Millcreek Journal | December 2021

December 2021 | Vol. 03 Iss. 12

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PUBLIC INPUT SOUGHT ON IMPROVEMENTS TO UPPER MILL CREEK CANYON

By Bridget Raymundo | b.raymundo@mycityjournals.com

N

early $20 million in funds for improvements to the Upper Mill Creek Canyon is being allocated for better access and transportation. A media release by Salt Lake County Regional Development, USDA Forest Service, and Millcreek City on Nov. 3 disclosed updates on the project.

The hope is for the public to be involved in the process of deciding what specific changes should be made to make the canyon even better. In order to incorporate suggestions, public input will be considered by project partners if submitted online between Nov. 9-Dec. 9 to www.slco.org/ planning-transportation/millcreek-road-improvements/.

“We’re thrilled we’ve been able to obtain this huge investment for Mill Creek Canyon; it’s treasured by people all across Salt Lake County, and I urge residents to provide feedback on the thoughtful improvements proposed by our staff and partners,” Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson said.

The Upper Mill Creek Canyon project has raked in a total of $15.3 million which was required to be matched locally with $4.2 million, through the Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP). FLAP aims to improve transportation facilities starting with making areas around or within federal lands more accessible. The Salt Lake Valley is largely managed in the eastern part by the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache Na-

tional Forest. The 4.5 miles of Mill Creek Canyon Road between Big Water trailhead and the winter gate is included to have construction done in the following span of the project.

On Nov. 9, representatives of the Federal Highways Administration Central Federal Lands Highway Division, the USDA Forest Service, and local project team members answered questions from the public about the project at Millcreek Canyon. The open house also collected additional recommendations from the attendees for further evaluation.

“The Federal Highway Administration, Central Federal Lands Highway Division has years of expertise designing and constructing similar roadways to provide access to public lands in scenic and challenging terrain,” Bekee Hotze, district ranger for the Salt Lake Ranger District, said. “They will assist the project partners in improving access and safety in the canyon, while preserving its natural and historical characteristics, so that the public may continue to experience and enjoy National Forest system lands in Mill Creek Canyon.”

The goal of the additions is to create a safer way to access roadway, crosswalks and parking areas. In the future, visitors will experience a better outline of signs and more Continued page 5

Sunset captured at Millcreek Canyon. (Photo courtesy of Tom Scott)

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Millcreek’s after-school program helps refugee, immigrant students learn, have fun

By Rachel Dalrymple | r.dalrymple@mycityjournals.com

A

n after-school program in Millcreek that supports refugee and immigrant students and helps them achieve academic success is thriving.

The program serves students at Olympus High School, Evergreen Junior High, Millcreek Elementary and Sunnyvale Neighborhood Center, where the program first began in 2012. The program enrolls 100-125 students per year across each of the schools.

Peter Frost, director of Youth Services at Asian Association of Utah, oversees the after-school program. “All the programs are designed to meet the needs of refugee and immigrant students, although the programs are open to any youth that wants to participate. It’s open to anybody, and all programs are free,” he said.

Frost explained that many refugee and immigrant students arrive in Millcreek without the same level of formal education as their peers in the same age group. When children arrive in the area and enroll in school, they’re placed with other students their age, regardless of their education level.

“So not only have they not had the opportunity to learn English yet, but also their basic skills and math and science and other areas,” Frost said. “So our program is designed to help make up some of those educational gaps.”

The program includes an hour of tutoring to help students with their homework and other assignments from school. Following that, the students participate in games and activities to learn about the social and emotional aspects of life. They learn general life skills, including what it means to be polite, how you can resolve conflict and other important social skills.

Frost explained how the students have fun, too. “On top of that day-to-day programming, we try to cut loose and have a little bit of fun. We go to the local parks. We go on a hikes in the mountains and to Jazz games. We visit museums. We do stuff like that so the students have an opportunity to see what the community is all about.”

Over the years, the program has helped many students achieve academic success. Students enrolled in the after-school program typically see a 2-3% increase in GPA. “We work closely with the school staff. Teachers and

Journals T H E

administrators in the school help us know if a student is facing a particular gap. Then we can try to work with the school to see if we can help address it,” Frost said.

When the program first began, it was held at Sunnyvale apartments with just 10-12 students. Frost said the program expanded to include a program at Evergreen Junior High and later to Olympus High School.

“We noticed these gaps at Evergreen Junior High,” he said. “They don’t have Title 1 funding, but they have a decent number of refugee and immigrant students that needed extra support. So we offered to come and provide the service there.”

The after-school program is one of the major focuses of Millcreek’s Promise Program, a program designed to mobilize and support Millcreek residents in building community. The city brings educational partners in the community together once a month in a committee to discuss how to support Millcreek education.

Kayla Mayers, Promise Program manager, said, “Millcreek Promise Program supports education, and specifically after-school programs, in the city first and foremost by identifying goals that the partners would like to see in terms of educational outcomes for youth in Millcreek. After identifying goals, the committee develops strategies that meet this goal, as well as methods to measure progress for those strategies.”

Frost described the experience of being involved in the program. “I really love it,” he said. “The best parts are when I get to be a little bit more hands-on and go to the programs and interact.”

Members of the community can also be involved in working with students in the after-school program says Frost. “We always say our programs become better with community involvement and volunteers supporting those programs,” he said. “We can always use more support and volunteers in the programs.”

To volunteer in the after-school program and help support education in Millcreek, visit aau-slc.org/volunteer. l Millcreek Mayor Jeff Silvestrini cuts the ribbon for the newly renovated Sunnyvale Park on the west side of Millcreek near the Sunnyvale Neighborhood Center, the location where the after-school program began. (Rachel Dalrymple/City Journals)

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Millcreek City Journal

New incentive program aims to attract GSD subs

By Bill Hardesty | b.hardesty@mycityjournals.com

G

ranite School District (GSD) announced an incentive program to attract and keep substitute teachers in late October.

“We are always exploring options to ensure we deliver on what students and staff need,” Richard Nye, district superintendent, said. “I implore anyone who has even considered the job of a substitute teacher to take a look at all Granite has to offer.”

The program The program will pay a bonus to substitute teachers as they hit milestones: hourly subs who complete at least five jobs in one month will be given a $50 bonus on top of regular pay; hourly subs who complete at least 10 jobs in one month will be given a $100 bonus on top of regular pay; and hourly subs who complete at least 15 jobs or more in one month will be given a $150 bonus on top of regular pay.

The first payout was Nov. 1 based on substitute teachers’ October jobs. The program is ongoing through the remaining school year.

For example, a substitute teacher who works 15 jobs every month will get a $150 bonus each month.

GSD decided to install the bonus program rather than raise base pay.

“We have a set budget and don’t have the ability to increase wages long term. We do have lots of one-time money that can help address this problem short term,” Ben Horsley, chief of staff, said.

The situation Horsley describes the situation as “very serious.”

“While we have a larger amount of substitutes in our pool and are filling more positions than ever on a daily basis, the demand and need for personal and sick leave has gone up by over 50% even over last

Granite School District implements a bonus incentive program for substitute teachers. (Photo from Pixabay)

year,” Horsley said.

On average, GSD uses 300-350 substitutes each day. When a substitute teacher can’t be found, some district-level employees can step in. In other cases, the school’s administration steps in. A final choice is to pay regular teaches a stipend who step in during their prep period.

The pay A substitute teacher’s pay is based on the education obtained and the length of the assignment.

For a person with a high school diploma, the hourly pay is $14.14 ($98.98 per seven hour day). For persons with an associate degree or two years of college, the rate moves to

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Continued from front page directional information along the way. Furthermore, select planned improvements will not be a part of FLAP funding such as the picnic area parking and trailheads.

“Mill Creek Canyon is our ‘backyard’ here in the City of Millcreek. We are excited to partner with Salt Lake County and the US Forest Service to provide much needed transportation improvements while maintaining the character of this beautiful recreational gem,” Millcreek Mayor Jeff Silvestrini said. “With our population booming, it is imperative that we address access and safety in the canyon. We are happy that we have the opportunity that this FLAP grant will provide to improve this special place.”

Outdoor recreation is essential to tourism in Utah and attracts many people from within and outside the state. The economy in Utah receives a $6.4 billion contribution from recre-

$14.67 ($102.69/day). For a licensed teacher or holder of a master’s degree, the rate raises $15.52 ($108.64). A retired teacher is paid $18.29 ($128.03).

If the assignment is 40 to 89 days, the rate

is $20.93 ($146.51). If the job is 90 or more days, the rate tops out at $26.86 ($188.02).

Substitute pay scales differ between school districts.

“We find that most of our subs are also in other local district sub-pools, so they will pick and choose opportunities based on the distance to travel and grade level of the sub-job offered,” Horsley said.

The opportunity According to the GSD website: “Substitute teachers are an integral part of the educational process in Granite School District. They have the opportunity to support the student educational experience. Principals, district administrators, and classroom teachers greatly appreciate the valuable work substitute teachers provide.”

Horsley described the ideal candidate as “someone looking for a flexible job, that enjoys being around kids. You get to pick where and when you want to pick up a shift/job and can filter for certain grade levels or locations to meet your needs.”

He added, “This is more than just a job but an opportunity to serve your community and support our children in their education.”

To apply, call the Human Resources Department at 385-646-4511. l

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Millcreek Canyon in the afternoon. (Photo courtesy of Darija Leskur)

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December 2021 | Page 5

Skyline wins state title with ‘together’ philosophy

By Daniel Olsen | d.olsen@mycityjournals.com

J

oy illuminated the faces of soccer players on the Skyline Eagles team as they hoisted the 5A UHSAA Girls Soccer State Championship trophy in October. It was a special year in which they finished unblemished.

“We started with a great preseason and found two players that weren’t on the team last year,” coach Yamil Castillo said. “We returned talent like Aly Swenson. We had several other players coming back who play very well. We thought we could win a title, but expected some growing pains. We went into the postseason undefeated. I feel when we play anyone in the region, they give us their best game. We have a strong region.

We had only one overtime game against East. We knew they were a team that could make it a challenge. In the shootout we had an amazing goalkeeper and we beat them.”

There were great individual performances, but the entire team play is what helped the Eagles come out on top. It wasn’t until they bought into the team aspect that they really hit their peak.

“Our team motto this year is ‘Together’,” Aly Swenson said. “At the beginning we struggled playing together. Our team wins by playing well together.”

Page 6 | December 2021

The Skyline girls team celebrates a first half goal during the championship game at Rio Tinto. (Photo contributed by Tyler Baker)

The senior played the forward position and was an integral part of the team’s success. She will be continuing her soccer career at Weber State University and is excited to play with some players from her club team.

It was unanimous among the Skyline High School coaches who would win the team MVP, but it is important to note that everyone on the team had an impact on this championship.

“Lily Boyden was voted the MVP of

our soccer team,” Castillo said. “There is no question that she is an amazing athlete. I can point out other players that helped carry the team, but it wouldn’t be fair to the rest of the players. We had a great offense, defense and goalkeeper. We played as a team and made mistakes, but were able to come out on top.

We shut out our opponents in the first few rounds, but the games got closer as the playoffs progressed. I want to give credit to the team and community. The kids are amazing.

They all contributed to our success.”

The future looks bright for Skyline soccer as the girls return plenty of experience next year.

“We have half of the starters coming back,” Castillo said. “They are sophomores.

That will open the door for a lot of other kids like the current freshman players. When we won state in 2019, we had an amazing group of underclassmen. I hope that now that we’ve gone undefeated, that will bring a new group of strong players.”

After playing on high school fields, a change of scenery was enjoyable for the players who got to play the final round of the state playoffs at Rio Tinto Stadium.

That is the home of the Real Salt Lake team that competes professionally in Major

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Senior captain Brianna Frey was crucial in goal for the Eagles. (Photo contributed by Tyler Baker)

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“We’ve played on a lot of different soccer fields,” Swenson said. “This was a huge field and a different atmosphere. It made the game feel more important.”

The change of scenery didn’t make the players or coaching staff waver whatsoever.

“We play quite a few games at a football stadium that’s a little bigger than a soccer field. We played at Juan Diego High School (for the semifinals) and got used to the size of the bigger fields. I thought the girls were prepared for the challenge. They (semifinal opponent Timpanogos) had athleticism and talent. We knew we were going to succeed. They’ve been to the finals four times. The experience factor helped.”

Skyline was motivated to do more than just get to the championship game.

“I would say the determination, the desire and goals set us apart,” Castillo said.

“Our goal ultimately isn’t just to be happy to make the team. We always have in our mind to be region champs and go to the finals. It looks easy but it’s a challenge. There are a lot of good teams and players all over the state. The girls come together. When you play together as a team, nothing is impossible.”

It was a fun journey for the players as they discovered with time they had a great shot to win a state championship.

“We didn’t realize it until we beat Olympus for the second time,” Swenson said. “It’s fun to keep destroying teams that are not able to stop us.”

Key players stepped up throughout the season to really solidify the depth of this team.

“Berlyn Dibble, who plays the center mid-position was a big help,” Swenson said. “She played the second half of the season as she couldn’t play at the start. She is a calm and composed player who was key to our success.” l

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Captain Rozlin Gomez looks to switch play during the championship game. (Photo contributed by Tyler Baker)

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December 2021 | Page 7

GSD combined choir sings at Veterans Day concert

By Bill Hardesty | b.hardesty@mycityjournals.com

T

he 66th annual Veterans Day concert was held virtually again this year because of COVID-19. The video was released on Nov. 11. The concert is online at: Ut.ng.mil; www. facebook.com/utahnationalguard; and www. youtube.com/user/UtahNationalGuard.

The concert was titled “Never Forget.”

In addition to honoring veterans, the concert commemorated the 20th anniversary of 9/11.

The concert featured the 23rd Army Band and Granite School District High School Choirs. The combined choir consist-

Page 8 | December 2021

ed of more than 500 students from all seven senior high schools.

“Granite School District vocal directors have a longstanding commitment to honoring Utah’s veterans. Veterans Day is a great opportunity to provide the ‘why’ for students who are developing their performance skills.

Students feel honored to practice and refine the pieces to a level of quality that properly shows appreciation to the veterans and their families,” Noelle Converse, director of curriculum and instruction, said. “This annual

event raises the bar for vocal performance across the district. It is also a great opportunity for our choir directors to showcase the quality of their music programs and student performers.”

Senior Master Sgt. (Retired) U.S. Air Force Sterling Poulson hosted the concert.

The performances were at Olympus High School.

Music

The band and choir performed separately. There were traditional songs such as “America” (Choir), “The Stars and Stripes Forever” (Band), the “Armed Forces Medley” (Band), and the national anthem (Band).

There were also new and unique numbers. The 23rd Army Band played “As All of the Heaven Were a Bell,” which was written to honor the NY firefighters for their efforts on Sept. 11. The title comes from a poem by Emily Dickinson titled, “I Felt a Funeral, in my Brain.”

The band also played “Forge in Fire.”

“This song was inspired by the transforming nature of fire,” Poulson said. “The men and women of our armed forces are forged into sharp swords through heat, fire and the strike of the human spirit.”

The combined choir also sang “Oh America.” A song popularized by the Celt-

Students from the Granite School District combined choir sing at the 66th annual Veterans Day Concert. (Courtesy of Granite School District)

ic Woman musical ensemble. The combined men’s choir sang, “Stouthearted Men.” The combined women’s choir sang “Wherever You Are.” The Military Wives Choir originally sang this song in 2020 as a love song.

The combined choir also debuted an original piece by Cecil Sullivan, choir director of Cottonwood HS. His work is titled “For the Warriors.”

The rock band “Article 15” sang “Mr. Red, White and Blue” by Coffey Anderson.

A song telling of the courage and sacrifices of our armed forces.

“Taps” was also played to honor all those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Speakers

Brig. Gen. Charlene Dalto, Land Component Command Utah Army National Guard, was the keynote speaker.

“On Veterans Day, it is important that we take a moment and reflect on the patriotism, service, and sacrifice of all veterans, past and present,” Dalto said.

Dalto also mentioned that less than 1% of Americans have served in the armed forces.

The Utah PTA has partnered with the Honorary Colonels Corps and the Utah Army National Guard to sponsor an essay contest for nine years. The contest is open to all Utah students K-12 who have a parent, grandparent, brother or sister who serves now or has served in the military. This year’s theme was “Why Am I Proud of My Veteran.”

Kinley Gorringe, a fourth grader from Lehi, won the elementary school division and was awarded a $100 scholarship award.

Jaeli Adams, a ninth grader from St. George, won the junior high division and was also awarded $100. McKenna Dillingham, a senior from Bountiful, won the high school division and was awarded a $300 scholarship award.

“As governor, I am beyond proud of the Utah veterans who have served heroically in all of America’s conflicts,” Gov. Spencer Cox said in a video presentation.

The Zions Bank Veterans Service award was given to Robert Pagnani. The award is given to individuals who have improved the quality of life for military personnel and veterans. l

Millcreek City Journal

Future is bright for Skyline volleyball despite agony of defeat

By Daniel Olsen | d.olsen@mycityjournals.com

T

he Skyline Eagles girls volleyball team really felt this was their year. They experimented and achieved brilliant results. That included a region title and a three seed in the state playoffs. However, it came to a halt when they were defeated by Timpview in the quarterfinals.

“This season is going to hurt badly and sting for a very long time,” coach Mondo Begay said. “These kids are the first round of changing my culture.”

Part of that culture involved bringing fun into practice. While it takes hard work to perfect a craft, Begay found that with this generation it is important to let high school kids enjoy themselves. He gave them the freedom to govern their own workouts on Fridays without an organized practice. By doing this, they were able to go to football games on Fridays and have fun with their friends.

“Our whole team bought in on what we wanted to do, which was to compete for a state title,” senior leader Mia Liddiard said.

“We ended up coming up a bit short. All of us decided this goal at the beginning of the year and committed to wanting to do that.”

They certainly got close. With only two losses all season, they had a favorable seed.

It just didn’t play out the way they expected.

“It stings because we had every shot,” Begay said. “I learn to reflect on what went wrong. I should have pushed them hard earlier. That’s on me. Two weeks earlier is when I should have pushed them.”

Coaching is different in this new generation compared to how high school kids might have been coached in the past said Begay.

There is a constant challenge to keep things balanced between having fun and being disciplined in preparation.

“We were raised to be hard on kids,” Begay said. “This generation needs balance. We just need to push them earlier. This loss with the best team in the state is on me.”

Along with the challenge of coaching is the added stress that coaches get from other people supporting the team. Whether that is from parents, administration or fans, that wears on a coach.

“I don’t think that parents understand the emotional work and stress that coaches go through,” Begay said. “Coaches worry about their kids. They stress about how to make the team happy and themselves happy in real life.”

That stress can add up when looking at it by the numbers. Families make up a big part of the team especially when they want to be heavily involved.

“The hardest part about coaching right now is I have 43 kids on the whole team,” Begay said. “But I also have between 120-140 additional people I have to manage including families.”

Because of this, turnover can be quite high in the coaching industry. Volleyball is no

MillcreekJournal .com

stranger to this trend either.

“Leeah Dahle, the coach of the year in our region, quit at Olympus this year,” Begay said. “She was here for two years. She is a great coach. Such a high turnover rate. There is a 30% turnover rate for high school volleyball coaches every year. I’m here for the long haul. I love Skyline and will be there as long as they will want me.”

There can only be one champion, and it wasn’t Skyline despite an amazing regular season that won them the region championship.

“We played an amazing Timpview team in the playoffs,” Begay said. “They were phe-

nomenal. We should have played them in the finals. We traded point for point.”

It will be tough next year with talented athletes graduating and going on to play at the NCAA level. Liddiard will be playing for Northern Colorado. Her teammate, Olivia Gloeckner, will be playing for the University of Idaho in the same Big Sky conference.

“I think the coaches this year did a great job of getting us to believe in ourselves that we can do it,” Liddiard said. “Even girls I don’t hang out with outside of school become my friends in volleyball. It was a good culture. It was a positive experience that was the cherry on top for my senior year.” l

Senior Bree Schriever digs out a ball for the region champion Eagles. (Justin Adams/City Journals)

Senior Mia Liddiard sets her teammate during the playoffs. Liddiard will continue playing next year at Northern Colorado. (Justin Adams/City Journals)

Junior Kira Little leaps to touch the ball past her opponent. (Justin Adams/City Journals)

December 2021 | Page 9

Skyline student wins scholarship to help promote community well-being

By Bridget Raymundo | b.raymundo@mycityjournals.com

T

his year, Utah’s Department of Human Services and Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH) awarded a Skyline High School student a full scholarship to join the CADCA summit in Washington, D.C. CADCA stands for Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America. The mission of CADCA since 1992 is to help communities achieve social change for drug addiction prevention through their international outreach and initiative. The Salt Lake County Health Department began to send youth to the annual forum in 2017.

In addition to the yearly CADCA forum, Utah has established both the National Coalition Training Academy and the Drug Enforcement Agency’s 360 to combat substance use and abuse with CADCA. The Salt Lake County Health Department reached out to the Salt Lake Teen Health Advisory Board for help to contact the youth population. The Teen Board created content and assisted with other materials to allow a greater population of teens access to this unique opportunity.

The scholarship provided will support the scholarship students in their mission to both share their message about health areas in need of improvement and learn about how to promote substance control.

Scholarship winner Carridee Raymundo, 14, is a student at Skyline High School and is excited to represent her state at the upcoming summit along with a diversity of other students. “To me, CADCA is a once in a lifetime opportunity to join with a group of people I am very lucky to meet,” Carridee said.

State representatives and youth gather to advocate and discuss topics which greatly impact the well-being of all. Numerous groups of young leaders from across the U.S. will meet and learn from one another about how to promote a healthier public.

“The Salt Lake County Health Department values providing this experience to youth, as in our experience we have had youth come back feeling empowered to actively create positive change in their community,” said Julia Glade, the Health Communities coordinator.

The young activists have independently taken on significant projects that speak to their passions, some of which Glade mentions. “We have had some youth change and update city ordinances to ban vaping and use of tobacco products in their community parks. We have had youth start youth coalitions. We have had youth speak to leaders about their experiences with immigration

Scholarship students and state leaders in past CADCA forum years. (Photo Salt Lake County Health Department)

and how that conversation at the leadership level needs to change. We have had youth from this experience step into leadership roles in their community and lead other youth groups. And we have had youth educate their peers and community about topics

that they care about most,” Glade said.

The CADCA scholarship experience supports youth who choose to share their voice, and, “that is something that the Salt Lake County Health Department values and will continue to value,” Glade said. l

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Millcreek City Journal

SSL, AARP, FitLot create exercise park geared to healthy aging

By Bill Hardesty | b.hardesty@mycityjournals.com

O

n Oct. 21, South Salt Lake cut the ribbon on an extension of Bickley Park, north of the Columbus Center. The new extension is unique for two reasons. The first is its focus—a park designed to encourage healthy aging— and secondly, it's the only one in the state.

"Our city is always finding new ways to invest in people. Mental and physical health is a big challenge for many community members, and the pandemic made this especially acute.

We knew one solution would be to encourage more outdoor fitness, and to our great pleasure, AARP and FitLot made this happen at just the right time. I couldn't be more thrilled to open the first FitLot in Utah and create an active space to foster healthy aging," said South Salt Lake Mayor Cherie Wood.

FitLot’s focus "It's really been the goal of my administration and my team to invest in people," Wood said, "and so that means providing recreational opportunities for all ages. So today is a FitLot Park for adults. So, we're super excited about this."

The focus of the FitLot Park is older adults, but any age group and ability can use the equipment. The Park is open anytime.

"A healthy and active senior community is a top priority of South Salt Lake, but the high cost of gyms, the Coronavirus pandemic, and

lack of transportation often limit opportunities for seniors," Julie Taylor, communications and outreach manager, said. “This outdoor and free amenity helps residents build strength, stamina, and balance; spend time outdoors improving mood and overall well-being; and stay connected to neighbors and friends."

The Park has both moving and non-moving equipment. The non-moving equipment includes: pull-up bar, jump touch panel (measures vertical leap), vertical ladder (used to work on leg muscles. It is also used for arm and core exercises), plyometrics sheet (a jump box), ab cruncher/leg lift bench, chin-up bar, and dip parallel bars.

The moving items are: chest/back press, hand cycle, elliptical, and cardio stepper.

There are step-by-step instructions on each piece of equipment.

"This outdoor amenity is the perfect addition to our Bickley Park. We were so excited to design it as an all-ages, all-abilities playground and at last have a park next to our community center,'' said Sharen Hauri, South Salt Lake director of neighborhoods. "We sought to create a multigenerational playground, and the addition of a FitLot fully supports that vision. The center is a home base to a Promise SSL youth program, Head Start preschool and recreation leagues. It is another great way for parents,

grandparents, and the whole community to stay active and spend time outdoors."

The $125,000 park's price tag was paid with grant money. AARP was a significant donor.

"When we first met with the City of South Salt Lake about nine months ago there was a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of energy around this, and everybody just said, ‘Yes, yes, yes. Let's get it done. Let's figure it out,’" Alan Ormsby, state director of AARP Utah, said.

The AARP donation includes three years of programming which provides free fitness instruction classes at FitLot Park.

AARP and FitLot "I'm so grateful that AARP has been thrilled over the last three years to build one of these FitLot in all 50 states and three territories. We do it because we love the community," Ormsby said.

AARP teamed up with FitLot in 2018.

Their goal was to build an outdoor fitness park in each state and Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. With the opening of the South Salt Lake location, there are now at least one in each state.

According to the FitLot.org website, "FitLot was founded out of frustration by a father and son who simply couldn't understand why every neighborhood in America didn't have

South Salt Lake Mayor Cherie Wood checks out the outdoor exercise equipment at FitLot Park.

(Bill Hardesty/City Journals)

their own outdoor fitness park."

Dr. Vadim Mejerson and his son, Adam, founded FitLot. It is a community health solution. The Mejersons believed FitLot Parks have "the power to improve the health and quality of life in neighborhoods throughout the country."

Landscape Structures became the exclusive supplier for FitLot in 2018. Each FitLot Park is approximately 1,400 square feet, like the size of a playground. They are shaded and have a safe surface. l

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Measuring the impact of ranked choice voting

T

his election cycle, multiple cities in the Salt Lake valley opted to take advantage of a pilot program for ranked choice voting, made possible by the state legislature. As opposed to a traditional election, where voters must select one candidate, RCV allows voters to rank any number of candidates according to their preference.

Proponents of the method point to the benefits of making the switch, from encouraging more candidates to run and increasing voter turnout, to making elections more fair and less antagonistic. While some of these benefits aren’t easily measured, some of them can be. So, how did this round of RCV experimentation turn out?

To get a sense of how much RCV impacted local elections this year, The City Journals took a look at the numbers for a few key metrics. First reporters compared the number of candidates and voter turnout to the same races held in 2017. Then reporters asked the question: did RCV actually change any of the election results?

Number of Candidates There were eight cities which took part in the RCV pilot: Salt Lake City, South Salt Lake, Millcreek, Cottonwood Heights, Sandy, Draper, Midvale and Bluffdale. Riverton would have but only had one candidate for each election. Within those cities, there were 17 races that utilized RCV. (A couple races would have used RCV, but it ended up not being necessary because there were only two candidates.)

There were 73 combined candidates who ran in those 17 races, an increase from 63 candidates who ran for those same positions in the primary stage in 2017. However, that increase is almost completely accounted for by one city, Sandy, which saw an increase of three to eight candidates in its mayoral race and from two to six candidates in its race for an at-large seat on the city council.

Cottonwood Heights was another city that saw an increase in candidates, with five candidates competing in both its mayoral race and one of its city council races (compared to three in each race from 2017).

Salt Lake City saw the biggest decrease in its number of candidates, with two fewer candidates vying for its second district seat and three fewer candidates vying for its seventh district.

Voter Turnout How about voter turnout? Does giving people the chance to rank multiple candidates encourage more people to participate?

Not according to this year’s races.

Of the 17 races we looked at, there was a total voter turnout of 115,851. That’s up just a little bit from 2017’s turnout of 115,008.

Recognizing that there are a number of possible variables that can impact turnout for a given race, here are a few of the outliers in this category. Remember, this is comparing 2017 to 2021.

A Bluffdale race for two seats on its council increased from 1,418 ballots counted to 3,344.

Salt Lake City’s first district race saw an increase from 1,621 to 3,381.

Despite having seven candidates vying for two at-large seats, Draper’s voter turnout dropped 20%, from 10,853 to 8,610.

Even in Sandy City, which had a hotly contested and crowded mayoral race, turnout decreased from 23,007 to 21,246.

Did it impact results?

Under RCV, the ballot counting process takes place over several rounds. After the first round, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their ballots then revert to those voters’ second choices. This creates the possibility that whichever candidate receives the most first-place ballots, won’t actually win the election. You might have a candidate who receives the third-most votes in the first round end up winning the election

Page 12 | December 2021

By Justin Adams | justin.a@thecityjournals.com

Election assistant Becky Overacker helps first-time voter Zyon Bruce in Draper where they held ranked choice voting for the first time. (Mimi Darley Dutton/City Journals)

because they built a broad base of support and was able to win the majority of the second place votes. So, did that happen in any of these elections?

For the most part, no. In almost all the races, the candidate who received the most first-place votes went on to win the election. The one exception being Millcreek’s District 2 race, in which Jeremiah Clark held a narrow lead after the first round of votes, but ended up losing to Thom Desirant by nine percentage points.

So what?

Based on this initial look at some of these metrics, it might seem like RCV made a huge impact on this year’s elections. But Stan Lockhart, a spokesman for Utah Ranked Choice Voting, said that it’s too early to draw long-term conclusions about the effectiveness of RCV. “Twenty-three cities in Utah used ranked choice voting this year, and it was the first time for 21 of those 23 cities. We need to be careful in extrapolating too much,” he said.

In regards to measurables like number of candidates and voter turnout, Lockhart said those have always been driven more by local issues. If there’s something controversial that’s taken place at the city level, like a tax increase or a land use decision, that’s more likely to drum up interest in an election than a change to RCV. A better measure of RCV’s success, according to Lockhart, is how voters felt about the process…a question that Utah RCV teamed up with Y2 Analytics to help answer.

“I think the most important metric that we should focus on is voter satisfaction. How did the voter feel about the experience of ranking their vote. And the survey vote shows as high as 90% of the voters thought it was easy to use,” Lockhart said.

Additionally, 62% of poll respondents said they liked

voting with a ranked choice ballot.

Learning curve Lockhart acknowledged that there can be a little bit of a learning curve when it comes to RCV, both for candidates and voters.

For candidates, the implementation of RCV opens up another component of campaign strategy that they normally wouldn’t think about: coordinating with other candidates and forming coalitions. For example, a group of two or more like-minded candidates can encourage their voters to rank them in the top three spots. Lockhart said he didn’t see a whole lot of such coordination in the races which used RCV. One exception was for one of the council races in Salt Lake City, where two candidates jointly paid for a postcard advertisement, where one candidate was featured on one side, and the other candidate on the flipside.

There’s also a learning curve for voters, who might not realize the power they have by taking advantage of the ranked choice feature. If a voter only ranks one or two candidates and those candidates get eliminated, that voters’ ballot becomes “inactive.”

In a close election, a large number of inactive ballots represents voters who could have potentially swung the election one way or another. That’s exactly what happened in Sandy, where the top two candidates for mayor were separated by just 21 votes. However, there were over 4,000 inactive ballots (voters who had chosen to not rank either of the two finalists). If voting is all about using one’s voice, Lockhart suggested that fully ranking every candidate on the ballot is voters’ best way to maximize that voice.

“If those voters had ranked more candidates, they would have been more relevant in that round,” he said about that Sandy mayoral race. l

Millcreek City Journal

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Millcreek City Journal

Immerse yourself in art at new Leonardo exhibit

By Justin Adams | justin.a@thecityjournals.com

Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” fills the walls (and even the floor) of the Leonardo’s new IDEA space. (Justin Adams/City Journals)

T

here’s a new way to experience classic works of art at the new IDEA space at the Leonardo museum in downtown Salt Lake City.

The acronym stands for “Immersive Digital Exploratory Art.” Occupying a large chunk of the museum’s second floor, the new space may seem sparse when the lights are on—large blank walls, a few mirrors, some benches and cushions for visitors to sit on. But turn off the lights and fire up the dozens of projectors strewn across the ceiling, and suddenly you’re flying through Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” or are nestled peacefully in Monet’s lush gardens.

Each scene of artwork transforms seamlessly into the next with animations that bring each piece to life.

Accompanying the artwork is an occasional voice-over that provides context for the artwork, but more often a piece of music; from classical music for the Romantic period to jazz music for the post-modern.

The exhibit, Immersive Art Series, was created by Universal Exhibition Group and has previously been shown in Moscow, Dubai, Belgium and Switzerland. The Leonardo will be its first home in North America.

The series consists of five shows, each centered around a different era or theme. The first show being played at the Leonardo is titled “Monet to Kandinsky” and features the work of “10 artists who revolutionized the art world.”

The next show that will be added to the rotation focuses on the Italian Renaissance. “[The Leonardo] is the perfect space for this because it’s all about science, technology

MillcreekJournal .com

and art and that’s exactly what this is all about,” said Steve Boulay, COO of Magic Space Entertainment, a local company who partnered with the Leonardo to build the IDEA space and bring the Immersive Art Series to Utah.

Although he’s surrounded by world class entertainment throughout his career of bringing Broadway productions to cities around the world, Boulay said there’s something “different” about this exhibit. In fact, he said he spent three hours just sitting in the space and enjoying the show all by himself.

Although the IDEA space was built with the Immersive Art Series in mind, Boulay and the Leonardo envision many other uses for their investment.

“If we have the space, we can also curate local content. We’re going to be able to do things like have shows based on Utah history or shows that highlight Utah artists,” he said.

“I think you’re going to see shows here for a decade, which is fantastic.”

The new space is also a perfect addition to the Leonardo as the country slowly emerges from the pandemic, said Executive Director Alex Hesse.

“This new space is very open, it’s ‘no touch,’ and we can also restrict how many people are inside. It’s a very COVID-friendly experience,” she said. “It also feels joyful, inspiring and uplifting and that feels very important to all of us at this time.”

Tickets for “Monet to Kandinsky” are now available through the Leonardo’s website, www.theleonardo.org. l

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Beloved ballet returns to Capitol Theatre for the holidays

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@davisjournal.com

B

allet West’s most popular show and annual tradition, “The Nutcracker,” returns to the Capitol Theatre for live performances Dec. 4-26. It’s been two years since the holiday ballet was performed for a live audience, since COVID-19 shuttered entertainment venues in 2020.

Audiences are eager to get back to live ballet as more than 13,000 tickets have already been sold and this year’s performance of “The Nutcracker” is expected to bring in the highest level of sales in 25 years.

“Following the successful production of ‘Dracula,’ where many performances were sold out, demand for ‘The Nutcracker’ is expected to be high,” said Adam Sklute, Ballet West artistic director, in a media release. “We encourage all ‘Nutcracker’ fans to purchase tickets early so they have a seat and don’t miss out.”

Made possible through support from The George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, the $3 million production is a classic ballet in two acts based on the fairy tale by E.T.A. Hoffmann. The iconic score by Tchaikovsky will be performed live, featuring the Ballet West Orchestra.

Choreographed by Ballet West founder Willam Christensen, “The Nutcracker” has evening performances at 7 p.m., matinees at 2 p.m., and a special holiday matinee on Christmas Eve at noon.

Immediately following each matinee (except Dec. 24), Ballet West hosts a Sugar Plum Party where young audience members can join the Sugar Plum Fairy and other favorite characters from the ballet for a special treat.

“Each year, hundreds of Utah children from across the Wasatch Front audition for the opportunity to perform

Artists of Ballet West perform in “The Nutcracker” at Capitol Theatre. (Photo courtesy of Beau Pearson)

in Ballet West’s ‘The Nutcracker,’ with just over 100 children being selected for the coveted roles,” Sklute said.

“The story tells of a Christmas party at which little Clara, daughter of the house, receives the gift of a nutcracker from her mysterious uncle, Herr Drosselmeyer. After the

party, she falls asleep and dreams of snow castles, sugarplums, and her nutcracker, which has turned into a handsome prince.”

Ticket prices range from $25 to $104 and are available at BalletWest.org or 801-869-6900.l

As Utah’s Unemployment Rate Hits Record Low, Lack of Labor Lingers

By Robert Spendlove, Zions Bank Senior Economist Utah’s unemployment rate hit the lowest level ever recorded in October. The Utah Department of Workforce Services’ most recent jobs report, released in November, shows that only 2.2% of the state’s workers are unemployed and actively looking for work. This historic low comes only 18 months after the state’s unemployment rate reached a record high of 10.4% in April 2020 at the onset of the pandemic.

Utah’s job recovery from such a massive disruption has been impressive. Our state’s two-year job growth leads the nation at 3.7%, compared to a 2.2% job decline Women: Your Voice Matters! nationally. The state has added 58,500 jobs We need more women in political added over the past two years, with the construction; financial activities; and trade, office. We need you!

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This job growth is limited, however, by for aspiring female political candidates. the lack of available labor. Utah, like the rest The seventh annual cohort has started, of the nation, is struggling to find workers but we have a couple spots still available! to fill job openings. A recent analysis from The Pew Charitable Trusts found that the LEARN MORE & REGISTER: ratio of jobs-to-jobless in Utah is more than

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Page 16 | December 2021

Utah Unemployment Rate at Record Low 13.0% 12.0% 11.0% 10.0% 9.0% 8.0% 7.0% 6.0% 5.0% 4.0% 3.0% October 2.0% 2021 1.0% 2.2% 0.0% 1/1/00 1/1/02 1/1/04 1/1/06 1/1/08 1/1/10 1/1/12 1/1/14 1/1/16 1/1/18 1/1/20 Source: Utah Department of Workforce Statistics

2 to 1. Many residents who dropped out of the workforce during the pandemic have not returned. Even so, the labor force participation rate – an estimate of what percent of the state’s population is working or looking for a job – is the fifth highest in the nation. Labor force participation remained steady from September to October at 67.9%, though still below the 68.6% of two years ago in October 2019.

The very tight labor market continues to cause wage pressure. Nationally, average hourly earnings were 4.9% higher in

October, compared to one year ago. This wage inflation, which is a welcome trend for workers, is placing more strain on employers, who are facing both the labor shortage and continued supply chain struggles.

Despite these challenges, Utah’s economy – and the U.S. economy – continue to improve and recover. More people are returning to work as the latest wave of the delta variant of the Coronavirus subsides, vaccination rates increase, and the impact of enhanced unemployment benefits ends. l

Millcreek City Journal

Salt Lake County giving residents opportunity to test out lifeguarding

By Travis Barton | travis.b@thecityjournals.com

S

Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation is hosting a “Just-Try-It: Lifeguarding” for those ages 14 and up at the Dimple Dell Recreation Center. (Pixabay)

alt Lake County Parks and Recreation is hosting a “Just-TryIt: Lifeguarding” for those ages 14 and up from 3 to 5 p.m. on Dec. 11 at the Dimple Dell Recreation Center (10670 S. 1000 East) in Sandy.

“Being a lifeguard was something I always wanted to do and, as a teen, my dreams came true when I was hired by Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation,” said Amber Milne, recreation manager at Fairmont Aquatic Center, in a press release.

“I worked as a lifeguard during high school and while in college. Now, 20 years later, I’ve made a career out of doing what I love while serving the community.”

The parks and recreation department held the same two-hour event on Nov. 20 at the Northwest Recreation Center in Salt Lake City. It’s aimed to give anyone interested the opportunity to experience what it’s like to be a lifeguard.

According the press release, individuals will “try lifeguard skills and activities, shadow a lifeguard, talk with lifeguards and management about the duties and responsibili-

ties of the position, play some pool games, and apply for a great and fun job.”

It is part of the county’s efforts to fill lifeguard positions through employment benefits described as “paid training, flexible hours, great coworkers, professional development, and pay up to $16/hour depending on experience, position, and shift. Hired individuals will work at recreation centers throughout the county.”

Parks and Recreation is also offering surge pay to cover harder-tofill shifts, Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. Employees working these hours will earn $6 on top of normal wages until the end of the year.

This comes after a summer when the county was also facing a shortage in lifeguards.

Attendees are encouraged to bring a swimsuit, a towel and a friend.

Admission fees are waived for participants and no registration is required.

Individuals interested in applying for a lifeguard or swim instructor position may apply at bit.ly/slcoguard. l

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December 2021 | Page 17

December holidays beyond Santa Claus and the nativity

By Karmel Harper | k.harper@mycityjournals.com

“

How can we have Christmas without a Christmas tree, Mom?” -Kevin McCallister, “Home Alone.” Kevin asked this question as his family was packing for their holiday trip to Paris, France. Taking a vacation during the holidays was unheard of for the 1990 movie audience, but introducing this concept added to the storyline, character development, and message of Home Alone. We all remember the rained-out trip, a mother’s determination to be with her son for Christmas, and the message of forgiveness between parent and child. But nowadays, more and more families are opting to follow the McCallister tradition to teach their children another message: that memories last longer than objects.

Instead of clicking on Amazon links, families are clicking on hotel and cruise line websites to enjoy a vacation getaway during the Christmas holiday in lieu of physical presents. Herriman’s Cassidy O-Keef Ratliff’s family took cruises during Christmas in 2017 and 2018. “The memories last a lifetime and my kids talk about it all the time and long to do it again. Presents are forgotten mostly within a couple of weeks. It helps parents find calmness and enjoy the events leading up to the holidays,” Ratliff said.

When Herriman’s Kim Capilli Carpenter was a child, their family visited Mexico during the holidays. “The vacation was the big family gift and it was amazing. My mom would pack our stockings and fill them with all of the essentials for the beach and set them under one of those little one-foot Christmas trees in our hotel room. Speaking from ex-

perience I can guarantee you and your kids would trade these kinds of trips for all of the presents in the world,” Carpenter said.

Herriman’s Alison Taylor said, “My parents did this once. It’s been 49 years next month, and my sisters and I will talk about it!”

Jozettte Barker-Loumis, a travel advisor in Herriman said, “I book clients for Christmas a lot! As a family we go as well.” Barker-Loumis said the most popular holiday destination is Mexico as it is easy on restrictions and close to Utah.

However, not everyone is sold on the idea of a Christmas getaway. In a poll of Herriman residents on the Herriman Happenings Facebook page, of the 569 responses, 41 said they will never take a vacation away for the holidays as they believe that Christmas is to be celebrated at home. For families with young children, trips can be too daunting and the magic of Christmas is still alive and well with little ones. Santa Claus visiting children on a cruise ship or a hotel room just does not have the same magic as visiting your own home.

“I don’t feel like Christmas at home is about remembering what gifts they got,” Herriman’s Nicole Dom Christoffersen said. “It’s about remembering the feelings and the excitement of being with cousins and family we don’t see as often. In fact, my daughter is saving up for something really expensive she wants to buy and I expressed to her that she might feel bummed asking for money when everyone else is getting something fun to play with that day. She said, ‘I’m not worried about it.

The community candle lighting to celebrate Hanukkah at Sue Tice’s synagogue. (Photo courtesy of Sue Tice.)

Gifts are fun but I’m most excited to hang out with Grandma and do puzzles and play with my cousins.’”

Herriman’s Denise Fritz said, “My vote is home for the holidays, but a family gift would be a trip. The holiday season of putting up the tree, great smells of cookie baking, gingerbread house decorating, and relatives coming together. That’s what great memories are.

Trips are fine but at another time.”

Another option to have the best of both worlds is to give a vacation as the major family gift for Christmas but take the trip after Christmas. This strategy avoids the rush of holiday travel. Herriman’s Tauni Smith Hawker said, “At times, the vacation is the day after Christmas. Other times, it’s a few months after Christmas. The ones later are awesome because we had Christmas and the excitement building up to the vacation.” l

Two Menorahs (or Hannukiahs). The one on the right says Shalom and the one on the left says Hanukkah. They’re accompanied by some dreidels and some Hanukkah gelt. (Photo courtesy of Sue Tice.)

Page 18 | December 2021

Millcreek City Journal

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December 2021 | Page 19

The Millcr Millcreek Rotary Club: 2020 UTAH CLUB OF THE YEAR

Big eSports online tournament held for local students

By Greg James | g.james@mycityjournals.com

Rocket League is one of the most popular eSports games. West Jordan and Mountain Ridge high schools played an online match. (Photo courtesy of TLE)

T Millcreek Rotary is a non-traditional, socially interactive Rotary club that provides opportunities to serve our local and international communities.

Are you interested in joining with us to make a positive change in our community, and our World?

MILLCREEK ROTARY BENEFITS: • Low Dues • Fun Events • Great Fellowship • Convenient Meetings • Helping our GREAT Community • 2020 State Club of the Year!!!

We usually have one Community Service Project each month, call for details.

Monthly Meetings, Social Events, and Service Projects!

Reach out to Karen for upcoming activities, and ways to learn more about our great club.

Meetings are usually twice a month at 5:30 pm at Youthlinc Center in Millcreek.

Contact Karen for dates.

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Karen Hansen 801.573.4957 karenkhansen66@gmail.com

Page 20 | December 2021

he idea of gamers living in their parents’ basement and never seeing the light of day is no more. In the fall festival held in November, 695 Utah high school and middle school students gathered online in a friendly eSports competition.

“The ability of eSports to be online at any time makes it possible for us to hold a large tournament,” co-owner and operator of The League Esports (TLE) Danny Jacobson said.

“We both got into eSports years ago for a local company, LDS Gamers,” co-owner and operator of TLE Shawn Fisher said.

“We decided to open our community and host games. We were contacted by some high school organizations and through networking it has become a national and worldwide opportunity.”

The Fall Festival sponsored by Ken Garff eSports was the largest school event held in the state with 221 middle school and high school teams gathered online Nov. 1112. In the 5A and 6A division 24 schools were represented.

Teams played Smash Bros Ultimate and Rocket League. Each game can be played as teams and supports quick timed battles.

RL (Rocket League) was played in teams of three. It is a vehicular-style soccer game.

Both games are popular games with youth competitors and could be adapted to a large online gathering.

“My teacher brought it up in a class and Rocket League is a game I like to play, so I signed up,” a middle school student that goes by the user name Elimantor said. “I like competing against my friends.”

“A tournament this large had never been held in Utah. Some schools had multiple teams, some schools had as many as 30 kids,” Jacobson said. “The goal would be to hold it as an in-person event eventually, but lots of logistics would need to be figured out.

Rocket League and Smash Bros are two of the most popular and they are good family-friendly games.”

League of Legends is also a popular game that will be introduced into a big tournament, but the speed of games in Rocket League and Super Smash fit better into the large tournament.

“The goal of this particular event was not to see who the very best was. We wanted the most participation and the opportunity to get kids to play with others from all over the place,” Jacobson said.

Ken Garff eSports, iTeamUSA and Code to Success have pinpointed that gaming can develop potential workplace applicants.

Jobs including coding and cybersecurity has many Silicon Slopes companies seeing the opportunity to find possible future employees.

“This is a great gateway to introduce these jobs by finding kids that like to play video games,” Jacobson said.

“Kids can go on to college and pay for it through games. We also have high school quarterbacks, soccer stars, and even band kids that like to play games when they get home. It is not an absolute that if you play games you live in your mom’s basement.

Some of us are older and we own our basements,” Fisher said.

The online community has helped many students with mental health conditions.

“Just like anything there are negative things if you look for them. The community involvement can help with kids that can be introverted,” Jacobson said. “Gaming is a big sense of community. That is a reason we started TLE was to make a safe place to play and make new friends. Some of my best friends I have never met.”

Like a local recreation center, TLE holds gathering points for gamers to gather and play competitive video games.

“As we started ‘adulting’ we wanted a place where we could play our games, just like rec leagues play basketball or softball.

Gamers can play competitively in college and earn scholarships or job offers. That is how we got started,” Jacobson said. l

Millcreek City Journal

Huntington’s Disease Society hosts Team Hope Walk to raise money for research

By Anagha Rao | a.rao@mycityjournals.com

T

he Huntington’s Disease Society of America hosted a Team Hope Walk fundraising event in Sugar House Park Oct. 16.

This event was held to raise awareness for Huntington’s disease and raise money for Huntington’s disease (HD) research.

The HDSA’s Team Hope Walk is an event that has been going on for over 10 years. In 2011, the first chapter of the HDSA in Utah was started along with the Team Hope Walk. Since then, the event has become an annual tradition for the Huntington’s disease community.

“Every year, they all see friends and family who only see each other once a year on the walk, making everyone a tight-knit family because they all know what everyone else is going through,” said Morgan Pratt, the head of the Utah HDSA chapter.

During this event, the HDSA implemented strict COVID-19 precautions including requiring COVID-19 waivers to acknowledge that they will follow the required precautions. All the lines for this event included spots so each person was kept 6 feet apart. There were also frequent hand sanitizing stations available for participants and volunteers.

In one day, the Utah Team Hope Walk raised over $15,000. Team Hope is HDSA’s largest national grassroots fundraising

The Huntington’s Disease Society of America hosted a Team Hope Walk fundraising event in Sugar House Park. (Anagha Rao/City Journals)

event, which takes place in over 100 cities across the U.S. and has raised more than $20 million for HD since its inception in 2007.

“This community is one of the strongest, quirkiest, and most positive communities I have ever seen,” Pratt said.

The HDSA spreads awareness about this disease to the general public by providing high-quality, evidence-based information about this disease. For caregivers of a loved one with HD, the website offers free therapy sessions and connects people with support groups in their area.

This organization even offers training

and online courses for healthcare professionals to equip them with the tools necessary to handle the physical, social, and even legal issues when dealing with patients with HD. However, the most important mission of the HDSA is to find a cure for Huntington’s disease. About 30,000 people in the United States have Huntington’s disease and another 200,000 are at risk of developing the condition. For these people, finding a cure could be life-changing.

But it’s not just about HD patients.

“Even if you don’t know someone with HD, it’s still crucial that we find a cure.

Once we find a cure for Huntington’s disease, we can use those principles to find a cure for diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease,” Pratt said.

One of the best ways to support the HDSA is to donate. The HDSA allows onetime donations, monthly donations, vehicle donations, or donation of stocks and assets.

In addition, the HDSA is always looking for new members to join its board of directors or as a volunteer in the area.

To learn more about the Utah HDSA, visit utah.hdsa.org. l

Year-end deadlines are nearing for my529 tax benefits Did you know that a 529 educational savings plan can be an integral piece of your estate planning? my529, Utah’s official 529 educational savings plan, makes it easy for grandparents and/or retirees to support their beneficiary’s dreams of college, university or technical school.

The end of the year is approaching, and so are deadlines for contributions to apply to the 2021 tax year. Contributions to my529 accounts are due by Thursday, December 30, 5 p.m. MT, if mailed in and Friday, December 31, 11:59 p.m. MT, if submitted online.

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Another advantage my529 offers is a tax credit for Utah resident taxpayers. Contributions to my529 accounts are eligible for the credit up to certain amounts per qualified beneficiary.

Investing in my529 may also provide estate planning advantages.

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December 2021 | Page 21 10/20/2021 12:18:52 PM

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he holidays have arrived. Snow is falling, candles are aglow, the smell of cinnamon wafts through the air, and somewhere in Utah a middle-aged woman is screaming at a Walmart cashier because the store is out of the candied cherries she puts in her fruit cake.

Blame the supply chain, but it’s not just dried fruit running low; it’s patience, compassion and the ability to be a nice human being. If you’re on TikTok, along with videos of flying reindeer and holiday proposals, you’ll see flight attendants being punched, teachers yelling at students, customers throwing coffee at baristas and whales capsizing kayaks. Even whales have had enough.

You’d think being isolated last year would make us happier to interact with fellow humans this holiday season, but it seems to be the opposite. Social distancing and isolation has taken our stress levels to nuclear proportions. We’re reacting like the Tasmanian Devil, whirling ourselves off a cartoon cliff.

News programs broadcast warnings about packages stolen from porches and backseats, felons posing as Salvation Army bell-ringers and spiteful elves spying on children and reporting back to Santa.

Poor Kris Kringle will deliver a lot of coal this year . . . well, not coal because it’s

destroying the planet. Maybe since wind power is a sustainable coal alternative, Santa can bring naughty people a stiff, gusty breeze.

We’re living in a heightened state of fear, and fear is the opposite of what we should feel this time of year. This season of love and light and joy has been co-opted by those who would divide us. The farther apart we get, the less we are able to see each other.

Here’s an idea. What if we put all talk of politics on hold for December? That would be one month of no talking heads and finger-pointing and dire social media memes. What if we vowed to share only positive stories and heartwarming videos, and ban all holiday music featuring Alvin

and the Chipmunks?

Let’s use this time to digest more than nine pounds of mashed potatoes and three types of pie. Let’s digest how we’ve treated each other during the last year, and try to do better. Even I, a freakin’ humor columnist, have received more angry emails and phone calls in 2021 than the previous 17 years combined.

Whether it’s Democrats, Republicans, Big Bird, mask mandates, cancel culture or fruitcake, our division is growing. Any day, I’m expecting leaflets to be flung out of helicopters explaining how the COVID vaccine is turning us into carnivorous, zombie dinosaurs. Aren’t you tired of it all?

Remember when Christmas meant acts of service and goodwill to all mankind? What can you do to return to love this holiday season? Maybe less judgement and more connection. Maybe less yelling and more listening. Maybe it’s taking a plate of homemade cookies to a neighbor. Maybe it’s building a bridge instead of a wall. Maybe it's apologizing and swallowing our inflated egos.

This holiday season, it’s your job to love your neighbor, even the one you don’t agree with. Even the ones yelling at the Walmart cashier. They might need the most love of all.

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PUBLIC INPUT SOUGHT ON IMPROVEMENTS TO UPPER MILL CREEK CANYON

By Bridget Raymundo | b.raymundo@mycityjournals.com

N

early $20 million in funds for improvements to the Upper Mill Creek Canyon is being allocated for better access and transportation. A media release by Salt Lake County Regional Development, USDA Forest Service, and Millcreek City on Nov. 3 disclosed updates on the project.

The hope is for the public to be involved in the process of deciding what specific changes should be made to make the canyon even better. In order to incorporate suggestions, public input will be considered by project partners if submitted online between Nov. 9-Dec. 9 to www.slco.org/ planning-transportation/millcreek-road-improvements/.

“We’re thrilled we’ve been able to obtain this huge investment for Mill Creek Canyon; it’s treasured by people all across Salt Lake County, and I urge residents to provide feedback on the thoughtful improvements proposed by our staff and partners,” Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson said.

The Upper Mill Creek Canyon project has raked in a total of $15.3 million which was required to be matched locally with $4.2 million, through the Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP). FLAP aims to improve transportation facilities starting with making areas around or within federal lands more accessible. The Salt Lake Valley is largely managed in the eastern part by the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache Na-

tional Forest. The 4.5 miles of Mill Creek Canyon Road between Big Water trailhead and the winter gate is included to have construction done in the following span of the project.

On Nov. 9, representatives of the Federal Highways Administration Central Federal Lands Highway Division, the USDA Forest Service, and local project team members answered questions from the public about the project at Millcreek Canyon. The open house also collected additional recommendations from the attendees for further evaluation.

“The Federal Highway Administration, Central Federal Lands Highway Division has years of expertise designing and constructing similar roadways to provide access to public lands in scenic and challenging terrain,” Bekee Hotze, district ranger for the Salt Lake Ranger District, said. “They will assist the project partners in improving access and safety in the canyon, while preserving its natural and historical characteristics, so that the public may continue to experience and enjoy National Forest system lands in Mill Creek Canyon.”

The goal of the additions is to create a safer way to access roadway, crosswalks and parking areas. In the future, visitors will experience a better outline of signs and more Continued page 5

Sunset captured at Millcreek Canyon. (Photo courtesy of Tom Scott)

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