June 2020 | Vol. 02 Iss. 06
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ST. MARK’S RELEASES FIRST COVID-19 PATIENT WHO REQUIRED INTUBATION By Kirk Bradford | k.bradford@mycityjournals.com
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ast month, Utah was approaching triple digits in the number of COVID-19 related deaths. Throughout the time it took for the numbers to rise, there was one Salt Lake County nurse who fought against the odds and for her life. St. Mark’s Hospital Behavioral Health nurse Isabel Toscano was greeted by cheers of encouragement from family and supporters who held poster boards of encouragement. “I didn’t expect to see so many people here for me,” Toscano said with some emotion as media and others moved into place to hear her deliver a short speech about the experience. “I came into the ICU on March 29, and 51 days later I am going home,” she said. She thanked those people who had for the past seven weeks tended to her care and helped save her life. Jennifer Jellerson heads up the critical care unit at St. Mark’s Hospital. “We started her in our step down unit but after a few days, her oxygen levels dropped to the point we had to intubate her. She was our first COVID-19 patient we had to intubate,” Jellerson told the Millcreek Journal. Jellerson explained how roughly three weeks of Toscano’s experience was on a ventilator and how at St. Mark’s, “We kept her sedated and comfortable throughout the experience.” Toscano spent three weeks of the ordeal in complete sedation as she fought to raise her oxygen levels to a safe point. Jellerson said St. Mark’s has been OK with the number of ventilators they have needed on hand and thinks they will be alright for future need. She also said, “We need to remember the survivors of the virus, they are just important as the deaths and we always need to remember our wins.” Toscano said after a few weeks to recover at home, she is excited to Isabel Toscano smiles for friends and supporters who arrived to see her be discharged from St. Mark’s Hospital after fighting COVID-19. return to St. Mark’s and start helping others again as a nurse. l (Kirk Bradford/City Journals)
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A commitment to community needs, Granite Education Foundation feeds By Katy Whittingham | k.whittingham@mycitjournals.com
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ith nearly 65% of Granite School District’s student population food insecure before the pandemic, Granite Education Foundation has stepped up efforts to provide help even with school food pantries closed by keeping food donations flowing into the community. According to Granite Education Foundation CEO Brent Severe this would not be possible without the help of partners and volunteers. “Many have been volunteering with us from the very start when schools were closed.
Our Donation and Distribution Center is large enough to receive large pallets of food from partnering agencies like the LDS Church, Utah Food Bank and others,” he said. As of May 14, approximately 202,304 meals were delivered, and with the nine weeks since schools had been closed, this equates to an average of 4,496 meals a day. “Every Monday and Tuesday, volunteers come to our distribution center to help fill food bags and load pallets for deliveries to our schools with food pantries. We deliver approximately 12 to 16 pallets a week, along with bread delivery,” said Kim Oborn, food pantry program coordinator for the foundation. Not a part of the free and reduced lunch program, the meals that Granite Education Foundation volunteers hand out are a replacement for the now closed in-school food pantries. “We get requests and help as many as we can,” Oborn said. “We have asFood donations in Granite Education Foundation’s Donation and Distribusisted the Utah Food Bank tion Center. (Photo courtesy Kimberly Oborn) with their mobile food
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pantry. The Utah Food Bank usually distributes to schools once a month, but with the closing of schools and many corporate businesses unable to send volunteers, the foundation has helped by having the food delivered to our distribution center and then a group of drivers, including volunteers from Rocky Mountain Power have dropped off the prebagged food at each school.” Granite Education Foundation is also currently engaged in efforts with local restaurants by partnering with these restaurants to keep employees engaged, provide nutritionally balanced, culturally diverse, and affordable fresh meals as additional nourishment to highly impacted communities. “Our Restaurant Meal Kit Initiative has provided 7,980 meals as we have partnered with Saffron Valley, Marley’s Sliders, Rico Foods, and HB Boys/Burger King,” Oborn said. All of these efforts have not gone unacknowledged. A senior community school director at one local elementary school explained, “We had a family come in this morning to pick up their Chromebooks. We found out it was one of her student’s birthdays, so the whole gym burst out in singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to him. We were then able to provide them with a food bag that had a cake and frosting in it for his birthday. This student
Unpacking meal boxes distributed by Granite Education Foundation. (Photo courtesy Kimberly Oborn)
was smiling ear to ear and so were we. Our district is incredibly lucky to have the foundation supporting our students, and we were all reminded of that this morning.” For more information on all of the Granite Education Foundation’s efforts and ways to volunteer visit granitekids.org. l
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EQUITY • FAIRNESS • INCLUSION June 2020 | Page 3
Millcreek moves to prepare the fiscal budget amid uncertainty By Kirk Bradford | k.bradford@mycityjournals.com
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ecently, many throughout Utah have experienced everything from earthquakes, storms and more fallout from the pandemic. These issues are all being assessed and a response incorporated into the fiscal budget. John Geilmann, Millcreek’s city manager said, “It is difficult to determine what is normal, what is new normal and what is new now, because the global, country, state, county and city, social, physical and financial environment are in a constant state of change. The only thing that seems to be predictable is unpredictability. However, Millcreek now has several years of accurate historical data that helps the city to optimize conservative fiscal budget predictions.” The following are some of the considerations Millcreek officials have chosen to go into the fiscal year 2020/21 budget preparations. Budget revenues and expenditures have been reduced from the previous year budget. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the city budget is preparing for a possible downturn in the economy during the upcoming year. If there isn’t a downturn in the economy, the city has said it’s prepared to adjust the budget on a quarterly basis if it is appropriate. The city plans to avoid any immediate unnecessary additional debt and focus on the most appropriate balance to be maintained in the budget reserve fund. The city has implemented a temporary staff hiring freeze. The city is creating a critical infrastructure list that defines critical and then will try to prioritize the needs as defined. Once the list is created, the list will be constantly reviewed for cost and value to the city as a whole by the City Council. The city negotiated with its contract service providers and was able to minimize increased costs paid by the city for those contract services. The city is adopting written key finan-
Journals
cial policies that they plan on having implemented with this fiscal year budget and are said to be a strategic component in the city’s budgeting process for years to come. “The best explanation for the budget is that it is the implementation tool for all of Millcreek’s existing and proposed services that are to be provided to the residents, business, and all stakeholders of the city for this next fiscal year,” Geilmann stated. “The City Council has been involved in several work sessions and has given much input and review to determine the best use of city dollars for the municipal services that help to make the city a safe, clean, and welcoming community in which people live, work, shop and have daily contact.” Some other changes and highlights to the budget include the city installing technology in the City Council room that they anticipate will provide “a better quality” live streaming of council meetings and provides for remote input for residents’ comments during council and planning commission meetings from the safety of their homes. The budget includes a 2% COLA (Cost-of-Living Adjustment) and a potential 2% Merit increase for city staff, pending actual revenue receipt. The budget also contains an anticipated $3,270,000 fund balance reserve. The complete budget can be found online at Millcreek’s government website, www.millcreek.us. On May 16, Gov. Gary Herbert moved most of the state, including Millcreek, to a yellow risk phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. The general guidelines moving forward from Herbert included cautioning the, “people most vulnerable to the virus, as well as their caregivers, to remain sheltered, as the situation is still high risk for them. Encouraging people to continue to wear face masks— not to keep you from getting sick, but to keep you from getting others sick. According to
the state, wearing even a homemade mask can take the risk of transmitting the virus down from 70% to 1.5%.” The complete list of guidelines can also be found online. According to city’s website, “The state’s decision to move most jurisdictions to yellow is based on data available in the Small Areas of local health districts. Small Areas are based on zip codes. Millcreek’s 60,000-plus citizens reside in various zip codes, including primarily in 84106, 84107, 84109, 84117, 84124.” At the time of this writing the positive test rate was at 5.2%. The state did not move Salt Lake City or West Valley City to yellow at the time because of the higher caseloads in those communities. But the state did reject Salt Lake County’s request for an exemption from the order to move to yellow. Since the state had
Millcreek officials prepare the upcoming budget amid the pandemic uncertainty. (Pixabay)
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already concluded, based on the available data and had already rejected the county’s exception request, that Millcreek’s risk level should move to yellow. Millcreek decided not to request an exception as well. “The state’s action is designed to mitigate the risk of the virus’s effects while also monitoring economic demands,” Herbert said. According to the Millcreek newsletter, businesses have been said to have, “adapted to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and the difficulties it brings: safety for employees and patrons through social distancing, hand washing, masks. For the last few weeks, we have provided a list of Millcreek businesses that have informed us of what special services they are providing during this critical time.” l
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UPD Millcreek Precinct officer receives third award as Millcreek Officer of the Month By Kirk Bradford | k.bradford@mycityjournals.com
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t last month’s Millcreek City Council meeting, one of UPD Millcreek Precinct officers Andrew Jensen was praised for his ability to think outside of the box. As first responders address the reopening of the community, they are doing their best to stay safe while conducting their duties. First responders at the front line of this pandemic have had to make many changes as more is understood about COVID-19 and the best protocols to stay safe. Jensen was awarded the Millcreek Officer of the Month award by providing his fellow officers in Millcreek patrol, Metro Gangs and K9 units with the N95 surgical grade masks “prior to” UPD issuing personal protective equipment (PPE) kits for officer’s usage and protection against COVID-19 during their shifts to prevent any spread while serving the public. Police officers may interact with the public, healthcare workers, city leaders and their family all in the same day. Millcreek Police Sgt. Ronnie Prescott detailed the award citation describing how Jensen’s actions may protect the lives of not only Millcreek first responders but also those they come into contact with saying, “During this emotional time, the COVID-19 pandemic has interfered with everything normal in the community,
employment and way of life, yet as police officers and first responders we continue providing emergency service and safety to the public. We chose this profession to help and put others safety before ours.” Prescott said Jensen made the decision to do this on his own accord and he had spoken to him about this matter saying, “Aside from the normal or basic N95 mask issued to officers initially, Officer Jensen, through a resource from the local hospital was able to secure extra masks. The N95 surgical masks, are higher-grade masks and he shared them with officers and specialty units that work and serve Millcreek City and Salt Lake County communities. I recognize and appreciate Officer Jensen’s good will as he puts his fellow officer’s safety first, during this pandemic.” This is Jensen’s third award as Officer of the Month. In 2019, he was awarded in January for proactive policing during a traffic stop leading to the discovery of narcotics and intelligence on other unrelated cases. In December, he was again awarded for his role when he responded to an armed robbery. It resulted in two suspects being arrested along with the recovery of the pellet gun used in UPD Millcreek Precinct Officer Andrew Jensen receives a round of applause from a packed Millcreek City Hall the robbery along and drug paraphernalia. l during his second award of 2019. (Kirk Bradford/City Journals)
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June 2020 | Page 5
Humility the springboard for volleyball star’s success By Travis Barton | travis.b@thecityjournals.com
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umble. Unassuming. Not a showboat. Those were just a few of the words used by her coach to describe allstate sophomore Olivia Gloeckner. “She doesn’t need all the accolades,” said Skyline head coach Mondo Begay. “That’s what sets her apart the most, she doesn’t let emotion get a hold of her. She’s just happy, gets on the court, does her job and then runs off like ‘what?’” But the accolades will come anyways for the burgeoning talent. At Skyline, the 6’1” Gloeckner was named third-team allstate as a freshman and then first-team allstate as a sophomore this past fall. Normally a middle blocker, Begay moved her to outside hitter as a sophomore. “We challenged her to move to the outside and her numbers actually went up,” Begay said. The middle blocker and now outside hitter finished her sophomore season with 259 kills, 56 aces, 26 blocks and 204 digs. “She’s not flashy, her numbers prove what she is,” Begay said. And what she is, might be the perfect volleyball player. “She’s like the perfect volleyball build: long, lean, super athletic,” said Be-
Page 6 | June 2020
gay, who also coaches her in club. “Even when I started training her at 10 and 11, she was super athletic. She was jumping like 27 inches when she was that little.” “She’s an anomaly.” Gloeckner joined the sport after watching her older sister play at Brighton, not initially interested in the spikes and serves. “It was just something my older sister did, but it is so fun to watch once you understand what’s going on, so then I decided to play,” she said. She played other sports when she was younger like soccer and the sport everyone wanted her to play—basketball. But it didn’t last long. “I only made one basket the whole season and it was in the wrong hoop,” Gloeckner recalled. Staying with volleyball proved to be the right call. Begay identified her high volleyball IQ and her ability to hit any type of set as just a few of her qualities. “She’s extremely diverse in her ability to hit all the different sets, she can hit all of them and not everybody can,” Begay said. It’s how you hit to different areas of the court and how your hand contacts the ball, but for Gloeckner, it’s simpler than
that.
“It’s really all about scoring points, that’s the main point of the game, and it helps to do that when you have different shots,” she said. But her best attribute, might not even be physical. “I feel like I’m always trying to get better,” Gloeckner said. “There’s never been a moment where I thought I was pretty good. It’s fun that you can always get better, I think that’s the joy of sports.” She prides herself on doing her job on the court, being someone the coach can count on. But her mindset of constant progression could be the key to her success. “I’m probably too hard on myself, at least that’s what people tell me,” Gloeckner said. “But I always feel like I should be better, which is not always the best thing. (But) I feel like it does help me improve because I’m always trying to get to the next level.” “I’ve known some (players) who don’t really listen and don’t think they can get better, and I think it’s just so important to be coachable,” she continued. “There’s always someone that knows more than you and can help you. I think being receptive
to that is so important for sports.” Begay remembers a time when she thundered a spike, scoring a point the team really needed “and she just ran off the court like it was no big deal.” Rather than a guttural roar you so often see, her reaction was as if that’s what you’re supposed to do. “I don’t like cheering for myself,” Gloeckner explained. “My team always makes fun of me for it. I love cheering loud for others, but I feel like with myself, I always expect myself to be better and do better so that’s why I don’t really cheer.” As for her future in volleyball, her college recruitment is underway. Begay said Colorado State wanted her to commit when she was 14. Blue-blood program Marquette University (Wisconsin) sent an assistant coach to watch a game last fall. She’s attended camps back east in Virginia and Maryland. The 4.0 GPA student wants to take her time. “I want to keep my options open and just see what feels right and what would be a good fit for me,” Gloeckner said. “Not trying to rush into anything.” l
Millcreek City Journal
Dancer finds her fulfillment on the stage By Kathryn Elizabeth Jones | k.jones@mycityjournals.com
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ariam Roe has been a dancer since the age of 5 ½, though she wanted to dance as early as two years before that because her siblings were in dance. When she kept pestering her mother, Roxann finally caved in. Mariam began jazz dance. But her love for dancing didn’t end there. “There was something about classical music,” Mariam said. “The moving in ballet was intriguing to me.” By the time she entered Salt Lake Community College, taking college early as her siblings had done, her desire for dancing had grown even greater. She wanted to go to Russia. Though money was tight, and it was a challenge to get the training she needed, Mariam stepped up to the barre, assisted in dance classes, cleaned the ballet studio, and even babysat to trade or earn the money she needed for a trip to Russia in 2015 with her grandmother who also “works for the airlines.” “Mariam has a lot of discipline and drive to do what she wants to do in life,” Roxann said. And this includes balancing all of the things a typical teenager enjoys. And the challenges.
Mariam, who has asthma, takes an inhaler with her to dance. As a child, her doctor couldn’t believe she continued to dance. When her daughter would come out of practice “red-faced” it was hard for Roxann to keep quiet. This was her daughter after all. “I tried to make her aware of her inhaler. She felt like she was more behind because of it than the others in class.” Fortunately, for Mariam and her mother, “the condition has gotten milder. She uses her inhaler as needed,” Roxann said. As for Mariam, she admits that even today, “daily ballet classes are hard, but it’s important that I improve my performance by working every day. And nothing is like studying in Russia.” In 2016, Mariam studied ballet at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy,” Roxann said, but, according to Mariam, she stayed only three months though she’d been accepted for one year. “It was wonderful. Hardcore. I wasn’t used to it six days a week five hours a day. The teachers were strict. It was really an honor, and it left an impression on me. I was inspired by training there, but I had to leave because of tuition and expenses.”
At home, Mariam continued college at Southern Utah University in Cedar City until she graduated in fall 2019. “College was trying at times. Fortunately, I got credit for training in Russia,” she said. Her favorite role has been as a gypsy in the “Don Quixote” ballet. “The audience. Sharing your talents. I love the feeling ballet gives me on stage. A feeling of fulfillment,” Mariam said. Though injuries have occurred as she has danced, Mariam wouldn’t discuss the specifics. “Knowing you can go on stage makes it all worthwhile,” she said. And she talks for a moment about those who have a desire to dance but aren’t sure if they should do it or not. It’s “worth it if you’re wanting to take it up,” she said. Mariam recently auditioned at SLC Ballet in Millcreek and was accepted to tour with the St. Petersburg Classic Ballet of Marina Medvetskaya. The Ballet is still in line to be touring in California from September through March 2021. As for the future, “I want to be dancing in a good ballet,” Mariam said. “We’ll see where things go.” Mariam is currently studying online at the Ballet Conrad Institute. l
Mariam Roe in front of the Bolshoi Academy where she attended in 2016. (Photo courtesy Imogen Walters)
Mariam Roe sits at the Vaganova Academy window, a famous school located in St. Petersburg, Russia. Roe took this herself with her camera’s timer. (Photo courtesy Mariam Roe)
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Mariam Roe rehearses “Gypsy” at Vaganova in St. Petersburg, Russia. Mariam took this herself with her camera’s timer. (Photo courtesy Mariam Roe)
June 2020 | Page 7
What’s your legacy?
Virtual County Library available as reopening takes shape By Joshua Wood | j.wood@mycityjournals.com
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Serving Local Families Since 1885
esidents of Salt Lake County have gone without a lot of things over the past couple months. Some resources and services previously taken for granted have suddenly been dearly missed. One of those resources is the Salt Lake County Library system. Since midMarch, all 18 full-service physical branches have been closed. However, many of the library system’s services have been available online, and its staff members have worked to expand virtual offerings while the community stays at home. “Everything is online right now,” said Sara Neal, marketing and communications manager for Salt Lake County Library. “Limited staff is going into branches to do some prep work for opening the libraries.” In the meantime, and for the past several weeks, librarians have worked to make themselves more available online to the community. They started a daily online story time for kids on the library’s Facebook page each morning at 10:30. The library’s focus on children home from school has driven an expansion of online book offerings for kids of all ages. The County Library has developed programs like its Stay at Home Challenge encouraging people to do things like write a letter to a grandparent they can’t see in person. Kids were also challenged to read a short book in a half hour. “We wanted to help people fill some time and try to take their minds off things,” Neal said. Online offerings have expanded to in-
clude access to more books, magazines and movies. People can even get their library card by applying online. “Librarians are not at a desk right now, but they are still getting resources available to the community,” Neal said. The virtual Ask a Librarian service offers the kind of help that librarians typically offer when physical branches are open. People can ask their librarians online for help with research, writing a resume, or how to apply for unemployment. That type of online assistance will not go away when physical branches start to reopen. “We are working on how to serve members of the community who might be high risk,” Neal said. The County Library has worked with government officials to plan how to reopen safely. “We are working closely with the county and state,” said Cottonwood Heights Communications Manager Timothy Beery. “We have to take into account our needs and the needs of our neighbors.” As communities work toward reopening, the County Library has worked on how to keep patrons safe when libraries reopen. Everything from a safe curbside pickup program to properly cleaning materials as they come in has to be considered. “How do you monitor a 6-foot distance in a library?” Neal asked. “We are looking at what other urban libraries are doing to find what’s safest for the community.” l
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Salt Lake County Librarian Nancy Moos, and her husband, Philip Moos, associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Utah, demonstrate how to extract DNA from strawberries during a STEM Friday video for the library. (Photo courtesy of Salt Lake County Library)
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June 2020 | Page 9
Utah graduates showered with love in special Adopt a Utah Senior project By Stephanie Yrungaray | s.yrungaray@mycityjournals.com
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igh school seniors across the Salt Lake valley are sharing a common experience they never anticipated…graduation during a pandemic. Although every school district is handling the end of the year differently, there is no doubt that the class of 2020 is not getting the graduation they dreamed of or deserve. One Utah mom is trying to soften the blow of unmet expectations through a project called Adopt a Utah Senior and teens across the valley and state are being recognized by strangers in a very special way. Monica Kennedy from Erda, Utah saw what her senior daughter Paige was experiencing and wanted to make a difference for all high school seniors. “I was really sad for my own senior,” Kennedy said. “I reached out to family and friends for ideas to get some excitement into this season because I can’t make up for the stuff she’s missed out on.” Modeling a Facebook group after a similar one in Alaska, Kennedy started the Adopt a Utah Senior project which has paired over 2,500 seniors with “adoptive” individuals and families. Parents or legal guardians share pictures and information about their high school graduates, and angel adopters offer to recognize the senior with cards and/or gifts. Once they are paired, the adopter is encouraged to send or deliver something to the grad within
two weeks. Kimmy DelAndrae posted about her daughter Haley who is graduating from Bingham High School. After reading posts from other parents she decided she wanted to adopt another senior. “I wish I could adopt every one of these kids,” DelAndrae said. “They are missing so much. I want to let them know that one, they are not alone and two, everyone is rooting for them. The whole thing just made my heart so happy.” Haley helped her mom pick out another senior and together they put together a gift basket for him. “It was a really fun experience to get one and to give one,” said Haley DelAndrae. Luke Vickery, a senior at Alta High School, was adopted by Shalysa Meier from West Valley City. Meier also adopted two other seniors. “Anytime I see a good thing it is a no-brainer to be a part of it,” Meier said. “Not only do I feel it impacted seniors on the receiving end, it brightened my spirits on my end. It gave me something to look forward to and a project I could do to spread kindness beyond my social circle.” “As seniors, it’s a bummer we don’t get to experience the traditions that most people do,” Vickery said. “Everyone is trying to make
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a difference and [the Adopt a Senior Project] is a really cool way that people are doing something for our class to brighten our days. It’s really cool.” Luke’s mom Kourtney, said she can’t believe how generous people have been. “I love reading the kids’ stories and seeing the things they are involved in,” Kourtney Vickery said. “[The project] is giving people a chance to forget about what’s going on, all of the negative stuff in the world, and focus on other people. It is a bright spot I think.” Kennedy said she was overwhelmed at how quickly the Facebook group grew. Along with a team of eight other volunteers, she is spending many hours a day trying to make sure each senior is accounted for and matched to an individual or family. “There is a lot of work involved,” Kennedy said. “We watch for posts that come in, make sure they have correct information including their high school and make sure they are posted by a parent or legal guardian. We tag them so it is easier for people to find who hasn’t been adopted and answer a lot of questions.” Kennedy said the stories and pictures that come from the adoptions have been heartwarming. “I love it when they find a common interest,” Kennedy said. “We will get emails with people who want to find someone who plays a certain sport or went to the high school they went to. We have people adopting from as far away as Alaska and Hawaii. It isn’t about getting stuff, it’s about cheering up the class of 2020.” Just like all good things, Adopt a Utah Senior must end. Kennedy said they will take their last senior on May 23 and allow 24 more hours for adoptions to be finalized. The following week they plan to allow gratitude posts. Kennedy isn’t worried about any of the graduates not being adopted because of all of the generosity she has seen so far. “Anytime we’ve gone on and said we need angels to take a referred senior we’ve had so much support,” Kennedy said. She is sad to see the project come to an
Bingham senior Haley DelAndrae was adopted and her family adopted another senior as part of the Adopt A Utah Senior project. (Photo courtesy Kimmie DelAndrae)
end.
“There has been so much love and random kindness,” Kennedy said. “It’s been so awesome to see smiles on these kids’ faces that have had so much taken away.” l
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Lifesaving medication now becomes affordable, accessible By Cassie Goff | c.goff@mycityjournals.com
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pharmacy bill of $800 covering a onemonth supply of medication. That’s what sparked T1International Utah #insulin4all chapter leader Mindie Hooley to take action in her local community and state government. Hooley’s son, diagnosed with diabetes, needs insulin to survive. After being met with that $800 bill, Hooley went home to do some research. She came upon other stories like hers, as well as stories where people had died from not being able to afford their insulin. “I couldn’t believe we live in a country that has unaffordable lifesaving medications where people must ration insulin and even die from a lack of being able to afford medication,” Hooley said. “There’s been times when we had to choose between buying his insulin or buying food and paying our bills. We have lost our home and cars trying to keep him alive.” Three months after receiving the first $800 bill, Hooley’s son admitted to rationing his insulin “because he saw the financial struggles we were going though buying his insulin and other diabetic supplies, and he was trying to help with the financial cost,” Hooley said. While Hooley was researching, she found T1International; a nonprofit run by people with type 1 diabetes for people with type 1 diabetes. T1International supports local communities around the world by giving them the tools they need to stand up for their rights. Their aim is to ensure access to insulin and diabetes supplies becomes a reality for all. On Feb. 19, 2019, Hooley started the T1International Utah #insulin4all chapter. “People all over Utah have emailed me telling me how they have lost a loved one due to them not being able to afford insulin,” Hooley said. In June 2019, Utah #insulin4all media lead Stephanie Arceneaux came across Hooley asking for members to join the fight for affordable insulin. “As someone that has had T1D for 35 years and seen greater and greater amounts of money go toward purchasing insulin, I decided that I wanted to join that fight. I also felt compelled to do something after I began reading stories of my fellow T1Ds that were dying because they could not afford their insulin.” Administrative lead Jennifer Draney joined the T1International Utah chapter when there were 36 members. Draney became an advocate after her son was diagnosed at 16 years old. “Two years after my son’s diagnosis, I was diagnosed type 1 diabetes as well. The immune system didn’t care how old you are and T1D happens at any age.” In August 2019, Hooley reached out to her local representative, Rep. Norman K. Thurston expressing that there was a need for change in Utah’s diabetic community. “We were able to meet with him multi-
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Utah #insulin4all chapter rally for affordable insulin. (Photo courtesy of Mindie Hooley)
ple times and share our stories, our headaches and our concerns. Thurston listened, brainstormed ideas with us and worked incredibly hard. We met with Dr. (Joseph) Miner from the Utah Department of Health. That meeting was impactful because he was onboard for changing the current system,” Draney said. Soon, Thurston began drafting a bill to sponsor in the state legislature. He requested the Utah T1International chapter to be involved in drafting that bill. “As chapter leader, (Hooley) did all of the conversing with Rep. Thurston as to how a bill could be written and what should be included to help address the issues that had been discussed in that meeting,” Arceneaux said. “Rep. Thurston first sent me the draft before the bill even had a bill number,” Hooley said. “The bill was revised two times and each time I was able to see the bill changes before anyone else saw them. I was able to add my input and stress parts of the bill that I supported and also stressed to him that the uninsured needed to be covered as well.” That bill was introduced to the state legislature as H.B. (House Bill) 207 – Insulin Access Amendments. Throughout the session, members of the T1International Utah chapter were in attendance anytime there was discussion of the bill. “I went to the capitol several times with (Hooley) and other advocates in the chapter to lobby on behalf of H.B. 207,” Arceneaux said. “We met with several important members of the Utah House and then some of the Utah senators. Once, when I was leaving to go home, I even ran into U.S. Senator Mike
Lee and lobbied him.” “The next few weeks were full of us begging for support on our bill, writing everyone—I believe I wrote all 76 representatives plus the Governor. I know (Hooley) was working 12 hours a day on it,” Draney said. During the last week of the legislative session, “we learned that one of the senators was going to propose an amendment. A portion of the bill directed that pharmacists could prescribe insulin up to 90 days in an emergency situation. This amendment shortened that time frame to 30 days. We considered this an unfriendly amendment. That was a nerve-wracking day because we desperately wanted the bill to pass as it had been written in the final version by Rep. Thurston, yet we did not want to push any senators into opposing the bill altogether by demanding that they leave H.B. 207 as is. In the end, around 6 p.m., Rep. Thurston let us know that our lobbying had forced a compromise,” Arceneaux said. On March 10, the bill passed. “It still brings me to tears when I think back on the moment when the Utah senators voted unanimously to pass H.B. 207. It was an amazing feeling to know that, even if in just a small way, I was a part of helping those, like me and my husband, and now our son, in the future, that must have exogenous insulin in order to live,” Arceneaux said. “In the end it passed and now it’s effective seven months sooner than expected— June 1,” Draney said. H.B. 207 aims to create mechanisms to “increase Utahn’s access to affordable insulin.” The bill “creates an incentive for health
benefit plans to reduce the required copayments for insulin; directs the Insurance Department to conduct a study on insulin pricing; directs the Public Employees’ Benefit and Insurance Program to purchase insulin at discounted prices and to create a program that allows Utahns to purchase the discounted insulin; increases the number of days for which an insulin prescription can be refilled; and authorizes a pharmacist to refill an expired insulin prescription. “H.B. 207 would not exist if it were not for Mindie Hooley and her starting the local T1International chapter, Utah #insulin4all. It is because of her and that chapter that I became involved in the bill at all,” Arceneaux said. “I believe this bill will save many lives and it sets the bar for other states to follow. Our fight is far from over but this step was an amazing one,” Draney said. “Many wonderful and kind people have reached out to me in the last three months from all over the world. These complete strangers asked us to make a GoFundMe account because they feel that no American should have to go without lifesaving medication or supplies. Because of these nice people, we were able to buy a CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor) for my son that will save his life. My heart is overwhelmed with the amount of love that has been shown to my son,” Hooley said. “The diabetic community deserves the best and no one should lose a loved one because they can’t afford a lifesaving medication that has been around for 100 years,” she said. l
June 2020 | Page 11
Olympus High’s rookie robotics team took home two awards at first competition By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals
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he Olympus High “Titan Robotics” team won the Rookie All Star Award and the Highest Rookie Seed awards at the 54-team FIRST Utah robotics competition at the Maverik Center, qualifying for the world tournament. However, after the competition was held March 4-7, all remaining regional and world tournaments were canceled in response to stopping the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. (Julie Slama/City Journals) l
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Vision beyond sight: Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind’s summer camps will run virtually By Katy Whittingham | k.whittingham@mycityjournals.com
U
tah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind’s Expanded Core Curriculum Coordinator, Robbin Clark, remains committed to delivering an educational and fun-filled summer camp experience for blind and visually impaired students across the state. “We are going to do all kinds of great things this summer,” she said. “It’s not about what you can see, it’s about what you can do.” Although the programs will be virtual this summer, the planned curriculum will be covered with some modifications for distance learning. Clark explained that they teach the students the elements of the expanded core curriculum along with regular academics, so they learn the same materials as sighted students. “Students who are blind miss out on learning a lot of things by watching, nine things to be exact,” she said. “We call it #9morethancore.” Those nine things are compensatory access skills, orientation and mobility, social interaction skills, independent living skills, recreation and leisure, sensory efficiency skills, assistive technology, career education, and self-determination. This year they are offering four summer programs for moderate to typically developing students in grades third through 12th. The offerings include: June 15-19, Music and Lyrics; July 6-9, The Amazing Oreo, STEM and other projects relating to Oreo cookies; July 13-17, Camp Abilities UT, a returning sports and recreation favorite with a special focus on including families this year from home; and July 27-31, Tactile Arts Academy, which will include virtual field trips. After offered orientation meetings with students and families, the camps will run with students having one-hour whole group sessions daily and small group sessions set up according to the student’s schedule. The students each will receive a kit with supplies, and participation will take place over a combination of platforms, with Internet and a device required. Programs are free for students with vision impairments in Utah. Out-of-state stu-
CENSUS 2020 BEGINS ONLINE MARCH 12, 2020 A 2019 summer camp STEM session taught by Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind’s Robbin Clark. (Photo credit Todd Keith, USDB)
dents are welcomed after a brief intake interview, but the district/family is responsible for providing supplies. Registration is required, and the deadline this year is June 10 at midnight. All specific program details will be shared with families after registration. For more information on the expanded core curriculum, #9morethancore, and this year’s camp offerings, contact Robbin Clark, robbinc@usdb.org. The Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (USDB) remains committed to educating students who are deaf, blind, or deaf-blind, so they can achieve their full potential. To learn more visit www.usdb.org. l
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student works as Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind’s Robbin Clark looks on at a 2019 summer camp STEM session. (Photo credit Todd Keith, USDB)
student participates at a 2019 summer camp STEM session with the help of Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind’s Robbin Clark. (Photo credit Todd Keith, USDB)
Without an announcement about fall sports, cross country athletes being coached virtually By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
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Runners are packed in at the start of the 2016 high school cross country race, which brings uncertainty if fall sports will happen during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
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lier decision in mid-April not to hold a spring season in response to Utah’s social distancing mandate during the COVID-19 pandemic. As of press deadline, UHSAA has not made an announcement about fall high school activities and sports. Brighton High Principal Tom Sherwood, who serves on the UHSAA executive committee, said there is no timeline for a fall announcement. “We are hopeful, but we are in the ‘wait and see’ mode still,” he said on May 6. Once the spring sport decision was confirmed, and without direction about fall, many coaches who coach track in the spring can turn their focus to the upcoming fall cross country season —
only virtually. “We can’t coach or even meet in-person right now, but we can communicate with our athletes,” said Jordan High cross country coach Greg Shaw. Shaw not only has a blog linked to the school website for his runners, but he emails them weekly and has the athletes report in their mileage so he can give them feedback. Some of the runners use the Strava app, where he and teammates can immediately see the runs and paces athletes are doing and support each other with comments and kudos. He also has reached out to area middle schools, asking for them to send out fliers to incoming freshmen about the team. On top of that, the second-year head coach is introducing a “Coach Challenge,” which includes a 40day challenge including core, cardio,
healthy eating and workouts. “My hope right now is to have a great start for the season, starting in June,” he said about his young team. “It’s hard not being together and without track, speed will be impacted, and we may need to do more this summer to be ready for the fall.” Riverton High cross country coach Chase Englestead said that if restrictions are lifted so training can be done in small groups, he likely will hold four practices per day for his 60- to 80-member team, meeting or running with all the individuals. In the meantime, he plans to post weekly workouts, track his runners with Strava, and hold Zoom meetings. “It’s important to communicate about what run they did, what time or pace it was, how they feel, so we can support these students in their goals and mindsets,” he said. “It’s hard to build the good relationships and culture of
the team when we’re not practicing together. It’s invaluable for every single person. We want them to work hard, go through the process, be praised for that and carry over to not just be better runners, but better people.” Englestead said that building the team also is more difficult without being amongst students as the best recruiters are the student-athletes themselves, where they become a social group, interact, support one another and find their passion. “I’m hoping when they come back, they’ll want to work hard, be more focused and motivated since they’ve missed this competitive environment,” he said. Corner Canyon coach Devin Moody is hoping that he can hold a cross country camp in July, but if not, the training will be more individual and self-motivated like he plans for in June. His workouts will include running, strength workouts with body-weight exercises and conditioning. He plans to communicate with his team via Instagram Live as well as monitor and give them feedback through Strava. “It’s a good way for the team to hear from teammates, feel their energy, rally behind each other’s training to support one another,” he said. “I’m hoping to find my team returning from this unique resilience challenge and having reflected on why they do the sport to find more enjoyment in it.” While Corner Canyon lost five seniors on the boys team that was nationally ranked, he said the team has depth so it’s “not a rebuilding year, but a refocusing year” and the team “should be really good.” He also said that the girls should be stronger this year, even with two seniors graduating. However, many coaches are uncertain what the fall season will look like and if it will happen, as health officials have stated one of the best ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is social distancing. Some are hopeful for a full season, while others say, even if it’s reduced to a matter of weeks, it’s doable. UHSAA also was considering adding in a divisional race, which would fall between region and state, but that, too, has yet to be determined. Herriman coach Jonathan Haag said that if there is to be a shorter season, he’d rethink the schedule and likely make August a training month instead of the traditional start of the season. “That would give time to make sure all our athletes are in shape and we can provide even more individualized workouts,” he said. “We can make it work, but those kids who are training on their own, will benefit more.” Haag is keeping in touch with his team through GroupMe and he and an assistant coach are talking to every team member about how they are doing “running or not.” “We want to know where they’re at, what their family support is like, how their motivation is, where they want to be next season,” he said. “There’s a good chance
we can’t run together, but we can help them reach those goals if we’re able to communicate.” Haag is asking athletes to run a time trial in place of getting times from track meets. Then, he can use that as a baseline and build speed, strength training, endurance workouts from those. He even hopes to have intersquad meets this summer to help runners get their best times and build confidence, if allowed by the UHSAA. “The biggest thing that hurts from not having a track season, apart from the seniors, is the confidence it gives our athletes. I feel pretty confident though if our kids stay working hard and are motivated, they’ll be in good shape and we’ll contend to be a top team.” Hillcrest High coach Scott Stucki also is having his athletes run time trials and speed workouts, just to see how fast they are, and for seniors, to see if they could run their personal bests. He also is supporting student-athletes to run road races, if they’ll be held this summer. Stucki doesn’t see being able to coach them personally until maybe after the traditional moratorium week of July 4. He regularly posts workouts and tracks their distances; some runners he communicates with regularly and knows their mileage, some have focused on year-end testing and have taken a break from running. Stucki expects his boys team to be good, better than last year if they dedicate themselves. Hillcrest girls team should improve over last year, too, with six juniors returning. Stucki already has named two seniors as captains in anticipation of a season, although he isn’t sure what the UHSAA will decide. “I don’t know about the season. I haven’t even put together a schedule as meets aren’t sanctioned yet,” he said. Copper Hills coach Garth Rushforth also is hoping for “some kind of program” this fall as he’s been providing his squad workouts, including drills, such as lunges and body squats, that can be done at home without a weight room, and tracks his runners’ mileage on a Google document. He said it’s important for student-athletes to get their training in all summer to prevent injuries. “There’s a greater risk of injuries if we have a shorter season. For some kids, who are self-motivated and are dedicated to their training, they’ll have a good season, others who aren’t, not so good. We’d like to be as ready as we can be if the season happens,” he said, adding he hopes that a decision will be reached before June. Rushforth expects his girls team to be solid this season. The boys graduated some “very good seniors, but I have a junior and sophomores who show promise.” He is in charge of his region’s meet so he already scheduling a park for the race. “It’s hard since the parks aren’t sure if they’ll be open and we’re not sure if the season will happen,” Rushforth said. “We’ll cry a lot if there’s not (a season).”
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Looking back: Skyline repeats as golf champs By Travis Barton | travis.b@thecityjournals.com Editor’s note: With spring sports shut down, the Millcreek Journal decided to look back on some of Skyline High’s athletic feats this year, like the boys golf team repeating as 5A state champs. hree years, three very different experiences for the Skyline boys golf team. 2017 saw the Eagles jump out to an early lead on day one, only to fall back to the pack on day two, finishing tied for third, watching neighbor Olympus hoist the trophy. 2018 saw another first day finish atop the leader board (with the third best single day score in history with 279). Then a second day where the team coasted to a state championship ending the day 19 strokes ahead of second-place Farmington. 2019 had the same result, but a different journey. The Eagles had torched the regular season finishing multiple tournaments where all eight varsity players were almost under par or the top four’s score were double digits under par. At the region championship, seven players finished in the top 12. “We had a lot of very strong performances that really showed how good this team could be,” senior Abe Thomas told the Millcreek Journal recently. “It gave us a lot
T
of confidence that we could win state.” But at the Wasatch Mountain Golf Course for the state tournament, the boys didn’t play their best, head coach Kenny James said. “But our depth carried us through so it was truly a team effort,” James said. While no player shot under 71, none of the scores were too high either. A three-shot lead on day one dwindled to one on day two’s final hole, but sophomore Sean Lam’s par on 18 sealed the back-to-back- championships. “We have some amazing golfers, amazing talented young men that can do amazing things,” James said. Lam finished with a team best 145 that tied for fourth overall. And Lam wasn’t even the team’s best scorer throughout the season. Junior Tyson Shelley, who finished overall runner-up in 2018, finished with a 147. His 75 on day two wasn’t counted with the top-four score. But with the consistency of freshman Peter Kim, junior Simon Kwon and Lam, and junior Joseph Kim’s nine-stroke improved score on day two, the Eagles talent across the board proved to be too much. “Our depth really was amazing,” James repeated. “It’s just a special group of guys.”
The Skyline boys golf team won back-to-back state titles with its championship last fall. The team returns seven of its top eight golfers this fall. (Photo courtesy Kenny James)
The team celebrated the moment with the ceremonial jump into the pond. Something James said he would only do if everyone jumped in. “I walked over and saw that everyone was soaking wet and I thought, ‘oh crap,’” James recalled. Looking back, Thomas said he’ll remember how many great players were on that championship team. “I am basically in shock because that was such an amazing roster that we had,” said Thomas, who James credits as the corralling senior leader. Just about all of them could play collegiately, James said. Shelley has already committed to BYU. Thomas noted how the team was so good, their biggest competition was each other. “We were all very competitive, but we were also very supportive where you wanted each other to do very well. I want to beat the other players on my team because that’s how you get to the top,” Thomas said. “There was Skyline celebrates its region title where its eight varsity golfers finished in the top 15. (Photo courtesy Kenny never cheering against each other, but we were James) always pushing each other to our limits.”
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That healthy competitive spirit really drove the team, elevating each player’s confidence, James said. “It’s fun to be around that (confidence) and they bring out the best in each other, they challenge each other to do great things,” he said. Which can be crucial, especially in a sport that is more individual than team. James highlighted how Shelley was less concerned about his individual status at state and more concerned about how it affected the team. “It’s an individual sport first, but I love the fact that these guys, their No. 1 goal is they want to win the state championship. The other stuff is secondary,” James said. “They each have their own goals—college, professional—but they’ve all been willing to buy into the team concept and say, ‘hey while we’re here together, let’s do some amazing things.’” What could also be considered amazing is other than Thomas, the entire varsity team returns this fall that also includes Spencer Clayton and Charlie Thomas. And that doesn’t mention the additional talent coming up. “This team is going to be really good the next couple of years,” Thomas said. l
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theapexcleanair.com June 2020 | Page 17
THOUGHTFUL GIFTS FOR THOUGHTFUL STUDENTS
by
CASSIE GOFF
Thoughtful gifts for thoughtful students Spring is the time for new beginnings… after graduations. During those events, you might overhear stories about someone’s parents buying them a new car for graduation, or someone’s rich relative flying them and their three closest friends to an island for a few weeks. Depending on how many people you know who are graduating, and how high the expectations have been set for you, buying gifts for grads can be expensive. Instead of spending more money, try one of these doit-yourself (DIY) gift ideas. One of the most common DIY graduation gifts are graduation leis, similar to those Polynesian garlands of flowers, but without the flowers. You’ll need a lot of plastic wrap for this one. Gather the things you wish to include in your lei. This may include snacksized candy bars, gift cards, rolled-up dollar bills, mints, etc. Be very careful as you lay out a long piece of plastic wrap. (Alternatively, you may choose to use smaller pieces of plastic wrap and tie all the pieces together at the end.) Place all your goodies out, side by side, leaving about 2 inches between each item, down one edge of the plastic wrap. Roll that plastic wrap over to trap the goodies in their new packaging. After you have wrapped all the items thoroughly, tie each of the spaces between goodies together. Alternatively, if you’re talented with origami, you
can fold dollar bills and tie them together to create a beautiful flower-resembling lei. If you, or your graduating human, really likes being cheesy (like me, I usually go so-cheesy I approach Gouda territory), you can make small graduation caps to put on almost anything you may think of. You’ll need a circular base, something resembling a lid of a jar or a bottlecap, some parchment paper, a button, and some string. Wrap the parchment paper around the circular base and glue or tape it down. Then, glue or tape a square-shaped piece of parchment paper on top of the circular base to create the top of the cap. Glue or tape (hot glue might work best for this part) a button to the middle of the top of the squareshaped parchment paper. Lastly, wrap the string, (which needs to be tied to create a circle, with cut segments of the string draped through the middle, and tied together to create a tassel) over the button. As mentioned, almost anything can be
capped. You might buy a small jar from your local Michael’s or Handy Dandy (my nickname for Hobby Lobby) and make the lid of the jar a graduation cap. Then you can fill the jar with candy, gift cards, anything your heart desires. You can do the same thing with a lightbulb and use a cheesy saying about how bright the graduate’s future is. You could put little graduation caps on a handful of different candies. You might even attach a cap to the lid of a drink tumbler and fill the tumbler with confetti and the aforementioned goodies. Lastly, you could stick a cap on the top of a money cake: a cake made out of rolled-up dollar bills placed in a circular shape.
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Millcreek City Journal
Life
Laughter AND
by
PERI KINDER
Om is Where the Heart Is
MILLCREEK
In a subtle attempt to calm me down, my husband enrolled me in a meditation course. I love meditation, in theory, and had a random practice that included meditating in bed, grocery store lines and during TV commercials, but I didn’t have an actual sitdown meditation practice. Now I do. Twice a day I sit for 20 minutes and watch the thoughts in my brain battle to the death. According to Instagram, nothing proves to the world how spiritual you are more than sitting for a long time in silence. The longer you sit, the better a person you are. Fact. So now I’m a super-spiritual Zen person. I make sure I talk about my meditation practice all the time. The more you talk about how you’ve merged with your inner self, the more interested people around you become. They could listen to you talk about your meditation practice for hours. You also need an expensive meditation cushion. Here’s a conversation I had with my husband, who just couldn’t understand the complexities of meditation. Husband: Can’t you just sit in a chair? Me: To be uber-spiritual, I need an $80 meditation cushion so I’m closer to Mother Earth. Husband: Why don’t you just sit on the floor? Me: Don’t be crass. I tried sitting on the ground to meditate. I was in San Luis Obispo at a conference, and I went to the beach early in the morning. I listened to the waves, communed with my inner being and radiated calm as I left the
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beach to go back to the hotel. As I ran up the trail from the beach, I tripped on a rock and fell face-first onto a wooden stair, nearly breaking my nose and spending the rest of the weekend with a bruised and swollen face. If I’d been sitting on a beautiful cushion instead of the ground, my inner being wouldn’t have been pissed off and try to kill me. Fact. Meditation in nature is supposed to be super-relaxing, but right when I close my eyes I feel an ant crawl across my foot and I have to look to make sure it isn’t a spider because then I have to jump up and scream. The only reason to meditate outside is so people can see you mediate and understand you’re a super-spiritual person. I’m teaching my puppy to mediate with me, hoping my calm energy will soothe her. After 10 minutes of getting her to settle down, I’ll place my hand on her back, syncing our breath and heart rate. Just as I create an intense connection to her heart chakra, she jumps in my lap to lick my face and ruins everything. She’ll never be as spiritual as me. Fact. People ask what I do when meditating. First, I sit quietly on my expensive cushion, noticing the thoughts running across my mind. I spend several minutes trying not to notice the thoughts running across my mind. I achieve two seconds of stillness before the thoughts start up again. Soon I become numb from the waist down. The more numb you feel, the more spiritual you are and the more disconnected from those pesky thoughts you become.
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Soon, I can’t feel my toes and my knees are screaming for help. But that just proves to the Universe that I’m dedicated to my meditation practice. Sometimes I fall asleep and jerk awake before I hit the floor. I expect I’ll achieve enlightenment any day now since I’m so good at meditating. If there’s one thing I excel at it’s doing absolutely nothing. Fact.
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June 2020 | Page 19
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