Herriman Journal | December 2021

December 2021 | Vol. 31 Iss. 12

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WHEN RUNNING 26.2 MILES IS NOT ENOUGH, TRY AN ULTRA MARATHON

By Karmel Harper | k.harper@mycityjournals.com

H

ow does a human being run 240 miles in just over four days? According to Herriman’s Mike Hawker, one step at a time. When 36-year-old Hawker isn’t spending time with his wife and 2 young girls, working at his tech job, or coaching basketball at Mountain Ridge High School, he is running.

Hawker has been playing sports his entire life. He has run two marathons. In the fall of 2018 Hawker completed his first ultra marathon, the Buffalo Run on Antelope Island, a 50 kilometer/31 mile event. As an ultra rookie, Hawker was not prepared. “I ran with road shoes even though this trail was mostly mountains. I kept thinking, ‘Why am I doing this? This is stupid,’” Hawker said Although Hawker performed well, finishing the race in 5 hours and 46 minutes and running the entire time-with the exception of a few uphills-he did not think he would ever do it again. He was wrong. Two days later, Hawker signed up to run 100 miles in another Antelope Island event the following March, giving him five months to train.

“After 31 miles, every step was uncharted territory because I never ran further than that. It was pouring rain and I didn’t know about changing my shoes or changing my socks.

The first 50 miles was awesome. But the second 50 miles was brutal. By mile 76 my toenails were falling off. But I kept going,” Hawker said.

With no sleep, Hawker finished the race in 29 hours. “Again I swore off the sport, I was in so much pain. I said ‘I will never do this again – ever,’” Hawker said. Once again, he was wrong.

Continued page 9 Ultra marathoners in the Moab 240 experienced incredible Utah scenery. (Photo courtesy of Mike Hawker.)

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Herriman City Journal

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December 2021 | Page 3

Holiday vacations create lasting memories

By Karmel Harper | k.harper@mycityjournals.com

“

How can we have Christmas without a Christmas tree, Mom?” -Kevin McCallister, “Home Alone.” Kevin asked this question as his family was packing for their holiday trip to Paris, France. Taking a vacation during the holidays was unheard of for the 1990 movie audience, but introducing this concept added to the storyline, character development, and message of Home Alone. We all remember the rained-out trip, a mother’s determination to be with her son for Christmas, and the message of forgiveness between parent and child. But nowadays, more and more families are opting to follow the McCallister tradition to teach their children another message: that memories last longer than objects.

Instead of clicking on Amazon links, families are clicking on hotel and cruise line websites to enjoy a vacation getaway during the Christmas holiday in lieu of physical presents. Herriman’s Cassidy O-Keef Ratliff’s family took cruises during Christmas in 2017 and 2018. “The memories last a lifetime and my kids talk about it all the time and long to do it again. Presents are forgotten mostly within a couple of weeks. It helps parents find calmness and enjoy the events leading up to the holidays,” Ratliff said.

When Herriman’s Kim Capilli Carpenter was a child, their family visited Mexico during the holidays. “The vacation was the big family gift and it was amazing. My mom would pack our stockings and fill them with all of the essentials for the beach and set them under one of those little one-foot Christmas trees in our hotel room. Speaking from experience I can guarantee you and your kids would trade these kinds of trips for all of the presents in the world,” Carpenter said.

Herriman’s Alison Taylor said, “My parents did this once. It’s been 49 years next month, and my sisters and I will talk about it!”

Journals T H E

The Jones family from Riverton brought Christmas along with them and decorated their Disneyland hotel room in 2017. (Photo courtesy of Danyette Jones)

Jozettte Barker-Loumis, a travel advisor in Herriman said, “I book clients for Christmas a lot! As a family we go as well.” Barker-Loumis said the most popular holiday destination is Mexico as it is easy on restrictions and close to Utah.

However, not everyone is sold on the idea of a Christmas getaway. In a poll of Herriman residents on the Herriman Happenings Facebook page, of the 569 responses, 41 said they will never take a vacation away for the holidays as they believe that Christmas is to be celebrated at home. For families with young children, trips can be too daunting and the magic of Christmas is still alive and well with little ones. Santa Claus visiting children on a cruise ship or a hotel room just does not have the same

The Ratliff family from Herriman donning their festive apparel during their 2018 cruise to Cabo. (Photo courtesy of Cassidy Ratliff)

magic as visiting your own home.

“I don’t feel like Christmas at home is about remembering what gifts they got,” Herriman’s Nicole Dom Christoffersen said. “It’s about remembering the feelings and the excitement of being with cousins and family we don’t see as often. In fact, my daughter is saving up for something really expensive she wants to buy and I expressed to her that she might feel bummed asking for money when everyone else is getting something fun to play with that day.

She said, ‘I’m not worried about it. Gifts are fun but I’m most excited to hang out with Grandma and do puzzles and play with my cousins.’”

Herriman’s Denise Fritz said, “My vote is home for the holidays, but a family gift

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would be a trip. The holiday season of putting up the tree, great smells of cookie baking, gingerbread house decorating, and relatives coming together. That’s what great memories are. Trips are fine but at another time.”

Another option to have the best of both worlds is to give a vacation as the major family gift for Christmas but take the trip after Christmas. This strategy avoids the rush of holiday travel. Herriman’s Tauni Smith Hawker said, “At times, the vacation is the day after Christmas. Other times, it’s a few months after Christmas. The ones later are awesome because we had Christmas and the excitement building up to the vacation.” l

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Herriman City Journal

Meet Herriman’s next city council member

By Justin Adams | justin.a@thecityjournals.com

B

eginning in 2022, Herriman’s second district will have a new face representing it.

District 2 includes many of the city’s landmarks, such as City Hall, Rosecrest park, “old Herriman,” as well as the stretch of 13400 South that constitutes much of the city’s commercial property.

The race was left without an incumbent after its current representative, Clint Smith, opted to run for mayor instead. Two Herriman residents stepped into the race: Teddy Hodges and Aly Escobar. Hodges, a regular at Herriman city meetings and local events, came away with the victory, garnering 69% of the vote.

Hodges grew up in Wyoming and spent most of his life there, until moving to Utah when he married his wife. They have lived in Herriman since 2010 and have two girls, ages 5 and 10. He owns his own solar energy company, but also finds time for an occasional light construction job as well as Santa impersonation gigs during the Christmas season.

Hodges said he has always been civically engaged, starting with learning the importance of voting from his parents. In college he was involved in political student organizations and after moving to Utah, was a delegate for the Utah Republican Party for a time.

Eight years ago he ran for Herriman mayor, in an effort that wasn’t quite as successful as his city council campaign.

“It was not something I was ready for.

I didn’t make it out of the primary. I think I got 112 votes,” he recalled.

But he didn’t get discouraged. Instead, he decided to get more involved in the community. He began attending city council meetings regularly. He got involved with the Healthy Herriman committee and the Arts Council, using his construction skills to help design and build the sets and backdrops for many of the council’s productions over the years.

“I’ve put myself out there in lots of different situations and got to know a lot of different people.

I try to help where I see the need to help,” he said.

Hodges decided to run for office again— this time shooting for a council seat—because he didn’t like some of what he saw going on in the city.

“I saw the directions the city was going in and I didn’t really like it. I knew I had to run again. We need people who have the ability to make change. I think I have that, and I think voters saw that.”

So he launched a campaign that was much like himself: young, energetic and not afraid to have some fun. From his bright green campaign signs that prominently featured his iconic beard to friendly banter and cracking

HerrimanJ ournal.com

Newly elected city councilman Teddy Hodges (pictured here with his family) will be sworn in at the start of the new year. (Photo courtesy of Teddy Hodges)

jokes in the Herriman Happenings Facebook group, it wasn’t the regular sort of overly-serious tone that many political campaigns take on.

For Hodges, running that kind of campaign—one that’s authentic to his personality—was the only way to do it.

“I figured, I was going to be myself. I’m going to be the same person today that I’m going to be tomorrow. If you pretend to be someone you’re not--it’s hard. I impersonate Santa during the Christmas season and after 2-3 hours of doing a gig… it’s exhausting. I can’t imagine doing that throughout my whole life,” he said.

But that’s not to say his campaign was just jokes and laughs. Hodges said his favor-

ite thing about the campaign was being able to have in-depth policy-based conversations with Herriman residents, conversations he was able to have because he has been so actively engaged with all the city’s issues over the last several years.

“It was fun to get phone calls and know what you’re talking about because you’ve been in those meetings,” he said.

One thing that Hodges is looking forward to once he’s been sworn-in, is for the council to take a bird’s eye view of the city and the direction it’s heading in.

“I want to see us develop a clear vision and mission statement. We have some stuff like that from 20 years ago when we first incorporated, but I think it needs an update,” he said. l

December 2021 | Page 5

Local ‘princess’ teaches friendship, inclusion and affirmation

By Karmel Harper | k.harper@mycityjournals.com

W

hen South Jordan’s Cindy Chia, who is Malaysian Chinese, took her then 2-year-old daughter, Maya, to Disney On Ice last year, Maya was upset that the show did not include Mulan, the Chinese heroine who saves her country.

“So I lodged a complaint to Disney and I was still not hopeful. But surprisingly this year there was a whole segment for Mulan!

Maya was so thrilled! My mom and I were in tears because it’s very rare that we get represented in such a big production like that,” Chia said.

Although heroines of color were rare in the early decades of Disney, recently more and more productions feature strong women of various ethnicities. As more of these princesses of color have become popular, the demand for character actors to play them has also increased, which is why Davis County’s Allegra-Bree Moreno stays quite busy appearing at various events and parties as Princess Jasmine, Raya, and Moana, among other characters.

With an extensive background in musical theater, acting, and modeling, Moreno began her “princess” career in March of 2021 when she answered a casting call for the role of Jasmine. While Jasmine was rarely booked at the time, once Moreno took over the role, Jasmine bookings increased significantly, a testament not only to her talent of playing the role well, but also her gift for connecting with children. From there, her roles expanded to Moana, Elena of Avalor, and Raya. In addition to Disney characters, Moreno also plays villains, super heroes, and science fiction characters. Most of her bookings come from word-of-mouth recommendations.

Chia, who recently moved from Herriman to Daybreak, celebrated her daughter Maya’s 3rd birthday by inviting Moreno to play Moana. Moreno, as Moana, paddle-boarded across Oquirrh Lake to greet an excited group of tots in front of Chia’s new home. Chia said Moreno “was patient, caring, and engaging to make sure my daughter had the best 3rd birthday.”

“It makes me feel good that they had a great experience with how we have been trained, the costuming we use, the wig quality, how we handle ourselves at a party and how we interact with children. A lot of people think it’s just dress up and cosplay. But when you have to be fully immersed in the role, it’s an entirely different skill because you have to create magic for the kids,” Moreno said.

As a person of mixed race including Cuban, West African/Haitian, Chinese, Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, British, Scandinavian, and Filipino, Moreno and the three character companies she works for are passionate and proactive about representation and transcendent casting, the practice of casting people of color in traditionally white-cast roles. Moreno has had opportunities to play

Page 6 | December 2021

Moreno’s Raya, the Southeast Asian warrior from “Raya and the Last Dragon,” appeals to her Filipino heritage.( Photo by Ashley’s Flashy Photos.)

Belle and Cinderella, giving children the experience of interacting with favorite princesses who look like them.

“In this industry there are a lot of problems with colorism and racism and I have been fortunate to have found a community of people who do really care about these issues and strive to understand and become educated,” Moreno said.

When Moreno first started playing Jasmine she experienced the previous “white-washing” of Jasmine at a birthday party when one of the little girls showed her a Jasmine doll. “She held her doll next to me and she said, ‘I didn’t know you really were brown. You are so pretty,’” Moreno said.

Moreno’s personal experience as a minority and a child who was bullied growing up has given her the dedication to empower children who feel “othered” and seek belonging. When she first arrives at an event, she seeks the outliers and shy kids who feel like they don’t fit in.

“I recognize them because that was me.

I approach them first before I interact with the other kids and I try to talk to them, relate to them, and personally invite them to join in. The child thinks, ‘Wow, Jasmine thought I was cool enough to talk to and be her friend.’

When it’s a kid that talks to you, well cool, you have made a new friend. When it’s another adult, you think they have to do that. But when it’s your HERO right in front of you, it gives you confidence for the rest of your life.

I want to give them at least one memory that builds them up to draw on - especially when they need it the most,” Moreno said.

And indeed, there is power in that. In a

Moreno’s Princess Jasmine revives the classic 1990s character for a new generation. (Photo by Luminosity Photography.)

time when the Department of Justice recently delivered a scathing report about racism in the Davis School District followed by a 10-year-old North Salt Lake child taking her own life due to bullying because of her autism and skin color, teaching simple kindness and acceptance is more important than ever before. Perhaps what we truly need are more princesses and more super heroes to literally save lives.

“I always tell kids when they’re down on themselves...I’ll ask, ‘Are you royal too?’ Of course they will first answer ‘No.’ But then I ask, ‘Are you loyal to your friends and family? Are you kind? Are you brave?’ Are you a good friend? Do you

stand up for those who need help?’ And when they can answer ‘yes,’ they realize, ‘I AM royal. I can make a difference,’” Moreno said, But Moreno said we don’t have to be dressed up in tiaras and capes to lift children up. We just need to accept and love them exactly as they are. If you would like to hire Moreno for your next party or event, visit www.charactersandcrowns.com, www.characterbooking.com, or www.yourfairygodmotherutah.com. Moreno also volunteers as Wonder Woman with the Legacy Initiative Cosplay organization which sends super heroes to children’s hospitals and other events for hope and healing. l

Herriman City Journal

December holidays beyond Santa Claus and the nativity

By Karmel Harper | k.harper@mycityjournals.com

“

How can we have Christmas without a Christmas tree, Mom?” -Kevin McCallister, “Home Alone.” Kevin asked this question as his family was packing for their holiday trip to Paris, France. Taking a vacation during the holidays was unheard of for the 1990 movie audience, but introducing this concept added to the storyline, character development, and message of Home Alone. We all remember the rained-out trip, a mother’s determination to be with her son for Christmas, and the message of forgiveness between parent and child. But nowadays, more and more families are opting to follow the McCallister tradition to teach their children another message: that memories last longer than objects.

Instead of clicking on Amazon links, families are clicking on hotel and cruise line websites to enjoy a vacation getaway during the Christmas holiday in lieu of physical presents. Herriman’s Cassidy O-Keef Ratliff’s family took cruises during Christmas in 2017 and 2018. “The memories last a lifetime and my kids talk about it all the time and long to do it again. Presents are forgotten mostly within a couple of weeks. It helps parents find calmness and enjoy the events leading up to the holidays,” Ratliff said.

When Herriman’s Kim Capilli Carpenter was a child, their family visited Mexico during the holidays. “The vacation was the big family gift and it was amazing. My mom would pack our stockings and fill them with all of the essentials for the beach and set them under one of those little one-foot Christmas trees in our hotel room. Speaking from ex-

perience I can guarantee you and your kids would trade these kinds of trips for all of the presents in the world,” Carpenter said.

Herriman’s Alison Taylor said, “My parents did this once. It’s been 49 years next month, and my sisters and I will talk about it!”

Jozettte Barker-Loumis, a travel advisor in Herriman said, “I book clients for Christmas a lot! As a family we go as well.” Barker-Loumis said the most popular holiday destination is Mexico as it is easy on restrictions and close to Utah.

However, not everyone is sold on the idea of a Christmas getaway. In a poll of Herriman residents on the Herriman Happenings Facebook page, of the 569 responses, 41 said they will never take a vacation away for the holidays as they believe that Christmas is to be celebrated at home. For families with young children, trips can be too daunting and the magic of Christmas is still alive and well with little ones. Santa Claus visiting children on a cruise ship or a hotel room just does not have the same magic as visiting your own home.

“I don’t feel like Christmas at home is about remembering what gifts they got,” Herriman’s Nicole Dom Christoffersen said.

“It’s about remembering the feelings and the excitement of being with cousins and family we don’t see as often. In fact, my daughter is saving up for something really expensive she wants to buy and I expressed to her that she might feel bummed asking for money when everyone else is getting something fun to play with that day. She said, ‘I’m not worried about it. Gifts are fun but I’m most excited to

The community candle lighting to celebrate Hanukkah at Sue Tice’s synagogue. (Photo courtesy of Sue Tice.)

hang out with Grandma and do puzzles and play with my cousins.’”

Herriman’s Denise Fritz said, “My vote is home for the holidays, but a family gift would be a trip. The holiday season of putting up the tree, great smells of cookie baking, gingerbread house decorating, and relatives coming together. That’s what great memories are. Trips are fine but at another time.”

Another option to have the best of both

worlds is to give a vacation as the major family gift for Christmas but take the trip after Christmas. This strategy avoids the rush of holiday travel. Herriman’s Tauni Smith Hawker said, “At times, the vacation is the day after Christmas. Other times, it’s a few months after Christmas. The ones later are awesome because we had Christmas and the excitement building up to the vacation.” l

Two Menorahs (or Hannukiahs). The one on the right says Shalom and the one on the left says Hanukkah. They’re accompanied by some dreidels and some Hanukkah gelt. (Photo courtesy of Sue Tice.)

HerrimanJ ournal.com

December 2021 | Page 7

Mountain Ridge volleyball season ends at UVU

By Justin Adams | justin.a@thecityjournals.com

T

he Mountain Ridge volleyball team’s season came to an end in the second round of the 6A state tournament, held at Utah Valley University last month. After defeating Herriman in three sets in the first round, played on the Sentinels’ home floor, the team moved on to face fourth-seeded Pleasant Grove.

The Sentinels lost in three sets to the Vikings, who would go on to finish as the runners-up at the state tournament.

The Sentinels had two players named to All-Region teams.

Junior outside hitter Ireland McNees earned first team honors for leading the region in kills, blocks and digs at her position. Leah Olsen, a senior middle blocker who led the region in blocks was named to the second team.

Additionally, senior outside hitter Kelli Wright will be continuing her volleyball playing career at the next level, as she signed a letter of intent to play for the University of Alaska Fairbanks. l

Page 8 | December 2021

Outside hitter Ireland McNees goes up for a hit against Pleasant Grove. (Justin Adams/City Journals)

Senior outside hitter Kelli Wright will be continuing her volleyball career at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

(Justin Adams/City Journals)

A pair of Mountain Ridge players go up for an attempted block against Pleasant Grove. (Justin Adams/City Journals)

Herriman City Journal

Continued from front page In October 2021, Hawker attempted his longest distance ever in the Moab 240 Endurance Run. The event is a 240 mile race over varying terrain that includes massive climbs and steep descents through incredibly remote areas. Runners encounter temperature swings from 10 degrees Fahrenheit at night to the scathing heat of mid-day. Participants enjoy the variety of absolutely stunning scenery that Utah offers from red rocks, alpine forests and breathtaking mountain vistas.

With room for only 250 runners, Hawker signed up for the race on Jan. 1, 2021, claiming his spot before the event sold out within a couple of hours. “There’s a bunch of psychos out there who want to do this,” Hawker said.

Outof the 250 entrants, 14 did not show up to race at all. There were 50 who did not finish the race. . Hawker was close to being the 51 DNF around mile 102. Although he felt great physically, he allowed his mind to entertain the daunting thought that he still had 140 miles left to go.

“I was in pain and I allowed my mind to cripple me,” Hawker said. His friend and pacer, Melissa, who joined him at mile 72, encouraged him by telling him that he was close to a change of scenery. Hawker crushed the next section and caught up to other people. Hawker had a personal crew who took care of him at designated aid locations and drove an SUV to give him a comfortable place to nap. With the help of his crew and the encouragement and camaraderie of oth-

HerrimanJ ournal.com

er runners on the route, Hawker finished the race in 98 hours, including about 7 hours of sleep which was broken up in catnaps.

Hawker attributes his success to his positive mindset and balanced approach to running and training. “I stuck with my plan of treating my family as No.1. I had a solid balance between running, work and family.

I still trained—a lot—but it did not overtake my life and I was super fresh on race day,” Hawker said.

Though being the spouse of an ultra runner can be challenging, Hawker’s wife, Katie said, “We just had to figure out what works best for our family. It’s all worth it to see him at the finish line and see how his hard work has paid off.”

One of the biggest reasons Hawker loves his sport is being able to experience places and views that few people see.

“What’s amazing about this race…because it’s a loop, every step is new. Each new turn is a more beautiful view. I kept telling myself that very few people have seen this view.

In every ultra that I run I get to this point that I am so stripped down from being able to control my emotions that I just cry in gratitude for what Mother Earth has given me in terms of my family, my wife, my girls, and these beautiful views I see,” Hawker said.

While running ultra marathons is an accomplishment very few people achieve, Hawker encourages others to celebrate their own personal victories regardless of distance or elevation. l

Mike Hawker and his friend and race pacer, Melissa Soper, are all smiles during their 240 mile trek. (Photo courtesy of Mike Hawker.)

December 2021 | Page 9

Students collect hundreds of tents for Haitians

By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

H

erriman High business students are making the world a better place, one project at a time.

One team of students, Ashinti St Clair, Clark Fiedler and Sofia Ampudia Arroyo, collected 387 tents and two large boxes of soap and flip flops to send to Haiti. It was St Clair’s idea to help Haitians after an earthquake hit the country this summer.

The natural disaster hit home for the Haitian native because she experienced the same thing herself, living in a parking lot for a year after the 2011 earthquake damaged her home. Now living in South Jordan, she reached out to every organization she could find but struggled to find one who would accept donations. Even after she decided to make it her business class project, she and her teammates struggled to get the project off the ground. Even their teacher was doubtful they would have much success.

It was a slow start and they were about to abandon their project but it eventually began to gain traction. The students worked hard to promote their project, setting up an Amazon Wishlist, selling cotton candy, and flooding the community with donation QR codes. They secured a partnership with the owner of Cucina Deli,

Herriman High business students Grace Hymas and Challyze Cotubay host a panel of local business owners. (Photo courtesy of Julianna Wing.)

who ran a promotion for customers who donated tents to the student’s project. They caught the attention of the media and the students were interviewed by local news-

papers, T.V. news reporters and radio stations.

The students reached out to countless organizations on every platform they

could access and, finally, “like finding a needle in a haystack,” they found the Haitiain Health Foundation, who could ship the donations to Haiti.

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Herriman City Journal

They were surprised by people’s generosity and by how big the project grew as they applied the marketing skills they’d learned in their business classes.

“It’s about how you can get people to understand where you’re coming from and how you get your idea out there,” Fiedler said.

His teammates said Fiedler is a natural salesman.

“He convinced seven people to buy tents on the spot,” St Clair said.

“If he’s not a salesman, he’s wasting his life,” Ampudia said.

Working on the project helped all three students realize how much they enjoy marketing, planning events, and making and maintaining business relationships.

“This project helped me realize that I really, really enjoy it,” Ampudia said. “I’m just so excited for the future, knowing that I can do this for a living.”

Other groups of HHS students applied their business skills to develop projects such as creating an app, and designing and executing a marketing strategy for a new local coffee shop.

Grace Hymas, Savannah Linton and Erika Bond teamed up with three community nonprofits to pilot Clever Coping, a weekly class for teens who struggle with suicide ideation or have experienced trauma to learn coping skills through art.

Hymas also worked with Challyze

Cotubay on a project to organize a cookie bake-off as part of Homecoming Week.

They invited ten local business owners to be the judges and then to talk to business students about branding, a key detail of entrepreneurship, Hymas said.

Hymas was inspired by the business owners who started their companies with little more than an idea.

“It’s cool to see how simple ideas and small things can become such big and impactful businesses,” she said.

Students will prepare a paper and an oral presentation documenting their projects to compete in state and regional FBLA competitions in 2022.

The students credit their business teacher, Rickee Stewart, for being a big support to their projects, even though, as with the tent collection project, she didn’t think it would be successful.

“We come to her with an idea and she tells us ‘it is a terrible idea, but you can still try it’ or she says ‘it’s a great idea and here’s what you can do to make it better,’” St Clair said. “She still let us try, even though she thought it was a bad idea, and we learned from it.”

Stewart has been the catalyst for some incredible projects in the past, including collecting thousands of coats for the homeless through her wedding registry and helping her students do a similar project a few years later. l

Ashinti St Clair, Clark Fiedler and Sofia Ampudia Arroyo kick off a partnership with Cucina Deli. (Photo courtesy of Julianna Wing.)

As Utah’s Unemployment Rate Hits Record Low, Lack of Labor Lingers

By Robert Spendlove, Zions Bank Senior Economist

Utah’s unemployment rate hit the lowest level ever recorded in October. The Utah Department of Workforce Services’ most recent jobs report, released in November, shows that only 2.2% of the state’s workers are unemployed and actively looking for work. This historic low comes only 18 months after the state’s unemployment rate reached a record high of 10.4% in April 2020 at the onset of the pandemic.

Utah’s job recovery from such a massive disruption has been impressive. Our state’s two-year job growth leads the nation at 3.7%, compared to a 2.2% job decline nationally. The state has added 58,500 jobs added over the past two years, with the construction; financial activities; and trade, transportation and utilities sectors growing the fastest.

This job growth is limited, however, by the lack of available labor. Utah, like the rest of the nation, is struggling to find workers to fill job openings. A recent analysis from The Pew Charitable Trusts found that the ratio of jobs-to-jobless in Utah is more than

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Utah Unemployment Rate at Record Low 13.0% 12.0% 11.0% 10.0% 9.0% 8.0% 7.0% 6.0% 5.0% 4.0% 3.0% October 2.0% 2021 1.0% 2.2% 0.0% 1/1/00 1/1/02 1/1/04 1/1/06 1/1/08 1/1/10 1/1/12 1/1/14 1/1/16 1/1/18 1/1/20 Source: Utah Department of Workforce Statistics

2 to 1. Many residents who dropped out of the workforce during the pandemic have not returned. Even so, the labor force participation rate – an estimate of what percent of the state’s population is working or looking for a job – is the fifth highest in the nation. Labor force participation remained steady from September to October at 67.9%, though still below the 68.6% of two years ago in October 2019.

The very tight labor market continues to cause wage pressure. Nationally, average hourly earnings were 4.9% higher in

October, compared to one year ago. This wage inflation, which is a welcome trend for workers, is placing more strain on employers, who are facing both the labor shortage and continued supply chain struggles.

Despite these challenges, Utah’s economy – and the U.S. economy – continue to improve and recover. More people are returning to work as the latest wave of the delta variant of the Coronavirus subsides, vaccination rates increase, and the impact of enhanced unemployment benefits ends. l

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Page 12 | December 2021

Herriman City Journal

RSL Academy soccer program churning out players with college scholarships

By Justin Adams | justin.a@thecityjournals.com

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hen it comes to high school athletics, there are all kinds of priorities a coach may have. They might emphasize just having fun, developing players or competing for state championships. For RSL Academy girls soccer coach Becky Hogan, it’s all about helping her players land college scholarships.

“I love watching girls go off and have experiences that without us, I promise they wouldn’t have had,” she told the Herriman Journal.

Prior to COVID-19, the girls soccer program had helped 80% of its graduating seniors land college scholarships, according to Hogan, an impressive mark for a school that’s still only a few years old.

“When we first started, the first year we had 176 students. Girls soccer had 22. Five of them had never even played. And then we had some girls that wanted to play at the collegiate level. It was a wild cross section of girls,” Hogan said.

Since that first year, the program has grown exponentially, both in numbers and talent level. Last year, a total of 70 girls participated across three different teams.

RSL Academy High School’s unique athletic offerings—large indoor training spaces, online classes and soccer-focused P.E. classes that allow girls to train yearround—have empowered the team’s players to develop at a rapid rate.

“What we see over the course of the year is that players improve so much…That’s the best part, seeing kids come here with dreams of playing college soccer

and we give them the vehicle to become better at soccer,” Hogan said.

The high school’s flexible approach to learning also helps students when it comes to the college recruitment process. Players can go on road trips to visit potential colleges or play in college showcases while staying on top of their homework through online learning.

“They don’t miss a beat. They never fall behind so they can keep their academic integrity,” Hogan said.

As much as her program has already grown, Hogan sees room for even more. The biggest obstacle? A lot of people just don’t realize that RSL Academy is an option, particularly for the girls’ side.

“A lot of people think it’s only for boys or that you have to be recruited or that you have to pay money. There are all these misperceptions about the school when really it’s just a charter school.”

While Hogan would love to see the program become a soccer powerhouse in the state, her primary focus is just helping as many girls as possible achieve their dreams, regardless of accolades at the high school level.

“They don’t even have to be the best soccer players. I would just like more girls to come here who I can help get from A to B,” she said. “I would love any girl who wants to follow her dreams to come here and have us help her.” l Emily Blanchard dribbles the ball in a match against Herriman earlier this year. (Justin Adams/City Journals)

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Measuring the impact of ranked choice voting: A new way to select city leaders

By Justin Adams | justin.a@thecityjournals.com

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his election cycle, multiple cities in the Salt Lake valley opted to take advantage of a pilot program for ranked choice voting, made possible by the state legislature. As opposed to a traditional election, where voters must select one candidate, RCV allows voters to rank any number of candidates according to their preference.

Proponents of the method point to the benefits of making the switch, from encouraging more candidates to run and increasing voter turnout, to making elections more fair and less antagonistic. While some of these benefits aren’t easily measured, some of them can be. So, how did this round of RCV experimentation turn out?

To get a sense of how much RCV impacted local elections this year, The City Journals took a look at the numbers for a few

key metrics. First reporters compared the number of candidates and voter turnout to the same races held in 2017. Then reporters asked the question: did RCV actually change any of the election results?

Number of Candidates There were eight cities which took part in the RCV pilot: Salt Lake City, South Salt Lake, Millcreek, Cottonwood Heights, Sandy, Draper, Midvale and Bluffdale. Riverton would have but only had one candidate for each election. Within those cities, there were 17 races that utilized RCV. (A couple races would have used RCV, but it ended up not being necessary because there were only two candidates.)

There were 73 combined candidates who ran in those 17 races, an increase from 63 candidates who ran for those same posi-

Election assistant Becky Overacker helps first-time voter Zyon Bruce in Draper where they held ranked choice voting for the first time. (Mimi Darley Dutton/City Journals)

Page 14 | December 2021

Herriman City Journal

tions in the primary stage in 2017. However, that increase is almost completely accounted for by one city, Sandy, which saw an increase of three to eight candidates in its mayoral race and from two to six candidates in its race for an at-large seat on the city council.

Cottonwood Heights was another city that saw an increase in candidates, with five candidates competing in both its mayoral race and one of its city council races (compared to three in each race from 2017).

Salt Lake City saw the biggest decrease in its number of candidates, with two fewer candidates vying for its second district seat and three fewer candidates vying for its seventh district.

Voter Turnout How about voter turnout? Does giving people the chance to rank multiple candidates encourage more people to participate? Not according to this year’s races.

Of the 17 races we looked at, there was a total voter turnout of 115,851. That’s up just a little bit from 2017’s turnout of 115,008.

Recognizing that there are a number of possible variables that can impact turnout for a given race, here are a few of the outliers in this category. Remember, this is comparing 2017 to 2021.

A Bluffdale race for two seats on its council increased from 1,418 ballots counted to 3,344.

Salt Lake City’s first district race saw an increase from 1,621 to 3,381.

Despite having seven candidates vying for two at-large seats, Draper’s voter turnout dropped 20%, from 10,853 to 8,610.

Even in Sandy City, which had a hotly contested and crowded mayoral race, turnout decreased from 23,007 to 21,246.

Did it impact results?

Under RCV, the ballot counting process takes place over several rounds. After the first round, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their ballots then revert to those voters’ second choices.

This creates the possibility that whichever candidate receives the most first-place ballots, won’t actually win the election. You might have a candidate who receives the third-most votes in the first round end up winning the election because they built a broad base of support and was able to win the majority of the second place votes. So, did that happen in any of these elections?

For the most part, no. In almost all the races, the candidate who received the most first-place votes went on to win the election. The one exception being Millcreek’s District 2 race, in which Jeremiah Clark held a narrow lead after the first round of votes, but ended up losing to Thom Desirant by nine percentage points.

So what?

Based on this initial look at some of these metrics, it might seem like RCV made a huge impact on this year’s elections. But Stan Lockhart, a spokesman for Utah Ranked Choice Voting, said that it’s

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too early to draw long-term conclusions about the effectiveness of RCV. “Twenty-three cities in Utah used ranked choice voting this year, and it was the first time for 21 of those 23 cities. We need to be careful in extrapolating too much,” he said.

In regards to measurables like number of candidates and voter turnout, Lockhart said those have always been driven more by local issues. If there’s something controversial that’s taken place at the city level, like a tax increase or a land use decision, that’s more likely to drum up interest in an election than a change to RCV. A better measure of RCV’s success, according to Lockhart, is how voters felt about the process…a question that Utah RCV teamed up with Y2 Analytics to help answer.

“I think the most important metric that we should focus on is voter satisfaction.

How did the voter feel about the experience of ranking their vote. And the survey vote shows as high as 90% of the voters thought it was easy to use,” Lockhart said.

Additionally, 62% of poll respondents said they liked voting with a ranked choice ballot.

Learning curve Lockhart acknowledged that there can be a little bit of a learning curve when it comes to RCV, both for candidates and voters.

For candidates, the implementation of RCV opens up another component of campaign strategy that they normally wouldn’t think about: coordinating with other candidates and forming coalitions. For example, a group of two or more like-minded candidates can encourage their voters to rank them in the top three spots. Lockhart said he didn’t see a whole lot of such coordination in the races which used RCV. One exception was for one of the council races in Salt Lake City, where two candidates jointly paid for a postcard advertisement, where one candidate was featured on one side, and the other candidate on the flipside.

There’s also a learning curve for voters, who might not realize the power they have by taking advantage of the ranked choice feature. If a voter only ranks one or two candidates and those candidates get eliminated, that voters’ ballot becomes “inactive.”

In a close election, a large number of inactive ballots represents voters who could have potentially swung the election one way or another. That’s exactly what happened in Sandy, where the top two candidates for mayor were separated by just 21 votes. However, there were over 4,000 inactive ballots (voters who had chosen to not rank either of the two finalists). If voting is all about using one’s voice, Lockhart suggested that fully ranking every candidate on the ballot is voters’ best way to maximize that voice.

“If those voters had ranked more candidates, they would have been more relevant in that round,” he said about that Sandy mayoral race. l

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Herriman community invited to support Hearts of Gold

By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

T

he Hearts of Gold charity drive is in full swing at Herriman High School.

“We’re so so excited for this year because last year we couldn’t really do anything, so we actually have a pretty packed calendar,” student body service officer Peyton Bisquera said. “I feel like everything that we’ve been wanting to do, we’ve been able to fit it in somewhere.”

Charity events include community nights at restaurants and local businesses, as well as school events, such as an improv comedy night Dec. 10, Mr. Mustang pageant Dec. 13 and performing arts holiday concerts Dec. 7, 8, 14, 15

and 16.

Events and activities will be promoted through Skylert announcements, Instagram @ herrimanhigh2022 and at herrimanhigh.org.

HHS students will be offering Odd Jobs M-F, 5 p.m.- 8 p.m., from Nov. 28- Dec. 15.

“We go around to every house in the community and just offer to do services for them in exchange for money to go towards our charity,” sophomore class service officer Alayna Wardle said. Sometimes they’re asked to do chores (vacuum a room), or an act of service, (read a book to kids) or to sing a song or do push-ups

Last year’s Hearts of Gold charity drive earned $50,640. (Photo courtesy of Michael Wilkey.)

to earn a donation.

New this year is a partnership with Sponsr, a local fundraising company. Student’s family and friends sign up for a promotional appointment with local businesses for services such as solar panels and pest control. Hearts of Gold will receive a donation for each appointment and purchase made.

Students contribute to the charity drive by paying to participate in fundraising activities including sports tournaments (pickleball, spikeball and ping pong), lunch time activities and, new this year, a Questival in which they’ll complete as many activities as they can in a 12hour period.

“It’s really fun because it gets kids involved as well as raises money,” junior class service officer Lexi Berger said. “There really wasn’t a lot of chance for involvement last year, but I think the kids are super excited to have something that we can all do together to make a difference.”

HHS students look forward to Hearts of Gold season.

“We love to just give back,” said Molly Sattar, who became the senior service officer to be more involved in Hearts of Gold.

The money raised this year will benefit four local families who have children with cancer, through the Nixon Strong foundation, to provide prosthetics, pay for funeral expenses and grant wishes for terminal patients.

“We really want the experience where we can make real difference in specific people’s lives,” Berger said. “This money will go directly to these kids and we can see the good that it does for them. I think it helps kids realize what you can do when you put in the effort.”

Bisquera said Hearts of Gold benefits the families as well as HHS students, who get

Page 16 | December 2021

caught up in the spirit of giving.

Wardle believes it is even more important for students to be involved this year.

“There’s so much bad in the world and it’s a crazy time,” Wardle said. “And when you give to others and help others, it really unites the school because we’re all working towards one purpose, to help these families. You kind of forget about the bad and you just focus on all the good and the happy.” l

Direct donations to Nixon Strong Foundation can be made via Venmo.

Hearts of Gold merchandise can be purchased through this QR code.

Herriman City Journal

Beloved ballet returns to Capitol Theatre for the holidays

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@davisjournal.com

B

allet West’s most popular show and annual tradition, “The Nutcracker,” returns to the Capitol Theatre for live performances Dec. 4-26. It’s been two years since the holiday ballet was performed for a live audience, since COVID-19 shuttered entertainment venues in 2020.

Audiences are eager to get back to live ballet as more than 13,000 tickets have already been sold and this year’s performance of “The Nutcracker” is expected to bring in the highest level of sales in 25 years.

“Following the successful production of ‘Dracula,’ where many performances were sold out, demand for ‘The Nutcracker’ is expected to be high,” said Adam Sklute, Ballet West artistic director, in a media release. “We encourage all ‘Nutcracker’ fans to purchase tickets early so they have a seat and don’t miss out.”

Made possible through support from The George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, the $3 million production is a classic ballet in two acts based on the fairy tale by E.T.A. Hoffmann. The iconic score by Tchaikovsky will be performed live, featuring the Ballet West Orchestra.

Choreographed by Ballet West founder Willam Christensen, “The Nutcracker” has evening performances at 7 p.m., matinees at 2 p.m., and a special holiday matinee on Christmas Eve at noon.

Immediately following each matinee (except Dec. 24), Ballet West hosts a Sugar Plum Party where young audience members can join the Sugar Plum Fairy and other favorite characters from the ballet for a special treat.

“Each year, hundreds of Utah children from across the Wasatch Front audition for the opportunity to perform

Artists of Ballet West perform in “The Nutcracker” at Capitol Theatre. (Photo courtesy of Beau Pearson)

in Ballet West’s ‘The Nutcracker,’ with just over 100 children being selected for the coveted roles,” Sklute said.

“The story tells of a Christmas party at which little Clara, daughter of the house, receives the gift of a nutcracker from her mysterious uncle, Herr Drosselmeyer. After the

party, she falls asleep and dreams of snow castles, sugarplums, and her nutcracker, which has turned into a handsome prince.”

Ticket prices range from $25 to $104 and are available at BalletWest.org or 801-869-6900.l

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Season of Scarlett will strengthen school traditions

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By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

n Dec. 13, members of Mountain Ridge High School’s drill, dance and cheer teams will compete in a basketball game unlike any other this year. Spectators will have the power to influence the game, paying money to switch out players, or to distract one of the teams from scoring by requiring them to do a silly task.

“It’s not even real basketball,” said head cheerleader Hollie Makuakane, who participated in the fundraising game two years ago.

“You’re supposed to get the ball in the net, but half the time you have to army crawl or do cheer stunts. I remember just laughing the whole entire time.”

The entertaining basketball game is one of the big money-makers of MRHS’s Season of Scarlett charity drive.

“We didn’t get to do it last year, but our first year was huge,” SBO Vice President Rylie Schmidt said. “It’s very competitive and very fun.”

The winners of the game aren’t the team who makes the most baskets, but the team who gets the most donations, which will be given to Angel’s Hands Foundation to help families with children who have a rare or undiagnosed disability.

Other Season of Scarlett fundraising activities include a bingo night, volleyball tournament, hot chocolate drive thru and restaurant nights, where a portion of the restaurant’s proceeds will be donated to the charity.

Every evening from Nov. 29 to Dec. 17, groups of MRHS students will go door-todoor in the community to perform odd jobs and to collect donations.

Last year, students were unable to participate in Odd Jobs due to public safety concerns.

“Especially the seniors, having to miss out on their charity season—it was heartbreaking,” Schmidt said.

Traditions such as Season of Scarlett are how a school develops their culture, said Schmidt, but Mountain Ridge High hasn’t had an uninterrupted school year since it opened in 2019.

“With it being such a young school, our traditions aren’t really traditions yet,” Schmidt said. “Because last year, we couldn’t actually do anything and the year before it was the first year so there wasn’t a tradition.

So this is the first year that we’re trying to really emphasize those traditions.”

She hopes that students will be involved as much as they can in this year’s in-school and after school activities to develop stronger school spirit.

The effect the COVID-19 pandemic had on charity season last year, as well as other traditional high school activities, has been a unifying experience for the student body, said Schmidt.

“We all kind of came really close during COVID and during shutdowns, because we were all going through the same thing,” Schmidt said.

SBO adviser Richard Hoonakker said the frustrations of last year—not being able to execute their ideas—has made his 24 student government leaders even more enthusiastic about planning this year’s events. He said they are planning better, working harder, and staying after school longer.

“They are all self-motivated and I think it’s because they realized how much they value being able to work or being able to do something,” Hoonakker said.

Season of Scarlett is an important tradition because teenagers learn to work for something that’s bigger than themselves and see the impact they can have, Hoonakker said. The focus is more on the service they give than on the amount of money they raise.

“I want the kids to work their guts out and be proud of the amount they raise,” Hoonakker said. “I never want their success to be measured on the number.”

Still, the closing assembly, when the amount of money the students have raised is revealed, is a highlight of Season of Scarlett.

“I cannot describe the feeling of seeing that number and being able to present that check to that family, to know that we helped them and that they won’t have to stress for Christmas,” Schmidt said. “It’s an incredible feeling.” l

Mountain Ridge High student body officers held a trunk or treat event for the Angel’s Hands Foundation and chose them as the recipient of this year’s Seasons of Scarlett charity drive. (Photo courtesy of Richard Hoonakker.)

Page 18 | December 2021

Herriman City Journal

Immerse yourself in art at new Leonardo exhibit

By Justin Adams | justin.a@thecityjournals.com

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Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” fills the walls (and even the floor) of the Leonardo’s new IDEA space. (Justin Adams/City Journals)

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here’s a new way to experience classic works of art at the new IDEA space at the Leonardo museum in downtown Salt Lake City.

The acronym stands for “Immersive Digital Exploratory Art.” Occupying a large chunk of the museum’s second floor, the new space may seem sparse when the lights are on—large blank walls, a few mirrors, some benches and cushions for visitors to sit on. But turn off the lights and fire up the dozens of projectors strewn across the ceiling, and suddenly you’re flying through Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” or are nestled peacefully in Monet’s lush gardens.

Each scene of artwork transforms seamlessly into the next with animations that bring each piece to life.

Accompanying the artwork is an occasional voice-over that provides context for the artwork, but more often a piece of music; from classical music for the Romantic period to jazz music for the post-modern.

The exhibit, Immersive Art Series, was created by Universal Exhibition Group and has previously been shown in Moscow, Dubai, Belgium and Switzerland. The Leonardo will be its first home in North America.

The series consists of five shows, each centered around a different era or theme. The first show being played at the Leonardo is titled “Monet to Kandinsky” and features the work of “10 artists who revolutionized the art world.”

The next show that will be added to the rotation focuses on the Italian Renaissance. “[The Leonardo] is the perfect space for this because it’s all about science, technology

HerrimanJ ournal.com

and art and that’s exactly what this is all about,” said Steve Boulay, COO of Magic Space Entertainment, a local company who partnered with the Leonardo to build the IDEA space and bring the Immersive Art Series to Utah.

Although he’s surrounded by world class entertainment throughout his career of bringing Broadway productions to cities around the world, Boulay said there’s something “different” about this exhibit. In fact, he said he spent three hours just sitting in the space and enjoying the show all by himself.

Although the IDEA space was built with the Immersive Art Series in mind, Boulay and the Leonardo envision many other uses for their investment.

“If we have the space, we can also curate local content. We’re going to be able to do things like have shows based on Utah history or shows that highlight Utah artists,” he said.

“I think you’re going to see shows here for a decade, which is fantastic.”

The new space is also a perfect addition to the Leonardo as the country slowly emerges from the pandemic, said Executive Director Alex Hesse.

“This new space is very open, it’s ‘no touch,’ and we can also restrict how many people are inside. It’s a very COVID-friendly experience,” she said. “It also feels joyful, inspiring and uplifting and that feels very important to all of us at this time.”

Tickets for “Monet to Kandinsky” are now available through the Leonardo’s website, www.theleonardo.org. l

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Former NBA coach hosts basketball camp

By Catherine Garrett | c.garrett@mycityjournals.com

U

tah native Barry Hecker, who coached in the NBA for more than two decades, continues to teach the game of basketball to young players. During the winter holidays, he will host a camp Dec. 27-29 from 9-11 a.m. at the Sandy Recreation Center, located at 440 E. 8680 South for boys and girls in grades fourth through seventh.

“These camps are all about the basic fundamentals of basketball,” Hecker said. “We focus on quality fundamental instruction, we work hard with a lot of discipline and structure and we have a lot of fun. When these kids walk out of there, they know they’ve been taught and improved.”

The cost of the camp is $75. Registrations are open online by visiting www. sandy.utah.gov/registration and clicking on “Activity Registration.”

The veteran coach, who lives in Murray, said the values he has learned from his basketball coaching journey—beginning at Oxon Hill High School in Maryland and spanning through Salt Lake Community College and stints with the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies—are in-

HerrimanJ ournal.com

valuable. Being able to share those principles of hard work, teamwork, unselfishness and persistence, along with the physical skills of the game itself, with others thrills him.

“I don’t care who I coach or when I coach,” Hecker, who has worked with current Jazz players Mike Conley and Rudy Gay, said. “I simply enjoy teaching the game. It’s great to see a smile on someone’s face as they experience success. If you help somebody, you’ll be somebody.”

Hecker has conducted clinics all over the world for more than 40 years, including many since his retirement from coaching in the NBA. He said he particularly enjoys working with the youth.

“If you teach skills, that leads to confidence and that confidence can allow anyone to do anything they want,” he said. “I have more fun with young kids than with the pros. In the NBA, you have guys who are making millions and they don’t listen. These kids are making nothing and they’ll listen to you.” l Former NBA coach Barry Hecker, who has worked with current Jazz player Rudy Gay, has been hosting basketball camps for more than 40 years.

(Catherine Garrett/City Journals)

December 2021 | Page 21

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Life

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Laughter AND

by

PERI KINDER

I Saw Mommy Kicking Santa Claus

he holidays have arrived. Snow is falling, candles are aglow, the smell of cinnamon wafts through the air, and somewhere in Utah a middle-aged woman is screaming at a Walmart cashier because the store is out of the candied cherries she puts in her fruit cake.

Blame the supply chain, but it’s not just dried fruit running low; it’s patience, compassion and the ability to be a nice human being. If you’re on TikTok, along with videos of flying reindeer and holiday proposals, you’ll see flight attendants being punched, teachers yelling at students, customers throwing coffee at baristas and whales capsizing kayaks. Even whales have had enough.

You’d think being isolated last year would make us happier to interact with fellow humans this holiday season, but it seems to be the opposite. Social distancing and isolation has taken our stress levels to nuclear proportions. We’re reacting like the Tasmanian Devil, whirling ourselves off a cartoon cliff.

News programs broadcast warnings about packages stolen from porches and backseats, felons posing as Salvation Army bell-ringers and spiteful elves spying on children and reporting back to Santa.

Poor Kris Kringle will deliver a lot of coal this year . . . well, not coal because it’s

destroying the planet. Maybe since wind power is a sustainable coal alternative, Santa can bring naughty people a stiff, gusty breeze.

We’re living in a heightened state of fear, and fear is the opposite of what we should feel this time of year. This season of love and light and joy has been co-opted by those who would divide us. The farther apart we get, the less we are able to see each other.

Here’s an idea. What if we put all talk of politics on hold for December? That would be one month of no talking heads and finger-pointing and dire social media memes. What if we vowed to share only positive stories and heartwarming videos, and ban all holiday music featuring Alvin

and the Chipmunks?

Let’s use this time to digest more than nine pounds of mashed potatoes and three types of pie. Let’s digest how we’ve treated each other during the last year, and try to do better. Even I, a freakin’ humor columnist, have received more angry emails and phone calls in 2021 than the previous 17 years combined.

Whether it’s Democrats, Republicans, Big Bird, mask mandates, cancel culture or fruitcake, our division is growing. Any day, I’m expecting leaflets to be flung out of helicopters explaining how the COVID vaccine is turning us into carnivorous, zombie dinosaurs. Aren’t you tired of it all?

Remember when Christmas meant acts of service and goodwill to all mankind? What can you do to return to love this holiday season? Maybe less judgement and more connection. Maybe less yelling and more listening. Maybe it’s taking a plate of homemade cookies to a neighbor. Maybe it’s building a bridge instead of a wall. Maybe it's apologizing and swallowing our inflated egos.

This holiday season, it’s your job to love your neighbor, even the one you don’t agree with. Even the ones yelling at the Walmart cashier. They might need the most love of all.

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WHEN RUNNING 26.2 MILES IS NOT ENOUGH, TRY AN ULTRA MARATHON

By Karmel Harper | k.harper@mycityjournals.com

H

ow does a human being run 240 miles in just over four days? According to Herriman’s Mike Hawker, one step at a time. When 36-year-old Hawker isn’t spending time with his wife and 2 young girls, working at his tech job, or coaching basketball at Mountain Ridge High School, he is running.

Hawker has been playing sports his entire life. He has run two marathons. In the fall of 2018 Hawker completed his first ultra marathon, the Buffalo Run on Antelope Island, a 50 kilometer/31 mile event. As an ultra rookie, Hawker was not prepared. “I ran with road shoes even though this trail was mostly mountains. I kept thinking, ‘Why am I doing this? This is stupid,’” Hawker said Although Hawker performed well, finishing the race in 5 hours and 46 minutes and running the entire time-with the exception of a few uphills-he did not think he would ever do it again. He was wrong. Two days later, Hawker signed up to run 100 miles in another Antelope Island event the following March, giving him five months to train.

“After 31 miles, every step was uncharted territory because I never ran further than that. It was pouring rain and I didn’t know about changing my shoes or changing my socks.

The first 50 miles was awesome. But the second 50 miles was brutal. By mile 76 my toenails were falling off. But I kept going,” Hawker said.

With no sleep, Hawker finished the race in 29 hours. “Again I swore off the sport, I was in so much pain. I said ‘I will never do this again – ever,’” Hawker said. Once again, he was wrong.

Continued page 9 Ultra marathoners in the Moab 240 experienced incredible Utah scenery. (Photo courtesy of Mike Hawker.)

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