Midvale January 2017 by The City Journals

January 2017

Vol. 3 Iss. 1

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A Year in Review: Midvale By Marina McTee |

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page 4 People flooded the Midvale Outdoor Stage in the park to watch Alex Boye and Taylor Hicks perform as part of the Levitt AMP Midvale Music Series in August. The Midvale Arts Council is applying to hold the music series in the city again. (Midvale Arts Council)

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Hillcrest wins State Drill Team title

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MMS bookmark competition

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LOCAL LIFE Famous Headliners Close Harvest Days LIFE

Page 2 | January 2017 LOCAL By Chris Larson | chris.larson@mycityjournals.com

Midvale City Journal

Famous headliners close Harvest Days

“Part of (the grant) was to attract local, regional and national artists to an area,” Walker said. “(The Levitt Foundation) really wanted us to up our game and get more professional artists.” The Midvale Journal isofa the monthly Walker said City the purpose Levitt publication directly to residents AMP Midvaledistributed Music Series and the art council via the USPS well as throughout generally is to as bring thelocations community together Midvale. with art experiences that people may not get the For information about distribution please opportunity to experience otherwise. email circulation@mycityjournals.com or Midvaleare Harvest Days callThe ourcity-organized offices. Rack locations also availapproached thewebsite. arts council about the possibility able on our For subscriptions pleaseof contact: circulaof combining the conclusion both events. tion@mycityjournals.com This created a great deal of anxiety for The aviews and opinions expressed in Beardall, volunteer. display advertisements do not necessaricity initially approached ly “When reflect orthe represent the views and opin-us about a combo event,Media I had or nothe intention ionsdoing held by Loyal Perch City of Journals. getting two bigpublication acts,” Beardall This maysaid. not be reproduced in whole in part The booking of or both acts,without despitethe the express the headline owner. slots, anxiety ofwritten havingconsent to ﬁll oftwo came with a bit of serendipity. When trying to book Boye for the The Midvale Team conclusion of the Levitt AMP series, slated on Aug. 5, she happened to be referred to the CREATIVE same booking agent sheDIRECTOR: worked with to book Bryan Scott the bands, The Crescent Super Band and Latin bryan@mycityjournals.com Roots, who performed in earlier concerts. “[Boye] loves EDITOR: to perform locally and that

makes it a little easier to book him…He can stay close to his family,” Beardall said. As is offered with the grant, Levitt AMP By Chris Larson | chris.larson@mycityjournals.com | Story originally printed September 2016 helped Beardall connect with booking agents to ﬁll the closing concert. he second conclusion of the Midvale Arts Council’s When trying to book Boye for the conclusion “We kind of happened upon Taylor Levitt AMP Midvale Music Series Hicks,” and the of the Levitt AMP series, slated on Aug. 5, she Beardall “His agency love Midvale said. Harvest Days camesaid withhea would bang — lithappened to be referred to the same booking agent toerally and—heas was in our price range. It really fireworks and concerts by “American she worked with to book the bands, The Crescent happened by luck.” Idol” season five winner Taylor Hicks and local Super Band and Latin Roots, who performed in Beardall favorite acts were the sensation Alexsaid Boyeher dazzled attendees. earlier concerts. Latin The band, Incendio, up-and-coming folk/ Midvale Arts and Council, a local non-profit, “[Boye] loves to perform locally and that indie group, Edison. was awarded a $25,000 matching grant from the makes it a little easier to book him…He can stay Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Edison Foundation put on a The Denver-based wastofounded close to his family,” Beardall said. freea concert to “(e)nrich livesLumineers, through the As is offered with the grant, Levitt AMP by former series member of the The power of free, live (m)usic.” helped Beardall connect with booking agents to Maxwell Hughes. Beardall said Edison heard Walker, them chairman of fill the second closing concert. aboutAccording the grant toandWade approached about Midvale Arts Council Board of Directors, much “We kind of happened upon Taylor Hicks,” performing. of the total $50,000 went to paying artists. Beardall said. “His agency said he would love to “They are up and coming and thought it of directing most of and he was in our price range. It really happened wouldOn betop a good opportunity to the signgrant on amoney band to thehad artists, arts council was able to advertise by luck.” who justthegotten a recording contract,” the free concert series, something that Concert Beardall said her favorite acts were the Latin Beardall said. Chair Melanie Beardall identified as a limitation band, Incendio, and up-and-coming folk/indie Beardall appreciated Edison’s humor and Alex Boye performed at the Midvale Harvest Days on to the success of the previous free concert series. group, Edison. laid-back approach to the administrative side Aug. 5. (Midvale Arts Council) On average, between 400 and 600 people The Denver-based Edison was founded by a of things. Speciﬁcally, she liked that the band attended the concerts. One of the better attended former member of the The Lumineers, Maxwell had named van,Army “VanBand. Morrison” and their Alex Boye performed at the Midvale Harvest Days on events was their the 23rd Hughes. Beardall said Edison heard about the Aug. 5. –Midvale Arts Council trailer,However, “Trailor Swift.”  with the combination of the grant and approached them about performing.

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Midvale Harvest Days, the concert series and two very popular acts, attendance estimates hovered around 1,500 concert attendees. “Part of (the grant) was to attract local, regional and national artists to an area,” Walker said. “(The Levitt Foundation) really wanted us to up our game and get more professional artists.” Walker said the purpose of the Levitt AMP Midvale Music Series and the art council generally is to bring the community together with art experiences that people may not get the

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opportunity to experience otherwise. The city-organized Midvale Harvest Days approached the arts council about the possibility of combining the conclusion of both events. This created a great deal of anxiety for Beardall, a volunteer. “When the city initially approached us about doing a combo event, I had no intention of getting two big acts,” Beardall said. The booking of both acts, despite the anxiety of having to fill two headlineChristian slots, came with a bit A Non-Denominational Church of serendipity.

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“They are up and coming and thought it would be a good opportunity to sign on a band who had just gotten a recording contract,” Beardall said. Beardall appreciated Edison’s humor and laid-back approach to the administrative side of things. Specifically, she liked that the band had named their van, “Van Morrison” and their trailer, “Trailor Swift.” l

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Page 4 | January 2017

ON THE COVER

Midvale City Journal

A year in review: Midvale By Marina McTee |

ith a renewed investment in the city’s art programs, construction of a new middle school, and the last year of the mayor JoAnn Seghini approaching, 2016 has been an eventful year for Midvale.

Midvale puts on a summer concert series with the Leavitt AMP Grant. (Leavitt Foundation) ____________________________________________________________

Leavitt AMP Concert Series: It all started back in January, when the Leavitt Foundation It all started back in January, when the Leavitt Foundation announced this year’s 15 winners for their $25,000 AMP Grant. This grant let the Midvale Arts Council put on a free 10-week outdoor concert series. The series ran every Friday from June 3 to August 6, and hosted a variety of musicians such as the Utah National Guard’s 23rd Army Band and “American Idol” season five winner Taylor Hicks. Being awarded this grant did not come easy, however, and required a large amount of community support. Much of that support came from sharing on social media and voting for Midvale on the Leavitt AMP website. The concert series was an immense success, drawing large crowds that filled the city park. “The grant helped turn our city park into a thriving destination through the power of free music,” concert chair Melanie Beardall told City Journals in October. The Leavitt AMP concert series helped to bring the community of Midvale together according to Berdall. She said it unified them in their love for music and entertainment.

People flooded the Midvale Outdoor Stage in the park to watch Alex Boye and Taylor Hicks perform as part of the Levitt AMP Midvale Music Series in August. The Midvale Arts Council is applying to hold the music series in the city again. (Midvale Arts Council) ____________________________________________________________

Midvale Arts Council: In addition to the Leavitt AMP Grant awarded to the Midvale Arts Council (MAC), they also received continued support from the city of Midvale. The MAC was given $20,000, half of

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which will go towards the Leavitt AMP Grant. The grant was a matching grant, which means that the cities that were awarded must be able to pay the same amount of money as the Leavitt Foundation. The other half of the $20,000 will be for the MAC to produce a musical or play. Community Building Community: The Community Building Community group also received additional sponsorship from the city. The Community Building Community organization (CBC) is a citizen-run group that provides services and programs that try to help promote a better community. Community Building The CBC has five programs: Community helps the people Health, which provides low-cost of Midvale in many ways. health care; Stable Families, which (Community Building Community) provides classes and workshops to promote stable families; Education, which organizes after school programs; Safety, which helps with emergency preparedness and neighborhood safety; and Income, which organizes classes to help struggling residents become economically independent. With sponsorship from the city, the Community Building Community organization will be able to continue their work making Midvale a better community.

Midvale increases its property tax to fund necessary services. (Midvale City). ____________________________________________________________

Proposed Property Tax Increase: In August, the Midvale City Council voted 3-2 to adopt the city budget for the fiscal year from July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017. The budget included a property tax increase that will be $8 a month per household. The increase is necessary to provide for many city-provided services such as road maintenance and public safety. Bingham Junction Park: Midvale also recently reopened the Bingham Junction Park on 6980 S. River Reserve Court. The old park, which was built in 2006, suffered from poor drainage and a lack of amenities. The park was in poor condition, so in 2014, the Midvale Redevelopment Agency began to gather funds to rebuild the park. Those funds came from many different places, including the Tourism, Recreation, Cultural and Convention Fund from Salt Lake County and the Utah Jazz. The TRCC contributed a $665,000 softball field, and the Jazz gave $25,000 for a new basketball court. Other additional amenities to the park’s redesign are a new play structure, sledding hill, expanded parking with improved lighting, restrooms and a storage building. The grand reopening and ribbon cutting was joined by Jazz forward Joel Bolomboy and coaching assistant DeSagana Diop on October 27.

A ribbon cutting was held to commemorate the new Jazz court and the renovated Bingham Junction Park on Oct. 27. (Travis Barton/City Journals) ____________________________________________________________

The grand reopening and ribbon cutting was joined by Jazz forward Joel Bolomboy and coaching assistant DeSagana Diop on October 27th. Midvale Middle School: The Bingham Junction Park was not the only thing in Midvale that was being rebuilt, though. The Canyons DistrThe Canyons District has been able to rebuild and renovate many of their schools, including in Midvale. Midvale is in the midst of constructing a brand new middle school. The new Midvale Middle School continues The proposal for Mid- under construction this summer and is vale Middle School was expected to open to serve 750 students a part of a $250 million in fall 2017. The school has been serving students since 1955. (Julie Slama/City bond that was approved in Journals) 2010. The new school is being built on the same location as the old school, 7852 Pioneer St., which has stood in that location since its construction in 1955. The design of the new building, however, will be rooted in the old school’s design. “The building is constructed in brick, which was designed to look like much of the 1930’s and 1940’s buildings in the community,” said Principal Wendy Dau. The hope is to improve the learning experience for Midvale Middle School students by creating a better environment for them to learn in. The design of the building itself is meant to be a learning device with such things as “geometrical designs which teachers can apply when instructing kids in math,” Dau stated. The school is also updating its technology with engineering labs, art rooms, 3D printers, and Chromebooks, all to help student’s learning experiences. With more resources, all of the students will be able to heighten their education. The new school is on schedule to open for the next school year in fall of 2017. New City Officials: This year will also be the beginning of many new Midvale city officials’ careers. In October, Garrett Wilcox was appointed the Midvale Deputy City Attorney. Wilcox has a bachelor’s degree in political science and graduated with his juris doctor and master of public

conitnued on next page…

ON THE COVER

M idvalejournal.com administration degrees from BYU. After the retirement of Midvale Police Chief Tony Mason, former Lt. Jason Mazuran was appointed the new Midvale city police chief. Mazuran has served in almost every area of law enforcement, including detective, special operations, narcotics investigations, major investigations, internal affairs, executive lieutenant commander, and even SWAT during the 2002 Recently appointed Midvale Olympics. “True leadership is Police Chief, Jason Mazuran. service,” Mazuran told City Journals Mazuran replaces retiring in November. police Chief Tony Mason. George Vo-Duc has been (Unified Police) appointed to the Midvale City Justice Court after the retirement of Judge Ronald Wolthuis. VoDuc has been a prosecutor for the past 15 years. “It’s a natural evolution [for me],” Vo-Duc said in November. “I think I have the tools, the attributes, the experience and perspective to provide my talents and services in the service of something greater.” The last year of Mayor JoAnn B. Seghini: 2017 will also decide the new Midvale mayor. In October, Mayor JoAnn B. Seghini announced in her monthly “As I See It” piece that she would be retiring. 2017 will be her final year in office, during which there will be an election to determine the mayor who will be taking office in 2018. Mayor Seghini has lived in Midvale her entire life. She graduated from Jordan High School, and has a Ph.D. in educational psychology from the Mayor Seghini serves in her last year as University of Utah. Mayor Seghini has Midvale mayor. (Midvale City) served the city of Midvale for the past 30 years as both a councilwoman and city mayor. Before that, she had a career in education for 36 years. The job as city mayor was only meant to be a part-time job, but Mayor Seghini doesn’t see it that way. According to Jared Page from the Deseret News, “Seghini has often been described by her colleagues as part-time mayor by ordinance, but a full-time mayor by commitment.” In 2014, Mayor Seghini was the recipient of the Eleanor

Kickstart

the

New Yea!r with Us

Roosevelt award from the Utah Democratic Party. This award recognized Seghini’s achievements as a woman in Democratic politics. Seghini has served as mayor ever since she won her first mayoral election in 1995. She has been a part of 33 different committees across the valley, including the Humane Society of Utah, Utah Substance Abuse and Anti-Violence Council, Boys & Girls Club of Murray/Midvale, and many others. In the October edition of Mayor Seghini’s “As I See It” letter, she said, “I spend 40 to 50 hours per week representing the people of our community.” Because of Mayor JoAnn B. Seghini’s retirement, there will be a mayoral election in 2017 with the winner taking office in 2018. Upcoming election: The 2017 mayoral election is beginning to make some noise with candidate Sophia Hawes-Tingey in the running. Midvale could make history with Sophia Hawes-Tingey running for Midvale mayor. If elected, Hawes-Tingey would be the first openly transgender person to Sophia Hawes-Tingey could make history with be elected into office in her campaign for Midvale mayor. (Sophia Hawes-Tingey) Utah. Hawes-Tingey is a software engineer and a Navy veteran. In 2014 she ran for the Utah State Legislature, and in 2015 she ran for city council. In her candidacy announcement, Sophia Hawes-Tingey said, “What I love most about Midvale is that the people are diverse, welcoming and fiercely protective of their community. I see myself as a leader who puts community first, listens to the needs of the community, and cares to put those needs into action.” General plan: In October, the Midvale City Council updated their General Plan from 2000. The General Plan is a guide for land development in Midvale. The introduction to the General Plan itself states, “This 2016 Midvale General Plan establishes a vision for the future of the City and serves as a policy document for decision-making for the development of Midvale over the next 8-10 years.” The General Plan includes a guide for the future of residential development, economic development, transportation, public facilities, and parks and recreation. With residential development, the plan is to create and improve housing for the entire community. The General Plan

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January 2017 | Page 5 states, “One of Midvale’s goals is to is to ensure it residential development and housing is safe, supports community functions, is efficiently served by infrastructure, provides a diversity of types of affordability, and enhances resident’s quality of life.” The plan for economic development is to promote and provide better economic opportunities in the city. Midvale is hoping to “attract a skilled and vibrant workforce” and “[support] local businesses by creating neighborhood commercial areas,” according to the General Plan. With Midvale being in the middle of the valley, the city plans on improving their transportation to provide access to the entirety of the valley. The city’s goal is to “facilitate a livable community by ensuring a safe, inter-connected, multi-modal internal transportation system,” the General Plan states. The General Plan also outlines improvements for public facilities and amenities. The priority is to “ensure that costeffective, efficient public facilities and services continue to be available in Midvale.” The City plans to do this by promoting technology, providing high-quality spaces, expanding preservation, and increasing public maintenance. Finally, the General Plan guides improvement of the city’s parks, recreation, and open space. The plan is to, “provide additional park acreage”, “expand access to parks”, and to explore and improve trail networks. The Plan also includes what is called a transit oriented development zone (TOD). According to the Midvale Municipal Code, the TOD zone is meant to promote “active community life” by creating a “pedestrian-oriented environment” near public transportation, in this case, the TRAX station. TOD zones typically include shops and neighborhoods. Residents are not entirely pleased with the TOD zone, however. Resident Brad Rosenhan said during the city council meeting on Oct. 18 that, “The wording of the [zone’s] ordinance is not consistent with the general plan and is certainly not consistent with the wishes of the citizens of Midvale.” l

Midvale City Council adopted its new General Plan in October which will provide “policy direction” going forward. (Travis Barton/City Journals) ____________________________________________________________

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LOCAL LIFE

Page 6 | January 2017

Midvale City Journal

Clinic furnishes hope to underserved patients By Travis Barton | travis@mycityjournals.com | Story originally printed August 2016

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olunteers can often be found delivering food boxes, making hygiene kits or reading to underprivileged children. But tucked away in the corner of a parking lot next to State Street, you’ll find a whole new world of volunteering. Hope Clinic is a free medical facility run completely by volunteers to help those who are uninsured and 150 percent below federal poverty guidelines. “Everybody we do is of the highest integrity so they know that we’ll do our very best,” co-founder Jane Powers said. The clinic, co-founded by Dr. Mansoor Emam and Powers, a nurse, who work at Intermountain Healthcare, opened the clinic in 2010 and run it on their days off— Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Specialty clinics are available on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. After starting the Maliheh Free Clinic in 2005, which had more of a business model with staff, Powers and Emam wanted to do something unique. “Our whole goal was to keep it simple. What could we put together that could be the least complicated and provide great service,” Powers said. But first they needed a space. After one of Emam’s patients, John Holmes, passed away, the patient’s family donated the office space necessary to start Hope Clinic located right next to the Holmes business. “They just embraced the vision that healthcare is a right and not a privilege,” Powers said. But other ingredients are needed to create the clinic besides the building, such as equipment. “We could not do any of this if it weren’t for the generous donation of many different areas,” Powers said. Intermountain Healthcare (IHC) donated the lab the clinic uses. IHC also allows many of the clinic’s patients come see specialists unable to receive the proper treatment at the clinic. Powers said those patients will see a surgeon from IHC for a flat fee of $25. The surgeon still receives their fee, but IHC’s charity fund will supplement the rest. Hope Clinic follows the rules of IHC to get their services. The clinic only supplies their limited resources to those who don’t otherwise have the insurance or means to get them. One advantage is the freedom to implement policies and ideas as they please. “We don’t have to have committees to change a process,” Powers said. Community donations are essential to how the clinic helps. Powers estimates almost 80 percent of their patients are diabetic and with pharmaceutical prices constantly fluctuating, pills can get expensive. One deworming pill could cost $1,000. The clinic gets patients not just from

Tom Roberson, a retired firefighter and nurse, fills out a form while volunteering at the Hope Clinic. (Travis Barton/City Journals)

Midvale, but from Wendover, Rock Springs and even Las Vegas. “We’re filling in and joining hands with the community, we can’t fix the world by one little clinic but one person at a time,” Powers said. With a building and the necessary tools to treat the sick, the last component to run the clinic are the people. It’s that volunteering aspect, Powers said, that makes the clinic special. “The difference between a job and here is you’re choosing this, you’re making this a priority, you’re taking from your time and giving back,” Powers said. All sorts of volunteers work at the clinic bringing expertise from different backgrounds such as nurses, endocrinologists, phlebotomists, pharmacists, physicians, lawyers and translators. There’s even a former Delta executive turned nurse, Danette Lyman, who now acts as the clinic’s director. “It enriches their life, since they’re coming from a different framework,” Powers said. Sandy Ford, an emergency room nurse who volunteers at the clinic, said it’s all about helping people. “It’s taking care of people and practicing medicine in its purest form,” Ford said. Medicine is not only provided to the patients, but that purity extends to the volunteers as well. Tom Roberson, a retired firefighter and nurse, heard about the clinic and wanted to help out with his new free time. Now he can’t get enough. “It’s addicting this place is…it gets into your blood,” Roberson said.

It’s also the perfect teaching situation. Some of the volunteers are just embarking on their medical careers. “We love to launch them into their goals,” Powers said. Drew Fuller, who will be starting medical school at the University of Utah, said its given him lots of experience with patient interaction. “It’s helped me see the barriers people see when accessing healthcare…you start to get an idea of how to address those and bridge some of the gaps that exist,” Fuller said. “A lot of these patients need to be seen by a doctor,” Noah Horvath, a UCLA student, said. “Like they’ll have a blown knee for 20 years that they’ve just had.” Hailey Karg, a student nurse who will graduate in December, said she’s learned how important the educational aspect is for the patients. One patient didn’t want to inject insulin because they thought it would give them skin cancer. “Having us around to educate them— like on what cholesterol is and how they can lower it—is really good for them to hear,” Karg said. “You never know what background people came from and then there’s language barriers.” “It’s like teenagers educating each other about sex, words pass by into myths and legends,” Powers said. Powers plays a huge role in not only the operating abilities of the clinic well known for her ability to multitask. “Jane is an absolute miracle worker. I’ve never seen such an emphatically competent juggler,” Peter Goodall, a lawyer who volunteers his abilities at the clinic, said. “You could give her 20 things and she’ll get them all done like that, it’s amazing,” Karg said. It’s also Power’s spirit that imbues itself on the clinic giving it its namesake. Brittany Madsen, a phlebotomist at the clinic, said Power’s attitude sets her apart. “It’s her resiliency to keep a positive attitude in the face of anything. It’s crazy— best nurse I’ve ever seen,” Madsen said. “[Jane’s] everybody’s best friend,” Goodall added. Powers said she loves the team aspect of the clinic. “It’s the people that make the place,” Powers said. Through Powers, it’s visible that Hope Clinic benefits the people working there as much as the patients who visit. “There’s just something that seems to be here for me and for everyone else, it’s just such a good energy,” Powers said. Clinic visits are available by appointment on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. l

LOCAL LIFE

M idvalejournal.com

January 2017 | Page 7

Crisis nurseries help parents, kids

By Travis Barton | travis@mycityjournals.com | Story originally printed October 2016

he Family Support Center has a mission to protect children, strengthen families and prevent child abuse. One of its programs, the Crisis Nursery, helps families with much-needed child care. “The family is what’s important, and that’s what we’re here for,” Bonnie Peters, executive director of TFSC, said. The Crisis Nursery program offers free care for up to 72 hours for any child from birth to age 11 at three locations in West Valley City, Midvale and Sugar House. When parents have an emergency, don’t have anyone to watch their child or are even stressed and need a break, the Crisis Nursery offers a sanctuary for those parents. “There’s no stigma, no judgment when you come through the door,” Barbara Stallone, development director of TFSC, said. Stallone said sometimes parents have hospital emergencies, doctor’s appointments or a parent needs to get a protective order. “We don’t want the kids to be involved in all of that, we just want them here where it’s safe,” Stallone said. “It’s much easier than trying to take three kids under five to a doctor’s appointment.” Included with the child care, the nurseries offer wrap-around services as well where they have mental health counselors, classes—parent education, anger management, women’s domestic violence survivors are a few examples—offered in English and Spanish or in-home parenting programs that offers a one-onone collaboration. “The wrap-around services we have are very important, that’s how we achieve the results that we do in each of our programs. If someone has a problem

in one area then we have other areas that can come in and augment the situation,” Peters said. “We’re happy we have that, we’re proud of it and we’re looking forward to have people know more about us.” Each location was a home donated by a local benefactor. While West Valley’s nursery was established more recently in 2008, the Sugar House nursery opened in 1977 and the Midvale location soon followed in the early 80’s serving the county for almost four decades. TFSC has plans to open a nursery in Glendale as well. Stallone said they look at areas with trends of substantiated abuse claims and whether it’s disproportionate to neighboring areas. At the moment, Stallone said they need more money to open a center in Glendale unless another benefactor can donate a home. The homes are equipped with a kitchen, a play area, boys’ and girls’ rooms with bunk beds, necessary hygienic care and a room for a house parent to stay. “The kids are not uptight about coming here, it’s a home atmosphere, it’s like going to grandma’s house…so the kids are not traumatized. The kids are more playful and more comfortable,” Peters said. West Valley City is normally its busiest location being open 24 hours. That may change with Midvale to be open 24 hours starting Oct. 3. The nurseries care for about 12 kids every day with a four to one ratio of kids to staff, made up of foster grandparents, staff workers and volunteers who all pass background checks. While TFSC watches for abuse claim trends, Peters said it’s hard to quantify the number of child abuse cases that don’t happen, but those numbers don’t increase in areas near the crisis nurseries. “How do you document abuse that hasn’t happened? You really can’t, but we know that we have

saved kids from being abused and killed…sometimes just being away from your children can save your sanity,” Peters said. “If you’re a mother with two toddlers and a newborn and you haven’t slept in three days, you can come drop all three kids off, go home and sleep for four hours and you’re a new person,” Stallone added. To see how they are affecting the families coming to the centers, parents are given impact surveys. Questions include, “have you felt an increase in your ability to deal with familial stress,” or “do you believe your child was safer because you used this service?” The amount of people who said yes: more than 80 percent. “We try to watch the trend line carefully to make sure we are providing a value for the money we’re looking to raise,” Stallone said. In its 2015 annual report—the 2016 numbers aren’t available yet—TFSC had 76 percent of its finances come from government funding and grants and donations. The crisis nurseries received the largest portion of those finances with more than $600,000. The report also states that more than 61,000 hours of care was provided to 1,849 children who made 11,762 visits to the crisis nursery. This also includes 1,218 overnight stays and 11,554 meals. In order accomplish what the nurseries and all of TFSC’s other programs do, volunteers are essential. From 2015 to 2016, TFSC saw an increase from 1,200 to 1,600 volunteers. Stallone said the value of those volunteers’ service hours can range up to $260,000 if those volunteers were all paid. But the results of what the nurseries grant are incalculable. “[The Crisis Nursery] provides service, help

There are three Crisis Nurseries in West Valley City, Sugar House and Midvale. (Natalie Simpson/The Family Support Center)

and healing for so many at the youngest level,” Peters said. Those benefits also extend to the parental level. “It’s okay to take a break from your kids, it doesn’t make you a bad mom, it makes you a great mom to recognize that filling your own cup means you can take better care of your kids,” Stallone said. “We let people feel like coming here and leaving their kids for a little bit of time is strengthening and helping them.” The Midvale nursery is located at 777 West Center Street, the Sugar House nursery is at 2020 Lake Street and the West Valley nursery is at 3663 South 3600 West. For more information, go to www.familysupportcenter.org or call 801-9559110. l

EDUCATION Fifth-graders to visit Midvale Middle School for orientation

n Feb. 2, 2017, fifth-grade students from Midvalley, Midvale, East Midvale and Copperview elementaries will walk off buses and join Sunrise and Peruvian Park accelerated elementary students in Midvale Middle School’s new student orientation. “We’re hoping to give students a chance to see what we offer and explain how to register for classes,” Principal Wendy Dau said. “We offer choir, orchestra, band, dance and theatre. We offer French and Chinese and dual immersion in Spanish. We are one of only a few middle schools that offers as many electives,” she said. Dau anticipates 300 incoming sixth-graders in fall 2017, when the school will move to its new facility, 7852 Pioneer St. The past two years, while the 61-year-old school was torn down and rebuilt on the same site, students have been housed at the former Crescent View Middle School in Sandy. “We will offer a back-to-school night and orientation to our new school before school begins so all our students will become familiar

By Julie Slama | julie@mycityjournals.com

Midvale Middle School’s choir is expected to perform at the February 2017 orientation as they did for the 2016 incoming sixthgrade orientation as seen here. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

with the new school,” Dau said. The February 2017 orientation will allow students to learn about their core subjects, elective classes as well as learn about Midvale’s Middle Years’ Programme, part of the International Baccalaureate continuum. Shelley Allen, Midvale Middle School

MYP coordinator, has said that MYP is designed to provide students with a challenging academic framework on their level that encourages them to embrace and understand connections between traditional subjects and the real world, and become critical and reflective thinkers. MYP is extended to all students at the school.

“We want students to have an understanding so they’ll be more familiar with our school, our courses and how to register for our classes. We’ll have our counselors go to the elementary schools as well as here to answer questions. We will explain why we have eight subjects, how service plays into who we are and how we serve our global community. We have a diverse studentbody and want students to get excited about Midvale,” Dau said. She said teachers and student leaders also will be at the student orientation. There also may be a flier distributed that details student activities at the school. During the morning orientation, she plans to have students in the music programs perform to expose incoming students to those opportunities. “We want to get music into the hands of kids and we can help them to participate and have exposure to it,” Dau said. An evening session will be held so parents may also attend with their students. l

EDUCATION

Page 8 | January 2017

Midvale City Journal

Out of spotlight, Hillcrest stage crew shines By Julie Slama | julie@mycityjournals.com | Story originally printed April 2016

illcrest sophomore Lillian Willis often goes unnoticed when the stage lights go on to state-winning musicals and plays at her school. She, as well as 21 other stage crew students and 24 Introduction to Technical Theatre students each term, is found after school, on weekends and other days when classes aren’t held, hammering, screwing and piecing together sets for the show. “I don’t need to be in the spotlight,” Lillian said. “I get recognition from the actors and if other students don’t know how things work on stage, then we’ve done our job. My favorite part is knowing I built something and was a part of it.” Classmate Mary Pope agrees: “It’s fun to be in on the secret and knowing I helped create this piece by piece, but it’s not needed to be recognized.” As part of the stage crew class requirements, students are required to complete 25 after-school hours to put toward the assembly of a set. This includes lighting, costumes, sound and stage construction. “My favorite was sitting inside the raft during ‘Big River’ last year and making it move. Not very many people knew I was in it, so it was magical,” Lillian said. During late February, students were constructing an island and a pontoon boat for the show “Argonautika,” slated for March 17-19. “By doing sets, I’ve learned how to build things, and that translates into doing home projects when something needs fixing. Before, I had no idea what a ¾-inch ply was, and now it’s just second language to me,” she said. Senior Jorden Reese wants a career as a sound designer or technician after graduation. “I’m much more interested in the sounds and lights and the fly reel,” he said. “I’ve learned how to work them digitally. It amazes me when an actor says, ‘Show me how to work this

microphone’; it has become second nature to me and how to limit the frequencies they share on the radio.” The Intro to Technical Theatre students spend eight hours outside class helping with set construction plus job shadowing the stage tech crew to learn how to run the show. During this spring, students either worked on “Argonautika” or will help with the school’s Broadway revue May 12-14. Freshman Harry Sullivan said he was learning to use tools, such as a miter saw, as he was building the set. Classmate Ryan Perkins said he learn more about not only construction but teamwork as well. “It’s fun, but you have to work together,” he said. Lillian said one of her favorite parts of stage crew is problem solving. “I like looking at what we need to build and saying, ‘I want it to look like this and this is how we can build it.’ If I can’t figure it out, then I can ask to see if someone else has an idea. We want to come up with a solution before we present it to our teacher,” she said. Giselle Gremmert, who has been the stage tech and technical theater teacher for two years, encourages active problem-solving. “I want them to anticipate a problem or something that may not happen the way they planned and discuss it before they approach the project,” she said. Such was the case with the 28-foot turntable they used with the carousel during the fall musical, “Carousel.” “Building the carousel was relatively easy, but incorporating every piece of scenery on it and around it took hours of time. The horses were labor-intensive and the LED lights ended up blowing up a light board, so we rented a new one and had to reprogram it last minute. ‘Big River’ was the most challenging since we had to build the set in one week as others were using the stage. There are challenges, foreseen and unseen, that students need to be prepare for,” Gremmert said.

Hillcrest High stage crew and Introduction to Technical Theatre students work on the set for “Argonautika” Feb. 26. The show was scheduled to be performed March 17-19. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Hillcrest theater director Josh Long applauds the students working backstage. “They are the show,” Long said. “They’re not helping; they are the show — the ones who create the most memorable parts of the show, the visual and sound — that everyone remembers. These students don’t need to be acknowledged. It’s their selflessness I applaud.” l

Copperview Students Sport New Hairdos for Spring Photos By Julie Slama | julie@mycityjournals.com | Story originally printed June 2016

opperview Elementary third-grader Savannah Williams sat on her school stage while she watched some split ends fall to the floor from her thick, long hair. Thanks to the Paul Mitchell School, Copperview students had the chance for free haircuts April 14, the day before spring school photos. About 10 stylists and future professionals from the Paul Mitchell School donated their time and set up a makeshift salon in the school’s gymnasium. About 30 students took advantage of the offer. “All of our students deserve an opportunity to look their best, so we thought this would be a great tradition to start and one our patrons can take advantage of,” Principal Chanci Loran said. “We didn’t set any limits other than to say it’s just haircuts.” Savannah appreciated the new trim. “If I don’t have my hair cut, it just knots up,” she said, adding that her mom’s cousin usually cuts it but has been busy. Her dad, Marcus, said that the trim was at the right time. “Her haircut was overdue, so this was a blessing,” he said.

Thanks to the Paul Mitchell School, Copperview Elementary students received free haircuts April 14, the day before school photos. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

For years, photos have been a typical backto-school event. But Copperview, a Title I school where 33 percent of the student body turns over each year, holds school photos twice a year, once in fall and again in spring, Canyons School District spokesperson Kirsten Stewart said. This is the second Canyons School District elementary school to team up with Paul Mitchell to give students free haircuts. Earlier this year, students

at Midvale Elementary got their hair trimmed. “We — all of us, the stylists and the kids — have such a great time,” said Paul Mitchell School learning leader (or instructor) Hollie Galloway Langlois, who helped at Midvale Elementary. Hair stylist Kat Denney sad that she has helped with styling hair and makeup at several high school events, musicals and Keys to Success events. “It’s the first time I’ve volunteered and cut for elementary students,” she said. “It’s been a lot of fun doing trims and easy styles — nothing drastic, but something they can style and keep up.” Learning leader Erin Dockstader said that it has given their future professionals a chance to give service to the community. “We are able to donate our time and help some of these students with haircuts who may not have been able to afford them,” Dockstader said about providing service to the Title I school children where 85 percent of the student body qualifies for free or reduced lunch. “We want to help them look their best and feel their best for school photos. I know how nervous or uncertain young children can feel when you don’t have the same opportunities as others, so this is a way to make everyone feel

comfortable and have the same fun experience.” Dockstader said that normally at Paul Mitchell, hair cuts cost about $12-14. That’s about how much Joana Clavel pays to have her second-grader Jahaziel Loya’s hair cut twice each month. “When I go to the salon, it costs $13 twice each month,” she said. “Money is important. This is free and he looks much better.” Fourth-grader Nathan Hallum got his hair cut as well. “My dad is the one who said I needed my hair cut,” he said. “School photos are tomorrow, but it will help if my hair isn’t in my face when I’m doing sports.” Nathan’s dad, Daniel, said he served in the military, so he appreciates Nathan’s hair cut short. “We compromise and find a happy medium,” Hallum said. “Today worked out great, as he came out of one after-school program and there was a spot available for him. It was awesome that the whole school could take advantage of [it], especially since we’re a Title I school and might not be able to afford it. It’s great timing right before our school photos.” l

In The Middle of Everything City Hall – 7505 South Holden Street • Midvale, UT 84047 MIDVALE CITY DIRECTORY City Hall Finance/Utilities Court City Attorney’s Office City Recorder/H.R. Community Development Public Works Ace Disposal/Recycling City Museum Senior Citizens Center SL County Animal Services Midvale Precinct UPD Police Dispatch Unified Fire Authority Fire Dispatch

801-567-7200 801-567-7202 801-255-4234 801-567-7250 801-567-7225 801-567-7211 801-567-7235 801-363-9995 801-569-8040 385-468-3350 385-468-7387 385-468-9350 801-743-7000 801-743-7200 801-840-4000

MIDVALE CITY ELECTED OFFICIALS MAYOR JoAnn B. Seghini Email: joanns@midvale.com CITY COUNCIL District 1 - Quinn Sperry Email: qsperry@midvale.com District 2 - Paul Glover Email: pglover@midvale.com District 3 - Paul Hunt Email: phunt@midvale.com District 4 - Wayne Sharp Email: wsharp@midvale.com District 5 - Stephen Brown Email: sbrown@midvale.com

801-567-7204

801-255-5428

By Mayor JoAnn B. Seghini In 1937 my parents moved to Midvale. My father, Ben Bagley, had just graduated from law school and his father had a building in Midvale that he could use rent free. My mother had never been south of 6th South and wept when she found that she had to move miles from the downtown area she knew. The only available apartment was a abasement apartment on first avenue. My father practiced law for over 70 years and served as city attorney for 35 years. My mother adapted and soon became active in community clubs and community activities. In the 40s some new subdivisions were built. Before and during the war years, there were houses on 7500 South, along State Street, along Wasatch Street and along 700 West. Two rail lines went through Midvale, Union Pacific and Denver & Rio Grande. They were steam engines and they all stopped at the Midvale Station for water as they moved towards the mountain areas in the south. There was a rail line that went down the middle of Center Street, south to West Jordan and then along the Old Bingham Highway. Open irrigation ditches were part of every neighborhood.

801-561-5773 801-842-8524 801-567-8709 801-783-0962

(801)567-7258 (801)567-7202 (801)567-7202 (801)567-7212 (801)567-7207 (801) 255-4234 (801)567-7202 (801)567-7213 (801)567-7246 (801)567-7235 (801) 256-2575 (801)567-7231 (801)567-7208 (801)256-2537 (801)256-2541

EMERGENCY OR DISASTER CONTACT Public Works (7 am to 5 pm) (801)567-7235 Public Works On-Call (after business hours) (801)580-7274 OR (801)580-7034 Fire Dispatch – Unified Fire Authority (801)840-4000 Midvale Police Precinct (385) 468-9350 or Police Dispatch Unified Police Department (801)743-7000 EMERGENCY 911

CITY NEWSLETTER

As I See It... And Saw It

WHO TO CALL FOR… Water Bills Ordering A New Trash Can Reserving the Bowery Permits GRAMA requests Court Paying For Traffic School Business Licensing Property Questions Cemetery Water Line Breaks Planning and Zoning Building Inspections Code Enforcement Graffiti North of 7200 S Code Enforcement/Graffiti South of 7200 S

JANUARY 2017

In the 40’s some new subdivisions were built on Olympus Street and Grant Street. My parents bought a home on Grant Street and those were my growing up years. We walked everywhere: to the Burke Theater on Saturday, to the downtown grocery stores, to JC Penney’s and to the five and dime stores. City celebrations were on Main Street and every year Harvest Days would have a parade, a carnival with rides, and a rodeo in the rodeo grounds on Ninth Ave. The local Ford Dealer would always provide a car for auction. The Midvale Downtown was the main shopping center for the southern part of Salt Lake Valley. There were two high schools, one in Bingham for the schools in Bingham Canyon and one in Sandy for all students in the valley. In the 50s all high school students went to Jordan High School and that included Draper, Crescent, Riverton, Sandy, Midvale, Union, West Jordon, South Jordon and Herriman. Jr. High schools and elementary schools were located in each community. State Street was Highway 89, the interstate of the time. 7200 South was Sugar Street because of the many beet farms in the area. There were no freeways and no division of the communities. In the 60s and 70s many farmlands were turned into subdivisions. These were modest homes and they met the needs of those returning from war and the expanding community. Throughout those years, subdivisions were developed west and east of State Street and many single family homes were built on land that had previously been used for

agriculture. Lots were usually about a third of an acre. Older homes often had acre lots, half for a home and half for a garden. In later years, many of these lots have split into two building lots for single family homes. In the 70’s a new growth began to develop. Developers, seeing how homes were growing and neighborhoods were developing and how freeways were responding, decided to build consolidated shopping areas. They were looking for acreage and on and off ramps of the freeways. They came to Midvale City and asked to be considered. The majority of the city council said no because it would be too much competition for our local Main Street businesses. The developers found another site it is called Fashion Place Mall. Downtown Midvale failed as did many main streets through the country as malls were built. In 1965 I was given a teaching position at Lark Elementary School, located in Lark Utah. When we drove to school the last service station was at Redwood Road and 1300 West. There was a business on 7800 South and the Old Bingham Canyon Road and those were the two businesses. There were homes but they were few and scattered over the dry farms. Frequently, we would drive home through Herriman and Riverton. There was one road through Herriman, one red light in Riverton, and mostly farms and older homes on the west side of the valley. Look at the growth west of the Freeway. Look at the additional roads and freeways for traffic. Try driving through Herriman without getting lost. The wide open spaces are gone. They are compact, crowded, neighborhoods. As our available land decreases and as our population increases it is important to consider responsible ways to provide housing. Higher density residential condominiums, townhomes and apartments are where young couples start out as they work and save to buy homes. As large tracts of undeveloped property in the valley dwindle, development must go up and not out. We must have a variety of choices as we move forward with another million people expected in the next 26 years. Be a voice for the future, not one who dreams of the past. Every generation must have their own future dreams. One thing is for sure, we must plan for growth.

Midvale City Offices HOLIDAY CLOSURES January 2 – NEW YEARS DAY January 16 – MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY

In The Middle of Everything Help Those in Need the Right Way This Holiday Season

WWW . MIDVALECITY . ORG Christmas Tree Recycling

Food Safety Is Especially Important When Helping Vulnerable Populations With the holiday charitable giving season upon us, the Salt Lake County Health Department (SLCoHD) encourages good Samaritans to utilize existing social service agencies rather than conducting direct outreach on their own—especially when it comes to serving food to the homeless. “It’s wonderful when people give back, especially this time of year,” said Gary Edwards, executive director of SLCoHD. “And we want to make sure that people’s charity is received by those in need in the best—and safest—way possible.” The SLCoHD Food Protection Bureau says that homeless and other individuals in need can be particularly vulnerable to foodborne illness, so it’s important that the food they receive is prepared using safe food handling practices. Several excellent organizations in our community provide meals to people in need. Together, these organizations already serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner nearly every day of the year, and they rely on donations and volunteers in order to do so. “Providing assistance through these existing programs is the best way to give back in our community,” Edwards continued, “and these organizations have a structure in place to utilize your time, goods and money in the most efﬁcient way possible.” Homeless-assistance organizations available to receive volunteers and donations include the following:

St. Vincent De Paul Dining Hall 801-363-7710 ccsutah.org Rescue Mission of Salt Lake 801-355-1302 rescuesaltlake.org The Road Home 801-359-4142 theroadhome.org Salt Lake City Mission 801-355-6310 saltlakecitymission.org For people still interested in providing their own independent food outreach, Utah state law requires them to register their outreach event with the local health department, at no cost, and receive food safety information. To register a charitable food outreach event in Salt Lake County, call 385-468-3845. More information about food outreach to the homeless is available at SaltLakeHealth.org/food. In addition, food outreach events on public property (such as a park, street, or sidewalk) in Salt Lake City require a Free Expression Permit from Salt Lake City Events. For more information, call 801-535-6110 or visit slcityevents.com.

During the ﬁrst two weeks of January, Midvale City Public Works will be picking up your used Christmas trees for recycling. After Christmas, please place your used Christmas trees on the park strip by the curb and gutter so that Public Works crews can pick them up. Collection of the trees will begin on Tuesday, January 3, 2017 and continue through Friday, January 13, 2017. Absolutely no late pick-ups available. Please be sure to remove all decorations, icicles, lights, hooks, tree stands, etc. We will not pick-up any ﬂocked/decorated trees or plastic wrapped trees. Trees over 8 feet tall should be cut in half to facilitate handling by our crews. Christmas tree recycling questions can be answered by calling Midvale City Public Works at (801) 567-7235.

WINTER STREET PARKING Midvale residents are required to avoid parking on the street during winter months, and especially overnight, so that snow plow crews can safely clear the streets during storms. Midvale Municipal Code makes it unlawful to park on any City street during the months of November through February except for temporary loading and unloading of passengers and property. Please help us out by not parking on the streets as it will allow unobstructed access for our snow plow drivers.

JAUARY 2017 CITY NEWSLETTER

WWW . FACEBOOK . COM / MIDVALECITY

Tips When Walking Your Pet Pet waste can be a major source of bacteria and excess nutrients in local waters. When walking your pet, remember to pick up the waste and dispose of it properly. Flushing pet waste is the best disposal method. Leaving pet waste on the ground increases public health risks by allowing harmful bacteria and nutrients to wash into the storm drain and eventually into local waterbodies. And remember, we all live downstream!

Employee Spotlight Mara Beutler In-Court Clerk

Mara joined the Midvale City Court in October of 2007 after working as a county dispatcher in California. While in California she also worked as a station clerk for the West Hollywood Sherriff’s Department and studied Criminal Justice at a Community College in Pasadena. As In- Court Clerk, Mara’s responsibilities are diverse and range from handling citations to coordinating with the defendants and attorneys. She particularly enjoys being able to assist in the court room with typing the Judge’s orders during court proceedings. Mara prefers to spend her free time with her husband and children. She also loves to engage in creative outlets and enjoys making things and crafting. Her dream is to one day go back to school for welding and learn how to make intricate wrought iron works. When asked the following questions, Mara’s responses were… What was your favorite TV show growing up? Gilligan’s Island. If you won a million dollars, what’s the ﬁrst thing you would buy? I would invest a bit in ways to make the world a better place, a portion to give back to those less fortunate, and maybe pay off the mortgage. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?

Remember, Styrofoam is not recyclable curbside! Most shipping stores, such as UPS, will take packing peanuts to be reused! For more recycling information visit slco.org/recycle or email us at recycle@slco.org

Santa Cruz or San Luis Obispo in California. Cats or Dogs? I prefer cats because I think their ability to purr is therapeutic and I wish I could meditate like that...there’s gotta be a reason why cat videos are #1 on the internet. If you could go back in time, what year would you travel to? I’d like to visit the 1920’s to the 40’s. I’m infatuated with the style and sophistication of classic and vintage looks. Muppet Show or Sesame Street? Sesame Street. Only they could sing the Beatles song, “Let Her Be” with letter B. Do you believe in any Urban Legends? I enjoy Urban Legends because they are just that. Where is the furthest from home you’ve ever been? Furthest from home would probably be Jamaica from a Caribbean cruise. What is your favorite holiday and how do you celebrate it? I enjoy Christmas and Halloween because of all the creative ideas that can happen with them. At what age do you become an adult? In my line of work, adults are overrated.

Page 12 | January 2017

Midvale City Journal

Salt Lake County Council’s

MESSAGE A

s we begin a new year, I see great opportunity for Salt Lake County to work as a regional government, collaborating with state and local partners to help adAimee Winder Newton dress complex issues. County Council District 3 There are a few issues I feel are particularly important, and I’ll be focusing on them in the coming year: intergenerational poverty, criminal justice reform, suicide prevention, and improved transparency over the county budget. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, of the 1.1 million residents in Salt Lake County roughly 10.8 percent are experiencing poverty. In recent years the State of Utah has taken great strides to better understand poverty in our communities, with a specific focus on intergenerational poverty. Distinct from situational poverty, intergenerational poverty refers to a cycle of poverty and use of public assistance programs that continues from one generation to the next. I believe every Utahn should have access to the opportunities our robust economy offers,

Poverty, criminal justice, suicide, and government transparency - issues to tackle in 2017 allowing them to break free of the constraints of a cycle of poverty. I’ll be working with state experts and local officials to see what appropriate role the county can play in addressing this issue. Criminal justice reform certainly ties into poverty issues. Specifically, I’m interested in how the county can help reduce recidivism in our criminal justice system. Helping former offenders rehabilitate and connect with job opportunities to contribute to society after they have completed their time in jail is vital. There has already been a tremendous amount of great work in this area, and I’m eager to help move these initiatives forward. We all know that suicide among Utah teens is staggeringly high—something that is totally unacceptable. This past year I testified before the State Legislature about the need for a statewide three-digit number to connect people with crisis intervention resources. I’ll continue to push forward on that issue in 2017 and beyond. We can and must do better for our residents struggling with severe mental health issues. Lastly - better government transparency for tax dollar spending is vital. Though con-

ceivably more procedural in nature than the other issues I’ve discussed, I still feel very strongly about the need for proper transparency to the public. In particular, I’ll be looking at how we can better communicate the complexities of the county budget to our residents. They have a right to know where their tax dollars are going—and whether those uses are efficient and effective. With roughly one billion dollars comprising the total county budget, there is a lot of work to do to ensure transparency in how we spend tax dollars. There will of course be additional issues that come up during the year, but I believe these items above are crucial issues to tackle—and I believe the county can be a great partner working with state and local leaders to make a positive difference. I’m constantly reminded of the humbling opportunity I have to serve on the Salt Lake County Council. I’m eager to continue working hard on behalf of my constituents and all county residents to ensure Salt Lake County continues to be a great place to live, work, and raise a family. l

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EDUCATION

M idvalejournal.com

January 2017 | Page 13

East Midvale crossing guard recognized for quality, quantity service By Julie Slama | julie@mycityjournals.com | Story originally printed July 2016

ourth-grader Novalee Mounteer crossed the street to East Midvale Elementary as she has on other days, but on the morning of May 4, it was special. Barbara Johnson was being honored for her 38 years as the school crossing guard on National Walk to School Day. “She’s so nice and sweet and pretty,” Novalee said. “But she tells you to stop if you want to run across the street and not cross with her.” That’s the same memory RJ Graham had from Johnson’s early days as a crossing guard. “I’d want to just dart across and she wouldn’t let me cross except at the crosswalk,” he said. Kim Shell recalled how Johnson helped her cross years ago. “As a kid, I just lived down the street, and if I would start to cross not at the crosswalk, she’d just shake her head,” she said. “Now I have a sixth-grader and thirdgrader she crosses, and I know she’s wishing them ‘good morning’ just like she did to me and making sure they get across to school safely.” Johnson, who lives right across the street

from East Midvale Elementary, was honored at her post with a plaque from the Utah Department of Transportation. Canyons School District superintendent Jim Briscoe thanked Johnson. “This is so exciting to celebrate the hard work and dedication you’ve given to keep school children safe for 40 years,” he said. “On behalf of Canyons School District, we love you and we thank you.” As each student crossed, they told Johnson, “Thanks for being so nice” and “Thanks for keeping us safe,” as they handed her flowers and gave her hugs that morning. Many students signed a banner recognizing Johnson’s contributions. “It’s just something I can do to help our community,” Johnson said. “I’ve had parents come to me and say, ‘You used to cross me when I attended East Midvale.’ And I remember them, maybe not always their names, but I can tell you who they are.” Irene Larsen, who had 10 children cross under Johnson’s watch, said she does know every child’s name. “They just love her,” she said. Johnson’s niece, Heather Erickson, said Johnson started the crossing job when

her children were in school at East Midvale, 15 principals ago, when Jimmy Carter was president of the United States. “She’s truly amazing and has rarely gotten a substitute,” she said. “She does whatever she needs to as she knows it’s her duty. She and Uncle Ron know everyone and have done their crossing guard jobs for decades.” Ron Johnson retired after 30 years of crossing at Midvalley Elementary. “This is an absolute joy for her to be able to walk up the street and wish those children a good day,” he said. “When she broke her hip last year, it was one of the few times she wasn’t out there every day, but she was determined to get right back out there, being responsible for the kids she knows and loves.” Terry and Tamara Jensen, who have lived in the school district for 61 years, have had nieces, nephews, brothers, sisters, grandkids and their own children cross the street with Johnson’s help. Their son, Trenton Jensen, said, “She was just like a mom, knowing she could help take care of us after school. I’d play with her boys, and her husband was my basketball coach.” Tamara said she appreciated her neighbor and friend’s diligence. “If we had a problem, she was more than just a crossing guard,” Tamara Jensen said. “She’d take our kids to her house and tell them to get out their homework. She’s always looking out for the best interest of the kids.” That included one day when a student knocked on her door, wanting to cross the street, but it wasn’t a school day. “Mom just set down what she was working on, picked up her stop sign and went out to make sure that student got safely to the playground,” said her son, Jason Johnson. “She knows her neighbors count on her and knows her duty. However, it was a double-

Students handed flowers to East Midvale crossing guard Barbara Johnson and gave her hugs on May 4 as she was honored for 38 years of service. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

edged sword. My parents always knew where I was and everyone knew my mom, so I knew if I ever got in trouble they’d know where to find her.” Jason said that he flew in from Seattle to attend the ceremony. “This is such a great honor that the school district and department of transportation is recognizing her,” he said. Principal Justin Pitcher said she is a beloved part of the school community. “We consider her part of us, as she is involved with our students every day, engaged in our community,” he said. “She is the sweetest lady, and people like her [are] what makes East Midvale special.” l

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Page 14 | January 2017

Midvale City Journal

Hillcrest wins State Drill Team title By Ron Bevan | ron@mycityjournals.com | Story originally printed March 2016

drought of state titles at Hillcrest High School was squashed Feb. 6 when the Huskies drill team took home the overall drill team state 4A title. And Hillcrest captured the title despite going up against two reigning state champions. Hillcrest made it past the preliminary state round Feb. 4 at Utah Valley University, in a new format for the drill competition. The top 16 teams compete in the preliminary round, and the best nine teams move on to the final competition the final day. “Hillcrest has always been very successful in drill team,” Hillcrest coach Chelsea Divine said. “We have finished in the top five for the last 25 years.” The Huskies have won six drill team titles, including a title in 2009 which proved to be the school’s last state trophy in any competition. But to win this year, the Huskies had to beat Bountiful, which had won the six previous state drill championships. They also had to beat Uintah, which was last year’s 3A champion. “We felt honored to be able to compete with program that have so much history,” Divine said. Divine is a former Hillcrest drill team member and is in her second year coaching the Huskies. She had previously coached for three years at Brighton, although she wasn’t on the teaching staff. “I took the Brighton job while I was still attending the University of Utah,” Divine said. “My sister was on the team, and I wanted to try coaching drill. During my first year as a coach I knew I also wanted to be a teacher as well. So when a teaching and coaching position opened up at Hillcrest, I knew it was perfect for me. It was like coming home.” Divine gets help from her former coach, Brenda Searle, who helps as co- coach. Known mostly as the halftime entertainment of high school football and basketball games, the drill team also has its own competitions throughout the year. The team learns a variety of performances but hones three throughout the year to present at the state competition. The team is judged in three types of competition: dance, drill and character. The military routine is typically what people think of when it comes to a drill team: presicion formations done mostly in a marching mode. Dance is more technical and consists of a lot of creativity and choreography. “Our dance routine is such a passionate one for our girls,” Divine said. “We did it to the song ‘He Lives in You’ from the ‘Lion King’ off Broadway. It helps us to honor the Hillcrest

Above: Hillcrest High School’s drill team won the 4A state title in February. (Hillcrest High School) Right: Hillcrest High School’s drill team performs on Feb. 6 at Utah Valley University where they won the 4A state title. (Hillcrest High School)

tradition while inspiring our girls that they can build their own legacy.” Character has more novelty involved in its performance and also usually includes props, from hats and canes to large movable structures. “The character category asks the girls to portray a character and challenges the girls in such a fun way,” Divine said. “They not only have to dance fabulously, but they also have to tell a story through their movement and facial expressions in order to completely entertain the audience.” Hillcrest took the state title by finish first in dance, second in military and second in character. l

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The power of yoga: How yoga is changing the face of physical education at Hillcrest High School By Sarah Almond | sarah@mycityjournals.com | Story originally printed June 2016

Fifty Hillcrest High School students lay in “resting pose” to begin their yoga practice. This is the first year yoga has been offered as a physical education elective at Hillcrest.(Sarah Almond/City Journals)

hen I first heard Hillcrest High School was offering yoga class as a physical education (PE) elective to students, I figured it was probably just another PE class where students took a recess-like break to goof around and expel energy. I thought there was no way high school students would take the silence, meditation, and mindfulness of yoga seriously. I was wrong. As I entered the dance room at Hillcrest High School to join the students in their biweekly yoga practice, I was welcomed by a dimly lit room, tranquil music and the smiling face of instructor Vanessa Snopek. We exchanged greetings and she excused herself to unlock the yoga mat room for the 50-some students enrolled in sixth-period yoga. Teens quietly began trickling in, routinely placing their Lululemon yoga mats in a parallel formation and effortlessly taking what’s known in yoga terms as the “resting pose,” or lying in a full relaxation pose on your back. “Welcome to your yoga practice,” Snopek said in a calm voice after each student had taken his or her resting pose. “Today we’re going to start with some meditation and stretching and then move into some more challenging acro-yoga. Remember that this practice is all about you and finding freedom in the movement of your body.” The serenity and peace that flowed through the dance room during those first few minutes of yoga practice made me completely forget that I was simply a visitor at a local high school.

If just moments of this experience had such an impact on me, I thought, then it is no wonder why so many Hillcrest students are eager to practice yoga, and are dedicated to making the most out of it. “I teach meditation, so we do a lot of that,” Snopek said, when explaining the foundation of her yoga class. “We also incorporate different lessons so the kids can kind of get outside of the real world and the school environment and really tap into what’s going on inside their mind and body.” In early 2015, Snopek, the school’s PE teacher, approached the Hillcrest administration with the idea of establishing a yoga class for students to choose as an elective. The administration jumped on the opportunity to branch out. “I wanted to do something where I could help people, and teaching yoga has been a total blessing for me because I get to teach kids and we work through everyday stuff like fear and self-confidence,” Snopek said. At the beginning of the semester, Snopek teaches students Ashtanga yoga, an ancient, regimented form of yoga. As the semester progresses, students learn different branches of Ashtanga yoga, like karma, which is the practice of selfless acts of service, to bhakti, or devotion, to meditation and more. “I’ve taken this class twice,” said senior Annie Bunker, a member of Hillcrest’s state champion drill team. “I love it because in high school things can be pretty stressful with classes and stuff, and being a senior, this is the one class I can come to and relax

and breathe and not think about schoolwork — I’m thinking about myself.” Like Bunker, several of Hillcrest’s athletes participate in and reap the benefits of yoga class. “Annie and I are both on the drill team here,” said senior Bayley Johnson, “and before performances or competitions, we’ll find each other and just take a few minutes to meditate together because we’ve done it in class and we know it works and helps us relax and calm our nerves. I’ve never meditated before coming to this class.” One of Snopek’s goals when starting Hillcrest’s yoga class was to encourage the practice of meditation. To do this, she created a “personal practice and meditation journal,” which each student is to complete on his or her own time. This activity requires students to meditate for a minimum of five minutes either in the morning or before bed and to personally practice yoga for 10 to 15 minutes each day. “A lot of the students have reported amazing feedback from this class,” Snopek said. “I’ve had students come out of last semester’s class telling me that they had gotten off their anxiety medication or that their anxiety had decreased; their sleep had improved because they did meditation before bed. I’ve had kids tell me they have suffered from depression for many years and they actually feel like they’ve found out who they are.” With such positive feedback and the renewed sense of peace and perspective that each student gains as a result of yoga, Snopek is confident the elective will remain an option for years to come. l

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Midvale City Journal NEWS FROM OUR ADVERTISERS

Millions of taxpayers face refund delays in 2017

INDUSTRY

New tax law requires the IRS to hold some refunds until February 15 As many as 15 million taxpayers could have their refunds delayed until at least February 15 next year. The Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act now requires the IRS to hold refunds for returns claiming the earned income tax credit (EITC) and additional child tax credit (ACTC) until February 15. Approximately 30 million taxpayers claim the EITC or ACTC, with half filing early. Taxpayers should file as they normally would, even if they expect their refund will be delayed. The IRS still expects to issue most refunds in less than 21 days, although the IRS will hold refunds for EITC and ACTC-related tax returns filed early in 2017 until February 15 and then begin issuing them. While the IRS will release those refunds on February15 many taxpayers may not see the funds deposit into their banking accounts for a few days afterward. This additional delay could be for many reasons and it is best for taxpayers to check the IRS’s Where’s My Refund website for any funding updates. Delay helps IRS combat tax identity fraud The EITC received nationwide averaged approximately $2,500 per eligible taxpayer last year. While $65.6 billion was paid out last year, the IRS indicates that approximately one in five payments are made in error, either through fraudulent filing or confusion due to complexity in claiming the benefit. These credits are target rich for tax identity thieves and fraudsters. In fact, the EITC has one of the highest improper payment rates of the 16 “high-error” programs

identified by the government. Holding taxpayer refunds until February 15, along with the mandate that employers send employee W-2s to the IRS by January 31, allows the IRS additional time to help prevent revenue lost due to identity theft and refund fraud related to fabricated wages and withholdings. It is important for taxpayers who claim these benefits to plan now for the delay. Visiting with a tax professional now can help them better understand the overall impact. Delays just one part of tax law changes The PATH Act made dozens of changes to the tax code, including permanently extending many tax benefits, implementing renewal requirements for Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs), changing eligibility requirements for certain tax credits, expanding other tax benefits, increasing the cost of making mistakes and altering small business tax benefits. But its delay of millions of refunds until at least February 15 will be widely felt by early filers who in the past could expect a refund which averaged more than $3,500 in 2015 by late January. To learn more about tax law changes and refund delays due to the PATH Act, taxpayers can visit www.hrblock.com/path. [Sam Hernandez is a tax professional for H&R Block, the world’s largest tax services provider. Sam has been providing expert tax advice and preparation support for taxpayers in the Salt Lake City area since 2010.]

EDUCATION Two Midvale Middle School students win bookmark design contest By Julie Slama | julie@mycityjournals.com

hen Midvale Middle seventh-grader Danju Zoe Liu thinks of what books do, she realizes they take her to a “mysterious, magical place — like a galaxy.” So when she entered the Utah Educational Savings Plan and StepUp to Higher Education annual “Make Your Mark” bookmark contest, she created a watercolor background with pinks, purples and blues to create that galaxy. Then, she used a black pen to draw a tree above a child reading on a cliff and created branches with the words, “Read to nurture yourself, your mind; escape reality, life; have fun, peace.” Her entry, and that of Midvale Middle School eighth-grader Elizabeth Martin, were announced winners Nov. 7 in the contest, that was held from Sept. 1 to Sept. 20. Six other winners in grades from kindergarten through 12th grade were also awarded $1,000 each in college savings scholarship accounts. The winners were selected by a six-judge panel featuring Utah Gov. Gary Herbert and his wife, First Lady Jeanette Herbert; Deneece Huftalin, president, Salt Lake Community College; Tami Pyfer, the governor’s education advisor; Donna Jones Morris, Utah State Library division director; and Julie Olson, a Utah author and illustrator. Each winner also was given two enlarged posters of his or her bookmark as well as hundreds of actual bookmarks to share. Both Zoe’s and Elizabeth’s bookmarks are available at the Midvale Middle School library. Their school announced their success on their morning announcements and posted it on their website. “I’m impressed on the initiative they took to enter on their own in this competition,” Principal Wendy Dau said. “We have a lot of talent and drive at Midvale and this is an example of that.” Zoe, whose sister Alana won the contest three years ago, practiced multiple times until “I got the one I liked.” She said the contest combines her interests of reading and art.

“I read all genres if the book is well written. I’ll read a lot of short stories or pick up a book of poetry, basically anything,’ she said. Although Zoe doesn’t take an art class in middle school, she did take a basic art class when she was younger from the Visual Arts Institute. “I learned a lot from them about how to draw. I also took an oil painting class from Hobby Lobby a few years ago, but art is more of a hobby,” she said. Zoe learned she won after her mother accepted a phone call while Zoe was at school. “I was pretty excited and very happy. It’s a fun contest,” she said. Elizabeth also learned she won when her mother took a phone call. “I felt like I had a good chance, but I was still shocked and very surprised that I really won,” Elizabeth said. “I was proud of myself. This is a positive way kids can express their creativity.” Elizabeth tried several ideas before settling in on her final bookmark idea. “I decided to illustrate how I feel when I read — how I’m transported to another world. So I showed kids floating away to a magical, happy paradise,” she said. After spending several hours and many drafts, Elizabeth settled on her entry which was created with color pencils and markers. She also included “find your happy place” in elegant handwriting. “I like calligraphy and fun handwriting. I took an art class at Midvale Middle School in sixth grade,” she said. She also has learned art techniques from her greatgrandfather, who is an artist and teaches watercolor workshops. “He was very proud of me,” she said. “I think it’s very cool I got the gift of art from him.” l

Zoe Liu and Elizabeth Martin, both of Midvale Middle School, were recent winners in the Utah Educational Savings Plan and StepUp to Higher Education’s annual bookmark contest, where they each won $1,000. (Rebecca Martin/Midvale Middle School PTSA)

M idvalejournal.com

SPORTS

January 2017 | Page 17

Wheelchair rugby grows in popularity By Kelly Cannon | kelly@mycityjournals.com | Story originally printed March 2016

The Scorpians, a paralympic wheelchair rugby team, hold practice. (Susie Schroer)

very Friday and Saturday, loud bangs and shouts can be heard from one of the basketball courts at Copperview Recreation Center. While the noise may seem like cause for alarm, it’s just Scorpion practice. The Paralympic wheelchair rugby team meets twice a week in preparation for various tournaments they compete in throughout the year. The Scorpions have been an official team affiliated with Salt Lake County for eight years and have been sponsored by the county for the past five years. The sport of wheelchair rugby is an adaptation of the traditional game of rugby. Players in modified wheelchairs pass a ball back and forth while trying to cross the goal line. The opposing team tries to stop them by blocking them or even ramming into their wheelchairs. Susie Schroer, the manager of the team, explained that the sport is for players with specific injuries. “It’s for people with high-level spinal cord injury who have the impairment of four limbs,” Schroer said. She explained that while wheelchair basketball requires players to have high function and coordination in their arms, wheelchair rugby does not require such fine motor skills in the arms. Teams consist of four players on the court at a time. Each player is given a classification assigned to them by a physical therapist or occupational therapist and a representative of the sport. These classifications are from 0.5 to 3.5 and are assigned based upon the ability and functionality of the player. The classification of the players on a team can only add up to eight. This creates a more level playing field. A game consists of four eight-minute quarters. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins. The Scorpions practice every Friday and Saturday and travel to various tournaments around the country. In April, the team is traveling to Boise to compete in a tournament. The sponsorship from Salt Lake County is extremely helpful for the team not only to help pay for travel expenses but also to help purchase the modified wheelchairs used in competition. The chairs range from $2,500 to $5,000. The Scorpions have extra chairs available for those interested in trying the sport. “No one is going to [pay] that much just to try out a sport,” Schroer said. Rick Werry of Richfield is one of the newest members of the team. He saw a flyer for the team and thought it would be cool to try.

“I showed up and I was hooked from the first practice,” Werry said. Werry said he loves the competitive nature of the sport plus its intense physicality. He’s only been playing for over a year. “You could tell I was the newbie, but I’ve gotten better,” he said. According to Werry, the most important part of the game is speed. “If you’re fast, you’re great,” Werry said. “If you’re slow, you’ve got to get fast.” Levi Bohon has been playing wheelchair rugby for the past eight years. After he broke his neck, he became a C6-7 quad-tetraplegic. He began recreational therapy but didn’t have the best relationship with his therapist. He wanted to do more. Bohon said he never hit a state of depression but rather was very thankful for the support friends and family gave him. “I felt I’ve got to show I can make it back,” Bohon said. He initially didn’t like the idea of playing rugby but was persuaded to play as a form of exercise. He met other guys who had similar injuries and had been injured for much longer. He met players who were very talented in the sport. “These guys were incredible,” Bohon said. “They were so fast.” When Bohon started playing, he said he wasn’t used to the high-impact aspects of the sport. But once he got used to the game, he started going regularly. “I fell in love with it,” Bohon said. “I’ve been doing it every year for eight years.” Bohon said his favorite aspect of the game is the camaraderie between the players. “I’ve met people through rugby who are now some of my best friends,” Bohon said. Being able to meet people with similar challenges is also a huge benefit for Bohon. “You meet these guys and they have ways to figure things out,” Bohon said. The hardest part of learning to play was building up stamina. After his injury, Bohon was in a hospital bed for two weeks straight, causing his muscles to atrophy. “I could go up and down the court but then I had to rest,” Bohon said. Bohon is now one of the leaders on the team, working to build up not only the team but also the sport. “This is where it’s at for us,” Bohon said. For more information, email sschroer@slco. org or call 385-468-1956. l

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Midvale City Journal

Goal Keeping – It Isn’t Just for Sports

JOANI TAYLOR

t’s the New Year and I bet you just can’t stand the thought of reading yet another article about why you shouldn’t make a resolution. After all, only 8% of us actually keep them, so why bother? To get where you want to be in life you have to have goals. Not just dreams, high ambitions or lofty visions. You must have realistic and achievable goals. If you aren’t steering towards a purpose how will you get there? If making that goal a New Year’s resolution is an option then, why not? So, this article is about how to keep that resolution so you don’t end up with just another un-kept promise to yourself. 1 – Be Realistic: One of the things that I have found that keep them in perspective is to take my goals in small steps. To do this I choose a goal that may take a year and then break it down into weekly, monthly and sometimes daily achievable things. For example, maybe I want to lose 20 lbs., and I make that a New Years resolution. I have just given myself permission to take the entire year to lose 20 lbs., only 1-½ pounds a month (no wonder I never lose 20 lbs.). You can break that further down to daily healthy eating or exercise goals. I use this same breaking down technique for financial goals, getting organized, helping others (remember the charity box?) and even getting the yard in shape in the spring.

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2 – Write it down: The best way I have found to recognize a goal is to take pen to paper. It’s not a list in my mind. I mean put pen to paper. My purpose isn’t to belittle technology or all those nifty, handy dandy goaltracking apps. Those can be useful. But, I have found that the actual physical act of writing down my goal makes them become real. You are making a commitment. It’s no longer and idea. Plus, writing down your goal gives you a starting date and will motivate you to see it through. Plus, it makes it easy to track your progress, which will help you gain momentum. How to stay on track with your goals: Okay, so now you’ve put your goal in writing. How do you stay on track? Here are some ideas to try that have worked for me. 1: Make a List I like to write my goals down in a weekly, monthly and yearly list on a calendar. It’s important to cross them off when they are finished. Putting that glorious line through or checking it off gives finality and makes for a great amount of satisfaction. 2. A Spreadsheet: While my calendar method works well for me, other people find more satisfaction and motivation

by creating a sophisticated spreadsheet with colors and percentages to track progress. If you are the techy type transfer your original pre-written goal to an Excel spreadsheet and then break it into smaller achievable goals with a time frame. I have found that spreadsheets work very well for financial goals. Just like paying my bills, I’ve used them as a method to help me reach goals for saving money for a car or vacation. 3. Sticky notes: Sticky notes work very well for visual people. You can use the sticky notes to keep you on track and serve as a consistent reminder around the house, in the car or at work. If you are the kind that needs a lot of reminders, or your goal is to break a habit, sticky notes can help you succeed. An example would be if you’re trying to be more organized, put a sticky note in the spot that seems to accumulate the clutter, perhaps the kitchens counter, reminding you to put the item away immediately. So, whatcha’ waiting for? It’s time to break out the pen and paper. Taking that first step of writing down your goals won’t accomplish them. That part takes work, but it does help you get going in a clear direction and makes them achievable for getting you on the right path to success. Happy New Year

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nd you thought January was boring. After the holidays you wondered how anything could top the sheer giddiness of Christmas. Well, prepare to be dazzled by the celebrations observed during this first month of the year. You can’t go wrong with Bath Safety Month. Our family tradition is to smear the tub with canola oil then place a plugged-in hair dryer and toaster on the rim of the tub. If you can shower without slipping and electrocuting yourself, you win! I hope you didn’t forget January 2 was Happy Mew Years for Cats Day. If you missed it, there’s a good chance your cat “accidentally” knocked over a houseplant and tracked soil across the carpet. January 2 was also a big day for unhappy marriages. The first Monday of each year is the most popular day to file for divorce. (I guess she wasn’t impressed with the year’s supply of Turtle Wax she found under the Christmas tree.) Also, it’s Personal Trainer Awareness Day, just in case you wondered who the guy in shorts was who kept following you around the gym yelling at you to squat lower. It’s nice that fiber is finally getting some recognition. Celebrate Fiber Focus Month by feeding your family only whole grains, beans and nuts. Maybe January should also be Constipation Awareness Month. If your office Christmas party wasn’t embarrassing enough, Humiliation Day on January 3 should fill your quota of mortifying shame.

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(After researching this observation, it isn’t about humiliating yourself (or others), it’s a way to recognize that humiliating individuals or groups isn’t cool. Organizers should change the name to No Humiliation Day to avoid awkward encounters in the office.) Personally, I’m looking forward to Show and Tell Day at Work on January 8. I haven’t done Show and Tell since kindergarten and I’m excited to show co-workers my collection of belly button lint. January 13 is International Skeptics Day where you question the accuracy of every statement ever made. It’s a good day to research fake news on Facebook instead of blindly sharing bogus content. You know who you are… There’s just no other way to say it. January 18 is National Thesaurus Day. If you think Talk Like a Pirate Day is a barrel of laughs, you’ll love Talk Like a Grizzled Prospector Day on January 24. I practiced this morning during breakfast. Me: Yer lookin’ like a dadburn claim jumper with that dumfungled smile on your man-trap. Hubbie: Can you just hand me the toaster? It seems there’s a celebration for everything in January. Squirrels! Penguins! Dragons! You get a day! And you get a day! And you get a day! What about toilet paper?! Well, let’s not get silly. January is a big month for food with national observances for candy, hot tea, oatmeal, soup, wheat

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bread, prunes and eggs. (That would make one helluva casserole.) I guess when it’s so cold outside, the only thing to do is sit around and celebrate food. I’m good with that. After stuffing our pie holes with holiday fare for six weeks, it’s time to establish healthier dietary and exercise habits. Observances like Family Fitness Month encourage us to sign up for gym memberships we’ll never use and purchase P90X workout DVDs that we’ll watch while sitting on the couch eating a bag of Cheetos. So don’t let the chill of winter bring you down. There are dozens of celebrations to choose from, including the one I’m trying to get approved: National Hibernation Month. l

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