Midvale Journal | May 2023

MIDVALE MAYOR OPTIMISTIC FOR THE CITY’S FUTURE

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

Whether he’s greeting musician Post Malone at Raising Cane’s, skateboarding at Copperview Skatepark or painting a wall during the mural festival, Midvale Mayor Marcus Stevenson brings a youthful energy to the 114-year-old city.

It’s been a little more than a year since Stevenson was sworn-in as the 22nd mayor of Midvale. At 27, he was the youngest mayor the city had ever elected. Stevenson has learned some hard lessons during his first year in office, but he’s also made big strides and he’s excited to move forward.

“I think that as a community we’re in a really interesting place where we have so many exciting things going on,” he said. “There’s so much good happening here but we also have some pretty intense struggles and challenges, like homelessness and poverty.”

Stevenson has promoted open communication since he took over as mayor. He wants residents to be engaged in city issues and values the feedback he’s received. The Engage Midvale platform, launched a year ago, encourages residents to take surveys about things like transpor-

tation, Main Street development and planning for the three TRAX stations. It’s a tool to help residents be actively involved in decision making.

As he’s learned the intricacies of government leadership, he feels better prepared for the challenges ahead. One big problem Stevenson faces is how the city will reorganize the police department once the Unified Police Department is dissolved in 2025. The city also deals with high levels of youth violence.

“Midvale has one of the highest rates of youth violence in the county. We have been doing a lot of work to provide more opportunities for the youth in our community,” he said. “We’ve got incredible community partners trying to make sure we’re bringing in more youth programming.”

Good things happening in Midvale include the revitalization of Main Street. The city’s first mural festival was held last year that encouraged businesses along the historic street to allow artists to paint murals on the outside walls. The festival was

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Marcus Stevenson just completed his first year as the mayor of Midvale City. At 27, Stevenson was the youngest mayor the city has ever elected. (Photo courtesy of Midvale City)

Alta High — Canyons School District Assistant Superintendent Bob Dowdle is scheduled to speak to 522 students who are expected to graduate at 10 a.m., May 25 at the University of Utah’s Huntsman Center. This year’s theme is “We are better together.”

Bingham High — Commencement exercises will be held at 1 p.m., June 1 in the UCCU Arena at Utah Valley University in Orem. The theme is “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”

Brighton High — About 500 seniors are to walk through commencement exercises at 6:30 p.m., May 25 at the Maverik Center with Canyons School District Superintendent Rick Robins speaking. This year’s theme is “Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts,” spoken by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

Canyons Transition Academy — Thirteen students will graduate at 12:30 p.m., May 24 in the Canyons Center. The theme is a quote by Barnum & Bailey Circus founder, nicknamed “The Greatest Showman,” P.T. Barnum; he said: “No one ever made a difference by being like everyone else.”

Corner Canyon High — “Good things end so great things can begin” is the theme for 567 seniors who will graduate at 2 p.m., May 25 at

It’s cap and gown time for hundreds of students

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

the University of Utah’s Huntsman Center. Canyons School District Assistant Superintendent Bob Dowdle is scheduled to speak.

Cottonwood High — Seniors will walk through the traditional commencement exercises at 1 p.m., June 2 in the school auditorium. The theme is “What matters in life is not what happens to you, but what you remember and how you remember it,” by Colombian writer Gabriel García Márquez. During the ceremony, the school’s Madrigals, Concert Choir and jazz band will perform.

Diamond Ridge — About 60 students will graduate at 6:30 p.m., May 24 at Mt. Jordan Middle School. Canyons School District Assistant Superintendent Bob Dowdle is scheduled to speak.

Entrada — Incoming Canyons School District Assistant Superintendent McKay Robinson is expected to address 140 soon-to-be graduates at 7 p.m., June 22 at Jordan High School.

Hillcrest High — Canyons School District Superintendent Rick Robins will address the 450 seniors at the 9:30 a.m., May 25 commencement ceremony at the Maverik Center. For their theme, the seniors selected a quote from the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg: “Whatever you choose to do, leave tracks. That means, don’t do it just for yourself. You want to leave the world a little better for you having lived.”

Jordan High — About 400 seniors will “Beat the Odds: The odds are up to them, the end result is up to

Jou r nals

YOUR

MIDVALE TEAM

The Midvale City Journal is a monthly publication distributed directly to residents via the USPS as well as locations throughout Midvale. For information about distribution please email brad.c@thecityjournals.com or call our offices. Rack locations are also available on our website. The views and opinions expressed in display advertisements do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions held by Loyal Perch Media or the City Journals. This publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the owner. © 2019 Loyal Perch Media, Inc.

About 450 Hillcrest High seniors will walk across stage on May 25 during their commencement exercises. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

you” at their 2 p.m., May 25 graduation at the Maverik Center. The speaker is Canyons School District Superintendent Rick Robins.

Jordan Valley — Canyons School District Superintendent Rick Robins will talk to two students who will graduate at 4 p.m., May 19 at the Canyons School District’s boardroom. The theme is “Adapting to Change.”

Juan Diego Catholic High — Students and their families celebrate commencement week with a bacca-

laureate mass at 6:30 p.m., May 23 at The Cathedral of the Madeleine in Salt Lake City. The week concludes with commencement for the Class of 2023 at 9 a.m., May 27 at Juan Diego Catholic High School’s auditorium. Contact the school for both ticketed events.

Murray High — The graduation ceremony will be held at 1 p.m., May 26 at the Lifetime Activities Center on Salt Lake Community College’s Redwood Campus.

River’s Edge — “Level Up” is

the theme for this year’s commencement, which will be held at 1 p.m., June 2 in the school’s auditorium.

Valley High — Graduation will be held at 10 a.m., May 31 at Zions Bank Stadium at Real Academy in Herriman. This year’s theme is from Indian lawyer and activist Mahatma Gandhi, “A beginning, a struggle, and a victory.”

Waterford School — At 7:30 p.m., June 1, the school will honor its Class of 2023 on the campus’ main quad east. l

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Hillcrest’s Dance Company three-peats with superior marks at state festival

F or the third straight year, Hillcrest High’s Dance Company earned superior marks at the Utah High School Dance Festival.

“We were so excited,” senior Courtney Kelly said. “It was great ending to many hours of rehearsals and for that day, in particular, being a long day.”

However, the day wasn’t quite over. The three Hillcrest dance company officers—seniors Leah Ahlander, president; Lily Greenwood, vice president; and Kelly, secretary—won the Outstanding Student Choreography Award for their piece named for their year-long theme, “Vitality.”

“We were so happy. Only a few schools get this special recognition,” Kelly said, who also serves as Hillcrest’s student body public relations officer.

The dancers’ day began at 3 a.m. on March 11 when the school bus departed Hillcrest for St. George. Once the squad arrived, the girls joined about 40 other schools who were participating in the Utah Dance Education Organization’s dance festival.

Hillcrest student-dancers took a technique class from a Snow College professor and then choose classes in jazz, hip hop, contemporary, modern or improv.

“I took jazz class with a professor from University of Wyoming and then a contemporary class with a professor from Westminster College. They were fun classes,” Kelly said. “In the jazz class, I learned how to be really sassy and how to go along with a really fast count. In the contemporary class, I learned how to stay grounded in the movement and to not internalize when I dance, but instead to think outward and follow my hands. In the technique class, we created movements based off words and how we felt. For example, we danced to ‘grab and fall’ and ‘happy and sad.’ Another thing we did was pair with a partner, then one of us closed our eyes and danced to the music and our partners guided us.”

In the afternoon, Hillcrest performed

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an effort to make Main Street a destination for arts, culture and food.

For 25 years, city leaders have discussed Main Street investment but Midvale owns only one building on the street. It has become a chicken-and-egg situation as private building owners want the city to improve lighting and the streetscape, while city leaders have encouraged owners to invest in their buildings to bring people to the area.

Making Main Street a Redevelopment

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

two pieces for adjudication. One, a swingjive dance, was titled, “Swing, Swing, Swing,” and the other was “Vitality.”

“It was a lot scarier because we were in a gym. Granger High’s dance company was watching us as well as the three judges at a table. It was hard to adjust to performing in the gym because we’re normally on a stage,” she said. “Then, there was a problem with the speaker, so our music sounded different and that threw us off. Thankfully, it all turned out.”

Immediately following their dances, the judges gave Hillcrest feedback.

“For ‘Swing,’ they told us even with a very high energy dance, we need to use our breath to relax. We were also told that we should start out happy and smiley and grow that energy throughout the whole piece rather than express high energy the whole time,” she said. “With ‘Vitality,’ they liked the choreography and were very complimentary. They really liked the ripples and different elements and thought everything moved like a waterfall, which is interesting, because we didn’t have that in mind when we choreographed it. In the adagio section, they suggested we bring the energy outward instead of inward.”

Kelly said they used that feedback in preparing for their mid-April final dance company concert, which was to feature 11 different dances.

Even after receiving the feedback, Hillcrest’s Dance Company had to wait for their results.

“When they announced our superior marks and gave us the trophy, it was so much fun. Then, with ‘Vitality,’ Lily, Leah and I were so happy that our hard work paid off,” she said, adding the trio received a certificate. “Our intention was to illustrate the theme and create a pretty piece that highlighted everyone strengths in the company. In the back of our minds, we were hoping our company would get superior marks and earn this award.”

Kelly began dancing at a young age, first performing as a mouse and a sugar plum page in Mountain West Ballet’s pro-

Agency, along with Bingham Junction and Jordan Bluffs, allows the city to reinvest tax dollars in the area, which includes holding more events and creating a grant program to revitalize the buildings.

“It’s been a huge shift in how much we’re able to invest in the street,” Stevenson said. “The economic things that we have going on here are growing and that’s going to help the folks struggling in our community. If we can provide more opportunities close to home then I think that’s going to help. We can continue the excit-

ductions of “The Nutcracker.”

“I started dancing when I was 3, and I’ve just loved it ever since,” she said. “I fell in love with ballet when I was 8 and started dancing at a ballet studio. I’m still doing jazz and lyrical, but I’ve focused on ballet because that’s my favorite style. I like the precision of it and that there is a right and wrong. I love the feeling of jumping in the air and feeling graceful and when you get all the steps right—it’s perfect.”

After dancing all four years at Hillcrest, this was a capstone.

“Dance Company is a very positive environment,” she said. “This definitely been my favorite year. I love these girls and we’ve really bonded and connected. I’ve loved our concerts; we have a ton of different dance styles so I feel like I can really do every style of dance. I’ve liked learning

from all the guest choreographers and performing in St. George. I loved our summer New York trip and what we learned there. There are so many opportunities to dance there; we saw dancers on Broadway, took a class from a Rockette, went to a Broadway Dance theater, and took dance classes, but going to the New York City Ballet was my favorite thing ever. Overall, we’ve had so much fun together. I’m going to miss it.”

However, Kelly isn’t hanging up her ballet slippers yet. She’s received college scholarships for dance, and she plans to study ballet at Brigham Young University. Eventually, she wants to teach ballet.

“I love dance because it makes me forget everything else that I worry about,” Kelly said. “I just get a high from dance, like I’m in my own world. I’m just the happiest when I’m dancing.” l

ing things we do and help the folks who are really struggling and hopefully move that entire system in the same direction together.”

Stevenson is also focused on making sure the city receives funding from the Zoo, Arts & Parks program to build an updated recreation center in the city. ZAP renewal only happens every 10 years and if funding isn’t secured, the city will have to wait another 10 years to design more recreation opportunities like a community pool.

The city has also received funding from Salt Lake County to build a new library. It will take a few years to acquire land and have construction completed, but Stevenson said it’s a big win for the community.

“This job is always an adventure and you never know what’s going to be thrown at you. But we’re here for it, we’re going to keep stepping up to the plate, whatever is thrown at us. With all the challenges we have, we have so many exciting opportunities.” l

Hillcrest High’s Dance Company got superior ratings and the Outstanding Student Choreography Award at the Utah High School Dance Festival. (Photo courtesy of Christina Kelly)

Thousands of teen girls’ interests sparked at SheTech Explorer Day

More than 3,000 girls attending the ninth annual SheTech Explorer Day profited from the 1,000 mentors, tech companies and educational institutions who offered classes, tech zone experiences and advice to them.

“Think about something that you totally love, something you totally love to do,” said Cydni Tetro, president and one of the founders of Women Tech Council who oversaw SheTech Explorer Day. “Then think for just a moment how technology might be part of the things that you love to do. You’re going to have an opportunity today to see so many different technologies and to be able to apply to things that you love. Think about if you learn technology, how you can apply that and help us change the world—and some really big problems. Your objectives today are to learn about all sorts of things you don’t know about, to intentionally meet role models— hundreds of them. Take advantage of the time to go and meet those women; they are here because of you.”

Behind the “Imagine the Possibilities” SheTech Explorer Day, was a student board of about 100 girls.

SheTech’s student board has two ambassadors from each high school who serve a one-year term. As ambassadors, they share information at their schools, attend monthly events, belong to school SheTech clubs, and have opportunities interacting with women in tech, industry leaders and the governor.

Many of them participated in the SheTech summer internship program. Several donned cap and gown as seniors and 30 were honored with SheTech scholarships to further their education. Applications for the board and internship are open now at their website, www.shetechexplorer.com.

Hillcrest High Work-Based Learning Facilitator Cher Burbank said her school’s ambassadors have promoted SheTech’s event annually.

“I like how the day is interactive; they’re showcasing their innovation and changes in the industry, and it engages students year after year,” she said.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox supported that as he addressed the attendees.

“Technology is changing rapidly and it’s impacting every single experience that we have; it’s impacting every industry and we need more women involved in those industries,” he said. “I see some of the best leaders in technology in our state here and they are incredible women. You can look up to them. I look up to them. We’ve been working hard to remove those barriers in the past and that’s what today is all about. This will do more to remove barriers than anything else. These people here have broken down those barriers for you and are here to support you in exploration and journey in STEM.”

Tetro realizes the impact SheTech is making as former SheTech students become leaders.

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

“Last year, a presenter told me, ‘I’m teaching one of the workshops and the only reason I graduated in civil engineering is because I came to SheTech seven years ago. Another told me she had met a woman who was an aerospace engineer, and she decided, ‘I could become that person,’” she said.

Summit Academy senior Kaidence Johnson followed the footsteps of her older sister to serve on the student board. She also serves as vice president of her school’s SheTech Club, a group her sister founded.

“I love the message SheTech is sending of empowering women to get into STEM,” she said. “It’s definitely a field that is growing and I’ve seen on Instagram and on the news how powerful SheTech is. The program is exploding into every school across Utah and every tech industry, so it’s exciting to be part of it.”

Hunter High senior Paris Ott also is a student board member.

“The end of my junior year, I didn’t know what direction I wanted to go and that’s when I came across the opportunity for the summer internship,” she said. “It was through that, I applied to be a board member and found my passion within STEM.”

She learned from data analysts, product managers and software engineers.

“Seeing their passion and the opportunities I had, I realized ‘this is something I can go into.’ I started my school SheTech club and I’ve been helping others see opportunities. At Hunter High School, we have a lot of ethnic kids with Latina and Asian backgrounds. I think a lot of them don’t know that they even have opportunities, especially those like me, as a woman, to have a future in STEM. I think a lot of girls are scared to enter the STEM field because it’s been a male-dominated field. When I see all these women in STEM, it inspires me. I’ve gained so much confidence through this program, and I was able to get an internship with Pixar because of SheTech.”

Johnson said the male-dominance is changing.

“My dad works in tech and says the attitude is changing and they’d love women’s viewpoints, but there’s still the idea of 20 years ago when you didn’t have a chance,” she said.

During the day, students were engaged in workshops such as programming, engineering, robotics, biomedicine, web development, ChatGPT, virtual reality, entrepreneurship and others.

Copper Hills High sophomore Sadie Smith attended their first Explorer Day.

“It is a good way to learn more about different jobs and get that in-depth understanding of technology, specific for girls,” Smith said. “Having an organization run this that encourages women empowerment is cool.”

Riverton High junior Elizabeth West-

wood said she was researching engineering and learned about SheTech’s student board and scholarship program.

“Explorer Day seemed like a perfect opportunity to learn more about that and about STEM,” she said. “I love physics and math, which isn’t everyone’s love, but it’s normal here.”

The TechZone offered hands-on learning about aerospace programs, 3D printing, automotive tech, gaming, aerial photography and more. Students also used creativity and visionary skills in the annual TechChallenge, with the guidance of industry mentors.

Participants chatted with Miss Utah Lyndsey Larsen, who shared she was a SheTech ambassador and summer intern as a Skyridge High student.

“I’m hoping I’m breaking stereotypes by talking about tech with a tiara,” she said. “I was really intimidated by math growing up, but I came to SheTech and realized that STEM is all around us. My experiences inspired me to take a kinesiology class. As a dancer, it was interesting to learn about the mind and the body and how that connection and the science behind that. That early exposure here at SheTech helped me want to pursue kinesiology with ballet performance for my college degree.”

Hillcrest High senior Morgan Khantivong, who plans to study English and zoology at Weber State, appreciated what she said.

“It made me see how anyone, no matter what your title is or how people may perceive you, can do whatever you want with your life,” she said.

Nearby, girls crowded around the University of Utah’s entertainment arts and en-

gineering, where they learned about game development.

“We teach everything from the history of games to how to do it, like production, design, tech art, game art, programming, all of that culminating in publishing a game,” said academic adviser Miranda Klausmeier. “We want girls to disrupt the norm and envision their future where they can develop these games, whether it’s a traditional entertainment game, or an alternative game, say for the educational or medical field. These young women here are going to be our leaders in STEM fields.”

Through involvement with SheTech, Adobe Chief of Staff of Cloud Operations Jamie Dalton wants to engage more females into STEM by sharing more career choices.

“We have a community of women here who are wanting to give back and help these young women succeed,” she said. “A lot of times women are pitted against each other and don’t realize if you get into a good healthy environment, women can be your biggest allies. For these high school girls, they’re going to have a really big advocacy group, cheering them on to success.”

Tetro said that is one of the reasons the Women Tech Council founded SheTech— to increase students’ exposure to women in STEM and to have that network “of thousands of women in STEM.”

“We interviewed a 1,000 girls, who said, ‘We don’t know any women in tech and that’s why we don’t enter STEM fields,’” she said. “We knew we could change that.” l

East High ninth-grader Addy Feldman and 12th-grader Mia Feldman talk with Miss Utah Lindsey Larsen at the ninth annual SheTech Explorer Day. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Local professional businesswomen mentor high school girls in scholarship program

Itwasn’t expected to be a traditional cap and gown graduation, but one to celebrate 11 high school seniors at South Valley Chamber’s Women in Business meeting. Miss America 1985 Sharlene Wells Hawkes and two students were slated to speak.

These female students—one from each Canyons School District high school and Canyons Technical Education Center, four from Jordan School District and one from Juan Diego Catholic High School—have been part of the Junior Women in Business program this school year. It’s an opportunity for them to be mentored by professionals and be awarded with a $1,000 educational scholarship.

Corner Canyon High senior Chesney White, who plans to study international business at the University of Utah, is one of the junior members.

“I thought this would be a great scholarship opportunity for me, but since being a part of it, it’s been much more,” she said. “I’ve shadowed my mentor (Draper City’s Chief of Staff Kellie Challburg) and learned how the city runs and collaborates with other local businesses. It’s important to have good relationships because it impacts the community.”

The program pairs professional businesswomen with the students, who learn that even successful leaders may have been once just like them—ambitious, but maybe a little uncertain too.

Gaby Bernal-Camacho graduated from Junior WIB in 2019.

“As a first-generation college student, I was honored to have received that scholarship, but moreso, the resources that Junior Women in Business gave me were unmatched,” she said. “My mentor, Chris Whipple, was phenomenal. We immediately clicked. She was so supportive, I could have called her at two in the morning and she would have been there.”

Bernal-Camacho’s mentor helped her on her career path, supported her through graduating with a health society and policy major and a business minor and applauded her as she started her own business.

“When I shadowed Chris, she was passionate about her job. I remember thinking, ‘I want to be that in love with my job and have that kind of impact in the world,’” she said. “She and (former South Valley Chamber director of programs) Karla Rogers were always there helping me make decisions that impacted my life and my career.”

South Valley Chamber CEO/President Jay Francis is enthusiastic about the program that began about 20 years ago.

“I’m passionate about having these high school senior girls rub shoulders with successful businesswomen at professional lunches, perform a service project, be mentored; it gives these young ladies a boost up,” he said.

Former Sandy Chamber CEO/President Greg Summerhays agrees.

“Many of these girls have a great GPA, they know where they’re going, they know what they want to do,” he said. “Others look for direction and guidance. So that oneon-one mentorship helps these girls to discover what it’s like to be a woman in business, the challenges women face, and the amazing opportunities out there. They’re able to network and have their mentor’s cell phone number as they are graduating from high school, entering college and looking for jobs or internships. It’s an amazing connection for them.”

The mentorship helps the girls gain insight, support and guidance, said Susan Edwards, Canyons School District’s public engagement and legislative liaison.

“We match the girls and their interests with our mentors,” she said, adding that in the past 15 years she’s been

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

involved in the program, mentorships that once focused in business fields now extend to other careers. “(My mentee) this year is interested in environmental policy, so she’s had some experiences and talked to people in that field. Last year, my mentee wanted to understand politics so she talked to people at the Capitol. When a student wants to go into education, I introduce her to all the working parts of the district office so she learns the business behind education.”

White, and the other junior members, attend monthly luncheons featuring keynote speakers.

“We heard how small business owners learned from their experiences to become successful. We heard from the Policy Project, a nonprofit that recently got the legislature to pass getting menstrual products in schools,” said White, who afterward volunteered to be an ambassador with the Policy Project. “We’re lucky because as Junior Women in Business members, we get a shoutout and get to meet the presentation speakers. It’s a cool opportunity to be with these successful women, all who answer our questions. I’ve learned a lot of leadership skills; it’s been uplifting.”

Bernal-Camacho also remembers speaking to the women leaders.

“I’d ask every speaker for contacts and follow up with them,” she said. “I wanted to make the most of the opportunity. I’m still in contact with some of those people as well as my cohort of girls to this day.”

Through the years the speakers have ranged from Gail Miller, owner of the Larry H. Miller Company, to the local business entrepreneurs with Julie Ann Caramels and Ru-

bySnap Bakery.

In March, Salt Lake Community College President Deneece Huftalin shared how she uses her leadership style to lead the state’s largest two-year school. She hopes she inspired the junior members.

“I want them to think the world is their oyster,” she said. “They should never think that they can’t do things they care about. If they want to do something, pursue it. Work hard to get to that place, do your homework and be prepared, and realize, you can do more than you think. Sometimes, a job doesn’t always line up with what is on your resume, but when you’re passionate and have enough capability, you can do incredible things.”

Three-year WIB committee member Gayle Whitefield of Jordan School District said students appreciate the messages of encouragement.

“It motivates them to see the changes they can make and how women are leaders,” she said. “They realize, ‘I can be a part of this great thing;’ we’re here to make that connection and give students a step to achieving their dreams. These girls will be leaders, and we’re giving them support.”

As part of the program, the teens learned from legislators at the Utah House of Representatives.

“We learned how they work through bills and how the government affects how businesses run. I compete in congress debate in school, so I was able to relate to it, which was neat,” White said, adding that they helped with Women of the World, an organization that helps women who have been displaced become self-reliant. “This program is one of the

Salt Lake Community College President Deneece Huftalin talks with Junior Women in Business members during a recent South Valley Chamber of Commerce Women in Business luncheon. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Hillcrest High senior addresses tough issues, awarded college scholarship

a miracle.”

That’s the reaction from Hillcrest High student body student relations officer Ben Barinotto when he found out he was awarded the $100,000 college Daniels Scholarship. He plans to use the funds to attend the University of Hawaii-Monoa and plans to take classes in the fields of business and STEM.

“I had applied because I was in my room doing nothing back in September. It was a big scholarship, so it feels like you have no chance of winning, but I went ahead and submitted my application,” he said.

When he learned he was a semifinalist one month later, he remembered thinking, “that’s crazy.” He wrote and submitted essays about where he saw himself in five years, what he would change in America, and a time when he stayed true to his values in life.

“I was feeling wonky because the due date was the same day I had my wisdom teeth removed, but I got it in. I was so surprised that after submitting that I was selected as a finalist. I began thinking, ‘I’m actually in the running,’” he said. “When I was asked for an interview, I was super nervous; I knew this could make or break where I could go to college. Friends asked me sample questions so that I could answer in the best way. After that interview, I didn’t hear a thing for weeks; it was March 21 when I got an email to check my student portal. My hands were shaking so much I could barely log in. I thought I would have to click something else, but no, it was bam, a big congratulations. I fell back in my chair and started shaking. I was so relieved and just hyped that I was given this scholarship. It’s such a big deal.”

The Daniels Scholarship was awarded to 238 scholars in the intermountain region of Utah, Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico. More than 3,000 high school seniors applied. Recipients were selected based on their strength of character, leadership potential, commitment to serving the community and academic potential.

Barinotto said the scholarship application included listing activities he is involved in—student government, Latinos in Action, his school’s Health Occupations Student Association chapter— and short response essays.

In his first essay, Barinotto said in his near future, he pictures himself in a dorm and study hall, on a college campus.

“I know my future is in higher education and I plan to execute that dream,” he wrote, adding that he “will be living

best things I’ve done; I’d do it again—in a heartbeat. I’ve loved it.”

The program evolved from Sandy Chamber of Commerce wanting to support a student interested in business into the mentorship scholarship, beginning with seniors in Canyons School District and at Juan Diego, Edwards said.

Former Sandy Chamber President/CEO Stan Parrish said that the strong WIB program allowed for more networking opportunities.

“There’s a lot of support in the program and a genuine goodness in the community to want to help,” he said. “We learn a lot from one another about running a business; when we share those stories with everyone, we become a stronger community.”

The junior program multiplied in 2019

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

my best life as an engineer in New York or Los Angeles in 10 years.”

He added that his end goal is only his hope.

“Hope that I cannot rely on yet until I know I have reached my first goal of getting that engineering degree and finding a residency I find myself happy to live in,” Barinotto wrote. “Happiness being an important aspect of my goal. If I am not happy, I have not reached my goal. I have lived in times where I may not find myself exactly where I wanted to be, but I was happy, and times where I thought I did everything right and done, yet still felt lost and underwhelmed. So, between those 2 choices, I would want to be happy. That is what I see when I think of my future self. These plans of actions and accomplishments will fulfill my dreams. Those dreams will fulfill my happiness.”

His second essay about what to change in America was written shortly after a school shooting in St. Louis.

“I would change our safety if there was a way I could, just so we would be safe at any time, at any place,” Barinotto said. “After every shooting, I’ve been worried. I’ve always thought what were to happen if there was a shooting at Hillcrest. It’s all I could think about then.”

In his essay, he wrote, “I would like to go about my day without any thought of being in danger. Whether it’s walking alone at night or even just being at school…there have been many mass/school shootings in recent times…if I could just flip a switch.”

He continued, “That is something I wish I didn’t have to worry about. If I knew that my safety was in no danger, I would be happier.”

His final essay was about his values and beliefs.

“The first thing I think of is faith, which just ties back to church for me, especially since I grew up in the church. I was always scared growing up in church because of what they were teaching, and the way they taught it. I felt it wasn’t the way that God wanted to love me for me,” Barinotto said.

He grew up in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and said debating whether to stay or leave the church hasn’t been an easy decision. He questioned who he was, including his sexuality, and the world he grew up in.

“How could I believe in a church that believes in a God that won’t love me the way he created me?” he wrote. “I believe that there is a God that loves me for me. Not one that wants me to fit in what the rest of the world is telling me to fit in.”

when the chamber became South Valley and included four Jordan District high schools: Bingham, Herriman, Mountain Ridge and Riverton. It also expanded in its scope beyond the business pathway, Edwards said.

Summerhays said Rogers “elevated” the program during her tenure to include powerful speakers, strong mentors and meaningful service.

“What’s neat is the Junior Women in Business girls are right alongside these professional women; they see their impact in our community,” he said.

Rogers said the program’s focus allows girls to learn from women about their careers.

“I grew up thinking you were either a nurse, a schoolteacher or a secretary, so having these girls be exposed to women with so

When Barinotto learned about the scholarship, he called his mother.

“My mom was at work, and she started crying,” he said. “My older sisters were super happy for me. They were telling me, ‘You’re all grown up, going to college now. We’re so proud of you.’”

Barinotto will graduate from Hillcrest on May 25, and one month later, he will attend a Daniels Scholarship orientation and celebration in Denver. During his years in higher education, he will update his Daniels adviser, who will check on his progress toward college graduation.

“It’s been a wild ride,” Barinotto said. “I’m still flying high.” l

many varying backgrounds is critical to their learning,” she said.

Juan Diego Catholic High’s John Moran, a WIB committee member, agrees.

“There’s a big push to get girls into these nontraditional tech fields, so we get them opportunities to see these women in action so they can learn successful professionals are doing and how to become those future leaders,” he said.

This fall, the Chamber plans to include girls from all Jordan School District high schools Francis said.

“We’re reaching to all the high schools in Jordan and some private schools to expand this opportunity to 17 or 18 girls. As a Chamber, we’re finding resources so we can mentor young women in careers and help with their college education,” he said.

Canyons’ Career and Technical Education Specialist Patti Larkin is serving her sixth year on the WIB committee.

“The biggest benefit is the connections that are made, those with the mentor, the speakers, the Women in Business and the other girls themselves,” Larkin said. “Most of the girls stay in touch with their mentors long after their mentorship ends and continue to connect with those people they’ve met during their senior year.”

Summerhays agrees.

“There are tears and hugs when they say goodbye at the formal end of the program, but the girls stay in touch as they move forward with their lives,” he said. “Those connections continue through college and as they enter the business world.” l

“Itwas

Hillcrest High senior Ben Barinotto recently received the $100,000 Daniels Scholarship for college. (Photo courtesy of Berkeley Summerhays)

Virtual Study for Asthma

BE A MEDICAL HERO! JOIN A STUDY TODAY.

KANYOS

BIO - CELIAC DISEASE:

This is a two-part study is for adults 18 -70 years old. Which part you are put in will determine how long you will be in the study. It can be either 56 days or 58 weeks long. You must have a diagnosis of Celiac Disease either by a positive celiac serology test or a biopsy and have followed a gluten-free diet for at least 12 months to qualify.

HORIZON - UNCONTROLLED GOUT:

This is a four-part study for adults 18 years and older and can be up to 45 weeks long. You will have 18 visits and you will come to the clinic at least 11 times for blood draws. These visits will be 48 hours before you have the infusion, you will have infusions every week for 22 weeks, and they can take up to 2-3 hours. There is one phone call 30 days after your last infusion. You must have uncontrolled gout defined as meeting the following criteria: (a) you must have an elevated level of uric acid (b) you must maintain the serum acid with Allopurinol at the maximum medically appropriate dose of 300 mg, or with intolerable side effects meaning it didn’t work for you based on medical records or the subject informing us the Allopurinol didn’t work. You must also have one of the following symptoms of gout: The presence of at least one tophus (uric acid builds up around your joints) recurrent flares are defined as 2 or more flares in the past 12 months, or the presence of chronic gouty arthritis.

Lymphedema

BATURA AVILLION ASTHMA:

PFIZER CHILD LYME DISEASE VACCINE:

The BATURA Study is now enrolling participants 12 years and older for an asthma research study.

You may qualify for this clinical research study if you:

• Are 12 years of age and older*

• Have had a clinical diagnosis of asthma by a healthcare professional

• Are actively using short-acting beta-agonist inhalers (as-needed rescue inhaler, such as albuterol) to control or reduce asthma symptoms, alone or in combination with either low-dose inhaled corticosteroid (Flovent® , Pulmicort® , or Asmanex®) or leukotriene inhibitor montelukast (Singulair), zileuton (Zyflo®), or zafirlukast (Accolate®)

• Meet additional study criteria

*Parental consent is required for individuals under 18 years of age.

This study is for children 12 years and older who have a diagnosis of Asthma from a prescribing healthcare provider. We will need documentation of diagnosis from medical records or a letter from your child’s physician. You must be capable of signing and understanding the eICF (including assent with parental/legal guardian consent for children ages 12 - 17 years old). Your child must be actively using a SABA (short-acting beta antagonist) alone or SABA on a background of either low-dose ICS (inhaled corticosteroids) or a LTRA (Leukotriene Receptor Antagonists such as Accolate, Montelukast, Singulair, and Zafirlukast. This study is 52 weeks long with 8 virtual visits. You will get paid $50 for each completed visit, and you will make a total of $400 for the study. You and or your child will be required to use the Science 37 app, which can be downloaded on your phone.

This study is for healthy children or children that have stable pre-existing chronic medical conditions. This is a study for children 5 to 17 years old. Children and their parents must be able to attend all appointments and phone calls. This study is 2 years long; there are 6 clinic visits and you will get paid $116 for each, as well as $116 for any unscheduled visits. There are 2 phone calls, and you will get $25 (parents or guardians will get this money) for each of those phone calls, and there is a weekly ediary that you will get paid $10 for upon completion. Parents will get $87.75 for any TeleHealth visits. This study is a 4-dose series; you will get your first 3 doses at your first appointment, your next dose during month 2 and month 3, and then your last dose at 18 months.

This research study is enrolling. Learn more.

Have you ever had the feeling that your legs were so tight they simply might burst? You rush to see your primary care doctor and the provider tells you to just keep taking your water pills. The thought of taking one more water pill is beyond your control since you have decided that you do not want to spend your whole life in the bathroom. If that is not bad enough, they want you to put on compression hose which are way too tight and absolutely impossible to get on without killing your back or falling.

Have you ever felt like you have no other options?

Innovation Medical Group LYMPHEDEMA CLINIC in the heart of HOLLADAY, UTAH is the place to find answers beyond water pills and ill-fitting compression hose. Let’s get to the root of this problem and help YOU find long term solutions to help address your lower extremity edema. Lymphedema Therapists with over 20 years of experience will be there to guide you through

the process and get you back to LIVING YOUR BEST LIFE. Each patient requires a specialized treatment plan so appointments are limited but can be scheduled at 801-758-2091. We are located at 4624 Holladay Blvd on the second floor in Suite 201 right above Olympus Family Medicine. We accept all major insurances and look forward to being able to enhance your quality of life.

AZ BATURA Asthma Study Flyer_V3_09722

Copperview Elementary, community partners unite for family STEM nights, field trips, classroom learning

Itwasn’t one family STEM night that Copperview Elementary hosted this spring—there were three.

Each of the STEM nights was tailored to students in certain grades, aligning the materials presented with the science core standards, said Jenna Landward, Copperview community school facilitator.

“We’ve been focusing on increasing student content knowledge and language acquisition through high-quality learning experiences linked to grade level core standards,” she said. “Each grade level is partnered with a community agency to provide experiential opportunities in and outside of the classroom.”

Many of those partner organizations presented material at the family STEM nights.

During the first- through third-grade STEM night, students could spin the wheel at the Red Butte Garden station with the help of the nonprofit’s school programs manager Sarah Sandoval. The spinner would land on a certain plant, then outreach coordinator Mary Hollyman helped students identify items made from that plant on table. Once they succeeded, students could choose a sticker, packet of seeds, temporary tattoo or a pass to the gardens.

“Plants are all around us and they’re a big part of our everyday lives; they’ve inspired a lot of human inventions and products that we consume,” she said. “It’s nice for students to make those connections and start noticing features and structures of plants that we have in our everyday lives.”

At the Tracy Aviary station, schools and outside school time program coordinator Erin Johnson and community programs coordinator Kylee Ehmann showed a pelican feather, a pelican replica skull and their breeding caruncle—the bump on their beak.

“We’re wanting people in the Salt Lake City area to learn about birds migrating in the wonderful watershed we live in,” Ehmann said. “We’re teaching students that we have the largest breeding colony of American white pelicans here on Gunnison Island in the Great Salt Lake; it’s about 20% of the global population. They’re learning that the Great Salt Lake supports 10 million birds that migrate through every year, so I hope they realize the Great Salt Lake is such an important resource.”

She also gave them tips to help birds, such as turning off their lights at night, so the birds don’t get confused during migration and putting decals on windows and sliding glass doors so birds see them and not fly into them.

Tracy Aviary is one of the partners that not only participated in a STEM night, but also will conduct an in-class teaching expe-

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

EVENING SERIES

Season Tickets: $49 Adult, $45 Senior, $29 Child Amphitheater Parking: 495 East 5300 South Ticket Info: 801-264-2614 or www.murray.utah.gov

Amphitheater Parking: 495 East 5300 South

Ticket Information: 801-264-2614 or

www.murray.utah.gov/1959/Tickets

MAY

May 26 The Alapa Family and the Kulturang Pilipino Ensemble of Utah

May 27 Aladdin, Movie Sing-Along

JUNE

rience and invite them to the Aviary.

Other community partners include Discovery Gateway, Hogle Zoo, Red Butte Gardens, Clark Planetarium, Living Planet Aquarium and Natural History Museum of Utah.

During the STEM nights, students answered questions in a passport based on the activities in classrooms and the gym. Once completed, each student could go to the PTA booth to receive a new book; the books were donated by Glacier Hills Elementary.

PTA president Josie McClendon said many of the students were excited to learn about different animal environments as well to draw their dream habitat.

“It’s not only a good way the kids get a good, interactive way of learning the core curriculum material, they’re also getting to know their community and places in it,” she said.

Second-grader Maddy Esau attended the family STEM night with her brother, kindergartner Dallin and mom, Nicole. She was having fun with her friends and liked spinning the wheels to win prizes.

“I like to learn about things and do little science experiments,” Maddy said. “At school, we made little mountains of sand that stuck together, and we tested it with rain, wind and light. We were testing which one destroyed the land faster and which was the slowest. The wind was slower, and the flood was fastest.”

Assistant Principal Aimee Wagner said tying the community partners with class-

room learning, family STEM nights and field trips helps reach the school goal to increase students’ academic vocabulary.

“It starts with their classroom instruction where teachers are taking one of our science standards and doing some very explicit instruction of the science standards and vocabulary,” she said. “Then, students go on a community partner field trip. We’ve also partnered with our Family Learning Center, so families have an opportunity to learn the same things that their students are learning and have that support and reinforcement of learning at home. Then anyone who attends a STEM night has a bonus where a parent and the student get a field trip to one of our community partners, so it all ties together.”

The field trips for a parent and child were paid out of Title I funds and directly ties into their curriculum standards, Landward said.

Wagner said they decided to focus on STEM to help Copperview’s 410 students grow more in the area as well as have handson engagement.

“We’re also able to increase students’ oral language and academic vocabulary at an early age, which will support them all the way through fifth grade. That vocabulary extends not only from science, but across all content areas,” she said. “Plus, we’re a very tight-knit community school and when we have events like this, families show up, participate, get to experience activities and learning together—and that’s awesome.” l

June 3 Murray Concert Band

June 9-10, Disney’s High School Musical 12, 15-17

June 24 Murray Symphony Pops

JULY

July 7-8, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella 10, 13-15

July 21 Peter Breinholt

July 28-29, Seussical the Musical 31, Aug 3-5

AUGUST

Aug 12 Thurl Bailey with Marvin Goldstein

Aug 18-19 A Celtic Summer’s Night

Aug 25 Ryan Shupe & the Rubberband

Aug 26 Jenny Oaks Baker & Family Four

SEPTEMBER

Sept 1 4 HIMS

Sept 9 Trio Los Charros

This program has received funding support from residents of Salt Lake County, SL County Zoo, Arts & Parks (ZAP), Utah Division of Arts & Museums, Utah Department of Cultural & Community Engagement, Utah Humanities, and National Endowment for the Arts.

Copperview Elementary students learned from their community partner Tracy Aviary about the largest breeding colony of American white pelicans that live on Gunnison Island in the Great Salt Lake at a recent family STEM night. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Using a spoon, riding a tricycle, exploring on the playground, even learning to do a somersault, may be typical traits for youngsters, but not for Klaus Sloan.

Like many of his peers, Klaus attends preschool four mornings per week. There are bright toys, a colorful rug and innovative games to play.

However, Klaus was born with numerous fragile, complex medical needs. He sits in his wheelchair with a bright purple neck support pillow as he is unable to hold his head up on his own. Klaus is nonverbal, but according to his teachers, he wants to communicate and express his thoughts the same as any 4-yearold.

Klaus attends Jordan Valley’s preschool, which helps 3- to 5-year-old students receive severe special education services. His class has about 80% of the students receiving special education services; the other 20% are peer models, said his teacher Rylee Barstow.

“It’s really awesome and a unique part of our programming in Canyons School District,” she said.

After his teacher and Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind’s outreach teacher of the visually impaired Madelyn Stafford tried several adaptions for Klaus, Stafford reached out to Debbie Inkley, the executive director of The Opportunity Foundation of America, to see if EagleEyes would be a possibility for Klaus.

EagleEyes is different than many communication devices since it doesn’t use eye tracking.

“These kids don’t have purposeful head movement; their heads go either right or left or down to their chin, so they’re unable to use their eyes to track,” Inkley said.

The Opportunity Foundation’s Director of Training Ron Williams, who was helping Klaus with his third 30-minute session, said the biggest difference between EagleEyes and other technologies is that there isn’t an infrared camera that may be disrupted when students flail and would need to be recalibrated to continue.

“EagleEyes captures it externally, so it really embraces their disability and allows them to do what they got to do,” he said. “It’s really forgiving if they’re a mover and a shaker, and other technology isn’t quite as sturdy.”

For the adaption to work, electrodes are placed above and below the student’s dominant eye and on both temples. They pick up the way the cornea and retina rotate in the eye socket and magnifies the electrical signal of the eye 10,000 times, converting it from the eye movement to a mouse cursor, Inkley said.

The result is when Klaus has the electrodes placed in position, the mouse cursor follows the location where Klaus is looking at the screen. This way, he can focus his eyes to a response—and he is able to communicate.

While EagleEyes is relatively new to

Nonverbal doesn’t mean noncapable

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Klaus, he showed that he could respond during a computer educational activity to a particular quadrant on the screen.

“Through this activity, he is able to understand, focus his eyesight and learn cause and effect. Once the cursor hits the correct icon, it will continue. Once he’s mastered cause and effect, he absorbs this knowledge that his eyes are a tool and they’re making it happen,” Williams said.

The educational story was accompanied with a fun rhythmic beat, to which he responded well; his teachers say Klaus loves music. They noted some of his response times, which were immediate to several seconds, were faster than the last time he used EagleEyes.

“What’s lovely about EagleEyes is it really gives us real-time feedback as to how students see, how they move their eyes,” Williams said.

Stafford said that information is invaluable.

“When we know how he is using his eyes, we can help him train to use his eyes a little bit more. Then, we can take that to the classroom. As the vision teacher, I can educate everybody on what is he doing and how can they help with his modification and accommodations,” said Stafford, who also provides other modified activities in his individualized educational plan.

Inkley has been pleased with Klaus’ initial response.

“This particular technology is just incredible for Klaus because there is really nothing else out there that can help a student like this does,” she said.

Barstow, who said they’ve tried adaptive switches, visual cues, sound cues, tactile cues and other methods, said this is the first adaption that has helped him consistently be successful.

“For almost a year and a half now, we’ve just been working really hard trying to find a way where he’s able to communicate and we see intention from him,” she said. “The big difference with EagleEyes is that we are able to see that he is understanding and he’s doing things intentionally and he wants to communicate. It’s just been finding the right device and adaptation to help him do that.”

About 525 devices are in use in homes and schools across the United States, about 50 of those are in Utah. At Jordan Valley, four students, including Klaus, use EagleEyes.

Usually, candidates for the device are older than age 4, Stafford said.

“It’s a very complex system,” she said. “You want to try the tactile, the visual, the more low-tech methods first, because they’re more accessible. EagleEyes can help Klaus with CVI, cortical visual impairment, and help those eye muscles start working so then, maybe he can use those visual cards.”

In her classroom, Barstow teaches students who range from speech language im-

pairment to autism and Down syndrome. Klaus is pulled out of his classroom to work with EagleEyes in a more controlled, quiet environment so he can concentrate.

“These kiddos are dependent on everything from somebody else for them to just sustain life. What’s amazing about EagleEyes is that interaction is the first time where they have 100% independence. They make it happen. It’s his first form of feeling empowered,” Williams said.

If Klaus continues to be able to make choices correctly, the team believes he may respond well to communicating through personalized programming.

“We would create an activity with buttons on the screen, maybe a picture of Mom or of Dad or a picture of brother or sister, and we would ask him to click on say, his sister. Then we have that understanding that he’s verbally understanding what we’re saying and he’s making the right choice. It just builds confidence, his and ours, that he’s understanding and making an actual choice,” Williams said.

What Klaus’ timeline to do that is anyone’s guess.

“Some of our kids never get there. They just don’t get it. But some of our kids grasp it in weeks,” Williams said.

Stafford is optimistic.

“Klaus has just been this really amazing student that we’re trying to figure out his puzzle pieces. We have an amazing team, and we keep trying 100,000 things. EagleEyes is this awesome technology that we’re able to bring him to right now, but what is all going to collectively be Klaus’ way of communicating?

To even see some reaction was the biggest we’ve seen all year and Rylee’s had him since last year. She’s tried and we’ve tried things all year and we’ve gotten no reaction. So, the sheer fact that he let these electrodes be on his face and he can respond with his eyes is a big win. We are excited he is engaged and he’s showing that he understands cause and effect. He’s not just that passenger letting life happen to him. He’s showing that he wants to be a part of that life. That’s why we’re all here. We know these students are capable. We just have to figure out what those puzzle pieces are.” l

The Opportunity Foundation’s Director of Training Ron Williams and Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind’s outreach teacher of the visually impaired Madelyn Stafford help Jordan Valley’s Klaus Sloan communicate using EagleEyes technology. (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

Summer Events & Volunteer Opportunities

Midvale City has many events throughout the summer that can be fun and welcoming for all our residents. In this month’s message, I want to quickly highlight what residents can expect this summer and how you can get engaged to ensure each event is a success!

May 5-August 25 – Food Truck Fridays

Food Truck Fridays with the Utah Food Truck League are back! Each Friday evening throughout the summer, enjoy local food trucks at Midvale City Hall. After grabbing some food from City Hall, check out the murals and many small businesses on Main Street, and then head over to the City Park and watch the Midvale Arts Council’s free concert in the park series.

June 10 – Los Muros on Main: Midvale City Mural Festival Midvale’s 2nd annual mural festival is almost here, and we couldn’t be more excited to bring in 11 amazing new murals from both local and nationally recognized muralists. This festival is an opportunity for the community to come together to celebrate the arts and support artists. Attendees can expect to see a variety of styles and will be able to witness the creative process in action. There will be food vendors, local artisans, and music to entertain festival-goers throughout the event.

June 2-10 – Something Rotten by the Midvale Arts Council Enjoy the play Something Rotten, put on by the Midvale Arts Council. This play is set in the 1590s when brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom are desperate to write a hit play but are stuck in the shadow of a Renaissance rock star known as “The Bard.” This play will be performed at the old Midvale City Hall building, located at the corner of Center & Main.

June 16-August 4 – Free Summer Concert Series by the Midvale Arts Council

Each Friday evening at Midvale City Park, enjoy a free concert featuring a variety of bands and music styles. Grab your dinner at City Hall from the local food trucks, and then head over to the park to enjoy these free concerts organized by the Midvale Arts Council.

July 31-August 4 – Harvest Days Week

Monday & Tuesday: Neighborhood Block Parties – this is a great opportunity for neighbors to get together and get to know each other better. Last year, we had 20 neighborhood block parties register with the City, but none of those were on the west side of I-15, and only one was east of 300 E. I’m hoping that this year we can get new residents engaged to both expand the number of block parties and cover more areas of the City.

Wednesday: Midvale Arts Council Hall of Honors – each year the Midvale Arts Council honors an individual who has made significant contributions to Midvale and/or those whose accomplishments and achievements have brought fame and recognition to Midvale as a community. Attend this event to support the arts and celebrate someone who has positively impacted our community!

Thursday: Tyler Library Game Night – enjoy a fun evening for the whole family as the Tyler Library will be hosting a free fam-

ily game night! Stay tuned for more details as we get closer to this event.

Friday: Final Free Summer Concert Series by the Midvale Arts Council – the nal concert put on by the Midvale Arts Council always happens the Friday before the Harvest Days Festival. Grab dinner from the local food trucks and enjoy a great free concert!

HARVEST DAYS

August 5 – Harvest Days Festival

Events will be happening throughout the day, including Scales & Tales, bounce houses, Carnival Row for kids, vendors, food trucks, and other activities. Below is the current schedule for the main events of the day.

7:00 AM: Enjoy a fun run to get your heart pumping and take in the early morning sunshine.

9:00 AM: Get your sugar rush with our annual parade.

11:00 AM: The festival begins with a unique Sumo Wrestling experience.

2:00-5:00 PM: BINGO! Socialize with your neighbors and win big prizes.

5:00 PM: Get moving with salsa dancing from Salsation Utah.

8:30 PM: The Shu e will provide a free concert with a diverse range of musical entertainment.

10:00 PM: A spectacular reworks show to provide a perfect ending to the day.

August 19 – Kruisers for Kids Charity Car show

The 29th annual Kruisers for Kids Charity Car Show is coming back to Midvale City Park. This all-day event raises money for Shriners Hospitals for Children by providing adaptive tricycles for kids to use, play, and enjoy.

Volunteer with Us!

If you’re interested in volunteering at any or all these events, please send us an email with your contact information and what event(s) you’re interested in helping out with. You can email my assistant, Shelly – sreed@midvale.com – who will get you connected with the right person.

In The Middle of Everything

MIDVALE MUSEUM 45th Anniversary

In 1979, a group of Midvale citizens came together to establish a Historical Society for their city. As we approach the Midvale Historical Society and Museum’s 45th anniversary in 2024, we are excited to celebrate Midvale’s rich history. However, we need your assistance!

As the Historical Society, we would love to include your personal history in Midvale. Do you have any family histories, old photos, or other artifacts that tell the story of Midvale? We welcome and appreciate your contributions.

If you are clearing out your storage space this Spring, we would love to see any old slides, 8mm movies, negatives, or other historical materials you may have. We can view and assess these items for you. Additionally, we can transcribe audio recordings and record family histories.

Do you have old o ce supplies, shelves, or other items that you no longer need? We are happy to take them o your hands.

Do you have old toys, school memorabilia, or unique items that you don’t know what to do with? Bring them to us and share their stories!

We are particularly interested in hearing stories about Midvale families, stores, events, and activities. What do you love about Midvale, and what do you love about its history? We welcome your input.

Our museum is open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. You can stop by any time to drop o your items. If these hours don’t work for you, please give us a call, and we will arrange a more suitable time. If you prefer to email us, our address is midvalemuseum@gmail.com. We are also happy to arrange to pick up items from you.

We would also like to note that the Midvale Historical Society and Museum is operated entirely by volunteers. If you would like to contribute your time, we are always looking for additional volunteers. Even a few hours a month can make a signi cant di erence. We will also need volunteers for our upcoming birthday celebration, so please consider joining us!

Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Series at Midvale Senior Center

In honor of Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month in June, we are hosting a series of classes that will be taught by the Utah Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. These classes are your opportunity to learn more about this fatal disease that a ects everyone. This disease is the only leading cause of death that cannot be prevented, cured, or even slowed.

Healthy Living for Your Brain and Body—June 14 at 1:00 p.m.

Warning Signs of Dementia—June 21 at 1:00 p.m.

Alzheimer’s Dementia & Related Dementias—June 28 at 1:00 p.m.

Register at the front desk or by calling 385-468-3350.

Flood Awareness and Preparedness: Midvale City’s Proactive Measures

As the weather warms up and melting snow creates the risk of ooding from runo , Midvale City’s Public Works Department is taking proactive steps to assess storm infrastructure throughout the city. The department has identi ed historically problematic areas and is ensuring that the stormwater system is functioning at its best capacity. Additionally, they have prepared sandbags, pumps, and personnel to be deployed promptly if necessary.

While the risk of ooding depends on weather conditions and the timing and intensity of spring rainstorms, Midvale City is in close collaboration with Salt Lake County Flood Control, emergency managers, and other city and state o cials to remain up to date on evolving conditions and any possible issues that could impact Midvale.

Residents of Midvale City can also take steps to prepare for potential oods. By being aware of the ood risks in their area, residents can create an emergency kit containing essential items like food, water, medications, and rst aid supplies. It is also crucial to know evacuation routes and have a plan in case they need to evacuate quickly. Taking measures to protect property from ooding can also reduce potential damage. Residents should stay informed during ood events, monitoring news and weather reports and following the directions of emergency management o cials.

Flood awareness and preparedness are crucial for residents of Midvale City to ensure their safety and well-being. By taking proactive measures and staying vigilant, we can reduce the potential impact of oods and minimize damage to properties and interruption of daily life. Let’s work together to keep Midvale City safe during this spring’s potential ooding.

May is National Mental Health Awareness Month, a time when individuals and organizations come together to raise awareness about the importance of mental health and promote the resources available for those in need. One such important resource is 988, a hotline that was launched last year to provide a consistent and accessible option for individuals experiencing mental health, substance use, or suicidal crises.

988 is an easy-to-remember dialing code that directs callers in need to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline network and Utah’s integrated crisis response system. The hotline is con dential, no-cost, and available 24/7/365, connecting callers with trained crisis counselors who can help them navigate their mental health crisis. The hotline is sta ed by certi ed crisis workers who are trained to handle a wide range of mental health crises.

In addition to being con dential and no-cost, 988 call services are available in Spanish, along with interpretation services in over 150 languages. This ensures that individuals from all backgrounds and communities can access the help they need in a way that is culturally and linguistically appropriate.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or experiencing a crisis, it’s important to remember that help is available. Whether you call 988 or reach out to a mental health professional, taking the rst step towards seeking help can make a signi cant di erence in your life or the life of a loved one.

The launch of 988 has been an important development in the ght to promote mental health awareness and address the mental health crisis in the United States. This resource provides individuals in crisis with access to trained crisis workers who can help them navigate their mental health challenges and nd the support they need to recover and heal.

MAY 2023 CITY NEWSLETTER

WWW. MIDVALECITY. ORG

Los Muros on Main: Midvale City Mural Festival Returns for Second Year to Celebrate Art and Community

The Los Muros on Main: Midvale City Mural Festival is set to take place on Saturday, June 10, 2023, from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Midvale Main Street. This annual event celebrates art, culture, and community in Midvale City and brings together local and international artists to create vibrant murals that transform the walls of the city into a colorful and dynamic outdoor art gallery.

The festival is an opportunity for the community to come together to celebrate the arts and support artists. Attendees can expect to see a variety of styles and will be able to witness the creative process in action as the artist’s work on their murals. This year, Midvale’s 2nd annual mural festival is bringing in 11 amazing new murals from both local and nationally recognized muralists.

The Los Muros on Main: Midvale City Mural Festival is more than just an art show – it’s a cultural experience. In addition to

2023

July 31 & August 1

Neighborhood Block Parties

August 2

Midvale Arts Council Hall of Honors

August 3

Tyler Library Game Night

August 4

Food Truck Friday & Concert in the Park

August 5

Fun Run, Parade, Bingo, Festival, Concerts, & Fireworks

the murals, there will also be a beer garden, food trucks, local artisans, and music to entertain festival-goers throughout the event. It’s the perfect opportunity to come out and enjoy the company of friends and neighbors while exploring the art scene in Midvale City.

“We’re thrilled to host the second annual Los Muros on Main: Midvale City Mural Festival,” said Mayor Marcus Stevenson. “This event is a great way to showcase the talent and creativity of our local artists while also bringing the community together. We’re excited to see the new murals and the positive impact they will have on our city.”

The Los Muros on Main: Midvale City Mural Festival is free to attend and open to all ages. For more information, visit the www.EngageMidvale.com or follow us on social media for updates. Come out and join us for a day of art, culture, and community in Midvale City!

2023

Municipal Elections Overview

General Municipal Elections are held in odd numbered years The elective officers of Midvale City consist of a city council made up of five council members representing Districts 1 through 5 and a mayor, who are elected in a non-partisan election The mayor and city council are elected to fouryear overlapping terms

Up for election this year 2023

District 1 - Council Member

District 2 - Council Member

District 2 - Council Member

District 3 - Council Member (All four-year terms)

District 3 - Council Member (All four-year terms)

Food Trucks

Local Vendors

Sumo Wrestling

Nerf Wars

Bounce Houses

Bingo

Carnival Games Scales & Tails

Kids Activites

Free Entry & Activities

www.MidvaleHarvestDays.com

Citizens desiring to run for office must file a Declaration of Candidacy with the City Recorder between August 8 and 15, 2023, at Midvale City Hall, 7505 S Holden Street, Midvale, between the hours of 8:00 a m and 5:00 p m Interested candidates must be a registered voter; resident of Midvale City for at least 12 months immediately prior to the date of the election; and a resident of the district candidate is running for 60 days prior to the date of the election

Citizens desiring to run for office must file a "Declaration of Candidacy" with the City Recorder between August 8 and 15, 2023, at Midvale City Hall, 7505 S Holden Street, Midvale, between the hours of 8:00 a m and 5:00 p m Interested candidates must be a registered voter; resident of Midvale City for at least 12 months immediately prior to the date of the election; and a resident of the district candidate is running for 60 days prior to the date of the election

2023 Election Dates

2023 Election Dates

No Primary

2023 Municipal General Election: November 7, 2023

No Primary 2023 Municipal General Election: November 7, 2023

The Midvale City Council recently voted to use Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) again for the upcoming municipal election RCV is a voting system that allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference, rather than just selecting one candidate This system has been gaining popularity in recent years as a way to promote fairness and diversity in elections, and it is seen as a more democratic alternative to traditional voting systems By using RCV, Midvale City hopes to ensure that the winning candidate has the support of the majority of voters, while also providing voters with more choices and a greater sense of empowerment in the electoral process Learn more about RCV at www MidvaleCity org/RCV

The Midvale City Council recently voted to use Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) again for the upcoming municipal election RCV is a voting system that allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference, rather than just selecting one candidate This system has been gaining popularity in recent years as a way to promote fairness and diversity in elections, and it is seen as a more democratic alternative to traditional voting systems By using RCV, Midvale City hopes to ensure that the winning candidate has the support of the majority of voters, while also providing voters with more choices and a greater sense of empowerment in the electoral process Learn more about RCV at www MidvaleCity org/RCV

For more information, visit MidvaleCity.org or email randreason@midvale.com

For more information, visit MidvaleCity org or email randreason@midvale com

Creative changes in store for Midvale’s Main Street

By Annabelle Larsen | a.larsen@mycityjournals.com

residents can look forward to seeing new changes to Midvale’s historic Main Street. Planning efforts from the city and past successful events to make changes to the street have given the city confidence in adapting Main Street even more. Midvale City partnered with the consultant firm Design Workshop and are working alongside the community to make improvements to this historic road, including various landscaping adaptations, more outdoor lighting, public spaces to host city events, improved mobility for residents and an increase in public street furniture as well as art.

Midvale

Midvale residents are already able to see changes in the city, as well as on Main Street. Many art pieces appeared due to last year’s Midvale Main Street Mural Festival, where over a dozen artists created vibrant murals all across the city.

Midvale City hosted a Back to the Future: The Future of Main Street event in March, which encouraged residents to meet at The Pearl on Main, a local event center, to weigh in on the recent changes to Main Street, ask questions and give feedback about the new designs. This event was then followed by a showing of the 1985 movie “Back to the Future” for those who stayed around afterward.

Much of the redesign for Midvale’s Main Street comes from a vision to make this part of the city more accessible to the public, as well as curate a more vibrant and lively downtown area for residents to enjoy. These changes hope to make this part of the

city more safe and suitable for walking and biking, as well as promote the visibility of Main Street businesses. This project is also aimed at helping to display the uniqueness of Midvale. l

An aerial view of Midvale’s historic Main Street. (Courtesy of Midvale City)

Midvale resident to represent Utah at the Miss Volunteer America Pageant

Gentry Rose is no stranger to hard times.

So when a friend convinced her to participate in the Miss Utah Volunteer pageant, she had her platform already decided: assist children living in poverty. Her platform helped win her the crown.

“When I was in middle school, my brother was diagnosed with cancer and my dad lost his job,” she said. “We had no way to pay for his treatments. It was either make house payments or make payments toward treatment. Of course, we chose treatment. We lost our house and I was homeless for a couple of years.”

During that time, Rose changed schools often and the family never had much money. “I know what it feels like to go to school in the same clothes you’ve worn for three days. I know what it’s like to be eating the cheapest meal you can get to feed your family.”

The Midvale resident and Riverton High grad has competed in several pageants over the last few years, including serving as second attendant to Miss Riverton, but winning the Miss Utah Volunteer fits in with her service mindset.

The 22 year old is the founder of Clean Bee, an organization that raises funds for schools across the state, providing soap, shampoo, deodorant, feminine hygiene

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

products, toothpaste and toothbrushes. Rose also collected more than 2,000 pairs of shoes to distribute to children in need along the Wasatch Front.

She never expected to attend college but when she was offered a full-ride dance scholarship, she was excited to enroll. However, during COVID, she was diagnosed with pectus excavatum, a condition that causes the ribcage to concave. It collapsed both of her lungs and displaced her heart. A titanium bar was inserted into her chest to hold her ribcage strong but she lost her scholarship because she could no longer dance.

“I was in the hospital for a couple of weeks,” she said. “I couldn’t lift my arms. I was on heavy oxygen. It was such an isolating moment and such a hard moment. It was like something I’d know my entire life had all been taken away from me.”

Now, she said she’s so glad it happened because she never would have gone into nursing school. Influenced by someone during a dark point in her life, she is now a full-time nursing student and works in the University of Utah Hospital’s cardiovascular medical unit.

Rose will compete at the Miss Volunteer America Pageant in Tennessee on June

17-24. She’s going into the competition with an open mind, an open heart and letting go of any expectations. She learns something new every time she participates in a pageant and believes everything happens for a reason.

“During times of adversity, you might not understand why that situation is occurring to you, or maybe you feel like you did something wrong. But as experiences come to you, you’ll look back and be grateful.”

The Miss Utah Volunteer organization provides $20,000 in educational scholarships and crowns three titleholders who spend their year leveraging volunteerism in Utah by promoting their S.E.R.V.E. initiatives and integrating service throughout the state.

“We are excited to have these young ladies work and volunteer in their communities and be examples to those around them of what can be accomplished when one takes the initiative to stand up and serve,” said Kellie Buckale, who serves on the executive board of the Miss Utah Volunteer Organization. “When someone speaks and acts in a way that inspires others, we celebrate them for finding their voice and using it for good. Miss Utah Volunteer strives to be that person. The one who inspires women

around the state to stand in their truth without apology and follow their dreams to the end.”

Follow Rose’s pageant journey on Instagram @MissVolunteerAmericaPag. l

Midvale resident Gentry Rose was crowned Miss Utah Volunteer and will go on to compete at the Miss Volunteer America Pageant in June. (Photo courtesy of Miss Utah Volunteer)

ANNUAL MEMORIAL DAY PROGRAM

ANNUAL MEMORIAL DAY PROGRAM to Honor Military Veterans for Their Service to Our Country.

Monday, May 30, 2022 at 10:00 am.

Monday, May 29, 2023 at 10:00 a.m.

At Larkin Sunset Gardens Cemetery

1950 East Dimple Dell Road (10600 South), Sandy

FEATURED SPEAKER:

Jennie Taylor

Gold Star Wife, Civilian Aide to the U.S. Secretary of the Army

The featured speaker is Congressman Chris Stewart.

Midvale residents host Emergency Preparedness Fair

By Annabelle Larsen | a.larsen@mycityjournals.com

Lisa and Gary Reimann teamed up with Barbra and Phil Mecham to provide Midvale residents with the information and the skills needed to take care of those around them in the case of an emergency.

Funded and organized by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, this safety fair was made for all Utah residents who were interested in learning more about emergency preparedness. Several booths included information on food storage, make-shift shelters, and further provisions provided by Midvale City.

Barbra Mecham, one of the fair organizers, discussed her interest and passion for the safety of all Utah residents in case of emergency. She recalled a personal tale of being out of power for days with no foreseeable end to the outage in sight and being able to utilize a personal generator for emergency power and coolers she had stored for just such cases to save perishable food from going bad.

The past winter’s snowpack and the resulting flooding has caused much stress to many residents across the Salt Lake Valley. Many remember the 1983 flooding that Utah experienced and the infamous State Street River. Many residents at the emergency preparedness fair seemed particularly worried about the repeat of such events, and Mayor Marcus Stevenson was present to inform residents about ways the city can help prevent any damages. He had information on how to retrieve sandbags (they can be picked up at Salt Lake County Public Works, located at 604 W. 6960 South in Midvale) and was ready to support emergency preparedness for all residents.

"From a city perspective, we are working hard to avoid flooding and to take care of any flood threats to residents,” Stevenson said. “It is always important to prepare for any disaster and take those steps needed to handle such emergencies." l

Program will include: Hill Air Force Base Honor Guard, Utah Firefighters Emerald Society bagpipes, Patriotic Music by Brian Stucki and the Minuteman Brass Quintet and Refreshments Courtesy of Cedarwood at Sandy.

PROGRAM WILL INCLUDE: Hill Air Force Base, Honor Guard, Utah Firefighters Emerald Society bagpipes, Patriotic Music by Brian Stucki and the Minuteman Brass Quintet

OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC

OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.

A member of the Emergency Preparedness Fair discusses electricity, heating and light with a Utah resident. (Annabelle Larsen/City Journals)

Musician Post Malone unveils new look for local Raising Cane’s

Recently, fans of the fast-food franchise

Raising Cane’s and the famous musician Post Malone, were able to have the best of both worlds. Many residents have no doubt noticed the hot-pink restaurant off Fort Union Boulevard and 900 East, recently built and even more recently redesigned by Post Malone, often referred to as “Posty” by his fans. Malone, a Utah resident himself, was present for the ceremonial ribbon cutting April 13. While there, he also met with fans, hyped up the new Cane’s and even answered some questions.

“There’s some really cool stuff inside,” Malone told fans, some of whom even waited overnight to catch a glimpse. “We put some armor in there, some old stinky outfits that I wore on tour and for events, and guitars and such,” he said.

The CEO of Raising Cane’s, Todd Graves, told the crowd of onlookers that he and Malone had been friends and met because they were fans of each other’s stuff. “I was a super fan of his music, and he was a fan of my chicken fingers,” Graves said. “On that first night, we just really made a great friendship.” Graves says he knew he was going to be good friends with Malone. “I’ve known Post for a long time, and one of the real reasons I’m proud to say he’s my friend

By Annabelle Larsen | a.larsen@mycityjournals.com

is he’s the same guy his whole life,” Graves said. “Humble, kind, hardworking, good to people. I’m just really proud he’s my friend.”

The restaurant will offer a unique combo meal only available in Midvale called the “Posty Way”—Malone’s personal order of four chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries, two Cane’s sauces, two Texas toasts, and a half unsweetened tea/half lemonade drink. The drink comes in one of four uniquely designed 32-ounce Post Malone collector’s cups which can also be purchased by getting a “Post Up” upgrade for any of Cane’s regular combo meals. There will also be pink vinyl-wrapped vending machines stocked with more swag for purchase, including T-shirts, beanies, socks, ping-pong balls, magnets, keychains, cups and guitar picks.

The Raising Cane’s Midvale restaurant is a vibrant building, with its bright pink exterior, tattoo-like designs, and reflective “1” on the north side of the building. The interior is just as pink as the outside, but showcases Malone memorabilia along the inner walls of the restaurant. Included in all this is a brushed silver classic 1974 Ford F250 with a custom license plate that will sit outside as a permanent fixture, creating a unique restaurant experience along Fort Union Boulevard.l

Special Olympics works with Topgolf to unify athletes

By Annabelle Larsen | a.larsen@mycityjournals.com

TheSpecial Olympics Utah, or SOUT, teamed up with Topgolf to host an inaugural exhibition to promote inclusion in sports as well as in life. On March 14, Midvale’s Topgolf hosted an event where Special Olympics athletes, staff and unified partners paired with Topgolf guests and staff to honor the Topgolf and Special Olympics celebration of Unified Sports, a company that aims to join people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team.

Through the dedication and hard work of Unified Sports, Topgolf and SOUT, individuals with intellectual disabilities (the athletes) and those individuals without intellectual disabilities (the partners) will be able to have the ability to train and compete in the same sphere and on the same teams, promoting inclusion and acceptance in sports, as well as in life.

“Topgolf has helped our current golfers improve their skills and has been instrumental in attracting first-time golfers to the sport,” said SOUT CEO Scott Weaver.

“Topgolf is committed to making the game of golf more inclusive and open for all to enjoy,” says Topgolf Director of Charitable Initiatives Tiffany Brush. “Our partnership with Special Olympics helps to break down the barriers to inclusion and highlights our belief in the unlimited power of play.”

Weaver and Brush are able to unite their two companies to achieve a common goal, and promote these athletes to pursue their full potential and dreams of working in a sports sphere with fellow athletes from all backgrounds.

Special Olympics athlete Jeremy Campbell is one person who’s especially excited about the event. "I really like Topgolf,” he said. “I am having so much fun playing Topgolf with my team and excited for the first competition." l

Throngs of fans wait in line to try and catch a glimpse of Post Malone, or at least some chicken. (Annabelle Larson/City Journals)

SOUT athlete Jeremy Campbell at a Topgolf event with his athletic partner. (Courtesy of Special Olympics)

For decades, Hillcrest High’s Coach Stone built tradition, one stroke at a time

At 40 years, Hillcrest High’s longest tenure coach is stepping down from the blocks— and he never swam a stroke.

The former Hillcrest teacher who started the Youth in Custody program in 1981 and oversaw it through 2013, for all, but the last year of the program, got into coaching as a necessity to the school.

Robert “Tom” Huddlestone, or Coach Stone as he’s called, didn’t have any coaching experience and his football experience amounted to playing in junior high, but 170 freshmen came out for the freshman football team so the head football coach split the squad in half.

“I was asked if I wanted to coach football and I asked if I could have a key to the weight room,” he remembered. “When they said yes, it came along with ‘go ahead and get started.’ I was making $10,000 a year; I didn’t want to pay for a gym fee.”

After two years as the Huskies’ freshman football team, Stone moved to the sophomore team.

After the 1984 season, the former army captain who has a black belt and built his own Harley, was asked to be the strength coach with swimming and diving that practiced at the old Midvale Middle School pool.

“Being a strength coach was fairly new in swimming and diving back then. Before I got done with the season, I was doing that, helping coach the girls and the divers. It turned out to be a busier year than I thought,” said Stone, who was never a competitive swimmer.

The next year, when the head swimming and diving coach left, he was asked to take over the program.

“I argued that I had only worked in swimming for a year and administration said, ‘You’re the only one that knows where the pool is.’ The deal I was told was, ‘If you don’t take it, then we’re just not going to offer swimming anymore,’” he said. “I couldn’t do that to those kids, but I didn’t know enough about the sport. I thought ‘I’m not going to look a fool’ so, I started picking every brain in the (Salt Lake) Valley that I could find and learn what to do, how to do and when to do all the different things that made up different parts of the swim coach’s job. I joined a coach’s association, and they showed me the ropes and saved my bacon. I must have been OK, because they kept me around.”

In fact, swimming is the only sport at Hillcrest that has qualified for state championships year-in and year-out during his tenure.

“I have been the head coach for the girls since 1984 except for one year,” he said.

What Stone came to appreciate was the balance between coaching swimming and teaching some of the then-Jordan School District’s students who were in state custody because of criminal behavior. He mentored those with personal and family issues and often bounced around foster care, including some students who had been abused and neglected

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

or some that rarely made it to class. He taught them all, first in a book storage area, then in a portable on the edge of campus, until he retired from teaching in 2013.

“With my students, I was tough, I was motivating, I was trying to help each one graduate,” he said. “Swimming allowed me to feel more part of the school. Swimmers are the hardest workers, and they have the longest season in high school. In football, there’s a lot of standing around, but in swimming, you start at three and we go to five and we’re swimming from three to five. In football, you can play and not really apply yourself. You can’t do that with swimming; it’s hard work and being devoted to what you’re doing.”

He said Hillcrest High’s swimming has challenges as well. In the early years, team members would have to stand on the step behind the plastic blocks because the mounts to the pool edge were broken. So, they fundraised $16,000 to get new blocks. Then, they raised another $16,000 for a timing system.

That pool, which was dark and had water kept warmer than ideal for competitive swimming, was demolished with the former middle school building in 2015.

Hillcrest’s swimming team now buses to Gene Fullmer Recreation Center in West Jordan for pool time. During the pandemic and other times, time in the water has been restricted, making it hard to grow the program.

“Ninety percent of our kids are first-time swimmers when they start swimming with us,” Stone said. “We’ve never won a region nor a state championship namely because we never have had a feeder program. It’s just hard to do without a pool.”

In 2018, now-Hillcrest graduate Zoe Welch began swimming competitively for her first time.

“When I started swimming the 500 it was really hard and scary,” she remembered. “One time, at a meet, it was getting closer to my heat time, and I was getting very stressed and overwhelmed. I began to cry and went to Coach Stone expressing that I couldn’t do it and was scared. He was very comforting and supportive and said, ‘no matter what you do I will be proud.’ He followed that with more advice about just thinking about one stroke at a time, while paying attention to form will make the time go. It helped me calm down and not think about it as such a scary thing.”

She went on to swim for the Huskies three years under Coach Stone.

“He was always there from the beginning and taught me everything I know. He was so considerate, kind and the most perfect example of a coach,” she said.

Diving, as a Utah High School Activities Association sanctioned sport, faded about 20 years ago. With the decline of participation in 1999, the state diving championships was pulled out of swimming and all classes competed in one meet. Combined, with a new re-

quirement of a deeper pool depth under the board, the older pools didn’t meet the specification and eventually, it reverted to a club sport, he said.

“At one time, the diving program was huge in our district as they dove at the Cottonwood Heights club program, but because they lived in our boundary, Hillcrest had a lot of divers. If you swam and wanted to go to Brighton, you could automatically transfer, but they didn’t do that with divers. We always were in the top five or six in the state championships,” Stone said, recalling the Huskies had both a male and a female state champion. “I knew a little about diving because I learned the technical side and how to score diving and once you get the basics of it down, I knew when they over rotated or didn’t point their toes and splashed on entry, but I wasn’t the expert.”

Through his years on the deck, Stone has watched swimming grow.

“It’s become more intense now. The times are dropping fast,” he said pointing out the boys’ 500 free time used to qualify for state at 5:20 and now, the 5A winning time was 4:36.

While Stone considered hanging up his towel after last school year, he stayed on to help with the transition to the first-year coach Elizabeth Drake.

“I learned a lot from working with Coach Stone,” she said. “He has a lot of coaching

experience and understands the kids and the program. That’s been the most helpful thing is having somebody who has been doing this a long time.”

Stone fondly remembers his athletes’ trials and successes, including one boy who tweaked his knee swimming the breaststroke leg of the medley relay at state and was to swim on the freestyle relay.

“We had to pull him out of the water; he couldn’t stand on it, and he couldn’t walk. I was trying to figure out what was I going to do for his replacement in the relay because I knew that he had to have surgery on the knee, when he asked me for a favor,” Stone said. “He said, ‘Coach, I want you to let me swim in that relay. I’m a senior and this is my last chance to swim for you.’”

Stone anchored him to allow for the maximum rest and “his first 25 was the ugliest I’ve ever seen him swim in my life. He came back on the second 25 pretty steady. His third 25 really strong and his fourth 25 was the best of his life. We were in eighth place when he went in the water, and we finished in sixth. We had to pull him out of the water and I thought ‘you just swam the swim of the ages.’ It was unbelievable that kid was willing to go, but it was all heart. These kids are pretty special.”

Hillcrest High’s “Coach Stone,” seen here hugging a swimmer, has coached swimming at the school for more than 35 years and never was a competitive swimmer. (Photo courtesy of Tom Huddlestone)

Polish your teapots, iron your doilies and butter your crumpets. For the first time in 70 years, an English monarch will be crowned and the whole world will tune in to see if King Charles III, Prince William and Prince Harry bust each other up at Westminster Abbey.

Whether or not the coronation turns into a fistfight, there will be plenty of spectacle, pomp, circumstance, tradition, snobbery and a reminder that England adores fluffy hats.

King Charles will be 74 on the day of his coronation, code-named Operation Golden Orb (not even kidding). He’s much older than his mother was when she was enthroned. Queen Elizabeth was crowned at the age of 27 and reigned for 156 years.

The coronation is based on traditions going back centuries. In fact, for nearly 1,000 years, the Archbishop of Canterbury has conducted the ceremony. You’d think, at some point, people would start asking how he’s been alive for so long.

Our country has a bit of history with England, but we're still infatuated with royalty. American royalty just isn’t the same. It’s either the Kardashians or the Kennedys, depending on who you ask. When we elect a new president, we don’t

The Royal Treatment

coronation. King Charles and Queen Camilla will leave Buckingham Palace in a four-ton Gold State Coach that’s been used in coronations since 1830 and is notoriously uncomfortable. It’s covered in gilded statues and painted panels and will be pulled by eight dragons through the streets of London.

The procession travels from the palace, past Isengard at the southern end of the Misty Mountains, along Trafalgar Square, through Hogwarts to Westminster Abbey where the king will be anointed with holy oil using the Coronation Spoon. I don’t know if there’s a knife and fork. Wikipedia didn’t mention any other coronation utensils.

King Charles will then stand next to a really old chair (and it’s not even made out of swords pulled from the hands of his dead enemies), and given things to hold like the Royal Orb, a couple of scepters, gold spurs, a jeweled sword, gold bracelets and a ring. No wonder it’s hard to be king. That’s a lot to carry.

follow centuries of history and tradition. We do a swearing-in ceremony followed by four years of smack talk on social media.

But England knows how to stage a

Then the Archbishop (who HAS to be a vampire, I mean come on!) places the five-pound crown on the king’s head. Saint Edwards Crown has a solid gold frame and is bedazzled with rubies, ame-

thysts, sapphires and other jewels, making the crown worth more than my entire lifetime income.

Everyone yells, “God save the king!” and trumpets blare and, Bob’s your uncle, England has a new king.

Then the fun starts. Concerts will feature new musical pieces commissioned by the king himself, including an anthem written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and I can only hope it’s performed by the cast of “Cats.” A refugee choir and an LGBTQ+ ensemble will perform, because we all know how much the royal family loves diversity.

There’s even a Coronation Quiche consisting of spinach, broad beans, cheese, tarragon and lard, to celebrate the country’s devotion to bland food. You can get the recipe online and make it for your family as you watch the celebration.

Leaders from around the world will attend the coronation, except some countries who are afraid if they send leaders to the event, England will colonize them while they’re gone. But this is a historical moment you won’t want to miss, especially if the royal family starts throwing the crown jewels at each other.

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HEATING

HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING SERVICE

“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