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Dec. 2023 | Vol. 20 Iss. 12

HILLCREST GIRL GRAPPLERS LOOK TO STATE FOR TITLE

BOYS SEEKING INDIVIDUAL PLACERS AS THEY REMAIN IN 5A CLASSIFICATION By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

hile most of Hillcrest High’s sports and activities shifts to 4A region 10 this year, wrestling did not. “So many of our teams are spread out so we’d have to travel from Logan to St. George to compete and prepare our wrestlers for the state tournament; this made more sense economically and with our schools demographics to stay closer,” head wrestling coach Nick Pappas said. This is the first year UHSAA has allowed petitions to change regions per sport, he said. “4A definitely would have some challenging schools for us, but the travel would take a big toll on our students and their families,” Pappas said. Instead, his team will wrestle west side schools: Cypress, Granger, Taylorsville, Kearns, West Jordan and Hunter high schools as well as other region schools Wasatch, Box Elder, Spanish Fork and Viewmont. “Kearns is the returning champs so we’ll be facing some of the toughest competition in the state,” Pappas said. The girls team, with returning state champions junior Eliza and sophomore Eva Zimmerman, were slated to open the season Nov. 29 at Kearns High. The boys open at home against Hunter High that same day. “I’m expecting our girls to have a real shot at winning the state title this year; they’re ambitious. We’ll be one of the top five teams trying to make a push,” Pappas Hillcrest High’s Eva Zimmerman pins a Brighton opponent during last season’s Battle of the Axe win. (Julie Slama/City Journals) Continued page 11

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Canyons District students of Shakespeare find sweet success By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

n “Julius Caesar,” William Shakespeare penned, “It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.” He suggests that people’s future is not determine by fate or destiny, but rather by their own actions. The actions and hard work of many student-thespians became apparent during the 47th annual Shakespeare Competition, hosted by the Utah Shakespeare Festival and Southern Utah University, as many students received awards and scholarships. A first was three Canyons School District high schools sweeping the Oxford division in four of the five categories, including sweepstakes with Hillcrest taking first; Brighton, second; and Corner Canyon, third. “This is the first major success in over a decade for Brighton at this competition,” Brighton High theatre director Makayla Conner said. “The team was dedicated and hardworking; every rehearsal was productive. It allowed for them to grow the scenes to the point where they needed for the competition.” She said that now post-pandemic, several team members had been to the competition for the past several years, so they understood the dedication and hard work that was needed. “They understand what the competition is like, and they were able to help the other teammates understand what they needed to do,” she said. The sweep was especially sweet for Conner as she was a student of Hillcrest High’s director, Josh Long, then she student taught under Corner Canyon’s theatre director, Phaidra Atkinson. “It was very exciting; everyone was rooting for each other,” she said. “There were about 15 schools in our division so

Journals T H E

that’s a pretty good showing for Canyons.” One thing Canyons schools did was try to support each other during the competition. “It was really cool; it was a camaraderie feeling which usually at competitions, you don’t get, but for this one, everyone was very united all weekend,” Conner said. “Alta High kids wrote notes for the performers. After watching each performance, they would give them these little notes saying, ‘you did really well.’ Hillcrest kids made videos of funny skits about the plays and put them on their Instagram page and tagged all the schools. Brighton kids made good luck posters for each of the Canyons schools and put some fun puns in those to wish them good luck. Some of them were so funny, I couldn’t stop laughing.” Other placements include in ensemble, Corner Canyon took first; Hillcrest, second; and Brighton, third. In duo/trio scenes, first place went to Hillcrest’s Nayantara Nair, Ellie Spilker and Riley Thompson while Alta’s Jaycey Bennion and Addi Scarborough took second. Hillcrest’s Auston Beals, Lucas Fife and Gideon Kirby, took fourth. In monologue, Hillcrest’s Gabe Williams, Anna Fetzer and Munshe Tanjani took first, second and fifth, respectively, and Brighton’s Grace Brown took third. Williams and Nair both received the Ray Jones $1,000 Scholarship award; Spilker and Thompson, won the Barbara Barrett $500 award and Brighton’s Jaxton Brenner was awarded the $1,000 Larry Lott Acting Award. Hillcrest also had winners in the tech Olympics competition, including first place overall. Individual winners include Fischer Coleman, lighting; Elsie Slabbert,

Hillcrest High’s thespians performed “Henry VI, Part 2” at the 47th annual Utah Shakespeare Festival. (Tisha Williams/Hillcrest High)

make-up; Cameron Sorenson, rigging; Tyler Strong, stage management. Harrison Treat earned second place in set construction and Coleman and Wesley Arbon were tech portfolio runners-up. In dance and choreography, Brighton’s Alisa Allen, Zoe Milner and Isabelle Foote won third place in duo/trio scenes. Allen choreographed the piece inspired by “King Lear.” All 5 seniors — Allen, Milner, Alaina Burr, Sammie Falcon and Brooke Larson — who elected to participate in a dance scholarship audition received more than $40,000 combined from

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numerous colleges. In dance and choreography, Corner Canyon took second place in ensemble; and in music, second place in troubadour and third place in minstrel. In the Cambridge division, Jordan High’s Parker Bettinson took second place in the monologue while in the music competition, Jordan High won first in minstrel, third in madrigals and overall, second in sweepstakes Nearby Juan Diego Catholic High, in Draper, took third place in the Westminster division ensemble. l

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Midvale City Journal

Day of the Dead celebration hosted at Tyler Library By Annabelle Larsen | a.larsen@mycityjournals.com

he Day of the Dead celebration, also known as the Dia De Los Muertos, is a celebration originating in central America that is used to honor and memorialize those who have passed on. The Midvale local library, the Ruth Vine Tyler Library, hosted a Day of the Dead Celebration at the beginning of November, and boasted a significant turnout of Utah residents. Library employees mentioned that the creation of this event for the Tyler and Kearns libraries came from a desire to honor the Latino communities in these areas. Davie Bird, the Tyler Library manager, said “it is our most attended event, and definitely our loudest event,” he mentioned with a chuckle. This event brought in over 200 people within the first hour of the three-hour event, and only grew from there as various forms of entertainment poured in as well. For seven years Tyler Library has hosted this celebration, and each year the turnout is amazing. One employee mentioned there was a bit of a dip in attendance during Covid-19, but with exciting events like a mariachi band, an Aztec dance group, Mexican-style hot chocolate, and pan dulce, or more specifically, pan de muerto (a sweet bread, or “bread of the dead”). With all these attractions, people An ofrenda with a Guatemalan kite. (Annacouldn’t stay away belle Larsen/City Journals) for long. Event organizer and 13-year library employee, Maria Sommer, was in attendance. When asked about her inspiration for creating this library activity, she stated, “When I was a child, my mom encouraged us to celebrate the Day of the Dead in Bolivia.” As she grew up it became more difficult to maintain this tradition and keep up with the Dia De Los Muertos celebrations. “As years passed,” Sommer continues, “We forgot to do that (the traditions), but I always remembered all the things my mother taught me as a child.” Sommer also mentions the release of the Pixar film “Coco” inspired Sommer to renew forgotten traditions and share her heritage with others in Midvale. The Day of the Dead is celebrated all across Central and South America, and each country has unique and diverse means of celebration, and many of these were found at the Tyler Library during this event. Many ofrendas, or altar to honor lost loved ones, could be seen across the library honoring famed authors such as Mark Twain, Stephen Hawking, and Hans Christian Andersen, with offerings of fruit, candles, flowers, and sweet breads placed around a picture of them. With these altars one could also find kites that traditionally originated from Guatemala, showing the dedication to detail and diversity at the Tyler Library Day of the Dead celebration. l

Library onlookers prepare for a traditional Aztec dance performance. (Annabelle Larsen/City Journals)

Another ofrenda featuring Mark Twain offers fruit and flowers to those who have passed away. (Annabelle Larsen/City Journals)

A skeleton atop an ofrenda looks over Day of the Dead celebrators. (Annabelle Larsen/City Journals)

Aztec dancers in headdress. (Annabelle Larsen/City Journals)

MidvaleJournal.com

Dec. 2023 | Page 5

First student body officers set traditions, remembered fun during Hillcrest High’s first year By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

“I

don’t feel the same as when I was at Hillcrest 60 years ago; I feel smarter.” That comment and others were made as the first class of about 240 Hillcrest High graduates gathered for its 60th class reunion. Most of the students came from Jordan High after the new Midvale high school had been built and now were gathering in the new high school building. They recounted who was the class troublemaker, about how hiding under desks in an emergency wouldn’t really protect them and that they didn’t really have much homework. “All we did was laugh our senior year,” alumnus Alan Ferguson said. Amongst the last alumni to leave the reunion were three of the four first student body officers for the school: student body president Hal Hale, vice president Mick Dowd, and historian Paula Larson Thomas. SBO secretary Judy Thurber Hillcrest High’s Class of 1963 looked at pictures Fairbourne was a from the school’s opening year. (Julie Slama/City Hillcrest High’s first student body officers president Hal Hale, historian Paula Larson Thomas and vice president Mick Dowd gathered beloved local el- Journals) together at their 60th reunion. (Julie Slama/City Journals) ementary schoolteacher before she the Rebels. Jordan School District wouldn’t allow that because the state basketball title with his classmate Hale, who went on died. They’d meet during a class period as well as lunch to plan it referenced the South so we had to have another vote,” Hale to play professionally. said. “We ended up with a bunch of other names that had the “He was not only being the basketball star, but a genuinestudent activities, Thomas said. H alliteration. We had the Hillbillies and some others. Huskies ly nice guy who beat me to be student body president. I was Dowd remembers it a little differently. the runner-up for class president in junior high, then I was the “We drove to Salt Lake to skip school because we’d decide was the best one, so it had to be that.” “We had an actual husky dog,” Thomas said about the runner-up against Hal. All I wanted was to be someone in the things in 10 minutes and then, there was nothing to do and we student body,” said the former student who played football, had three hours to kill,” he recalled. “Once, we made a wrong classmate’s pet that would attend football games. Dowd volunteered his older sister, Donna Dowd Mick- wrestled and was a saxophonist. turn and our vice principal of school was right in front of us at a Hale, who also played baseball, knew it was a contest becrosswalk. We sat in the car, frozen. He didn’t realize it was us elsen, to write the lyrics and the choir teacher, Leo Dean, created the music for the “Hillcrest High School Song.” Thomas tween them, so he came up with a campaign slogan: “Be a pal, or if he did, he never said anything.” vote for Hal.” Another time, Dowd and Thomas were asked to talk about scrapbooked many of the year’s activities. At a girl ask boy dance, Fairbourne and Thomas asked Elections for most offices were held at Jordan the spring the new school and all of Hillcrest’s activities on the radio. of their junior year, soon after the announcement that they’d be “Since we were always telling stories and we never shut Hale and Dowd, respectively. “We had a great time going to the dance together as student attending Hillcrest. The vice president election, however, was up, the administration wanted us to talk,” he said. held later and “that was my last chance,” Dowd said. During segments of the radio program, they were cued to government leaders. All we did was laugh,” Dowd said. “We were such close friends,” Thomas said. Hale remembered, “Everybody was in love with Mickey speak. Hale remembered that his friends always supported him because of his voice. I love Mickey’s voice when he sang so “We didn’t prepare because we always were talking and many great songs, like ‘Silent Night’ and ‘Moon River,” he said knew what was happening. First break and we talked about and the basketball team. “We were pretty good,” he said. “We ended up losing to of his classmate who went on to perform in Hollywood. what the dance club was doing and the football game that was “He’d make me cry,” said Thomas, who played cello in the coming up. Then, we looked at each other and wondered, what Bountiful that year at state by one point, so we won all the rest else was happening? We realized that there are four of these of our games in the consolation bracket. Jordan, who we split school orchestra. “I was nominated to be historian, but I didn’t breaks and we had to talk. We looked at each other and we were from, ended up playing Bountiful. It would have been amazing think I would ever be elected.” to have played Jordan in the championship because those guys Thomas, who said her accomplishment was “I created six blank,” Dowd said. Their responsibilities as student leaders included writing a were all teammates of mine from our other high school years.” people,” was a tour guide, taking people all over the world, and Splitting from Jordan High wasn’t what any of the students was involved with BYU’s youth and family programs for years. school constitution. wanted. She now has 27 grandkids and five great-grandchildren. “We largely adapted what other schools had in their con“They were our best friends,” Thomas said. “We had the best year; it was so much fun,” she said. “We stitutions,” Hale said. “We went to school with them for so long, then they split got to set Hillcrest’s traditions and many of them are still around They also asked students to vote on the school colors green us when we were seniors. It was tough,” Dowd recalled. today.”l and white as well as on the school mascot. He also remembered their junior year, when Jordan won “We had to vote on the mascot and the first vote was for

Page 6 | Dec. 2023

Midvale City Journal

Mixed recycling pilot program proved successful in Canyons School District schools By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

ast year, then Hillcrest High School senior Sofia Moeinvaziri picked up the school’s paper recycling to place it in a recycling dumpster in the school’s parking lot. “I’d take a cardboard box and then sort out the cans and any plastic because it wasn’t part of paper recycling,” Moeinvaziri said. “I knew there had to be a way to recycle that material at school.” Unknowingly, her classmate, Abigail Slama-Catron, separately had signatures of students, faculty and staff and parents who have children at a Canyons School District school who wanted to introduce more recycling options. She was advocating that cause with District officials. The two now graduates both belonged to Hillcrest High’s Earth Club. Moeinvaziri and others led the efforts in school composting. Slama-Catron had led the club to pledge to improve the environment through the Adopt-a-Highway program. Both were championing for mixed recycling for the 34,000 students and 2,000 employees in the District. “It’s a need in any community and especially people in my age group are wanting to recycle and help improve our environment, but some people don’t know how or there’s not an avenue to do so,” Slama-Catron said. “I wanted to make that happen.” Once the friends learned they both were working for the same goal, they united. The result was a successful pilot program at three Canyons School District schools — Hillcrest High, Midvale Middle and Midvalley Elementary — which now opens the doors for the district to introduce mixed recycling in all of its buildings. But it was an effort that stretched their entire senior year. With advice from Chris Eppler, who then was the school district’s energy engineer, Slama-Catron reached out to see the interest of school principals. She also met with Canyons School District Business Administrator and CFO Leon Wilcox and then Canyons Board of Education member Steve Wrigley, who supported the effort. “Abigail came to me after talking to Chris and she had quite a few schools that were interested, but I wanted to make sure it wasn’t going to be more work for our custodial staff to be out there sorting garbage and recycling,” Wilcox said. “I wanted to be green and efficient, but I didn’t know if it would be a savings for our district and wanted to learn that.” After getting commitments from the three schools to introduce mixed recycling and finding student leaders or clubs to take responsibility for emptying the bins around the school, the district placed mixed recycling dumpsters in those school parking lots. The impact was almost immediate, the

MidvaleJournal.com

Former Hillcrest High School student Abigail Slama-Catron advocated for mixed recycling in Canyons School District schools. (Julie Slama/City Journals) Abigail Slama-Catron and Sofia Moeinvaziri, seen here at Hillcrest High, implemented a pilot program of mixed recycling in three Canyons School District schools last year. (Lyndee McKay/Hillcrest High School)

girls said. Moeinvaziri and Slama-Catron monitored the usage of recycling in the dumpsters, documenting its usage with photos. “At Hillcrest, it was placed outside of the wood and robotics shops, so they used it quite a bit. It works well, especially in high schools because we have vending machines, and a lot of students would put their plastic and energy drink cans in there,” said Moenvaziri, who started looking into a contract with the mixed recycling company. Slama-Catron said the pilot program got a slow start at Midvale Middle because the mixed recycling dumpster was misplaced, but at Midvalley it was an instant success. “Midvalley had to change their bin to be picked up once a week instead of every other week because of how much it was being filled. It was surprising; I knew that there was a need, but I didn’t realize how fast that would be shown to me,” she said, adding that Hillcrest’s dumpster was “full every single time I looked. It was great to see that people cared and wanted to recycle.” During the school year, Eppler retired, but the girls continued their effort. “People were willing to even meet with us, and we were really pushing it forward. They liked our initiative and were willing to listen to us,” Moeinvaziri said. “I learned a lot about convincing people to listen to your cause. I learned

promoting environmental sustainability isn’t enough to convince someone to support your program. You have to know the financial aspect of it because at the end of the day, for a lot of school districts, it does come down to money, and they are monitoring that budget closely. If it’s cheaper for them to just have paper recycling, then they’re just going to go that route. There was one school district that stopped recycling completely because of the financial cost that comes with it.” She said the district covered the funds for the pilot program. “We calculated exactly how much it would cost and we found that there would be fewer trips to the landfill because students would put their plastic and aluminum in the mixed recycling rather than the trash. Plus, the landfill is farther away than where the mixed recycling was being dumped. We pointed out that it’s not only great for the environment, but it would be a financial saving to the district because less plastic and metal were being put in the trash. We convinced them and they said that they’ll move forward with it,” said Moenvaziri, who is studying engineering and hopes to continue to compete in public policy debate about environmental sustainability in college. Canyons Director of Facility Services Matt Wolford said the girls answered their questions of finding the balance between fiscal responsibility and being environmentally sustainable. “Some of our schools were already recycling paper and that cost actually came out of our custodial budget, and these ladies found a point of contact at each school to oversee the recycling in the schools to get emptied into the recycling bin outside the school,” he said. “We

have recycling pickup once a week at 43 CSD (Canyons School District) locations for the ‘23’24 school year.” Slama-Catron, who now is studying environmental policy and working at her college’s sustainability center, created a video and posted it on Instagram to help educate students about the recycling program. “The video was entertaining while also being educational about mixed recycling in any of the schools. It has Hillcrest’s student body president in it, so students knew who she was as a person of authority as well as just having a more high school approach to recycling. It was designed to be fun, but the purpose was for them to gain knowledge about the recycling program and what could go in those bins,” she said. Slama-Catron used the project toward her Girl Scout Gold Award, which she received in November. “I have the passion for this project, because it’s something I care about. If I can be a force for change to positively affect the earth, then I’m willing to do that. I wanted to see mixed recycling happen and I knew I could do that,” she said. Information about the project, she calls, “Recycle remix” can be found recycleremix. weebly.com, which serves as a model for other schools and districts to follow. “Mixed recycling is a positive step to improving our environment and people are willing to if they’re given the opportunity,” Slama-Catron said. “Now, there is a drastic decrease of stuff on the ground at schools as people put their plastic water bottles and aluminum cans into the recycling bin. It’s making our world healthier.” l

Dec. 2023 | Page 7

Ruth Vine Tyler Library hosts biweekly Dungeons & Dragons Night By Annabelle Larsen | a.larsen@mycityjournals.com

oll a D20 for insight on the Tyler library’s Dungeons & Dragons night. Dungeons & Dragons is a tabletop fantasy role playing game that was first created in 1974, and has since gained a lot of popularity, especially recently with the creation of the Netflix series, Stranger Things, and the recently released 2023 movie, “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.”The Ruth Vine Tyler library in Midvale joined in on the fun and hosted a Dungeon & Dragon night for local hopeful adventurers looking to join a new campaign. The campaign spanned over the course of several months, and pulled quite the crowd of dungeon explorers. The age range of the Dungeon & Dragons players was varied, with some players having it be their first adventure ever, and others being seasoned participants of the game, but all played together under the guidance of the Dungeon Masters, or the DM’s. The DM's were library employees that enjoy the game so much they stayed late on their Thursday nights to play this immersive and complex game, and teach others how to play as well. The Tyler library, as well as all the libraries in the Salt Lake County Library

Page 8 | Dec. 2023

system hosts an array of activities for all age groups, and for all interests. If you unfortunately missed the Dungeon & Dragons game nights and are hoping to get involved in community activities at the library, one can visit slcolibrary.org and check out the many events that are always taking place at your local library. For future Dungeon and Dragon players, and even those looking to become a Dungeon Master for these events, Tyler Library has a discord server called Liberterra, where, according to the Salt Lake County Library website, “Is a place for beginners, veterans, and aspiring DMs to play, talk about the game, share character and campaign ideas, and join together, no matter how high the stakes.” l

A librarian moonlights as a Dungeon Master for a variety of people looking to turn their evenings into an adventure. (Annabelle Larsen/City Journals)

Midvale City Journal

Former NBA coach hosting local basketball camp

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 break, he will host a camp for boys and girls in third through ninth grades on Dec. 27-29 from 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the Sandy Recreation Center, located at 440 E. 8680 South. “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 $65. Registrations are open online by visiting www. sandy.utah.gov/registration and clicking on “Basketball Camp – Barry Hecker” under Quick Links. The veteran coach, who lives in Murray, said the values he has learned from his basketball coaching journey—beginning at Maryland’s Oxon Hill High School and spanning through Salt Lake Community College and stints with the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies—are invaluable. He loves nothing more than being able to

By Catherine Garrett | c.garrett@mycityjournals.com share those principles of hard work, teamwork, unselfishness and persistence, along with the physical skills of the game itself, with others. “I don’t care who I coach or when I coach,” Hecker said, 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 been teaching the game of basketball for more than 40 years, will host a winter camp for young players. (Photo courtesy Barry Hecker)

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Navigating Grief and the Holidays By Kathie Supiano, PhD, LCSW The holiday season is nearly upon us. This is the time of year when grieving people often feel dread and sorrow about the very events and traditions that formerly brought happiness. As every grieving person handles loss in their own way, each one of us observes holidays in our own way in time of bereavement. There simply is no one right way to experience the holidays. Some find meaning in following cherished traditions, and others benefit from avoiding traditions because their associations are now tinged with loss. Some people find great comfort in being with other people, others prefer solitude to camaraderie. For all of us, how we gather is as important as gathering at all. Plan ahead for the holidays: The first step in planning is to listen to yourself….what will help you most at this time? You may have strong memories and powerful feelings. Accept this as normal, but prepare for it. Anticipate the pleasures and the stresses of events, and select those you want to participate in. If you expect to be lonely, arrange supportive companionship. If you can’t bear the thought of connecting with the entire extended family, let the family know of your needs. Be creative and accept support by using distance technology. Accommodate your plans to your new limits: Most grieving people have significantly lowered physical stamina and emotional reserve. Perhaps you can’t get every decoration out this year. Accept these limits as temporary, and good enough for this year. Choose to put your energy into the things that matter most to you. Accept that the holidays will be different this year: The holidays are often filled with unrealistic expectations that may overwhelm you. You may need to revisit your goals and find a balance between continuity and change. Many people find a special comfort in establishing a new holiday tradition that honors the memory of the person who died. Recognize that other family members or friends may have struggles, too: Look for opportunities to discuss your feelings and wishes with others who may also be grieving for your family member. Try to respect their choices, if they are different from yours. You all may need to make compromises. If the holidays have always been hard for you: Use this transition in your life to try something completely new…an untraditional-tradition. Perhaps you have never taken the occasion create a new experience on your own. As challenging as loss can be, it can bring momentum to grow and to try something new. For all of us, whether the holidays are a time of personal significance or not, it can be a season in which we reflect on what we do cherish as we journey through grief. Kathie Supiano, PhD, LCSW is an Associate Professor at the University of Utah College of Nursing and the Director of Caring Connections: A Hope and Comfort in Grief Program. Caring Connections is a not-for-profit program that offers clinician-facilitated grief support groups in Utah.

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At Midvale Elementary’s STEAM night, students try the coding the dog to get the ball during the coding critters challenge. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Families explore through engaging Midvale STEAM night activities By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

idvale fifth-grader Kaedyn Glad and his dad were coding a robotic dog to get to a ball at the coding critters challenge. “This is a chance to get out with my son and spend time with him, doing something in a learning environment together,” said Kaedyn’s dad, Andrew. “I’m always at work, but tonight it gives us a chance to do something fun.” The two were at Midvale Elementary’s STEAM night where students and their families could try a dozen challenges as they rotated through the building. Once they filled a bingo or coloring sheet, they could receive a math kit to take home. Kaedyn wanted to come to STEAM night since he already learned how to make a bridge out of popsicle sticks at school and “wanted to have fun with my dad.” Kindergarten teacher Mary Haymore was overseeing the station. “It’s important that they’re learning how to do some basic coding for their future; it’s teaching them critical thinking skills,” she said. “It’s awesome we have this opportunity. The kids are engaged and enjoying what they’re doing.” At another station, parent Jesica Bennett was watching her three children explore snap circuits. “This is pretty amazing,” she said. “I like that they’re learning and not just on a screen. It’s conducive learning for all ages.” She said two of her children like to engage in experiments at home and want to start an engineering business in their future.

“I like to make stuff,” her second-grader said. “I can help people and make things better as an engineer.” Throughout the school were other stations with activities ranging from tangrams and magnets to a marble run and Hot Wheels racetrack. There was a chance for students to be innovative with Keva contraptions, problem-solve with Tetris puzzles and be creative with xylophones. Ten volunteers from Reliable Controls in Millcreek came to staff the stations along with teachers and staff. School nurse Tara Aka volunteered her time to help at the event. “I love how they instill a love of learning in science, engineering, math and art,” she said. “It gets them excited, and they want to share what they’re learning.” Kindergarten teacher Melissa Bryner asked students to make predictions as part of the scientific process before they tried the magnet racetrack challenge. “In kindergarten science, we talk about predictions,” she said. “When we’re talking about the weather, I ask them what they think the weather will be like and why, so they learn to support their predictions. Here, I wanted them to make an educated guess how many paper plates we could put between the car and the magnet. When I work with kindergartners, I ask them one million questions to get their brains going and exploring, but with older kids, they got excited thinking about the different kinds of forces.” Midvale School Community Facilitator

Midvale City Journal

Heidi Sanger said she reached out to the district ‘s Digital Teaching and Learning Specialist Chandra Martz for the night’s activities. “I like how engaging it is for our students and the quality of interaction was better because our parents were able to engage with their kids in each of the activities; and how each activity connects to their academic core standards,” Sanger said, adding how instructions are available in both English and Spanish, which was helpful at the dual immersion school. “There also are some daily problem-solving activities they can do at home.” Martz created the STEAM kits for schools to use with a portion of a grant she received from the Utah STEM Action Center.“We included the activities they can do at home so they learn STEAM is anywhere as they can as long as they’re asking the right questions,” she said. “STEAM can be implemented into pretty much any activity. “ Martz hopes students and parents real-

ize the potential in the field. “I want as many kids as possible to be able to see STEAM in their future. I want girls to be able to see that they can be engineers. I want children of color to see that they can get a job in the field that pays well. I feel a lot of people in some of our Canyons communities are working three jobs just to try to make ends meet. There are careers that their children can enter, and they can make $100,000 out of high school. I just want them to be able to see that this could be their future,” she said. Martz said this is in line with the school district’s motto: “Every student who attends Canyons School District will graduate college-and-career ready.” “That’s what we’re doing with STEAM, AI (artificial intelligence), technology – it’s the way of the future,” she said. “We’re giving them problem solving skills and skills in critical thinking, so when they graduate, they are college and career ready.” l

Continued from front page

On the boys team, he expects some state placements with seniors Cooper Limb and Marcus Sollers as well as sophomore Mornoni Mahe and Will Nelson. The Huskies graduated seven varsity boys and one varsity girl. The girls team has 18 members while there are 30 boys, Pappas said. Earlier this fall, the Hillcrest club team wrestled on the football field in the newly formed Brunson Brawl, named for the family who had two boys (Shawn and Russell) wrestle at the school and were named All-Americans while their dad, Ross, was a head coach for the Huskies in the late 1990s to early 2000s. During the contest, the boys wrestled the Kearns club team while the girls faced Cedar Valley’s club. “It was more of an exhibition and a good experience for the wrestlers,” Pappas said. “It was a cool for them to wrestle under the lights and an opportunity to have it serve as a fundraiser for our team. It was a great start to what’s going to be an exciting year.” l

said. “For the boys, we’re looking to continue having them be state contenders.” The girls will compete at several big meets to prepare them, including the Reno TOC Dec. 15-16 and the Rockwell Rumble Jan. 12-13 at Real Salt Lake Academy. The boys’ schedule includes Desert Storm competition Dec. 15-16 at Dixie High is St. George. The team will travel to Brighton Jan. 24 in hopes of retaining their Battle of the Axe title before the girls wrestle at divisionals, Jan. 21-Feb. 1 and the boys’ take to the mats at divisionals Feb. 2-3. Girls’ state is Feb. 1415 and boys’ state follows Feb. 16-17. Both competitions are at Utah Valley University in Orem. Joining the Zimmerman champions is their freshman sister, Katie, as well as senior returner Lily Hutchings and Haley Pederson. Pappas expects an impact from juniors Emilie Mower, Antonia Ingabire and Alei’a Baarsma.

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Look for Hillcrest boys basketball at be amongst the top region, state favorites By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

he Huskies are bigger, stronger and focused. Hillcrest High head basketball coach Brandon Sluga expects those attributes to make a difference on the court this season as he predicts the team to be strong contenders for the region 10 and 4A state titles. “We should be right there for region championship this year, along with Murray, Jordan and Park City (high schools). Dixie and Sky View (high schools) should be some of the contenders for the state title,” he said, hinting Hillcrest could be in that mix. “We’re just getting better and better. It’s exciting.” Sluga said his student-athletes have taken it upon themselves to improve their game, whether its getting stronger and building endurance by lifting weights and running, working on skills or playing more games in spring and fall leagues and in three summer tournaments. “We easily have our best record in spring, summer, and fall. We played in the University of Utah camp, with about 30 to 40 varsity teams from different classifications, and we were the only 4A team that played in the semifinals,” he said. “In the Rocky Mountain Showcase, we lost to the defending state champion, Sky View, in our first pool. It was a close game, but the loss

moved us into the silver bracket. We lost in the silver bracket final to Mountain View. We were ahead by one point and they hit a buzzer beater. We’re competitive, we’re right there.” Another differing factor this year from previous years is that a solid core of his players has participated several years in the Bantam program. He only has two returning starters after graduating six last year, so he’s counting on these players to make an impact this year. “Our juniors, sophomores and freshmen have played in our Bantam teams. We have some smart players, and the kids understand what we’re trying to do because they’ve been doing it now for multiple years. We have great team defense and share the ball on offense. We’d love to get up and down the floor, but if we don’t have things right away, we’re going to be patient and run good motion offense and find great shots. We have been working hard to grow this concept of team and not individual. It’s a team game and now our players are taking ownership of the program and embodying what we’re trying to do,” he said. Hillcrest’s program includes nine fourth through eighth grade Bantam teams. About 90 boys are part of the program.

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Hillcrest High’s Myles Mahler, No. 10, reaches for a rebound in the Feb. 7, 2023 home game versus Tooele High School. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

This year, he’s planning to check in at the beginning of practice with the athletes on where they’re at mentally, physically and emotionally. “It’s giving me a feel for where the team is. If something is going on, it may not be about the sport, but rather other things they’re going through in their teenage years, but it will open a door for them to communicate about it after practice and let them know they have support here,” Sluga said. “We also talk about having an exceptional attitude, about what they can accomplish, and the good things that they can gain from being a part of our program. We talked about what you can achieve here and what you can achieve beyond high school whether that be in sports or in education, and to have those high expectations. “ He said that his captain, Myles Mahler, embodies that mentality.

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“We’ve fostered an environment he loves and he’s leading by example,” Sluga said. “He’s the kind of kid who comes every day to work hard. Over the summer, he worked out to get stronger, more athletic, and he just continues to find little things he needs to work on. That’s the first thing he does as a leader is he brings that consistent work ethic. He’s also vocal. If he likes what he’s seeing, then he’s going to cheer his teammates on like crazy. And if he doesn’t, he’s going to tell them what needs to get better. He’s not scared to do that on the floor. He’s like an extra coach on the floor, but you wouldn’t ever know it because he’s just playing his tail off.” Mahler, who grew three inches since last season, said he has worked to become a consistent shooter from every position on the floor. “My twin (Anton) would rebound and pass the ball to me and I to him,” he said. “I feel like we have a connection that nobody else really has. We can look at each other and know exactly what the other one’s thinking and we can perform it out on the court.” Growing up, they played football and soccer together, but it was the love of basketball that won out. At first, it was playing against their 6’10” dad, who coached them in Jr. Jazz. “Dad taught us to be tough. He still gives pointers and evaluates our games with us. His advice is the same – play smart,” said Mahler, who along with his twin, maintains a 4.0 grade-point average. In fourth grade, he began playing under Coach Andy Tanner with his son, Zach, and a core group of players. Many of those who he played with in middle school and are on Hillcrest’s team today. “We worked on fundamentals — how to dribble, pass and shoot. He taught us sets and formations, the Xs and Os,” said Mahler, who wants to play college ball. It also translated into team chemistry. “The best thing about Hillcrest basketball is the love we have for each other and how we play smart. Our attitude in the locker room is different this year. Everybody’s pushing themselves to be good, to get better. The dedication everyone has is what makes us great. We’ve talk about getting the ball to everybody on the court, to involve everyone on offense. We’re going to pass the ball more, set more screens. We’re going to play strong defense. We play a complicated defense where everyone has certain job to do during the possession. Our coach was taught it at the University of Utah under Coach (Rick) Majerus when they went to the national championship,” Mahler said. “The big thing is we like each other, we’re excited and focused on our goals this year —winning region is a big one and we can make a deep run on the state playoffs, too.” l

Midvale City Journal

In The Middle of Everything City Hall – 7505 South Holden Street • Midvale, UT 84047

The Upcoming Legislative Session

MIDVALE CITY DIRECTORY 801-567-7200 801-567-7200 801-567-7265 801-567-7250 801-567-7228 801-567-7211 801-567-7235 801-363-9995 801-567-7285 385-468-3350 385-468-7387 801-567-7230

MIDVALE CITY ELECTED OFFICIALS MAYOR Marcus Stevenson 801-567-7204 Email: mstevenson@midvale.com CITY COUNCIL

District 2 - Paul Glover Email: pglover@midvale.com District 3 - Heidi Robinson Email: Hrobinson@midvale.com District 4 - Bryant Brown Email: bbrown@midvale.com District 5 - Dustin Gettel Email: dgettel@midvale.com

WHO TO CALL FOR… 801-567-7200 801-567-7202 801-567-7213 801-567-7265 801-567-7202 801-567-7214 801-567-7235 801-567-7231 801-567-7208 801-567-7213 385-468-9769

PUBLIC SAFETY & EMERGENCY CONTACTS EMERGENCY UFA Fire/UPD Police > Non-emergency Unified Police Department > Midvale Precinct Public Works Rocky Mountain Power

It’s that time of year again, and just over a month from now, the Utah State Legislative Session will begin. During this 45-day session our State Legislature will propose a couple thousand new laws, and several hundred of them will be enacted. Each year, the legislature proposes and passes numerous laws that impact municipalities – anything from how we plan for and address growth, to how we respond to and address homelessness, to how communities can be structured as recognized municipalities, and many other topics. During the session, myself, our city council, city staff, and our many partners advocate on behalf of our community and our various needs. While Midvale City has five legislators who represent portions of our community, the State Legislature is made up of 104 State Senators and Representatives. While this article expresses some of my opinions about the legislature as a whole, I truly appreciate the partnership and advocacy we receive from our Midvale legislators as they work to keep our community at the forefront of these policy decisions. Thank you, Representative Stoddard, Representative Bennion, Representative Eliason, Representative Ivory, and Senator Riebe.

GROWTH

District 1 - Quinn Sperry Email: qsperry@midvale.com

Water Bills Ordering A New Trash Can Permits Court Paying For Traffic School Business Licensing Cemetery Planning and Zoning Code Enforcement Building inspections Graffiti

CITY NEWSLETTER By Mayor Marcus Stevenson

Marcus’ Message City Hall Finance/Utilities Court City Attorney’s Office City Recorder/Human Resources Community Development Public Works Ace Disposal/Recycling Midvale Historical Museum Midvale Senior Center SL County Animal Services Communications

DECEMBER 2023

911 801-840-4000 385-468-9350 801-567-7235 877-508-5088

Whether you love or hate the way Utah is growing, the State Legislature has heavily impacted what cities must do or cannot do to address the demands that come with growth. Unfortunately, the State has largely blamed cities for the rising housing costs because of our public process which slows growth down, our parking requirements which makes housing more expensive to build, and the housing lot size rules, which make it harder to build more densely. To quote Governor Cox when recently speaking about these very issues, “if you don’t want state government to make you do it, then figure out how to do it.” Over the last several years, the legislature has passed numerous laws that impact density, and we anticipate seeing more. As an example, two years ago, the State passed a law requiring all municipalities with a fixed-rail station (the 3 Trax Stations for Midvale), to plan for medium- to high-density zoning within a half-mile radius of each station. While the State has required each city to create plans to build these types of developments, they are not yet binding. We anticipate the State may pass new laws to either make the plans binding or withhold certain funding from cities for not following through. Beyond binding our long-term plans, the biggest looming proposals we hear about are taking away zoning authority from cities or getting rid of parking requirements. At this point, we expect the legislature will begin addressing parking minimums that cities require and address a minimum base density for new developments. While it’s unclear what this may mean for cities, any new laws that address these issues are sure to impact us in significant ways. Here’s the thing, I don’t disagree with every proposal the State has made – it makes sense to build more densely around Trax stations – but it’s frustrating because many residents feel discontented by the growth and challenges we see with it. Not having a say over the state’s decisions, while simultaneously being blamed for those decisions, puts local governments in a tough spot that deters trust and creates resentment with the communities we call home. I’d much rather take the heat for decisions we chose to make, rather than ones we were forced to make, because then we could truly create dialogue as a community. Instead, each time the State takes

away a local decision, it frustrates local governments and the residents we are elected to represent.

HOMELESSNESS

As a community that hosts one of the five homeless resource centers in the State, Midvale City is involved in many of the homelessness-related policy conversations that take place throughout the year. Hosting the Midvale Family Resource Center also means that homelessness related policy implemented by the State, tends to impact our community more than many others. Because of our role in hosting the State’s only shelter designated for families, we receive homeless shelter mitigation funding. This State funding is received each year and is intended to help lessen the impact of the shelter on the surrounding area. Most of our funds are used on six shelter officers and three patrol officers. As we think about the impact of the shelter, it’s often thought of as the impact that those staying in the shelter create on the surrounding community, but the way I think about the shelter, and the way we approach our mitigation funding, flips that scenario. Instead of an outward impact from the shelter, I see an impact from the surrounding area inward towards the shelter. Most of the individuals staying in our family shelter are kids, and it’s clearly not these kids’ bringing drugs into our community, committing property crimes, or creating other nuisances. However, we do see many criminals’ prey on the vulnerable families who are staying in the shelter, who come from the surrounding areas, especially along the 7200 S corridor. Our officers focus on keeping the shelter and the surrounding area free of bad actors and drugs, to keep the area as safe as possible for the many kids, as their parents work to get back on their feet. This context is important, because for the last few years, the State Legislature has changed the rules for these mitigation funds and are likely to tighten up the way the funds can be used. This is concerning because as the family shelter, the issues we see are different from the other shelter-hosting communities. For our community, any proposed changes to the mitigation fund could restrict the way we can use these funds, and potentially make it more difficult for us to be able to use these funds on law enforcement costs, which we believe help provide a safer environment for those families. Furthermore, last year the State passed a law requiring that Salt Lake County come up with a winter response plan to address homelessness during the winter months. Earlier this year, this law was tweaked to require that Davis County and Utah County also have to come up with one of these plans for the 2024-2025 winter. Davis and Utah County representatives pushed back on this change, and we anticipate they may try to have this portion of the law revoked. If this happens and we see less homeless resources across the state, it likely means we will see greater impact in our community.

MUNICIPALITY STRUCTURE & IMPACT TO UNIFIED POLICE

As the reorganization of the Unified Police Department has continued to move forward, one of the major challenges we’ve run into are the restrictions that townships have on their ability to collect tax revenue, specifically property tax. Townships are a municipality classification that only exists in Salt Lake County, and while in practice they are essentially fully independent cities and towns, they are not

MAYOR’S MESSAGE CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

In The Middle of Everything MAYOR’S MESSAGE CONTINUED able to levy a property tax like any city can. We know that because of the State law that passed last year, which removes the Salt Lake County Sheriff as the CEO of Unified Police, Salt Lake County plans to leave the Unified Police Department. This means we will lose economies of scale, and we will see policing costs go up just to maintain the same level of service. While it may be challenging for our community to keep up with those cost increases, it’s almost impossible for the townships to do so because they cannot levy property tax. There is proposed legislation that will automatically turn all five townships into a city or town, allowing them to raise the necessary funds and stay part of Unified Police. This will save Midvale residents money, because of the economies of scale it provides. The current townships are Kearns, Magna, White City, Copperton, and Emigration Canyon.

Midvale City’s New Public Works Report a Problem Portal Midvale City residents now have a dynamic tool to actively contribute to the maintenance and improvement of their community. The recently launched Public Works Report a Problem Portal is transforming the way residents report non-emergency issues, providing a convenient platform for efficient communication and issue resolution. This user-friendly system encourages civic engagement by enabling residents to play a direct role in addressing concerns related to the city’s infrastructure. HOW IT WORKS The Public Works Report a Problem Portal simplifies the process of reporting non-emergency issues that require attention from the city’s Public Works Department. While emergencies such as water leaks, downed stop signs, or sewer backups should be reported directly to Public Works at 801-567-7235, the portal is designed for less urgent matters. Residents can access the portal online at Midvale.Utah.gov/Report and conveniently submit requests related to various non-emergency issues. The system then directs these requests to the relevant city division, ensuring that they are quickly and efficiently addressed. This streamlined approach allows for a more organized and responsive system of issue resolution. REPORTABLE ITEMS The portal covers a wide range of reportable items, including but not limited to: 1. City Parks: Issues related to park maintenance, facilities, or safety concerns. 2. Roads: Potholes, road damage, or other road-related issues. 3. Sidewalks and Curbs: Damaged sidewalks, uneven curbs, or other pedestrian infrastructure concerns. 4. Gutters and Storm Drains: Problems with drainage systems that impact the safety and cleanliness of the city. 5. Street Lights: Outages or malfunctions in street lighting. 6. Signs: Damaged or missing street signs, stop signs, or other signage issues. 7. Fences: Damaged or unsafe fences on public property. 8. Water or Snow Removal Issues: Non-emergency problems related to water supply or snow removal. EFFICIENT COMMUNICATION AND UPDATES One of the key features of the Public Works Report a Problem Portal is its commitment to transparent and efficient communication. After submitting a request, users receive email updates on the status of their reported issue. This ensures that residents are kept informed about the progress of the resolution process, fostering a sense of community involvement and accountability. Midvale City’s new Public Works Report a Problem Portal exemplifies the city’s commitment to harnessing technology for the benefit of its residents. By empowering the community to actively participate in the maintenance and improvement of public spaces, the portal contributes to a more engaged and responsive city. As residents embrace this innovative tool, Midvale City can look forward to a more connected and well-maintained community for years to come.

MIDVALE . UTAH . GOV

Navigating Winter: Parking Guidelines, Snow Removal, & Safe Driving Tips WINTER ON-STREET PARKING To facilitate effective road clearing and prevent the risk of plows hitting parked vehicles, residents are prohibited from parking any vehicle on city streets where one inch of snow has accumulated. This parking restriction remains in place for 24 hours after snowfall has ceased or until the streets are cleared of snow (Midvale Municipal Code Section 10.16.120). Residents are advised to be aware of weather forecasts and make alternative parking arrangements off the streets during anticipated snowfall. SIDEWALKS Property owners are responsible for ensuring that sidewalks adjacent to their properties are kept clear of snow and ice. City crews are tasked with clearing sidewalks at public facilities, such as City Hall. SNOW BLOWING AND SHOVELING State law prohibits residents, business owners, and contractors from depositing snow onto public roads. Snow removed from sidewalks and driveways should be placed on lawn areas or private property, avoiding placement on public roads. This practice is not only hazardous but also hinders the City’s snow removal efforts. BLOCKED DRIVEWAYS Snow accumulation on the plow blade often results in snowdrifts across driveway approaches. While the City lacks the resources to clear all driveway approaches, it is the responsibility of residents to handle this task. When clearing driveways, residents should deposit snow on lawns or park strips, avoiding coverage of fire hydrants. Placing snow in the street can cause delays in snow removal and may lead to damage to personal property. FIRE HYDRANTS In the winter, it’s crucial to clear the snow around fire hydrants. If there’s one in front of your place, make sure it stays snow-free – it’s on you! DRIVING • Please don’t cut in front of or try to pass a snowplow. • Never tailgate a snowplow truck. Always keep a safe distance of at least 200 feet. If you can’t see their mirrors, they can’t see you. • Stay sharp and drive cautiously. Winter storms make roads slippery, so keep a safe gap between cars and slow down a bit to have enough time to hit the brakes. As Election Day approaches, it’s important to stay informed about the voting process as well as the candidates and propositions that will appear on your ballot.

DECEMBER 2023 CITY NEWSLETTER MIDVALE . UTAH . GOV

Humane Education Presentations Salt Lake County Animal Services’ offers Humane Education classes and other workshops to groups and schools within Salt Lake County. Our nationally recognized program incorporates materials for all ages, youth through adults. Our age-appropriate presentations demonstrate: • Basic Animal Care • Responsible Pet Ownership • Humane Treatment of Animals • Important Animal Safety Information/Bite Prevention • Careers in Animal Welfare/Care

Our presentations complement the Common Core standards, social emotional learning, and character education, emphasizing social responsibility. We strive to foster compassion and respect for all living beings by educating youth and teachers in humane education. Our presentations cover diversity, equality, animal protections, social justice, responsibility, empathy, and empowerment. Research has shown that humane education programs not only reduce violence towards animals and people, but also can improve academic performance, foster civic engagement, reach underserved kids, contribute to individual and community health, help address social issues, encourage positive behavior changes and more. For more information and to request a presentation please visit our “Programs” section on AdoptUtahPets.org. Questions? Email events@slco.org

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Midvale City Journal

Hillcrest High’s cheer squad takes the field during halftime of the football homecoming game. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Hillcrest High’s cheer squad, under a new coaching staff, has its sights to compete at the UCA national championships. (Photo courtesy of Hights Photography)

Hillcrest cheer hopes to head to UCA nationals under new coaching staff

ational Universal Cheerleading Association’s championships. That’s the goal of 22 Hillcrest High cheerleaders when they take to the regional qualifier Dec. 9 at Mountain American Expo Center in Sandy. “It’s really exciting,” said first-year coach Alex Martinez. “We’re registering to go to nationals, pending our regional competition. It will be a new experience for them. I am just beyond excited to see their faces when we get there — fingers crossed — and for them to see how their hard work pays off and how it’s going to be an experience of a lifetime.” If they qualify, the Huskies will compete at Disney World in Orlando in Feb. 9-12, 2024. At the qualifier, the Huskies’ varsity co-ed team will compete in game day and traditional categories and its JV co-ed squad will take part in game day. Their routine was devised by a UCA choreographer. Put simply, Martinez said traditional competition includes tumbling and stunts set to music as a performance as well as a cheer portion. Game day is designed to get the crowd immersed into their cheers and often includes the fight song. “This is our growing year with all new coaches. But with it being our growing year, I’m so proud of them, because they’ve taken challenges head on, trusting us as their coaches, and they’re not afraid to try new things with more tumbling passes and stunting. It’s exciting to see them have these goals like UCA nationals that they’re reaching for and work toward,” she said. As a coach, Martinez said the sport, at times, is hard to watch. “Coaches have no control. You just hope that their adrenaline kicks in, and

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By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com their muscle memory kicks in. I remember when I competed my mind was racing and there’s so much going on, but my body just knew what to do and where to go,” she said. “So, I tell them, ‘you need to worry about your job, not everyone else’s. You just know where your spot is and what your job is to get the stunt set up or to get your tumbling pass to be successful.’ When it comes together, it’s magic. To see 20 kids pull off the routine with stunting and tumbling and people being thrown up in the air and dancing. It’s just looks magical when it just all comes together seamlessly. But there really is a lot of hard work and dedication to get there.” If the Huskies don’t make the cut, there isn’t a second chance this season, Martinez said. “We’ll lick our wounds and move to compete at the USA national qualifier, which means at Disneyland in California. It will still be a great opportunity,” she said. “What makes cheer scary is that you work all year for a minute and a half routine and then, it’s all on the line. You could have 10 successful run throughs and the 11th one, you could have a fall. Cheer is a sport where everyone has to do their job to pull off this choreographed routine.” Martinez, who competed in gymnastics growing up and cheer in high school, coached at a Reno High School for a couple years before taking an English teaching position three years ago at Hillcrest. “I was approached to be an assistant coach at my alma mater and just loved it. It’s different coaching versus competing. You get to know the details of the score sheet you’ve never realized as an athlete. You become familiar with all the nitty gritty details. But it’s so much fun providing an experience for your athletes that brought me so much joy and so many

memories,” she said. “It is a big commitment. Even so, I’m glad I decided to coach here at Hillcrest because I love this team. They’re just such hard workers and they’re hungry. They want to be good.” In addition to the national qualifier, the Huskies will compete Jan. 13 in the northern UHSAA state divisional in the Lifetime Activities Center on Salt Lake Community College’s Redwood Campus, 4600 S. Redwood Rd. Martinez wants the team to focus on their own routines. “Their minds are their biggest competition. If they believe in their ability to do something without comparing themselves to others, they’re going to do it 10 times better,” she said. The 4A state is Jan. 26 at Utah Valley University’s UCCU Center in Orem. It’s the second year UHSAA has sanctioned a state competition. In addition to competitions, the cheer squad rallied on the fall teams and will be on the sidelines of the winter sports as well. “We’re trying to be positive examples in the school and to the community. We helped East Sandy Elementary with fun run a couple of weeks ago, cheering for them at the start of the race. We ran with them for a little bit and then we cheered for them when they came back,” she said. “We’re also doing a mini Husky cheer clinic week in late November.” In addition, Martinez along with assistant coaches Melissa Wilkes, Emily Oviatt and Ashley Skillman, are bonding with the team through class dates. They took the four seniors to dinner and plan to do that with each class. “We want to get to know them more and get to know their goals. Some of them are thinking about cheering at the colle-

giate level. We want them to know that we care about them and want the best for them. We want to support them in their endeavors,” she said, adding that a team holiday party is planned. “It’s good to have that bond with your teammates; that bond leads to trust and success in our routines.” l

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Hillcrest swimmers return to the pool stronger, faster By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

fter a gap year from swimming competitively because of the demands in the Canyons School District’s cosmetology program, senior Oakley Young returned to the pool to swim alongside her teammates. She not only met some new faces on the team, including junior Maria Magalhaes who likely will lead the Huskies this season, but also a new coach. Elizabeth Drake is in her second year and assistant coach Zach Bulloch is new this year after former assistant swim coach Robert “Tom” Huddlestone retired after 39 seasons. “Coach Drake is awesome; she’s super understanding,” Young said. “It’s amazing to be back with the team. When I was swimming by myself, I didn’t have the competitiveness with the people in the lane so being back with them, makes it 10 times better.” Young, who has swum competitively since she was eight years old, was a strong contributor in butterfly and freestyle as an underclassman. As a sophomore, she medaled in the 100 butterfly at region. Now, she wants to swim breaststroke. “When I was younger, that was my stroke, but I had a knee injury that prevented me from swimming it for a year and a half. I want to get back into that, but I’ll see where Drake puts me,” she said.

Hillcrest High’s Maria Magalhaes wins the 200 free in 2:09.3, eight seconds ahead of the nearest competitor, in the dual meet against Brighton High on Nov. 9. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

In a meet against Jordan High, Nov. 9, Young swam the individual medley – a race where she showed her mastery of each stroke, but as swimmers know, breaststrokers may have an edge. “I now swim all the strokes and like all the members on the team, I’m aiming to get faster,” said Young, who serves as one of the team’s captains and wants to continue swimming on a club team at college. “We have a bunch of strong girls this year. I’m super excited for that and for the progression of the team that we’ve

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had. It’s incredible.” After swimming in just a couple meets, Hillcrest already has 16 state qualifying times, including four of its six relays. Those swimmers who are in the fastest 32 spots, or top 16 in relays, automatically advance to state while others swimmers could qualify at the region meet. “We’ve gotten faster and deeper,” Drake said. “It’s a strong team.” Drake said Magalhaes, an international exchange student, will make a big impact for the Huskies. “She’s my fastest girl by a landslide,” Drake said. “She has been swimming with her high school and club team in Brazil. She’s the fastest girl in every stroke, but we need her the most in fly. We also may swim her in the 100 and 200 free.” In time trials, she swam a 0:57 100 free. Her fastest 200 free clocks in at 2:03. “It’s early in the season, but so far, she hasn’t had anyone to push her because she was way ahead of the competition,” Drake said. Freshman Cora McIllece, who has swum for a club team in middle school, also should be a force for the Huskies. Specializing in 500 free, she is swimming under six minutes. “She likes that race. I have put her in the backstroke a couple times; she’s pretty good at it,” Drake said. Joining those two are returning juniors Lucy McDonough and Maddie Peterson, who is the other girls’ team captain. “Maddie likely is going to swim backstroke on our medley relay and Lucy is our breaststroker,” Drake said, adding that Magalhaes will swim fly and McIllece, the free leg. “The legs are open for the taking. Anytime somebody can beat someone else’s time, then they’ll be swimming it.” Junior Olivia Hermanson and sophomore Kennedy Pew also are expected to be top swimmers for the team. On the boys team, senior Scott Person and juniors Cody Su and Sean Wager are the captains. Person and Wager will likely swim 100 back and 200 free while Su will swim the fly.

Drake sees a strong number of breaststrokers on the team, led by junior Thomas Powers, who swam a 1:03.9 at state last year. Behind him, is sophomore Benny Bridge and freshman Andrew Shupe, coming in at 1:09 and 1:10, respectively. In the 500 free, Drake is looking to see improvement from sophomore Daniel Emett. “He swam in region for the first time and had a 5:44. He’s already swam a 5:28 this season. He was chasing somebody quick and that helps him grab some time. So also went under two minutes on his 200 free,” she said. Junior Jacob An is a swimmer she knows she can put in any race and he will do well. “He doesn’t have a favorite so he swims wherever he’s needed for the team. He’s versatile and strong,” Drake said. Sophomore Alex Skorut is the team’s lead backstroker. He swam a 57.6 at state last season for the Huskies. “He’s the most self-motivated on my team. Every time he gets in the pool, he wants to do his best every time. He watches his own videos and finds ways to improve. He says, ‘How does this look? I tried to do this; do you think it’s faster?’ He does a lot of self-reflection and he’s always trying to improve, which is cool,” she said. The team is practicing in the mornings and evenings at Dimple Dell Recreation Center as their “home” pool at Gene Fullmer Recreation Center is undergoing renovations. Drake said she works with swimmers during the morning practices on their stroke technique as well as starts and turns. One member who is new to competitive swimming, Cash Adams, is taking advantage of those practices. “In October’s time trial, he swam 43 seconds in his 50 free and he’s already dropped to a 35. That’s because he comes to every single practice. He even goes to the pool and practices on his own time. I’ve spent lots of one-on-one time with him because at first, he couldn’t dive. So, I spent lots of time getting him competent enough to go headfirst off the block. Then, I taught him how to do a flip turn. He’s still mastering the technique, but he’s getting faster because of all the time he’s putting in,” she said. Looking at the region competition, Drake sees “our biggest competition is definitely Murray and Park City.” They were slated to face a deep Murray High squad Nov. 30, followed by a fast Park City High team Dec. 7 at Dimple Dell. The region 10 meet is set for Jan. 27 at Wasatch Aquatic Center in Heber, with the 4A state meet Feb. 16-17 at Brigham Young University in Provo. “We’re going to have some good competition,” she said. “I’ve looked at state times from last year and there were some good times. I’m seeing that our team gets third at region. I would be ecstatic, on cloud nine, if we went higher.” l

Midvale City Journal

Two stand-out Husky volleyball players rank amongst state’s best By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

wo Hillcrest High varsity student-athletes finished the season ranked in the top 10 in the state. Junior Ana Moleni was sixth in kills with 308 and junior Meia Larsen was eighth in assists with 661 and 10th in aces, with 56. Within 4A region 10, the players finished first in those categories plus Moleni was second in digs with 286. The team were fourth in region, with a 6-6 record. The last time the Huskies had a similar record, 7-7 in region, was five years ago. They finished 13-18 overall after falling in the first round of state playoffs in three close matches to Mountain Crest High. “We saw a big improvement from what we’ve seen in the last couple years so I’m happy with that,” said first-year head coach Cassidy Adams. “Their level of play increased. They got more into team dynamic, growing to know each other’s tendencies and knowing where they needed to play. Their offense improved since they were working together better. They really are starting to come into themselves, not just as great players, but as representing Hillcrest, and being proud of where they come from, which I really love.” Adams described this industrious team as having drive and determination. “They’re just incredibly hardworking. They have a lot of tenacity and they are more comfortable with a higher skill set and having faith in themselves,” she said, adding that they also bonded through team breakfasts and dinners as well as going to activities, like a University of Utah volleyball game together. Adams said with only two seniors on the team, and

about a dozen varsity letters awarded, she expects a strong season next year. “My juniors will lead out the team next year; there’s four or five players who will return and will have that strong leadership,” she said. Already Larsen has served as a team captain. “She is a huge presence on the court and off the court, she’s an amazing leader,” Adams said. Joining her as captain was junior Dayana Mulamba, who Adams said has “an even keel calm presence, which is very beneficial for the team.” Looking to next season, Adams expects Park City High will be a strong contender again. “We were close with Park City both times we played them, and they were a top 10 team, so I am confident we will be competitive next year,” Adams said. She plans to get the team together in the off-season besides attending the team skills camp and helping host a youth camp in the summer. “I want the team to keep training and getting stronger. It’s going to help us keep getting better,” Adams said. “I want to continue working on their mindset. They’re really developing that fight. I want to keep improving on that next year so we can finish games strong.” l

Hillcrest High’s Ana Moleni, seen here with a block, was sixth in the state with 308 kills. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

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Dec. 2023 | Page 19

Huskies get high marks, race in state meet By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

illcrest High cross country coach Scott Stucki is a teacher at heart. After his varsity runners raced at the state meet, he gave the performances a grade. “Josh (Martin) had a really good day at state,” he said. “He ran an A+ race. He dropped 1:30 and moved up seven spots at state. He ran really well.” The 16-year-old sophomore ran a 16:16 to finish 16th. Stucki also was pleased with other boys’ races. “Senior Andrew Tuttle had by far his best season,” he said, adding that he expects freshman Boston Baggett, junior Matt Keller and sophomore Levi Walton, who finished second, third and fifth for the Huskies, respectively, to continue to improve and be strong next season. “Boston was a surprise. I knew he was good and I figured he worked his way into our varsity, but I wasn’t expecting him to end up being our No. 2. That’s a credit to him.” The overall boys team, he rated a B with a state finish of 19th. This was the Huskies’ 17th year running at the state finals. “We went junior, freshman, junior, senior, sophomore, junior, senior and we have some talented boys coming in. If we can keep them all healthy, and running consistently in the spring during track, and get a good summer, we have a chance to be better, a top 10 finish at state,” he said. “I’m pretty optimistic about the next few years.” On the girls’ side, senior Edith Neslen led the team, bettered her best time running a 19:38.1. Even so, she was a bit disappointed. “She didn’t have the really big breakout she was hoping for as she wanted to be 10 to 20 seconds faster, but she ran fine, an Arace. She was a little low on energy, but she’s still ran her best 5K ever,” he said. “Edith finished 22nd; she would have liked to have been in the top 20.” Freshman Claire McCann finished second for the Huskies’ squad with a 20:52.5. “She didn’t run (in the off season) as much as I would have liked, but I knew she was going to have to race her way into shape. She’s pretty active and will play lacrosse in the spring as well as run track,” he said. The team placed 12th, tying for their highest placement at state. “This the best girl season we’ve had since I’ve been involved in 2003,” Stucki said. “The girls know they didn’t run as well as they could have and that’s without any prompting from me. They were disappointed after state. Our result could have been better, but still, it’s a great result.” At divisionals, he gave the team a B+. “They wanted to be faster in that race and weren’t sure if they qualified, but I knew from watching that I knew our girls were in. It was a nice feeling. It’s the first time I’ve been able to watch one of my teams in di-

Page 20 | Dec. 2023

Edith Neslen, a senior at Hillcrest High, led the school’s girls cross country team all season. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Hillcrest High sophomore Josh Martin ran his best time to finish 16th at the state cross country meet. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

visionals knowing we’re going to the state finals. Even watching the boys, I was pretty sure we were in. The course looks flat and fast, but the grass is soggy and long, so it made for slower times. Overall, the girls ran a B+ race. At state, we were mixed with some As, Bs and Cs,” he said. While state is over, the Huskies season is not. Many of the runners plan to race at Footlocker West Regional in early December. Runners from the western United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, and U.S. citizens in overseas military installations, will take to the 5000-meter course at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, California. “We’re taking a bunch of kids, probably 2/3 of our team. I’m pretty sure most of our girls are going,” Stucki said. For Neslen, that means a chance to drop to the time she wanted to run at state — despite the significant hills in the race and 80% on it is on dirt trails. It has a steep uphill climb to the finish. “I went to Footlocker my sophomore year for my first time and got my PR,” she said. “The course is really hilly, but I like it.” At region, Neslen finished second with a 18:52.6 on the 2.95-mile course. She wants to improve upon that. Already she is getting in long runs in preparation. “We’re also doing a lot of hill repeats,” she said. “At state, I wanted to run a 19:20 or somewhere in the 19:10s. I’m hoping at Footlocker, where there’s lots of hills, to run under 19:30. We’re all wanting to have a good race.” l Hillcrest High School’s boys and girls cross country team, seen here at state, will compete in early December at the Footlocker west region race in California. (Shannon Hurst/Hillcrest High)

Midvale City Journal

A Labor of Love in Salt Lake County By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

t’s been 50 years since a group of parents got together to create a program where adults with disabilities could live in a traditional setting and experience being part of a community. Project TURN is now TURN Community Services and its mission is to turn dreams into reality. Two-time Best of State winner, TURN offers day programs, residential living, summer camps, supported employment and art programs to participants from 11 to 80 years old. It also provides Christmas gifts to 200 people with disabilities through its Labor of Love project. “We provide Christmas for people with disabilities and we open that up to the community,” said Alyssa DeHart, TURN director of development and communication. “People are able to submit names and profiles of people who would like help…It’s entirely funded by donations and volunteers who shop, wrap and then deliver the presents as well.” The Labor of Love project has been going on for at least 30 years, helping hundreds of people with disabilities enjoy a fun holiday. Volunteers in the community deliver gifts to each one of the TURN offices in the state, from Ogden to St. George. The gifts are then distributed to some of Utah’s most vulnerable residents. “We have volunteers that come year after year, some have participated for more than 20 years, and they bring more friends and extended family members each year because they find it so rewarding to help these people who often have no family members left to help with their basic needs and holiday celebrations,” said Cynthia Proctor, Labor of Love director. “They know they are extending critical help to this overlooked and underserved part of the community whose

needs are very real, extensive, and still often invisible.” For information about volunteering with the Labor of Love project, contact DeHart at alyssadehart@turncommunityservices.org. The drop-off location in Salt Lake County is at 423 W. 800 South. Along with the Labor of Love project, TURN provides support for individuals with disabilities by providing individualized care in a residential setting. Support includes health care, socialization, financial management, transportation, leisure activities and community events. TURN’s art centers help people express themselves through the power of creativity with art classes, dance lessons and music education. The classes offer a chance for participants to build skills, explore the world, enhance self-expression and tap into their own artistic talents. Several artists in the program have submitted art for various fairs and contests. A popular program at the nonprofit is employment services which helps individuals with disabilities, ages 14 and up, to find work in their community. Counselors take time to meet with each person to determine their skills, interests and abilities and then help them find a job that matches their preferences, allowing them to develop independence. “Our mission statement is turning dreams into reality and that helps us focus and maintain our ideals of serving people,” DeHart said. “Sometimes we focus on sustaining life but enhancing life is really what we want to do. We want each individual to be able to have dignity and hopes and dreams and discover new abilities.” l

TURN Community Services volunteers shop, wrap and deliver Christmas gifts to more than 200 people with disabilities throughout the state. (Photo courtesy of TURN)

Food pantries face high demand and low inventory By Tom Haraldsen | t.haraldsen@mycityjournals.com

he number of children living in poverty in the U.S. has more than doubled in the past year and a half, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. It issued a release in September saying 12.4% of youth under 18 are living below the poverty line. That’s up from 5.2% in 2021 and totals over 9 million children. Inflation overall, added to the expiration of the Child Tax Credit program that Congress instituted during the pandemic, has added to the economic challenges families are facing, including here along the Wasatch Front. It’s estimated that in Utah, one of every 11 residents will go to bed hungry tonight. So many are turning to local food pantries for help—and that’s a problem. Food pantries are seeing lower inventories and fewer donations. With the holidays approaching, pantry leaders are alarmed. “Our needs are extreme,” said Rebekah Anderson, executive director of the Bountiful Community Food Pantry. “Every single day, we have at least one new family come in who we haven’t served before. Two weeks ago, we served over 100 families in one day—the most in a single day since I’ve been here.” She said most of the pantry’s clients are not destitute—many come from families

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where both parents are employed or have second jobs. “Every day Davis County residents are finding their paychecks aren’t going as far as in the past,” she said. “They still need help to feed their families.” At the Open Doors pantry in Layton, executive director Jason Wilde tells a similar story. “For the first nine months of this year, we’ve seen a 40% increase in the numbers of families we’ve served,” he said. “At least half of those are families that have never come into the pantry before. At the same time, our donations have dropped by about 10%. So there’s a great inequity between needs and our ability to meet them.” The Murray Children’s Pantry serves clients from throughout Salt Lake County. Jim Brass, president of the pantry board, says donations have dwindled throughout the summer, as they traditionally do, and he’s hopeful the upcoming holidays will put “people in a more giving mood.” As with Bountiful and Layton, clients have increased in numbers the past few months. “We’re hearing the biggest challenge is rent—the costs of housing,” he said. “We’ve seen our client base grow by 30% to 40% some weeks. We have put together what we

call family boxes—enough to feed a family of four for a week—and demand for those has steadily grown. There are new families coming in for the first time every week.” Anderson said the Bountiful Pantry is blessed to have over 200 volunteers who help with food organization and distribution. She said one of those volunteers came back into work after being off for about a week and said “she couldn’t believe how empty our warehouse looked…in just a few days.” And she’s concerned that with November and December holidays just around the corner, when the demand usually doubles or triples, her inventory continues to drop. In Bountiful, Anderson’s crew is being extra careful with distribution. “We’re not rationing food, but we are taking steps to make sure we reduce waste,” she said. “We can extend the shelf life of canned vegetables, for example. The USDA provides a shelf life guide because many products are still good past their published expiration dates. That said, we still offer clients many healthy, fresh perishable food items as well. Our number one focus is always on our clients.” So how can the public help out pantries? One way is through food drives at schools or through churches or community groups. The

Farmington High National Honors Society is planning a food drive from Nov. 6-10 for the Bountiful Pantry. Anderson said she’ll provide either barrels or large wire containers to gather food. Bountiful also received a $5,000 donation from the Bridge Community Church in Centerville, which held a golf tournament as a fundraiser for the pantry. “We’re so grateful to both Farmington High and the Bridge Community Church for doing these,” Anderson said. “It helps take stress off of the pantry.” Bountiful Pantry’s annual Sub for Santa program—which can assign clients to be Santas for families in need of help—is taking registrations through Nov. 18. Low-income families are vetted, and last year more than 4,000 children received gifts. Brass said the Murray pantry is working for the third year with the Frank Cordova Foundation to provide Thanksgiving dinners for families. The foundation provides turkeys, and the pantry provides the rest of the fixings. Those wishing to make donations and help out should reach out to the pantries on their websites. Each director says the needs are continuing to grow every day. l

Dec. 2023 | Page 21

Free services for youth a bright spot in tight budget year for Salt Lake County By Ella Joy Olsen | e.olsen@mycityjournals.com

t the end of October, Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson presented the 2024 annual budget to the County Council and the public. Council will consider the proposed budget during a series of hearings, before voting on the final budget on Dec. 5. Salt Lake County has a proposed budget of nearly $2 billion dollars and details can be found in a 650 page PDF document available online. The short of it? It’s a belt tightening kind of year, but there are a few bright spots. “You’re already aware there has been a slowdown in tax revenue this year. It’s no secret that the economy is stretched thin by inflation and the cost of goods. Salt Lake County residents must manage their households with less purchasing power per dollar, and so must we. And unlike the federal budget, the county balances its budget each year,” said Wilson during the address. Salt Lake County is among only a handful of counties that has a Triple-A bond rating and is rated as one of the most fiscally responsible counties in the nation, and Wilson aims to keep it that way, while continuing to provide existing, quality services to county residents. Services provided by the county are

numerous, ranging from libraries and recreation centers, to mental health services and services for aging adults. It is also responsible for criminal justice, which includes behavioral health, jails and prosecution. Within the budget are the services provided by the County Health Department from expected things like screenings and immunizations, to more obscure services like noise pollution, noxious weed control, tobacco prevention, bee inspection and water quality. The county also provides culture and arts opportunities via venues like the Eccles Theater and the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center and through various localized programs. Belt tightening measures Tax revenue for 2023 increased by about 2%, but the increase was absorbed by rising costs. Healthcare premiums increased by 10% for county employees and inflation increased general costs of operation for existing county services. Additionally, much of the Covid-19 relief funding which padded the county budget has expired. To tighten the belt, the mayor proposed a targeted hiring freeze of vacant open positions that have remained unfilled for six months or more. Also, the county

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has already denied 90% of requests for general funding increases by divisions and departments, while allowing the county to continue to fulfill contractual obligations and existing programs. Additionally, the county hopes to reduce travel expenses by county employees by half, resulting in a savings of approximately a million dollars. Bright spots for county employees and county youth County employees: “I’ll be honest, the amount I’m recommending for employee compensation is far less than I’d like,” said Wilson, while proposing a 2.75% salary increase for employees and sworn officers. Wilson also proposed a round of one-time tiered employee recognition pay. Though there was a significant increase in healthcare costs for the county, none of the increase will be passed on to employees, and employees with a high deductible plan will continue to pay nothing for monthly premiums. County Recreation Centers: The mayor proposed opening rec centers to all kids in Salt Lake County, free of charge, via a new program called My County Recs Pass. Currently the annual rate for an All-County recreation center pass for youth (ages 3-17) is $135, with slightly lower rates for one-center options. For families with tight budgets, this optional expense is something they cannot easily afford. The My County Recs Pass program proposal is projected to cost $2.3 million annually. This cost represents the personnel and operational costs in addition to the reduction in revenue from youth pass

sales. Costs will be covered using TRCC funding, an existing tax set aside by the county to support cultural and economic growth within its boundaries. “We are also expecting some new revenues from adult passes for parents and increased sign-ups for programs,” said Robin Chalhoub, Director of Community Services for Salt Lake County. “We did not add that [increased revenue] to the proposal and we are excited to see how it increases.” County Library late fees: Wilson also proposed eliminating County Library late fees for children. This program was piloted during the summer of 2023, based on the concern that late fees are a barrier to lower income families coming to the library to borrow books and other learning materials, and was a success. The proposed County Library’s 2024 budget contains $115,000 from the Library Fund to replace the potential lost revenue from fees collected. “We are implementing these programs to remove barriers for Salt Lake County children and teens to libraries and recreation centers. We know that by having access to these services, our youth will have improved socio-emotional and physical health,” Chalhoub said. “The overall community benefits from the promotion of well-being, safety, and social cohesion. Additionally, health disparities, inequities, and long-term costs associated with healthcare and juvenile delinquency are potentially reduced.” l

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Page 22 | Dec. 2023

Fairmont Aquatic and Recreation Center is one of many county recreation centers that will be free of charge for county youth if the proposed 2024 Salt Lake County budget is passed. (Ella Joy Olsen/City Journals)

Midvale City Journal

Christmas Unwrapped

t was the Christmas season as I Peri Kinder wandered the aisles at Gibson’s Discount Center with a $5 bill Life and Laughter crumpled in my pocket. It was 1975 and parents didn’t care if their 7-year-old wandered alone through a store. I’d earned money to buy my parents Christmas gifts and I had to find the perfect presents. I imagined mom’s surprise when she unwrapped a brand new purse that wasn’t filled with broken crayons, Cheerios and used tissues. I pictured dad’s excitement as he opened the model airplane he would assemble at the kitchen table. I would be an example of humility as they raved about my thoughtfulness. Dad agreed to drive me to Gibson’s and we climbed into our blue Ford Pinto. Once there, I told him he couldn’t follow me, that I wanted the presents to be a surprise. He hung out at the soda fountain drinking root beer so I could shop with privacy. It didn’t take long to realize my $5 wouldn’t cover the cost of a purse or a model airplane. My heart sank as I walked the aisles. Everything was so expensive. Maybe mom wanted an oven mitt or a wooden spoon. Perhaps dad would like a small bottle of model glue. Then I saw it. A pint-sized, cut-glass pitcher that gleamed under the store’s fluorescent lighting. It looked so elegant. It wasn’t big enough to mix a half-gallon of Kool-Aid but I didn’t think mom would care. She would cherish it for all eternity. And it was only $3.

That left a present for dad. Walking past the drugstore aisle, I saw a mini-size bottle of Brut aftershave for less than $2. Mission accomplished. I wrapped the presents and placed them under the tree, right up front. On Christmas Eve, I had the holiday insomnia where you try to sleep but you hear jingle bells and ho-ho-hos and prancing reindeer on the roof. Finally, it was morning and I dashed down the stairs. I don’t remember what I got for Christmas that year. Probably a Madame Alexander doll, a Nancy Drew book and a journal with a heart-shaped lock. What I do remember is being so excited for my parents to open their presents. Mom unwrapped her gift first. I watched with the giddy excitement of a child who knows she nailed the perfect present. She opened her glass pitcher and held it up for everyone to see. It sparkled in the tree’s lights. Dad was so grateful for his little bottle of Brut that he never used it. The tiny green bottle sat on the bathroom shelf for at least a decade. I asked him once why he didn’t use it. Didn’t he like it? “I love it!” he said. “But if I use it, it will be gone and then I won’t have it anymore.” I get it, dad. I feel the same way about the expensive bottle of tequila in my office. Mom filled the pitcher with her homemade syrup we poured on pancakes, waffles and French toast. She used

it for all my childhood. My grandkids ate pancakes with syrup poured from that pitcher. I think she even took it with her when she moved to North Carolina. It takes so little to make a child feel loved. It’s sometimes hard to use the gifts kids give you for the holidays, but they’re always watching. Wear the macaroni necklace. Use the syrup pitcher. Put on the reindeer earrings. Your child will never forget.l

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