Midvale Journal | June 2023

AFTER 36 YEARS, HILLCREST BOYS’ SOCCER CLAIM REGION TITLE

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

It’s the first round of the 5A boys high school soccer playoffs and Hillcrest High is sitting out.

Coach Brett Davis is fine with that.

“We’ve had a pretty good season overall, so having a bye in the first round is great,” he said.

Hillcrest was ranked fourth in the state playoffs and defeated Bonneville High 3-2 in the second round May 16. The championship game was May 25, graduation day for the Huskies, but the focus wasn’t on that, but on the next game, Davis said.

During the season, the Huskies had a nine-game winning streak, including a 2-1 win in overtime on senior night. Their season leading up to playoffs was 12-3 overall, 10-2 in region play to be crowned region champions.

“There were some emotional games in there, and they did what they needed to do,” Davis said. “It’s been 36 years since we’ve had a region title in boys’ soccer.”

The team clinched the title with an overtime win May 3 on senior night against Cedar Valley High, although the trophy wasn’t presented until days later, at home after their last away game.

“The Cottonwood coach called me before the game to say they had won, which at that point, I knew we clinched it, but I didn’t share that with the boys because there are a lot of emotional things with senior night. If we had lost our last two, it would come down to a mathematical calculation based on RPI,” Davis said.

Besides that overtime game, the Huskies won on penalty kicks after being tied at the end of a double-overtime game against Cottonwood High. They also had a double overtime win against Spanish Fork High earlier in the season.

Senior CJ Poulsen is the team’s goalkeep-

er. “Being in goal in some of those games, can be a little stressful,” he said. “When I first started playing, I wasn’t able to handle the pressure, but as I’ve played more, I just have gotten used to it. I just focus on doing my job and know everybody else will do his. The penalty kicks against Cottonwood were a little stressful, but I knew that I was going to be able to save at least one of them.”

Davis said the team won those critical games during the stretch when they played eight matches in just over three weeks.

“They came away with wins, but especially late in the season, it’s tough having to play those extra minutes on the field. It adds up and it takes a toll on the boys physically, so the bye gives us a few extra days of rest,” he said. “Being in the top eight means we shouldn’t hit a team that’s above us until we get down to the final four.”

The team also will play on its new home grass field—previously, the team played on the football field—in front of the home crowd.

“It’s an advantage to play on our field where we’re able to practice on it every day and we know where the bumps are compared to a team to walk on and have to figure it out right then and there,” Poulsen said.

Joining Poulsen, there are six other seniors, most who play in the backfield; they have played together for years.

Poulsen began playing competitively when he was 7 years old.

“I started playing with my brother played on our rec team and we were both people who we didn’t really want to run a ton, so my dad (who was the coach) said, ‘We don’t have any goalkeepers, do you want to play goalkeeper?’ I’ve played with some of these guys on club and Hillcrest teams for years and we all have a (player) group chat where after every game

With its win over Cedar Valley High, Hillcrest High boys soccer secured its first region win in more than 35 years. (Julie Slama/City Journals) Continued page

Local Episcopal church prepares for summer celebrations

ThisJuly, the St. James Episcopal Church in Midvale will celebrate St. James the Greater. St. James the Greater, also known as Saint Jacob, was the son of Zebedee and the brother of John, and was one of the 12 apostles of Jesus. He is the patron saint of Spain, as well as the patron saint of St. James Episcopal Church.

This year in particular the St. James Episcopal Church will have much to celebrate, along with the Feast of Saint James, they will also be celebrating their 60th anniversary of the parish. The church is a staple of the community and does its best to support and create a better and closer city.

For example, on Sept. 23, the church will be hosting a free classic car show that aims to collect donations from the community in order to help fund their food bank. The senior warden of St. James Episcopal Church, Jessica Strout, stated, “This will be our third show and we would love the community to come see the cars, eat at one of the food trucks and participate in a fun raffle.”

St. James Episcopal Church is a member of the Anglican Communion, the third largest group of Christians in the world. The Episcopal Church has 109 dioceses, three missions and operates in 17 nations with about 1.8 million members. On July 25, The Feast of Saint James the Apostle will be celebrated. According to legends about James’ life, he preached the gospel in Hispania and the Holy Land, and was martyred at the hands of Herod Agrippa. His body was then transported to Santiago De Compostela in northwestern Spain for burial. The exact site of his burial was lost to history, but was believed to be recovered by Theodemir of Iria, a bishop, on July 25, 812. And so Saint James is commemorated on this day. l

r nals

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A bird’s-eye view of the St. James Episcopal Church in Midvale. (Courtesy of St. James Episcopal Church)

Canyons’ high schools, tech center give students boost to employment

Alta High senior Drake Larsen was heading to check out the school job fair shortly before graduation.

“It’s a good opportunity to explore the different careers available, both for a summertime job and for a position I could have while attending college, maybe one in my intended field,” he said.

Larsen, like many other students at Canyons School Districts’ five comprehensive high schools and Canyons Technical Education Center, could check out the job and further educational opportunities at each school’s job fair, held in April and May before the end of the school year. For some, it may have been their ticket to employment.

“We organize the job fair to benefit our students and local businesses,” said Janet Jefferson, Alta High’s work-based learning facilitator. “Some of our students are needing or wanting a summer or part-time job. At the job fair, they get to see what jobs are available to them, talk to potential employers in an informal setting and explore future career opportunities. The businesses need workers, and they can share their job opportunities with a large number of potential employees at one time.”

She said that it’s been a positive experience not only for students, but for businesses as well.

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Booths ranged from Megaplex Theatres to Chick-fil-A, and from Cyprus Credit Union to Salt Lake County. Jobs were available from TKJ, which provides support professionals for people with disabilities; Canyons School District; Sandy City; and others.

At another Alta High job fair booth, Collectiv Academy offered students an option to get an education in hairdressing, barbering and cosmetology. Admissions Director Samy Rash said the school concentrates on teaching the students skills in cutting, coloring and styling while gaining hands-on practice with local clientele.

“We help them get their licensing and we get them prepared for the industry,” he said. “The thing that makes us a little bit different from most cosmetology schools is while they teach you a little bit about everything, our school prepares students to know the skills, pass the certification and help them be more marketable so hopefully, they can get a job.”

Academy Director Alexys Campbell said that Collectiv offers students an alternative to a traditional post-secondary experience.

“We want to make sure that people know that you don’t have to do a conventional college to be successful,” she said. “Being a cosmetologist is not necessarily something to fall back on, but an option to pursue as a pas-

sion and realize it’s a career that is actually feasible.”

Avery Stott graduated from Alta High in 2020 and recently completed the program.

“I enjoy what I’m doing; it’s a passion of mine and what I wanted to do,” she said.

Similar to the high schools, CTEC had booths staffed with job recruits from places such as Salt Lake County Sheriff, Code Ninjas, Dimple Dell Recreation Center, Geneva Rock, Sandy City Fire and more.

Recent Alta High graduate Slater Douglas was talking to CTEC students as a recruiter for Maxim Healthcare Services. He was looking for people who are 18 years old and up who would want to help patients in their own homes, many of those who may have disabilities.

He said CTEC was a perfect opportunity to reach students who were completing the school’s health programs such as EMT or certified nursing assistants. Others who are interested, could enroll in Maxim’s intensive program to be certified, he said.

“We’re looking both for summer help as well as those who want permanent jobs with a competitive pay,” Douglas said. “We’re looking for those candidates who want to help people and be in the field they’re passionate about.” l

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Alta High students check out Megaplex Theatres and other booths offering employment at a recent job fair. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Hillcrest sisters win state debate, qualify for national tournament

TwoHillcrest High sisters have qualified for the 2023 National Speech & Debate Tournament.

Senior Sofia Moeinvaziri and her sister, Sara, a junior, earned a spot to compete in public forum debate June 11-16 at the national tournament in Phoenix.

The sisters competed in five tournaments this school year, leading up to the region contest and the 5A state tournament, which Hillcrest High hosted. In all those tournaments, the sisters won or placed second, including taking first at the national qualifier. They’re the first to win the state title at Hillcrest High after a number of years.

“We were really happy about state, but it was pretty stressful,” Sofia Moeinvaziri said. “The tournament went late, like 12 hours, because there were a lot of rounds; we were running around helping run the tournament as well as debate. By the time it ended, a lot of teams had left. We were in the finals against Park City, so it was just them, their coaches, and people in the tab room doing results; it was pretty quiet, but we were pretty happy when we learned we won.”

Their coach, Emily Kunz, said it was an “amazing win” at the tournament that had about 450 students participating from 20 schools.

“It was just an emotional moment to see them get that win,” she said. “Even though it was exhausting, I think being on their home turf gave them that mental edge. They’re exceptional debaters.”

Last year, the pair qualified for national debate tournament, however, this is the first time the elder Moeinvaziri has been a high school state champion.

“Last year, we didn’t break so we didn’t move on, and sophomore year, we made it to quarterfinals. My freshman year, the tournament didn’t happen because of the pandemic,” she said.

Sofia Moeinvaziri is proud of the debate team’s accomplishments as well.

“As a team, we did great this year,” she said. “Our team had more students participating because we got a debate class this year, which most schools have had for a while.”

At state, her longtime debate teammate senior Michael Chen competed in finals in Lincoln Douglas debate, taking second place.

Kunz said that in his last tournament in high school, “he went out great. He dominated in quarters and semis. He has really strong debate skills.”

Senior Maria Manousakis, who was the state middle school policy debate champion with Moeinvaziri, switched from debate to impromptu speaking this year to take fourth place at the state tournament.

Freshman Ella Astudillo placed fourth in Congress in “an intense competition,” Kunz said.

Other top finishers include freshman

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Fiona Chen reaching quarterfinals in Lincoln Douglas debate, junior Liliya Barashyan, placing seventh in informative; and freshman Wilson St. Martin finishing 12th in foreign extemporaneous speaking.

Overall, Hillcrest debaters placed eighth at state and doubled their score they posted at region.

“What really helped us was that we placed third at region, which meant we automatically could take up to 30 entries to state based on the strength of our team,” Kunz said. “I’m really proud of how we did.”

In addition, the Utah High School Activities Association recognized three senior forensics members for their high academic achievement: Chen, Manousakis and Priyanka Mathews.

During the school year, it wasn’t just status quo for the Moeinvaziri sisters. Almost every tournament, the public forum topic would change.

“We’d do the research for every single one as the topic changed every month or so,” she said with the exception that it was the same for region and state. “I like how you debate a lot with current events, and you use a lot of evidence and statistical data. I like how you don’t have the same topic all year because I learn a lot through PF. I’ve learned about health care, cryptocurrency, the Space Force, about tariffs, foreign relations.”

While the sisters have paired up in recent years, Sofia Moeinvaziri started participating in fifth grade at the annual Canyons Elementary District Tournament with her friend, Lisa Hoshijima. She then teamed up with classmate Amber Parker in sixth and seventh grade before getting her first state title with Manousakis in policy debate.

Moeinvaziri realizes she’s grown through debate.

“I wasn’t very good at debate when I started, and I wasn’t strong public speaking or even just being assertive. By the time I reached my finals round at state, I was com-

pletely different. It really has improved my confidence,” she said, adding that she may participate in debate next year as she heads to Stanford University to major in electrical engineering or math.

While in high school, Moeinvaziri didn’t just concentrate on herself. Every week for two years, she has mentored younger debaters, introducing them to public forum.

“It’s nice to see how it clicks for them how they formulate these arguments. It took me so long to reach that conclusion myself. No one really taught me, so I started teaching other students to help them understand it” she said.

Kunz, who began coaching at Hillcrest last year, has helped the team keep on track with deadlines for 11 different tournaments during the year, typically twice each month leading up to state. In class, she taught 20 students debate and speaking skills from learning about debate issues to how to craft

an argument.

Kunz said the skills students learn can be difficult to master, but they are important.

“Debate is critical and practical,” she said. “It’s a fundamental skill students will use in life as they research and present themselves. It also teaches them how to be strong leaders.”

As Kunz is looking forward to next year with a new region that includes Park City High, the team that placed first in Lincoln Douglas and second in public forum to take second place overall at state, she is optimistic.

“I’m really energized as we’re building the team, even with the loss of our strong senior class,” she said. “COVID really limited our students who continued to debate online through the pandemic, but now with our debate class, I can see the success of the program building.” l

Top: Hillcrest High’s debate team returns back to school with their medals from regionals. (Courtesy of Hillcrest High debate team) Bottom: Hillcrest High sisters Sara and Sofia Moeinvaziri became state champions and qualified to compete at nationals for second straight year. (Photo courtesy of Sofia Moeinvaziri/ Hillcrest High)

Hillcrest FCCLA student to compete in nationals

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

AHillcrest

High student is planning to compete at nationals in FCCLA this summer.

In the state’s competitive events for FCCLA, or Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, junior Yati Thein place second, qualifying her to compete in nationals. The national competition will be held July 2-6 in Denver.

Students across the state competed in more than 30 STAR competitive events, or Students Taking Action with Recognition events. The events prepare students for proficiency and achievement in chapter and individual projects, leadership skills and career preparation. FCCLA chapters prepares members for careers through its four career pathways: human services, hospitality and tourism, education and training, and visual arts and design.

In the STAR events, students demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and abilities to actively identify an issue concerning families, careers, or communities, research the topic, and develop and implement a project to advocate for positive change.

Thein made pillows for every student in a special needs class.

“She picked out different materials for the students in the class that she knew they’d like and sewed 15 of them,” said her chapter adviser, Lisa McCloud. “She put in a lot of work and they absolutely loved them.”

McCloud said 11 of the 30 student members chose to compete at region and eight qualified for state. Many of the chapter members earned silver and gold medals.

Some of the chapter’s service projects translated into competitive events. For example, the chapter helped with Hillcrest’s community pantry, which needed cleaning kits.

“Our students put together 25 cleaning kits with Clorox wipes and spray and sanitizer, and all these different things; a couple girls used it for their chapter service project, which I think they did a phenomenal job,” McCloud said. “It meant these cleaning kits could go out to 25 homes in the area, where people didn’t have sanitary living conditions.”

Seniors Kay Erekson and Taomi Atwood competed at region and state with that project. Erekson said the project was chosen to help “achieve global cooperation and harmony, and to provide opportunities for making decisions and assuming responsibility.”

She estimates the impact of the cleaning supplies as well as 40 bags of donated food, was great.

“It involved a lot of people, and it impacted about 300 people from our chapter members who came and helped put together the cleaning kits to people who made donations, and then all of the families who received the food or received the cleaning kits,” Erekson said.

Their project received gold at state.

Other students competed in the culinary

competition, in the baking and pastry contest, and in fashion construction.

“She sewed a beautiful dress and was judged on her zippers and buttonholes and inset sleeves and different skills that she showed she was able to do. It was a lot of work,” McCloud said.

Some of the projects’ supplies, such as the batting for the pillows and the Lysol wipes for the cleaning kits, were purchased with chapter funds. In October, the chapter planned and held Husky Howl, the school’s Halloween dance, which proceeds were earmarked to help with chapter service projects and for competitions.

Another activity the chapter did was literacy-based, where members looked at a word on a page in a book, which then they incorporated into a poem, McCloud said.

“They were just writing them for themselves and having a lot of fun doing it. It was creative, and they learned how to collaborate,” she said.

During other meetings, the chapter has decorated cupcakes, made smoothies and created bracelets. They hold an annual luau at the end of the school year.

McCloud, who has advised Hillcrest’s chapter for 15 years, said along with the FCCLA Fall Leadership Conference, her officers have learned leadership skills through planning meetings and organizing events.

“They have really been invested; they show up and do what they’re supposed to. This year, they’ve been very welcoming and inclusive. This club has a place for everyone; we have people from all different walks of life, especially with the diversity at Hillcrest; and

we have kids from different socio-economic groups, races and genders and everything. I just love that. It doesn’t matter who you are, you’re welcome at FCCLA and you can find a purpose,” she said.

Erekson is a second-year officer. She has taken several family and consumer science classes as she is preparing to attend Salt Lake Community College with a career goal of becoming an elementary school teacher.

“I had lots of good elementary school teachers when I was growing up and I really liked working with kids so when a friend invited me, I thought FCCLA would help me with my career goals and with my public speaking and organizational skills,” she said.

“My favorite part of FCCLA is how everyone is included in all the activities we do and how happy we make people.” l

Several Hillcrest High’s FCCLA members competed at region and state this year as well as performed community service in their school community. (Photo courtesy of Kay Erekson/Hillcrest High)

family for

we always talk about how we just got to keep believing in each other. That’s what’s great about that team is that we always push each other. Winning the regional title, is something we’re all really proud of. It was probably one of the best moments I’ve ever had,” he said, adding that the locker room was a little “wild” in celebration.

Davis said this group has had different experiences than other teams.

“They established a strong camaraderie on their first tournament in St. George and when they came back, the team played one game and that was their season. COVID prevented them from even seeing their teammates that year so each season, they’re more grateful and determined to play their best,” he said.

Some of the older players on that team now are on the coaching staff, directing the seniors as well as some freshmen have gotten “significant minutes” in critical games, such as the Cottonwood High win. They also accrued minutes until senior Connor Walton recovered from injury.

“With a lot of young players, we pictured this year as an opportunity for the seniors to be mentors and for the younger players to bring extra passion and hunger to the game. We never set our goals on winning region, but we talked about the process of what we want to get to and that will bring the results. We spent a lot of time on goal setting indi-

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vidually at both practices and games so each time we step on the field, the question was, ‘How are we going to get better?’” he said.

The targets are SMART—or specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely.

Poulsen said that a typical goal for everyone on the team may be “I got to make sure my distribution, all my passes, is completed about 90% of the time. Then, one of the questions in our book is, ‘Did you meet your goal? Why or why not?’ We go over with the coach what could we do better and what we are going to do to fix it, so this mistake doesn’t happen again. He always demands excellence; he always wants us to be the best that we can be. When we’re not at that level, he will call us out for it. He’s the type of guy who will be serious when he needs to be, but he is also the coach that will crack a joke like there’s no tomorrow. It’s just so uplifting that he can change the team’s mood easily.”

Davis said his team would prepare for the playoffs (after press deadline) the same as they have all season.

“We taught them about controllable and uncontrollable factors, like you can’t control the field surface, the wind and the weather, but you can control how you personally perform—how you pass, how you strike the ball, how hard you work. We take it one game at a time, and we focus on what do we need to do to be better than we were the last game,” he said. “That’s where our focus will continue to be.” l

Read, create and connect through county library summer reading program

By Ella Joy Olsen | e.olsen@mycityjournals.com

Remember those lazy days of summer?

When there was nothing to do but stretch out on the hammock with a good book and read? Well, summer is coming and the Salt Lake County Library System wants to encourage kids to stretch out with a good book, to keep those reading skills fresh throughout the summer. But summer is for more than reading. And this year the summer reading challenge encourages much more than that.

The program runs June 1 to July 31, and it isn’t just for kids. “Everyone can participate and everyone can win,” said Paula Burgon, Youth Services librarian at the West Jordan Library. “Adult, teen or child, everyone loves a reward. And the best reward is a book.”

The theme for this year is All Together

Now and focuses on bringing families, friends and community together to read, create, learn, play and connect. It is a library sponsored reading program, so of course there are prizes for reading, but the program also encourages other types of activities which can be logged toward redeeming a reward. Participants can reach out to a new friend (connect), try a new game (play), paint a picture for a neighbor (create), eat a food they’ve never tried before (learn), or even write a nice note to the mail carrier (connect). Ultimately, it’s about creating unity and kindness in the local commu-

nity.

To get the party started there will be a Summer Reading Kickoff at three different branch libraries: Daybreak, West Jordan and the newest library in the system, the Granite Library. Look for food trucks, live music and crafts varying from branch to branch, such as making kindness rocks, blowing monster bubbles and beading bracelets. The kickoff will be on June 2, from 5 to 8 p.m.

Often parents will challenge their children to curl up with a good book by logging their own reading time, so the reading program creates connection within the whole family. And everyone who participates gets a prize: a new book of their choosing.

Kids (and parents) can pick up materials at any branch library starting now. Or participants can simply create an account and start recording their activities and reading online. However, the reading and activity log will eventually need to be returned in person to a branch library to redeem the prize. Finishers will also be entered into a drawing for passes to one of several local fun spots like the aquarium, zoo, fun centers and museums.

Historically, the program has been very popular. According to Laura Renshaw, manager at the Millcreek Library, “Last year, systemwide we had about 17,000 kids who fin-

ished and took home a free book. Plus there were 8,000 adults, 3,000 pre-readers and over 2,000 teens.”

The county library system consists of 18 branch libraries located from as far south as

Herriman, west to Magna and east to Millcreek. For more information, visit your local branch or visit online at www.slcolibrary.org/ summer-reading/srp. l

The colorful children’s section at the Millcreek Library is ready for early readers. (Ella Joy Olsen/City Journals)

Best teen, preteen films showcased at Salt Lake County’s Youth Film Festival

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Eleven of Salt Lake County’s top youth filmmakers watched their films debut on the big screen with friends and family.

At an invitation-only event at the Megaplex at Valley Fair Mall, this year’s Salt Lake County Youth Film Festival student-winners came to the front of the auditorium, invited to speak and accept their prizes.

“Coming out of these heavier years with the pandemic and having to really push the film festival forward in a virtual format, the first thing I wanted to do was make sure that that our event was in-person,” said Abbey Summers, Salt Lake County health educator who oversaw the film festival. “And I thought what’s a better way to show these films for these young filmmakers than on the big screen?”

Sitting back, with provided concessions, the audience watched the short films ranging from breakfast ideas to inclusivity in sports.

All the films focused on the theme, “I advocate.”

“I wanted to have a strong theme. A big part of public health and what we do is, especially with youth, is trying to teach them about policy change and advocacy because these things are hugely instrumental in moving public health forward. Through the film festival, we’ve allowed teens to create films around some of those topics that are import-

ant to them. With this year’s theme, we encouraged them to think about health topics that were important to them and how they could advocate for change or a way to make it better; or how they could utilize resources in their community or in their schools to teach others. I feel the participants shined this year in showing us their advocacy and what is important to them,” she said about the fifth annual student film contest.

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KAN-101-02 - CELIAC DISEASE

This study is for adults 18 - 70 years old who have a Celiac Disease diagnosis either by a positive Celiac serology or biopsy, and you must follow a gluten-free diet for 12 months. There are two parts to this study: Part A and Part B. What part you are assigned to will determine how long the study will be. Part A is 8 weeks with 4 weeks of screening, 7 days for treatment, 3 weeks of follow-up, and 3 IV doses. Part B is 58 weeks, 6 weeks of screening, 7 days for treatment, and 51 weeks of follow-up, also done in 3 IV doses.

The films were judged by health educators, community health workers, youth services staff and others, they were ranked according to the contest rules in advocacy, originality, filmmaking elements, inclusivity and more, Summers said.

The winner of the Judge’s Choice award went to Sundance Canyon Academy senior Anthony Ashton for his film, “Resources;” Best Advocate Award to Skyline High junior

Anna Liu for her film, “I Advocate for Mental Health;” Inclusivity Advocacy Winner to Highland High sophomore Kanye Saunders for “I Advocate for Inclusivity in Sports;” Best Original Film to Granger High senior James Ngyuen for his film “I Advocate for More Sleep;” Best Filmmaking Elements to Hillcrest High senior Abigail Slama-Catron for her film “Advocasee;” Best Theme Relevance to Corner Canyon freshman Maya Yrungaray for her film “3 Easy Breakfast Ideas;” First Runner-up to Sundance Canyon Academy freshman JD Martin for his film, “Temptations of Peer Pressure;” Group Advocacy Winner to Rowland Hall junior Eric Lu and Waterford School junior Shayan Pandit for their film, “Healthier and More Accessible School Lunches;” and Best Lower Division Winner to Salt Lake Arts Academy seventh-graders Aliya Saunders and Anna Peregrine for their film, “Living Life to the Fullest.”

The evening concluded with a private movie screening of the Super Mario Brothers movie as well.

“We wanted to make the event an opportunity to showcase their films and be really fun and family friendly,” Summers said. “I loved the films that were submitted this year.” l

A STUDY

Secondary students from across the Salt Lake Valley were honored at the 5th annual Salt Lake County health film festival. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

MIDVALE CITY DIRECTORY

City Hall

In The Middle of Everything

City Hall – 7505 South Holden Street • Midvale, UT 84047

Marcus’ Message

801-567-7200

Finance/Utilities 801-567-7200

Court 801-567-7265

City Attorney’s O ce 801-567-7250

City Recorder/Human Resources 801-567-7228

Community Development 801-567-7211

Public Works 801-567-7235

Ace Disposal/Recycling 801-363-9995

Midvale Historical Museum 801-567-7285

Midvale Senior Center 385-468-3350

SL County Animal Services 385-468-7387

Communications 801-567-7230

MIDVALE CITY ELECTED OFFICIALS

MAYOR

Marcus Stevenson 801-567-7204

Email: mstevenson@midvale.com

CITY COUNCIL

District 1 - Quinn Sperry

Email: qsperry@midvale.com

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…

Water Bills 801-567-7200

Ordering A New Trash Can 801-567-7202

Permits 801-567-7213

Court 801-567-7265

Paying For Tra c School 801-567-7202

Business Licensing 801-567-7214 Cemetery 801-567-7235

Planning and Zoning 801-567-7231

Code Enforcement 801-567-7208

Building inspections 801-567-7213

Graffiti 385-468-9769

PUBLIC SAFETY & EMERGENCY CONTACTS

EMERGENCY 911

UFA Fire/UPD Police

> Non-emergency 801-840-4000

Uni ed Police Department

> Midvale Precinct 385-468-9350

Public Works 801-567-7235

Rocky Mountain Power 877-508-5088

CITY NEWSLETTER

By Mayor Marcus Stevenson

The Future of Our Recreation Center

If you ever decide to knock on doors in Midvale and ask our residents what they’d like to see in our community, you might be surprised by how often a community pool, and other recreation topics come up. Requests for a new and improved recreation center is something that I constantly heard about when running for o ce, and that our city council members also regularly hear. Our city is doing everything we can to deliver on these requests, because local recreation opportunities in Midvale are not just a want, but a need for many members of our community. Our residents deserve a local recreation center that bene ts everyone.

For parents with young kids, who don’t have opportunities close to home, they deserve a local recreation center. For my wife and I, it’s challenging to coordinate schedules for three kids when they are playing team sports, but it’s even more complicated when our closest option is driving to the Dimple Dell recreation center in Sandy. The need to travel to other communities is a barrier that deprives families of important, but basic services.

For youth who are struggling because our community lacks pro-social opportunities, they deserve a local recreation center. While parents and community organizations work hard to provide opportunities for our youth to engage in positive activities, we currently lack the programs, sta , and facilities to meet the demand. Recreation centers support an environment for kids, teenagers, and young adults to both casually interact with their peers and provide more structured opportunities, such as team sports and even jobs.

For aging adults in our community who want to keep an active lifestyle, they deserve a local recreation center. Our aging population needs ease of access to activities, classes, and programs to help them stay physically healthy, all of which a recreation center can provide.

Unfortunately, Salt Lake County’s Copperview Recreation Center, located here in Midvale, is one of the oldest recreation facilities in the county and is estimated to have roughly 10 more years before it becomes too expensive to maintain. Additionally, due to the center’s age and limited amenities, the programs and opportunities provided see limited participation. If our community wishes to expand recreation opportunities for all our residents, then we must be invested in the process of securing a new recreation center.

Fortunately, the Zoo, Arts and Parks (ZAP) program, which funds community arts, culture, and recreation grants throughout Salt Lake County, will be on the ballot next year, November 2024, for voters to reauthorize. If approved, the new ZAP funding will provide an opportunity for Midvale City to apply for the funding needed for a new recreation center in our community. If we

can secure the funding, this will open the door to having a community pool, increasing sports programming, such as basketball, baseball, and soccer programs, and creating a community space for our residents and their families to enjoy.

ZAP is only reauthorized once every 10 years, meaning if we are not successful in securing a new recreation center in the upcoming round of funding, we will likely have to wait until 2034 to start the application process again, and risk the closure of the Copperview Recreation Center without a replacement plan.

A COMPETITIVE PROCESS:

Today’s estimate to build a new recreation center is roughly $45 million. In all the property tax, sales tax, and other fees that Midvale City collects into our general fund, our annual budget is about $25 million. There is no nancially responsible way for our city to build a recreation center on our own, and we must rely on our partnership with Salt Lake County to use ZAP funding to close the nancial gap. Further, because ZAP is estimated to raise about

In The Middle of Everything

FOOD TRUCK

$120-150 million, we may be asking Salt Lake County to use about 1/3 of all the new ZAP funds to build one project, and unfortunately for us, we are not the only community who is gearing up for this process.

To be competitive, we need to either come to the table with money, land, or preferably both, to put our community at the top of the list of proposed projects.

WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING:

First, Midvale City is proposing to place a General Obligation (G.O.) bond onto the ballot this year for Midvale residents to approve. This would allow Midvale City to fund up to $10 million of the cost to build the recreation center, which would be paid back over 20-30 years through property tax. Midvale City will only utilize the bonding authority approved by voters if we receive the rest of the necessary ZAP funds from Salt Lake County to build. If Midvale voters approve this bond, but our city does not receive the rest of the funds, then there will be no impact to property tax. Having this nancial commitment in-hand as we begin the application process with Salt Lake County will signi cantly increase our chances of securing our community a new recreation center.

Second, Midvale City is proposing that Union Park, which is owned and operated by Salt Lake County, be used as the proposed site for the new recreation center. Union Park is the ideal location because the county already owns the land, which results in signi cant cost savings. Union Parks’ accessibility from neighborhoods throughout the city, as well as our schools, means this location will be a bene t to our entire community.

By coming to the table with money and land, we feel con dent that this proposal would be looked upon favorably by Salt Lake County and increase the likelihood of securing a recreation center that our residents deserve.

T r u c k F r i d a y s i n M i d v a l e ! M i d v a l e C i t y H a l l

7 5 0 5 S H o l d e n S t r e e t , M i d v a l e

Midvale Arts Council presents

NEXT STEPS:

First, we must be able to show Salt Lake County what our residents would like to see in a new recreation center. Starting this month, we are conducting a community survey to receive your feedback on what amenities you would like to see in a new recreation center, such as a community pool, an indoor soccer facility, pickleball courts, etc. This information will be shared with Salt Lake County as they prepare their new Parks & Recreation Facilities Master Plan, which they are updating the rest of this year and next. This survey will help ensure that a new Midvale recreation center is included in the updated master plan, which is required if we wish to be considered for ZAP funding. Please visit EngageMidvale.com to complete the survey.

Second, Midvale residents will have the opportunity to vote this fall, November 2023, on Midvale City contributing up to $10 million to build the recreation center through a GO bond. This is our community’s opportunity to show support for a new recreation center. In the fall of 2024, all of Salt Lake County will have the opportunity to vote to reauthorize ZAP. It is through the approval of both measures that Midvale will have the best opportunity to fund a new recreation center.

Conceived by Karey Kirkpatrick and Wayne Kirkpatrick

June 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 2023 7:30 p.m. each day & 2pm on June 10

Third, once ZAP funds have been approved, Salt Lake County will begin to prioritize potential projects. Throughout this process Midvale City will be communicating our monetary commitment and plans for a new recreation center. Project prioritization, funding, and timing are all determined by Salt Lake County through the ZAP process. Our city sta will work to ensure that Midvale is in the best position for a favorable outcome.

While we are still several years out from the rst-person diving into the recreation center’s pool, the process starts now. Midvale City sta are taking all necessary steps to make this project a reality. So, while we still have many details to nalize, we are all looking forward to this year’s election and doing everything we can for this opportunity that only comes once every 10 years.

Looks for details of the project at Mural Fest on June 10 and check EngageMidvale.com

Music & Lyrics by Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick

Book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell

JUNE 2023 CITY NEWSLETTER

WWW. MIDVALECITY. ORG

Three Hillcrest High students crowned state HOSA champions, six qualify for internationals

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Hillcrest High seniors Kalli Van Dijk and Sowmya Paritala recently took the state title in the health education contest while sophomore Miles Vlam was named champion in medical reading.

The three students qualified for the international leadership conference, which will be held June 19-25 in Dallas.

Also qualifying for internationals are Hillcrest senior Taylor Simpson, who finished second in pathophysiology and sophomore Aditya Mole and junior Aarnav Kandukuri, who placed second in forensic science.

Hillcrest High had 60 students of its 120-member chapter compete at the March 16-17 state HOSA contest in more than 60 different events that tested their ability in teamwork, health science knowledge, presentation skills, reading comprehension and practical skills.

HOSA-future health professionals is a global student-led organization whose mission is to promote career opportunities in the health industry and to enhance the delivery of quality health care to all people. Utah has more than 4,000 members with about 90 chapters.

At the state ceremony, students also took

part in leadership seminars and educational symposiums.

“The opening speaker, Jason Hewlett,

was really inspirational about how best to succeed,” said Hillcrest High HOSA student president Aryanna Hinckley. “There were interactive exhibits and booths with information about colleges and internships which were helpful for students interested in pursuing health education as a career.”

Hinckley, who has led Hillcrest’s HOSA chapter and has increased its membership by 50 students from last year, said that through different activities, she has learned how to communicate to her peers and others in the community and collaborate with other people to gain leadership experience.

This year, the chapter has served the community through a new sock drive for those in need to holding blood drives.

“We held a blood drive on Veterans Day, to honor their service and show our support of those who have served and are serving. We had 100 people sign up to give. We also had one around Valentine’s Day as a way people can show their love to others,” Hinckley said.

Through the organization, she has met students from other schools who have a similar interest in health science as well as bonded with others at her own school.

“As president, I’ve made good friends with other officers and we’ve become a family as we’ve supported each other in HOSA and in other parts of school this year,” said Hinckley, who, along with other chapter veterans, mentored younger students for the competitive events.

Hinckley placed fourth in organizational leadership at state.

Other Hillcrest fourth-place state finishers include: Van Dijk, dental terminology; senior Saee Ashtaputre, medical law and

ethics; senior Jose Sanchez, health career photography; sophomore Summer Rees, human growth and development; and senior Swetha Iyer, researched persuasive writing and speaking.

Juniors Aneeka Patel and Carolina Potter placed fifth in mental health promotion.

Sixth-place finishes went to sophomores Kyli Tsao, Emily Yi and Kimi Mavaddat in public health; junior Anthony Hsu in researched persuasive writing and speaking; sophomore Nidhi Choudhari and senior Richa Zodge in health career display; freshman Angad Singh, junior Manav Singh, junior Sanjana Mahate and Zodge in medical innovation; and junior Maya Barnes in pathophysiology.

Junior Neal Chavan in behavioral health and freshman Sathwick Boya in physical therapy earned seventh-place honors.

Eighth-place awards went to sophomore Aarav Gore, Chavan, Hsu and Manav Singh in biomedical debate; freshman Samhita Chavakula in pharmacology; and Mahate in medical law and ethics.

Rounding out the top 10 were freshman Om Sanghvi, ninth, medical math; junior Edward Loh, sophomore Seojun Lee and junior Acintya Sai Yoganath, ninth, creative problem solving; Boya, ninth, epidemiology; seniors Vivia Wahlquist, Ashtyn McVey, Lukas Rohde and Katherina Lemoine, ninth, health education; sophomore Sai Rishika Pandiri, ninth, health career photography; junior Daniel Davies, 10th, sports medicine; and Simpson, 10th, medical spelling. l

Members from Hillcrest High School’s HOSA 120-member chapter will compete at nationals this June. (Photo courtesy of Aryanna Hinckley/Hillcrest High)

Former Ute, NBA star talks to students about perseverance

Former East High, Weber State University and University of Utah player Lance Allred broke barriers when he became the first legally deaf player to play in the NBA on the Cleveland Cavaliers.

He recently spoke to East Midvale Elementary fourth- and fifth-graders about his journey as a longshot.

“He talked to our students about personal perseverance, accountability and about following your passion,” said Shelley McCall, East Midvale community schools facilitator. “He told the kids that he just loved to play basketball and a lot of people said to him, ‘You can’t play basketball because you’re deaf.’ He didn’t take that as a barrier. He used to sleep with his alarm clock on his chest and got up at five every morning because it was his passion.”

McCall related that Allred learned how to communicate on the court through reading body language.

“He does wear a hearing aid but when he’s on the court and there’s all that ambient noise, he couldn’t hear really well, so he’d read lips,” she said, adding that he would get a technical from a ref because they thought he had an attitude when in fact, he couldn’t hear them. “He learned to say, ‘OK, sorry about that’ and let it go.”

•

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By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

After playing professionally in France and Spain, Allred was 27 when he signed in the NBA.

“He wove that into the idea of persevering, and he talked to our kids about picking themselves up and keep going to find something you’re passionate about. He told them to take accountability for your actions and to learn from every mistake. He talked about failure and told them failure is just an opportunity to learn. It was applicable for our kids because life is hard and they need to figure out how to build resilience, take ownership, acceptance, managing yourself and all those skills,” McCall said.

Allred took questions from the students, including if he had ever played with LeBron James.

“When he said, ‘Yeah, he was one of my teammates,’ the room went nuts.” l

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TMS is like physical therapy for the brain. It uses magnetic pulses, similar in strength to an MRI, to reignite dormant connections in the brain and give you control of your depression.

With NeuroHealth, you can take back your life.

“I had taken 11 different medications without any relief… NeuroStar treatment has helped me bring my life back with a happiness that I’ve never experienced before” ~TODD

“When you’re depressed you’re always fighting to live…to survive the next day. NeuroStar made such a difference…all of a sudden I felt empowered, I felt strong, I felt like I wasn’t a victim anymore.” ~DEBBIE

Former NBA player Lance Allred gives East Midvale Elementary students high-fives after speaking to them about perseverance and accountability. (Shelley McCall/East Midvale Elementary)

Decade-long senior center-senior high school dance tradition returns post-pandemic

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Formore than a decade, Hillcrest High students have joined Truewood by Merrill residents for dances, including a senior prom—until the COVID-19 pandemic.

This spring, it was the return of that tradition, recently a prom and earlier a Sweethearts’ dance—in amongst a growing phenomenon nationwide of senior center-senior high school dances.

“This is something we were doing here every year until COVID,” said Truewood senior residential community program director Amy Tran, who has coordinated the effort the past four years. “It’s a highly requested activity so it was one of our first promises to bring back the dances with the Hillcrest kids. There are a bunch of people who enjoy dancing and listening to music just as the kids do.”

Truewood, located in Fort Union, provides individual living, assisted living and memory care for up to 120 residents, who range from 70 years to the upper 90s, she said.

The connection between residents and students is not only fun, but strong.

In addition to love of music and dancing, another commonality between some Truewood residents and the Hillcrest teenagers is while in high school, both sets of students had their school lives disrupted, seemingly overnight. For some Truewood residents, it came with the attack on Pearl Harbor, which brought the United States into a world war. More recently, the interruption has been the global pandemic.

“Some of those residents may not have had a prom because of World War II, so they missed some of the school experiences with dances and proms,” Tran said.

These nights, much like the traditional formals, bring people together to put on their best dress for a night of swaying to the music, including at the Sweethearts’ Dance, boogying to the live band, The Mixed Nuts. The dances also bring back socialization for both generations of the party-goers as they excitedly chat during a break from the dancing and music while enjoying refreshments.

There may be a few differences, though.

Eighty-one-year-old Clara Dawes said her mother made her knee-length pink puffy sleeved dress when she attended West High’s prom back in the day.

“I wasn’t prom queen; I was the bishop’s daughter, so I had to behave when I danced,” she said. “I did turn loose a couple times though.”

While she danced back then to Big Band music and “any Bing Crosby song,” at this prom, she was dancing to more modern-day music played by Larry Turner, “The Singing Sensation.”

When a slower dance played, 74-yearold Karen Giles took the opportunity to try to teach some of the younger generation dance steps from her era.

“Not too many of them know how to waltz, so I try to teach them,” said Giles, who wore an opaque purple-aqua dress at her East High prom and remembers dancing to “Bony Maronie” and “Johnny B. Goode.” “Last time I danced was 20 years ago at Octoberfest at Snowbird so this dance definitely is the highlight.”

The Hillcrest High students were members of the National Honor Society and the Peer Leadership Team. In addition to dances, they have joined residents for monthly activities, such as baking homemade banana bread, creating gingerbread houses, playing board games and making homemade ice cream.

Hillcrest High senior Maggie Baumgarten, who is the school’s National Honor Society chapter service coordinator, helped organize the high school students’ participation.

“Some of the activities aren’t too long, so we get to have time to chat with the residents,” she said. “For the dances, we all dress up. The seniors like dancing and remembering their youth so it’s just a good time we can have fun together. We recognize a lot of the seniors from coming every month, and we know their names. It’s fun to talk to them and hear the stories while we play games or do activities and create more memories.”

Her classmate, senior Claire Nielsen, has joined the residents at both springtime dances. She especially loved doing the limbo with them. l

Clara Dawes, a Truewood resident, dances with high school senior Cameron Kelly at the recent Truewood-Hillcrest prom. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Nine

Hillcrest High students win state FBLA contests; two students crowned champions in multiple contests

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Hillcrest High School made its presence known at the state FBLA competition as nine students won state titles, one as a double winner and another as a triple state champion.

Junior Dheeraj Vislawath was named champion in networking infrastructures, then teamed up with senior Adharsh Ramarkrishnan and junior Vivaan Rajesh to win coding and programming and with junior Wallace McCarthy to place first in mobile application development. Ramarkrishnan also won the computer problem solving contest.

Other Hillcrest state winners include junior Kevin Yu in accounting II; senior Swetha Iyer in business law; junior Nayantara Nair in help desk; senior Mahika Acharya in insurance and risk management; and sophomore Allen Liang in introduction to information technology.

“We had almost everyone place in the top 10,” said senior Sofia Moeinvaziri, who served as a state FBLA officer. “We did better than last year, and we were one of the biggest chapters there. We had a lot of students qualify to compete at nationals.”

At the state contest, junior Sara Moeinvaziri was elected as a state officer and will serve in a position for the next school year.

More than 1,000 students, including about 50 from Hillcrest, from 78 schools competed at the state contest. About 30 Huskies will compete at the national FBLA leadership conference June 27-30 in Atlanta.

FBLA, which prepares more than 230,000 members for careers in business, encourages students to become community-minded business leaders in a global society through career preparation and leadership experiences.

Sofia Moeinvaziri, who joined FBLA at the urging of her older sister, said she has learned a lot during her four years of being involved.

“FBLA definitely has helped with communication; the events I compete in have interviews so being able to think on your feet, has helped with the way I present myself in front of others, which will help in a professional career. Being a state officer, I’ve had to give speeches to large crowds of almost 2,000 people, so it’s taught me a lot about public speaking as well. I’ve also found I have an interest in marketing, so I’ve competed in a lot of events that are related to it and as a state officer, I’ve learned how to advertise and promote FBLA as an organization,” she said.

Hillcrest High’s first-year FBLA adviser David Johnson was pleased how the team competed.

“It was great for Hillcrest to show the community that we have students who are

very intelligent and are working to place in state,” he said. “These students are working on their presentation skills, to be able to stand up in front of strangers and introduce a topic and talk about a topic that they just got five minutes ago. They’re good leaders too. They have self-motivation and gain confidence about their own personal skills.”

State second-place finishers from Hillcrest include junior Ivan Chen, accounting II; junior Anthony Hus, advertising; junior Sang Chun, agribusiness; Acharya, senior Saisha Vankayalapati and senior Aparnaa Narayanan, broadcast journalism; junior Thomas Lu, business calculations; sophomore Brian Wei, sophomore Alex Liu and Liang, computer game and stimulation programming; juniors Vishwa Murugappan and Sang Chun, data analysis; junior Kevin Yu and Chen, e-business; seniors Amber Parker, Sowmya Paritala and Priyanka Mathews, graphic design; Liang, introduction to marketing concepts; Mathews, journalism; Rajesh, Murugappan and Chun, management information systems; and Moeinvaziri and Moeinvaziri, marketing.

Taking third place was Vislawath, computer problem-solving; sophomore Ayush Chandrashekar, junior Aditya Mole and Lu, network design; Hsu, networking infrastructures; senior Campbell Hone, sports and entertainment management; and Ramarkrishnan, senior Kunal Kamtekar and senior Michael Chen, website design.

Fourth-place finishers were Kamtekar, banking and financial systems; Chun, business calculations; Chandrashekar, introduction to parliamentary procedure; and Murugappan, political science.

In fifth place were Chun, accounting II; sophomore Jacklyn Wei, introduction to business communication, introduction to financial math and introduction to business concepts; sophomore Aarav Gore, introduction to FBLA; and Sofia Moeinvaziri, supply chain management.

The sixth-place finishers include Wei, electronic career portfolio; sophomore Nikhil Ghanathe, introduction to marketing concepts and senior Yash Acharya, supply chain management.

Taking seventh place at state was Kamtekar, business law and UX design; freshman Manan Chadda, future business leader; and senior Laura Curtis, organizational leadership.

Rounding out the top 10 are ninth Anushk Agarwal, Paritosh Mahanthi, Liang and Ghanathe, parliamentary procedure, eighth; Moeinvaziri and Moeinvaziri, publication design, eighth; Iyer, human resource management, ninth; Hsu, Vislawath, Lu, international business, ninth; Sofia Moeinvaziri, journalism, 10th; and McCarthy, personal finance, 10th. l

Hillcrest High father-daughter duo leads the softball team to state playoffs

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Hillcrest

High junior Brooklyn Ricci is on the state high school softball leaderboard.

She is sixth in batting average (.720), 16th with 21 runs batted in; and 12th with five home runs, tied with her teammate, sophomore Sky Salazar-Bell. As primarily a catcher, Ricci already has verbally committed to play softball at Utah Valley University.

When asked about the season, she responds about the team.

“We’re just stoked; it’s exciting to see our hard work paying off,” she said. “This is the best season for Hillcrest when I’ve played on the team. Our team bond is strong and everything’s clicking and coming together position-wise and athletically.”

At 10-16 overall, the Huskies made the 5A state tournament, seeded 23rd. State finals began on May 25, the same day as six seniors on the team were to graduate.

“Our team attitude is to have a fun time and to get better. Everyone is putting in the work and we’re improving,” Ricci said. “I never put a goal on myself to have a certain number of home runs. I just aim to get better. Lifting is a huge part of it for me. I go and lift every day to get better and that helps our team.”

Her dedication, even while on vacation and using a hotel gym, has helped the Huskies beat all the Canyons School District high school teams, plus score wins against Summit Academy, Cottonwood, Granger, Richfield and Park City high schools.

There have been some losses down the stretch, but her dad, coach Anthony Ricci said those were close despite the score.

“Even though it doesn’t look like it, we would have just one inning get away from us— and that was the difference of the game,” he said. “If we could take that one inning back and get that third out, we’d be in many more games. We have a tough region, so I try to take the little wins because the scoreboard does not tell how much better each of the girls is getting nor how much better our team is getting collectively.”

The season’s schedule became more compacted as inclement weather forced back the season. Multiple weeks they played three or four games per week, one week they even played five games.

“I feel even with the bad weather conditions, our team played really well,” the catcher said. “It was challenging, but it was harder getting my schoolwork done. We were missing so much class time. We did our homework on the bus and the team helped each other.”

The student-athlete started playing softball when she was 7, after initially being a gymnast and a swimmer.

“I didn’t want to do softball, but my dad wanted me to try it. Once I got into it, I fell in love with the sport,” she said. “I like how it’s

a team sport and the social part; everybody’s super goofy and you can be yourself. It’s not like someone is being bratty or stuck up; we want to have fun and play softball.”

In addition to team workouts, Ricci, who also has pitched some games, hits the gym to do a lot of stretching, cardio, uses the Stairmaster and goes to the sauna “to just relax and let my muscles breathe. I just go after practice and kind of work on my own things that I know I have to work on.”

That may include throwing from her knees to improving the speed on her curveballs.

“It’s very mentally challenging to prepare myself to switch positions during a game. Physically, I can do it, but mentally I need to remind myself that even if someone hits off me, my teammate can make a good play. We’re helping each other out and my team has my back,” she said.

Ricci already is looking forward to playing UVU softball for a coach she has known through softball camps. She said she wanted to stay close to home so her family can watch her games.

“My mom is my No. 1 supporter; she makes it to every game,” she said. “My dad and I always have had a close bond, but with this, it’s great we can work together to support each other.”

That extends even when her dad is coaching her.

“My dad is there to make us better but

also make sure we’re still in love with the sport and he wants to make sure we have fun and he’s very positive. When we lose, he likes to pick up a little wins out of the game—even if we cheered loud to better the team. When we had positive attitudes, and we played our 100%, that’s all we can do,” Ricci said. Her father is equally honored to coach her.

“It means a lot,” he said. “When there are good days, we celebrate. When there are bad days, we just let softball be softball and not let it get in between our family. Brooklyn knows how to lead a team by example. She just all-around great kid. I’m very fortunate to have her on my team, but I’m more blessed to have her as a daughter.”

He appreciates the leadership from the seniors on his team: Jacqueline Anderson, Stella Robins, Cammy Castleton and Sadie

Hutchins.

“Many of them help nurture the younger players. They kind of take them under their wing and teach them if they need help,” he said.

Hillcrest has a JV team as well as a freshman/sophomore squad, although with only one other team in region having a third team, most of the time, the girls played up.

“We don’t have a big pool of players who have played comp(etitive) softball, so we’re hoping that these players will play some summer ball, get in more reps and get more experience,” he said. “We’ve had more fans come to our softball games in our new stadium to support our team. We are in a good place now and take every day, every game and every competitor that’s in front of us and kind of prepare for that.” l

Top: Hillcrest High junior Brooklyn Ricci steps in as a relief pitcher during the game against Payson High. Right: In a region game versus Payson High, Hillcrest High junior Brooklyn Ricci hit a homerun. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

“ Robert and Mark were great! We had pipes burst at night and they were right there to help us get the water shut off and to help us get all the water out and dried. They were both professional, communication was great and they were thorough.I would recommend them to anyone!

People say they wish they’d had their grandkids first, but you can’t appreciate the ease of grandchildren without first swimming through the shark-infested sewer that is parenthood. The sleepless nights, the face-wrinkling worry and the gut-clenching idea that you’ve messed your kids up forever is all forgotten when you become a grandparent.

Most Wednesdays, my four youngest grandkids come over after school to play games, make crafts, eat Popsicles and cause random chaos. At 11, 7, 6 and 2, they’re young enough to still find me entertaining, but they also expect me to die at any moment because, at 54, I’m unbelievably old.

The 7- and 6-year-old granddaughters team up immediately, take their usual blood oath (“I solemnly swear that I am up to no good”), then disappear for a while.

My 11-year-old grandson tries to teach me his newest Kung Fu moves while the 2-year-old crawls out the doggie door into the backyard.

As I practice my jabs and leg sweeps, and corral the 2yo back into the house, the 6yo and 7yo discuss how to creep into the attic through an opening in the pantry ceiling. They opt for Plan A which has them scaling pantry shelves to get into the crawl space. When I foil that idea, it’s back to the drawing board.

A second chance

Peri Kinder

Life and Laughter

Now, the 2yo is missing. I send the girls to look outside and the grandson to hunt downstairs. Earlier, I’d closed my office door so she couldn’t get in, but I find her hiding under my desk, happily listening to us search for her.

While the 11yo beats me at Rack-O, I see the two girls mosey into the garage for Plan B. They look suspicious, so I follow and listen to them figure out how to carry the ladder into the pantry.

“Nope,” I say, as they jump 20 feet into the air.

“We’re just getting Popsicles,” one of them says. They scurry to the freezer and make a big show of picking out the perfect Popsicle before going back inside to resume planning.

The 2yo is missing. After a brief search, I find her sitting behind the recliner, eating Milk-Bones with our dog Jedi.

While the 11-year-old wins Yahtzee for

the third time in a row, I notice the two girls whispering on the couch. They’re on to Plan C: looking for materials to build a ladder since I foiled their earlier strategies. I get out the paints, rubber stamps and crayons and distract them with a craft project.

The 2yo is missing. I find her in the backyard, throwing Jedi’s balls down the window well. Jedi stares down at her favorite ball and looks at me like, “I guess you’re climbing into that spider-infested hole to get my squeaky ball.”

I gather everyone for dinner (only the 11yo eats) before realizing the 2yo is missing. I don’t have to look far. She’s in the hall, coloring the wall with a purple crayon. About this time, my husband gets home from

work to find me washing crayon off the wall.

“Why weren’t you watching her?” he asks, like I’d encouraged the toddler to create a lavender mural in the hall. I respond by pouring a tablespoon of antifreeze in his Diet Coke.

Although my Wednesday nights are a bit scattered, I’m in no rush for these kids to get older. I’ve learned how fast children grow up and I don’t want to waste a single minute with them. Even better, these evenings are a lifeline to my daughters who are swimming that shark-infested sewer of parenthood.

“Dozens of doctors told me that there was nothing more that they could do to expect to be in a wheel chair. I went from the top 1% in the army Special Forces to being in so much pain that I could not tie my shoe or hold my new daughter. I did physical therapy and pain killers for years, but nothing worked. Finally, I went to Dr. Smith and I improved exactly as he told me I would. I couldn’t believe it! My wife cried, “I have my husband back.”

—Steve M., Army Special Forces

D.C. CSCS Chiropractic Physician