate,” Kim Domiguez said. “As special needs’ parents, we spend all our time when they’re little trying to teach them the basics—how to eat, how to talk to somebody, how to interact. We’ve

missed out on our kids growing up playing soccer and basketball, so this has been really nice to feel like a soccer mom. We brought our cooler full of Gatorade, our canopy and chairs. This is our time to cheer for our kids.”

That feeling of “belonging” stretches to the athletes on the field.

“These kids are there for each other. They cheer for everyone. It doesn’t matter which side you are on. They’re excited for everyone to score and have that success. They still want to win, but they want everyone to have fun,” Domiguez said, adding that high school cheerleaders also cheer for every player at all schools.

Her husband said learning skills and translating those in a game has given his sons confidence and a sense of accomplishment.

“On the field, they learn key concepts of the game that you practiced with them, so when they get the goal or they get the stop as a goalkeeper, you can see that moment of joy when they see they ‘got it,’” he said.

Domiguez agrees: “It’s that love of sport and team in their eyes. It’s the same for all athletes. They will raise their arms, jump up and down, dance. They just light up.”

Parent Misti Smith watched her son Ashton play on Hunter High’s unified team.

Alta High’s unified soccer team created a tunnel to pump up its athletes during a September 2022 regional tournament. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

“Our children would not get these opportunities if it wasn’t brought into the schools,” she said. “I would never have known that Ashton even liked soccer or basketball, but these opportunities came, and I’ve watched his competence and confidence grow. He feels like a rock star when he comes to these games.”

Hunter parent Christie Rasmussen was cheering on her daughter Whitney, who made the first goal of the state semifinals.

“My daughter is making friends that she necessarily probably wouldn’t ever had if it had not been for this program,” Rasmussen said, adding that now Whitney is a cheerleader for the Wolverines. “Because of this, our gen(eral) ed(ucation) kids come and cheer.”

That happened at the recent regional soccer tournament Hunter hosted when students came with their classes.

“When they cheered, these kids saw their faces there for them. It’s building the camaraderie between the students and making our athletes feel like they’re actual Hunter Wolverines and that they have a place here,” Rasmussen said. “It’s (partner student-athletes) who we parents thank God for because they’re angels on earth and make our kids feel like somebody.”

She credits unified sports as the spark that is extending more opportunities to special education students.

“Because of this team, it has pushed our faculty to realize our kids have these abilities that can be extended. Our theater teacher got approval for them to perform an adaptive musical,” Rasmussen said, adding that Whitney was cast as Belle in “Beauty and the Beast,” which was performed in early December.

Last spring, Hunter students pledged

to be inclusive by signing a poster that hung in the school and many students participate in the unified class taught by PE teacher and unified coach, Ashley Ellis.

Ellis said after-school practices aren’t feasible for everyone, so she created a unified class following the lifetime activities curriculum.

“I wanted our students to participate in unified sports, and thought, that’s a way to get more kids involved,” she said, starting with sharing with the partner students the history of Special Olympics and the goal of inclusion.

Together, they introduce different sports’ skills.

“As a PE teacher, I saw those kids come into our regular PE classes, and they were not as successful as they could have been. To flip the script and make the class for them and with our regular ed students helping them, it’s changed the playbook so they can be successful,” she said, adding often those partner students join the school’s three unified sports teams. “It’s been the greatest thing. Other schools may think this class is a big daunting task, but the benefit far outweighs any work. Through unified sports, they enjoy sport at its purest form. Unified takes everything that is good about sports and celebrates it.”

Hunter’s unified class is held before lunch.

“Everybody goes into the lunchroom together; they eat together and they’re all laughing. Before, many of them didn’t, they weren’t sure where they fit. Now, that inclusivity flows into other areas of our school,” she said.

Many schools have peer tutors who help students with disabilities be successful.

“They are their buddies who escort them to places, provide support and help them integrate with the rest of the kids,” Sherwood said, adding last spring, Brighton’s peer tutors organized a prom designed for about 50 students with severe cognitive or physical disabilities.

At Murray High, peer tutor Farrah Baldwin said she’s “there to help and answer questions, but not to do it for them.”

Her classmate Kendall Bridgewater is a peer tutor in a foods class.

“When these kids with disabilities go into gen ed classes, others get to understand the things that are easier and harder for them to do and that helps everyone be less judgmental and more just willing to get to know them,” she said. “Plus, with cooking, they’re learning a life skill and I’m getting to learn it too. The other day I learned there are five different ways to cook an egg.”

Both seniors are part of Murray High’s Best Buddies, a nonprofit organization that supports inclusion through friendship and leadership. Murray’s club activities stretch from making slime to pumpkin bowling to hosting a Friendsgiving. Plans are underway for a friendship walk in April.

“Everyone in the club knows they have a buddy and can hang out together,” Baldwin said.

Bridgewater is on board: “I want to be a person they can come to in the hallways or see outside of school and know they have a friend.”

Club adviser and unified coach Jessie Agiriga said they’re building an inclusive school environment.

“We want our community to realize everyone has a place where they belong, they are heard, and they are seen,” she said. “Our club officers, who are both special education students and their peers, plan and

organize activities for the school. As a result, our students naturally pair up to form friendships.”

Throughout the state, special education and general education students have paired up to serve on Special Olympics’ Youth Activation Commission where, as school leaders, they learn how to spread inclusion in their school, said Iacobazzi, adding at February’s youth summit, students will discuss the unified generation and how to empower peer leaders.

Special Olympics Utah CEO Scott Weaver explained that each step builds.

“We’re hoping they feel valued as an athlete and they’re seen as part of their school’s athletic program; they’re getting the attention at a pep rally and having fans in the stadium waving the flags and banners for them,” he said. “By having the opportunity to belong to a club, they’re impacting the school as leaders. The third part is whole school inclusion.”

Schoolwide activities have ranged from inclusive assemblies and themed spirit days to Disney Days and fitness challenges.

In addition to Unified Champion Schools, Worthen said two high schools recently were added to make four Utah schools who have met and are sustaining 10 requirements to qualify as national banner schools. Hillcrest, which earned the recognition in 2019, is the only one in the area.

Sherwood said inclusivity benefits both the school and the community.

“As schools start down the road of being as inclusive as they can and provide opportunities for all students, people are going to see the value,” he said. “Once you see it, then you’ll never turn back.” l

In May 2022, Brighton High held its first inclusive prom with peer tutors dancing along with special needs students in the school’s commons. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

At Hillcrest High, freshman Isabelle Wood pied math teacher Matt Synder during a schoolwide assembly in November 2022. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

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

The public was invited to usher in a new era at The Point by watching the demolition of one of the old prison towers on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Abatement of the site is underway with demolition of the buildings to follow. The event was also livestreamed. Speakers included The Point’s Executive Director Alan Matheson, former Utah Gov. Gary Herbert and Draper Mayor Troy Walker.

Walker’s remarks were designed to mimic former President Ronald Reagan’s famous words to Mikhail Gorbachev in 1987 regarding the Berlin Wall. “Mr. Matheson, if you seek a place of economic opportunity…a new place for thousands of Utahns to work and live, then Mr. Matheson, tear down this prison,” Walker said.

The tower was engineered to fall away from the crowd, which it did, but not without delay. Initially, heavy equipment approached the tower at 10:29 a.m. and began chipping away at one base corner of the structure, then the other. Another large piece of equipment attempted to pull it over using a chain attached from the equipment to the tower, and a wrecking ball was also used. Crews continually re-evaluated how to safely get it to fall. It wasn’t until 11:45 a.m., more than an hour later, that it came crashing down to cheers

from the crowd.

Caleb Townes, senior project manager with Grant Mackay Demolition Company (the contractor selected to oversee demolition of the old prison buildings) explained, “We prepared the interior columns by cutting a portion of the main structural steel while still maintaining its structural integrity…to initiate the structure to fall in the direction we wanted by utilizing cables. When our team initiated the process of pulling the tower down with the cables, we did not see any flexing on the structure, so we stopped…to investigate….we concluded that we needed to remove a larger section of the exterior precast concrete panels to shift the weight of the structure in the direction we wanted. This took additional time but kept our team and the public safe.”

The Point’s Executive Director Alan Matheson addressed the crowd gathered to watch a tower come down, the first step in demolition of the old prison. “Today is a hinge point as we transition from the Draper State Prison to The Point…a move from razor wire and restrictions to a place that’s welcoming, open and accessible,” Matheson said. (Courtesy The Point)

Mayor Ben McAdams, who had been tasked by the legislature with finding a shelter location within a short amount of time, and Draper Mayor Troy Walker. “It turned into a town hall where the mayors were virtually forced onto the stage, visibly uncomfortable, and people lined up to voice their opinions from microphones. Everyone who said anything positive about the resource centers was booed, hissed and sworn at. I was so scared I was shaking. Me and one other person who are homeless got up to advocate for the homeless. When I got up, I said, ‘I am homeless, will you let me speak?’ Then they realized they’d been yelling about people they didn’t even know were in the room. They figured it was all housed people, you could tell by their reaction,” he said.

Since that time, Horman has tried to brainstorm solutions. One of his main points to those who will listen is, “People are people no matter what their living situation. Sometimes homeless people are manipulative, sometimes they aren’t, just like everybody else.” He feels strongly that the rates of drug addiction, mental illness and criminal activity are roughly the same percentage among the housed as the unhoused. “The significant difference between the housed and unhoused in those regards is that the unhoused don’t have walls to hide behind for those activities. The thing that most people don’t get is the people not participating in those activities among the unhoused are unseen because they know how to stay out of view while those who are having a mental health issue and participating in criminal activity like drugs are seen because they have no place to hide.”

He keeps a binder with copies of the letters he sent about five years ago to mayors of each of the cities within Salt Lake County, only two of whom replied in any way. The letters offer the idea that cities could pass ordinances allowing property owners, should they choose, to have someone live on their property in a small camper, RV or commercial trailer in exchange for doing maintenance or security work on the property. “This would be an ordinance that would allow the property owner to have inexpensive security on site, and give local law enforcement someone they could count on to help see possible criminal activity that they wouldn’t be afraid to report to police (because it would be a legal arrangement), and give one more homeless person a place to live and be useful while trying to get on their feet as well.”

Horman runs a Facebook page by the homeless for the homeless which he calls the Deseret Defiant Initiative. “Its purpose is to wake up local cities and make them aware of their part in causing homelessness and to try and get them to actively participate in effectively solving the problem in a positive and more permanent way, and allow those who are homeless to participate in their own transition and recovery from homeless to housed while supporting themselves legally and effectively without any more dependence on government and charitable organizations than is neces-

sary.”

Horman himself gets by on social security disability and help from family and his church. He says that you can’t just provide housing for the homeless, but that continuing services such as health care, transportation, help with bill paying, etc. must be part of the equation.

“It won’t matter how many people you put in a house unless you have continuing sup port. And the best way to get it right isn’t to explain how solving homelessness will benefit the homeless, but how it will benefit the com munity and those who are already housed,” he said.

Horman suggests a less expensive and more permanent solution would be putting the unhoused into permanent housing (not shel ters), even something like an authorized camp ground. “Some housed people object, but the homeless can and do it. A tent is a house if all you have is the alcove of a building, an alcove is a home if all you have is a tree, a tree is a

Though he has worked as a truck driver and currently has a job in security, Lawrence Horman found himself unhoused several years ago. He explained that unless a person is on the street right away, they often don’t realize they’re homeless until their temporary living situations fall through. “It very rarely hits you right away,” he said. (Courtesy Lawrence Horman)

In 2014 Russell was living in a shelter and going to interview for a fast food job. (File photo Mimi Darley Dutton/City Journals)

find themselves terrified. There’s always a fear, a chance that someone in government or a private property owner will decide they’re done letting you be where you are and you lose what you’ve got.”

home if all you have is the sidewalk. All you want is a place to sleep, get cleaned up, eat in peace and be able to come back to after work the next day.” Horman envisions an ordinance that would allow for a public or private program, or a combination thereof. He suggests that the properties could be reviewed and regulated by health inspectors and would stay open or close according to local health ordinances and requirements as happens with restaurants and hotels.

Horman has strong feelings against “sweeps” such as what has been done by law enforcement in Salt Lake City. “It’s money wasted,” he said. “The homeless simply find another camp, another space, until they’re swept again. It’s better that they don’t have to move their tent every couple days or every couple weeks. By not giving people a safe, stable place to be, by ‘sweeping’ them, you’re criminalizing homelessness.” He explained that by having a legal arrangement, such as an authorized campground, people in the homeless community would be inclined to work with law enforcement rather than being afraid to call them for fear of losing where they’re living.

He expressed frustration with programs designed to help the homeless, saying that often you “graduate” from one but you don’t quite qualify for another, resulting in huge gaps in the bureaucracy of those programs. “The official programs create as many barriers as they resolve,” he said. Horman said he’s gotten the most help from his family and his church.

What scares him most? “There’s no way anyone who’s homeless doesn’t sometimes

He recognizes that he’s luckier than most in that he has shelter in a commercial trailer he owns that is parked on private property with permission from the landowner. But he doesn’t have electricity or running water. “By comparison to most people who are on the street homeless, I live in a palace,” he said.

Horman said it’s challenging to hold a job while homeless. “Some unhoused keep up appearances…go to a job and talk with coworkers, but they have to be careful…the moment you bring it up…you can’t talk about it (homelessness) like it’s an everyday thing,” he said.

What are his hopes for the future? That his adult daughter would have permanent housing which she doesn’t at the present. And that the trailer he occupies could be converted to be “more like an RV style in a more permanent fashion.”

Who inspires him in his advocacy for the homeless? First, former Salt Lake County Mayor McAdams. “Without being asked or forced into it, or for the sake of getting glory, he went incognito on the street for three days, spent a couple nights in a shelter and a night or two on the street to see what it would be like to be homeless. He learned why people are living on the street rather than being in the shelters because they don’t feel safe in the shelters. We need to do better.” Second, a California man named Mark Horvath who is on YouTube and Facebook and runs a website called Invisible People. “He was working in the media when he got addicted to drugs. He lost everything. He pulled himself out of it, not without help, and then he used his media skills to help other people. He interviews people who are homeless. He puts a real human face on it.”

Horman summed it up in this way:

“There’s one race, the human race, and we all deserve dignity and respect…we all have a right to reasonable housing, and necessities like shelter, clothing, food, personal hygiene and the chance to work and provide for ourselves which you don’t get if you’re being rousted every night from place to place. There has to be a human face to the problem before it’s resolved.” l

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Playing at Rice-Eccles Stadium is beginning to feel like a home game as the Corner Canyon High School football team has been on the field for the last five state championship games.

This year, the Eric Kjar-coached team came up short against Skyridge 17-7 Nov. 18 after another run to get back to the title matchup in which they won from 2018 to 2020.

In the championship, Corner Canyon gave up a touchdown on the Falcons’ opening drive before responding and tying the game—with a 25-yard touchdown catch from junior quarterback Isaac Wilson to junior wide receiver Tate Kjar on their ensuing possession. That TD would prove to be the Chargers only score of the game as a late offensive series was stopped inside the five-yard line of Skyridge with three minutes left in the game and then a desperation heave as the clock ran out was intercepted by the Falcons.

To reach the state title game, Corner Canyon defeated Layton 63-18 Oct. 28 in the second round, going up 63-0 by halftime. Senior Drew Patterson rushed for two touchdowns while grabbing a 20-yard TD pass from Wilson with wide receivers Quinn Hale (two TDs), Kjar (two TDs) and Jackson Ames also scoring for the offense. McRay Briggs scooped up a fumble recovery for a score as well. Junior defensive end Kash Dillon led defensively with seven tackles in the blowout of the Lancers.

In the quarterfinals against West Nov. 4, the Chargers won 35-7. Patterson scored four TDs with Hale adding a five-yard TD reception late in the third quarter.

Against Farmington Nov. 10 in the semifinal game, Corner Canyon broke a 28-28 tie with an 87-yard kick return for a score by sophomore Bryton Brady and senior Owen Borg blocking a Phoenix punt on the ensuing possession and took the ball 11 yards to the endzone, marking the turning point of the game in the eventual 17-point win.

Patterson rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown to pace the offense that was helped by a 94-yard TD reception from Wilson to Ames and another TD catch by Kjar. On the other side of the ball, senior Dave Brinton had 13 tackles with Hale adding 12 while the defense recorded six sacks of Farmington quarterback Easton Wight.

The championship game against Skyridge was the second time the teams faced each other this season with Corner Canyon wining 21-17 in late September in a turnover-plagued game in which the defenses largely dominated.

Over the course of the season, Wilson threw for more than 4,000 yards and 44 touchdowns while Patterson was a 1,000-

Corner Canyon football second in state

By Catherine Garrett | c.garrett@mycityjournals.com

yard rusher with 16 TDs and Kjar had 1,600 receiving yards and 19 TDs.

Brinton and Borg anchored the defense with nearly 100 tackles each with senior Tank Mitchell recording eight sacks and Borg snagging five INTs.

Also on the 11-3 2022 CCHS team were Keaton Adamson, Jarin Allen, Blake Ames, Taylor Bailey, Ian Biddle, Dane Bindrup, Cole Bonham, Jake Bonham, Eli Borg, Weston Briggs, Greg Brown, Jackson Buehler, Sam Chandler, William Chandler, Yitzhak Contreras, Bridger Davies, Andrew Didier, Aiden Dunn, Rylan Dunn, Charlie Ebeling, Ace Edmunds, Beau Edmunds, Nicholas Erasmus, Brayden Eyre, Leimana Fager, Matt Fankhauser, Naimana Filivaolelei, Zion Finau, Ashton Free, Owen Freebairn, Moke Gabrielson, Jagger Gamache, Eathen Gardner, Hayden Hall, Tomasi Hasson, Lucas Henstrom, Quinn Hale, Mason Hamilton, Ryan Harkness, Henry Holliday, Kolbyn Jackson, Lucas Jackson, Ashton Johnson, Tyler Jonas, Logan Kelley, Michael Kessler, Rodney King, Cooper Kingdon, Ryder Kingdon, Spencer Kirkham, Jase Kozlowski, Chryshaun Lee, Aiden McDonald, Tyler McDonald, Eli Maires, Marcus Mellenthin, Jackson Naegle, Paxton Naegle, Davis Nelson, Andrew Nice, Wilson Numbers, Kyle Nye, Trevor Ogden, Ruben Otuafi, Riley Parker, Eli Paynter, Bobby Peavley, Scott Pepper, Rylan Quintana, Carson Rasmussen,

Preston Rasmussen, Joey Ravella, Austen Richards, Colby Rollins, Boston Ross, Kai Sevy, Cole Sexton, Matthew Snarr, Boston Snow, Gavin Styer, Owen Styer, Esun Tafa, Jayden Talauega, Nicholas Taylor, Caysen Torre, Kayne Torre, Eric Towner,

Alex Tullis, RJ Wallace, Bracken Warburton, McKay Wells, Drew Whatcott, Brock White, Crue Wignall, Kaydon Williams and Wade Winget. l

The Corner Canyon High football team finished the season second in 6A with an 11-3 record. (Photo courtesy AStrong Photography)

Corner Canyon High quarterback Isaac Wilson passed for more than 4,000 yards and 44 touchdowns in leading the Chargers this season. (Photo courtesy AStrong Photography)

Corner Canyon’s Tate Kjar had 71 yards receiving and a touchdown in the Chargers’ 45-28 win over Farmington in the 6A state semifinals Nov. 10. (Photo courtesy AStrong Photography)

Healthy eating in a new year

By Holly Curby | hello@hollycurby.com

Did you make a New Year’s resolution this year?

The most popular New Year’s resolution that appears on people’s lists year after year focuses on health and physical wellness such as exercising more, getting more sleep, losing weight, and making healthier choices when eating. However, after one week only 75% are successful at keeping it and only 46% end up keeping it after six months.

Working with a dietitian can actually provide many benefits to attaining this goal of being a healthy new you in 2023 and beyond. Benefits include:

• Nutritional advice that is tailored just for you

• Help managing chronic diseases or illnesses

• Assistance navigating special needs such as food allergies or sensitivities or recent weight gain or loss

• Education in understanding of nutrition, including what that looks like while shopping at the grocery store, cooking a meal at home or eating out

I recently sat down with Melanie Taylor, a dietitian with Harmons Grocery, to talk all things healthy eating in hopes of helping you keep and reach those health and physical wellness goals. “Fueling when you’re starting a new exercise regimen or just for overall health is really important,” Taylor said. “We tend to cut calories and cut food, but you’re not going to be able to get what you want out of your workouts or your activities if you’re not properly fueling your body at all times.”

So, when it comes to focus on fueling our fitness goals Taylor provides the following tips:

• Pre-workout needs to start with a good source of carbohydrates one to two hours prior to your workout (fruit, breads, grains)

• Post-workout is a good time for well-rounded meals or snacks with some protein, carbohydrates, and heart-healthy fats typically 30 minutes to one hour after you end a workout (nuts and seeds, avocado toast)

Dehydration peaks during the winter months as we tend not to have the thirst perception as we do when it’s warm outside. Whatever your water drinking goals are, Taylor suggests adding some variety by trying sparkling water, infused water, herbal teas—whatever helps in staying hydrated. Just make sure to stay away from the dehydration culprit—soda.

Those with high blood pressure, high cholesterol or have a family history of heart disease should watch their sodium intake, but it’s even more vital to get a rainbow-colored variety of foods—purples, greens, reds, oranges, etc. Taylor suggests that cooking methods such as roasting vegetables can help bring out natural flavors of produce and therefore can help us in having a good vari-

ety of foods in our healthy eating plan.

When it comes to meal plans the top five are Mediterranean, gluten free, Paleo, vegan and low carb whole food diets. “Pick the one that you will be able to maintain forever,” Taylor said. “Don’t fall for these fad type of diets and things that are a quick fix. If it’s something that you aren’t willing or able to do for your whole life, it’s probably not going to be a beneficial eating style for you.” Regardless of meal plans, the following can help you eat nutritiously:

• Portion out food so that you don’t overeat

• Plan out your menu for the week to avoid the temptation of eating out every night or snacking on junk food

• Pre-pack snacks that are high nutrient quality foods (nuts, hard boiled eggs, string cheese, fruit cups, parfaits) to take with you on the go to avoid grabbing those high calorie snacks from convenient stores

• Pre-prep meals for those busy days (prep meals in bulk, make freezer meals for future last-minute options, pre-chop items needed for meals throughout the week)

• Check nutritional and dietitian labels when shopping in the grocery store to help make better choices when selecting various food items

Harmons Grocery makes label reading much easier with their gluten free, vegan free, dietitian’s choice, and other nutritional labeling in stores. They also offer convenient park and load, and if you join their complimentary loyalty program you can save money on gas and earn free food. Harmons also offers cooking classes, one-on-one nutritional counseling, tailored recipe recommendations, nutrition seminars and more. Connect with a dietitian or sign up for a class at harmonsgrocery.com. Here’s to achieving those health and physical wellness New Year’s resolutions where you’ll be on your way to eating healthy in 2023.

Want more help in figuring out all the

puzzle pieces to eating healthy in this new year? Learn more from Melanie on Holly’s Highlights podcast, season 4, episode 1. Holly’s Highlights podcast is available at www.hollycurby.com wherever you listen to

podcasts including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, or just say, “Alexa, play Holly’s Highlights podcast.” l

Harmons dietitian Melanie Taylor prepping for a nutritional tour. (Photo courtesy of Holly Curby and Harmons Grocery)

Hear the full interview with Melanie Taylor, a Harmons dietitian, on Holly’s Highlights podcast. (Photo courtesy of Holly Curby and Harmons Grocery)

Draper 2022

Loveland

Employees from Overstock.com in Utah use their paid company volunteer time on Jan. 14 to assemble tables for Afghan refugee families arriving in Salt Lake. (Jonathan Lo/Overstock.com Utah)

Lone Peak Elementary artist-in-residence Allison Klinger shows fourth-grade students how to make trees out of glass for a mural that will hang at their school. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Rhubarb, a female clouded leopard, enjoys a cake made of ice and fish at Loveland Aquarium for her eighth birthday March 14. (Loveland Aquarium)

Living Planet Aquarium’s trio of otters (Otis, Oscar and Oliver) turned 12 in March with a treat-filled ice cake. (Loveland Aquarium)

Kimberly Robbins performed the song “Gimme, Gimme” from “Thoroughly Modern Millie” in Draper Philharmonic & Choral Society’s “A Night on Broadway” in 2022. (Photo courtesy Joan Davis/Draper Philharmonic & Choral Society)

Jason Andersen, JDCHS basketball coach Drew Trost, Jordan Andersen, Kate Andersen and SLCC basketball coach Kyle Taylor pose after Jordan signed with SLCC to be the Bruins team manager next season.

(Catherine Garrett/ City Journals)

Summit Academy eighth-grader Jackson Hughes, left, and other members of the Scariff School of Irish Dance brought some jigs and reels and a wee bit of fun as they celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with his fellow classmates at two school assemblies. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Two students checked out the controls on a Utah Valley University plane at SheTech Explorer Day. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Draper Mayor Troy Walker took the time to be a guest reader, encourage students to read about their passions and answer student questions during Draper Elementary’s literacy week. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

The Corner Canyon High boys track team won the 6A title for the third year in a row. (Photos courtesy Angela Strong)

The Juan Diego Catholic High School baseball team celebrate their 3A state title at UCCU Ballpark at Utah Valley University May 14. (Photos courtesy Taylor Berg)

Draper Park Middle student and Latinos in Action member Sofia paints the face of Finn, a Draper resident. (Linnea Lundgren/City Journals)

JDCHS basketball teams on court with renewed energy

By Catherine Garrett | c.garrett@mycityjournals.com

Behind coaches in their 10th seasons at Juan Diego Catholic High School, the boys and girls basketball teams return with similar approaches this year. The boys squad is emphasizing “Effort, Attitude and Teamwork” within the culture they are trying to reestablish as they will make a jump to compete in the 5A classification, according to head coach Drew Trost. On the girls side, head coach Ashlee McKray said her group’s focus on their season ahead in 3A’s Region 15 is on “what we can control each time we step on the court: our effort, our energy and our enthusiasm.”

Boys

The boys have even more change this season as they move on without their two leading scorers from the state’s third-best team last season. Malick Diallo transferred to Wasatch Academy over the summer and Zuriel Marquez’s family moved to Provo where he’ll now play for Timpview.

The jump to 5A—for boys basketball only—will also be new for the Soaring Eagle squad this year. “We’ve always played big schools, but now playing them night in and night out might have us taking some lumps early,” Trost said. “We’re thrown into the fire quick and even if we don’t have the same success as we’re used to, we will be really competitive.”

Also coming to the courts around the state this year is the 35-second shot clock which Juan Diego already saw the benefits from in its first game against Westlake. “We were down by nine in the fourth quarter and they couldn’t stall so we were able to mount a comeback and get back into the game,” Trost said, noting that his team lost by one point on a buzzer-beater. “It’s a good change that will increase the pace of the game overall.”

Seniors Colby Bryant, Camilo Ramirez and Malik Harris, who have gone through the Skaggs Catholic school system together since kindergarten, have already taken on their leadership roles on and off the court, according to Trost. “They know exactly what we want here and they embrace and embody that themselves,” he said. “We want our guys to have an enjoyable experience and they are great leaders to help us do that.”

So far this season, sophomore Noah Bendinger, who averaged nine points a game in varsity action last year, scored 21 points in the loss against the Thunder. On Nov. 30, Juan Diego got its first win against Green Canyon 60-39 with 28 more points from Bendinger while junior Dereelle Desire added 14 and the three captains scored four points each. They also defeated Park City 72-34 Dec. 2 with Bendinger again leading the way offensively with 22 points with Desire adding 14 and Harris and Caden Fenger scoring 10 each.

“We have a talented group of young boys as well led by Noah and sophomore Bryton Valdes,” Trost said, of his program that has 32 players this season.

Also on the 2022-23 JDCHS squad are senior Alijah Bendinger; juniors JJ Aguirre and Maui Richmond; sophomores Dawson Bengtzen, Hans Carlson, Hunter Chamberlin, Devan James, Dylan Magleby, Luke Meyer, Darion Otto, Marcus Pino, Tony Rosas and Jake Wyatt; and freshmen Javier Aguirre, Bandon Backman, Ben Bayer, Deng Deng, Garang Deng, Braylen Fail, Aidan Janiga, Chris Jimerson, Nico Mayorga, Trey Nicolodemos, Noah Schuyler and Rahiti Tinirauarii.

Trost is being assisted by Joe Colosimo, James MacIntyre and JDCHS alums JD Ahlstrom and Matt Kitzman on the coaching staff this year with Sebastian Ramirez as team manager.

“This is the best coaching staff I’ve ever had here,” Trost said.

The team is also scheduled to face Timpanogos, Murray and Viewmont before competing at the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas in mid-December and then West Jordan, Ridgeline, Salem Hills, Maple Mountain, Ogden, Judge Memorial (twice), Hillcrest, Morgan, Delta, Bountiful, Layton Christian, Brighton and Skyline to close out the one season they will play without a region.

Girls

Senior guard Alynn Crooms and senior forward Melissa Os-

mundson are back to lead Juan Diego along with four other “strong seniors” in guards Jenna Butkovich and Annette Rodriguez and forwards Brianna Aquilla and Nyrvanah Crockett.

“They have been playing together since the third grade,” coach McKray said. “They are an exciting group to watch play!”

McKray also noted three newcomers—sophomore guards Oliveria Eschmann and Ariela Martinez and freshman guard Quincy Kegel—as ones to watch on the court this season.

The Soaring Eagle team spent time in the offseason “revamping the defense” as well as establishing team chemistry in hopes of improving on its third-place finish in Region 15 a year ago.

So far this season, JDCHS is 3-4 with victories over Delta Nov. 23, Spanish Fork Nov. 29 and Box Elder Dec. 3. Against the Rabbits, the Soaring Eagle team won 50-29 behind Crooms’ 21 points with eight others also scoring in the big win. Crooms had 15 points to again lead Juan Diego in a 44-42 win over the Dons. Crooms was again the leading scorer with 11 points in a 34-31 win over the Bees. Its losses came against Emery, Ogden, Desert Hills and Richfield.

The Soaring Eagle squad is also scheduled to face South Summit, Timpanogos, Alta, North Sanpete and Logan in preseason play before home-and-away matchups with Judge Memorial, American Leadership Academy, Summit Academy and Providence Hall this season.

Also on the JDCHS team this year are junior Zoe Pappas; sophomores Oliveria Eschmann, Gigi Garcia, Tea Gostevcic, Avia Hernandez, Ariela Martinez, Clarissa Sanchez and Sanjula Sunil; and freshmen Elly Clark, Hannah Haney, Kaitlin Hulberson, Quincy Kegel, Ayen Kuath, Malie Mataele, Malena Modtland, Ellie Palmer, Madison Pickers, Niella Sebit, Leini Tui and Sienna Vonderohe.

McKray is being assisted on the coaching staff by Leia Stechshculte, Shannon Beck and Grace Dullanty. l

Juan Diego senior guard Alynn Crooms is averaging nearly 10 points a game for the Soaring Eagle squad through seven games this season. (Photo courtesy Charity Ryan)

CCHS basketball teams begin season in state’s top five

By Catherine Garrett | c.garrett@mycityjournals.com

The Corner Canyon High boys basketball team starts the 2022-23 season ranked second in 6A while the girls squad begins as fifth-best in Utah.

Boys

Behind two-time All-State senior guard Max Toombs, the Chargers are back with a talented group that were part of the 2022 team that lost by four points to American Fork in the 6A state championship game a year ago and made the final four in 2021.

So far this season, Corner Canyon is 4-1 with Toombs averaging 26 points to lead offensively with junior forward Brody Kozlowski recording double-doubles in four of the five games— averaging 16 points and 12 rebounds—while senior point guard Jaxon Roberts puts in 12 a game.

In an 87-51 win over Bingham Nov. 22, Toombs scored 24 points while Roberts added 22 and Kozlowski had 14 points and six boards.

Toombs went off for eight 3-pointers and 44 points in an 88-63 win over Bishop Walsh (Cumberland, Maryland) with Kozlowski grabbing 19 rebounds to go with his 11 points.

At the Corner Canyon Invitational, Corner Canyon suffered a close loss to Liberty (Henderson, Nevada) Dec. 1 68-63 behind Kozlowski’s 29 points and 11 rebounds with Toombs adding 15.

At the Corner Canyon Invitational against Madison (Rexburg, Idaho), four players—Toombs (17 points), Roberts (12), junior guard Kallen Lewis (12) and Kozlowski (11)—scored in double figures in a 6353 win while Kozlowski was again big on the boards with 13 rebounds. Against Cyprus Dec. 3, Toombs led the offense with 29 points while Kozlowski had 15 points and 11 rebounds.

In the Lehi Holiday Hoopfest Dec.

9-10, CCHS defeated Vashon (Mo.) 72-61 with Toombs putting in 21 points, Kozlowski 19 and Roberts 18. Kozlowski also led the team in rebounding with 12. They then lost to Beaumont (Tex.) 72-55 to close out the weekend.

Corner Canyon was also scheduled to play in a December tournament against teams from Missouri, Texas, Arizona and Colorado while also facing Murray and Copper Hills before region home-and-away matchups against American Fork, Westlake, Skyridge, Lone Peak and Pleasant Grove. Also on the 2022-23 CCHS squad are seniors Owen Borg and Carson Tebbs; juniors Tate Bowman, Sam Chandler and Wells Robertson; sophomores Hudson Brown, Brigg Jensen, Tag Jensen, Peterson Lunt, Enoch Mitchell, Isaac Neibaur, McKay Wells and Stockton Young; and freshmen Taylor Feroah and Tyler Mortensen.

Girls

“This is our year,” is the mantra for Corner Canyon High School girls basketball team this season following a second-round exit in the 6A state tournament a year ago. This time around, Honorable Mention All-State forward Elli Mortensen returns for her junior season and will be looked to by second-year head coach Craig Morris as a continued leader on the court along with seniors Summer Larson, Maddie White, Brook Yeomans, Clara Hazar and Caitlin Madsen.

“Our goal is to take state or, at a minimum, compete for the state title,” Morris said.

The Chargers, who were ranked fifth in 6A to start the year, spent much of the off-season “getting more comfortable with the new offensive and defensive sets” implemented in Morris’ first year. “It’s a system that takes a bit to get a hang of, but

once they do, it is so effective,” he said.

Also on the 2022-23 team this season are juniors Bostyn Carlson and Maia Rhay; sophomores Liberty Henstrom, Maddison Little, Brooke Luper, Sorrelle Nielsen, Kenzie Randall and Addison Yeomans; and freshmen Paige Frohman, Olivia Gleason, Addyson Hamilton, Hallee Johnson, Abigail Larson, Katelyn Leroy, Lexi Leroy, Molly Nguyen, Layla Parry, Libbry Taylor and Allie Wahlquist.

Corner Canyon went 3-1 to start with wins over Northridge, Green Canyon and Alta. Against the Knights Nov. 22, the Chargers won 55-36 behind 13 points from Larson and 11 from Mortensen. In the 56-47 win over the Wolves Nov. 29,

Mortensen led offensively with 16 points while Larson added 13. Mortensen poured in 23 points in an 83-27 win over the Hawks Dec. 1 while 10 other CCHS players also scored. The Chargers then dropped games to Springville, Fremont, Jordan, Ridgeline and Copper Hills to be 3-4 before Region 4 home-and-away games against American Fork, Westlake, Skyridge, Lone Peak and Pleasant Grove.

“This group is special,” Morris said. “They really love each other and play as a team. From ninth-12th grade, we are loaded with talent and amazing young ladies.” l

The Corner Canyon High girls basketball team, under second-year coach Craig Morris, wasranked fifth in 6A. (Photo courtesy Taylor Sampson)

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Salt Lake County Council approves funding for a temporary mental health receiving center

With a $2.5 million allocation from the American Rescue Plan Act, the Salt Lake County Council approved funding for a temporary mental health receiving center at the Huntsman Mental Health Institute (501 Chipeta Way).

As an alternative to jail or the emergency room, the temporary center will accept residents going through a mental health crisis, brought in by law enforcement. The center will focus on getting people the professional help they need.

“The current option is to take those who are experiencing a crisis to jail or an emergency room, which is costly, can take more of an officer’s time, and may not give those in crisis the long-term help they need,” said Ross Van Vranken, executive director of the HMHI. “We applaud the council and mayor’s foresight and commitment to mental health resources.”

Funds from the council will cover the cost of retrofitting and expanding an existing space at the HMHI. It will also cover 17 months of staffing to allow operations beginning in April 2023 until the construction of the Kem and Carolyn Gardner Mental Health Crisis Care Center is finished in fall 2024.

The new center is being built in South

Salt Lake and will be a place where people can go to stabilize and connect with vital mental health resources. The temporary location at HMHI will address those needs until the center opens. It will help alleviate the Salt Lake County Jail which houses a large population of people needing mental health services.

“The county is designated as the mental health authority by the state, and we operate the jail, so this is a good fit,” said Salt Lake County Councilwoman Aimee Winder Newton. “This investment will not only improve mental health outcomes but will save taxpayer dollars in the long run.”

As was proposed in Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson’s budget, the council will also approve an additional $1 million toward the construction of the Kem and Carolyn Gardner Mental Health Crisis Care Center.

“The $1 million donation was included in my proposed budget to go towards the construction of the permanent space,” Wilson said. “We are committed to getting this finished and appreciate all those who have partnered on this project.”

The $3.5 million commitment from the county is part of a public-private collaboration with the Larry H. and Gail Miller

Family Foundation, which has committed $3.5 million to the construction of Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Integrated Healing and Innovation Center, helping those in crisis. The integrated center will provide legal support services, case management, medical and dental support, and mental wellness counseling.

“In the time I’ve been on the council, I’ve never seen eight council members co-sponsor an agenda item,” said Salt Lake County Council Chair Laurie Stringham. “This shows the commitment of the Council to support mental health resources for our residents.” l

JANUARY 31, 2023

IN, PA and MI. Expires 1/31/23.

EXPIRES

A temporary mental health receiving center, at the existing Huntsman Mental Health Institute, will allow law enforcement officers to bring people experiencing a mental health crisis to a safe place to receive professional help. (Photo courtesy of Huntsman Mental Health Institute)

A Different Kind of Marathon

By Jason Corbridge

Draper resident, Raeanne Stranc, has decided to create her own marathon. She’s not a runner, but a Realtor, who’s been selling homes in Draper for over fifteen years. Her marathon consists of door-knocking 10,000 homes in the city of Draper. Most of these will be single-family homes. “My goal is to get to know my neighbors and be a part of the community and if I can help on a more personal level, then all the better,” Stranc said. Stranc’s goal is to knock 10,000 doors by the end of 2023. She is hoping to give updates and stories of her progress in the upcoming Draper Journals editions. “Most Realtors call this farming, but that’s not really what I am doing. You have to be consistently knocking the same doors over and over to really farm a neighborhood. This to me is a marathon, because I have to stay the course and double-down on a new subdivision every week. I love meeting people and I hope this will be fun for everyone,” she said.

Draper has been home to Stranc for twelve years and has had two of her four kids attend and participate in Draper sports and schools. “My son was in the first class of Corner Canyon High School. I think he went through his entire lacrosse season being called StranK, not Stranc with a soft C. We usually never correct people on our name pronunciation especially after they’ve used it for a while!” said Stranc. She is challenging Draper neighbors to know

her name when she comes to their door by offering them a gift card to Chick-fil-A, if they can say her name correctly. Stranc said, “Yes, I think it’ll be fun to see if people interact with my name challenge.”

She is also leaving behind a door hanger with a number on it. If she posts your number in the upcoming edition of the Draper Journal, you win a $25 gift card to one of Draper’s eating establishments. “There will be about four gift card winners a month and so the neighbors who I knock first will have the biggest advantage because they will be in the pool until December 31, 2023,” Stranc said. (Raeanne’s name is pronounced ra-an strans, and her nickname is Rae. You can reach her at 801-888-4525, or email at raeanne.stranc@live.com. Stranc also wants to be respectful of the Draper neighbors’ privacy. If you contact her, she will do her best NOT to knock on your door.)

For more information about the local real estate market, visit her channel, “Rae on Salt Lake”.

Raeanne Stranc is a realtor with Coldwell Banker-South Valley in Draper, Utah. She is also a 2021 Top 500 Realtor and a 2022 Distinguished Service Award Winner with the Salt Lake Board of Realtors.

Milwaukee recruit Natalie Scott, shined at RSL Academy

By Daniel Olsen | d.olsen@mycityjournals.com

With her recent success at RSL Academy, senior Natalie Scott has shown that she can excel at the prep level as well as college. However, she is quick to compliment the people who got her to this point.

“My mom has been with me through everything,” Scott said. “She has helped me through decisions in club and high school soccer. We flew out to Chicago every other weekend. That helped me get seen by Milwaukee.”

There are several achievements that Draper resident Scott has accomplished in both club and high school soccer. Two in particular stuck out to her.

“It was great for our high school team to win state after waiting so long since we were not able to take the state championship this past year,” Scott said. “With the club team, the biggest achievement is being able to sign and play with Milwaukee. It’s worth everything I put into it.”

Not only is Scott a student of the game on the soccer field, she is a student in the classroom as well.

“I’m going to study criminal justice at Milwaukee,” Scott said. “I will see how it will play out. If I get the offer to play pro I will. It depends on what my life would look like. I would still like to be a part of the women's league regardless.”

When asked about which player would most compare to her game, RSL Academy coach Sly Yeates had a tough time pinpointing a specific individual.

“It’s hard to say,” Yeates said. “She is a unique player that has a lot of different skill sets.”

When it came down to winning a state championship, it took those specific skill sets to help put RSL Academy over the top.

“Her quick thinking and her mind set her apart,” Yeates said. “She has a strong mind set. We have the speed up top. She was able to get behind defenses quite easily. Her best moment was the Judge Memorial game when we were behind a goal. She had a really long throw in. The keeper was out of position, and we capitalized on it.”

One thing that helped Scott get to the next level was when the game started to slow down.

“Early on what set her apart is she approached the season as a student of the game,” Yeates said. “I gave them a journal to keep a record of insights and she’s always taking notes. That gives her an edge. She’s soaked in information and applied it on the field throughout the season.”

Soccer didn’t come without significant adversity for Scott as she had to battle injury problems earlier in her career.

“I found out freshman year I had a broken back,” Scott said. “I had a bulged disc between my L4 and L5. I had to learn how to adjust and figure out my own body and what helps so I could continue my soccer career. I need to always take care of it since it won't ever go

away. It’s something I have to adjust to and play through.”

The coaching staff at RSL Academy has found the way to best utilize her on the soccer field.

“When we play her up top as a wing forward, she is able to cut behind defenses and use her speed,” Yeates said. “When she’s isolated 1-on-1, she can beat a defender.”

The journey to RSL Academy was a unique one for Scott, things seemed to align for her at just the right time.

“My mom coached for RSL Academy my eighth grade year in 2018-2019,” Scott said. “I left my middle school. I absolutely loved everyone at RSL Academy, and it was a great environment. I didn't have to take PE. Seventh and eighth period was soccer. I had a good relationship with my coaches.”

Scott is ready to take her game to the next level, and even her coaches are noticing.

“It starts with passion,” Yeates said. “She is a passionate player and knows the work she will need to put in to play at the D1 level. She played with a team in Chicago last year. She is ready. She’s done the work beforehand, so she won’t be surprised in college.”

For anyone wishing to play at the collegiate level, Scott will be playing next year and she has some sound advice.

“Never give up,” Scott said. “It’s always very political. Everyone should love girls soccer. Even when coaches tell you that you can't do something or don't have the ability to do things in life, don’t give up.”

Even after her time is up at RSL Academy, Scott is always welcome to come back whenever she needs to.

“When you get into sports, relationships built on trust with people will continue,”

Yeates said. “My door is always open for any of my former players. Players come back and train in the summer. We have current players come to play and also former players who are now in college.”

Scott is a great player whose legacy will not be forgotten at RSL Academy.

“Not only was she a great player, she’s a great person,” Yeates said. “She’s a great leader and captain that some people look up to on the team. It caught me off guard how well rounded she is as a person.” l

Natalie Scott takes a shot with her Celtic club team. (Photo courtesy Natalie Scott)

Natalie Scott at recruiting visit with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. (Photo courtesy Natalie Scott)

From left, ABC 4’s “Good Things Utah” host Surae Chinn joins Jacey Thornton, Journey of Hope, economic development lead; Renee LeGrant, Journey of Hope executive director; and GTU host Nicea DeGering. Journey of Hope’s nonprofit platform received a $3,000 grant from SelectHealth for the work it does in the community. (Photo courtesy of Kimmi Wolf)

Journey of Hope brings meaningful change to trauma survivors

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

For 20 years, Shannon Miller-Cox served as a law enforcement officer so she could lock up dangerous people. As a survivor of childhood and adult sexual assault, she vowed to get perpetrators off the streets.

She came to realize the inequality in the justice system, where women in poverty had harsher sentences and were incarcerated longer than women of privilege. Miller-Cox retired from the police force and started Journey of Hope in 2014, a nonprofit serving abused and/ or incarcerated women.

Jacey Thornton, Journey of Hope economic development lead, said the program saved her life. The nonprofit’s mission is to mentor women before and after they’re released from prison and help them navigate issues like housing, food and jobs, but also to support them as they move forward.

“We help them start their journey of hope and healing through peer support-led case management. It’s rewarding, it’s painful, it’s a lot of emotion, but as peers, we understand what they’ve been through,” Thornton said. “We provide the immaterial things like empowering women with a strength-based, power-centered focus to help them see how powerful they are. We really see people where they are and love them, without boundaries.”

Many women in the Journey of Hope program are breaking the cycles of generational trauma and changing the direction of their lives and the lives of their children. The organization is focused on ending the shame and the stigma that comes with a history of sexual and domestic abuse, incarceration, homelessness, mental illness.

Built on a platform of community, structure and safety, Journey of Hope’s mentors understand the correlation between childhood trauma, substance abuse and incarceration and addresses those aspects to help women find success.

“For these women, there’s no safety and no security. Our first thing is to help them feel safe and let them know we’re always here,” Thornton said. “I found as I’ve shared my story,

it empowers others to be bold, to not fear what people think about them.”

Thornton’s life journey took a detour when she was arrested and incarcerated as a college student. As a first-generation college student, the experience destroyed her. She asked her corrections officers to help her find a way to finish her degree, and in the process she learned she was surrounded by beautiful and caring people.

When she was released from prison, she started Seeds of Hope, a nonprofit focused on a community garden where women could find power in horticulture therapy. As a transgender woman, she has stepped into her role as a mentor and encourages women to find their voice.

“When we say people are heroes or villains, we’re really simplifying the human experience. We’ve got to do better,” she said. “We’re human and make terrible mistakes, but we are so much more than the worst things we’ve ever done.”

Journey of Hope was recognized by SelectHealth for the work it does for women in the community. The group was awarded a $3,000 grant to further their mission.

“The SelectHealth Awards is designed to highlight the notable work and contributions of organizations that are making an incredible impact in our community,” said Marti Lolli, SelectHealth president and CEO. “These awards allow SelectHealth to continue to show support for key partners and organizations who have a shared mission and wake up every day thinking about how to make a difference in the communities we serve.”

Headquartered in Sandy at 8160 S. Highland Drive, Suite A-3, Journey of Hope has served hundreds of women across Salt Lake County. For more information, or to make a donation, visit JourneyOfHopeUtah.org.

“We walk alongside you and we provide in a way that no one else does,” Thornton said. “We’re here only to serve other people….They saved my life. We’ve lost so many lives in the last few years and it’s gut-wrenching.” l

Richard Boyer - Eccles Theater

A.D. Shaw - The Raft

Josh Clare - Fresh Air

Richard Boyer -Rapids

Rob Adamson - Winter Bryce

Scott Brough - Bucket of Sunflowers

2022

The last year brought both economic highs and lows, from soaring inflation to the lowest unemployment rate ever recorded in the Beehive State. For better and worse, we’ll see some of these economic currents carry over into 2023:

Recession fears linger. Recession fears loomed in most of 2022 as the Federal Reserve ramped up interest rates, consumer sentiment plunged, and the Gross Domestic Product contracted during the first half of the year. While the U.S. economy avoided a recession last year, thanks in part to robust consumer spending, the threat of recession persists. For one, the Treasury yield curve inverted, meaning that investors are willing to pay higher interest rates on short-term bonds than longer-term ones. Historically, this has been a warning signal that a recession could be on the way.

The labor market shines. The labor market was the star of the 2022 economy. As of August, all jobs lost in the pandemic were recovered. The unemployment rate is back down to 3.7% nationally, nearly as low as the pre-pandemic unemployment rate of 3.5%. Utah’s unemployment is nearly the lowest in the nation, measured at 2.2% in November. Yet, businesses are still struggling to find workers amid the Great Resignation

Trends Carry Over into New Year

By Robert Spendlove, Zions Bank Senior Economist

and shifting demographics. The labor force participation rate showed little net change in 2022, and the lack of available workers will carry into 2023.

Consumer sentiment remains historically low. Utahns and Americans expressed discontent in the economy in 2022. In the middle of last year, consumer sentiment fell to the lowest point recorded in the 70-year history of the University of Michigan’s Survey of Consumer Sentiment. The Kem C. Gardner Institute’s much newer Utah-specific index also sank to a new low last summer. While attitudes about the economy have improved slightly, ongoing inflation continues to erode consumer confidence. Consumer sentiment matters because attitudes about the economy drive behaviors like spending and investing, often acting as a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Global shocks roil markets. The economy has yet to fully emerge from the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic. Supply chain snarls and recent protests in China continue to disrupt markets and strangle growth, while the war with Russia and Ukraine further hindered pandemic recovery. These global distortions make understanding the economy difficult and bring ongoing uncertainty in 2023.

Historic interest rate hikes. The Federal Reserve boosted its benchmark interest rate, the federal funds rate, from zero to between 4.25% and 4.5% in 2022 — the highest rate in 15 years. The Fed has said it plans to continue tightening credit to tame inflation, with more rate hikes expected in 2023. Although the amount of expected rate increases will be dramatically lower than in 2022, the Fed is expected to maintain higher rates for a longer period.

Inflation persists. Inflation was one of the biggest economic stories of 2022, peaking at 9.1% in June 2022 — a lifetime high for people under 40. In the Mountain region, prices grew even faster, hitting double digits earlier this year. While inflation has slowed to 7.1% nationally and 8.3% in our region, it’s still being pressured by hot wage inflation and remains well above the Fed’s target rate of 2%. We’ll likely see more price cooling in 2023, but it will take some time to get inflation down to historical levels.

Overall, 2023 is expected to be a year of economic moderation. Inflation will slow as higher interest rates cool economic conditions. We’re already starting to see signs of price moderation in areas like construction, motor fuel and used cars. While we haven’t seen this yet, the labor market should begin

MONICA HINZ, DO, JD Pediatrics

Monica Hinz joins Granger Medical Clinic as a recent graduate of University of Florida, Jacksonville’s pediatric residency. Following residency she served as a chief resident for one year. As a native Floridian, she and her family have loved moving to Utah this past summer and are enjoying all the natural beauty and outdoor activities that Salt Lake City area has to offer. Dr. Hinz is of Columbian descent and is fluent in Spanish.

Dr. Hinz is passionate about not only helping her patients grow, but also ensuring the entire family unit is thriving.

to soften as employers cut back on expansion plans in the next year. This process may be uncomfortable, but it is a necessary part of resetting an economy that has gone through many shocks over the past few years.

Robert Spendlove is senior economist for Zions Bank, a division of Zions Bancorporation, N.Al

From the people who brought you Syncrete, nepotistic construction contracts and the ThrU Turn fiasco intersection, comes a mind-boggling project guaranteed to be unnecessary and over budget: the Little Cottonwood Canyon gondola.

The Utah Department of Transportation isn’t known for its rational, effective projects. It spent years studying the LCC traffic situation before making the wrong decision, but at least they didn’t go with the Little Cottonwood zeppelin.

Color me unimpressed with UDOT. Take 5400 South. Please. I travel this road every day and I know UDOT doesn’t understand east-west travel. Going from my home in Kearns to the I-15 interchange in Murray includes nearly 20 stoplights along that 7-mile stretch and I usually hit every. single. one.

There was a legend that if you drove exactly 42.3 mph, under the light of a full moon, you could travel 5400 South without stopping at one red light. Not true.

I blame my road rage on UDOT.

So, let’s talk about the gondola. With UDOT approving the nearly $600 million project, it must have overwhelming support. Nope. Local mayors, residents, environmental groups, Bigfoot and county leaders don’t want this to happen. A majority of the tens

Kinder Life and Laughter

of thousands of public comments are against the gondola.

Just a hair short of sketchy, Snowbird quietly bought land that could (will) be used for the gondola station at the base of Little Cottonwood. When the time comes, Snowbird will sell or donate (ha-ha) that land to the state.

Hikers, fishermen, sightseers and climbers don’t want the gondola. They don’t want to ride the entire length of the gondola system if their destination isn’t a ski resort. I guess UDOT could add a base-jumping experience if you want to parachute out of the gondola halfway up the canyon. But it will probably have an extra fee.

Measuring 8 miles, it will be the longest gondola system in the world and includes nearly two dozen towers, averaging 185 feet high. That’s about 17 stories. UDOT said the towers will be placed up the canyon by helicopters, like they’ll gently rest on the forest

floor where tree roots will wind around the base to hold them down, becoming part of the natural landscape.

No. Each tower will have a huge concrete base, requiring boulders and trees to be demolished. Not only that, but construction could disrupt animal migration patterns, pollute the watershed and highlight UDOT’s decision-making legacy.

UDOT explored options like rideshare programs, electric buses and road tolls that are less invasive, especially when trying to solve a traffic problem that only happens a few days a year. But those alternatives aren’t expensive and ridiculous, so that was a “no” vote from UDOT.

When you factor inflation, the project’s cost will be about $72 gajillion, paid for with “mystery funding” which we all know usually means “taxpayer dollars” in some fash-

ion. Even if you’ve never skied a day in your life, your tax dollars will probably help pay for a system designed by ski resorts, for ski resorts.

We’ve riddled this country with aging infrastructure. Obsolete railways, cables, steel and wiring lie unused and rusting. When the gondola becomes outdated, our grandchildren’s grandchildren will be stuck with the awful towers standing forever in the sacred space of Little Cottonwood.

UDOT’s track record is abysmal. I remember when it spent $700,000 to remove the stupid ThrU Turn on 5400 South. UDOT said the intersection wasn’t a mistake, just unnecessary.

That could be UDOT’s tagline: Building unnecessary mistakes. l

Peri