Midvale Journal | March 2022

March. 2022 | Vol. 19 Iss. 03

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UPCOMING EVENTS ON MAIN STREET TO SHOWCASE CITY AS AN ART HUB

By Erin Dixon | e.dixon@mycityjournals.com

M

ain Street is about to be covered in paint.

The Midvale Main Street redevelopment project is now fully funded.

One of the first goals of the project is to showcase Midvale as an area for art and artists to flourish.

Midvale City has started bringing attention to Main Street and the surrounding area as the improvements progress with a car show, holiday festivals, and soon an art conference and festival.

A local art gallery, ALL CAPS (7706 Union Park Ave.) is partnering with local artists Trekell Art Supplies, Cutthroat Barbershop, Not Real Art, PresoTea and Midvale City to host an artist conference and mural festival.

Why Midvale and why now?

ALL CAPS co-founders, Aelias McHam and Brigham Stewart, want to show that it is possible to make a living as an artist and are eager to share their knowledge.

“We’re trying to bring highly motivated artists…to be leaders and bring other people,” Stewart said.

“The art conference, that’s the main attraction, for the beginning of the arts district. Famous artists coming to inspire the next generation in Utah,” McHam said.

Networking and training are crucial to building a life for an artist.

The conference is a one-day event on April 30 with 14 speakers— Continued page 5 Aelias McHam and Brigham Stewart, co-owners of ALL CAPS Art Gallery, have partnered with Midvale City and are spearheading an art conference and mural festival. (Photo courtesy ALL CAPS)

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March 2022 | Page 3

High school students learn engineering offers variety, creativity, advancements

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

H

illcrest High junior Amber Parker wanted to get a glimpse into potential future careers in engineering, specifically aerospace engineering, so she was excited to attend high school engineering career day.

“I learned how engineers got into their positions and specifically what local companies are doing in the engineering field,” she said. “It’s pretty interesting.”

Parker attended sessions presented by Boeing, VPI Engineering and the University of Utah. Other presenters came from Ottobock, Rocky Mountain Power, Horrocks Engineering, Hunt, Reaveley Engineering, Comfort Systems USA and Salt Lake Community College, which hosted the half-day conference for mostly high school juniors and seniors from the Salt Lake and Tooele valleys.

Canyons School District Career and Technical Education District Coordinator Patti Larkin said that the focus of the fair was to provide about 250 students with possible career opportunities within the engineering field.

“They’re getting to meet all different types of engineers, make those connections, and understand their specific pathways,” she said. “We hope students can see what is needed, so they have the opportunity to get an internship or a job shadow and set their path of study toward their career.”

Taylorsville sophomore Danna De Leon said she learned a range of engineering.

In Ottobock, she learned about the different prosthetics made with 3D printers ranging from snowboarders’ knees to swimmers’ ankles.

“They test different varieties, adding weights, forces or whatever is needed to make improvements,” she said. “In the Boeing session, I learned some of the ways they designed commercial airplanes.”

Journals T H E

Granger High and Granite Technical Institute senior Hayden Young, who wants to become a biomedical engineer, also attended the Ottobock session.

“I’ve learned composites are a very big part of it,” he said. “With engineering, designs may start on paper then move to CAD (computer-aided drafting). Designs can be improved for better comfort, better manufacturing time, better about anything, to help solve or improve what is needed.”

Murray High Work-Based Learning Coordinator Brady Smith said the 15 students who came from his school appreciated being able to interact with industry professionals.

“Our goal is to connect the students we work with to the career paths they can continue down once their time is completed here at Murray High School and this is a great opportunity for that to happen,” he said, adding that some students appreciated learning about the Luke Skywalker Arm that is being worked on at the U of U to the engineering careers at Rocky Mountain Power.

Brighton High senior Amelia Ackler said that she appreciated the robotics session she attended.

“They could make it walk, dance, and do all sorts of cool things through coding,” she said.

She was with freshman Audrey Fleckenstein who said that through Reaveley Engineering, she learned how engineers perform a series of tests on structures.

“They were designing buildings and tested them and reviewed to ensure their designs would withstand earthquakes,” she said. “It isn’t just a one-time test, but over and over again.”

Brighton sophomore Stephanie Guzman De La Haz said she learned about heating and cooling and the laws of thermodynamics in the Comfort Systems session.

Granger High and Granite Technical Institute senior Hayden Young examines a prosthetic leg during the high school engineering career day. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

“I hadn’t heard of it before; it was actually really interesting,” she said.

Olympus senior Ben Walston said he’s considering a career in mechanical engineer and through the conference, he learned more about what was available through his sessions with VPI and Ottobock.

“It’s amazing and just fun to see how they can make something that is needed through their eyes and creativity,” he said.

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Page 4 | March 2022

Having a creative mindset in engineering was what many students discovered that day, said Brighton High Work-Based Learning Facilitator Eileen Kasteler.

“Engineers are thinking innovation from health care to video games, so this day gets our students thinking if it’s a good feel for them—and reflecting upon that long after the visit,” she said. “It’s a glimpse into the future of wanting to see what there is. It opens their eyes.”l

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Midvale City Journal

Engineer, entrepreneur advises students to gain skills for successful future

“G

ather tools for your tool belt.”

That is the advice that biomedical engineer and entrepreneur Bryce Smith advised Hillcrest High students during his presentation in the Meet the Pros lecture series.

“Having a B grade doesn’t matter in the long run; it’s just a blip in the road,” he said. “You need to gather tools now in high school and especially in college. Go and get the tools that you need to succeed and then you’re more useful.”

Basic computer skills, math and problem-solving, Smith said, have been especially helpful, but the right tools, or skills, can help direct students in the direction of their future and also, provide them alternative pathways as they did in his life.

Smith started college after graduating from Alta High in 2004.

“I don’t think I really had much direction. I enjoyed mathematics and that made more sense to me than literature.

That mostly guided me in the career path and choices I made,” he said about heading into the aerospace engineering career.

However, facing high demand for jobs against more experienced engineers, Smith turned to medical device development, a field he has worked in the past 10 years.

Even that wasn’t a smooth entryway.

After returning from serving a church mission, Smith said some of his tools, such as math, were a bit rusty.

“I’d tell students who say they hate

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com math or don’t get it, to go back and start over in math so you can grasp it better,” he said. “Kids feel pressure, some type of external expectation, to measure up to their peers and see if they’re in advanced math or trigonometry or a certain AP class, then they have to be in it too. It’s a competitive nature, but causes high anxiety. Looking back at high school, I should probably have redone math to fill in some of those gaps, but I did it in college. Then, it was rock solid and from then on forward, math was no longer a roadblock for me because I made sure I understood the math and all I had to learn was the new concepts.”

Through his tenure as a principal mechanical engineer, Smith is a partner in six different companies.

“I tend to be the person who sits down with idea people and there will be questions, ‘Is it a market that is worth pursing’ or ‘Is it a technology that is worth developing?’ Then, they turn to me with my mechanical engineering background, and ask ‘Is it possible?’ I’m more the guy in the room who tries to answer the functional questions,” he said.

Smith said his “tools in his tool belt” have proven to be instrumental in his career.

“A lot of people go into business and people major in entrepreneurship, but it turns out, ideas are cheap. The hard part isn’t coming up with the idea, it’s the execution. An idea is appreciated, but much

As part of the Meet the Pros lectures series, biomedical engineer and entrepreneur Bryce Smith speaks to Hillcrest High School students about learning the material rather than worrying about a letter grade or being in a certain class. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

more important is how to take the idea to a reality,” he said. “So, start building that tool belt with tools. Those will dictate what you’re going to be doing. You can look and say, these are the tools I have, this is where I fit in, and this is what I can do.”

Earlier this school year, students had a chance to hear Fresno Grizzlies ticket sales director Jesse Sanchez, a Hillcrest 2005 alum, who was the former director of Utah Warrior Rugby group ticketing and community events. l

Continued from front page eight local, six nonlocal artists and two panel discussions.

The mural festival is scheduled for the end of June. The event will start with giving the selected artists a portion of wall to cover in a pre-approved design. The Midvale RDA (Redevelopment Agency) has rules to prevent commercial, explicit or religious references in the murals. Artists will have a few days to work privately. The last day of the festival is when the public is invited to view the new murals and talk to artists. There will also be food and music.

Ten percent of the proceeds from these events will go to Hillcrest High School. “Art budgets get cut first,” McHam said.

“We want to give back to get the next generation moving along.”

The Midvale RDA is providing over $119,000 for the conference and the festival, in hopes that the event will bring attention to Main Street and fuel its revitalization with $49,660 dedicated to the conference and $70,000 to the mural festival.

ALL CAPS Gallery is required to keep track of all their spending and report to the RDA. “When you think about what we’re getting out of this, the bang for our buck is incredible,” Nate Rockwood, Midvale Community Development director said. “For this (the art conference and festival) to be the first flash: ‘Midvale is the center of arts and culture in the valley, and Main street is the center of that.’”

For background information on the Main Street project, see: www.midvalejournal.com/2021/06/14/359555/who-isfunding-midvale-s-main-street-updates-. l

MidvaleJournal.com

Aelias McHam and Brigham Stewart, co-owners of ALL CAPS Art Gallery, have partnered with Midvale City and are spearheading an art conference and mural festival. (Photo courtesy ALL CAPS)

March 2022 | Page 5

Hillcrest grad believes he set record for youngest to snowboard Himalayan peak

By Heather Lawrence | h.lawrence@mycityjournals.com

A

t 23 years old, Fin Keleher may be the youngest person to snowboard from a mountain peak higher than 8,000 meters.

Keleher, who grew up in Sandy and attended Hillcrest High School and Westminster College, made the trip to Nepal in September 2021 after a year of planning with a friend.

“On the 29th of September, [my friend] and I had the opportunity to summit Manaslu (8,163 m/26,781 ft.) and descend via skis and snowboard. A beautiful trip, and one of my proudest achievements. Thank you to all who supported me at home and while I was in Nepal!” Keleher posted on Instagram in October.

Keleher has been building up to a trip like this his whole life. When he’s not at work with U of U Health, he’s either on an outdoor adventure or planning one. He spends a lot of time in the Wasatch back.

When Utah gets too warm to snowboard, he heads to the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.

Still, with all of his experience, Keleher’s trip was no casual undertaking.

Manaslu is the eighth-highest mountain in the world. Part of the Nepalese Himalayan range, its neighbors include Mount Everest and K2.

“I went with a friend and she had been planning the trip for about three years. There is a lot of preparation, and you need to apply

for permits from the Nepalese government.

Her original partner wasn’t able to go, so in August 2020 she invited me,” Keleher said.

Keleher was fortunate that his plan in Nepal was mountaineering. “Tourism there is about 95% trekking. To limit tourism during the pandemic they stopped giving out trekking permits, but they allowed the 200 or so mountaineering permits. And we’re lucky it was 2021—if it had been 2020, we

you need a rescue. The Sherpa are amazing.”

The Sherpa carried some of their food and their oxygen bottles and went ahead of them to set up camp.

“We were trying to go pretty minimal on support, but I don’t think I would have been able to do it fully self-supported,” Keleher said.

Keleher takes stunning photos and video of his adventures and posts them on Instagram. “Photography was my hobby before mountaineering. I got interested in it when I was 15, and it’s evolved into what I do today,” Keleher said.

On this trip of a lifetime, there was no

“I’ve searched the literature, and at 23 I might be the youngest person to snowboard above 8,000 meters,” Fin Keleher said. (Fin Keleher/@ fin_keleher)

The distinctive flags of the Himalayan base camp where Fin Keleher camped and acclimated. He successfully climbed the 8,163 meters to Manaslu’s peak and snowboarded down. (Fin Keleher/@fin_keleher)

Page 6 | March 2022

wouldn’t have been able to go.”

Training in Utah’s higher altitude gave Keleher a bit of an advantage as far as acclimation went, though it didn’t last all the way to the top.

“Getting to 17,000 feet (5,200 meters) was no problem for me. But at 20,000 feet, I was having a hard time [breathing]. I had to acclimate there for about three weeks. At 24,500 feet (7,400 meters) I started using oxygen,” Keleher said.

For support, Keleher and his friend split the hire of a Sherpa. “That was the first time I’ve ever hired a support person. It helps their economy and there’s someone there if

Fin Keleher of Utah needed to be prepared for anything to reach the peak of Manaslu. (Fin Keleher/@ fin_keleher)

Midvale City Journal

Fin Keleher and his friend were able to call his family in Sandy to let them know he’d succeeded in reaching the top of Manaslu and snowboarding down it. (Fin Keleher/@fin_keleher)

question he’d get incredible shots. While snowboarding Manaslu, he used a GoPro MAX, a 360-degree camera set up (“It looked like a unicorn horn!”) that lets the viewer feel like they are descending the peak with Keleher. His edited video is on his Instagram @fin_keleher.

Keleher had a satellite phone and base camp had Wi-Fi, so he was able to call his anxious family back in Sandy to tell them about his success. The strange time difference of 11 hours 45 minutes made it hard to find a good time to call, but his mom Mary Jane Keleher was just grateful to hear he’d made it safely.

“They’re always asking where I’m going. I don’t think they’ve stopped worrying about me. They used to worry a lot more, so

Fin Keleher finds a pristine landscape on the way to Manaslu since only about 200 permits were given in 2021. (Fin Keleher/@fin_keleher)

I quit telling them what I was doing,” Keleher said with a laugh.

With his successful ski trips and interesting photos, Keleher is a bit of an overachiever. He graduated from Westminster College in 2019 with a bachelor’s in neuroscience and looks forward to grad school. In high school he said he was always “the quiet one in the back with my head in a book.”

Keleher had help from the gear com-

pany g3gear, which gave him some funding and let him share his trip photos on their Instagram page. More sponsorships would be welcome, as that would help him do more of what he loves and share it with a bigger audience.

Though Keleher doesn’t necessarily see himself as an inspiration, he hopes that people who hear about his trip will feel excited to pursue their own ambitions and dreams.

“I’m already looking forward to the next trip, and I’d like to do Mont Blanc and some peaks in Europe.”

If Keleher finds out that he has set a world record, it would be his second. On his 11th birthday, he set a Guinness World Record for “Most Snails on Face,” with 43. “I just read the record in a book when I was younger and thought, ‘I could totally beat that.’” l

A crystal clear day mountaineering above the clouds in the Himalayas. (Fin Keleher/@fin_keleher)

MidvaleJournal.com

March 2022 | Page 7

Jordan Valley students use sidewalk for adaptive tricycles

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

J

135 Years OF TRUST LOCAL FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED Taking Care of your Family’s Needs every step of the way

ordan Valley students can now pedal a perimeter, thanks to new sidewalks that now connect existing ones around their school building.

“Our students can now walk or ride all the way around the school without having to go into a driveway,” Principal Stacey Nofsinger said. “The physical therapy on adaptive trikes is much better thanks to wider sidewalks. In the past the sidewalk would end at the big ramps that used to help get kids in wheelchairs on buses, which now buses have their own mechanical ramps, so that’s how old they were.”

She said that with the sidewalks, they’re also able to teach students appropriate safety measures of walking on sidewalks, and many sensory activities now can take place outdoors. There also is a concentrate pad where students can participate in adaptive PE activities or take part in a bubble or chalk activity.

The sidewalks as well as the demolition of the cement ramp were completed by mid-August, after six months of construction following three years of discussion. l

Samantha Allred pedals her trike on sidewalks that now circle Jordan Valley School. (Photo courtesy of Donata Trussell/Jordan Valley School)

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Midvale City Journal

Students showcase Mandarin learning at Hillcrest High’s first Chinese New Year celebration

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Hillcrest High students showcased their talents and skills, as seen here with a fan dance, during the school’s first Chinese New Year celebration. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

H

illcrest High junior Emma Walters took the stage alongside her classmates in her Chinese class to sing before the auditorium filled with families and community members.

“We were super nervous, but I think it was just a growing opportunity and a chance for us to get out of our comfort zone,” she said about performing the two songs they had learned in class.

It was part of Hillcrest’s first Chinese New Year celebration as a way students could showcase their talents and skills in Mandarin. The showcase, which included students enrolled in Chinese 1 through Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate students, was narrated in Mandarin by senior Zoe Liu and in English by junior Cameron Jessop.

The showcase highlighted traditional to pop music, including students’ singing, playing in an instrumental trio and piano solo, dancing and poetry. There also were student videos that explained the Chinese culture from painting to making dumplings.

Through the celebration, Chinese teach-

MidvaleJournal.com

er and Chinese club advisor Lian Feng said she hoped her students would learn more about Chinese New Year celebration traditions as well as traditional arts, music and food.

“I want to provide students with, one, an opportunity to apply what they have learned in Chinese classes to the real life through joyful performances and interactive activities, (and) two, an opportunity to experience and appreciate Chinese language and culture,” she said.

Walters said that she enjoyed her classmates’ performances.

“Some other groups were insane, especially the rapping groups,” she said. “I liked the dance numbers; some of those were really impressive. I really liked the dance number with the fans; it was cool and it’s a popular one.”

Walters and other students created videos that opened the showcase and she learned from some of those.

“A lot of those were what we learned in class, but there also was artwork and cooking and we hadn’t really discussed that at

all,” she said.

Walters said she began learning Mandarin at Hillcrest.

“I think it’s an incredibly fascinating language,” she said. “It’s incredibly difficult.

The characters are incredibly beautiful and it’s just so complex to the point when you understand it, it’s fulfilling because you’re learning three different aspects to it: how to spell something and how to pronounce it with what the tone is, with what that character is, what the meaning is. There are so many different layers to it, so it makes it hard to learn. I would have loved to have started it much sooner. I’m still very much in the basic learning stages.”

During the Chinese culture club, she learns more about customs and traditions.

Members also stuffed 250 red bags filled with donated Chinese treats and gave them to the audience.

“I also am just fascinated with Chinese culture and the club is a great way to learn more about that,” she said.

The group learns about the country in a variety of ways from presentations to play-

ing ping pong and mahjong.

“We’ve learned about festivals, traditions and what life is like in China and we’ve tried different kinds of Chinese snacks,” she said. “We occasionally learn and celebrate other cultures as well.”

Walters said that traditionally classes go to a Chinese restaurant and grocery store where they can learn about typical food and have the option to practice Mandarin.

Feng said that before the COVID-19 pandemic, she used to take students on field trips to celebrate Chinese New Year and she has those excursions planned again this year during the Chinese New Year celebration.

Walters said that she finds the lunar new year fascinating.

“It’s a fantastic celebration,” she said.

“The stories really interest me and I think the zodiacs are cool aspects of it. They personalize it for individuals. It’s just a great way to celebrate Chinese culture and it’s a lot of fun.” l

March 2022 | Page 9

Hillcrest teacher flies amongst stars, to share experience with students

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

J

ust after sundown Dec. 7, 2021, Brighton High instructional coach Milo Maughan sat in the cockpit on board a flight into the stratosphere on NASA’s Strategic Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), a Boeing 747SP jetliner modified to carry a 106-inch diameter telescope.

“It was kind of fun to be there and see the darkness outside as we took off,” he said. “I got to interact and talk with the pilots a bit; I spent about an hour with them as we were getting up to our altitude of about 42,000 feet (about one mile higher than commercial flights) and during that time period, the telescope was being calibrated.”

Maughan and Clief Castleton, who teaches at nearby Hillcrest High, were chosen as Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors in January 2021 to observe and interact with scientists and mission crew members aboard the world’s largest flying observatory.

Before flying, the group of 30 secondary school and community college teachers who were chosen as ambassadors had webinars to introduce them to infrared astronomy, SOFIA and how the telescope works. They also participated in a curriculum course to learn about general astronomy—that covered everything from the solar system to galaxies to telescopes.

Then, they were invited to fly aboard SOFIA in groups of five and tour some of NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center Hangar 703 in Palmdale, California, where SOFIA resides.

The early December crew, including the two Canyons educators and three California middle school science teachers, were on their way to observe some nebula and a couple of galaxies that were research projects of other scientists who requested data when turbulence hit.

“Apparently our flight was one of the most turbulent flights that SOFIA has gone on. They expected pockets of turbulence, but we actually ended up having quite a bit. We dropped like 500 feet in that first release, and I was still in the cockpit at the time, so it was interesting hearing the pilots react to the turbulence,” he said.

“Major turbulence is bad for the telescope because it can only handle so much before they have to reset it, or they can’t get the data.”

Later, Maughan was in the cabin of the modified 747 when more turbulence hit and he was amazed to see the telescope didn’t shake.

“The telescope is designed to hold still while everything else was shaking or vibrating around it,” he said, adding that it is designed to gather data for about five minutes before it’s reset to keep it steady.

Page 10 | March 2022

During the non-turbulent times when they weren’t strapped in some of the cabin’s 20 seats, Maughan and Castleton were able to walk around to observe those working at the console.

Since the telescope is infrared, they couldn’t see images physically with their own eyes, but they could observe the computer taking information and processing it and making representations that they were able to see.

“SOFIA was mostly gathering that raw data,” he said. “One thing that was really interesting was the device that was attached at the time in detecting magnetic fields around these galaxies and the nebula.”

Maughan said that SOFIA does a loop-to-loop motion with the telescope to collect data and analyzes the data to determine the magnetic field orientation— something astronomers are able to study above 99% of the Earth’s infrared-blocking atmosphere that ground-based telescopes can’t see.

While that data is given to researchers who request it, Maughan said the ambassadors are given access to previous data that have been gathered from years past so they can share that with students.

During this flight, researchers took about an hour to gather data at one location, then went to another to observe for about seven different objects. One of those objects they looked at was Messier 94, a spiral galaxy in the mid-northern constellation Canes Venatici, which was discovered in 1781. Another was the Monocerotis, a nebula that resulted from a supernova.

The data collected will be analyzed, then included in a research paper that examines how the magnetic field will affect star formation in these galaxies, Maughan said.

“The structure of the galaxy is caused by magnetic fields and sometimes, we have galaxies that have the spiral galaxies that have well defined arms, so the researcher is trying to get a comparison and look if the magnetic field is doing something universally across these galaxies that causes the spiral arms to occur in the galaxy,” he said. “It’s pretty incredible and I was just blown away how technologically-advanced that telescope is, from keeping it stable to gathering the data while it’s moving during the loop-to-loop motion and using the light while doing it to determine the magnetic fields—all that science behind that was mind-blowing to me.”

Maughan said there are about five different attachments for the telescope, each specializing in different technology. Crews typically will fly several flights during the week. Their flight stretched over Utah, Arizona and New Mexico before heading

Hillcrest High teacher Clief Castleton and Brighton High instructional coach Milo Maughan are joined by three California middle school science teachers on NASA’s Strategic Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), a Boeing 747SP jetliner modified to carry a 106-inch diameter telescope. (Photo courtesy of Milo Maughan/Brighton High)

west over the Pacific and back to California.

While aboard, the teachers were able to talk to different scientists running the instruments before they touched down just before sunrise Dec. 8.

“Each scientist was very interesting in terms of where they come from—not everyone’s story was the same in terms of backgrounds and routes to get there. Some of them had worked on other telescopes and applied to be on SOFIA and others had done research at the college level in terms of collecting data and analyzing it, some had only submitted research proposals and are specialists in analyzing the data they get there,” he said.

Now back on planet Earth, Maughan hopes to team up with the Brighton High astronomy teacher to see how to implement curriculum provided by NASA and share his experience on SOFIA. “I think we’ll talk about SOFIA for a full day where I want to answer any students’ questions, show them the actual pictures and implement it into the curriculum,” he said, adding that Castleton also will follow a similar plan at Hillcrest High.

“We can talk about other case studies around SOFIA and what we have learned

from those reports, such as SOFIA discovered water on the moon, and not just at the poles which we already knew, but actually you could say, groundwater in the moon.”

He said it is important students learn about infrared telescope as they themselves will use infrared cameras in experiments they design.

“Using this device, they will gather data on the environment around them in a lab investigation to learn whatever they want to learn about in terms of radiation.

It’s kind of like researchers submitting their proposal to SOFIA, so they can use the device to help them gather data and learn from it,” he said. “Science education has changed a lot over the last number of years. Rather than just teach what we know in science, we want students to actually do science and learn through their own investigations.”

The former Corner Canyon teacher said he’d also be willing to return to that school or speak at other schools to share his experience.

“The chance to go and experience this and see what scientists are doing on a regular basis was an opportunity of a lifetime,” Maughan said. “It was really fun to see firsthand what we’re doing.” l

Midvale City Journal

In The Middle of Everything MIDVALE CITY DIRECTORY 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 Police Dispatch Unified Fire Authority Fire Dispatch Communications

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 801-743-7000 801-743-7200 801-840-4000 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 Ordering A New Trash Can Reserving the Bowery Permits GRAMA requests Court Paying For Traffic School Business Licensing Property Questions Cemetery Water Line Breaks Planning and Zoning Code Enforcement Building inspections Graffiti

801-567-7200 801-567-7202 801-567-7202 801-567-7212 801-567-7207 801-567-7265 801-567-7202 801-567-7213 801-567-7246 801-567-7235 801-256-2575 801-567-7231 801-567-7208 801-567-7228 385-468-9769

EMERGENCY OR DISASTER CONTACT Public Works Fire Dispatch – Unified Fire Authority Midvale Police Precinct or Police Dispatch Unified Police Department EMERGENCY

801-567-7235 801-840-4000 385-468-9350 801-743-7000

911

MARCH 2022

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

CITY NEWSLETTER

Marcus’s Message

By Mayor Marcus Stevenson

Arguably, the most important thing a city does each year is create its budget. Though the budget process can be confusing, for both city employees and residents, this is the time when our city prioritizes its goals and sets the direction of the city for the next year.

Midvale City’s fiscal year goes from July 1, 2022 to June 31, 2023. However, the process of preparing the budget began in January and will be presented to the public over the next few months. Because of this, I’d like to quickly give an introduction to our budget process and the budgetary challenges we face as a city.

REVENUES The top revenue categories that affect our residents most within our city are (and yes, you guessed it) – taxes. For the 2021 fiscal year, sales tax accounted for 60% of all revenue and property tax accounted for just 20%. It may be a surprise, but each year when you pay your property taxes, only 8% ($184 on average per homeowner) comes directly to the City. A majority of your property taxes go to Canyons School District, Salt Lake County, and the Unified Fire Authority. Further, when you spend your dollars in Midvale, it helps provide critical resources in our community.

Ultimately, in the 2021 fiscal year, the City brought in roughly $21 million to our general fund through taxes and fees.

EXPENSES By and far, Midvale’s largest single expense is our dedicated law enforcement. As a member of the Unified Police Department (UPD), our city pays roughly $10 million each year to operate our local precinct with 38 highly specialized officers and other resources through shared services. UPD officers work across our city to address crime, traffic, shelter, school, and code enforcement related issues. With wages increasing in law enforcement, we expect to continue to see cost increases to recruit and retain the best officers possible. All the property tax collected by Midvale

covers about 27% of the entire cost for law enforcement. Everything else is paid from sales tax, which fluctuates from year to year. These law enforcement cost increases are incredibly needed, but also provide real constraints on our annual budget.

After the 44% of our general fund budget is used on law enforcement, that leaves our city with roughly $12 million that is split between each city department, including Public Works, Community Development, and Administrative Services, as well as other budgetary needs. In fact, only 29% of the overall budget goes to Midvale City’s 85 dedicated employees who work to make our city better each day.

ENTERPRISE FUNDS In addition to the $21 million general fund budget, the City also operates several enterprise funds. I know what you’re thinking, “Star Trek Enterprise has a fund?” Close, but not quite.

These funds deal with direct services to residents where the fees charged by the City only pay for the services themselves. That monthly bill you receive from Midvale City each month for water, sewage, garbage, and streetlights are all enterprise funds. As an example, when you pay your water bill, that fee goes directly to purchasing water and maintaining our water system. These fees are paid separately from sales or property taxes.

BUDGETING FUN As I’ve mentioned, budgeting is where the City makes its priorities for the next year. This could be improvements to streets and parks or continuing the process of expanding trails along the canal and better access to the Jordan River. Each year, the City plans different improvements, but also sets aside money for expensive long-term projects. Because almost all the funding our city has is spent annually, saving for large projects like a community pool or improvements to Main Street may take years, but slowly and surely, our city continues to take care of our residents’ every day needs while planning long term to create the community we all want to see in the future.

Salt Lake County Animal Services You’re on a walk in the neighborhood with your dog, and they unexpectedly bite someone walking by. Or vice versa, you get bit by a dog walking by, what do you do? First, stay calm. Call Dispatch at 801-840-4000, and an Animal Control Officer will come help you both. If you’re both in a rush, exchange information so you can get in touch with the other person. Second, remain civil. This is a very upsetting situation for both sides, the bite victim and the pet owner.

WHY DO I HAVE TO REPORT THE BITE? There are two reasons why bite reports must be filed. The first is rabies control. Our local public health authorities need to investigate if rabies could have been transmitted to the victim. Secondly, the health authorities track the data and trends in animal bites to people within the community.

IF MY PET BITES ME, DO I STILL HAVE TO REPORT IT? Yes, ALL BITES that break the skin must be reported.

If you have any other questions about Animal Control issues, please email animalcontrol@slco.org.

In The Middle of Everything

WWW . MIDVALECITY . ORG

Design a landscape that works for Utah with Localscapes The Localscape approach is a series of landscaping patterns and practices that takes into account Utah’s unique climate. For Midvale, this can mean plants that will thrive in a high desert environment, for which we are a part (the Great Basin).

Midvale City allows and encourages localscape design in landscaping a property. Here is an excerpt on landscape requirements from one of Midvale’s single-family zones: “yard and setback areas visible from street access, including park-strips…shall be landscaped. Landscaping shall include the treatment of the ground surface with live materials such as, but not limited to, sod, grass, ground cover, trees, shrubs, vines and other growing horticultural plant material. In addition, a combination of xeriscape plantings and designs that may include other decorative surfacing such as bark chips, crushed stone, mulch materials, decorative concrete or pavers shall also meet landscaping requirements”. As is stated, xeriscape (or localscape) is allowed, with no minimum or maximum coverage. If you are considering replacing, updating, or even installing new landscape on your property, “localscape” away!

Learn what Localscapes are all about and get some great tips that will help get you started in your own yard. Visit the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District website (jvwcd.org) to learn about the following programs, and more:

LOCALSCAPES Become a part of the landscaping movement spreading throughout Utah. If you’re localizing your landscape, you may be eligible for some rewards! Create an account on utahwatersavers. com to see if you qualify.

CONSERVATION GARDEN PARK (CONSERVATIONGARDENPARK.ORG) Conservation Garden Park models the best use of water in Utah landscapes and empowers communities to make the most of our shared water resources. Jordan Valley Water’s Conservation Garden Park showcases landscapes suited for Utah’s unique climate that are not only beautiful and easier to maintain but are also designed to efficiently use water. A variety of community classes are held at the Conservation Garden Park ranging in topic from irrigation to vegetable gardening. These classes will teach you how to conserve water in a beautiful and lush landscape.

UTAH WATER SAVERS (UTAHWATERSAVERS.COM) From rebates to free landscape consultations, utahwatersavers.com is helping Utahns save both money and water. Visit utahwatersavers.com today to create a free account and start saving! Most of the programs listed on this page are available.

For more information, visit www.MidvaleCity.org/BulkyWaste or call 801-567-7235

MARCH 2022 CITY NEWSLETTER WWW . MIDVALECITY . ORG

Midvale City Redistricting For Fair and Equal Representation

Understanding Your Utility Bill

Midvale City Redistricting

For Fair and Equal Representation

How do you want to be represented for the next 10 years?

Midvale City invites the public to attend a series of Town Hall meetings to offer input on the City's redistricting process, which happens every 10 years after the U.S. Census releases its data. The redistricting process is the redrawing of City Council Districts from which Council Members are elected.

March 15, 2022, 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Midvale City Hall Dahl Conference Room 7505 S Holden Street, Midvale March 23, 2022, 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Hillcrest High School Gallery Room above the Field House 7350 S 900 E, Midvale

Did you know your Midvale City utility bill is for more than just your water service? Here is a breakdown of the services included on your utility bill:

Learn more

www.MidvaleCity.org/Redistricting

The State of Utah recently completed its decennial redistricting of federal and state legislative areas using data from the 2020 US Census. Salt Lake County has provided precinct data to Midvale City.

WHAT ARE PRECINCTS? A precinct is an area about the size of a few neighborhoods, or 1250 homes. The number of precincts in Midvale City has decreased from 27 to 24 precincts.

WHAT IS REDISTRICTING? Every ten years, City Council districts must be redrawn so that each district is substantially equal in population. This process, called redistricting, is important in ensuring that each City Council Member represents about the same number of constituents. In Midvale City, the City Council is responsible for approving these City Council districts.

WHY IS REDISTRICTING IMPORTANT? Different neighborhoods of the city grow at different rates. Over time, City Council districts become unequal, and redistricting is required to ensure there is an equal number of residents in each district.

Redistricting determines which neighborhoods are grouped together into a City Council district for purposes of electing a City Council Member. You have an opportunity to share how you think district boundaries should be drawn to best represent your community.

Residents have the opportunity to empower their community for the next decade!

Participation in the redistricting process ensures that your voice is heard in determining where district boundaries are located for the purpose of electing members of the City Council. We invite you to attend the Town Hall meetings to offer input on the City’s redistricting process.

WATER — Your water charge includes both a base charge and a usage charge. The base charge is charged regardless of usage and is used to maintain the City’s water infrastructure. The usage charge depends on how much water flows through your water meter and is billed in thousands of gallons. Your usage is calculated by taking the current meter read and subtracting last month’s meter read. From October through May (which is considered an off-peak time), the City charges a lower rate than the summer months. Usage charges are used to purchase water from Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District (JVWCD), and to produce water from the City’s wells.

SEWER — Your sewer service is either handled by Midvale City, Midvalley Improvement District, Sandy Suburban Improvement District, or Cottonwood Improvement District (depending on where you live). If you live outside of Midvale City’s service area, you will receive a separate bill from that District. For Midvale City customers, the sewer service includes both a base charge and usage charge. The base charge is a flat amount charged regardless of usage. This amount funds ongoing maintenance and repair of the sewer system. In addition, your bill also includes a usage charge. This charge is based off your average winter water usage. The period used to calculate this usage is November through March, and your average will be adjusted on your bill each July. This usage charge is used to pay for sewage treatment costs.

STORM DRAIN — You may ask, “why is a storm drain utility needed?” The City’s storm drain system is needed to safely and efficiently manage a property’s rainfall runoff into pipe systems, drainage channels, detention structures, streams, and water bodies. This system requires ongoing monitoring and maintenance to work effectively, and is required by the Utah Clean Water Act. Each residential customer is charged 1 ERU (Equivalent Residential Unit), while commercial customers are charged based off their property’s impervious (hard) surface area (such as parking lots, roofs, etc.).

GARBAGE — This service covers your weekly garbage and recycling pickup, and also the City’s bi-annual curbside bulky waste program (occurring each April and October).

STREET LIGHTING — A flat fee is charged to each residential and commercial customer each month. This fee pays for maintenance, operating costs (such as electricity), and debt service on the City’s entire street lighting system.

UTOPIA — We have a number of residents with UTOPIA service contracts that are billed through Midvale City. Please refer to your signed contract detailing the terms of your agreement.

It is also important to note that your utility charges and fees DO NOT support general government expenses (such as public safety, streets, parks, etc.). All of the funds collected are used to support the maintenance, operations, and capital needs of the respective utility.

New dance teacher encourages Jordan Valley, Altara students to learn through movement

W

hen Beverley Taylor Sorenson Dance Specialist Eric Shiring was hired last fall to teach at both Altara Elementary and Jordan Valley School, he was excited when he walked into the classroom. For the most part, Jordan Valley students were not.

“Some of them I couldn’t get eye contact, some weren’t moving, some may not have understood,” he said.

Rather than get discouraged, Shiring readied himself for the challenge for the students who have severe multiple disabilities.

“I try to help them figure it out—do they see the visual?

Are they making eye contact, because that in itself is a big feat for some kids on some days. Some days they feel differently, so it’s a challenge every day,” he said. “I don’t get frustrated; I just want to make sure that I’m doing a good job and make sure I’m doing justice to these kids. What I’m doing may be effective for one student this day, but it’s subjective by every single student.”

Shiring’s teaching at Jordan Valley differs than at Altara Elementary, as he is tailoring it for 22 different classes of differing abilities, and allows students to explore creative movement or what he calls, “a dance mixture with art therapy.”

“It’s an opportunity to get them to move and stretch their bodies in ways that they don’t get to. So many of them are really bound and tight, that it turns into a creative artistic way of playing. We have music and sometimes, we get movement and sometimes, I don’t. I never really know what’s going to happen every day; I’m always on my toes,” he said. “It has gone from coming to Jordan Valley and them not wanting anything to do with me to having some kids who are visually impaired and non-vocal to understanding instructions, such as making circular shapes or clap on the beat. It’s been so cool to see some kids moving and smiling and enjoying the process through dance in my class.”

Shiring has a loose structure built around a subject, following the state core curriculum, but also allowing play time.

“There’s so much to be learned through play and just to experience. I can come in with an idea to do one thing and some kids are just not up for it, so I have to be able to switch and come up with movements and ideas on the spot,” he said saying that his 16 years of teaching dance and choreography experience has helped him adjust. “I just follow their energy and try to help them to be fully engaged.”

In a recent lesson, Shiring asked students who are in chairs to move their arms and hands in making shapes. He demonstrated a triangle, saying the shape, and asked students to repeat the word and mirror the movements. Shiring said that through trying to move, students can release their tension.

“Making it a full embodied experience is super important,” he said. “There’s not a lot of research with this demographic on dance. There are a few things with cerebral palsy or kids with injury, but not so many with kids who have multiple medical disabilities or issues that I need to address differently. I’ve had to really figure out things on my own. I find ways to make this work because I am always eager for more stuff to help make learning fun for these guys. It’s really cool to see little victories like if I get a student smiling and laughing or just doing it. It just lights me up. It is the best feeling.”

Similarly, Shiring feels validation when Altara students tell him they love his class.

“I’m seeing progress with what I’ve been trying to teach.

There’s just so much to learn through movement. It’s important to know how to use it and appreciate the fact that you can move in any way, in any form you can,” he said.

Shiring’s lessons often cover more than just dance curriculum.

Page 14 | March 2022

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Altara Elementary and Jordan Valley Beverley Taylor Sorenson Dance Specialist Eric Shiring teaches Altara students the importance of movement during a class period. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Without talking, Altara Elementary students one afternoon were passing around balloons, keeping them afloat, using different body parts. They were creating movement, learning about space and working as a team while exercising—and they were having fun.

“They’re learning through something so simple, that they can laugh, have fun, move and challenge themselves and are working together,” said Shiring, who replicated the lesson he learned while earning his master’s degree.

Dance is new at both schools, where Shiring alternates teaching weekly. He began teaching students in August after being hired by Altara Principal Nicole Svee Magann.

“Eric has incredible, infectious energy and brings joy and enthusiasm to his class,” she said. “His students are able to capture and incorporate emotions and school academics while exploring and moving. It’s embracing full learning.”

At Altara, Shiring learns what curriculum students are studying, then incorporates those school lessons into his dance sessions.

“I did a lesson on shapes last week and was able to ask, ‘Where else is this applicable?’ They were able to answer through geometry and math and then, they even tried to create more shapes or things they see, like stop signs, with their bodies,” he said. “We’re moving and creating shapes and dances and the support they have for each other has been so cool to see.”

He also tries to incorporate social skills into his classes.

“I’m able to relate to some kids who may be troubled in the classrooms because I was that kid as well,” he said, in reference to be bullied when he was a child. “But these kids, they just thrive in dance. They’re eager to move. Movement is a kinesthetic way of learning, but it’s also visual so we’re hitting dif-

ferent ways for kids to learn about things and it’s a fun way to access knowledge and information.”

Shiring took up dance after being told at school dances he had rhythm and it was something he enjoyed. He would dance in his room with his Walkman on and eventually found his way to a studio and paid for his own hip-hop classes.

“My home life was not supportive, so dance became kind of my escapism,” he said.

That support Shiring received from his high school dance teacher helped him to develop talent that landed him a dance scholarship to Southern Utah University where he earned his bachelor’s in dance performance.

“It’s the people who really cultivated me and honored the fact that I loved doing it—that’s where my journey has been so cool. I worked really hard at it and I’ve gotten to travel the world through dance,” he said.

Shiring has danced in multiple dance companies, performing from Los Angeles to New York to London. While in London, while recovering from injury, he studied at the University of Roehampton to earn his master’s degree in choreography.

“I was getting my mobility back when I was accepted into the program. It was just amazing to be dancing constantly because I was told I would never be able to do it again. It ended up being more fun and in a sense, my therapy because it was more sacred,” he said.

Now, he wants to be that teacher who impacts students.

“I hope I’m teaching an appreciation of self. I want to be the teacher for them like the one who altered my path. It’s important that I teach them to follow their journey, whatever is in their heart,” he said. “It’s cool to know that what I’m doing is important: teaching them about life.”l

Midvale City Journal

East Midvale principal recognized as MVP for RSL, Midvale community

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

B

y his own words, East Midvale Elementary Principal Matt Nelson brought together people and communities to make a positive impact in their lives.

Nelson’s efforts earned him the MLS WORKS Community MVP award for Real Salt Lake as one of 27 MVPs around the country—one for each MLS club—who were honored for making a positive impact to help their communities.

Through Wells Fargo, Nelson received a $2,500 donation to a charity of his choice, the International Rescue Committee; a customized RSL jersey; and a RSL Community MVP 2021 scarf. He also is to receive a MLS Adidas NATIVO 21 official match ball.

“I just love and always have loved getting to know all kinds of people ever since I was a little kid,” he said. “I have a skill of being able to bring people together. There’s a lot of satisfaction to just break barriers to bring people together and have some good things going on in the world.”

Nelson, who has coached his son’s competitive soccer team for the past three years, and who has been the principal of a Title I school where more than 17 languages are spoken for the past four years, merged the communities through the love of soccer.

“Matt has a passion for soccer,” RSL Director of Community Relations Kyle Schroeder said. “He knows that the Midvale community has a tremendous passion for soccer, especially his students. He’s trying to bridge the gap to make sure that there are opportunities for them to play by providing gear, field space and things like that.”

Schroeder said the award is not attached to soccer, but for doing something good for the community; in Nelson’s case, merging communities to make soccer accessible to everyone.

“Matt was recognized for his work with refugees and improving their lives,” he said, adding that RSL has provided balls, jerseys and other gear and game tickets for Nelson to distribute to these students and families who aren’t in a financial position to get them into soccer and to attend professional games.

Those items, and a collection provided through a soccer gear drive with the Cottonwood Football Club, were distributed at the Canyons Crossing apartments, where a huge population of families from Africa, Middle East, Afghanistan and other countries attend his school.

“I’m a huge fan and I play. I played growing up; it’s a huge part of my life. A lot of these kids also love playing soccer so I just reached out to people and said, ‘Let’s get them some soccer balls and collect gear from families so they can have some proper equipment,’” Nelson said.

With help organizing and distributing the boxfuls of donations, Nelson was able to have kids come out from their apartments

MidvaleJournal.com

to “get outfitted and try on shoes. We started pick-up games and really had a fun morning.

I got to interact with some of the parents of students at the school, meet their whole family, and make those connections. It was just great.”

It went beyond that one day.

When Nelson learned of two refugees from Afghanistan, who used to play on the streets of Kabul, had a real passion for the game, he arranged for those kids to get tryouts, coordinated club fees and organized carpools for them to get to practices and games.

“It’s just been really cool to see communities come together and rally around these kids,” he said. “There were just lots of smiles, and I think it was really impactful day for a lot of people to have these positive interactions with these people and it all centered around the love of soccer.”

Nelson doesn’t intend for it to be a onetime event.

“Collecting the gear, organizing and distributing it and making those connections with families and finding kids who really want to play and get on a team is definitely something I want to continue,” he said, hoping to involve more nearby competitive soccer clubs in the donation and distribution process. “I’d like to get more coaches to come identify players who have the skills and right attitude to be successful teammates.”

Nelson also reached out to nearby Hillcrest High boys soccer coach Brett Davis and the team to put on a spring clinic last year for about 50 kids who signed up.

However, Nelson isn’t limiting his vision to just soccer.

“I’d love to have a nonprofit that goes beyond soccer and focuses on recreational access for families that have less access to any sports or just accessing the mountains so helping families if they want to go camping or go on a hike and learning where to go and what gear to bring or even, having the access of getting to the mountains. I just want to help increase the quality of life,” he said.

Nelson said East Midvale Elementary is home not only to his students, but to him as well.

“Being principal at East Midvale has opened my eyes and my mind. My whole life changed for the better for having interactions and learning how to support these kids and families,” he said. “I think that’s my biggest thing is just making everybody feel welcome, feel valued, feel seen, feel safe in the school.

So, reaching out to the community and doing this extra stuff is not going out of my way, it’s doing something to make people feel welcome. The diversity we have, and the people are really amazing so I’m just helping to make others aware and to make those connections and that has been really fun for me to see.” l

East Midvale Elementary Principal Matt Nelson, in his customized RSL jersey he received as the MLS WORKS Community MVP award-winner, plays soccer with some of his fourth-graders at recess. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

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March 2022 | Page 15

Oath of office ceremony made extra special with personal touches

T

his past January many new and returning elected officials took the oath of office. What is the oath and who is qualified to perform it?

To complete the ceremony, the following words must be spoken identically as written: “I, (elected official name), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support, obey and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Utah, and that I will discharge the duties of my office with fidelity.”

Swearing with a hand on a Bible is not required.

Rori Anderson, Midvale City clerk, said, “The oath of office is kept in the city’s official records of the city and a copy is given to the individual taking the oath. The oath of office is public record.”

Only people with certain qualifications can assist in giving the oath. “Every court, every judge, clerk and deputy clerk of any court, every justice, every notary public, and every officer or person authorized to take testimony in any action or proceeding, or to decide upon evidence, has the power to administer oaths or affirmations.”

For a city government, the oath is usu-

Page 16 | March 2022

By Erin Dixon | e.dixon@mycityjournals.com ally done by the city's own clerk.

If, for some reason, an elected official does not take the oath of office within the first few weeks of the new year, they are still accountable for their actions as an official beginning Jan. 1 of the year they were elected to take office.

Two officials in Midvale wanted to do something that made their oaths more personal and meaningful.

Incumbent Dustin Gettel asked a personal friend, Justin Anderson, a clerk for Utah County, to administer his oath. In that same meeting, Marcus Stevenson, though not religious himself, used the same Bible that his grandmother had used when she was elected for local government.

Ceremonies for the oaths of office have no requirements beyond the wording and signing of the oath. Sandy City hosted an hour-long program at a nearby school with choral numbers, speeches and presentations. West Jordan performed their ceremony opening with a color guard performed by the West Jordan Police, followed by the national anthem by a current councilmember. Midvale’s ceremony included refreshments for guests following the ceremony. l

Midvale Mayor Marcus Stevenson takes his oath of office using his grandmother's Bible, accompanied by his spouse. (Erin Dixon/City Journals)

Midvale City Journal

Scouting alive and well with local Pinewood Derby Contributed by Andrea Anderson

C

ub Scout Troop 3051 held its annual Pinewood Derby on Saturday, Feb. 5 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and in a NASCAR-worthy show-down, the heats were indeed a competition of speed and skill.

On the finely-tuned track of Tim and Betty Shaw, their expert crew of officials sponsored a real nail-biter. The track, which records speed within ten-thousandths of a second created an ideal downforce and every car made it through the finish line.

Although many heats were neck-to-neck, the single car track didn't give any one competitor a drafting advantage, although the racers certainly learned the value of weight, aerodynamics and the benefits or issues created by tire cambier. Some heats could not have determined a winner with the naked eye. Fortunately the Shaw track comes with a NASA-level calibrated timer which records time within one-hundredth of a second.

Derby fans from all generations were represented and cheered the boys on, with cars named like “Speed Demon” and “USS Santa.”

The top three participants were: • 2022 Winner overall: Aiden Henr • 2022 2nd Place Overall: Truman Prime • 2022 3rd Place Overall: Kaiden Hunter Scouts thanked their pit crews consisting

of parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends who helped carve, sand, glue, paint, design, tighten, weigh, and design the Derbys, continuing for another year of this long-standing scouting tradition. Jolynn Dickerson is the troop leader.

Girls and boys interested in scouting are welcome to join any time throughout the year.

They meet Tuesdays at 7 p.m. at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 8500 S. and 700 East. l

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Cub Scout Troop 3051 held its annual Pinewood Derby on Saturday, Feb. 5 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. (Photos courtesy Andrea Anderson)

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Hillcrest coach hopes indoor track will spring athletes into successful outdoor season

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

W

ith just one indoor track meet remaining, Hillcrest High senior Erin Atkinson took to the Utah Olympic Oval in the 3200—her favorite race.

Utah high school indoor track typically has about a half-dozen races during the winter months, but coming off of no races held last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, some traditional meets weren’t held.

This year, Hillcrest’s indoor team of about 20 athletes, have only competed in a handful of meets and Atkinson was sick for one of those.

Even though Atkinson was improving from being sick during the Distance Challenge meet on Feb. 4, she ran with her lungs burning—and bettered her own indoor 3200 school record by a few seconds at 13:32.47.

“I think it could have been better if I wasn’t sick,” she said. “(Coach Scott) Stucki told me I should be able to run in the high 12s or 13 flat.”

Atkinson owns all of Hillcrest’s indoor distance races 1600 meters and longer in the three years of competition during her four years in high school.

In the last indoor meet of the season, the 2022 UHSTCA Invitational Championships Feb. 11-12, she had hoped to improve her own 1600 mark and beat the existing 800

school record held by her former teammate, Paris Snow.

“Paris outkicked me in the last stretch, so her record is faster than my indoor PR (personal record),” she said about the race two years ago.

With a commanding lead for most of the heat, she fell short of setting a new record at the finish line.

Atkinson hopes her training, which includes longer mileage, weightlifting and conditioning, will translate into a successful spring season.

That’s what coach Stucki hopes for all his athletes.

“They’re getting more competition, more fitness, more chances to improve technique,” he said. “We spend more time in the weight room in the winter than we do during the outdoor season so they can get stronger as well. For the most part, those kids who do indoor don’t have as many injuries because they’re not all of a sudden jumping into running.”

Atkinson, who has competed in two state cross country meets and with her top 10 region cross country finish last fall was named to the second team region, already has goals in mind for the 800, 1600 and 3200. She also wants to compete at the 5A

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Hillcrest High senior Erin Atkinson, seen here racing at the Utah Olympic Oval, hopes her indoor season help her prepare for a successful outdoor track season. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

state meet, which will be held May 19 and 21 at Brigham Young University.

The Huskies open their outdoor track season March 9 against Skyline and East, which will be held at East High.

Hillcrest won’t host a track meet this spring because their throwing fields have yet to be completed as part of the last phase of construction, the coach said.

Stucki, who has coached indoor track for nine seasons and has been the head coach of outdoor track since 2007, said the team plans to travel for meets throughout the Salt Lake Valley, but also to invitational meets in Juab and Davis counties.

Hillcrest competes in region 7, which stretches from Tooele to Vernal, where the Huskies will travel to compete at Uintah High in April and again, when the Uintah Utes host the region meet, May 11-12. As the team will stay overnight, transportation and housing may limit the number of Hillcrest

athletes who compete in region, Stucki said.

As far as the Huskies’ track leaders, Stucki is uncertain, knowing that a great number of athletes graduated last spring and others are injured. In addition to Atkinson, he has expectations of senior Alycea McVey being in the forefront of the female throwers, junior Olivia Backus heading up sprints and long jump, and senior Derek Croft and juniors Sam Timmerman and Sam Martin leading the boys’ distance races.

“Cedar Valley has a kid who’s really good and Stansbury has a lot of depth,” he said looking at the regional competition.

“I’m not sure who is going to score a bunch of points for us. We’ve had some kids transfer in and I don’t know what they can do, but hopefully they can help us. I just have no idea. It depends too on how many athletes I can get from other sports. I think we have some kids that may be pretty good; there’s always a few kids who surprise me. Hopefully, we will get a bunch of those.” l

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Hillcrest’s student announcer, voice of the Huskies, announces last basketball games

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

L

adies and gentlemen, welcome to Hillcrest High School for tonight’s basketball game. Back at it again for a Friday night game...

With those words, Hillcrest High senior Cameron Clark, known as the voice of the Huskies, began one of his last gigs announcing the team’s livestream games.

“I wanted to become an announcer ever since I was in third grade, maybe even a little bit earlier,” Clark said. “I talked with one of the announcers on BYU-TV during a football game and he gave me some steps on what I could do. One of them was to do games for my school so I talked with coach (Scott) Carrell about if I can get into PA announcing.”

This game got pushed back from earlier in the season. Hillcrest is coming off…

Carrell, now Hillcrest’s athletic director, remembered when Clark approached him and former AD Sally Williams.

“He came in and said, ‘Hey, you know, I really like listening to sports announcers and I really want to try to be one. Is there any chance you guys would let me try to announce a game?’” Carrell said. “We were both a little hesitant, so we let him start with a JV volleyball game, then a JV girls’ basketball, some JV boys’ basketball games. He just kept developing his talents and getting better. He just really impressed to the point where he started announcing the girls’ varsity basketball games last year.”

When Clark was announcing over the PA for girls’ varsity basketball, COVID-19 hit. Rather than being discouraged, he transitioned his announcing to accompany the livestreaming of games.

“I asked Matteo (Dal Monte, Hillcrest’s media specialist), who I knew was setting up a stream for the games, ‘Is there any chance I can do announcing on the streams, do playby-play?’ So, he set everything up, taught me how to set up the streams and since then, that’s what I’ve been doing,” Clark said.

For the Huskies starting line-up…

To prepare for game day, Clark compiles team and individual stats. He will email the visiting coach, asking if there is anything he should know about their team. He also will share the link to the livestream and has had coast-to-coast viewers tune in.

“I’ll try and find a little history about the opposing school—when was it built, how many students go there, when was their last state title in girls’ basketball, when was their last state title in any of the sports. Just many little factoids that I can find about the team that I might try and throw that in there along with stats,” Clark said.

The Huskies are controlling the game, we’re two for two from deep…and the ball is swatted away, great defense…

Clark is a team manager for the girls’

Page 20 | March 2022

basketball team.

“I decided that since I’m at practice with the girls every day, I know what’s going on with the team a lot better, so I am more prepared to do the girls rather than the boys,” he said. “I enjoy being team manager.

I send hype texts before the game to girls on the team.”

Junior post Kay Erekson looks forward to those game-day texts.

“They’re funny puns about the school mascot or their name and then how our team is going to crush them and win the game,” she said. “They are funny, but they’re cringey. It’s a really cool way to contribute to the energy of the game day and it can really relieve the pressure.”

Erekson said Clark comes to all the practices and home games doing anything from setting up the score table for game day to refereeing during a practice.

“He talks basketball to everyone, he helps with (score) books, sets up the chairs, runs the clock at practices,” she said.

Carrell said as team manager, Clark “is getting to know the players better and has stories to use on his announcing. He has the love of sports and wants to help out a team.”

Although athletic, Clark said he always has enjoyed being on the sidelines.

“I find it more enjoyable to do the stats side of it. When I was on my Super League team for baseball, and I wasn’t playing, I would be keeping the book on the bench,” he said.

Besides the girls’ basketball team, Clark has managed the boys’ basketball, volleyball and baseball teams.

It’s a clean block…the floater— good!...Perfect three of three tonight, it makes it a two-possession game…

Besides girls’ basketball, Clark announced the starting volleyball line-ups and also, called the last few games and state game in their season on livestream.

Clark took the microphone to the livestream football games, even inviting Riley Nelson, the former Brigham Young University quarterback and current BYU Radio football game color commentator, to join him announcing the Hillcrest-Stansbury game, which had a delay in action because of inclement weather.

“After we ran all the equipment inside, I got to talk with him for 40 minutes straight, asking him questions, having him just tell me stuff and it was really cool,” Clark said.

Nelson isn’t the only sports announcer Clark has gotten to know and learn from.

He has patterned his style from BYU Radio announcer Greg Wrubell by “trying to rattle off exactly what’s going on in the moment.”

He shadowed a BYU-TV sideline reporter at a baseball game where “he showed me the ropes and it was really cool to see what goes

As the voice of the Huskies, Hillcrest High senior Cameron Clark welcomes fans to the school’s basketball game before he calls the game on the livestream. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

on behind the scenes.”

This fall, Clark observed KJZZ’s Tony Parks on the sidelines of the state high school playoffs.

“I was just following him up and down the sideline as he was talking. It was an awesome experience for me to go and watch him. When the game was over, we sat down and I asked him a bunch of questions,” he said.

Clark, who hopes this year Hillcrest will have the equipment for him to announce baseball, said one of his favorite experiences was being in the booth at a Salt Lake Bees game to observe broadcaster Steve Klauke.

“Baseball always has been my favorite sport because I grew up playing and watching,” he said. “I just sat there and watched him through the entire game and during breaks, I’d ask him, ‘What do you do about this.’ When I wasn’t asking questions, he was telling me this is what I do if this happens or he was able to pull this stat from this book and just flip right to it. That was really cool to be able to observe someone who is doing exactly what I want to do.”

Carrell said he has heard from listeners about Clark, even parents of the opposing team.

“They watched and listened to him and said, ‘Man that kid needs to work for ESPN.’ Cam does his homework. He gets the stats he needs from visiting teams, and he finds interesting stories about both teams and always integrates that into his games. He has

reached out to some other sports broadcasters and gotten advice from them. It’s all him.

He’s the one who does all the studying,” he said.

Last year, Clark traveled to away games to broadcast the livestream, but with a more spread-out region and several Advanced Placement and concurrent college classes, he has limited himself to attending only closeby away games.

That opened up being the PA announcer for the boys’ basketball games, Carrell said.

“I said to Cam, ‘Why don’t you just announce the boys’ games and be our play-byplay on the sideline, from the table?’” Carrell said. “He was pretty excited.”

Huskies need to pick up the pace… lets it fly from three, not quite good, but a good look, picks up her own miss and got it to go…gives the Huskies the energy they need. Foul was called; it’s good from the line.

“My dream is to be a radio announcer. I like being able to describe what’s happening and just the flow of the game. When people watch my streams, I do that more radio style because that’s what I want to get into,” he said.

Clark started early.

In second grade, Clark watched a video of his uncle playing baseball and pretended to be announcers with his dad.

Clark decided in third grade to enter his school’s talent show with his announcing skills.

Midvale City Journal

“I recited from memory the ‘Shot Heard ‘Round the World’ where the Giants got a walk-off home run to send them into the playoffs in the 1950s,” he said. “I watched the video of it and dang, I was able to get that pretty good as a third-grader. I’ve always been blessed with a mind that is just able to recall things easily. It’s almost freakish when it comes to sports and to history and stats. Sometimes in math, things will go in one ear and out with the other, and I won’t remember what I learned, but with sports, for whatever the reason, I just remember almost everything.”

With that, the Huskies have a five-point lead entering half time, we’ll be back at the beginning of the second half, I’m Cameron Clark, the voice of the Huskies, here on Hillcrest TV, we’ll see you in a couple minutes.

After a quick round of lightning during varsity girls’ half-time with the JV and freshmen-sophomore teams, Clark returns to the announcing table on the indoor track above the court.

Erekson and her teammates come running out of the locker room, ready for the second half.

“One of my favorite parts is coming out of the locker room is hearing Cam say, ‘Let’s welcome back to the floor, your Hillcrest Huskies.’ It’s always a big energy boost,” she said.

Carrell agrees: “I really like the energy he brings. The way he announces the girls’ and boys’ games’ starting lineups, brings that extra energy that really gets the crowd into it.”

Huskies had a great take-away, the steal. Hillcrest with the board. The Huskies tie up the ball, the arrow favors…

To further prepare for his future career, Clark took a newspaper journalism class and wrote for Hillcrest’s Paw Print online newspaper as well as taken broadcast classes at Alta High School.

This spring, Clark applied to BYU and hopes to enroll in their broadcast program after serving a church mission.

“I’ve reached out to them enough where they know who I am and know my story. I would be the fifth generation in my family to go to BYU,” he said. “The broadcasting program they have is one of the top-notch ones in the nation, so it’s just a no-brainer for me to go there.”

However, his legacy at Hillcrest as the voice of the Huskies will be hard to fill, Carrell said.

“He’s so good, I wish we could keep him,” he said.

Erekson said it won’t be the same next season.

“I’m going to miss everything he does, all the extra work he’s put in,” she said. “He’s always bringing positive energy to the team game days and practices.”

With that, the next game is senior night, last night announcing from here as the Huskies will take on…see you next Thursday… l

MidvaleJournal.com

March 2022 | Page 21

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Midvale City Journal

An open book

Life

I

Laughter AND

by

PERI KINDER

was eight when I ran away from home.

It was the summer of ’76 and my mother did the unspeakable. She banned a book in our home.

In the stack of books I’d checked out at the library, there was a paperback copy of “Jaws” I instinctually hid from Mom because she could be irrational. The book cover, with its looming shark and nearly-nude swimmer, might make her think the novel wasn’t “proper” for an 8-year-old.

With a plateful of homemade oatmeal cookies, I sat on my bed engrossed in shark attacks. My bedroom door opened and Mom (without knocking!) entered my room to put clothes away. Her mouth dropped open when she saw what I was reading. She grabbed it out of my hands and banned the book from the house.

How dare she!

I fumed and realized there was only one answer to such blatant oppression. I got my red suitcase and packed a nightgown, a change of clothes, my toothbrush and a Nancy Drew book. I stomped down the stairs, ignoring Mom as she stood in the kitchen doorway with her arms crossed.

Before I walked out of the house forever, I told her I couldn’t live with her cruelty any longer. I walked two blocks to my Aunt Judy’s house and announced I was moving in because Mom was an unreasonable tyrant.

I stayed the night, knowing Mom must regret her terrible behavior. I figured by the next day, she would be frantic with worry. Served her right. (I later learned she’d called my aunt to let her know I was heading her way.)

When I returned home, I asked her if I could read “Jaws.” She said no. You can bet your sweet bookends I found a copy of “Jaws” and secretly read it cover to cover.

My effort to read banned books didn’t stop there. As I got older, I tore through Judy Blume's books, inhaled the “Flowers in the Attic” series, and absorbed “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Twice. My cousin and I would sit on the bookstore floor, reading salacious parts of popular bodice-ripper novels written by the queen of romance, Kathleen Woodiwiss.

Mom realized it was counterproductive to forbid me from reading books, and we ended up having conversations about rac-

ism, inequality, sex and sharks.

I make it a point to read banned books, buy banned books, promote banned books and encourage my daughters to do the same.

I figure if a book is so powerful it has to be banned or burned, that’s a book I need to read. Anything that gets people’s knickers twisted and touches a literary nerve goes on my to-read list.

Parents and lawmakers are increasingly trying to create laws that shelve books that don’t fit in with their (mostly conservative) ideals. When that happens, society loses. Didn’t you read the (ironically) banned “Fahrenheit 451?”

I agree that 8-year-olds don’t make the best choices, but if we control the curriculum, frame the narrative, and put a conservative slant on history, we’re not doing those 8-year-olds any favors.

In January, when a school board in Tennessee banned the Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel, “Maus,” parents pushed back. The Salt Lake County Library System has dozens of copies of the Holocaust story where the Jews are depicted as mice, Germans as cats, and Americans as dogs.

I was happy to see it has hundreds of hold requests.

Looks like I’m not the only one making sure I read things that make me uncomfortable.

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