Midvale Journal | October 2023

HILLCREST HIGH ALUMNA BREAKS BARRIERS IN NEW YORK’S LATINA-BASED SHOW

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

In an intimate theatre a few blocks from Times Square, 2009 Hillcrest High graduate Ash Patlan stepped onto stage in the world premiere of “Mi Abuela, Queen of Nightmares.”

After the Sept. 8 opening night, Patlan reflected upon the importance of her own heritage and the significance that the show was coinciding with National Hispanic Heritage Month.

“This was really important for me,” she said. “It was the first time in my whole life where I was cast in a show of my own ethnicity. The gravity of it sat with me. It was very poignant and special to me.”

Written by Salvadoran-American playwright Christine Stoddard, “Mi Abuela, Queen of Nightmares” is directed by Mexican director Fiamma Piacentini. It is playing at The Tank theatre in New York City.

Patlan portrayed the roles of Salvadoran Ancestor, Jaguar, Owl, and Cactus in the story where a young Salvadoran-American woman navigates trauma and family mythology through magic and folklore as she comes of age in Phoenix. The play explores mother-daughter relationships, mixed race identity, being the child of an immigrant, growing up without a father, and using fantasy as a coping mechanism.

“It’s a story about a young girl who is trying to find out more about the story of her grandmother, like who this woman was and why is this woman so important in my life? Why is her mom so hung up on the memory of this woman?” Patlan said. “It’s a coming-of-age tale for

this young girl who is really trying to find out why things have turned out in her life and why she has the relationship that she does with her mother. It’s very much trying to find where you belong and why things happen in our lives.”

Using the “mysticism of cactuses, jaguars and owls to tell the stories of her abuela,” Patlan helped “bring out these stories of her childhood, the stories her mother would tell her about her grandmother.”

Much of the Patlan’s part is communicated through actions.

“Most of my part is movement-based and it’s just so beautiful. This play has not only a way of telling a beautiful story through spoken word, but also through movement that are bringing this to life for her,” she said.

Patlan also plays an ancestor.

“There’s a lot of cleansing that happens, so we can tell this story and rid it of bad spirits. We’re tying it back to that Salvadorian essence of tying the whole story to that culture and that’s the beauty of it,” she said.

Patlan was born in California to Mexican immigrants and in ways, can relate to the character, Maya.

“I come from two different cultures. I was born in this culture, but my parents are from that culture so it’s trying to find your own place. Where do I fit in? This was the first time where I got to be part of what I actually am. It’s very beautiful,” she said.

It’s also a long time coming since she attended Union

Continued page 13

Hillcrest High alumnae Ash Patlan, seen here in pink, and Adriana Ascencio, are performing in “Mi Abuela, Queen of Nightmares” in New York City.

(Photo courtesy of Jen Leno)

Main Street walking tour

Special Olympics TopGolf champions inclusion for all athletes

The object: to hit the target the most. The purpose: So much more.

Eighty Special Olympians with intellectual disabilities paired with partner athletes, were warming up for the Special Olympics TopGolf Championship.

“The athletes are practicing their accuracy, but they’re also developing skills and forging friendships,” said Haley Nall, Special Olympics director of special events. “It’s just a lot of fun.”

It’s also part of a national partnership with TopGolf that provides Special Olympic teams access for weekly two-hour practices as well as hosting the tournament. More than 30 locations are holding state championships.

The Special Olympics TopGolf Championship embraces inclusion and access for athletes, Nall said.

The introduction of TopGolf for Special Olympics comes on the heels of the launch of unified golf for middle school students that was held in South Jordan in spring 2022.

At the Midvale championship, teams, age 8 and up, were hitting the ball off the deck aiming for the targets. They were coached by volunteers.

Hillcrest High 2019 graduate Tanner Cluff jumped at the opportunity to try a new sport, despite needing left-handed clubs for his 6-foot-8-inch frame.

“I like that this gives me a challenge,” he said. “I can do different sports for every season.”

Cluff, who won numerous medals in unified sports in high school and at the University of Utah, played for Real Salt Lake’s unified team. He plays football, soccer and bocci ball with Special Olympics.

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By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

“I’m trying to see how many points I can get by hitting the markers. It’s been harder on the top level than the bottom level because the launch in every bay is different and I never know what’s going to happen,” he said. “I’m making new friends here at the same time.”

Cluff made friends with his partner, Keaton Phillips, who just moved to Utah nine months ago. Previously, Phillips volunteered with Special Olympics in Florida.

“I love the unique energies that everybody has,” he said.

Prior to the TopGolf practices, Phillips

played golf once on a traditional course.

“This is challenging. I didn’t think it would be as challenging at TopGolf. We struggled through it for a couple of weeks, but we’ve gotten a lot better,” he said. “We’re trying to get more distance and accuracy. We have a bit to go, but it’s fun.”

A few bays down the Cox sisters from Murray were ready to compete.

Viewmont Elementary sixth-grader Livvy partnered with her sister, Bree, a ju-

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“I like to volunteer because it’s fun interacting with kids with special needs,” said the younger Cox sister, who was a partner track athlete as well.

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About 80 Special Olympians with intellectual disabilities paired with partner athletes, competed in the Special Olympics TopGolf Championship. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Brighton High’s Mitchell Burt hits the ball during warm-ups of the Special Olympics TopGolf Championship. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

A canvas of inspiration: Hillcrest High’s student-artist vision of inclusivity

Ahigh school junior is taking it upon herself to correct a wrong.

Or maybe enlighten those around her for decades of oversight.

Hillcrest High junior Ada Wood is an artist—in her writing and in her digital artwork. Her creations have a common theme: inclusivity.

“I want to be able to catch someone’s eye with a drawing or with my words, and I want them to be able to see them represented, with different abilities that I’ve drawn or written,” she said. “I wouldn’t be able to catch their eye if they’re unable to see themselves in my work.”

Wood began creating digital art when she first got an iPad after her family moved to Midvale in 2019.

“I’ve always been creative; I loved coloring books, and I used to want to be a fashion designer. My friend and I made a dress together. We pinned a paper rendition on her, and we wanted to sew it, but it was lopsided and had a hole in the shoulder. It was like one the little drawings of dresses that I used to do when I was 4—it needed a lot of help, but it was fun to do,” she said.

Now, Wood studies YouTube tutorials and has taken an online art class to learn some tricks in digital art. She looks at the artwork of Brandon Dorman, an American illustrator of children’s and teenagers’ books, and of characters created by anime artists.

“I like digital art. It’s easier for me. I can scale what I want, make it bigger, smaller and readjust it easily. I can’t do that on paper without erasing it. I have a vision before I start, because then I can get the poses and the color palette right, but then, I don’t think a lot when I draw. I just want to draw whatever I want and whatever I feel like needs to be drawn,” she said.

Already, Wood has a series of drawings, each with a character who has a differing ability. She calls the series, “This is Me.”

The inspiration came from an interaction she had her freshman year at Hillcrest when Wood, who has spina bifida and uses a wheelchair, was being shown around the school. The teacher asked two seniors to join her.

“One of the seniors said, ‘It must suck to be in a wheelchair.’ And I was like, ‘No, it doesn’t. It gives me accessibility.’ She wasn’t meaning it in a mean way. She was just not thinking it through. When I got home, it made me think, ‘Is that how people see me?’ It made me think, ‘Why isn’t there representation? Why isn’t there people in movies or books or media with differing abilities because I had never seen a character in a wheelchair.’ That’s why I started this series. I wanted to draw people with differing abilities in ways that they’re capable of magic. Because they are. All people are capable of figurative magic and incredible things, and I wanted to showcase that,” she said.

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

The first piece, “Light of the World,” has a girl sitting in a wheelchair in a rich, lush forest. The girl is looking at a glowing water lily as a hummingbird, deer, wolf and a couple of butterflies watch.

“I kind of modeled this off myself. It has a magical feel as I’ve always been into magic. I’ve always loved the forest; my spirit loves the outdoors. The animals are comfortable in her presence, and I wanted to focus on her spirit and how when we’re sometimes alone, you can feel most alive and show your true self,” Wood said. “I didn’t want this to be a drawing showing ‘you’re broken, and you can’t do this or that.’ What I want is for people to see who you are and your true abilities. When I drew this, I knew there would be others. I wanted to draw someone who was deaf, somebody who was blind, someone who had a prosthetic, because I didn’t want to leave anybody out.”

It was followed by another magical piece focusing on a blind mermaid.

“I asked myself ‘What is she like? How does she communicate? How does she get around?’ I included dolphins in the drawing because I thought if a mermaid was born blind, some of her friends would be dolphins and she would learn echolocation from them,” she said. “I want the series to show differing abilities, which we don’t really see. As a fantasy lover, I’ve always kind of wished for maybe a blind mermaid or a girl in a wheelchair with magic in a movie. About 15% of the population is born with differing abilities and seeing themselves in art, and having some magical connections, they can relate in a far more personal way.”

Wood has painted a character who is in the clouds as if he has magical powers to control the wind. The character, who is deaf, wears a T-shirt with the sign “Born for This.” Another piece, “Ready, Aim, Release,” has a character who has a prosthetic arm hunting in the forest.

“I find him inspiring; I’m going to write

a story to go with him,” she said. “I thought of a bunch of stories that kind of go with my characters in one way or another, but they’re not all connected.”

Wood recently drew a skateboarder with a prosthetic leg showing he’s “doing something that just everybody can do.”

“It was hard. This one took me forever because I’ve never drawn a skatepark or a prosthetic leg and those are very detailed. It took me out of my comfort zone,” she said, adding that her 12-year-old brother agreed to pose as a skateboarder for her. “He’s incredible to do that. He’s a very sweet brother.”

Most of the paintings have taken Wood about two weeks to produce. However, one—a girl in a wheelchair with a dragon—she’s been working on for months. She promised it to her uncle.

Wood’s artwork is created through the program, Procreate, and sometimes, she uses Clip Studio Paint to look at various poses.

For last year’s school PTA Reflections entry, Wood tried something new, a printmaking style to follow the theme, “Show Your Voice.” The poster, which shows youth of differing abilities, displays the words, “Different Not Less,” borrowing the book title from one of the world’s most accomplished adults with autism, author Temple Grandin.

“I was showing people who often don’t get a voice,” she said. “Not everyone looks the same and it’s time we can see different abilities being portrayed whether in a movie, book, art, crosswalk sign, words we choose, stories we read, in all aspects of life.”

Wood also is in the process of writing a book, “Assassin’s Heart,” about an assassin in a quandary about needing to kill a young wom-

an to save his mother, but instead he falls in love with the young woman. Wood plans to illustrate it. Once again, the characters are those of differing abilities.

“I don’t usually find stories with people who are like me or have differing abilities. Most of the books I’ve heard of or read are with people with differing abilities have been healed in some kind of way, which I’m not a big fan of. It’s not usually based on reality, and implies, something is ‘wrong,’” she said.

When Wood isn’t studying in class or being creative, she often is being active in Hillcrest’s Husky Unified Club and as a state member of Special Olympics Youth Activation Commission, again, “being a voice to include everyone.”

She credits her mother as her “biggest supporter.”

“Not only does she take care of me, but she also pushes me to get out there to do what I want to do. I wouldn’t change a thing about my life. I love being able to create and being able to use my talents to help other people,” Wood said. “I love the life I have been given, but I would be nothing without her. She’s amazing.”

Wood hopes that through her art people take notice in all aspects of life and make changes to become more inclusive.

“My art is how I see the world; it sends a message,” she said. “My goal is to be a voice to those who don’t have the chance to speak up or maybe feel like they can’t. My dream is that my stories and my art say, ‘We’re different.’ Everybody is different. What makes a community work is our differences and the different talents and dreams and professions of everybody, no matter if they’re on wheels or walking.” l

Hillcrest High junior Ada Wood holds the first in the series “This is Me,” each with a character who has a differing ability. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Hillcrest High junior Ada Wood takes time in her day to create digital artwork that shows people with differing abilities. (Photo courtesy of Amy Wood)

Midvale Episcopal Church hosts annual charity car show

Photos by Annabelle Larsen | a.larsen@mycityjournals.com

St. James Episcopal Church located off 1300 East in Midvale recently hosted a charity car show in October to help support the building and all of the community outreach programs it hosts. With over 100 cars coming each year to support, it gives the church the opportunity to continue to host their 12-step meetings, food bank program and other community support events. One such program that is funded by the support of the car show is the church's partnership with the Utah Food Bank. The St. James Episcopal Church is one of two places in Utah that consistently hands out food to those in need on Sundays. This happened even throughout the Covid-19 pandemic as food was distributed to over 600 families a month who need it.

The individuals who helped to mastermind the idea of a charity car show five years ago were in attendance: Joe and Angela Micklos trailblazed the idea of a car show that supports the church. Joe stated that they wanted to help for a while, but didn’t know how. “How can we support the church from an outside source?” Joe said. He said that he and his wife have always been into cars and this seemed like a great opportunity to combine two interests. “My wife and I have a bunch of Ford Torinos,” Joe said. They showed six different cars at the charity event.

Not only does the church put on a car show every year, they also have a silent auction that brings in people from all over the valley. Along with this, there are several food trucks that come to the event, as well as a live DJ that helps provide tunes. DJ Blaine Thompson of Rockin’ Hot Rod has been a part of the charity event for several years and brings an array of music to these events.

Joe says hello to all in attendance and asks about their family, friends and life. “We are extremely grateful to the car show community for supporting us,” he said. l

It’s Witchfest time at Gardner Village

By Annabelle Larsen | a.larsen@mycityjournals.com

Gardner Village has gone through a frightening makeover for the coming Halloween season. Overrun with witches, ghosts, devils and vampires, Gardner Village looks very different from its typical decor and theme. With 25 years under their belt for Witchfest, Gardner Village knows what they are doing. Starting through the end of September and going through October, the Village features seasonal activities for people of all ages.

There’s a Halloween-themed escape room, Halloween-themed shows, spooky dinners, and a variety of scavenger hunts all across the Village that draws in crowds of children and adults alike. One such visitor of the haunted Gardner Village was dressed in a red outfit, a mascara dye mask and red horns. “I like the shopping at Gardner Village during the fall,” said the masked visitor, “but tonight I’m on my way to the devil's dinner the (Gardner) Village does.”

One shop owners in Gardner Village is particularly excited about the seasonal changes. Heather Arteaga, owner of Boho Chic Boutique, was knowledgeable about all the happenings around the shopping center. “This is my second Witchfest as a shop owner,” Heather said. She is particularly impressed with the changes made to The Chocolate Covered Wagon, a candy shop located in the village. “They have, like, 12 or 13 different flavors of caramel apples available,” she said.

Her shop also has changed along with the season including making custom witch hats for customers at her boutique.

Gardner Village now hosts their kid-friendly park on the west side of the complex, which includes a petting zoo, little roller coasters and pony rides. This area is also decorated to match the fall holiday, with skeletons strewn about the play place and pumpkins in every corner.

Across Gardner Village, each shop boasts new spooky decorations, often inside and out. Each shop is responsible for their own decorating, and they all stepped up to do their part in decorating to the delight of visitors. l

A bridge that crosses a small stream in Gardner Village is renamed to the “Witching Bridge” to celebrate the Halloween season. (Annabelle Larsen/City Journals)

A skeletal driver steers his skeleton horse in Ricochet Canyon. (Annabelle Larsen/City Journals)

A lone skeleton cowboy occupies a bench. (Annabelle Larsen/City Journals)

A bony barkeeper waits at the saloon in Ricochet Canyon. (Annabelle Larsen/City Journals)

Odyssey

Odyssey House is the largest nonpro t behavioral health agency in Utah, with more than 30 locations in Salt Lake County and 70 Best of State awards. It was started in 1971 and provides treatment for substance use disorder and mental health issues through a variety of programs, both residential and outpatient, for children, teens and adults. It also has its own medical clinic (Martindale) and administers a substance use program in the Salt Lake County Jail. On any given day Odyssey House serves 1,100 clients and served 12,000 clients in the last scal year.

Randall Carlisle is the Odyssey House media and community relations director. He’s been with Odyssey for six years and before that he spent 40 years as an anchor/ reporter in television news.

What sets Odyssey House apart from other treatment centers in the region?

We have the highest success rate of any nonpro t treatment center. We are the largest and o er more specialized programs than any other similar agency. We can also treat anyone regardless of their ability to pay and our service can be free for residents of Salt Lake County.

Who do you serve?

If you have a substance use or mental health problem we can help. Substance use disorder and mental health problems a ect anyone from all walks of life. We help clients solve the problems of drug addiction and mental health issues.

How do potential clients make the choice between you or a competitor?

We provide low-cost or free care. We are in network with all major insurance providers and we can provide a more successful outcome than other providers. We back up our slogan which is “We Are Recovery.”

What types of treatment do you o er?

We o er adult and youth residential programs, sober housing, an intensive after-school outpatient program for youth, a parent with children program and a criminal justice program. Odyssey also has a medical clinic that includes harm reduction services and we have men’s and women’s mental health treatments. All of our programs include extensive case management, trauma informed care and life skills development.

What is your success rate?

We have a 173% higher drug abstinence rate than the 2020 National average and an 84% higher drug abstinence rate than the 2020 Utah average. We o er recovery that leads to a successful and happy life.

How do you help those who have graduated from the Odyssey program?

Odyssey House is about lifetime recovery, even when you have some bumps in the road. Alumni services are provided for free and include therapy and relapse support, sober outings and graduate groups.

How can people learn more about you?

We have over 30 locations in Salt Lake County. Our weekly podcast Odyssey House Journals can be seen on YouTube or listened to on all podcast platforms. We can also be found at odysseyhouse.org.

Hillcrest High's curtain rises on a season of classics: Shakespeare and Sondheim

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Hillcrest High student-actors are taking a deep dive into “Henry VI, Part 2” not to just try to earn a fourth Shakespeare title in a row, but to engross themselves into the world of William Shakespeare’s writing.

Written about the lifetime of King Henry VI of England, the first part leads up to the War of Roses, while the third part, addresses the horrors of the conflict. The second part deals with the bickering of the king’s nobles, the death of his trusted adviser, the Duke of Gloucester, and the rise of the Duke of York—as well as the inevitability of the armed conflict.

“King Henry was crowned king when he was a baby so his Lord Protector, the Duke of Gloucester, has been advising him and actually assumed the powers and responsibilities of the throne until he was grown up,” said Gabe Williams, student president of Hillcrest High theatre. “In the play, the Duchess of Gloucester wants her husband to take more power, but he wants to remain faithful to the promises he made to Henry’s father.”

Williams plays the Duke of York, who oversees that area of England for the king.

“All of those around the young king are kind of vying for power. The Duke of York tries to manipulate a lot of his surroundings to create the results that he wants. But unlike the others, he is playing more of a long-term game than anyone else,” he said.

Being on the Shakespeare team is one of Williams’ favorite parts of being involved in theatre.

“I always feel close to the Shakespeare team. We have a sense of purpose and fulfillment and joy that comes from working hard with the people alongside you. It’s kind of a hard thing to describe, but every year, we collectively feel this magic that comes from our hard work,” he said.

This year’s 57-member team will take their ensemble as well as individual and small group pieces to compete at the 47th annual Shakespeare high school competition Oct. 5-7 in Cedar City. The competition extends its invitation to stage tech to compete in Tech Olympics as well as to students who wish to participate in the dance and choir contests.

Following the competition, the Shakespeare team will hold a free showcase at 7 p.m., Oct. 9 on Hillcrest’s stage, 7350 S. 900 East.

At the same time as the Shakespeare rehearsals, the musical cast was rehearsing “Into the Woods,” based on the book

by

James Lapine with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.

“Into the Woods” intertwines beloved fairy tales as a baker and his wife, who are longing for a child, set out to break a witch’s curse. Along the way, they encounter Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Jack, each with their own desires and challenges, yet they must band together to save their world.

“Sondheim is the best musical theatre writer of all time so I’m excited to work with that writing in a full-length show because he finds ambiguity in specificity. He creates these metaphors with his songs, but instead of talking about things directly, he will talk about something specific and if you do the work in your brain, you can come to understand how that applies to your life,” Williams said.

“Mr. (Josh) Long (Hillcrest High’s theatre director) talks about Sondheim’s process in his writing. His songs are dynamic and make a social commentary and have an interesting metaphor, word play and alliteration all at once.”

The performances will be held at 7 p.m., Nov. 30, Dec. 1-2 and Dec. 4. Ticket information can be found at www.hillcresttheatre.com on Nov. 1.

Following the musical will be “The James Plays,” performed in the spring.

The trilogy of “The James Plays,” by playwright Rona Munro, brings to life three generations of Stewart kings who ruled Scotland in the 15th century. Each play stands as a vision of a country struggling with its past and future; viewed together they create a narrative on Scottish culture and nationhood.

Show dates will be available on the theatre website.

The season finishes with “Something Rotten,” based on the book by John O’Farrell and Karey Kirkpatrick with music and lyrics by Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick.

It’s a story about how two brothers, who want to make their name in the theater world, seek wisdom and learn that the future of theater will include singing, dancing and acting so they set to write the world’s first musical in the 1500s even though musical theater hasn’t emerged yet.

“There’s a lot of dance numbers and a lot of singing and a lot of fun,” he said about the last show that will be performed during his senior year. “It’s going to be a blast.” l

160 Gallons

Dimensions: 29”x36”x45” Large

Hillcrest High thespians, seen here in 2022, will return to the annual Shakespeare high school competition this October in Cedar City. (Photo courtesy of Hillcrest High theatre department)

As the weather starts to cool many people look for indoor activities, be it sports, crafts or games. One group chooses to spend their time perfecting their special interest: chess.

PowerChess is now offering community chess programs across Salt Lake County and parts of Davis County. Hosted in local recreation centers, people of all ages are welcome to come learn the complex game of chess and compete against other students under the guidance of a chess guru, Powell Walker, founder and owner of PowerChess.

Upon talking to parents at this community class, many found the program through the local recreation center websites and thought their children would benefit from a program like this. One mother, Ramya, stated that her daughter, “Always liked to play chess.”

The class brings in over a dozen students of all age ranges and from various levels of chess mastery. Some consider this a type of “preseason” practice for when the chess competitions begin so that they can perfect their game.

In regards to the attendance for the first class of the season, Walker said, “The turnout is incredible…chess in Utah is

PowerChess now hosts community classes

By Annabelle Larsen | a.larsen@mycityjournals.com

growing at a rapid rate.” One parent in attendance was Eric Grierson, who is a longtime chess fan and he and his two children have been with PowerChess since its groundbreaking in March 2022. He loves

to pass along his passion of chess to those who are interested. “(Chess) helps your brain develop in a lot of ways,” Grierson said and added, “I think it’s really good for

kids.”

For more information about PowerChess, visit slco.org/parks-recreation or power-chess.com. l

Owner and teacher Powell Walker helps students understand the complexities of chess. (Annabelle Larsen/City Journals)

Students hoping to learn more about chess watch a slide show. (Annabelle Larsen/City Journals)

Continued from front page

Middle and Hillcrest High.

“I got into theater by accident. At Hillcrest, I enrolled in a jewelry class, but I didn’t want to pay the class fee. So, I thought, ‘I’ll just do something easier. I’ll do theater instead,’” she said. “Part of our first assignment that Josh (Long, Hillcrest theatre director) gave us was to see the school musical and write a report on it. I had never seen a musical before that day. It was ‘West Side Story,’ and it was just so beautiful. I was taken aback. I wondered, ‘How can these people on this stage make me feel like I’m part of their story and their world’ when I was just there watching it. I was fascinated by that feeling and how theater can impact people that deeply. I wanted to be part of that.”

That’s when Patlan’s love for theater began, but her journey wasn’t easy. She had auditioned to be part of the school’s production company for her junior year, but she was cut.

“I was completely distraught when I did not make it. I let myself cry for one day and the next day, it was, ‘No more crying. I’m going to get to work.’ Every day I set aside 30 minutes to practice my song, I did my monologues and I did everything that I could. At the audition, I laid it on the line and I made the productions company—just to find out a couple weeks later, just before my 17th birthday—that I was sick,” she

said.

Patlan’s diagnosis of leukemia was the summer before her senior year.

“The first thing that came to mind was, ‘Oh no, they’re going to kick me out of productions company. I’m not going to be able to make rehearsals.’ But that wasn’t the case. Productions company became a lifeline for me. It gave me something to work toward. It kept me going. I thought it was more important to focus on creating something than how I was feeling in that moment,” she said.

Her treatments were “aggressive. I did three years of chemo to eradicate it. It can hide in your bone marrow; it can hide in your spinal fluid. I’d have to take off a week for school to be checked in the hospital to have chemo through IV. I wasn’t allowed to leave until the chemo left my system.”

It was during one of those hospital stays when Patlan got a call back for a part in a Shakespeare play.

“I got an email saying the call back was for the next day and I was supposed to be there for three or four days. So, I called in the doctor and asked, ‘Is it possible that I could somehow get it out of my system tonight?’ He looks at me in the eye and says, ‘That’s impossible.’ And I’m thinking, ‘Want to bet?’” she said. “That night, my poor mom, she was working a double shift and was dead tired so she could barely walk, comes in my room. I told her that

I have call backs the next day and I just downed a whole gallon of water, so we have to walk to get the chemo out of my system. So, with my IV stand, we waddled through the hospital hallways trying to get it out of my system.”

Patlan left the hospital the next morning to make the call back and was cast in the show.

“I loved theater so much. It’s a beautiful art form that connects our human experiences, which everybody can relate to in some way. I had it in my heart that I wanted to be part of this—and nothing, not even my own body, was going to stop me,” she said.

Patlan also was cast in the “Seussical, the Musical.”

“I fully took advantage that I had a wig because I was losing my hair. I did fun Cindy Loo-style hairstyles with my wig,” she said.

Patlan went on to apprentice for both Pioneer Theatre Company and Actors Theatre. She is a graduate from the University of Utah’s Actor Training Program, and she also earned a second Bachelor’s degree in psychology. She was part of the regional premiere of PMT’s “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime.”

She also apprenticed with the Actors Theatre in Louisville and performed in “The Wilting,” “Halfway,” “Fifth-Third Bank’s A Christmas Carol,” “And We’re Live,” and “Mayflower.”

“That year was definitely a struggling year. It got to the point where at times, I had to choose between shampoo and food,” Patlan said. “Now, I’m thankful for those experiences because you see what kind of person you are and what you can handle in your life. I could see the importance of my work and the beauty of it. I really don’t think you can see it in any other way other than when you’re at your most humble.”

That gave her the opportunity to write her own shows and be part of the Humana Festival of New American Plays. She was part of “We’ve Come to Believe” in the 43rd festival.

Patlan moved to New York City right before the COVID pandemic hit.

“It’s been a while since I’ve done a show because of the pandemic, but when I saw this show’s advertisement on playbill. com, I decided to go for it. It was my first in-person audition in three years. I went to the audition and was told, ‘I want you to be a cactus,’ I just held myself very firmly and started moving like molasses. I’m extremely lucky to have landed the first audition back into the swing of things,” she said about her first show in the Big Apple. “I had some jitters opening night, but they melted away once I stepped on stage. I felt the gravity of being a Latina in this play and realizing this dream I’ve had since I was a sick 16 year old, getting to do what I love, performing on stage in New York.” l

Hereare the winners from Davis:

First place: Front page design –Anna Pro and Roger Tuttle

Honorable mention: Front page design – Anna Pro

Honorable mention: Best single page design – Anna Pro

Honorable mention: Best photographer – Roger Tuttle

Third place: Humor/lifestyle – Peri Kinder

Honorable mention: Humor/lifestyle –Peri Kinder

First place: Best newspaper reporter –Becky Ginos

First place: Medical/Science – Becky Ginos

Third place: General news – Becky Ginos and Roger Tuttle

Third place: Military – Becky Ginos

Third place: Sports – non-deadline reporting – Tom Haraldsen

Honorable mention: Military – Tom Haraldsen

Here are the winners from Salt Lake:

First Place: Writing and Reporting - Division B - Julie Slama

Second Place - Division B - Carl Fauver

First Place: Writing and Reporting - Division B Personality Profile - Julie Slama

Second Place: Sarah Morton Taggart

Third Place: Sona Schmidt-Harris

Third Place: Writing and ReportingDivision B Religion/Values - Sarah Morton Taggart

Second Place: Writing and ReportingDivision B Medical/science - Julie Slama

Third Place: Writing and Reporting - Division B Medical/science - Shaun Delliskave

First Place: Writing and Reporting - Division B Military - Julie Slama

Second Place: Writing and ReportingDivision B Education - Jet Burnham

Third Place: Writing and ReportingDivision B Education - Jet Burnham

Honorable Mention Third Place: Writing and Reporting - Division B Education - Jet Burnham

Second Place: Writing and ReportingDivision B Environment - Deb Hafner

First Place: Writing and Reporting - Division B Diversity and Equity - Julie Slama

First Place: Writing and Reporting - Division B COVID-19 - Cassie Goff

First Place: Writing and Reporting - Division B Continuing coverage - Cassie Goff

Second Place: Writing and ReportingDivision B Business/consumer - Sarah Morton Taggart

Third Place: Writing and ReportingDivision B Government Reporter - Cassie Goff

Second Place: Writing and Reporting - Division B Best newspaper reporter - Carl Fauver

First Place: Writing and Reporting - Division B Arts and Entertainment - Julie Slama

First Place: Writing and Reporting - Division B Sports non-deadline reporting - Julie Slama

Second Place: Writing and Reporting

- Division B Sports non-deadline reportingCarl Fauver

First Place: Writing and Reporting - Division B Personality profile - Julie Slama

Second Place: Writing and ReportingDivision B Personality profile - Sarah Morton Taggart

Third Place: Writing and Reporting - Division B Personality profile - Sona Schmidt-Harris l

Medallus Medical Membership is a simple membership program to all of our 8 clinics. Members can receive discounted medical services at $10/visit at fee in exchange for

fee:

• $50 / month (1 member)

• $75 / month (party of 2)

• $100 / month (family of 3)

• $120 / month (family of 4 to 6)

*$25 additional per person (family of 7 to 12) $20 registration fee – 12-month contract

Midvale Elementary’s pumpkin parade displays students’ creativity

Elementary students are getting creative turning their pumpkins into spooky carved faces, painted masterpieces or fun, quirky critters.

It’s the traditional pumpkin parade where Midvale Elementary students create their pumpkin masterpieces at home and bring them to the school to be displayed and judged for one of several fun awards.

This year’s pumpkin parade will be Oct. 30.

“It is a completely creative art project where the only criteria used is a pumpkin,” said Midvale Elementary PTA President Jessica Brown. “We invite all the students to show off their pumpkins and put them on the school stairs so classes can walk by and look at them.”

The award categories depend on the entries. Last year, the six certificates awarded were for best carved, most creative, most innovative, paint master, best character from a book or movie and best food entry.

“We’ve had cutely painted teeny tiny painted pumpkins and we’ve had big ones. One year a student made a gumball machine out of a humongous pumpkin. It’s really an anything goes project that’s really fun,” Brown said. “We’re just giving

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

kids a chance to bring it in and show it off. It gives them kind of something they can do artistically whether they’re with their family or doing it themselves.”

Students are enthusiastic about the chance to participate.

“Usually, we get about 60 students bringing in pumpkins. We have had a little more than 100 some years,” she said. “As a PTA, we want to help every kid have all the experiences to better their future and we want to get kids more involved in the school, so this is one of those ways for them to get involved. It’s no pressure, it’s easy and it’s fun.”

Classes, school staff and faculty, and other guests help to judge the pumpkin parade, usually during the first hour of the school day.

“We might have a class vote or an office or cafeteria vote on their favorites,” Brown said. “I just love watching the kids be so proud of their pumpkins. They get excited to show all their friends which one is theirs. We do it before Halloween so the kids can take the pumpkins home to put out on Halloween.” l

Snoopy was the winner of the best character from a book or movie in the 2022 Midvale Elementary’s pumpkin parade. (Jessica Brown/Midvale Elementary)

Lights, camera, success: A Canyons School District filmmaker’s advice

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Lucky 13.

In Canyons School District’s 13th film festival, a record was set with 242 entries from 610 students and teachers. It’s a sequel that’s only missed one year— 2021— since the District began 15 years ago. Even during COVID-19, the show went on with a virtual awards ceremony.

This 2023-24 film festival categories will remain the same: short film, documentary, animation, PSA, newscast and teacher film in addition to the festival poster contest. From the entries, the winners of the foreign language and digital citizenship will be announced.

This year’s film festival deadline is April 9, 2024. The red-carpet ceremony is April 25, 2024.

While last year’s top video entries are posted on the District’s website, honorees also will be recognized on Utah Education Network-TV at a yet to-be-announced date, said film festival director Justin Andersen, who said he appreciates the learning that leads up to the film festival.

“I like how the film festival helps students be creative and at the same time, it provides them an end goal,” he said. “Anyone can enter, they can borrow a device to film from school, come up with a storyline, a schedule and be their critique of their own work. They feel successful when they meet their goal to submit a video. I like seeing how they’re feeling proud of their work. That’s a powerful thing.”

While Andersen is fairly new to coordinating the film festival, he has been involved for eight years.

“I’ve seen kids submit videos every year; it’s been fun to see them grow and try harder things they’ve learned. They get better and better every year,” he said. “Some of the kids have submitted for years and maybe they’ve never won, but they come back, excited to try different categories.”

Hillcrest High 2023 graduate Abigail Slama-Catron first heard about the film festival as a second grader.

In a backstage interview after winning the PSA contest about supporting Girl Scouts by buying cookies that year, the youngster said she wanted to continue entering films in the festival. She kept her word, submitting entries as a student every year the film festival was held.

“I enjoy the process of filmmaking,” Slama-Catron said. “It’s fun picking ideas. I liked my pet adoption PSA in fourth grade. I was obsessed with animals, and it was so cute when I started out with all these Snoopys around me, but my words were serious. I started with a PSA because it was only a minute and did films about topics I knew something about, so it was easier.”

She also appreciated being able to be creative, especially with her short film, “Doggy Dreams.”

“I love that film. It’s a fun story. I was 11 and it was about my dog, thinking he can do all these fun things like race and fly. I portrayed him as a child who believes he could do everything. I had never done a feature film before, so it was fun to branch out. It was a simple story, but it turned out to be a favorite,” Slama-Catron said.

She entered several documentaries.

“I learned how to research, and I especially liked doing some first-person documentaries, which makes me feel immersed in the story. In elementary school, I interviewed people about Hilltop House, and I got to learn what they do and how they help families. I also interviewed people to learn the history of Mt. Jordan (Middle School) and see it being torn down firsthand for another film,” Slama-Catron said. “In middle school, I included an interview with Jesse Owens’ daughter for a documentary about the Berlin Olympics.”

Some of her entries were group entries that she did as class assignments or with friends.

“I learned how to create as a team and how much work is involved,” she said.

“I learned what worked and what didn’t. Throughout my filmmaking, I learned other skills, starting with (former film festival director) Katie Blunt teaching me how to use a tripod and the rule of thirds.

I learned how to place your action or the person you’re interviewing in the best camera angles. I learned the importance of storyboarding and how it’s helpful to have an outline of your script before you fully write it. I learned a lot about lighting, sound and editing. From watching other people’s films, I’ve gotten ideas and I’ve learned how to tell an engaging story, especially from one teacher who enters every year. I always look forward to watching his entry.”

As a result of learning skills through her Canyons FilWm Festival entries, Slama-Catron, as Hillcrest’s audiovisual student body officer, created more than 35 films for her school. She also entered several contests, including being the youth runner-up at the Colorado Environmental Film Festival.

“Canyons Film Fest has made me into a comfortable filmmaker, editor and director. I wouldn’t have any idea of what to do in filmmaking if I didn’t do that nor would I have found this passion,” she said, adding now in her first semester of college, she is taking her first filmmaking class. “Going to the awards night is like being at the Oscars. Watching the films there is incredible. You get to watch an elementary newscast, then you see a hard-hitting documentary from a high school student. It’s engaging and you’re proud even if you don’t win. It’s important to try something new because you get that chance to learn. I

don’t think when I was 7 doing these films that I would be taking a college film class. I just did it to have fun.”

The 2022-23 award-winners in the PSA category include Lucca Welch, Oliver Lundell, Liam Eliason and Kasey Horrocks, Sunrise Elementary; Jake Despain, Eastmont Middle; and Narayani Shankar, Hillcrest High.

The animation winners include Santiago Gonzelez, East Sandy Elementary; Joshua Lindsay, Albion Middle; and Jaeden Aguirre, Alta High.

Newscast winners are from Sprucewood Elementary and Jordan High School.

Documentary winners are Ethan Moore, Brookwood Elementary; Tawny McEntire, Eastmont Middle; and Kasch Hart, Corner Canyon High.

Short film winner are Ian Gibbs, Oak Hollow Elementary; Owen Turcsanski, Liam Turcsanski and Logan Hart, Albion Middle; and Jackson Hughes and Carter Kenworthy, Corner Canyon High.

The world language category winner is Anay Mertz, Hillcrest High and the digital citizenship award went to Slama-Catron. The poster contest winner is Nash Anderson, Hillcrest High.

Teacher film winner went to Dallin Maxfield, Dan Crowshaw, Joe Wale, Cory Christianson, Julianna Brassfield and Clark Ashland, Albion Middle. l

At Canyons School District’s film festival, awards are given to the top elementary and secondary students as well as teacher film entries. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Hillcrest volleyball program grows under former Husky player

At week six of nine in the season, Hillcrest High volleyball is even in the standings, 10 wins and 10 losses. They’re also at a similar level 4-4 in 4A region 10 play, with three teams ahead of the Huskies and three behind.

It’s a steady start for new head coach and former Hillcrest player, Cassidy Adams.

“From the start of the season to now the team has really improved and are becoming mentally tough,” she said. “The resilience has just grown so much in the past couple weeks and the team is getting better, working hard and working together.”

The Hillcrest alumna, who graduated in 2021, played volleyball for the Huskies for four years serving as captain her senior year. She was named first team all-region, academic all-state and was the school’s scholar-athlete of the year.

She replaces three-year head coach Melissa Guymon, who was over the program when Adams was on the team.

Currently on an academic scholarship at the University of Utah, Adams continues to play volleyball recreationally and coaches a Draper club team of 14 year olds who competed at nationals last year in ad-

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

dition to overseeing the Huskies program.

Joining her on staff is her club assistant coach and mother, Hilary Adams, a 1998 Hillcrest alumna who played volleyball, basketball and softball and coaches the freshmen/sophomore team; and JV coach and varsity assistant Leandra Ashworth, who played high school volleyball in Las Vegas and has studied human movement science at Utah State University.

Adams wants to build the program to make it an upbeat and encouraging environment.

“Our varsity captains (juniors Meia Larsen and Dayana Mulamba) are really doing a great job, being positive and being inclusive on top of being amazing players,” she said.

In mid-September, Hillcrest has two players ranking in the top 20 in the state, with Larsen ranked 14th in assists, and junior Ana Moleni, 16th in kills.

Adams also wants to extend opportunities to the middle school programs that feed into the high school.

“We include all the age groups and make it fun for everyone. We include everyone in all the fun stuff that we do. Next week, we’re going to the University of Utah volleyball game, and we’re taking all

the high school players, all the junior high players and all the coaches and we’re having a big team night together,” she said.

Those younger students, primarily from Union and Midvale middle schools, are helping to boost the program at Hillcrest.

“I have a lot of sophomores who started in the junior high league two years ago and a lot of them are playing JV and varsity this year because they’re coming in much better because of playing earlier,” Adams said.

The varsity team, with only three seniors, faces three region opponents in late September before four early October games to end the regular season. Firstround state playoffs for the top 24 teams begin on home team sites Oct. 21.

“We want to play our best, be the most hyped, the most supportive, and have the most fun on the court,” Adams said. “We’ve got to keep that momentum up.” l

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.

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®)

•

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.

Hillcrest High junior Dayana Mulamba spikes the ball in the match versus Tooele High Sept. 19. (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

By Mayor Marcus Stevenson

The Upcoming Municipal Election

In my opinion, municipal elections are more important than any other. Your city government impacts the day-to-day of your life much more than any other level of government. From ensuring that our roads are safe to drive on and our water is safe to drink, to determining where commercial buildings, apartments, or single-family homes will be built, and what kind of response times our police and re will have when called, local government decisions impact all of us in signi cant ways.

This year’s election is especially critical, with the Midvale Recreation General Obligation (GO) Bond and three City Council districts on the ballot, I plead for every eligible resident to take some time to research the bond and city council candidates.

This year’s Election Day is November 21 with Vote by Mail ballots going out the rst week of November.

will be competing against several other communities for this oncein-a-decade opportunity. If the bond is approved, the City plans to contribute $10 million of funding to the budget for the center to help improve Midvale’s chances of securing the necessary funds.

WALKING & BIKING PATHS

Midvale City was invited by the Wasatch Front Regional Council (WFRC), the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), and the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) to participate in the 2023 RAISE grant application for the First/Last Mile Connections: Improving Communities’ Quality of Life through Access to Opportunities and Healthy Transportation Connections Project. The purpose of the grant is to facilitate active transportation projects that will enhance the safety, comfort and convenience for people who choose a walking or bicycling trip, especially when utilizing transit to reach the destination.

Midvale City was awarded $4.8 million in federal funding, but to receive the funding the City must contribute $1.2 million to the project budget. If the bond is approved, the City will use bond funding to meet this requirement. Here are the four projects that have been awarded:

• Center Street Protected Bike Lane

• Fort Union Trax Station to Maple Street Multi-Use Path

• 700 W/Holden Street Bu ered Bike Lane

• Cottonwood Street Bu ered Bike Lane

MIDVALE RECREATION BOND

The Midvale City Council voted earlier this year to place an $11.2 million GO Bond on this year’s ballot to support recreational opportunities in the City. If approved, this recreation bond would provide funding for two recreation projects. More information can be found at engagemidvale.com.

NEW RECREATION CENTER

$10 million in bond funding could improve Midvale’s chances of receiving a new modern recreation center.

Midvale’s current recreation center, Copperview Recreation Center, is one of the county’s oldest tness facilities, and while it has served the City well, it is nearing the end of its life. A new modern recreation center could provide the City with a community pool, enhanced recreational facilities, and programming to support residents of all ages and abilities throughout the community.

A new recreation center is estimated to cost about $45 million to construct. Like many cities of its size, Midvale can’t a ord to build and operate a new recreation center alone. The City will seek funding for the majority of the cost through a variety of sources, including a Salt Lake County Zoo, Arts and Parks (ZAP) grant in 2025. Midvale

In The Middle of Everything

Midvale City Council Election A Ranked Choice Voting Election

Three City Council seats are open for election this year. Council Districts 1, 2, and 3. I’d encourage each voter to take a moment to research each of the candidates and to individually contact them with your comments, thoughts, and concerns.

HERE ARE THE CANDIDATES AND THEIR CONTACT INFORMATION:

evanf91@gmail.com

Tammy J. Garcia 801-580-2483 Tammy@analyBcalpsychologycoaching.com

Bart Benson 801-565-3660 Bart7740@Juno.com

A ranked-choice voting system (RCV) is an electoral system in which voters rank candidates by preference on their ballots. If a candidate wins a majority of rst-preference votes, he or she is declared the winner. If no candidate wins a majority of rst-preference votes, the candidate with the fewest rst-preference votes is eliminated. First-preference votes cast for the failed candidate are eliminated, lifting the second-preference choices indicated on those ballots. A new tally is conducted to determine whether any candidate has won a majority of the adjusted votes. The process is repeated until a candidate wins an outright majority. To learn more, you may visit utahrcv.com.

OTHER ELECTION INFORMATION

• Vote by Mail ballots will be mailed out on October 31

• The deadline to register to vote is November 13

• Vote by Mail ballots must be postmarked by Monday, November 20

• The General Election is Tuesday, November 21

Your voice and opinion matter! I hope our residents will take a moment to research the proposed recreation bond and the candidate.

Midvale Senior Center Café Menu Change & Halloween Party

Midvale Senior Center will be closing at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 12, for a county-wide Aging and Adult Services Employee Retreat. To accommodate for this meeting, we will be serving salmon on Wednesday, October 11. Bruschetta chicken will be served on Thursday, October 12, from 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Our Halloween Party will be held on Tuesday, October 31. Our party starts at 10:30 a.m. with a fun game, a fortune teller, and a witches’ brew. At 11:30 a.m. we will be serving a holiday meal consisting of pot roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, carrots and green beans, dinner roll, fruit, milk, and chocolate cream pie. We will have a costume contest at 12:30 p.m. Please let us know if you are planning to attend, by calling 385-468-3350 by Friday, October 13.

Save the Dates: Our Thanksgiving Holiday Meal will be held on Friday, November 17, and our Winter Holiday Meal will be held on Friday, December 15.

Keeping Midvale City Clean: Curbside Bulky Waste Program

Midvale City is committed to maintaining a clean and beautiful environment for its residents. One of the initiatives in place to achieve this goal is the Curbside Bulky Waste Program. This program is available to all Midvale City residents who currently receive City garbage services. In this article, we will provide you with all the information you need to make the most of this service.

What is the Curbside Bulky Waste Program?

The Curbside Bulky Waste Program o ers residents the opportunity to have approved large items picked up directly from their curbside. This includes items that are boxed, bundled, or bagged for easy collection. The program’s primary aim is to reduce pollution in our streams, rivers, and lakes and to keep our city clean and beautiful.

What Items Can You Include?

While the program is designed to make waste disposal convenient, there are some important guidelines to keep in mind. Hazardous materials such as oil, batteries, paint, tires, and other pollutants will not be collected as part of this program. It’s essential to dispose of these items through the appropriate channels.

Schedule for Fall 2023

To help you plan, here is the schedule for the Curbside Bulky Waste Program for Fall 2023:

• Monday: Regular trash day, then Bulky Waste day is Monday, October 2, 2023

• Tuesday: Regular trash day, then Bulky Waste day is Wednesday, October 4, 2023

• Wednesday: Regular trash day, then Bulky Waste day is Monday, October 9, 2023

• Thursday: Regular trash day, then Bulky Waste day is Wednesday, October 11, 2023

Trans Jordan Green Waste Program Closed A er Fire

Properly prepared items may be placed curbside up to one week before the scheduled pick-up dates and no later than 6:30 a.m. on the designated Curbside Bulky Waste pick-up day.

Preventing Stormwater Pollution

Please ensure that items placed at the curb do not obstruct sidewalks, gutters, storm drain inlets, water meters, or the free movement of tra c. This helps prevent stormwater pollution, keeping our environment clean.

Bulky Waste Guidelines

To ensure a smooth pick-up process, follow these guidelines:

1. Grass Clippings: Do not place grass clippings curbside for bulky waste collection. Dispose of them by putting them in a plastic bag in your regular roll-out garbage container for weekly collection.

2. Yard Waste: Excess yard waste can be boxed, bundled, or bagged (excluding grass clippings). Boxes must be 30 gallons or smaller, which is the size of a standard garbage can. Avoid setting out boxes in wet weather to prevent messes.

3. Branches and Shrub Trimmings: Branches and limbs up to 4 inches in diameter can be collected if tied in bundles less than 18 inches in thickness. They must be shorter than 4 feet and weigh less than 75 lbs. per bundle. Properly contained shrub trimmings and yard waste are also accepted.

4. Appliances and Furniture: Appliances without Freon, such as refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, dehumidi ers, or water coolers, will be collected. Ensure that appliances with Freon have been professionally tagged after Freon removal. Furniture, carpet, padding, sofas, mattresses, and water heaters are also ac-

cepted. Cut carpet and pads into 4-foot rolls for pickup. Televisions and computer monitors, however, are not accepted.

5. Household Garbage: Everyday household garbage like food waste and packaging must not be included in bulky waste items. Dispose of these materials in your regular roll-out garbage container.

6. Hazardous Materials: Items like oil, gas, paint products, solvents, motor oil, transmission uid, antifreeze, tires, batteries, pesticides, fertilizers, and other chemicals are considered household hazardous waste and will not be collected. Visit the Salt Lake County Hazardous Waste website for proper disposal instructions.

Items NOT Accepted

Commercial, industrial, and business waste is prohibited. Additionally, we do not collect contractor-produced waste of any kind. Items like car parts, dirt, rocks, sod, bricks, broken concrete, major construction or demolition debris, household hazardous waste, and 55-gallon drums will not be collected. Televisions and computer monitors are also not accepted.

Reporting Illegal Dumping

If you suspect illegal dumping or scavenging, please report it to Midvale City Code Enforcement at 801-567-7208.

For additional information or inquiries, please contact our Public Works team at 801-567-7235. Midvale City is proud to o er the Curbside Bulky Waste Program as part of our ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship and community well-being.

Midvale City Joins Ring for Neighbors

On September 21, 2023, the Trans Jordan Board of Directors announced the permanent closure of the Green Waste Program. This closure follows a catastrophic fire that destroyed essential equipment, rendering the facility unusable.

Effective immediately, Trans Jordan Landfill will accept green waste as regular mixed waste at the standard rate of $39 per ton. For more details, please contact Jill Fletcher, Community Education & Outreach Coordinator, at jillfletcher@transjordan.org.

While the closure of the Green Waste Program is regrettable, adapting to these circumstances ensures the continuity of waste management services in our community. We encourage everyone to stay informed about the new disposal guidelines and rates at Trans Jordan Landfill as we continue our commitment to responsible waste management.

Midvale City is taking another step towards strengthening community safety and engagement by joining Ring for Neighbors. This exciting development means that residents in Midvale can now connect with their neighbors more effectively and collaborate on keeping their neighborhoods secure. Ring for Neighbors is an innovative platform that allows residents to share and receive real-time updates about local incidents, security concerns, and important community news. By joining this network, Midvale City is empowering its residents to play an active role in creating a safer and more connected community.

To get started with Ring for Neighbors in Midvale City, simply download the Ring Neighbors app, create an account, and connect with your fellow residents. Together, we can make Midvale City an even safer and more connected place to live.

Join us in embracing this new tool for community engagement and safety. Let’s work together to keep Midvale City a great place to call home.

HALLOWEEN SECTION

A publication covering local Halloween legends and activities for men, women, and children in the Salt Lake Valley

The scariest way to know what’s most popular this Halloween—with numbers!

By Cassie Goff | c.goff@mycityjournals.com

Hit the trifecta this Halloween by giving out M&M’S (or Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups) to the trickor-treaters while wearing a scary (but unique) costume in between catching glimpses of one of the Halloween franchise movies on your television screen. (“Halloween Ends” is the most recently released movie in the franchise, but “Halloween: Resurrection” (2002) and “Halloween: The Curse of Michael Meyers” (1995) (filmed in Utah!) seem to be most adored by fans.)

If you’re wondering what type of candy variety pack to pick up from the store for the Trick-or-Treaters this year, go with the chocolate. Specifically, M&M’S, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and Kit Kats tend to be the most sought-after candy choice.

Some 1,188 participants (based in the United States) were surveyed during an online study conducted in October 2021. Participants were asked which candy they liked better during head-tohead match-ups of 76 different sugary items.

M&M’S topped out by being the favorite of the online voting base with 76.1%. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups came in at 74.4%. Kit Kats received 72.8% of the vote, with Peanut M&M’S not trailing too far behind with a 72.4%. Butterfinger was the last of the 70 with 70.9% of the vote.

The remaining candies to make up the top 10 favorite Halloween treats (scoring between 67.1% and 68.8%) included Snickers, Twix, Milky Way, Hershey’s and Reese’s Pieces.

In case you were curious about the top 20: coming in at being the favorite between 57.5% and 65.5% of the online surveyed population were Hershey’s

Kisses, Dove Dark Chocolate Bar, 3 Musketeers, Dove Milk Chocolate Bar, Krackel, Crunch, Almond Joy, Baby Ruth, Starbursts, and Andes Chocolate Mints.

Another study conducted in 2020 broadly backs up the claim to fame for chocolate. Some 13,852 participants were surveyed about their various Halloween preferences in September 2020.

Out of those 13,852 (United States) adults, 88% reported that they would be buying chocolate candy. Forty-two percent reported that they would be buying candy that was either chewy or fruity, with 40% reporting they’d be buying caramel candy, and 37% reporting lollipop purchases. Further, 36% of respondents reported they’d be buying sour gummies, 28% would be looking specifically for candy corn, 25% would by buying taffy, 20% would be buying nut-filled candy and 12% would be buying either gum or mints.

Overall, most (United States) adults purchased candy for their trick-or-treaters (71%). But! Twenty-nine percent of adults still purchased healthy alternatives like carrot snack bags, trail mix, or toothbrushes to throw in amongst the candy. But! You can’t just give out the most desirable candy and be the favorite Halloween house around. You have to dress the part!

A study conducted in 2017 by aytm, a market research company, encourages people to dress as scary imposters. A thousand (American) adults were surveyed during September 2017. Survey results were compared with secondary research of search trends from Pinterest and Lyst as well as predictions from USA Today.

Some 24.4% of Halloween costumes were described as being scary, with 20.3% described as sexy. Other

descriptions of costumers that didn’t score as high were cute, funny, weird/ creative, classy/sophisticated, and other. The most frequent costumers of 2017 including Pennywise the Clown, a witch, Wonder Woman, a “Game of Thrones” character and a zombie.

Echoing the sentiment, a 2021 study surveying 2,312 (United States) adults encourages people to pick classic Halloween costumes like ghosts and witches, as that’s what 20.81% of respondents chose to do.

Even if you’re still unsure what to dress up as this year, absolutely don’t go as an athlete, clown, pumpkin, ghost or cat. Survey results show that we’re all too tired of those costumes.

And be yourself! The 2021 study reported that only 10.57% of people coordinated their costume with another person.

While you’re waiting for trick-ortreaters with your M&M’S and scary costume, you may as well spend you time watching the most preferable scary/Halloween movie.

According to an online survey conducted in October 2022, 56% of 2,210 (United States) adults reported “Halloween” as their favorite horror movie franchise. “Friday the 13th” just about tied with a rounded 56% as well. “Nightmare

on Elm Street” came in closely after those two with 54%.

“Halloween Ends” ranked as the fifth top grossing horror movie in the U.S. and Canada in 2022 at $81 million, according to data collected and published in January 2023.

Plus! Halloween 2023 is anticipated to see the most participation and attendance in the last decade. According to the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics, 73% of (United States) adults will participate in Halloween activities this year. The last time over 70% of the population participated in Halloween actives was in 2017 when 71.7% of adults participated in spooky fun.

What will we be doing? About 67% of us will be handing out candy (hopefully those chocolate bites!). Fifty-one percent of us will be decorating our homes and yards (this reporter’s decorations have been up for two weeks now). Forty-seven percent of us will dress in costume. Forty-four percent of us will carve a pumpkin (you got this one). Twenty-eight percent of us will throw or attend a Halloween party. And 20% of us will dress up a pet (this reporter’s fur baby rocks her pumpkin costume). l

Responses to the question “What Halloween costume(s) are you sick of seeing every year?” (Photo courtesy of Wyatt Edwards and Katelyn Shaaf/HalloweenCostumes)

Draper families transform their yards into Halloween destinations

By Katherine Weinstein | k.weinstein@mycityjournals.com

No other state gets into the spirit of Halloween like Utah. A recent three-year study of Google search terms and homeowner survey by Lombardo Homes revealed that Utahns lead the nation in decorating for Halloween. Across the state, people transform their yards and gardens into supernatural realms filled with animated creepy characters, spooky lighting, fog machines and all manner of things that go bump in the night.

The most elaborate of these homemade “spook alleys” attract visitors from all over and become neighborhood gathering places on Halloween. For years, three families in Draper in particular have shared their passion for the spine-chilling and spooktacular with the community through their immersive yard displays.

Larsen Manor

“We build stuff all year long,” LaDawn Larsen said. “It’s a construction project when it starts. It takes over everything.” LaDawn and her husband, Steve, transform the grounds of their home at 1871 Flat Bear Circle into “Larsen Manor” for the month of October. Visitors to Larsen Manor can walk around the yard where a giant pumpkin-head creature with burning eyes watches over a graveyard and skeletons appear to march out of a mausoleum.

“Steve and I got married 11 years ago. He got drawn into the Halloween craziness and it got bigger,” LaDawn said with a smile.

Halloween is a special holiday for the couple. As a firefighter in Magna, Steve used to dress up as a cyclops and ride the fire truck handing out candy on Halloween. LaDawn has cherished memories of trick or treating in Sandy as a child and enjoyed decorating and throwing Halloween parties as an adult. The pair got engaged at TransWorld Halloween & Attractions Show in St. Louis.

“We really like to mix things up,” Steve said. “This year we’ll have armies of the dead. A mad scientist scene will be the feature.” The Larsens also plan to transform their 12-foot skeleton into the mummy of King Tut.

“A little girl who likes to come every year said that we needed more jump scares,” LaDawn said. “So we did. We have a pumpkin that opens up and comes alive. We’re trying to do more of those things.” She added that their display is not gory. “We don’t have our own children that are here so we do this for other peoples’ kids.”

The appreciation they receive from visitors to Larsen Manor is a major inspiration for LaDawn and Steve. They plan to open their yard display on Oct. 6 but will have to close it before Halloween this year on Oct. 28, for work-related reasons.

The Haunted Haven

Tifini Folkersen’s love for Halloween is a longstanding family tradition. Her mother, Jodi Tebbs, decorated her childhood home at a time when Halloween decorations weren’t quite as popular as they are today. Tebbs’ parents loved the holiday as well. “My mom’s dad would dress up like a werewolf, in full theatrical makeup. He’d run around the neighborhood and scare people,” she said.

A trellis over the front walk leading to the Folkersen’s house at 1338 Hana Court is entwined with skulls and grimacing skeletons. “Our decorations are never the same,” Folkersen said. “It changes from year to year as the kids grow.”

Tebbs and Folkersen explained that their décor came out of a desire to make Halloween an interactive experience for the children in the family. The yard display features little vignettes that relate to members of the family. When Folkersen’s son, Kolsyn, went to his senior prom, they put up dancing skeletons in the display. “Last year, Kolsyn went to the U so we had a University of Utah-themed skeleton area,” Tebbs said.

“We make it family friendly,” Folkersen said. “It’s fun and spooky, not too scary.” On Halloween night, she and her husband, Lynn, give out candy and run the technical aspects of things. Tebbs enjoys mingling with the visitors.

This year the family is planning a ghosts in the graveyard theme. “Once I come up with a theme, we figure out what we want to add and build,” Folkersen said. “We’ve been collecting for 30 years and building. There are memories attached to each decoration.”

Building the displays is a labor of love for the family and they enjoy watching visitors react to their handiwork. “It’s cute seeing all the people having fun,” Folkersen said. “People stay and have a good time.” She said that her neighbors having been getting into the Halloween spirit with their own decorations as well.

Folkersen plans to have her display ready for the first weekend in October. It is open to visitors every night from when darkness falls to 10:30 p.m. She said, “We tell people, when they hear the witches cackle, it’s time to go home.”

The Farr family’s “Southfork Sanitarium” is located at 927 E. Southfork Drive in Draper. The decorations are up throughout October. (Photo by Farris Gerard)

A pumpkin-headed monster towers over “Larsen Manor,” 1871 Flat Bear Circle in Draper. The Manor will be open Oct. 6-28. (Photo by Steve Larsen)

Southfork Sanitarium

Dan and Stephanie Farr explained that "love for the neighborhood" was the inspiration behind their yard display. "I loved it in our old neighborhood when our neighbor would have a Halloween potluck," Stephanie said. The Farrs started out serving chili and hot dogs to their neighbors on Halloween night and set up a "spook alley" in their yard. The spook alley got more elaborate every year and evolved into "Southfork Sanitarium."

"Dan got started with the life-sized monsters," Stephanie said. He became

hooked on Halloween after a trip to a friend's Halloween store. About 15 years ago he joined the Rocky Mountain Haunters group.

“I geek out on Halloween,” Dan said. "I love entertainment and doing stuff that makes people happy.” That same passion inspired Farr to become the founder and producer of FanX Salt Lake Comic & Pop Culture Convention. Soon after the convention ends in late September, the Farrs start putting out the monsters.

The family has built up a collection of props that would fit in at any commercial haunted house. Some have been

created by professional monster makers. Dan has acquired a few creatures, including a giant animated demon, from his friend, Dick Van Dyke. The actor enjoys putting up an elaborate Halloween display for trick or treaters at his home in Malibu, California.

Other supernatural scares are homemade. Dan constructed Stephanie's favorite, a glowing ghost on a pulley that appears to hover in the window over the front door. "I don't like gore, I like spooky fun and jump scares," she said. The Farrs' display has attracted attention beyond their neighborhood.

"There have been years that we've been in the news," Dan said. "A lot of people will come in from other areas."

Stephanie explained that this year's haunt might not be quite as over-thetop. "We used to have our sons and their friends help set everything up, but they're grown up now," she said. "We've had to simplify."

Still, monsters will appear once again at 927 E. Southfork Drive this month. "The neighborhood kids love it!" Stephanie said. Dan added, "We just can't stop!" l

Steve and LaDawn Larsen put personal touches on their Halloween display. “Larsen Manor” will be open Oct. 6-28. (Photo by David J. Weinstein)

When their youngest son went to college, the Folkersen family put up a “U” themed vignette with skeletons as part of their Halloween display. (Photo by Lynn Folkersen)

The cackling of the witch tells visitors that it’s time to go home at the Folkersen family’s Halloween display in Draper. (Photo by Lynn Folkersen)

In this photo from 2021, a skeletal procession was on display at “Larsen Manor,” 1871 Flat Bear Circle in Draper. The Manor will be open Oct. 6-28. (Photo by David J. Weinstein)

Double, double, toil and trouble: Haunted Woods spells fun and funds for families

By Shaun Delliskave | s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com

For over 50 years, Murray Haunted Woods has been a tradition in the local community, but it's more than just a seasonal attraction. It serves a dual purpose, both as a family-oriented entertainment venue and as a fundraiser for noble causes, primarily focused on the prevention of child abuse and domestic violence.

Originally managed by Murray City until 2010, the Haunted Woods faced potential discontinuation due to budget cuts. However, the Murray Exchange Club and Youth Council stepped in to take over the event. "During the economic turn, the city needed to cut back. When they cut this event, the citizens responded with an adamant ‘No, we need to keep this. It’s tradition and family-oriented,'" Sheri Van Bibber of the Murray Exchange Club said.

The event has always had a charitable edge. "Our Exchange Clubs across the valley all participate. We contribute funds to different groups, past examples include YWCA, Taylorsville Family Center, Midvale Family Center, Boys & Girls Clubs, Victims’ Advocates of SLC and several more," Van Bibber said.

The Murray Haunted Woods has adapted to the changing times, especially in the era of COVID-19. "We almost shut down, but public input encouraged us to continue," Van Bibber said. "We met all health requirements and have since added double the availability. People can buy tickets online or at the gate." The event also complies with all city and county standards to ensure safety and enjoyment for all attendees.

Interactive elements have become an integral part of the event. "We want the wait in line to be just as much fun as the actual tour through the Woods," Van Bibber said. Performances from the West High Drill Team, appearances by the Ghost Busters Team and their iconic car, and multiple interactive activities are designed to keep visitors entertained throughout.

However, creating such an event does not come without challenges. "We spend months preparing, so logistics are always a challenge," Van Bibber said. In addition to dealing with increasing amounts of props that now require rented storage space, the event must adapt to changes in the city's infrastructure. "Last year, the challenge was the pavilion being rebuilt; this year, it was a new addition to the city's warehouse," she said. Despite these hurdles, Van Bibber assured that "everyone has been working together to make it possible."

Being an outdoor event, weather is a significant concern, but the organizers are undeterred. "We have run the woods in wind, rain, snow, hail, 11 degrees; it just adds to the ambiance," Van Bibber said.

She also mentioned the valuable assistance from local police and fire departments in ensuring that the event setup remains secure overnight.

As for the experience itself, the Haunted Woods offers something for every age group. "We start in the daylight with the 'Silly Trails'—the music and characters are fun and entertaining. As the sun goes down, the energy in the woods shifts, and so do the characters," Van Bibber said. A safety feature, a "Safe Code" called “Ghouls Be Gone,” is in place if anyone finds the experience too intense.

Although there have been discussions about extending the traditional three-day schedule, limitations arise. "People have asked us to run all month, at least a week, or even move to the weekend," Van Bibber said. However, due to logistical issues related to volunteer availability, "we have found it best to leave things as they are."

This year's event includes several noted attractions. "The football team playing ball in the woods as scarecrows is always entertaining," Van Bibber said, "and the polo team playing on land along with Madame Leota is new this year."

Regarding the trail designs, Van Bibber said, "We always look at it with fresh eyes every year. There's a 'Light Show' crafted by Jeff Evans and music and design by Andy and Jeleigh Evans from Murray High."

Over the years, there have been many memorable moments in running the event. "One of our first years we had three fog machines, and it was so humid that the whole park filled up with fog. The Fire Department kept getting calls that the park was on fire," Van Bibber said. In another instance, "One year, it was thundering and snowing, and we were all covered with snow. The kids had a riot, and no one wanted to leave."

Volunteers from the Murray Youth Council and the Exchange Clubs are vital. "There’s a lot of leadership involved, and we have amazing kiddos," Van Bibber said. Local businesses like K Real Estate and AAA Restoration play significant roles behind the scenes. "Our Murray businesses are the reason we are still here. We are always open to our business family and look forward to more partnerships in the future.”

The event runs Oct. 23-25 at Murray City Park (296 E. Murray Park Ave.) on the south side of the outdoor swimming pool in pavilion 5. Visitors can choose the Silly Trail for younger guests from 5:30-7 p.m. or the Scary Trail from 7-9 p.m. for the more adventurous. Tickets are $5. Visit MurrayHauntedWoods.com for tickets and more information. l

Two ghosts dance in the Murray Haunted Woods. (Photo courtesy of Sheri Van Bibber)

A zombie startles visitors in the Murray Haunted Woods. (Photo courtesy of Sheri Van Bibber)

A witch greets small visitors on the Silly Trail of the Murray Haunted Woods. (Photo courtesy of Sheri Van Bibber)

Midvale City thanks Harvest Days Festival volunteers

By Annabelle Larsen | a.larsen@mycityjournals.com

The Harvest Days Festival has been a staple of Midvale for over 80 years, and much of what makes the festival so exciting and fun for residents comes from local volunteers giving their time and talents to take Harvest Days from being good to being great. One city councilmember stated that this year's Harvest Days Festival was, “By far, the best.”

As such, this past month Midvale City officials decided to give a much deserved thank you to these volunteers during their city council meeting. Each one of the volunteers present got the opportunity to come up to each of the city councilmembers and the mayor, shake their hand, and receive a personal thank you.

They also received several gifts to show the city’s gratitude in regards to their volunteering, including a Midvale City mug and other memorabilia.

This year's Harvest Days Festival included mini golf, sumo wrestling, carnival games, bounce houses and many other activities.

The Midvale Harvest Days volunteers mentioned that this year ran much smoother than previous years, including setting up activities and local shop owners in an organized and polished manner. They also stated that they were able to include more activities than previous years, and that they hope next year will be even better. l

Midvale volunteers meet and shake hands with Midvale City councilmembers. (Annabelle Larsen/City Journals)

Midvale educator compares learning to running a marathon

Nottoo many marathoners make the connection between running 26.2 miles to improving schoolwork, but it’s one made by a Midvale Elementary educator.

The school’s instructional coach, Amy Sandgren, clued in students to her running aspiration: the REVEL Big Cottonwood marathon.

“I love that running is a sport where you can set an individual goal,” she said. “It’s like our students at school. We’re looking at where they’re at right now and where they can see with the right training. Similarly, I look at the training I need for a run, evaluate where can I be and where do I want to be and what it looks like daily. I think that parallel really hit home because as educator, I constantly meet with students, help them set goals, and look at the steps that they take to get there. Running just connects to my teacher heart.”

Sandgren said that she didn’t just lace up her running shoes once she decided to run the marathon.

“I was training with about four runs a week and do long runs on Saturday. I’d cross train with spin class,” she said, adding that on off days, she would go on long hikes with a group of friends.

The Midvale Elementary community, her hiking friends, and her spin class instructor and

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

classmates kept Sandgren inspired along with a neighbor who she first ran a half marathon with in 2015.

“I didn’t run until I was older. My neigh bor had a goal of doing a half marathon. She pulled me aside one day and asked, ‘Do you just want to go run-walking with me?’ We started slow and that was the key. It was beau tiful outside and at first, it was a chance for me to get out and talk with some people when we did a neighborhood 5K. Then we kept adding miles until she convinced me we could do that half marathon together,” she said.

Sandgren knew from running her 20 half marathons that she’d need to budget that time for her runs and made the tie into that dedica tion with her students.

“I was a teacher for 12 years before I be came an instructional coach,” she said about her 16 years in education, 13 of it within Canyons School District and the last two at Midvale Elementary. “In the class, we’d talk about the race I’d have coming up. That was inspiring because they want to see their teacher succeed as much as I want to see them succeed in their classwork. So, we shared those success moments back and forth. Now that I’m an in structional coach, students I work with were cheering me on. And it wasn’t just me. Another instructional coach here, Maria Guizar, ran a

Midvale Elementary instructional coach Amy Sandgren crosses the finish line in her first marathon in September. (Photo courtesy of REVEL)

Midvale residents learn about upcoming Main Street revisions in tour

Thispast month Midvale residents had the opportunity to meet with city officials and the mayor to discuss the upcoming renovations to Midvale Main Street. Main Street has been a staple of the city for over 50 years, including a mix of historic and modern buildings ranging from the Pearl on Main that has been a part of Main Street since the beginning, to Vincent Drug that has been in such films as “The Sandlot” and “Halloween 4,” up to the current City Hall building on the far north side.

Those curious about the future of Main Street had the chance to walk and talk with city officials and to be able to see and envision the changes that are in the works for Main.

Over the past several decades, Main Street has undergone a lot of changes, one large change coming from the installation of I-15, that led to the decline of visitors and overall traffic to Main Street. Under the current mayor though, Midvale residents can expect a new and exciting refurbishment to the historic street.

The new revisions were described by city officials as a, “chicken and egg scenario,” where there are quite a few things to accomplish and just deciding what gets done first. Some upcoming revisions in the works are the removal of on-street parking and creating parking garages that would allow for ample parking. Another revision would be amplifying the arts across Main Street. The murals in this area are a starting point for this adjustment, but it may just be the beginning for Midvale artists.

By Annabelle Larsen | a.larsen@mycityjournals.com

Nate Rockwood, the assistant city manager, stated, “There is a big focus on how to revitalize Main Street.” Rockwood went on to say, “We want it to be a place where artists can thrive.”

Also in attendance was Bill Miller, president of the Midvale Historic Society and Midvale Museum. He discussed the history behind many of the buildings on Main Street, including The Pearl on Main, that, “has been there since the beginning.” He also talked about the history of Vincent Drug and the media presence that has amplified the drug store into a notable location.

Much of the funding for the revitalization of Main Street would come from within Midvale Main. As of 2022, and for the next 22 years, an agreement has been made that the property taxes from Main Street would go back into funding the revamp of the historic street.

Many adjustments toward this project are to help make the street more accessible to pedestrians and bikers, including possible raised crosswalks to make pedestrians more visible to drivers and to also slow the flow of traffic through the road. Some aesthetic changes would be to include overhanging lights across the street to brighten the road and draw people into the area.

This redesign and overall adjustments to Main Street are meant to combine the historical aspect of the street with the artistic side of Midvale to create an amalgamation of two sides of Midvale into one street. l

Bill Miller of the Midvale Historic Society presents historical information in front of Vincent Drug. (Annabelle Larsen/City Journals)

Assistant City Manager Nate Rockwood presents to a large group the ideas for change next to City Hall. (Annabelle Larsen/City Journals)

Participants of the walk and talk tour cross the road collectively. (Annabelle Larsen/City Journals)

The Truth is Out There

Depending on who you ask, aliens have either 1) frequently visited our planet, 2) never visited our planet, or 3) are currently running our planet.

It’s been quite a year for Unidentified Flying Objects, which are now called Unidentified Aerial Phenomena. (Tomayto, tomahto.) These “extraterrestrial” vessels made the news, created a TikTok channel and had their own congressional hearing.

In early 2023, the Air Force started blasting weather balloons out of the sky. Although weather balloons have been used since 1896, it’s only in the last year the balloons became malicious enough to be shot down. It’s definitely American to shoot first and never ask questions.

It reminds me of the 1978 video game Space Invaders, where the goal was to blast UFOs out of the atmosphere before they reached Earth. Whether the current UAPs were peace emissaries from Alpha Centauri or galactic multi-level-marketing sales-aliens, we’ll never know.

Look at it this way. If you launched a celebratory lightspeed rocket on the day Jesus was born, it would still be in the Milky Way Galaxy, even traveling for 2,000 years at the speed of light. So if a flying saucer made its way across its galaxy and our galaxy, it would take hundreds of thousands of light years to reach us, only to be casually shot down by an F-22.

Maybe they were on their way to teach

Peri Kinder Life and Laughter

us how to travel at lightspeed, how to create a functional Congress or how to evolve so our skin glows in the dark. We’ll never know.

UFO sightings occur all over the world, but the U.S. has the most interaction with aliens. The Roswell crash in 1947 was the first “flying saucer” wreckage that authorities said was a UFO, then it was a weather balloon, then it was Carl’s tractor from down the road and then it was the remnants of an atomic test, which didn’t make anyone feel better.

Air Force pilots share stories of strange objects in the sky, security cameras capture “meteors” and eerie lights, and there was a congressional hearing to talk about what the government isn’t telling us. Spoiler alert: the government keeps a lot of secrets.

Many people are convinced the pyramids were built with alien technology. Some people think UFOs travel the world making intricate designs in crops, kind of like alien graffiti. Others point out the first microchip was created just 10 years after the Roswell crash. Coincidence?

Records from Rome (AD 65) and Ireland (AD 740) document chariots flying through the clouds or ships floating in the air, filled with people. Too bad there wasn’t an F-22 to shoot them down.

“War of the Worlds” by H.G. Wells was written in the late 1890s. It was one of the first novels that detailed an alien invasion on Earth. People lost their minds when Orson Welles dramatized it on a 1938 radio show.

I’m not saying UFOs are real. I’m not saying they’re not. But sightings have increased, usually in the form of an orb, a disc, a triangle,

a cylinder, an egg, a toaster, a VW Bug or other random shapes.

I’ve been saying for years that Earth is a hit reality show in the universe and little green men (or blue or white or gray) watch the hilarious antics on our dumpster fire of a planet while eating alien popcorn.

It’s pretty egocentric of us to think we’re the only planet with intelligent life. And I use the word “intelligent” lightly. I hope somewhere in the universe there’s a planet where the inhabitants live in peace and work together to create new ideas. I just hope they don’t come here. We’ll shoot them out of the sky.l

“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

CSCS Chiropractic Physician