Midvale Journal | October 2022

MIDVALE ELEMENTARY STUDENTS TO

NEW SCHOOL BOUNDARIES NEXT YEAR

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

This time next year, about 100 Midvale elementary students will be attending a different school.

With the recent study and patron input on boundary changes, the decision to revamp school lines was made by Canyons Board of Education.

The option that was adopted has Midvale Elementary serving students to its north along Jordan River Boulevard to Main Street, then south of the railroad tracks to I-15, then east of the tracks along 7500 South to State Street. Its southern border west of the tracks would be 9000 South and east of the tracks, Wasatch Street.

This would make a clear boundary for Copperview Elementary, with its northern border being Wasatch Street and southern at 9000 South. Students who live from I-15 east to State Street would attend the school.

Midvalley’s students will be those who live to the southeast of Fort Union Boulevard and State Street within the city limits and East Midvale will serve students north of Midvale and Midvalley’s northern boundaries.

The need to change boundaries was de cided in anticipation of increased student en rollment in Midvale, and to better distribute

students amongst the four elementaries, espe cially now that Midvale and Midvalley ele mentaries have been rebuilt into larger school buildings, Canyons Board of Education mem ber Mont Millerberg said.

The Board agreed upon the third option that it examined.

“We met with all four (elementary) schools, and I thought it was really interest ing that in all four schools, somebody at each school made the comment that in fairness to all four schools, option three is the best choice,” he said. “They looked at it and fig ured out what would work best for their indi vidual school, then discounted it for what was the best for all four schools.”

The procedure included four open houses last spring where they presented the informa tion to parents and community members and took feedback both there and online. Some of the meetings were rescheduled when a surge in the Omicron variant of COVID-19 hit.

Canyons Superintendent Rick Robins re alizes boundary changes can be difficult.

“Boundaries seem to always be a chal lenge,” he said. “Usually, some people will be unhappy with whatever the decision is, but I am very grateful to the entire Midvale com

New boundaries for Midvale elementary schools, effective in fall 2023, was approved by Canyons Board of Education. (Courtesy of Canyons School District)

Elected

King leads Huskies on field

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

W ith every game this season being a loss, Hillcrest High’s football squad may not have much to say.

But their captain Roy King does.

“We have easily the best coaching staff we’ve had while I’ve been at Hillcrest without a doubt,” he said about Huskies’ head coach Brock Bryant and his assis tants. “We probably have the least physically gifted team that we’ve had while I've been at Hillcrest, but I’ll take this coaching staff over physically gifted players because we’ve been exceeding what should be expected from players with our size. Our offensive line is 75% of our opponents’ size and we’re only giving up one or two sacks a game. We’re playing better than any recent team in our program because we are better conditioned. We’re doing things from a coaching level that takes advantage of our assets and they try to mitigate some of the inherent disad vantages of being a smaller and maybe not as physically strong of a team.”

King said this year, the Huskies are running “more crosswalks, getting angles, making sure that nobody re ally has to take on anybody head up and that’s helping to open things up in the run game. We’re running the ball better than we have in the last two years even though we have smaller linemen and a smaller running back.”

Instead of looking at games with lopsided scores against Viewmont and Stansbury high schools, King looked at the 0-3 season-opener loss against Carbon High and the 14-21 loss to Jordan High on the road.

“We could easily be 3-1 right now, but we’re not. We’re 0-4. We’re needing to learn how to win because our team doesn’t have a lot of experience with close games because we’ve always either won by 40 or lost by 50. This season, we’ve been tied in the last five minutes against Carbon or against Jordan, down seven in the fourth quar ter. Winning close games isn’t something that anybody on that team has experienced. It’s just the winning mindset that we’re developing, and I think it will come. I’ve been a two-sport athlete (playing varsity tennis as well) at Hill crest for years. You can’t play sports at Hillcrest with out a chip on your shoulder. Everybody has an underdog mentality even when we play a 1-8 team because they ex pect to beat us, and everybody understands that,” he said. “Most Hillcrest athletes are seeing a change. Wanting that

winning mindset is really keeping us motivated.”

After losing two more games, and with only four games left on the schedule, King realizes the Huskies won’t have a winning season his senior year.

“Our mindset will change with experience. We’ve started to get that experience and we’ve had two games

where we’ve seen basically what not to do, so we’ve learned from those types of situations. Now we need to do the right thing to close out the games. Our conditioning will help. This year, we have maybe 13 players who are truly varsity-level athletes, which means that we have all, but two going both ways and playing on special teams.

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M idvale C ity J Pournal age 4 | o C tober 2022 Hillcrest High student body officer and football captain Roy King, seen walking the field, recently coached a powderpuff team during the school’s homecoming week. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Roy King

We’ve worked hard to be really well-conditioned and know if we are going to win games, it's going to be by seven or 14 points and we have the foundation to start doing that,” he said.

And the right attitude, King added.

“This is definitely the best morale I’ve ever seen on our team. There have been weeks after wins that our team was more down on themselves than after some of our close losses, which is a testament to our coaching and the leadership we have,” he said. “Our coaches are straight forward and a lot more open. There are games this season that we have played, and we’re outmatched everywhere on the field and instead of treating it like, ‘we’re just go ing to play our brand of football, and that’s going to be enough,’ our coaches are recognizing we are at a physical disadvantage, so their game planning is in a way that’s going to help us. For example, against Jordan, we were smaller than Jordan at every single position on the field, especially on the offensive line, and we still rushed for four and a half yards per carry. I think that’s because our coaches made those changes.”

In addition to the coaching staff, King said the new field house and weight room are helping the team prepare each year for the season, starting in February.

“We spend six months conditioning and getting our bodies prepared for football. We have three-hour practices and then, I run, I do 300 pushups on my own and we all hit the gym even when it’s not practice. We want to get better,” he said.

King believes that Hillcrest’s football program is on the verge of becoming stronger.

“In the past, schools had camps and youth leagues, so those players all played together and grew up know ing they’d play for that high school. We’ve had a lot of coaching changes, but now we’re focusing on building those relationships and building our culture. Kids want to come play football at Hillcrest, and we’re starting to see that. We’ve had bigger sections of the eighth-grade teams come up and play at Hillcrest instead of dispersing out the valley. I think as we build that culture at the high school,

we’re going to continue to draw those players so we can start to have those physical advantages in our games,” said the veteran player who wears jersey No. 50. “I’m 175 pounds, and I’m starting two ways as lineman. That’s not a recipe for winning football — no matter how good I am in my job.”

King knows his playing days are limited — “I’m far too small and unathletic to play college football” — so his future plans are to enter the Naval Academy or West Point.

“My dream job is to be a high school or college histo ry teacher, but I don’t really fancy being poor. I’m think ing a pilot or doctor,” he said.

King began playing football in seventh grade on a feeder team for Brighton High since he lived in the area.

“I came to Hillcrest for IB (international baccalau reate) program, definitely. I’ve played football my soph omore, junior and now, my senior year. I started all three years for varsity,” he said, adding that he has played on special teams, as well as linebacker and lineman. “I’m better at offense because I’m just more technically profi cient. I’ve got really good hands and I’m one of the faster ones on the team and pretty agile of the bigger kids. I always have a speed advantage, I’m usually stronger than the person I’m lined up across from, and I have the tech nique to win.”

Through his three years, he has suffered a concus sion, broken fingers, a shoulder injury and currently is playing with a broken thumb in a bright pink cast that is wrapped on game day with foam strips. He said he assures his parents he is OK.

“My dad played football and got a couple injuries that still bug him, so he’s worried about that happening to me. We can hurt ourselves doing a lot of things. I’m sure I’ve been more at risk of getting a significant injury driving to school than playing football,” he said.

In the meantime, King, Hillcrest’s student body of ficer who oversees activities and recently coached pow derpuff football, plans to be on the field every last game this year.

“I’m having so much fun this year. The thing I like best is hitting people. Defensive end is where I’ve had the most fun,” he said. “I also like the camaraderie with football; it is unrivaled by any other sport. We’re not a dominant football program, but we still put in ridiculous amounts of work that very few people see. Nobody else goes through that except our friends on our team, so we have a bond that’s really strong and it’s highly motivating. On game day, we know everybody on the line has done everything we can. We’re ready.” l

Hillcrest High senior Roy King, No. 50, makes a tackle during the season-opening game against Carbon High. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

“I also like the camaraderie with football; it is unrivaled by any other sport. We’re not a dominant foot ball program, but we still put in ridiculous amounts of work that very few people see.”

Hillcrest High thespians use New York experience in their acting this upcoming season

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Auditions opened to the first 50 elementary school students who wanted to be a part of Hillcrest High School’s fall musical, “Oliver!”

“A musical like this requires a giant ensemble of chil dren,” Hillcrest High director Josh Long said. “The last professional production in London was in 2010 and it had 60 kids come in and play pickpockets, be in the poor house and play other roles. We’ve never done a show to bring in elementary kids before, but this is the perfect opportunity.”

Those children will be part of a cast of about 200 who will be part of the production, which will be at 7 p.m., Nov. 17-19 and again, Nov. 21 in the school’s auditorium, 7350 S. 900 East. Tickets for this show as well as the season are available online at hillcresttheatre.com.

The season will include “Catch Me if You Can” at 7 p.m., Jan. 19-21, 2023; “The Heart of Robin Hood” at 7 p.m., March 15-18; and “Frankenstein” at 7 p.m., May 5, 6, 8 and 11-13.

Before performing “Oliver!,” 56 Hillcrest students planned to take part in the 46th annual high school Shake spearean competition, Sept. 29 through Oct. 1 in Cedar City. Their events included an ensemble piece taken from “Anthony and Cleopatra” scenes, monologues and Tech Olympics. Hillcrest has won its division’s title three of the past four years.

“I’ve always kind of wanted to do ‘Anthony and Cleo patra.’ It’s always been on the list, but I just felt this year, that’s what we're going to do. We’re going to include a giant sea battle on stage,” Long said.

There will be a free showing of the Shakespearean competition pieces at 7 p.m., Oct. 3 in Hillcrest’s audito rium.

This will be Long’s first time directing “Oliver!”

“Charles Dickens is my second favorite person to work with after Shakespeare. We’ve done a couple of Dickens’ shows in the past. I've been studying ‘Oliver Twist,’ the novel that the show is based off, and I just freaking love it. I’m really excited about it,” he said.

Long also is enthusiastic to show his production com pany’s talent in “Catch Me if You Can.”

“We have a really good company of dancers this year, and a really big dance show and it’s a fun show,” he said.

“This is going to be a visual feast and I really like the music in it.”

In March, the thespians will perform “The Heart of Robin Hood” that comes from the Royal Shakespeare Company.

“It’s pretty new. It’s one of the epic plays that focuses on the protagonist, not Robin Hood. She goes undercover and joins the merry men and is actually much better at it than they are so it's kind of a cool twist on the story of Robin Hood,” Long said.

The play includes archery, which the students will learn.

“That’s what I love about being a teacher. They’re get ting to learn all these different skills in addition to what you expect in performing arts,” he said.

“Frankenstein” will end Hillcrest’s season.

“The company and I will be devising the production of the novel itself. We’re not using a pre-existing script; this will be a very physical and immersive-based theatre. The students will be involved in the artistic process of how this looks,” Long said. “We will be using the novel to cre ate the show, so we’ll put different kids in charge of differ ent sections of the story and how to turn that into a piece of theatre. With ‘Oliver!’ they’ll use that novel as a research component, whereas with ‘Frankenstein,’ it will be central to creating the show.”

In addition to these performances, students will com pete in region in March. State competition is in April.

Many of the students are excited for the school year, after spending a week in New York City, where in addition to seeing the sights, they took in eight different shows, in cluding “Music Man,” “Into the Woods,” “Hamlet,” “Ha destown,” and “Come from Away” or “MJ.” They also participated in workshops, actor talk backs and met with a casting director to learn about auditions.

“It was great. It was so rejuvenating and educational,” Long said about the 30 students who participated in the weeklong tour in August.

Junior Gabe Williams, who is part of the school’s Shakespeare team, was one of those students who went to

the Big Apple.

“This was my first time being in New York City,” Williams said. “My impression of it is interesting. I really loved seeing the shows, but the streets are obviously very dirty. I’m not used to that big of a city. What interested me was the drivers. It felt really chaotic and there was honking constantly and a lot of aggression because the streets were so full. But the drivers in New York know how to not hit pedestrians even though New Yorkers will walk across the street when the crosswalk is red.”

Williams appreciated seeing many different produc tions in New York.

“Seeing all these shows is a way to help us realize all the things that are kind of possible. Sometimes we can get used to what we always do, and we don’t always think about new ways that we could do things. I learned in ‘Ha destown’ the way that you can sing and the way that music can affect the performance. There are things I learned in ‘The Oresteia’ about how you can use suspense and how your character can have really subtle motivations that you wouldn’t normally think of. I learned in ‘A Raisin in the Sun,’ which is another show we saw, about acting that took place in one set the entire time. It was just all about the actors and how good they were,” he said.

Now Williams is using some of those newly gained skills in his own acting.

“My character in ‘Anthony and Cleopatra’ is the only character in the play that speaks directly to the audience,” he said. “I didn't know the play very well before I audi tioned so I’m reading it now. I’ve learned a lot from be ing on the Shakespeare team all three years. My freshman year, I found it pretty difficult. I didn’t really understand a lot of the language. I was kind of confused as to what I was saying. But this year, I’m feeling a lot more confident with the language and the verse and how to use it. There are a lot of tools that Shakespeare gives you to tell you how you should say things and the reason for saying things. There’s a lot of that written into the text and so I'm learning a lot about that.”

Williams’ acting credits at Hillcrest include “Hunch

This past August, Hillcrest High students and chaperones toured much of New York City, including Juilliard. (Tisha Williams/Hillcrest High)

Hillcrest High students had the opportunity to see Radio City Music Hall while visiting New York City this past summer. (Tisha Williams/ Hillcrest High)

back of Notre Dame,” “Holiday Inn,” and “Prince Caspi an,” amongst others.

He’s excited for “Oliver!”

“Charles Dickens is really good at creating interest ing, unique characters that are kind of not what any other writer would think to create. He gives his characters spe cific physical things and vocals that they do, which will actually be very helpful when we’re doing the play,” said Williams, who is reading the novel, “Oliver Twist” as well.

“Reading it helps me personally get excited about the characters and what we’re trying to portray and share with the audience.”

He is planning to read “Frankenstein” to help with the spring performance — when he’s not doing his homework or helping the drama club as vice president. The council, which offers social activates and service opportunities for students, also gives students experience in different parts of theatre such as promoting season ticket sales on the website or helping their peers learn music.

“When I came to high school, I was not planning on doing theatre, but ever since I got me into it, I just really have loved it,” Williams said. “My very first experience being on the Shakespeare team was magical. There’s no other word for it. I really loved all the people that were a part of it and we all just were very connected to each other. Every year it changes and I’m able to make connec tions with other people. We’ve created some really amaz ing pieces and I’ve had experiences where I’ve competed. Even with theatre presidency, I’m learning about how to be successful in real life, not just the theatre world. I’m learning about deadlines, working with other people out side of scripts. This theatre experience has been one of the most unifying things I’ve done in my life. I want to keep it going.” l

Comcast and the USDB Foundation partner to help unique students

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

Serving more than 5,000 students statewide, the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind and USDB’s Educational Support Services pro vide education and accessibility technology that make a real difference in a child’s life.

Comcast, the largest home internet ser vice provider in the country, has provided grant funding to the USDB Education Foundation so these unique students can have the technologi cal needs vital for their education and growth.

Assistive devices and digital learning pro vide sight and sound that connect children to the world and improve their overall communi cation. Use of these assistive devices gives stu dents a higher chance of success as a confident and independent adult.

“Comcast has been a really great com munity partner this year,” said Amy Zaharis, USDB Education Foundation executive direc tor. “They gave us funds that support the stu dents with assisted technology. There’s a lot of awesome technology our students can use that helps them, and they need a lot of different things, and those things are expensive.”

While the state provides funding to cover the basics for the campuses and programs at USDB, sometimes families need help procur ing hearing aids, glasses, white canes, magni fication devices, unique technology and other assistive devices. With Comcast’s donation to the program, several deaf and hard of hearing

students, and children who are blind and visu ally impaired can get the resources they need.

It is imperative that students have technol ogy and assistive devices to help bridge the gap caused by their hearing or vision loss.

“If you can believe it or not, hearing aids are not covered by insurance,” Zaharis said. “We do assist families with children who are hard of hearing.. Hearing aids are really expen sive and we help some kids with purchasing those.”

The national grant from Comcast supports digital literacy training to help students with the technology. Students who are blind can learn how to access apps and software, plus have ac cess to smart glasses equipped with an HD cam era to magnify a computer screen or classroom.

The USDB provides overhead and ad ministrative resources for the foundation which allows 100% of donations to go directly to stu dents.

There are campuses in Salt Lake City, Ogden and Springville, and a classroom in St. George. In addition to the campuses, education for the majority of these unique Utah students is offered by USDB teachers who travel to schools across the state through outreach programs.

“Everyone deserves to have the same ad vantages and many of the children the founda tion supports might not be able to,” said Ioana Platon, Comcast community impact specialist.

“They might not be as likely to pursue educa tional or career pursuits they don’t think they can do. With our grant, we help provide tech and assistive devices used to bridge the gap.”

Comcast is focused on accessibility and providing the highest possible experiences for all of its customers. This grant will help students learn how to use the different technologies and help them live better lives.

For more information about the USDB Foundation, visit www.usdbfoundation.org.

“We love to have community partners and Comcast has been such a great community part ner for us this year,” Zaharis said. “It’s great to have community support, just to help our kids with the extra needs they have. We welcome Utah businesses and individuals alike to make donations to the foundation.”l

Hillcrest High theatre teacher Josh Long uses the time on the New York City subway to teach his students. (Tisha Williams/Hillcrest High)

Students at the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind receive assistive devices and training through a Comcast community grant. (Courtesy of Todd Keith.)

League of Women Voters dedicated to educating, registering voters

Many voters have paged through a book let of candidates and chances are, it came from the League of Women Voters. Perhaps a great number of voters also signed up to vote with the help of one of the League’s volunteers.

“The League of Women Voters has been around for more than 100 years; we came into being around women's suffrage when the founders of the League of Women Voters fought hard to get women the right to vote,” said Shauna Bona, Salt Lake County’s chap ter president. “We take the rights and the need of all people to vote very seriously. Our biggest issue is access to the vote. We want to educate voters, register voters and moti vate voters. Our mission is really about em powering voters and defending democracy.”

While those early suffragists paved the way for women today to vote, Bona said that their mission isn’t over.

“We look at issues and study them, and it can be a local study or a state study or a national study. Then we lay the information out for our members, and we discuss it in small groups until we reach consensus on the issues, if this is a good issue for us to support. We do have positions around hav ing a clean, healthy environment to live in and to raise children and definitely we think women should be in the Constitution with the Equal Rights Amendment. When we do take a stance, we really work hard to help ed ucate the public and our lawmakers in hopes of really doing things that are right by the people,” Bona said.

She also pointed out that while their main message is to empower voters to make a better democracy, the League isn’t restrict ed to women members.

“We’ve had men in the League for de cades. In fact, we were going to change our name to not be the League of Women Vot ers, but the problem was that if we would have let go of the name of League of Women Voters, that we would have lost our history,” Bona said. “We have members of every sex ual orientation, of every background. What’s important is that we have this history to our nonpartisan commitment of voting rights.”

Among the issues the local chapter has reviewed are voting by mail, health care, census and immigration.

“Our members hold an annual meeting, and they say, for example, ‘Hey, we think that we should study abortion.’ So, we did a study recently about abortion laws and it wasn't taking a stand particularly, but it was a study just to understand the abortion laws in Utah. Sometimes those studies are to educate our members and then, they come up with their own personal opinions on it. Sometimes the study is a consensus study, when we're really trying to come up with a position. We're cautious and we're careful. We really want to make sure that we're not

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

making rash positions, but have our posi tions based on study,” she said.

While more than 300 local members gather annually, smaller groups study the issues monthly. “We also have our commit tees, such as the voting committee, and those committees might meet weekly because we have so much work we do. We work to reg ister voters; they go out to educate voters.

In the past, we have taught high schoolers about the importance of voters and register them; we have gone to naturalization cere monies and helped them register as new citi zens,” Bona said.

Currently, they’re updating Vote411 (vote411.org), a personalized voting web site, which after entering a residential ad dress, voters can explore their candidates’ information, learn about upcoming elections and how to register and find out polling loca tions. The site covers local, state and nation al election information.

For example, currently the website states that voters need to be registered by Oct. 28 for the next general election on Nov. 8.

“We have groups of people, men and women, all over the country, including here in Salt Lake, formulating questions for our candidates for every race and every elec tion,” she said. “It’s one of the only places that candidates can answer these questions. We do not edit what they write. It’s com pletely nonpartisan. There's no ‘gotcha’ questions. Every candidate has the opportu nity in their own words to answer questions. You can pick a question and put the candi dates’ views side by side to compare their answers. They can put in YouTube videos so it’s educating voters and it’s completely fair to the candidates. It’s really just to inform the voters.”

The League of Women Voters also sponsors debates or candidate forums “so that voters can hear from the candidates,” Bona added.

As part of the League, some members called Observer Corps attend local city meetings.

“Our goal is that we have a League of Women Voters observer at every city coun cil meeting, at the racial equity and policing commission meeting and at the planning meetings just to hear what's going on and to take notes and report back to our members what is happening because local govern ment is incredibly important,” she said. “Of tentimes, people are busy in their lives and things get overlooked so our Observer Corps is doing that work for us. We’ve done a lot of great things like finding out ranked choice voting and about the gravel pit in the canyon and letting people know when the council was going to be discussing issues and en couraging people to contact their council members. Our Observer Corps believes in

transparency and accessible government, so we go and find out what they’re doing and report back so our members can follow their own conscience and reach out to their lead ers and let them know what they think.”

Many issues are shared on their website and in their weekly email briefings.

Education is an issue “what our mem bers are passionate about,” Bona said. “We cover every single school board race and make sure that we’ve researched it and have good questions to ask the candidate. We cov er the school board races and make sure all citizens are educated about the issues, par

ticularly in K-12 education in Utah. There are serious issues related to inclusion, issues related to all kinds of things in education. We’re focusing on educating to make sure people know who the different candidates are on the local school boards, what’s moti vating them, why they’re running and what their intentions are. That is incredibly im portant right now. We’re not saying, vote for this candidate or that candidate. We believe in empowering voters. We ask questions. We have candidates answer those questions, and the voters read those and how they decide who is the best to represent them and their options. It doesn’t matter to us how they

Salt Lake League of Women Voter Services Director Helen Moser registers a new citizen at a naturaliza tion ceremony Aug. 25 at Bryce Canyon National Park. (Photo courtesy of Peter Densmore/National Park Service)

Norma Wills, the natural resources director for the League of Women Voters of Utah, volunteered at the recent Salt Lake festival at 9th and 9th to register voters. (Shauna Bona/League of Women Voters)

Margie McCloy, a Salt Lake League of Women Vot ers member and volunteer, talks to the community about the League and the importance of voting. (Shauna Bona/League of Women Voters)

vote. It’s not our business. We just want them to be educated and to vote.”

She said voting is critical.

“Our entire system is predicated on an educated populace exercising the right to vote. We pick our leaders, our leaders don’t pick the voters, and the better educated and inspired and energized our voting and voting populace is, the better a country our demo cratic republic will be,” she said.

Lori Jones, a former longtime educator, said educated voting is critical to elections, including the local school board.

“Voters need to review candidates’ platforms, then they can make educated de cisions about who wants to support schools and make them better,” she said.

While her longtime passion has been education, Jones, who recently joined the League of Women Voters, said she has con cerns about redistricting and environmental issues, both of which Bona said are hot top ics right now.

“I joined the League because I read that they filed a lawsuit against the legislature about gerrymandering of the congressional districts, which I was furious about, and I’m also really interested in trying to do things to make sure that the Great Salt Lake doesn’t die because that would be a huge disaster for our children. I'm an advocate for children and a lot of people blow off the Great Salt Lake because they don’t realize everything that it does. I just thought, ‘OK, I don't have

a right to complain unless I volunteer’ so I’m taking a look to learn more about these is sues,” she said.

After attending a couple meetings, Jones plans to get more involved.

“I like how the League gets people in volved in nonpartisan politics and how they also take an active role in what’s going on in the state. The great thing about it is you don’t have to run for office to have to see if you can have an impact on something and you can get involved in as little or as much as you want. They’ve got a climate group that’s looking at problems with water in Utah. They have a legislative group that goes to the legislative sessions to find out what they’re doing, and they have an observer group who are trained to be an observer at city meetings and report back what's going on,” she said.

Bona’s involvement with the League started after the 2016 election.

“I wanted to get involved with educating voters and helping voters understand the im portance of going to the ballot in an informed way,” she said. “I saw what the League was doing and that they were empowering vot ers and registering people to vote, not asking them how they were going to vote, but just making sure that they were informed citizens who did vote. To me, that felt like a way of making the world a better place.” l

Hillcrest students gain knowledge, confidence through medical pathways program

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

This year’s seniors in Hillcrest High School’s medical pathways program may have their eyes set to May 2023, not just for graduation, but to receive their white medical coats which they can wear as they further their education toward health careers.

As part of the medical pathway white coat banquet, six science teachers along with an administrator and a guest speaker in the health care profession held the white coats for the program’s graduates to slip into be fore pledging to uphold the Hippocratic Oath.

One of the recent graduates was Isabel la Andrews, who plans to work in the sports medicine field.

“The actual white coats are a cool sym bolism of all the work I put in to get to it,” she said. “I could have easily had a super easy schedule senior year, but I chose to take classes to complete the medical pathways and now that white coat symbolizes all the extra work and experience. It gives me a great base going into college knowing the basics and just building on those concepts.”

Andrews, who is studying at Louisiana Christian University, took selected required classes in biology, intro to health science, chemistry, physics, medical anatomy, phys iology and medical terminology. She also

took elective courses, passed three state skills tests and was a member of the school’s Health Occupations Students of America club.

The pathway’s requirements include holding a 3.0 grade-point average or higher, which she and her classmate, Zoe Welch, a future trauma surgeon, maintained.

“The coat is cool; I have college biolo gy labs where I can wear it,” said Welch, a current University of Utah student. “I took the EMT classes at CTEC, which was one of the elective courses, and I got my whole baseline of trauma from there. Most of the classes are anatomy-based, but I also took medical terminology class too, which helps when I hear a medical word and I can easily pick it apart. I'm really glad that they have that program at Hillcrest. The medical path ways program is perfect for the kids who know they want to go into this field because it pushes them to learn.”

The banquet, which awarded about 20 students with white coats, included keynote speaker Dr. Karl Kirby, St. Mark’s Family Medicine program director, who shared with students some of the opportunities he’s had in health care around the world, from Alaska to Africa.

“He talked about all these different

places in the world, which I thought was cool,” Welch said.

Kirby, who said that both people and service inspire him, told the students about his rotations around the world, sharing pho tos and sprinkling in advice for their future, such as “The good physician treats the dis ease; the great physician treats the patient who has the disease” and “people often re member the way they were treated over what you did to treat them.”

Former Hillcrest Assistant Principal Quentin Linde also addressed the students.

“The white coat ceremony shows you have dedicated yourself to excellence and education through not only the rigors that comes with academic success, but also while exemplifying the qualities of scholarship, service, leadership and character,” he said.

Program and science teacher Matthew Hart said that the white coat ceremony is an opportunity for students to be “recognized and rewarded for the hard work that they do” and it gives students a trajectory in high school.

“It’s something they’re passionate about and they want to make a difference in how they serve their community,” Hart said. “The program is growing so we try to accommo date all these kids who are excited and want

to learn. The best part of this, though, is that these students believe in themselves. Now they can go out and achieve.” l

Hillcrest High science teacher Matthew Hart congratulates Alycea McVey on completing the school’s medical pathways program and earning her white lab coat. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Looking into Utah’s judicial courtrooms: A former court watcher’s observation

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

In this November’s general election, Utah voters will take to the polls to determine if judges should be retained. Currently, there are 63 judges who are eligible to stand for retention.

Utahns determine whether judges should remain on the bench on even-numbered years through a simple yes or no vote. If the majority say yes, the judge is retained. Utah is one of a handful of states that use elections to determine this process.

However, not all voters are aware that through the Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission, Utah residents, who are unidenti fied to judges, have evaluated those judges who are currently eligible to stand for retention.

These volunteer observers or court watch ers provide voters with information about each judge’s performance, which also is shared with the judges to improve the quality of their judi ciary. The commission’s report is designed to provide accountability of the judge while en suring he or she acts as an independent branch of government.

While House Bill 40 proposes to change the language in the report to indicate wheth er a judge “passes minimum performance standards” versus “recommends” retention, the material that has been gathered each year provides information to allow voters to deter mine judicial retention, said former Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission member Becky Overacker.

Overacker was a courtroom observer for four years, filing her last of about 120 reports on judges six years ago. She is one of the 293 volunteer observers who served or is serving since the commission was established.

She stepped into the position after hearing on the radio about a need for civically minded people who wanted to learn about the courts and attending a meeting. The Judicial Perfor mance Evaluation Commission, established in 2008, after piloting the observation program, asked for volunteers in 2010.

“It piqued my interest; they said this is a new thing and we’re just getting started,” Overacker said, despite having worked in the chemistry field before retirement. “It’s a ben efit (that she didn’t work in the civics field); because they want lay persons. If you’re going to be taken to court, it can be a scary thing; it can be the worst day of your life. So having a lay person in their eyes, saying ‘this is a safe place,’ is a valuable thing.”

While serving the commission, Over acker entered courtrooms from Logan to St. George, Vernal to Tooele and she has observed judges rule on traffic offenses to criminal cases to family situations. She witnessed courtrooms where judges ruled on stealing hot dogs to child abuse.

During her first two years as a courtroom watcher, Overacker said she learned two criti

cal things early on.

“I learned two very important things within that first year I was doing this: One, if someone is ever in trouble, I would get a law yer because they know the system and know what they’re doing. The second thing I learned is the judges in Utah are really good,” she said.

Overacker said that Utah has a system of appointing judges different from most states, which hold elections for judges so it can be partisan. In Utah, the governor appoints a com mission to review applications to be judges and they’re chosen by merit, including education and service, she said.

“They’re already at the top of their field by the time they get to be judges,” she said, adding that it’s then up to voters to determine their retention on the bench.

Overacker said the Utah Legislature rec ognized that initially very few voters have the time to observe court proceedings, so they didn’t know how to enter their retention vote. Thus, a commission was established with court observers who usually enter an assigned judge in a courtroom across the state to quietly take notes for a two- to three-page report they would file afterwards.

“I tried to be very discreet. I don’t want anybody to know who I am. I just wrote what’s going on the whole time, who did what and I tried to get direct quotes from the judge, the dissent and everyone to put in the report that I later wrote,” she said, adding that she did carry a letter from the commission explaining who she was if she was ever questioned.

As a court observer, Overacker discreet ly watched for basically three points: “Voice — does the judge allow everybody to speak equally?; neutrality in not taking sides; and respect — just being respectful to every party that’s there and having eye contact.”

She said that most judges met those cri teria.

“Every judge I saw, would usually al ways say, ‘Do you have anything else to add? Is there anything I need to know?’ Most judg es are really good. There are judges that will look at their monitor the whole time people are talking and sometimes I know they’re busy and

Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission court watchers provide information about judges’ performance to help voters’ make informed choices about judicial retention. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

could be looking for history on the case or at precedents, but it’s really important to look up and face people when they’re talking to and not interrupt,” Overacker said.

She once did observe a judge that was “concerning to me. I wrote in my report that he was so favorable to the prosecution, everything they asked for, they got, and I thought if I was a defendant in that court, I would be really ner vous. I was asked to observe that same judge a couple years later, and I was hesitant, but he had changed. He was much more open.”

However, most of the times, the judges were fair. Overacker remembers observing an Ogden judge who realized a defendant on his third public defender wasn’t getting a fair shake when that lawyer asked for a continu ance. The judge listened to the defendant as he grumbled saying he already had served the maximum time in jail for that offense and the judge shortened the amount of time before the trial.

After sitting in courtrooms and having time to reflect, she wants people to know about the commission and information it provides so they can make informed decisions when it’s time to vote on judicial retention.

“Our system really does work and there are really good, honest people who are trying their best to make things fair to people,” Over acker said. “Our judges are good. Attorneys are invaluable. I learned this by watching how people listened, how people reacted and how people were taken care of. Utah has a good system.” l

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Wasatch Wanderers rescues abandoned exotic pets, ducks and geese

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

When people think of animal rescue, they usually think about the thousands of abandoned dogs or cats waiting to be placed in forever homes. But Wasatch Wanderers rescue a different type of animal.

Although Adison Smith and co-found er Kade Tyler have been rescuing animals for more than 10 years, it wasn’t until last September that they created the nonprofit Wasatch Wanderers to help domestic water fowl, farm animals and exotic pets.

“I’ve always been very passionate about helping animals because they don’t have a voice for themselves,” Smith said. “We just recognized there was a big need for farm and exotic animal rescue.”

Last fall, Smith was contacted by Weber State University to rescue more than 60 ducks and geese stranded on the school’s campus. Water for the animals was drying up and the waterfowl were being attacked by dogs.

Geese had been at WSU for several years, but as the birds reproduced, and as peo ple dropped off their pet geese and ducks on campus, the number of birds had increased, creating a problem at the school.

“For years, these geese had been seen as the Weber State unintentional mascot. They’d put the geese on shirts and hats and COVID masks,” Smith said. “I organized a rescue team and found homes for the geese.”

That’s when she decided to create Wasatch Wanderers, and during the last year, the organization has rescued more than 500 domestic waterfowl.

Smith said people don’t realize pet ducks and geese have been genetically altered with wings too small for their bodies. They get too fat to fly to safety. Because they can’t sustain flight, they don’t migrate and get stuck in ponds when the water freezes.

“They rely on humans to keep them alive. You’ll see a lot of dead waterfowl be cause they can't leave and they’ve become an easy target for predators,” Smith said. “Peo ple just don’t know they can’t fly or forage on their own.”

The goal of Wasatch Wanderers is to re move domestic waterfowls from places that aren’t safe and put them in forever homes. But it’s not just geese and ducks rescued by the group, they also take in pigs, chickens, cows, hamsters, turtles and fish.

Smith is often contacted by shelters across the state who have a rooster, pig or duck that’s going to be euthanized. She takes those animals and gives them to one of the 50 foster homes willing to take in farm animals.

They recently saved a pig from a shel ter near Vernal and rescued an additional four pigs from California. Wasatch Wanderers paid for a volunteer to transport the pigs to a foster home and got the animals medical care, including one pig that had eight babies after it was rescued.

“We travel basically everywhere in Utah

where there’s a need,” she said. “Wasatch Wanderers focuses on abandoned, neglected and unwanted animals. Our goal is to educate the public and get them to treat and see ani mals differently.”

It can get overwhelming when so many animals need a home. There are currently 85 roosters in the group’s care, more than 150 waterfowl, lots of guinea pigs and hamsters, and they’ve stopped accepting rabbits be cause they can’t afford the medical care for all the rabbits they receive.

Wasatch Wanderers also rescues aban doned turtles and goldfish. In the last year, the group has saved nearly 70 turtles that have been abandoned in waterways. Smith said people don’t know that goldfish and tur tles are an invasive species and damaging to wildlife.

“These are living beings and they have needs and if you can’t meet those, don’t buy them,” Smith said. “Not only is it harmful and cruel to that animal to do that, it’s also ille gal. It’s actually a crime in the state of Utah to abandon any domestic animal, even some thing as small as a goldfish.”

Currently, the organization is 100% fos ter-based, but Smith and Tyler hope to pur chase property to create an animal sanctuary when land becomes more affordable. All the money for medical care, food and transpor

tation comes out-of-pocket or through dona tions.

To contribute to Wasatch Wanderers, to become a foster or for more information, visit WasatchWanderers.org.

“There is a resource available to pet owners who are in over their head. Don’t abandon, reach out to a rescue,” Smith said.

“The biggest change we want to make is edu cating the public and preventing the problem at the source. Prevent those impulsive buys because that’s what so many do when they abandon their animal. Make more responsible decisions. That’s what adults are supposed to do.”l

SEXUAL ASSAULTS

As DA I will prioitize the prompt screening of sexual assault cases and will coordinate survivor peer networks to guide victims and survivors through the criminal justice system.

the adoption of de-prosecution policies as they are stronly correlated with increased homicide rates.

Kade Tyler and Adison Smith, founders of Wasatch Wanderers, rescue ducks, geese, farm animals and exotic pets throughout the state. (Photos courtesy of Holly Cluff)

Highland Ridge Hospital connects with first responders to address mental health

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

Creating conversations between first re sponders and mental health providers could change the way behavioral health cri sis calls are handled. Midvale’s Highland Ridge Hospital (7309 S. 180 West) is an in patient psychiatric hospital and mental health treatment center, trying to facilitate those conversations.

This summer, Highland Ridge hosted a barbecue to celebrate first responders in the community and show appreciation for what they do. The hospital’s team also used the opportunity to offer education, assistance and resources when dealing with people strug gling with mental health, substance abuse or psychiatric issues.

“We thought it would be nice if we in cluded all PD and first responders and let them know we’re grateful for them. We know there’s a lot going on with mental health,” said Kristina Larsen, Highland Ridge busi ness development specialist. “They told us what they’re seeing out there and what a day in the life looks like, and things that would help them.”

During the event, the Highland Ridge team spoke with individuals who shared ex periences they have had on the job, allowing the staff to gain a greater understanding of the challenges first responders face each day.

Among the attendees were the West Jordan Fire Department, West Jordan EMS, and Salt Lake City Gold Cross EMS.

Highland Ridge offers free assessments to anyone who comes to the facility, whether they come in on their own or are brought in by first responders.

“It doesn’t matter if they have insurance or not, they get a level of care where we as sess them and decide what they need, whether that’s inpatient or outpatient services,” Larsen said. “We understand the first responders are busy and we want to see what we can do to make them a little more successful.”

A Metro Mental Health Unit run by the Unified Police Department has ongoing train ing and conversations with officers about mental health resources and procedures. The concept is growing as other police depart ments in the Salt Lake Valley have come on board. Officers are specifically trained to handle mental health calls and follow-up with case management.

“They host a monthly roundtable and we’re able to talk about what’s currently go ing on, what resources are there, what free re sources are there and what can we do,” Lars en said. “It’s a great way to get together and talk about what we can do to help each other.”

With the success of the barbecue, High

land Ridge Hospital plans to hold future events and will extend invitations to even more police departments and first respond er teams. For information about Highland Ridge, visit HighlandRidgeHospital.com.

“It was a pleasure for Highland Ridge Hospital to host a barbecue for all of our first responders. We appreciate and acknowledge the vital work they do serving and protect

ing our communities,” said Highland Ridge Hospital CEO Jim Hess. “We are also grate ful for the way they partner with us in serv ing individuals struggling with mental health challenges. We are proud to work side by side with all first responders and applaud the self less service they provide each and every day.” l

USA Wheelchair Football League to highlight amazing athletes

Move United is the largest grassroots adaptive sports pro gram in the world. Based in Maryland, the nonprofit part nered with the National Football League and the Bob Woodruff Foundation to create the USA Wheelchair Football League, the first-of-its-kind league for adults with disabilities.

Working with Salt Lake County, the league will host a wheelchair football tournament Oct. 22-23 at the Salt Palace Convention Center (100 S. West Temple St.) with nine teams, 20 games and dozens of athletes. Games will be held on three fields from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. Admission is free.

“We use adaptive sports to push what’s possible for peo ple with disabilities and show all the ways that people with dis abilities can integrate into society, just like everyone else,” said Karalyn Stott, Move United senior program manager. “We’re excited to be coming to Salt Lake to spotlight all of our athletes and highlight the amazing things they’re able to do on the foot ball field.”

Salt Lake County adaptive recreation manager Taylor Smith has been an official with the league since they announced the program in May 2020. As the only female official, she’s worked at tournaments in Tampa and Chicago, and is excited to help bring the USA Wheelchair Football League to Utah.

“The NFL and the Bob Woodruff Foundation donated funds to make this program start happening for those veterans who wanted to stay competitive and continue doing things they love, even after they were injured,” Smith said. “[Being an of ficial] is stressful but it’s really fun and amazing. These guys try so hard and they really want to be there. You can’t ask for anything more of people who just want to play.”

Many athletes participating in the tournament are military

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

veterans, excited to participate in a team sport. This event high lights the athleticism of the sport which is competitive and fastpaced.

“So many of them lost that team feeling when they were injured overseas so they’re excited to feel that brotherhood and family again,” Stott said. “Others played the sport as a kid and got injured and now get to get back to a sport that they didn’t think they’d be able to play again.”

The wheelchair football tournament is one of the ways Salt Lake County is bringing adaptive sport programs to the state. Other adaptive recreation opportunities offered through the county attract people from all over Utah, and even Idaho and Wyoming, to take part in the athletic events.

With the popularity of pickleball, the county just an nounced an adaptive pickleball program that will run from Oct. 29-Nov. 19 at the Copperview Recreation Center (8446 Harri son St.) in Midvale.

The six-week program includes 90 minutes of instruc tional-based practice along with scrimmages and matches. For more information, visit slco.org/adaptive.

“This will be a new sport that we’re bringing in,” Smith said. “We haven’t done adaptive or wheelchair pickleball in the past. It will be our first one and we’re really excited about it because most of the population have really gotten involved in pickleball and we want to bring it that to the adaptive world.”

Salt Lake County has offered its para programs for 20 years and Smith said no one else in county recreation is offer ing adaptive programs, although several private companies do wheelchair sports.

The county has two groups, one for intellectual disabili

ties and one for physical disabilities because sports are played differently based on the population. Adaptive sports are open to all ages, but most wheelchair programs are geared to ages 5-15.

“It’s available for anyone who is open to playing, we’ll bring them in with open arms,” Smith said. “I think sports is valuable to anyone in the world. You learn communication skills, learn how to calm yourself down, you’re learning how to work hard and persevere through challenges in your life, so I think sports are vital in how you’re dealing with everyday sit uations.” l

Highland Ridge Hospital held a free barbecue for first responders in Salt Lake County to thank them for their service and offer assistance with mental health crisis calls. (Courtesy of Kristina Larsen)

Members of the USA Wheelchair Football League will compete at the Salt Palace Convention Center Oct. 22-23. (Photos courtesy of Move United)

Hillcrest coach helping young team to believe in themselves

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

On Sept. 13, Hillcrest High volleyball won its first game at home in straight sets against region rival, Cottonwood High. It was the team’s fourth win, with other presea son wins over Granger, Monticello and Bryce Valley high schools.

This may prove to be a challenging season without the leadership of senior setter Emma Walters, who is out her final season with the Huskies because of injuries, and her teammate Francesca Gazani Bazan, who lead the state at one point for the most digs last season and

transferred to another school. Several other se niors didn’t return, leaving only four to guide younger players.

“This just gives us some opportunities to learn and grow,” coach Melissa Guymon said.

“We have eight freshmen and two sophomores on the sophomore team. There are three fresh men on JV and one freshman and a couple of sophomores on varsity. We don't have very many juniors, but these young players are ris ing up and doing their best.”

She said that the team bonded at camps

over the summer.

“We talked a lot about what skills we need to get better at, but mostly our focus this year is trying to overcome our mindset. Our goal this year is to be accountable to ourselves and how we want to think about ourselves and about our team. We work every day on having more confidence in ourselves individually and as a team,” Guymon said.

She said that a life coach has helped girls identify their thoughts on what prevents them from having confidence as players, as students

and as a team.

“The other day in practice we talked about saying affirmations such as, ‘I like myself.’ I know that sounds kind of cheesy but it really helps. It really helps them be OK with who they are. I feel once they can accept who they are and where they’re at, then we can accept that. We’re working on it because a lot of times we try to just ignore the negative thoughts that we have or try to force them to be positive and it’s just not authentic. So, we're trying to really accept where we’re actually at, and our weak

Hillcrest High’s varsity volleyball team celebrates Aug. 16 after getting a point against American Fork High. (Julie Slama/City Journals)Sophomore Meia Larsen sets the ball for the Huskies. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Election officials address claims of mail-in voter fraud

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

Following widespread allegations of voter fraud after the 2020 presidential election, Salt Lake County election offi cials want residents to know the mail-inballot system is safe and secure.

During a voting rights discussion, hosted by the League of Women Voters, panelists addressed voting concerns and invited the public to be involved with the process.

Salt Lake County Clerk Sherrie Sw ensen has been administering county elections for 32 years. She said her office is dedicated to ensuring elections are run efficiently and smoothly, and that every eligible vote is counted.

“I’m so glad we have a vote-bymail system in Salt Lake and the State of Utah,” she said. “It has been a wonderful system. It’s served the voters so well.”

Since 2016, all elections in Utah have been conducted by mail, with bal lot drop-off boxes and Election Day vot ing booths available as alternate options. During the 2020 presidential election, Salt Lake County had a 90.1% voter turn out, with 498,000 residents voting by mail, 100,000 more active registered vot ers than the 2016 election.

Residents were encouraged to vote by mail in 2020 because of COVID, but mis information spread that the voting system had been compromised. Swensen said al legations of voter fraud in the county are absolutely not true.

“We heard people could print ballots in their living room, foreign countries could print ballots and insert them into our system, but they would never make it through our system,” she said. “Every single ballot that is sent to a voter is cor related to a record of an active registered voter with a unique nine-digit number.”

During the last legislative session, Rep. Phil Lyman (R-Blanding) tried to pass a bill that would dismantle the state’s mail-in voting process, claiming the sys

tem was vulnerable to fraud. The bill failed but election officials are worried a similar proposal will come up again.

“It is a secure system, we have total confidence in it,” Swensen said. “It is dis heartening to me to hear all this rhetoric about the vote-by-mail system not being safe and secure. I really believe that it’s an attempt to suppress voter turnout.”

She invites voters to attend tours of ballot centers to witness the transparent and secure process, and to address misin formation and false claims.

“We love to conduct tours and we have done so many tours, I can’t even count them all. Everyone walks away feeling very confident. They are im pressed after they come to see it in per son,” Swensen said. “It’s best when pro cessing ballots so you can actually see what’s happening when it’s being done.”

Deputy Director of Elections for the State of Utah Shelly Jackson said election officials are constantly culling lists to make sure voter information is accurate and up-to-date. Several security elements are in place to stop voter fraud, including signature verification and unique voter IDs on every ballot.

Ballots are not mailed to every per son in the state, only voters who are ac tively registered receive a mail-in ballot. For information about the election pro cess, visit slco.org/clerk/elections.

“I love that people are now paying attention to elections,” Jackson said. “I love that people are wanting to come see our logic and accuracy tests. When I worked at the county we would beg peo ple to come, we would beg city record ers to come, we’d beg friends and family to come. I don’t think I ever had anyone come.”

Nathaniel Brown, 24th Navajo Na tion council person, and Nikila Venugo pal, director of campaigns for the ACLU of Utah, expressed concerns that bills like

Lyman’s proposal would disenfranchise thousands of voters.

In 1962, Utah was the last state in the country to give Native Americans voting rights. Brown said members of the Nava jo Nation still face obstacles to voting, including remoteness and language barri ers. Doing away with the mail-in ballot system would further restrict voting ac cess to this population.

“I think we need to remove the clas sism mentality and think about who we are at the soul level,” Brown said.

Venugopal said sometimes the voteby-mail system isn’t feasible, like for vot ers with disabilities who need to sign a ballot when their signature could change

over time. She said the ACLU is working to create greater access for voters with disabilities and works with the disabili ty law center to make continued changes to the process. She’s also keeping an eye out for legislation that could suppress the vote throughout the state, like Lyman’s bill in February 2022.

“Claims of voter fraud are rooted in trying to stoke fear, and our elections are in fact secure. But maybe there are areas of improvement,” Venugopal said. “This bill essentially would have gutted our vote-by-mail system and really caused a disenfranchisement crisis in our state if it had passed.” l

nesses, and be a little bit vulnerable with each other so we can become stronger together men tally,” Guymon said.

She said that developing that mentality will translate to their game play.

“In that last game, we took a timeout, and asked, ‘How many of you are nervous?’ They're kind of sheepish and didn’t want to ad mit it because that isn’t what you want to feel when you’re in a tough, pressure match. Feel ing that way doesn’t always help you perform your best. At another time out, one girl said she was embarrassed, and a few other players said they were too. I said, ‘Let’s not ignore that be cause that’s where we’re at.’ It can be howev

er they’re feeling — disappointed, uncertain, fearful. We took 20 seconds to address that then, we moved forward, and I told them, ‘Go out and be the best you can be, not for your par ents, not for me, not for even your teammates, but for yourselves. You care a lot about your self so believe in yourself,’” Guymon said.

That approach to accepting themselves has already made an impact on the team.

“It has been a good positive thing for the girls. Half or even more than half of any bat tle is always mental, and I feel it’s the biggest thing for us. A lot of my team is so talented — on all my teams, varsity, JV and sophomore — and they have a lot of potential. What holds

them back is those doubts they have in them selves. I know that happens to everyone, but we’re working on that,” Guymon said.

Although she acknowledged region play will be competitive, Guymon said the team didn’t set any goals “that have to do with wins or losses or any goal on how we want to do in region. Really, our main goal is just to over come our mindset. We’re trying to be authentic and accept where were at and who we are so we can do our best and overcome any nervous ness or fear or insecurity. That will help us win more games, and it’s really important for the girls to become who they are and can be,” she said.

Guymon said Hillcrest decided not to have a freshman team this year, partly because she wanted to bond as one team and build team camaraderie.

“I like having a bigger team where the girls get to know each other instead of having four separate teams,” she said. “It builds com munity when we have those three courts in the main gym and practice together and see each other every day instead of the freshmen being in a different gym. I really love the way that our team is going. We have a lot of positive vibes right now.” l

Utah’s mail-in voting system has been in place since 2016, and Salt Lake County’s election officials say the process is secure and accessible. (Stock photo)

Nature’s Virus Killer

Copper can stop a virus before it starts

By Priscilla Schnarr www.copperzap.com

Scientists have discovered a natural way to kill germs fast.

Now thousands of people are using it against viruses and bacteria that cause illness.

Colds and many other illnesses start when viruses get in your nose and multiply. If you don’t stop them early, they spread and cause misery.

Hundreds of studies confirm copper kills viruses and bacteria almost instantly just by touch.

That’s why ancient Greeks and Egyptians used copper to purify water and heal wounds. They didn’t know about viruses and bacteria, but now we do.

“The antimicrobial activity of copper is well established.”

National Institutes of Health.

Scientists say copper’s high conductance disrupts the electrical balance in a microbe cell and destroys it in seconds.

CopperZap® and put it on the market.

Soon hundreds of people had tried it. 99% said copper worked if they used it right away at the first sign of bad germs, like a tickle in the nose or a scratchy throat.

Users Say:

“It works! I love it!”

“I can’t believe how good my nose feels.”

“Is it supposed to work that fast?”

“One of the best presents ever.”

“Sixteen airline flights, not a sniffle!”

“Cold sores gone!”

“It saved me last holidays.

The kids all got sick, but not me.”

The EPA recommended hospitals use copper for touch surfaces like faucets and doorknobs. This cut the spread of MRSA and other illnesses by over half, and saved lives.

“I am shocked! My sinus cleared, no more headache, no more congestion.”

“Best sleep I’ve had in years!”

The strong scientific evidence gave inventor Doug Cornell an idea. He made a smooth copper probe with a tip to fit in the bottom of the nostril, where viruses collect.

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munity for being part of the process. We've had multiple community engagement nights in the sharing of the proposed boundary changes and our community knows that we have lots of great schools and great teachers in every single school who are providing kids with the best education possible.”

Board Vice President Steve Wrigley was pleased with the patrons’ insight given to the Board.

“We’ve come to a good compromise,” he said. “That was the easiest boundary adjust ments I've ever heard of; we just met with ev erybody, and they pretty much said the same thing, that this was best, and they were OK with it. We really go out of the way to work with the parents, and I think that makes a big difference in a lot of the stuff we do.”

Millerberg agreed.

all the schools, there was some give and take. When we made that decision, we're trying to balance population. I just thought it was a great exercise of community involvement and consensus building.”

There will be some impact to both Mid vale Middle and Union Middle in Sandy, he said.

“The neighborhoods east of State Street that now goes to Midvalley will feed into Union, which makes more sense because it’s a walking school and Midvale is a busing school,” Millerberg said.

Hillcrest High’s boundaries will remain unchanged, he added.

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“This was the smoothest boundary change that I could have ever imagined be cause people looked at what was best for the students, not just for themselves,” Millerberg said. “From the outset, I looked at option three and thought that best balance is what we need to have happen. Option three, took some pop ulation away from Copperview, which is one of our most diverse schools, and it moved that group into Midvalley, which is one of our newer, larger schools and could handle more students. It balances students between Midvale and East Midvale and addresses the students at the Road Home Shelter. Between

This is the first Midvale boundary change since Canyons School District’s inception in 2009, he said, and with one of the larger hous ing developments, Jordan Bluffs, being built west of I-15, Millerberg said the District an ticipates an upward estimate of 125-150 stu dents within the next five years.

“It’s so hard to tell. We used to look at demographics that don’t necessarily play out anymore. We’re involving families that may not have even lived here 20 years ago,” he said. “It could have gotten really difficult to tell people they should walk to school past a brand new elementary school to attend an old er elementary school that’s further away from them. That wouldn’t have played well, so I’m glad our patrons approached this objectively and what is best for the Midvale community.” l

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MIDVALE CITY DIRECTORY

City Hall 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

Police Dispatch 801-743-7000

Uni ed Fire Authority 801-743-7200

Fire Dispatch 801-840-4000

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

Reserving the Bowery 801-567-7202

Permits 801-567-7212

GRAMA requests 801-567-7207

Court 801-567-7265

Paying For Tra c School 801-567-7202

Business Licensing 801-567-7213

Property Questions 801-567-7246

Cemetery 801-567-7235

Water Line Breaks 801-256-2575

Planning and Zoning 801-567-7231

Code Enforcement 801-567-7208

Building inspections 801-567-7228

Graffiti 385-468-9769

EMERGENCY OR DISASTER CONTACT

Public Works 801-567-7235

Fire Dispatch –

Uni ed Fire Authority 801-840-4000

Midvale Police Precinct 385-468-9350

or Police Dispatch -

Uni ed Police Department 801-743-7000

EMERGENCY 911

In The Middle of Everything

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

Let’s talk about everyone’s favorite challenge our city is facing – growth. Over the last ten years, from the 2010 census to the 2020 census, Midvale’s population grew nearly 29%, while our State’s total population grew over 18% - the fastest growth rate in the country. This rapid increase provides incredible new opportunities for our city, but also many challenges. In this month’s message I hope to shed some light on why we are experiencing so much growth, the new challenges we are facing with growth, and the opportunities that come with growth.

WHY MIDVALE IS GROWING

Though many potential answers exist to the exact reasons why we’re growing – our economy, cheaper housing prices, our centralized location in the Salt Lake Valley, etc. – when we look at the most recent census data, we see two clear contributions to our growth across the State: Utah has a higher rate of current residents who were born in Utah, and Utah has a larger average household size.

When reviewing census data, looking at those who were born in Utah and still live here, we are currently at 62% of residents. To put that into perspective, 58% of Americans still live in the state they were born in, and when looking at the Western United States, that number drops to 47%. Further, when we look at the average household size, Utah comes in at 3.1 persons, whereas the United States average, and the Western United States average are both 2.6 persons per household. Simply put, here in Utah, we have larger families, and our kids want to stay here.

UTAH’S HOUSING SHORTAGE & THE LEGISLATURE

With this intersection of more original Utahns and larger families, plus seeing an in ux of non-Utahns wanting to move here, our home prices have skyrocketed. In fact, according to research that was released in July of this year and conducted by James Wood, in conjunction with the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, Utah is currently short 31,000 housing units. Even with our State’s recent growth, the median sale price of an existing home increased by 85% from 2017 to 2022 – almost doubling in the span of just ve years. This increase means that Salt Lake County residents now need to make $116,000 per year to a ord a median-priced home.

Although the data is currently limited because it’s happening right now in real time, homeless families are on the rise. This unfortunate trend is happening across the country, and the basic belief as to why is that low-income families can’t a ord the increasing rent and are being entirely priced out of the market and ending up on the streets. It’s important to keep this in mind as both the State Legislature and our City make decisions around new developments and rezoning.

To address our housing shortage statewide and try to bring down housing prices, the Utah State Legislature has stepped in to force the hand of cities to build more housing more quickly. Just earlier this year, the State passed a law that requires cities to plan for the development of low- and moderate-income housing citywide, as well as multi-family, high-density housing in a 0.5-mile radius around xed-rail stations. As a roughly 6-square mile city,

CITY

By Mayor Marcus Stevenson

implementing plans with a 1-mile diameter around each of our three Trax stations, will signi cantly a ect our community.

Further, while the State has forced municipalities to take certain actions to grow, they’ve also outlawed other abilities to keep rents low, such as rent control e orts. Currently, no county, city, or town may enact any law that would control rents or fees on private residential property without direct approval from the State. These restrictions really mean that to bring down housing prices, the State of Utah gives municipalities one true option – grow.

THE CHALLENGES WITH NEW GROWTH

With any change comes new challenges. Arguably, the biggest negative a ect our residents feel with new growth is road congestion and street parking issues. There are many potential ways to help address having more cars on our roads and Midvale City continues to take steps in addressing these concerns. First, we are working to implement an active transportation plan that will bring more bike lanes, trails, and encourage the use of public transit. It may seem simple, but the more people we have using other forms of transit, the less cars we have on our roads. Secondly, we are in the process of two di erent studies: a State Street corridor study and a canal trail study. Though both are largely in the beginning phases, these will create the roadmap for the city to form a more pedestrian-friendly community that slows down cars, adds more green spaces, and encourages the use of active transportation. Finally, our city is pushing new developments to be mixed-use, having ground level commercial space with upper residential space. These mixed-use projects help ensure that the individuals living in them, along with surrounding neighborhoods, can be less reliant on cars while still being able to accomplish basic day-to-day errands.

Like road congestion, our city often hears concerns over street parking issues. Because of these concerns, a few months ago, our city council voted to implement a law to require that any new residential development has the parking included with the price of rent or lease. This route was taken because, for the most part, we feel that our parking stall requirements for medium to high density projects is generous towards cars, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that every parking space is being used when a landlord is requiring an extra cost for the parking space. While we hope that this change helps to reduce future street parking issues, it’s important to keep in mind that these are private businesses who are making money. While we can require they include parking in the rent or lease, it does not mean the business owner will lose money from parking fees, as they’ll likely roll that cost into the price of the unit, making them more expensive than they would be otherwise.

The Opportunities with New Growth

Clearly, growth comes with growing pains, but it also comes with new opportunities that our city hasn’t seen before. These opportunities are both big and small, but all together hopefully we can fully capture the positive side of this complicated issue.

Firstly, while more growth may mean more cars, it can also mean safer roads for our residents. I know that sounds contradictory, but more cars driving or parking on our roads, means they’ll be going slower, which is safer for pedestrians. Here’s an extreme example to try and paint a picture of what I mean: if you had to

Marcus’s Message

In The Middle of Everything

2nd Annual Midvale Main Street Car Show bene ting Utah Food Bank

HOSTED BY MIDVALE CITY JOINS ROCKIN HOTROD PRODUCTIONS AND COTTONWOOD INSURANCE

We are revving up for the 2nd Annual Midvale Main Street Car Show which will be held on Friday, October 7, 2022, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The perfect blend of old school traditions and new school trends, with more than 150 hot rods, customs, muscle cars, trucks, and classics, the car show will take place on Midvale’s historic Main Street between 6th Avenue and Center Street.

Everyone is welcome to attend this free, family-friendly event. Visit Main Street shops and the small business pop-up marketplace, explore more than 20 recently curated murals, enjoy local eats from food trucks and restaurants, dance to the music, and take some seles with Utah’s hottest rides.

All proceeds from the event will bene t the Utah Food Bank. Vendors, sponsors, participants, and attendees are encouraged to donate canned goods for the event. Attendees will receive one ra e ticket per canned food item.

Vendors, sponsors, and classic vehicle owners are encouraged to participate. Contact Travis Peterson at 801-651-7784 or midvalemainstreetcarshow@gmail.com.

MAYOR’S MESSAGE CONTINUED

walk along the freeway, would you prefer that the cars were going 65 MPH+ or that they were in stop-and-go tra c? As drivers, we want to go fast, but as pedestrians, that creates a very unsafe environment for us. Taking this concept to our neighborhood streets, we often feel that because people may speed in our neighborhood now, a new development is only going to increase the number of speeders. However, if a new development brings more cars and therefore more cars parking on the street, it should slow down the speed of drivers, as they’ll need to drive more carefully, making the street safer than it was before. The narrower a street is, the slower people will drive, and the safer the street will be.

Secondly, new growth means more support for businesses, especially local ones. We all know we have some incredible small businesses located in our city, but growth can really help them better compete with larger companies. If a population is stagnant or shrinking, then a small business must compete with the larger businesses for their customers. However, with a growing population, it helps put small businesses on a more even playing eld, as both the large and small business are competing for new potential customers.

Lastly, more growth means more dollars invested into our community. This means, as we grow, the larger and more expensive projects get closer to becoming a reality. I’ve heard time and time again, the request for a community swimming pool or a new recreation center, but the prohibitive cost has created a challenge for our city to gure out how to provide this amenity. Though either a community pool or recreation center would still be incredibly challenging for our city to provide on its own, the more residents and businesses that are sharing that cost burden, means that the cost will be signi cantly less impactful to each individual or business. As a community, if we want new amenities like this, continued growth is going to be one of our biggest supporters in getting there.

Ultimately, I know that this is a sensitive subject, but I feel it’s important to provide context to help create understanding, even when I know that frustration exists. As our community continues to evolve, I hope that our residents get involved and provide feedback – we truly do want your input so we can continue to grow responsibly and with support from our community.

Trick or Treat on Main Street

Looking for a safe and fun place to take the kids Trick or Treating? Look no further than Midvale’s historic Main Street. Midvale City, the Redevelopment Agency of Midvale City, and the Main Street Business Alliance will host Trick or Treat on Main Street on Saturday, October 29, 2022, from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The free event features Main Street businesses who will happily ll your little ones’ bags with various goodies.

The Busking Bus Theatre Company is coming to Main Street to entertain you and your little monsters, ghouls, and princesses with their busking style variety show! Enjoy the PG-rated content, from magicians and jugglers to cello loop artists and street performers -- there’s something for everyone on Main Street.

Stroll along Main Street while you grab a bite to eat from food trucks and restaurants, then stop by Carnival Row. Free carnival games like Matching Ducks, Football Throw, Plinko, and Bottle Ring Toss are sure to burn o the extra calories and excessive energy.

Get inspired by more than 20 recently curated Main Street murals. Then encourage your kids to contribute to the city’s safety and walkability, as well as its Main Street revitalization, by participating in the crosswalk painting project sponsored by the Salt Lake County Health Department. This exciting project engages our youth by getting them involved in the community while highlighting pedestrian safety.

Visit www.EngageMidvale.com for more details about the event and Main Street revitalization e orts.

Fall Leaf Cleanup Program

Salt Lake County Animal Services

Let’s Get Leashed!

Fall is here and it’s time for you and your pup to roam the neighborhood, the parks, and the trails. Before you bound out of the house grab a leash and those poop bags.

LEASH LAWS

Many violators of this ordinance will claim that their pet is friendly, or less aggressive when on leash. But Salt Lake County Animal Services would remind you not everyone likes a “friendly” o -leash dog, nor do other dogs that are on leash. A leash is not an optional accessory, it’s the LAW to wear one. If you and your dog are caught being o -leash, and it’s not a designated o -leash dog park, you will get a ticket and will pay a ne.

PACK OUT THE POO

It’s the law to clean up after your dog, if you get caught not picking up their poop, expect to pay a ne. This is another public nuisance violation. Be a considerate neighbor or hiker and carry poop bags to clean-up after your dog when they defecate out on an adventure, whether it’s in the neighborhood or on a busy hiking trail, you must pick it up.

Curious about the ordinances in your city or township? Check out AdoptUtahPets.com and visit our “Laws” section to look up the ordinances in your area. Need to contact an o cer? Call dispatch at 801-840-4000.

Curbside Bulky Waste

2022 Fall

Fallen leaves are loaded with natural fertilizer, which can cause water pollution that harms people and animals Leaves that are left near the side of the road can also cause flooding when they block storm drains and waterways It's very important to collect fallen leaves Therefore, Midvale City is offering a new Fall Leaf Cleanup Program

Starting October 1 through November 23, free leaf bags will be available at Midvale City Hall Community Development Department, 7505 S Holden Street, 2nd floor (while supplies last).

In early November, Midvale City will provide dumpsters at Midvale City Park and Adams Park for residents to drop off full leaf bags Exact dates will be posted on the city's website (MidvaleCity org)

The dumpsters are for bagged leaves only! Tree limbs and other yard debris will not be accepted

Residents must NOT place bagged leaves curbside for pick up. Leaf bags will NOT be collected by Ace Recycling and Disposal.

Help prevent stormwater pollution Do not blow leaves or grass into the street where they’ll be carried to the storm drain

Curbside pick up will be provided for approved items that are boxed, bundled or bagged. The intent of this program is to reduce pollution in our streams, rivers and lakes and to keep our City clean. When utilizing curbside collection, residents are reminded that hazardous materials such as oil, batteries, paint, tires and other pollutants will not be collected.

Please follow your regularly scheduled garbage pick up day listed below to determine when your Curbside Bulky Waste pick up day is scheduled. Comply with the Bulky Waste Pick Up Guidelines (listed on back). If you don't comply with these important guidelines your items will not be picked up.

Help prevent stormwater pollution. Do not obstruct sidewalks, gutters, or storm drain inlets.

For more information,

MidvaleCity org or call 801 567 7235

Properly prepared items may be placed curbside up to one week prior to the scheduled pick up dates, no later than 6:30 a.m. on the scheduled Curbside Bulky Waste pick up day. Items placed at the curb must not obstruct sidewalks, gutters, storm drain inlets, water meters, or the free movement of traffic.

information,

MidvaleCity org/BulkyWaste

801 567 7235

The new Fall Leaf Cleanup Program is available to all Midvale City residents who currently receive City garbage service.

The curbside bulky waste program is available to all Midvale City residents who currently receive City garbage service.

Canyons energy leaders share how district is improving energy efficiency

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Many of Canyons School District’s schools and campuses are as energy and water efficient as possible, that’s what a group of Hillcrest High students recently learned.

During a recent Earth Club meeting, student members learned about the school district’s water and energy management pro gram, subtitled, “The Business of Saving Taxpayer’s Dollars and Leaving an Impres sive Legacy for Future Generations.” Then, they had a hands-on opportunity to discover if there were ways it could be better.

“What I would like is for you to measure how we can retain heat or more efficiently re duce our need for heat in this (STEM) build ing and then, identify the cheapest upgrades and start finding grants that we can start mod ifying this building to meet some improved level of efficiency,” Hillcrest Earth Club ad viser Jake Flanigan challenged students.

Hillcrest High senior Sofia Moeinvaziri was one of those students.

“It’s been really eye-opening and bene ficial to learn not only what we’re doing to become more efficient in our water and en ergy use, but the why’s and how’s behind it and how we can become more proactive,” she said.

During the presentation, students learned that Canyons’ water efficiency program be gan in 2016, when District Energy Specialist Chris Eppler introduced the Cal Poly’s audit ing water and analyzing precipitation rates program. He predicted, with the help of his staff and student interns, the school district could save about 25 million gallons of water.

“We ended up saving a documented 20 million gallons,” he said. “Our meter was out at a school so we couldn’t document all the water we saved, but I’m very confident we ended up saving more than what we project ed.”

The program is designed to water the area to meet plants’ needs, but not waste wa ter through runoff or overspray.

“It’s very straightforward and it’s actu ally very simple,” Eppler said. “What we do is go out and document how many sprinkler heads we have, what type of heads they are and what is the precipitation rate and the zone precipitation rate. Then, we’re able to calcu late how to operate as efficiently as we pos sibly can. I would venture to say we may be the only school district doing this and one of the few in the state of Utah. We can predict, based on the summer, how much water we need and show how much we actually use.”

The program began with a grant from a water conservancy district, he said.

“Now the thing people say is ‘How much do you save now?’ The savings aren’t

as great anymore because we’re watering the way we’re supposed to, so it’s more of a maintenance level and the savings is just put right back into the program,” he said, adding that there have been circumstances such as rebuilds of schools and an increase of water fees by Sandy City that have factored into the equation.

Even with that, his handful of summer student interns projected water usage in 2020-21 would total more than 113 million gallons for the middle schools alone; how ever, they were still able to consume less, at 88.5 million. During that same time period, elementary schools used 4 million gallons less than projected as well.

While the high school playing fields are preferred to be green, Eppler said they have reduced water consumption to 65% in other areas, such as the non-playing areas.

“The grounds for children stay in a healthy condition, but we’re sacrificing in other areas to stay within the governor’s pa rameters,” he said. “We know those big fields consume huge amounts of water and there’s no way of getting around that. But what we try to do is put the correct amount of water in the ground and do that during the less hot times. The amount of watering stays the same, but maybe it’s the frequency and the time of year that change.”

Canyons has been recognized as a Utah Energy Pioneer in 2015 for its leadership and commitment to energy conservation by the Utah Association of Energy Engineers and again in 2017, by Gov. Gary Herbert’s Office of Energy Development as a Utah Energy Pi oneer.

Eppler, who is a certified irrigation de signer, contractor and auditor as well as an energy engineer, said that his team, including Brandon Wolf, Daniel Bray and Robynn Le fler, have helped Canyons save money in its gas and electricity usage as well.

At a recorded high in 2013-14, Canyons paid $1.29 per square foot for natural gas, electricity, sewer and water. During the 201920 (mostly pre-pandemic) year, that same cost was down to 93 cents.

“This doesn’t take into consideration that we’ve increased the size of our buildings by 600,000 square feet (excluding the recent re builds of Brighton and Hillcrest high schools, which weren’t completed at that time) or 12% or that Rocky Mountain Power has increased their rates by about 10%,” Eppler said.

He added overall there also has been more usage with climate change resulting in warmer temperatures and less rain and snow.

“We actually did really well through 2019, then with COVID, we had to run our fans all the time and that changed our effi

ciency,” Eppler said, although the rates still are only a few cents up from pre-pandemic periods.

He said that with newer, upgraded equip ment, the schools are more efficient.

With the recent rebuild of Hillcrest, stu dents learned that 10 new condensing boilers, which are only heated up to 120 degrees, re placed two larger steam boilers that heated water to 160 degrees.

“What this means is that now all the wa ter goes into a main line and the temperature of the return water that comes back dictates whether we need to bring on another boiler,” he said. “By using one boiler to heat instead of two, it has saved Canyons HVAC dollars and energy. When we inherited the schools back from Jordan School District, it was ter rible. Our usage looked like it was a runaway freight train.”

Sometimes, when a building is modified, Eppler said, it can throw the systems off.

“What ruins it is when they start sub dividing the rooms, knocking down walls, adding walls. Technically, then they need a rebalance in rooms so that the air match es what is required. But instead, people start getting creative. At Bell View (Elementary) last year, where the principal’s office was once much larger, it was subdivided, but they didn’t move the ducts; so the principal was getting blown to death and was getting twice as much air and freezing, while everyone else was hot,” he said.

In some cases, adjustments can be made to help with the usage. Eppler illustrated the improvements at Park Lane, an elementary that has not been rebuilt.

“There has been a 70% improvement at Park Lane,” he said. “When I came here, we recommissioned the programming of the

HVAC system. In a nutshell, buildings were probably running 24/7 and we basically start ed running it when people are there and set a temperature range and that allowed for it not to be constantly cooling and heating. Now with the new schools, we can control the tem perature in rooms, and in some schools, we have zones we can cool or heat. As those old systems are being replaced, we’ve become smarter and more efficient about the way we are heating and cooling the buildings.”

Eppler has seen marked improvement with newer buildings, such as Butler Elemen tary improving 44%, Alta View Elementary at 43%, and Midvale Middle at 71% and Mt. Jordan Middle at 70% from their former buildings.

In addition, he said Canyons has saved energy and money by putting intelligent HVAC programming into the buildings’ au tomated systems, installing LED lighting and educating staff to become more conscien tious.

“We’ve reduced cost substantially. It helps the environment because these build ings pollute less. It helps because we’re using less water,” Eppler said. “Our job, we’re in the background, trying to keep our water us age and our energy use down for essentially 50 buildings throughout the district. We’re creating energy-smart and efficient schools that will create an environment to supports student learning through improvements in site selection options, daylighting, roof design and replacement, indoor air quality, lighting, thermal comfort, acoustics and classroom design. These all influence a child’s ability to learn and a teacher’s ability to teach. The reason I left the private sector was because I wanted to change the world and make this difference in the school system.” l

Canyons School District Energy Specialist Chris Eppler shares with Hillcrest High Earth Club about how the school district is saving money by regulating water and energy use. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Score one for Hillcrest alum: Hartman plays in All-Star game

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Few athletes excel to the level of professional and even less become an All Star. Yet former Hillcrest High stu dent-athlete Jaden Hartman defied those odds and played in his first All-Star game this past August.

“The RSL coaches picked two of us (he was joined by Kylie Wilson) a couple months beforehand for the West AllStars, but we only had one practice with our team in Min nesota before we played,” Hartman said about playing 11 versus 11 with the unified team that fosters inclusivity and makes soccer accessible to everyone. “I wasn’t used to play ing with them so that was hard; I ended up playing a lot more defense. I love scoring, but my role was more defense in this game. The Minnesota head coach was our coach and was pretty good and we had Luis Silva from RSL assisting.”

While Hartman didn’t score in this game (he scored a goal for RSL Unified against Colorado and a hat trick against San Jose earlier this season), and his team didn’t win, he said it was a positive experience during the three days — both on the field as well as off, seeing St. Paul’s sights and attending a hip hop concert there with his All-Star teammates.

“I’ve learned so much from the game and really enjoy it,” he said. “I got to meet one of my idols, Jordan Morris who plays forward for Seattle (Sounders FC). It was cool. He was right there by me. I like the way he plays, and I try to incorporate that into my game.”

Morris signed Hartman’s All-Star jersey, which now he hopes to frame. He also has one signed by his teammates. Hartman brought those home along with his silver medal and new cleats, shirts and a bag that were given to the All-Stars.

Now, he’s hoping to help Hillcrest High prepare for its

unified soccer season as well as prepare for a home game against a team from Colorado. RSL Unified team will kick off on Oct. 9 following the RSL game. l

www.RichardSnelgrove.com

RICHARD SNELGROVE

• Supports well funded Police for safe neighborhoods

• Received the prestigious "Taxpayer Advocate" award from the Utah Taxpayers Association in recognition of efforts to avoid tax increases and improve efficiency

• Believes in bipartisanship in working with Democrat and Republican colleagues

• Widely recognized as a trustworthy, dedicated and hard working public servant

• Baseball coach and Boy Scout leader

• Graduate of The University of Utah...go Utes!

• Married to JoLynn Turner and are parents of 4 children with 9 grandchildren

• Business executive. Founder and President of Snelgrove Travel Centers Inc. Celebrating 30 years in business

Women: Your Voice Matters!

We need more women in political office. We need you! Join the Women’s Leadership Institute in its non-partisan, in-depth training for aspiring female political candidates. The seventh annual cohort has started, but we have a couple spots still available!

Hillcrest High alumnus Jaden Hartman was joined by his Real Salt Lake Unified teammate Kylie Wilson at the All-Star Unified Soccer Game. (Luis Silva/Real Salt Lake)

While playing at the All-Star Unified Soccer Game, Jaden Hartman, who played for Hillcrest High’s unified team, met his idol, Jordan Morris of the Seattle Sounders Football Club. (Luis Silva/Real Salt Lake)

Paid for by Friends of Snelgrove

New novel takes a nostalgic look at growing up in Midvale

By Sarah Morton Taggart | s.taggart@mycityjournals.com

Many people who grew up in Midvale feel nostalgia for how things used to be. Mike Padjen took those fond memories and wove them into a novel.

“Liminal” is a supernatural thriller for young adults that takes place in several settings across time and space, but much of the book takes place in Midvale, Utah during 1972 and 2022.

A main character named Micky has some similarities to the author. Both grew up in Mid vale, now live in North Carolina, and later in life were diagnosed with a rare form of leuke mia called multiple myeloma.

“Micky is a tough kid and a tough older guy. But he has his pains,” Padjen said. “Peo ple see you and you look healthy. They don’t know what’s going on underneath.”

The title of the book comes from a word that means being at a boundary.

“I’ve been listening to more spiritual podcasts,” Padjen said. “A liminal space is a threshold for spiritual beliefs. That’s a neat idea, that people are constantly crossing thresh olds. That’s the idea of ‘Liminal,’ a supernatu ral story around the heart of friendship.”

The other main character in the book, 14-year-old Callie, is loosely based on Pad jen’s own granddaughter. Once it is discovered that Callie and Micky can both enter a sinister dreamworld, they team up with Micky’s child hood friends to solve a decades-old mystery.

“I always wanted to write a story about friendships,” Padjen said. “But whenever I tried to write that story, it always ended up re ally sad. I kept putting it away.”

“Liminal” does put its characters in peril, but ends on a hopeful note.

“I started researching different mytholog ical creatures connected to people’s beliefs,” Padjen said. “Beliefs can cause real things to happen if you try hard enough. I put a lot of things I’ve been thinking about over the past five years into this book.”

“Liminal” is also a story of nostalgia.

“Downtown Midvale was, at best, quaint,” reads a passage early on in the book. “There were always rumors it would be turned into a historic, upscale shopping and dining destination. The rumors always ended up be ing misleading, with the improvements mainly including duct tape, wire, and an article in The Midvale Sentinel touting bigger changes to come. Micky didn't care about those changes today either. It was baseball season.”

Padjen wrote the 1970’s Midvale scenes entirely from memory.

“I can still feel myself riding down the street,” he said. “I worked at Bern’s Foods for three years as a bag boy, delivering food to the houses in the avenues.”

The Micky character returns to Midvale decades later, and those scenes are inspired by Padjen’s own visit to his hometown in 2021. He was appalled to see that the land where his beloved baseball diamond had been is now buildings and a parking lot.

“I can’t believe it. My fondest childhood memories are buried under government build ings,” said the Micky character in “Liminal.” “I can’t think of a worse way of dashing those memories. I guess the next thing you're going to tell me is the Vincent Drugs sign is no longer there."

The sign is still there, the novel notes, though in disrepair and partially hidden by tree

branches.

“I wasn’t real thrilled with all the apartments on Center Street, but they’re not bad,” Padjen said. “I thought they did a really good job with the park where they took the elementary school down. People on Facebook are always complaining, but there’s some good spots. Some improve ments.”

Another character in the book is based on Padjen’s friend, Ron Cisneros. The two now live in different parts of the country, but remotely wrote a novel to gether in 2020. Cisneros has since written a children’s book, and the two are cur rently plotting a sequel to that first book together.

“Liminal” is available in softcover and e-book on Amazon.com. Padjen also has plans to publish an audiobook version.

He got the idea to do an audio version when several of his friends told him they just don’t have time to sit down and read. Padjen was also impressed when he heard someone read a selection of his first book on her podcast.

“It takes on a whole other life when some one reads it out loud,” he said. l

“Liminal” is a new young adult novel set partly in Midvale in 1972 and 2022. (Image courtesy Michael Padjen)

Michael Padjen poses in front of the Midvale home where he grew up. (Photo courtesy Michael Padjen)

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Double, double toil and trouble for witches of yesteryear

By Annabelle Larsen | a.larsen@mycityjournals.com

What’s a witch? Throughout human history, the defini tion has changed. Witches have been defined as peo ple casting spells or calling upon spirits for help, or to bring about change. Many witches were seen as pagans doing the devil’s work. Others were known as simple natural healers and called wise women. Mostly, this choice of profession or life was simply misunderstood and societal fear took over.

The prosecution of witches took hold in Europe during the mid-1400s when many people confessed, often under torture, to a variety of witch-like behaviors. Within the next century witch hunts were common, and most of the accused were executed by burning at the stake or hanging. Women, who were single, widowed, and those who lived on the margins of society, were the usual targets. Between the years 1500-1660 there were about 80,000 suspected witches that were put to death in Europe; 80% of them were women. Germany had the highest witchcraft execution rate while Ireland had the lowest.

What started this witch hunt and the witch hysteria that followed was in part caused by the publication of a book “Malleus Maleficarum,” which was written by a German Catholic clergyman in 1486. The book usually translates as “The Hammer of Witches,” and was essentially a guide on how to identify, hunt and interrogate witches. The book labeled witchcraft as heresy, and became the authority for Protestants and Catholics at the time trying to flush out witches living among them.

Although the witch hunt was far larger in Europe than it was in the Americas, most Americans are familiar with the Salem Witch Trials more so than what happened in Eu

rope. The New World, at the time, had fallen under many hardships and trials including a war between the French and British, a smallpox epidemic, and the ongoing fear of attacks from Native American tribes. The tense atmosphere was ripe for finding scapegoats, and these tensions are one of the reasons historians suspect led to the Salem Witch Trials of 1692-93 in Massachusetts.

The witch trials initially began when 9-year-old Eliza beth Parris and 11-year-old Abigail Williams began suffer ing from fits, body contortions, uncontrollable screaming, and odd behavior. As more young women began to exhibit symptoms, hysteria ensued. Three women were accused of witchcraft as an explanation to this problem. The three women were Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne and Tituba In dian, an enslaved woman owned by Parris's father. Tituba eventually confessed to being a witch, but she then began accusing others of using black magic on June 10, 1692. Bridget Bishop became the first accused witch to be put to death during the Salem Witch Trials. Between 1626 and 1730 there were around 150 people who were accused of witchcraft and 18 were put to death. While women were the main victims, there were six men who were also convicted and executed during this time.

Massachusetts wasn't the only state in the Thirteen Colonies to be obsessed with witches and witch hunting; it also spread throughout the rest of the colonies, but it was most prevalent here. Historians speculate that much of the hysteria and the reasons for the fits, body contortions, and uncontrollable screaming first displayed by the two girls could possibly be from a poisonous fungus, found in the

An artist’s rendition of the trial of a suspected witch. (Courtesy of History.com)

eastern U.S., that causes spasms and delusions.

So as people go about this year’s Halloween season and make-believe (or real) witches are safely out and about, it’s interesting to remember a time when this wasn’t so. l

CottonCrest mountain bikers off to fast start

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

In the 11 years Utah Cycling League has of fered high school athletes a chance to com pete, more Cottonwood-AMES-Intermountain Christian-Hillcrest mountain bikers have joined the composite team, dedicating them selves to year-round training for a four-race season in addition to state.

“We’re bigger every year,” said Cotton Crest coach Anthony Stowe. “We have 41 on the team this year and they're having tons of fun.”

This year, the majority, 26 riders, come from Hillcrest. Nine of the student-athletes are seniors.

“We know that the best advertising to get team members is word of mouth, but I’ve been able to snag a couple of girls at freshman ori entation night like Josie Paul, who is a team captain and a Hillcrest senior this year. She’s told me several times she’d never even thought about racing on mountain bikes until then,” Stowe said.

Joining Paul as captain is Hillcrest senior Kenna Stowe, who is the first female racing varsity in five years.

“She’s been working really hard because racing varsity is a big deal,” he said.

In her first race, she placed 12th for the team.

The third captain is Hillcrest senior Kolby Butler, who had a goal to improve from JV-A to varsity this year.

“He’s right on the edge to riding varsity. There are four boys that want to move into varsity, but they all have to petition up. They did well last year, but not well enough to auto matically qualify. It’s hard because it’s a pretty deep category. Those varsity boys are pulling the same lap times that a professional athlete would, just incredibly fast. On any race day, you can see a plume of dust before you see

them. It’s insane,” Stowe said.

In addition to his returners, he’s expecting promise from first-year rider, Intermountain Christian junior Micah Autry.

“He is a rocket ship, but since this is his first year, he was starting somewhere in the middle of the pack in the lowest category, but with his race resume, we were able to petition him up to JV-A. Now he has to prove that he can get into varsity,” Stowe said.

The season began with races in Price and at Snowbasin, which Stowe said the latter is “a climbers’ course; it’s really steep right from the starting line.”

At Price, CottonCrest’s Alex Fisher won the freshman-B race, with Seth Fillmore plac ing fourth and Graham Carlson, taking fifth.

At Snowbasin, CottonCrest podium fin ishers in their divisions were Carlson, first; Josie Paul, first; Fisher, second; and Sabrina Miner, fourth place.

In both races, the team finished sixth overall in their division.

CottonCrest was expected to race Sept. 24 in Moab, on a “wide open fast course that has some technical sections on the slickrock,” followed by Oct. 8 race in Vernal, which Stowe described as a “fast-pedaler course.”

“The wonderful thing for Kolby, Por ter Bach and Braxton Little is that they're all Hillcrest seniors, and they want to go out hav ing raced in the hardest category. They know they’re not going to win first place, but they want to do hard things. In this day and age, it’s cool to see these kids have that desire, which will help them in life as they move on into the workplace. That's really what I try and instill with these kids. We climb mountains, which is super hard, right? We look at it and ask, how do you make it harder? So, our kids practice on difficult trails in hot weather, and we pre

pare them for the worst days. We do every thing from intervals to hard courses on hot days where there are a couple of trails that are fully exposed to the sun and they have an 800or 900-foot climb in full sun, so they have to learn how to hydrate and eat properly before practice. Because we train in these conditions, we have a decent balance of aerobic output for Price and Vernal, and we have good climbers, technical riders and technical defenders for Snowbird and Moab.”

Preparing them for the races also means anything from mental toughness to bike repair.

“When I send my athletes out, they’re gone, sometimes as much as four miles away. When they’re out there, they're out there, and that can be intimidating for a lot of kids. That’s

what this sport is all about — teaching them how to work hard, teaching them sustainabil ity, teaching them how to take care of them selves,” Stowe said.

State is Oct. 21-22 in St. George.

“The St. George course is a balance of all of the courses,” said Stowe who anticipates taking about 40% of his team to the champion ships. “You have half of the course that is wide open, smooth, easy trail, where you can put down the power and sustain it, and you’ll fly. The first half though is really difficult because you start out fast and you get right into this re ally rough terrain, so you need good technical skill. It’s the perfect balance of speed and tech nical prowess on the bike to test and challenge our riders.” l

Cottonwood freshman Sophia Arlen rides in a JV-B race. (Anthony Stowe/CottonCrest)

Cottonwood junior Ethan Luker races for Cotton Crest. (Anthony Stowe/CottonCrest)

Hillcrest freshman Alex Fisher already is a podium-finisher this season. (Anthony Stowe/CottonCrest)

At Snowbasin, CottonCrest had several Hillcrest riders on the podium: Alex Fisher, second; Graham Carlson, first; Sabrina Miner, fourth; and Josie Paul, first. (Anthony Stowe/CottonCrest)

Needs Beyond Medicine reduces financial stress for cancer patients

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

Acancer diagnosis brings up so much un certainty. Along with the emotional and physical fears of possible surgery and treat ment, cancer takes a financial toll on patients as well. Many patients miss work and people in rural areas might have to travel to get the chemotherapy or radiation procedures they need.

That’s where Needs Beyond Medicine steps in. The organization was founded by Philip Brown in 2006, and expanded to a 501(c)(3) in 2009. It offers living expense grants to cancer patients who need help pay ing for food, bills and transportation. The goal is to alleviate some of the stress that accompanies a cancer diagnosis.

“I don’t think people realize the toll [cancer] takes, along with everything else you’re dealing with in your life,” Brown said. “We help current cancer patients with non-medical costs. That includes transporta tion, groceries, rent or anything considered non-medical. We also do education out reach.”

A longtime advocate for cancer educa tion, early detection and care, Brown has his own connection to the disease. His mother passed away in 1996 after an 18-month-long battle with ovarian cancer. His mission is to raise awareness about cancer screenings in

the hope more lives can be saved.

The concept for Needs Beyond Med icine started when Brown was going to school to earn his bachelor’s degree. He got an internship working with doctors, nurses and social workers who created a task force to help cancer patients. Brown eventually took it over and has helped nearly 2,000 peo ple with the nonprofit’s relief program.

Because the group is not aligned with any specific hospital or provider, people across the state are eligible for its services. Patients are usually referred to Needs Be yond Medicine by a social worker who knows what the individual is going through.

“We’re Utah-based and cover the whole state. I think people don’t realize we help a lot of people in the rural towns who have to travel a few hours a day to get treatment,” Brown said. “We can work with all the can cer programs in the state, which is unique, so we’re able to help all the patients.”

On Friday, Nov. 4, Needs Beyond Med icine will hold its annual canSURVIVE gala at the Cottonwood Country Club (1780 Lakewood Drive) in Holladay, from 5-9:30 p.m. The fundraising event lets cancer survi vors tell their stories and helps raise money for the organization with a raffle and silent auction. All proceeds go to help Utah cancer

patients with living expenses.

Needs Beyond Medicine helps an av erage of 15 people each month as they go through their cancer journey. For informa tion about sponsoring the canSURVIVE gala or to donate items for the raffle and silent auction, email Brown at info@needsbeyond medicine.org. To learn more about the relief

program, visit needsbeyondmedicine.org.

“It’s shocking that each year we’ve done this, we’ve made a profit. Even the first one, which is kind of mind-boggling. I’ve been told if you’re making money, you should keep doing what you’re doing,” Brown said.

“It’s a public event and we just accept dona tions at the door.” l

Utah listed as second best for teacher-friendly states

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

As educators struggle across the county, WalletHub released a report about the level of teacher-friendliness in each state and Washington, D.C., based on 24 key indicators. The infor mation is intended to help educators find the best opportunities and places to work.

Utah finished in second place, just under New York and followed by Virginia, Florida and Washington. The ranking was determined by two key indicators, Opportunity and Competi tion, and Academic and Work Environment.

Education jobs are some of the lowest-paying occupations that require a bachelor’s degree, so competitive salaries and job security was assigned a heavier weight in the scoring.

“Teacher compensation must become competitive with the industry to retain and recruit these highly qualified indi viduals, many of whom hold advanced graduate degrees and several specialized certifications,” said Rene S. Parmar, dean at the School of Education, Lehman College, City University of New York.

The 24 metrics included average starting salary, income growth potential, public school enrollment, pupil-to-teacher ra tio, quality of the school system and commute time. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with 100 representing the best conditions. Utah earned a score of 57.38, just under New York’s 59.33.

When it came to the existence of a digital learning plan, Utah scored first place and earned second place for the 10-year change in teacher salaries. It scored ninth for average starting salary and 13th for the quality of the school system.

“Nothing in the public education system has a greater ef fect on a student’s learning than the teacher in the classroom,”

said Kirsten Stewart, Canyons School District spokesperson. “Understanding this, and with the goal of elevating the role of teachers in our district’s success, the Canyons Board of Edu cation, with support from our community, have consistently invested in teachers.”

Stewart said Canyons School District has invested a great deal to bring teacher pay in-line with other professionals in Utah. The school board approved a teacher compensation in crease every year since 2009, when the district was formed, with one of the highest starting salaries for teachers at $55,000.

Canyons District offers free training to all teachers and offers coaches to mentor and support teachers at any time. This year, the district implemented an early-out Friday across all schools to give teachers time to work as teams. Attracting the best teachers continues to be a priority for the district.

“About 38% of our teachers come to us from outside Utah, and we provide a stipend to those relocating. We also have ar ranged to cut their first paychecks and get health benefits acti vated soon after their arrival,” Stewart said. “Where else can you live footsteps from the greatest snow on earth and a day’s drive from five national parks, much less a major metropolitan area with all its urban perks?”

Besides teacher compensation, Parmar lists two factors that affect a teacher’s job satisfaction. First, a feeling of respect for their professional status, and second, additional resources to address students’ needs.

“Politicized forces are constantly attacking their authority in the classroom by attempting to dictate curriculum and in structional activities,” Parmar said. “The trickle-down of these attacks is that parents and children are led to disrespect teachers

in their communities rather than support them.”

While Utah scored in the top five for teacher-friendliness, it placed last in pupil-teacher ratio and 50th in public school spending per student. States with the lowest overall scores were New Mexico, Arizona, Washington, D.C., New Hampshire and Hawaii. Review the entire report at wallethub.com/edu.

“Leaders in the community and schools must work to cre ate an environment of respect for teachers and support for their work,” Parmar said. “All stakeholders must participate in the work of attracting and retaining great teachers. If local officials disrespect them, parents and boards challenge their profession alism, the environment around schools is unsafe and poorly maintained, and the local media promotes negativity, teachers will leave.” l

Heidi Jo Taylor (left) and Annette Page are cancer survivors who volunteer with Needs Beyond Medicine, a nonprofit that helps cancer patients with living expenses and provides education about early cancer screening. (Courtesy of Chad Hurst)

Utah earned a second place ranking in a teacher-friendliness WalletHub report. The ranking was determined by two indicators, Opportunity and Competition, and Academic and Work Environment. (Stock photo)

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It’s like pulling teeth

here are lots of people in this world who scare me, like toddlers, Christian nationalists and the barista who always compliments my shirt, even when I’m wearing a blood-stained hoodie.

T

But dentists! Dentists are a higher level of fear. I'm sure they get tired of being compared to the sadistic den tist in “Little Shop of Horrors” but if the tooth fits…

My dentophobia is rooted in an experience when I was 5 where many of the details are still slumbering in my subconscious, waiting to burst when I’m least expecting it. The only thing I remember was the dentist was not my friend.

is a privilege.

My rational mind knows all those things, but I’ve never left a dentist’s office thinking, “Hmmm. That wasn’t too bad.”

I recently had my first root canal, which didn’t ease my fears. At all. I was upfront with the endodontist and told him I didn’t like him very much.

“I understand,” he said.

“No, really. I loathe you,” I said.

“Yeah, I get that a lot.”

Peri Kinder Life and Laughter

I start ed dreading my annual checkup. Mom would write our dentist’s name on the bathroom mirror in red lipstick, so she’d remember to schedule the appointment. But every time she wrote it, I’d take a wet washcloth and wipe it off. I’m sure she never noticed the smeared lipstick or the dripping-wet mirror.

Now that I’m older, I should be braver, right? I should be grateful I don’t have a medieval dentist who also works as the village butcher, barber and blacksmith. I’m lucky I’m not Tom Hanks in “Castaway” when he uses an ice skate to knock out his abscessed molar. Modern dentistry

We went from there. He offered me nitrous oxide be cause if I’m going to be root-canaled, I’d rather be float ing somewhere near Venus. After I was nice and drifty, he told me I’d feel a little pinch as he numbed my mouth. Then he proceeded to nail my face to the chair while the nurse handed him a Black & Decker drill. He laughed ma niacally, donned a hockey mask ala Jason Voorhees and started excavating my back teeth.

At least, that’s how I remember it.

After the root canal, I had to make an appointment with my dentist to put a crown on my tooth. I called the receptionist who said I could schedule time on Sept. 12 at 2:30 a.m. or wait until June 2023. Typical.

I don’t know why I’m still terrified of all things den tal. The smell of a dentist’s office makes my stomach roll. The sound of a drill makes my jaw clench, which makes it really hard to work on my teeth. When it was time for my crown appointment, I sat in my car for a good 15 minutes, giving myself a pep talk.

“You’ve got this,” I said. “You’re a big girl.”

“Nope. I’m going to Starbucks,” I responded. “No, you’re not. You’re going to act like an adult

and walk in that office.”

I stuck my tongue out at myself and went to get my crown. Not a cool crown like a Dutch sapphire tiara but a porcelain crown that I’m afraid to chew with. I’m pretty sure my dentist has a hook for a hand and he proceeded to stab my gums repeatedly, probably just for the fun of it. And then it was over. For now.

I’d rather face a zillion zombies, a multitude of mum mies, a van full of vampires or a ton of toddlers before seeing the dentist again. He’s the scariest monster I know.