Blankets by Brian shaped by craft and memory
By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com
Long before he created Blankets by Brian, Brian Severson used sewing as a way to connect with the people he loved the most.
Growing up in Heber, which was then a small, rural community, Severson often felt excluded but his Grandma Beverly and Grandma Bonnie took him under their wings. Their unconditional love and easy companionship taught him a deep appreciation for quilting, sewing, crocheting and Doris Day.
Even his Blankets by Brian logo is a tribute to their memory, a lower case “b” (for Brian) nestled between two capital “B”s.
“They were my best friends and the inspiration for my sewing,” he said. “My grandmas were always my shield. They never treated me like a child. I was always their equal. We talked and, wow, we laughed so hard.”
Those hours spent with his grandmothers, creating items with thread and fabric, would later shape Severson’s career path. When he discovered the ultra-soft minky fabric he became obsessed with the plush texture and would splurge on yards of the material. Severson started Blankets by Brian in 2015, creating products that rival his biggest competitors.
When his best friend was going through a terrible divorce, he made her a minky blanket with customized charms sewn into the seams. The charms represented things that mattered most to her. Severson wanted the blanket to be more than a comfort, but a reminder that life is worth living.
“I told her, ‘Look, you’re crashing. You’re not even at zero. You’re negative, like you’ve got nothing. All I need you to do is this. You just need to get back to zero to survive. And so the challenge is to look through or feel through the seam of the blanket and find the charms.’”
Severson runs his company out of his Midvale home, where he lives with his husband, George. He even used his Grandma Bonnie’s original WWII-era Singer sewing machine when he first started, before upgrading to an industrial machine.
His handcrafted, creative and innovative products are made with luxurious minky fabrics including wraps that button around the shoulders, a travel blanket that comes with a minky pouch that doubles as a pillow, and blankets in all sizes. He also has a line of fidget blankets, perfect for neurodivergent or autistic children and adults.
“A friend of mine works with neurodivergent kids and said she could use a fidget toy because the kids have so much energy, it’s like running an engine at full speed in a car that’s on blocks,” Severson said. “But fidget toys are often loud and distracting to other kids. So I worked it out, and I made this fidget blanket that was quiet. You can put it on your lap or on your desk.”
The minky fidget blankets come in two sizes, a hand-held mini-fidget and a lapsized meditation maze. Both blankets are lined in satin and have free-floating marbles sewn into the layers.
“The big one has a maze and you push the marbles through the maze,” he said. “Then it has the embroidery, the satin, a furry side and a flat fur on the other side.
There’s just so many different tactile things going on there that if you’re fidgety, you’re going to be good.”
Severson said he has a blanket for every budget, desire and theme, from holiday blankets to fan art. With every product handmade with care, he thinks his grandmothers would be proud.
“Everything goes through my hands,” he said. “I’m not a mass-producing blanket store. I think about every blanket that I’m making, then I wrap it up in a ribbon. When you buy one of my blankets, it’s made locally and you support local.”
To learn more about his products, visit BlanketsByBrian.com. l
Using bolts of luxurious minky fabric, Brian Severson makes customized blankets, wraps and fidgets. (Peri Kinder/City Journals)
COMMON GROUND
I can’t afford YOUR tax bill
Common Ground will be a column of rotating viewpoints that highlight specific feelings across the political spectrum, and it will always end with possible ways to come together.
Thousands of Utahns put down their phones from their doomscrolling and rage-baiting, to create vulgar poster boards and attend the No King rallies. Because Salt Lake City found it acceptable to shut down blocks of State Street, I watched the crowd waving their signs and chanting as they made their way to the State Capitol.
It was the weekend, and I wanted to be home. I had no desire to sit behind a police roadblock, watching people chanting and waving their signs. But I was working that day, or at least trying to work.
This was the end of a 60-hour work week for me, making sure we covered expenses and payroll for my business, trying to eke out just enough for me to get my bills covered. Then a question took over, a question that nearly every middle-aged, middle-income man finds themselves asking, “What am I doing here? Why am I working so hard?”
Could it be that I’m working so hard just to pay the bills of others?
Look at the facts. The national debt is $40 trillion. The Utah State Budget is over $31 billion. Salt Lake County increased property taxes by 14.65%, with a budget of over $2 billion.
How did we get here?
Let’s look close to home. Let’s start with Salt Lake County. We have a nine-member council, with five republicans, four democrats and a Democratic mayor.
Collectively (8-1), the council approved a $2 billion budget that significantly raised property taxes.
Earlier this year, Salt Lake County Council Members tried to cut the budget, proposing the shuttering of a county-operated senior center and child care facility. Then, all those who have had their hands out for
MIDVALE TEAM
The Midvale Journal is a monthly publication distributed directly to residents via the USPS as well as locations throughout Midvale. The views and opinions expressed in display advertisements do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions held by Loyal Perch Media or the City Journals. This publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the owner.
© 2026 Loyal Perch Media, Inc.
John J. Walker Common Ground
years popped out of the cookie-jar, insisting they keep getting their subsidized child care or, in some instances, their jobs.
I watched the parents argue for continued services at below market rates, as if society and the taxpayers were somehow responsible for providing them with subsidized child care.
The same tiny violins were played throughout the legislative session earlier this year, with state legislators lined up to bring bills that would stick the Utah taxpayers with subsidizing or paying more money for child care, more money for property tax deferment/credits and more money for down payments for first-time home buyers, paying more money for Medicaid, more money for the homeless, more money for Title 1 schools, mental health treatments and food pantries.
Have we lost our conservative way of life here in Utah? Are we slowly drifting away from our base and sliding into the pit that California has become?
How much more can we afford? For me the answer is none.
Common Ground: In my late 20s, I asked a friend a question. What is the difference between a Republican and a Democrat? I will never forget his answer, “If you are a Republican in your 20s, you don’t have a heart; if you’re a Democrat in your 30s, you don’t have a brain.” At the time, it made sense; now that I’m in my 40s, it makes a whole lot less sense.
I like to think most of us have brains and hearts, all at the same time.
PUBLISHER
Bryan Scott | bryan.s@thecityjournals.com
EDITOR
Travis Barton | travis.b@thecityjournals.com
ADVERTISING EXECUTIVES
Mieka Sawatzki | mieka.s@thecityjournals.com
Ryan Casper | ryan.c@thecityjournals.com
Marc Davis | marc.d@thecityjournals.com
CLIENT SERVICES
Lydia Rice | lydia.r@thecityjournals.com 385-557-1022
Big expenses for the general population are best paid for by taxes, such as the military or highways. I am happy to pay my share of taxes to build roads and bridges. I surely don’t want to pay fees at a toll booth.
Sometimes having a monopoly makes sense. I guess the city could stop collecting trash and each home could pay a company to pick up the trash from their home. But I would imagine that would be less efficient and more expensive.
I’m curious to know what residents feel is the purpose of local, county and state government. I think most would agree on roads, bridges, trash pick-up, dumps, water infrastructure and more. But how do we really feel about child care, senior centers, golf courses, zoos, museums, and theaters?
My fear is that when the economy is prospering, we vote yes on these expenses, but now that cost of living has increased and people are struggling more, we are less likely to support these governmental expenses. l
From the Publisher:
Last month, the City Journals launched Common Ground. The column will tackle typically divisive political topics, with a focus to bring the community together. It’s our goal to help community members better understand how their neighbors feel.
We had a large response from readers. With over 100 emails, several mailed letters and phone calls, we consider month one a success. Peri submitted her opinion about local immigration legislation that was proposed during the 2026 legislative session earlier this year. The responses were largely favorable for the Common Ground article, with both supporting and dissenting comments on Peri’s first
submission. Unfortunately, we had some readers who simply were not interested in hearing how their neighbors felt.
The general tone of the dissenting readers was that Peri did not distinguish between legal and illegal immigrants. One commenter wrote, “First, let’s address the elephant in the room. Kinder’s commentary never used the words illegal immigrants…But illegal immigration is the issue the Utah legislature is trying to address.”
Other dissenting views included the large amounts of tax money spent each year supporting and aiding illegal immigrants.
Those who supported Peri’s comments were appreciative of having their views represented, they also commented about how immigration is the “American Way,” a nation built by immigrants. From a workforce perspective, they said our economy needs immigrants and their willingness to take less desirable jobs at lower wages. Others supported immigration from the perspective that fertility rates in the United States are decreasing and our economy is essentially centered on population growth.
Where people did agree was that Congress needs to work together to create effective policies around immigration on a national level, and that those laws need to be consistently enforced and adhered to from administration to administration. One reader wrote, “This is the key to solving our immigration dilemma.”
Hopefully, this fall as we select candidates to represent Utah in Congress, we all remember that we need Congress to fix the immigration issue.
— Bryan Scott
CIRCULATION COORDINATOR
Lindsay Andreasen | lindsay.a@thecityjournals.com Rack locations are also available on our website.
EDITORIAL & AD DESIGN
Stacey LaMont Ty Gorton
MIDVALE CITY JOURNAL
9500 South 500 West, Suite 205 Sandy, UT 84070
PHONE: 801-254-5974
MISSION STATEMENT
Our mission is to inform and entertain our community while promoting a strong local economy via relevant content presented across a synergetic network of print and digital media.
&
Copper Rock golf championship set for May 14-16
The road to the LPGA Tour begins with the Epson Tour, and again this month, 132 of the best female golfers on the planet will reconvene for the Copper Rock Championship May 14-16 in Hurricane, Utah. Golfers will compete for $250,000 in prize money and points in the season-long Epson Tour standings.
There were 15 players who gained LPGA status during last year’s Epson Tour season, and 13 of them finished in the top 30 at Copper Rock in 2025. Champion Gina Kim won twice on the Epson last season and is now playing on the LPGA Tour.
Exemptions this year went to four golfers:
Navy Hubbs is a junior at Salem Hills High School who has verbally committed to Boise State University. She started playing golf at the age of 12 and quickly developed a passion for the game. Since then, she has enjoyed competing in both local and national tournaments, gaining valuable experience and continually challenging herself against strong competition.
Hubbs is known for her calm presence on the course and the strong work ethic she brings to improving her game. She approaches competition with focus and determination while enjoying the process of learning and growing as a golfer and developing friendships with others on and off the course.
Maria Jose “MJ” Barragan is a standout collegiate golfer for Brigham Young University, known for her consistency, competitiveness and upward trajectory on the women’s golf scene. A native of Morelia, Mexico, Barragan has quickly become one of BYU’s most impactful players, combining sharp scoring with a calm mindset under pressure. She owns a career-low 18-hole score of 68 (4-under) and a lowest 54-hole score of 210 (−6), achieved at the 2024 Red Raider Invitational where she claimed her best finish with a victory. Barragan has also
Utah golf, recognized for her competitive excellence and advocacy for women’s golf. An inaugural member of the women’s golf team at Dixie State University (now Utah Tech), she was a two-time PacWest Conference Champion, Conference Player of the Year and an All-American.
She competed professionally on the Cactus Tour and is a seven-time Utah PGA Women’s Player of the Year (2019-25), a four-time Women’s Utah PGA Match Play Champion, and the 2025 Utah Section Assistant Professional of the Year. Her career includes numerous Utah Section victories, multiple top-10 finishes in both men’s and women’s events, and an overall championship at The Copper Club Open.
posted strong rounds in key events including the opening rounds of the 2025 San Diego State Classic and the 2025 Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational, and she played a pivotal role in BYU’s 2025 USF Invitational win with a 72-73-69 (214) performance.
Off the course, Barragan is equally distinguished. She’s majoring in pre-business and has earned recognition for her academic achievements, being named to the 2025 CSC Academic All-District team. In amateur golf, she finished runner-up at the 2025 Women’s Mexico Amateur in a dramatic playoff and represented Mexico at the Pan American Games in Paraguay, showcasing her talent on the international stage.
Gabby Barker is a professional golfer known for her resilience, consistency and purpose-driven approach to the game.
A standout junior and collegiate competitor, Barker built her foundation through
years of high-level tournament play before turning professional and committing fully to the grind of tour golf. Since turning pro, Barker has competed across multiple professional circuits, including the Epson Tour and various mini tours, steadily gaining experience at the highest levels of women’s golf.
Her career has been shaped by perseverance, adaptability and a deep belief in long-term growth — both on and off the course. In addition to her competitive career, Barker is the first female Native American professional golfer, a milestone she carries with pride and responsibility. She uses her platform to inspire younger athletes, advocate for representation in golf, and share the realities of pursuing a professional sports career.
Haley Sturgeon is an accomplished golf professional and respected leader in
There are always so many things to enjoy during and around the Copper Rock Championship. On Tuesday, May 12, RAM Aerospace presents the 2026 RAM Women’s Business Luncheon. The theme is “Rising Together: Personal Growth and Professional Influence.” Keynote speaker is Stephanie Palmer, Director of Radio Sales for KSL NewsRadio, FM 100.3, The Arrow and the KSL Sports Zone. Whitney Harris, Director of People and Culture at RAM Aviation, will join in that discussion. The luncheon will run from 11:15 a.m. to 1 p.m.
A free Junior Clinic will be held on Championship Saturday, May 16, at noon. Signups for the clinic and RSVP for the luncheon can be made at Copperrockchampionship.com. There will also be a free photo booth on Championship Saturday, and food trucks will be onsite including Corn Dog Company and Chicharos Tacos.
To get tickets to the tournament go to Copperrockchampionship.com and choose from General Admission, Club 17 or Copper Rock Club tickets, and the website details those options.
Copper Rock is located at 1567 W. Copper Rock Parkway in Hurricane. l
2025 Champion Gina Kim (Courtesy Copper Rock) Young golfers can participate in a free Junior Clinic on Championship Saturday at noon.
Haley Sturgeon Maria Jose “MJ” Barragan Gabby Barker Navy Hubbs
Canyons District promotes from within as familiar face takes the helm
Longtime Canyons educator McKay Robinson steps into district’s top role in a rapid transition with Supt. Rick Robins’ retirement announcement.
By Julie Slama j.slama@mycityjournals.com
Aleadership
change at one of Utah’s largest school districts is unfolding quickly, but for those in the district, it feels like a natural step.
On March 19, Canyons Board of Education appointed longtime educator McKay Robinson as the next Canyons School District superintendent, selecting a familiar face to guide the district through its pivotal period of proposed boundary changes and school closures as enrollment declines and at the same time, developing an innovation center to bring a new approach of education to students.
Robinson will succeed Supt. Rick Robins, who on March 6 announced his retirement effective June 30. Robins, who has been with the district since 2020, was unavailable for comment.
The appointment was made after what board leaders described as “careful consideration” and breaks from a traditional national search process. Instead, board members opted for continuity, elevating a leader who already is embedded in the district’s mission.
“As the board got talking, we were all on the same page,” Canyons Board of Education President Amber Shill said. “We thought, we have the best person internally, and he’s the right person for the job at the right time, so it all aligned. He’s already in tune with what’s happening. He knows our district inside and out, and he knows what our goals are and what we’re working on. He can hit the ground running on the first day.”
Robinson, a 25-year educator and current assistant superintendent, will become the fifth chief executive overseeing the district’s 47 schools and programs while continuing implementation of its long-term strategic plan.
“Dr. Robinson has the vision, relationships and community trust we need to build on our success,” Shill said.
For Robinson, the appointment 13 days after Robins’ retirement announcement came as a surprise.
“It did happen very quickly; this is totally unexpected,” he said.
His path to the top job has been shaped by decades in classrooms and school leadership, but also by an influential time in his own childhood.
“My parents divorced when I was 7 years old and going into third grade; fortunately for me, in that third-grade school year, I had a teacher, Mr. Miner, who knew my circumstance, knew what I was going through,” Robinson said. “He truly became so much more
On March 19, Canyons Board of Education appointed longtime educator McKay Robinson as the next Canyons School District superintendent. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
than just a teacher. He became an advocate, a champion, one who was constantly pushing me to be the best that I could actually be.”
At the end of third grade, he knew he “was going to be Mr. Miner one day.”
“That ultimately became my goal, and I never deviated from that. I pursued that from the time I left third grade,” he said.
That experience continues to shape how he views his work.
“It’s a never-ending quest for me. I wouldn’t be here where I am today without the exceptional teachers throughout my life. Mr. Miner was that starting point, but there were so many more along the way, and I’ve always believed in providing that same type of opportunity,” he said.
Robinson holds an Associate’s degree from Snow College, a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Korean from Utah State University, a Master’s degree in Teaching from Grand Canyon University and a Master’s in Educational Leadership from Brigham Young University, and a Doctorate in K-12 Leadership and Policy from the University of Utah.
“I’ve graduated from the three major universities in the state,” he said. “I bleed red, always have, but I have a special place for the blue because of my experiences at
Utah State and BYU.”
Robinson began his career teaching at Sprucewood Elementary in Sandy, then instructed at Butterfield Canyon in Herriman when it first opened. He then served as elementary principal at Sandy Elementary and Lone Peak Elementary, also in Sandy, and became Canyons’ director of elementary schools. He has received multiple awards as an outstanding administrator.
Colleagues say he’s a visible, approachable leader focused on students.
“He’s a great listener,” Principal Shad DeMill said. “He does a great job to be able to step back and see all different perspectives of parents, teachers and kids without being judgmental and making good decisions in that way. His focus is on kids and what they need most is right there at the forefront.”
Others emphasized his presence in schools and ability to connect.
“He shows up,” Eastmont Principal Stacy Kurtzhals said. “He supports what’s happening in schools and he calls people by name throughout the school district.”
Director of Elementary Schools’ Alice Meridth said his dedication extends to everyone throughout the district.
“McKay is truly rooted in making sure that everything we do is what is ultimately
best for kids,” she said. “He’s committed to making sure that staff have the tools that they need to be successful. He genuinely loves this district; he’s our biggest champion, and at the same time, he’s the most humble, down-toearth, in-the-trenches person.”
Shill said those qualities along with his leadership with district plans such as Canyons’ COVID-19 response and strategic planning efforts made him the clear choice to lead upcoming initiatives, including the development of Canyons Innovation Center, potential boundary changes and ongoing enrollment challenges.
Robinson is ready to build on the foundation already in place, including that of the strategic plan and innovation center.
“The opportunities are endless in that regard, and so I’m really just trying to help carry that vision forward,” he said. “Dr. Robins did a great job.”
Robins’ six-year tenure was marked by both disruption and progress. Taking the helm in the summer of 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, he guided the district through unprecedented challenges while expanding employee supports, leading the creation of the district’s first strategic plan and overseeing several school construction and renovation projects.
“The vision of the innovation center is his idea,” Shill said. “We wanted a strategic plan, which Rick led us out on that. Our strategic plan is in place, and it’s not something that’s on the shelf; we’re continually using it. Rick has been a very collaborative leader who brought people together to make decisions. He cares about the district, the people.” Colleagues say Robins’ leadership centered on listening and relationships.
“He listened,” Canyons Business Administrator and CFO Leon Wilcox said. “A lot of superintendents don’t listen like he did, and he made changes where he could wellness rooms, teen centers, employee daycare, pay raises. He did anything he could do to make life better for our kids and our employees.”
As the district prepares for its next chapter, Robinson said he hopes to carry that same focus forward.
“Dr. Robins genuinely cared about people. That’s something I hope to carry on,” he said. “I genuinely care about our people and want what’s best for them.”
With the transition underway, district leaders say the goal is clear: maintain momentum while continuing to put students at the center of every decision.
Robinson is an avid cyclist who has raced in the 200-mile Logan to Jackson, Wyoming (LoToJa) eight times, but now takes 30- to 100-mile weekend road rides with his wife, Dixie. This spring break, they will complete their goal to see every major league baseball team play in their home stadium. l
Construction contractor begins Midvale Public Works expansion
The project includes the construction of a vehicle repair shop, a car wash and a wastewater treatment station.
By Giovanni Radtke g.radtke@mycityjournals.com
City lawmakers approved a contract on March 24 with Big-D Construction to conduct the expansion of Midvale’s Public Works division
The construction firm will demolish some of the buildings at the Public Works campus to make way for its new facilities. The expansion project includes installing a wastewater treatment station, a vehicle repair shop and a specialized car wash next to a newly constructed storage space for the department’s fleet and equipment.
Big-D will also add about 13,500 square feet of office space to Public Works’ administration building. Administrative staff will work at City Hall and the community center as the additional workspace is under construction, according to Big-D’s proposal.
The department’s renovations are fully funded, with $18 million coming from a bond and an additional $5 million from city funds, according to Jerimie Thorne, deputy director of Public Works. Big-D’s role in the
expansion is budgeted at $17 million under the contract.
Midvale tapped the architecture firm Galloway and Company to develop a master plan for the expansion in 2024. The city teamed up with Galloway again in May 2025 to further flesh out the firm’s blueprint and prepare bidding documents.
A total of 18 companies submitted bids for the construction project, according to the Midvale City Selection Committee’s award justification memo.
The committee “narrowed it down to the top four with the initial scoring being a very small margin,” Thorne told the council in March. “We felt it was necessary to do due diligence and making sure we selected the right contractor on this project.”
The main selling point of Big-D’s bid was a construction schedule that would finish up earlier than other proposals, the memo states.
The proposal also notes Big-D’s experience working with Galloway and highlights nine projects when the two companies worked in tandem.
“Most notably, Big-D and Galloway are currently partnering on the Murray City Public Works Facility, a project with remarkable similarities to the Midvale expansion,” the bid filing states. “The lessons learned and
best practices from that ongoing collaboration will directly benefit this project.”
“When teams know each other well, projects run more smoothly,” it continued. “We are able to anticipate needs, resolve issues quick-
ly, and focus our collective energy on delivering the best possible outcome for the owner rather than learning how to work together.”
Construction on the Public Works campus is scheduled to finish in January 2028.l
Midvale’s Public Works department located at 8196 S. Main St. (Giovanni Radtke/City Journals)
Joint Replacement
TA New Chapter for Pain-Free Living: Modern Joint Replacement at CommonSpirit
ired of nagging joint pain dictating your life?
The good news: joint replacement surgery has made significant advancements in recent years. Forget the daunting tales of long hospital stays and arduous recoveries. Surgery today is all about quicker recovery, less pain, and a faster return to the activities you love. This isn’t just about fixing a joint; it’s about reclaiming your freedom, and CommonSpirit is at the forefront of this transformation.
What’s driving this revolution? Minimally invasive techniques. Imagine surgery with smaller incisions and less disruption to your muscles and tissues. This “less is more” approach translates directly into less post-operative pain, reduced blood loss, and significantly shorter hospital stays.
“Joint replacement surgery once meant a long, difficult recovery. Now, thanks to minimally invasive techniques, patients are getting back on their feet and regaining their independence far more quickly, significantly improving their quality of life,” said Michael Blatter, an orthopedic surgeon at Holy Cross Hospital – Davis.
This means you can get back to golfing, gardening, playing with grandkids with renewed vigor.
But the journey to rapid recovery begins even
before surgery. We believe in empowering our patients, and that’s why pre-operative education is a cornerstone of our approach. Our comprehensive classes walk you through every step, covering everything from physical therapy exercises and navigating stairs to home safety. We emphasize two crucial rules: no falls and no infections. Patients consistently tell us they feel better prepared and more confident heading into surgery, which dramatically improves their outcomes.
Our commitment to your well-being extends with Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols. This isn’t just about the surgery itself; it’s a carefully coordinated care pathway. ERAS focuses on preparing your body for a smoother recovery through optimized nutrition, multimodal pain management that reduces reliance on opioids, and getting you up and moving just hours after surgery. It all works together to reduce complications, enhance your comfort, and get you home safely and sooner.
And speaking of cutting-edge, robot-assisted surgery has become a game-changer. While a surgeon is always in control, robotic systems provide unparalleled precision, allowing for less invasive procedures, greater accuracy in implant
placement, and ultimately, quicker recovery times. This advanced technology ensures your joint replacement is tailored with remarkable exactness.
“Many joint replacement procedures can now be done same day. And with our current techniques and technologies, we are able to facilitate a quicker recovery and healing process for joint replacement. Our patients are able to get back to the activities they enjoy more quickly. For many of our patients, joint replacement is a game changer,” said Dr. Kevin Sagers, an orthopedic surgeon at Holy Cross Hospital – Jordan Valley.
At CommonSpirit, we understand that living with joint pain can feel limiting. But with these modern advancements, the path to renewed mobility and a significantly improved quality of life is clearer and more accessible than ever. We’re dedicated to providing not just exceptional medical care, but a supportive and empowering experience that truly makes a difference. If you’re ready to explore how modern joint replacement can transform your life, we invite you to discover the CommonSpirit difference – where your rapid recovery is our priority.
For more information or to find a provider visit mountain.commonspirit.org
Learn more about the services, care providers and mission-driven work of the Holy Cross hospitals and CommonSpirit Health at www.holycrossutah.org.
At CommonSpirit Health, we make the healing presence of God known in our world by improving the health of the people we serve, especially those who are vulnerable, while we advance social justice for all.
When minutes
count, count on our emergency care. Get to know us before you need us.
When you need emergency care fast, the closest emergency room is a smart thing to know. You never know the level of care you’ll need when an emergency happens and choosing the right ER can make all the difference. And a hospital ER comes with the confidence of additional services right on-site.
CommonSpirit Holy Cross Hospital – Salt Lake has been awarded Chest Pain Center Accreditation from the American College of Cardiology (ACC). Facilities that achieve accreditation meet or exceed an array of stringent criteria for evaluating, diagnosing and treating patients who may be experiencing a heart attack. Find emergency care close to you at mountain.commonspirit.org
MIDVALE CITY DIRECTORY
City Hall
801-567-7200
Finance/Utilities 801-567-7200
Court 801-567-7265
City Attorney’s O ce 801-567-7250
City Recorder/Human Resources 801-567-7228
Community Development 801-567-7211
Public Works 801-567-7235
Ace Disposal/Recycling 801-363-9995
Midvale Historical Museum 801-567-7285
Midvale Senior Center ....................... 385-468-3350
SL County Animal Services .............. 385-468-7387
Communications ................................. 801-567-7230
MIDVALE CITY ELECTED OFFICIALS
Mayor - Dustin Gettel
Email: Dgettel@midvaleut.gov
CITY COUNCIL
District 1 - Bonnie Billings
Email: Bbillings@midvaleut.gov
District 2 - Paul Glover
Email: Pglover@midvaleut.gov
District 3 - Heidi Robinson
Email: Hrobinson@midvaleut.gov
District 4 - Bryant Brown
Email: Bbrown@midvaleut.gov
District 5 - Denece Mikolash
Email: Dmikolash@midvaleut.gov
WHO TO CALL FOR…
Water Bills ............................................... 801-567-7200
Ordering A New Trash Can 801-567-7202
Permits 801-567-7214
Court ........................................................ 801-567-7265
Paying For Tra c School 801-567-7202
Business Licensing 801-567-7213
Cemetery ................................................ 801-567-7235
Planning and Zoning 801-567-7238
Code Enforcement 801-567-7208
Building Inspections........................... 801-567-7214
Graffiti 385-468-9769
PUBLIC SAFETY & EMERGENCY CONTACTS
EMERGENCY 911
Police Dispatch ..................................... 801-840-4000
Fire Dispatch ......................................... 801-940-4000
Uni ed Police Department
> Midvale Precinct 385-468-9350
Public Works 801-567-7235
Rocky Mountain Power 877-508-5088
In The Middle of Everything
City Hall – 7505 South Holden Street • Midvale, UT 84047
Midvale Monthly with Mayor Gettel
CITY
Working Together to Conserve Water
Like most communities across Utah, Midvale is facing a challenging water year. A record-dry winter and below-normal snowpack have left us with signi cantly less natural water to rely on as we head into the warmer months. Because of these conditions, the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District (JVWCD) and its member agencies, including Midvale, have declared a Water Supply Availability Level 2 (Severe). This means communities across the region must work together to reduce water use by 10% to protect our shared supply and prevent reservoir levels from dropping too low.
This is not just a city issue; it’s a community e ort. We’re asking residents, businesses, and government agencies alike to take part, with a particular focus on outdoor watering, which accounts for about 60% of our water use.
What This Means for You
At this time, we are not enforcing mandatory restrictions. However, we are asking everyone in Midvale to make thoughtful adjustments to how and when water is used, especially outdoors.
If needed, trees, perennials, vegetable gardens, and newly planted landscaping (less than two years old) can be watered by hand.
May 15 – September 15: Water Less
Once watering begins, we encourage you to:
• Limit watering to no more than two days per week or reduce your current watering schedule by at least one day
• Prioritize trees, plants, and gardens over lawns
These small changes, when adopted across the community, can signi cantly reduce overall water use.
What the City Is Doing
Midvale City is taking these same conservation steps in our own operations.
• The City will not begin routine watering until May 15; however, sod at the cemetery may be watered as needed.
• Some high-activity or functional turf areas, like sports elds, may receive limited watering to remain safe and usable
As part of this e ort, the City has implemented a 25% drought surcharge on tiered water usage, e ective May 1, 2026.
This approach is designed to encourage conservation while keeping things fair:
• Your base monthly water charge ($30) remains the same
• The surcharge applies only to water usage, not the base fee
• The more water used, the higher the impact on your bill
In simple terms, using water e ciently keeps costs down, while excessive use will cost more. It’s a way to align our shared goal of conservation with everyday choices at home and in business.
Simple Changes That Make a Big Di erence
We’re asking residents to start with a few straightforward steps:
Now – May 15: Wait to Water
Please delay outdoor watering until May 15. In most cases, early spring watering isn’t necessary. Cooler temperatures and natural moisture are usually enough to support lawns coming out of dormancy.
We’re working to strike a balance, reducing water use while maintaining the public spaces our community relies on.
Why This Matters
Water is one of our most important shared resources. Acting now helps us:
• Stretch limited supplies through the summer
• Protect long-term water reliability
• Avoid stricter restrictions later
This isn’t about perfection, it’s about being mindful. If each of us makes a few small adjustments, the collective impact is signi cant.
Moving Forward Together
Midvale has always been a community that steps up when it matters. This is one of those times.
I’m asking you to be thoughtful in your water use, look for opportunities to conserve, and help us protect this essential resource, not just for today, but for the future.
Learn more at Midvale.Utah.gov/Drought.
In The Middle of Everything
Building a Better, More E cient Public Works
We’re transforming the Public Works center. The reconstruction isn’t about upgrading, or even about repairs. It’s about creating a space that makes sense and has enough space for equipment and supplies now, and for the next 50 years.
“It’s about being able to perform our work,” Midvale’s Public Works Director Glen Kennedy said.
What you see when you drive by is the newest part of the building. Behind it is a jumble of an old dog pound, a 60-year-old building, a broken wash bay, a crumbling garage and temporary tents.
We may have enough oor space for our trucks, but some of them are so big, the garage doors don’t shut. Why is that a problem? When our trucks are exposed to freezing temperatures, or hot sun, they are damaged and worn down faster. New storage space will prevent damage and save the City costly repair money. And, many of our trucks need to be cleaned after each use. More space will make cleaning faster.
“The new wash bay will have a catwalk so the guys can get above it and wash out their ten-wheelers,” Kennedy said.
Rather than a temporary tent over our salt storage, we’ll have permanent storage. We will have more room for parking for public events. We will have more space
for trucks and supplies. Our city is growing and so are the residents’ needs.
Construction Begins
Making more parking for visitors is our rst task this summer. This fall, we will start work on a new eet shop.
While you might not notice a lot of change in your daily life during construction, what you will notice as we near completion is this: Your snow plows are out earlier. Your street sweepers come by sooner. Your crews respond to water leaks faster.
“They’re going to see an increase in service level and more availability,” Kennedy said. “They’ll see more e ciency, because right now we spend a signi cant amount of time maintaining the site and jumping over ourselves here, which takes us away from our real duties.”
Keeping Costs Down
Public Works has been planning this redesign for the last six years, budgeting and making choices that will bene t the employees and the residents.
Part of any city’s planning includes an RFP, a request for proposals. This gives many businesses the opportunity to o er their services. “We had 18 proposals submitted and we had a committee that reviewed all those,” Jerimie Thorne, Deputy Public Works Director said. “We chose the best one that ts our needs and is most quali ed to be our contractor.”
“While we have the design mapped out, the budget approved by the City Council, the contractor has “design assistance.” “They can help with concepts and di erent building techniques that help save us money,” Thorne said.
Some of the buildings are new and will stay where they are. The plans take the good things about what is already there, and replace what is broken.
“The new Public Works facility is ultimately about better serving the community—faster response times, more e cient operations, and a stronger ability to maintain the infrastructure people rely on every day,” Kennedy said. “By investing in modern equipment, centralized operations, and a space designed for the work we are tasked with, we’re ensuring that our team can deliver higher-quality service, improve safety, and be more responsive to residents’ needs both now and in the future.”
MAY 2026 CITY NEWSLETTER
MIDVALE. UTAH. GOV
Employee Spotlight: Steve Busch
Steve Busch, Midvale’s Engineering Project Manager, treats the city’s infrastructure like his classic cars and custom guitars: he knows where to put the pressure and which chord to strike to keep everything humming. Busch has worked for Midvale for 28 years and 5 months.
He started by digging graves in Midvale City Cemetery. “I started o digging graves,” Busch said. “My boss, the city sexton, said, ‘It’s got to be perfect or you’re digging somebody else up.’”
He then moved on to replacing broken sidewalks, caring for water pipes, cleaning and repairing stormwater drains. For the last 10 years he has managed engineering projects for the city. Even after almost three decades, he says, “I like coming to work. Every day is a new adventure.”
Midvale’s Engineering Department is where stormwater plans, development plans, and capital projects meet. Steve and his coworkers make sure the math is correct and the chemistry is stable when putting in pipes and roads. If engineering doesn’t do its job, the whole city crumbles, literally.
How do Steve and the Engineering team keep the city from crumbling?
They follow APWA (American Public Works Association) guidelines, the gold standard and o cial rules for public works.
Water needs to ow downhill. Pipes need to be made out of durable materials. Sidewalks need to slope and curve just right for easy walking, for kids on bikes and for wheelchairs.
“Durable materials” means the pipe can handle what is inside and outside it. This also means the right connections and ttings, and from the right company. “We’re just not going to Home Depot and picking up the lowest-priced pipe to put in there,” Branden Anderson, Midvale’s City Engineer, said. “We’re getting the right boxes from certi ed suppliers and the right kind of concrete that’s got the right strength that’s coming from a certi ed plant.”
When Busch isn’t at work, he’s probably in his garage under the hood of his favorite cars. His collection includes a 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 XL, 1966 Ford Mustang, 1971 Dodge Challenger, 1972 Chevrolet Nova, and 2016 Dodge Challenger Scat Pack.
Or maybe you’ll nd him at band practice on the guitar or bass. He has recorded ve albums with his band, and has played at the Salt Palace, The Depot, The Metro, Vegas, and our very own Pearl on Main.
Music and city engineering aren’t typical skills you’d nd in the same person, but for Busch, they are both about people and coordination.
“You just have to be able to coordinate and get along with the other guys in the band,” Busch said. “I think that helps me out in my job here because there’s a million ways to build stu but there’s only one right way to do it, and that’s what the APWA says.“
Busch has engineered Midvale’s streets with more than dirt and piping. He has built them on a lifetime of steady work. He is a man who knows the grit and grime of the streets, speaks fondly of his muscle cars and enjoys playing heavy metal music. Yet when he talked about his early days and the city’s loyalty to him during hard times, Steve grew quiet and teared up. He didn’t hide his sincere gratitude for the coworkers who have supported him for almost three decades. He wasn’t embarrassed; he was just thankful.
“I was able to raise my kids, be this close to work,” Busch said. “I felt like I had put as much time into this job as the city gave to me. And it’s paid o .”
When he isn’t spending time with his lovely wife, six kids and 16 grandkids, you’ll nd him plucking strings and making music, under the hood keeping his cars running smoothly, or at Midvale City coordinating projects. He still treats every task like that rst job in the cemetery: No cutting corners and getting the job done right.
“I would trust Steve with anything that I need done,” Anderson said. “If I need somebody, I just call Steve. He takes care of it.”
www.cactusandtropicals.com
Small business SECTION
By Peri Kinder
Ranging from $0 to more than $300 for a base license, business licensing fees differ across Salt Lake County.
For entrepreneurs looking to start a company in Salt Lake County, location can shape the cost of opening that business. Licensing fees vary drastically as cities determine costs and define regulations. Fees can fluctuate based on the type of business, number of employees, impact on city services and required inspections.
On one end of the scale is Riverton, which in 2018 became the first city in Utah to eliminate all business licensing fees. The move was orchestrated by the mayor at the time, Trent Staggs, who wanted to let companies know the city was open for business.
“He wanted Riverton to be a business-friendly community,” said Riverton Business Licensing Coordinator Angie Keller. “We’re also very user-friendly when it comes to getting a license. They click on our website and it guides them through the process. I don’t get many phone calls asking for help…I feel like Riverton has gone above and beyond, as far as pointing them in the right direction and giving them all the information they need.”
Draper’s base fee for a commercial license is $82, with additional fees for alcohol or firework sales, sexually-oriented businesses and solicitors. Murray charges $100 for a commercial license with regulatory fees on companies like auto towing, tobacco retailers, tattoo parlors and convalescent homes. Midvale has a base fee of $137 for commercial businesses with add-on charges for industries including bars, hotels, pawn shops and restaurants.
For companies in the county’s newly incorporated areas, including Kearns, Magna and Copperton, the Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District administers those business licenses. The district charges a $150 base fee for commercial businesses and home-based locations that have customers coming to the home.
On the higher end of the scale, South Jordan charges $337 for a general business license application fee, with additional charges for hotels ($2,700), restaurants ($633), big box stores ($3,331) and entertainment/recreation facilities ($1,727).
Brian Preece serves as South Jordan’s Director of Planning and Economic Development. He said the city’s licensing fee structure wasn’t put together haphazardly, but was based on a feasibility study that determined the cost impact of specific businesses to the city. More fees are placed on businesses that have a higher volume of calls for police or fire services.
“We have a fire inspection for most businesses and that’s part of the [licensing] fees,” Preece said. “Even though Riverton doesn’t have a business licensing fee…it’s being paid for somewhere. The general fund is paying for it.”
South Jordan Public Information Officer Rachael Van Cleave added, “If we weren’t to charge these fees, taxpayer dollars would be subsidizing these costs for businesses. So the fees help to take that off the general taxpayer.”
For home-based businesses, Utah Code states that cities cannot charge a licensing fee unless the business impacts the neighborhood, such as having customers or an unusually high number
of home deliveries. However, several cities, including Taylorsville and South Salt Lake, charge administrative processing fees of $100 and $59, respectively, for home-based businesses.
Riverton requires every home-based business to have a license, but there is no fee. South Jordan does not require home-based businesses to have licenses unless they operate a daycare/preschool or if they have regular clients coming to the home.
“We made the decision to not charge for or even require a home license business,” Preece said. “If somebody wants one, then we’ll get you a license, but you have to go through the regular process, and that’s your choice.”
While getting a business license is certainly an important step in starting a business, it’s not the only step. Business owners need to make sure that the company is registered with the state and, if sales are involved, with the Utah State Tax Commission. Owners must ensure all licenses and inspections are complete before a business license can be issued. Most cities have license approval completed in two weeks or less.
The wide-ranging business licensing fees and processes across the county impact business owners and municipalities differently. For some entrepreneurs, that difference could be the deciding factor on where they ultimately locate their business.
Beehive students bound for robotics world championships
The Hive overcomes setbacks at state to secure a global stage berth.
By Julie Slama j.slama@mycityjournals.com
Beehive Science & Technology Academy’s
The Hive is heading to the FIRST Tech Challenge robotics world championships.
As one of 32 teams that qualified for the state tournament, including teams from Holladay, Sandy, Riverton, Cottonwood Heights, Taylorsville, South Jordan, West Jordan, Midvale and other local communities, The Hive contributes much of their success to experience and resiliency. They received the “The Inspire Award,” which is an automatic bid to worlds, which will include more than 1,000 teams from 66 countries meeting April 29 to May 2 in Houston.
After hundreds of hours and four different versions of their robot, Topaz, and a qualifier win the week before, state didn’t go as planned for the 15-member team from Sandy.
“State was a super up and down day, more than any other competition,” senior Jonah Wood said. “Our first match, our robot disconnected. It wasn’t something we can really control, just bad luck. We lost the match because of that. The second match, a wire broke, so we lost that one. We did a super quick fix, and got it working again, but it was stressful. And if you lose two out of your five, it was a little heartbreaking.”
Team captain and senior Neset Kablan continued: “We won the third and fourth matches, but we couldn’t score for most of the match because a gear on the robot came unscrewed, so we couldn’t shoot for the rest of the match. We played defense against the other robots, we won that match, but it was very disappointing.”
The week before the competition, Beehive hosted 10 schools for practice scrimmages.
“We were scoring over 200 points, way above state records. That helped other teams see we’re a promising team, and they could see the problems were outside of our control, but we picked ourselves back up – and that’s what helped when picking alliances,” Kablan said. “It was really disheartening, because if we could score, we would have done a lot better. It was a very rough day to go through.”
Before worlds, the team plans to rework wiring and build in more practice time to troubleshoot issues.
Experience has been key with 13 returning members.
“This season is the culmination we’ve had over the past three years our group has been together and we know what we’re doing, so we’ve been able to achieve a lot more,” Kablan said. “It makes a big difference when
talking about team productivity. Before, we had a lot of people who didn’t have previous experience in robotics, so it was teaching. But also, ‘how do you work together as a team?’ We made multiple iterations of the robot, because this is a shooter year where the robot shoots the balls whereas, like previous years, you’ve had to pick something up and place it. So, for all of us, including the coaches, it’s new.”
Wood said the team’s two-robot system, one for mechanical work, another for programming, accelerated their progress.
“This was one of the first years we had the resources to do that, material-wise, but also experience-wise,” he said.
The season kicked off in September, when Wood was overseas. He watched the robot game reveal and immediately began sketching ideas.
“I started working on CAD for the robot,” he said. “When I got back, there were three days before our first competition.”
The Hive rapidly built and tested, often prototyping parts in wood before fabricating them in aluminum.
“We built a lot of these pieces individually out of wood before we actually ended up
cutting it out of aluminum to make sure they worked and that our geometry is right, because sometimes the actual theory of a piece doesn’t work in practice,” Kablan said. “We spent most of our time testing, which means that this robot is a darn good robot. It has a very high potential.”
Since state, the team has been fundraising to pay for travel costs. Senior Leah Hammond said last summer’s three-week robotics camp for 200 youth raised $14,000. It’s supplemented by food sales at the school’s fall festival, plus corporate donations and grants.
Hammond said the program teaches more than robotics.
“The most valuable thing in the program is learning how to work in a team,” she said. “It’s valuable to be able to work with other people, learn to delegate tasks and be able to communicate. Those are good skills that are valuable in any job.”
Wood agrees: “When you like think about robotics, you think of a bunch of nerdy introverts, which is what robotics is. And nerdy introverts suck at communicating, no engineer works alone. Everyone works in a team. I’ve met a ton of smart people, but if you can’t work in the team, you can’t use
anything you know. Being able to communicate what you know and work with a team allows you to be so much more.”
Kablan, who comes from a family involved in robotics, said humility has been his biggest lesson.
“The hardest lesson I’ve learned is to strip that ego down and to learn from other people,” he said. “I have connected with tons of teams across the world, and some of those teams have been, performance-wise, worse than ours, but that doesn’t matter. They all have some kind of lesson to give, and I have some kind of lesson to learn from them. That’s the most important lesson I’ve learned from robotics.”
Beehive’s robotics program has earned multiple state titles and under coach Annie Drennan, 13 teams have advanced to worlds.
“There’s a bit of pressure,” Hammond said. “At state, there were more than 30 teams from all around the world watching our Utah championship to see us make worlds. That’s not the mentality we have as a team, but there can be external pressure. At worlds, I hope we will have a better competition day, but also, meet teams from around the world and have fun.” l
Hillcrest’s Toaster Medics competes at the state FIRST Tech Challenge championships. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
Hands-on learning shapes Read Across America Week
At East Midvale, literacy met life cycles on the wings of butterflies.
By Julie Slama j.slama@mycityjournals.com
AtEast Midvale Elementary, Read Across America Week took flight in a colorful way — on the wings of butterflies, in books and through studenats’ curiosity.
The literacy celebration blossomed into a science adventure, where stories and soil worked hand-in-hand, said Principal Amy Sandgren.
“Learning came to life here,” she said. “Read Across America Week has two components to it. It’s reading and relating reading so we’ve been connecting reading to science life cycles all week with how do we get information from text and connect it to hands-on learning.”
That connection was apparent as students didn’t just read about butterfly life cycles; they watched them in a butterfly pavilion in the school library, they planted bushes in the school garden to support them and tied it to what they were learning in class.
“They’re learning it from text which is why literacy is so important. It’s where we gain information,” Sandgren said.
The week was made possible by community support, said event organizer and commu-
Midvale debuts its Classical Music Festival
Three free concerts will highlight the event.
By Peri Kinder peri.k@thecityjournals.com
For the first time, the Midvale Arts Council presents a Classical Music Festival to help residents appreciate the formal composition and technical mastery of classical music.
The free festival runs May 7-9 at the Midvale Performing Arts Center (695 W. Center St.), with each performance starting at 7 p.m. Space is limited and reserved tickets are recommended.
“There will be a different performance every night,” said Midvale Arts Council Executive Director Lauren Richards. “Thursday night is a reed trio, so clarinet, oboe, bassoon. It should be awesome. The second night is a string quartet. Then Saturday night, we’re bringing together the reed trio and the string quartet and another string quartet to make a small chamber orchestra.”
Thursday’s performance will feature Grace Trio. The Allante String Quartet with bassist Alexander Willey will perform on Friday. Saturday’s event will showcase the Sky Island Quartet, with members of the Allante String Quartet and Grace Trio. Performances will also feature local music students as spe-
nity school facilitator Shelley McCall. Support came through United Way of Salt Lake and CHG Healthcare in Midvale, with providing funds for the week’s activities. Those funds helped purchase butterfly bushes, books and supplies that tied the activities together.
Students also added to a giant paper “read-a-caterpillar” in the cafeteria by sharing their favorite books and strolled through a story walk.
“We talked about mariposa, food for the butterflies in the garden and books that tell the life cycle. We’re weaving literacy and science together this week,” McCall said.
The grand finale was a community celebration where parents joined students to read together, enjoy butterfly-shaped treats and watch the journey of monarch butterflies. CHG volunteers also read a bilingual story, tying in both literacy and cultural connection.
“It was a whole community week, which is really fun. It was relevant learning that’s tangible and visual,” she said.
In fourth grade, those lessons took root — literally — when they planted Pugster Blue dwarf butterfly bushes in the school garden.
Fourth-grade teacher Madeline Williams said science standards about ecosystems and survival become something students could dig into as they explored soil, spotted worms and learned what plants need to thrive.
“We’ve learned a lot about roots and
Midvale’s Classical Music Festival will be held May 7-9 at the Midvale Performing Arts Center (695 W. Center St.). (Adobe stock)
cial opening acts.
“We want to get people in the door and experience a classical program with lots of program notes to guide them through the music, and keep it friendly and professional,” Richards said. “It will be a great experience for people who are used to classical music and a good introduction for people whose first time it is.”
Each program will be approximately 90 minutes long. Information about musicians and free tickets can be found at www.midvalearts.com/classical. l
about plants and now, they’re getting to see it,” said the school’s teacher of the year. “It’s a tangible activity.”
For some students, this was a rare opportunity.
“This is cool they get to experience this because a lot of our students live in apartments or places where they don’t have their own yards and get to do this,” Williams said.
For fourth-grader Delilah Ranke, the experience left a lasting impression.
“I like planting bushes here at my school to attract butterflies, and I hope we’ll see a lot of butterflies when we go to the garden or out for recess,” she said. “Last year, we watched caterpillars create chrysalises and then turn into butterflies. When they opened up, they’d flip around and even walked onto our hands. It felt ticklish, and it was really neat to watch them fly away. It was a good learning experience, and I’m excited to see it again.”
McCall said the best part is the learning doesn’t end when the week does. The caterpillars in the library will continue to transform, the books will be available to reread and butterfly bushes will continue to grow in the garden, ready to welcome fluttering visitors in the months ahead.
It was a reminder that some learning extends beyond the page.
“It’s been a week of connecting, discovering and growing,” McCall said. l
East Midvale fourth graders plant bushes to attract butterflies in their school garden as part of connecting their reading with learning. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
Daughters of Utah Pioneers rededicate a historic marker for pioneer-era Drown Cabin
The historic cabin has been moved from its original location to a peaceful setting rich with history.
By Sarah Morton
s.taggart@mycityjournals.com
Midvale’s
newest greenspace also happens to be the location of Midvale’s oldest building... and oldest gravesites.
A small log house known as the Drown Cabin was home to a family with 10 children on Center Street, served as a playhouse for others in Midvale Park, and now stands at 7670 S. Lind Lane in the Founders Point area. Visitors may wonder about the large stone monument at the south end of the space known informally as Pioneer Memorial Park. Unlike the cabin, the monument remains more or less in its original location, in what was once known as the Cutler Pioneer Cemetery.
A historic marker for the cabin was installed and rededicated by International Daughters of Utah Pioneers (DUP) on March 30.
The Cutler family was one of the first Mormon pioneer families to settle the area that is now known as Midvale. Before a formal city cemetery was established in the 1920s, it was common to bury deceased family members in family plots. The Cutlers let other pioneer families and settlers passing through bury loved ones on their land starting in 1854.
“There are a bunch of Glovers that are buried in that cemetery by the cabin,” said Midvale City Councilmember Paul Glover. “There’s got to be nine or 10 Glovers buried there, mostly children.”
A few years later and a quarter mile to the east, a group of log cabins were built near what is now the intersection of Main and Center Streets. In 1866, David Drown helped William and Sarah Bennett build a cabin with logs hauled out from Big Cottonwood Canyon. Two years later, the Bennetts traded up to a brick and mortar house and gave the cabin to the Drown family. The modest home served as a primary residence for the Drown family for several years. It was then either taken apart and rebuilt further back from the road, or one of the two rooms was demolished before moving it to the back of the lot, according to Chloe Harper, a DUP historian.
“It became the ‘summer shanty’ where cooking and washing was done,” said Jan Litster, DUP company marker chair and lifelong Midvale resident. “Then at different times it was a house for sleeping, a storehouse, a stable and a woodshed. At one point it was a place where ladies would get together to quilt or have afternoon tea.”
Pushed out by progress
Within 40 years of the first burial at Cutler Hill, the U.S. Mining and Smelting Company (later known as Sharon Steel) had purchased the land surrounding the cemetery.
“Harmon Cutler’s widow, Agnes McGregor Cutler, was left with five small children to care for and was forced to sell the farm, bit by bit, to the mining companies to support herself and her children,” said Brett Cutler.
There’s a photo taken in1906 that shows smokestacks looming over at least seven neglected headstones. The next year the smelter posted notices in the newspaper, offering to pay $10 each for the removal of the 50 re-
mains on its property to other cemeteries, but only a few families took them up on the offer. City records show that 16 or 17 bodies were exhumed and moved, according to a report prepared by Sverdrup Environmental in 1996.
“Many of the deceased were children and Harmon Cutler had this property where they could be buried,” Litster said. “They didn’t have descendants, and their families moved elsewhere. One was a family that immigrated from Norway. They had a 13-yearold boy who had been badly burned and died two days after they arrived in Midvale.”
In the 1930s the smelter began to bury the cemetery under a pile of waste material containing iron sulfur and arsenic.
In 1936, the last surviving pioneer who had grown up in the Drown Cabin passed away, and her family presented the historic structure to the DUP so that it might be preserved. The lot where it stood on Center Street was set to be developed, and so the cabin was moved to Midvale City Park, near the old Midvale Elementary. It stood open to the elements for decades.
“It had a little rose garden around it,” Litster said. “I thought it was my own little playhouse.” Glover also recalls playing in the cabin as a child.
Final resting place
More than a century after the pioneers arrived, two of the oldest physical reminders of their presence were deteriorating rapidly. But then two things happened: the smelter at Cutler Cemetery closed down in 1968 and a local camp of the DUP restored the Drown Cabin in 1976. A pioneer-era window was
installed and the interior was furnished with period furniture and handmade rugs to serve as a reminder of a different time.
In 1999, the Boys & Girls Club of Midvale purchased the land under the cabin and it was moved again — this time to the site of the Cutler Cemetery. Four years earlier the Environmental Protection Agency had scraped off and hauled away the contaminated soil. Midvale City spent $29,000 to move the cabin, build a new foundation, new doors, a new roof and replace two logs that had rotted.
In 2013, Connor Thompson arranged for a ground radar technician to survey the area for his Eagle Scout project. The results indicated as many as 80 remains. In 2017, a ring of townhomes were constructed, leaving a half acre of greenspace around the cabin and the sandstone base of the one remaining headstone.
In November 2021, Alex Szymanski recruited six friends to work on the cabin for his Eagle Scout project. They dug out two trailers worth of dirt and installed rustic wood floorboards. The DUP had wanted to leave the original dirt floor, but the water table is too high, which would cause the logs to rot.
Learning that the park was once a cemetery was not a surprise to one resident who wandered over to watch Szymanski’s crew work. After two years of living in the subdivision, Shelby Lindley believed her house was haunted by friendly “visitors.”
“My dogs bark at empty rooms,” Lindley said. “We’ll hear whistling and say, ‘oh that’s just a miner going to work.’”
Litster concurs that any spirits in the park are friendly. “If your house is haunted, at least you know they were good people,” Litster said. l
Eric Szymanski cuts new floorboards for the historic Drown Cabin in November 2021. (Sarah Morton/City Journals)
Jan Litster (left) performs a musical number with her sister, Elizabeth Palmer, during a rededication ceremony for the Drown Cabin historic marker March 30. (Photo courtesy Billie Allred)
One monument remains from the Cutler Pioneer Cemetery at 7670 S. Lind Lane. (Sarah Morton/ City Journals)
LeafFilter came out on a Wednesday, gave me a quote and installed it the next day. Very reasonable price. The installers were professional and cleaned up after themselves. Very pleased with LeafFilter. -Je Farmer.
Have been thinking about having gutter protection installed for a number of years since every year it becomes more of a pain to climb up on the roof and get the clean-out done. Called LeafFilter on a Thursday, the salesman came on Friday and the installation was done the next day. Easy-peasy. -Anthony.
UDOT to construct canal bridge in Midvale
UDOT will build the bridge on 8000 South and 80 East.
By Giovanni Radtke g.radtke@mycityjournals.com
Acanal bridge in Midvale needs replacing, and the city’s elected leaders are quickly passing agreements to make it happen.
The city council unanimously passed two contracts on March 24 with Salt Lake City and the Utah Department of Transportation, allowing UDOT to carry out construction of a bridge over the Jordan and Salt Lake City canal.
“Getting three different government agencies, Midvale City, Salt Lake City and UDOT together on all of this was quite the ordeal,” Mayor Dustin Gettel said at the March council meeting.
While Midvale owns the road on which the bridge is located, the Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities owns the canal that the bridge will cross. The two-part agreement leases a portion of the waterway to Midvale, which will then permit UDOT to install a box culvert bridge on 8000 South and 80 East.
“[It’s] kind of surprising when you learn these things like how much of the canal in Midvale that Salt Lake City owns,” Gettel said. But once “their public utilities director also found out this impasse was happening, she did everything in her power to grease the wheel a bit, and we got things done quickly, but it was an ordeal.”
Salt Lake City needs the canal for irrigation, the lease agreement states. It requires Midvale to maintain the bridge in a way that doesn’t interfere with the water flow. If it does, Salt Lake can demand UDOT to restore the canal to “its nearest original condition.”
The 10-year lease with Salt Lake’s public utilities will cost Midvale $1,000.
“This isn’t the best agreement ever, but it is definitely something we can all live with,” the mayor added.
UDOT will pay for the canal bridge construction with money from the federally funded Bridge Formula Program. The project was originally approved for construction in 2024, but has faced delays.
Now that Midvale has secured the lease agreement, the bridge is scheduled to be completed in either the winter of 2027 or 2028, depending on seasonal conditions, according to a city staff report. l
What Should You Look for in
EDUCATION MATTERS
When choosing a dog daycare, it’s important to look for more than just a place for your pup to play. You want an environment that prioritizes education, safety, socialization, and exercise.
POSITIVE HABITS SAFE SPACE ROUTINE
One key thing to look for is how dogs are guided throughout the day. Practices like leash desensitization are important, as they allow staff to gently redirect behavior and reinforce positive habits in real time.
These types of practices are signs of a daycare that focuses on education, not just supervision. If you don’t see dogs being redirected or given opportunities to rest, it may be something to take a closer look at.
You should also expect to see structured rest. At Dogtopia, we use crates, what we call “home,” as a safe space for dogs to reset when needed. This helps dogs understand boundaries in a calm, consistent way.
Equally important is the team caring for your dog. At Dogtopia, our Canine Coaches are highly trained and certified, completing a full training course and shadowing between 5-10 sessions before leading a room on their own.
In addition, we incorporate a daily nap time from 12–2 PM, which is essential for safe regulation. Just like children, dogs need time to rest and recharge. This routine helps prevent overstimulation and supports better behavior throughout the day.
IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A DAYCARE that prioritizes safety, structure, and education, we
www.dogtopia.com/location-finder
Canal bridge near 8000 South. (Giovanni Radtke/City Journals)
Salt Lake County uses opioid settlement funds to fight addiction
Like many communities across the country, Salt Lake County has felt the impact of the opioid crisis. In recent years, hundreds of people have died from opioid-related overdoses with fentanyl playing a significant role. It has affected families, strained our healthcare and public safety systems, and left too many people searching for a path forward. Opioids have devastated countless lives.
Several years ago, states and local governments across the nation took legal action against pharmaceutical manufacturers, distributors and retailers for the role
they played in fueling the opioid epidemic. Those cases resulted in national settlements totaling more than $50 billion.
Starting in 2021, Salt Lake County expects to receive over $91 million from multiple settlements to help combat the opioid crisis locally. The funds will be distributed over a 17-year period.
Unlike traditional tax dollars, these funds are specifically designated for addressing the opioid crisis and must be used for evidence-based strategies and programs that support prevention, treatment and recovery.
There are formal agreements in place restricting how these funds can be spent, but counties are responsible for determining how to allocate them. In Salt Lake County,
the council works closely with the mayor’s office and a specialized opioid task force to evaluate and prioritize programs. Our goal is to invest in solutions that reduce reliance on the criminal justice system and create better long-term outcomes for those struggling with substance use disorders.
Last week, my colleagues and I approved a set of targeted programs designed to address this crisis in meaningful and measurable ways. These investments focus on what we know works and were shaped by input from public health experts, first responders and community organizations.
First, we are investing in prevention and education. This includes expanding school-based programs that help young people avoid substance use in the first place.
Second, we are strengthening treatment and recovery services. We approved funding to expand access to evidence-based care, including Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT), as well as recovery support such as peer mentoring, housing assistance and connection to employment services to help prevent relapse.
Third, we are supporting life-saving efforts. This includes increasing access to naloxone, a medication that can reverse
overdoses, and funding outreach programs that connect individuals to services before a crisis turns fatal.
These efforts are part of a long-term strategy to address both the root causes and ongoing impacts of opioid misuse in our community. To improve outcomes, we are also strengthening coordination across systems. This includes better data sharing and tracking how people move through law enforcement, jails, courts and other community programs. This will help us identify opportunities to intervene earlier, connect people to treatment and reduce repeat offenses.
To ensure transparency and accountability, a public-facing dashboard will begin to roll out starting June 2026.
The opioid crisis did not happen overnight, and it will not be solved overnight. But this funding from the lawsuit settlement provides an important opportunity to respond more effectively and more compassionately. We are committed to using these resources responsibly to save lives, support recovery and strengthen Salt Lake County for years to come. This is about turning accountability into action and making sure these funds lead to real and measurable change.
Whenastronaut Neil Armstrong took those first steps on the moon, I had just celebrated my first birthday. I don’t remember either event, but the entire world held its breath as it watched Apollo 11 land, while I shoved my hands into a birthday cake.
That moon mission used less technology than your bathroom scale. It was basically human calculations, a slide rule and a Rand McNally paper map that guided those astronauts on the first lunar road trip.
We were told that space was the final frontier; space was the future. We learned that, like age and teenagers, space isn’t forgiving.
As a Murray High School senior, my home ec advisor wheeled a TV into the classroom to watch the Space Shuttle Challenger carry the first teacher, Christa McAuliffe, into space. We were speechless when the shuttle blew up at 46,000 feet. In February 2003, I watched the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster unfold as the spacecraft disintegrated on re-entry.
To say I was apprehensive watching the Artemis II mission launch to the moon would be an astronomical understatement.
On April 1, NASA perched the Orion space capsule atop a 300-foot rocket, one of the most powerful ever built. It launched a team of four astronauts 250,000 miles away from Earth, the farthest humans have ever traveled, discounting alien abductions, of course.
Unlike the catapulted station wagon that
Peri Kinder Life and Laughter
Copy, Moon Joy
somehow got us to the moon during Apollo missions, Orion uses autonomous navigation and extreme precision, carrying astronauts beyond low-Earth orbit for the first time in more than 50 years, traveling at speeds up to 25,000 mph.
It was the 10th manned moon exploration, or for conspiracy theorists, the 10th “faked” moon mission. The entire adventure was livestreamed so we could travel together.
Space exploration is equal parts wonder, technology and angst. During the 10-day moon trip, I endured galactic levels of anxiety. Launch sent my blood pressure soaring. My jaw clenched while they circled the moon on April 6, and my internal organs somersaulted during splashdown on April 10.
I was hyperaware that dreams explode and rockets fall apart.
Apollo missions were built on bravery, and America was racing to beat Russians to the moon. Now, Artemis is an international collaboration, one that should remind us we only sur-
vive this wild ride by working together.
In Greek mythology, Artemis is Apollo’s twin sister and goddess of the moon. It is an apt comparison: while the first moon missions had bro energy, the Artemis program continues the story in a wiser, more thoughtful way.
Women play key roles in the Artemis program. Besides the first female to fly on a moon mission, there are female science officers, mission leads and launch directors. In fact, for the first time in NASA’s history, the current astronaut class has more women than men.
If I could do math while enduring crushing g-forces and the stomach-dropping sensation of freefall, I would definitely have been in the space program. Instead, I appreciate the life of an astronaut from the comfort of my recliner.
Apollo gave us “One giant leap,” Challenger dropped us to our knees and Artemis refocused our gaze. These missions remind us to look to the stars, but also look to our beautiful, blue planet. We only have each other. We should start acting like it.
As I approach my next birthday, one I hope I remember, I raise a glass to the dreamers, the heroes, to the brilliant engineers in mission control and the fearless astronauts who explore new paths. It reminds us that even when the story goes wrong, we need to keep looking up.
Peri Kinder is an award-winning columnist and journalist who has written for The City Journals since 2004. She can be reached at peri.k@thecityjournals.com
