Millcreek Journal | May 2023

MILLCREEK OPTS INTO RANKED CHOICE VOTING PROGRAM FOR 2023 ELECTIONS

By Sara Milano | s.milano@mycityjournals.com

Millcreek residents going to the polls this November will vote for their councilmembers and mayor a bit differently.

In March, Millcreek City councilmembers voted to opt into a ranked choice voting program for this year’s municipal elections, which will elect a candidate for mayor and councilmembers representing Districts 1 and 3.

In a ranked choice voting system, voters have the option to rank multiple candidates in order of preference, rather than casting a vote for a single candidate. Each voter’s ballot still only counts for one vote, but with ranked choice, low performing candidates are eliminated and the voters who ranked them first instead have their votes cast for their second or third choice candidate.

One advocate for ranked choice voting is Councilmember Thom DeSirant of District 2, who was himself elected during Millcreek’s first experiment with ranked choice voting in 2021. DeSirant even published an op-ed in the Deseret News earlier this year making the case for ranked choice voting, calling it “faster, cheaper, and better.”

One benefit to ranked choice voting as opposed to traditional voting is that ranked choice eliminates the need for a primary, shortening the campaign season and making it easier for voters to turn out. Additionally, ranked choice ensures that voters “get to freely vote for whoever they most support, even if that candidate isn’t favored to win,” explained Stan Lockhart of Utah Ranked Choice Voting, a nonpartisan organization that advocates for ranked choice elections in Utah.

Continued page 19

INTERMOUNTAIN MEDICAL CENTER: RANKED ONE OF THE TOP ACADEMIC MEDICAL CENTERS IN THE USA

The Bernard A. Birnbaum, MD, Quality Leadership Award highlights hospitals that demonstrate a superior quality of patient care in six domains:

• MORTALITY

• EFFECTIVENESS

• SAFETY

• EFFICIENCY

• PATIENT CENTEREDNESS

• EQUITY

Skyline duo, other youth, bring inclusion awareness to state leaders

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Jou r nals

MILLCREEK CITY TEAM

The Millcreek City Journal is a monthly publication distributed directly to residents via the USPS as well as locations throughout Midvale. For information about distribution please email brad.c@thecityjournals.com or call our offices. Rack locations are also available on our website. The views and opinions expressed in display advertisements do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions held by Loyal Perch Media or the City Journals. This publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the owner. © 2019 Loyal Perch Media, Inc.

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Bryan Scott | bryan.s@thecityjournals.com

EDITOR

Travis Barton | travis.b@thecityjournals.com

DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING

Ryan Casper | ryan.c@thecityjournals.com 801-254-5974

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Mieka Sawatzki | mieka.s@thecityjournals.com

Jason Corbridge | jason.c@thecityjournals.com

High junior Penni Duzy enjoys competing in unified soccer, basketball and track.

Skyline

“I like getting exercise and having fun,” she told state leaders when she recently visited the Utah State Capitol. “We help each other out. I like when everyone gets to play and cheering. Giving everyone on both teams high-fives is my favorite part.”

She and her partner-athlete senior Anna Davis were part of Special Olympics Youth Activation Committee and unified sports who met with senators and representatives telling their stories and asking them to sign the pledge for inclusion.

Skyline has had unified sports for two years although Davis said it was a scramble to make it happen this year when the former teacher who introduced it left the school.

“We had two teams our first year and it was an amazing experience to have opportunity for unified sports and have that positive environment in our school,” she said. “When it came time to begin this year, I became scared it wouldn’t happen.”

Davis took it upon herself to talk to the new special education teacher, the principal, the athletic director and others and took the initiative to find balls, put together practices times and teach skills at their workouts. She found partners who also wanted to be part of the program.

“It’s so important they belong to our community. We want people to know who they are, say hi in the hall, give them a fist bump, and make them feel important and included,” she said, adding that’s the message she wanted to share on capitol hill.

Earlier in the day, the Skyline pair, along with 18 other statewide YAC members, were recognized on the Senate floor as Sen. Kathleen Riebe introduced them and their mission. They were met with a standing ovation.

“It’s been awesome,” Unified Champion School’s College-growth Coordinator Boston Iacobazzi said, who advises Utah’s YAC high school students. “They have never felt they had a voice and now, they have.”

The group had a chance to talk with Gov. Spencer Cox and interacted with First Abby Cox several times during the day. In the governor’s office, both the governor and first lady signed the pledge during Inclusion Week.

Iacobazzi said about 20 legislators signed the pledge of inclusion and even more became aware of Unified Champion Schools, which promotes a three-tier approach through unified sports, inclusive youth leadership and whole school engagement.

During their visit, the first lady said it is through their leadership that will help define the state’s future.

“You are going to be the leaders in this state in just a few years and what kind of state do you want to see?” she asked. “Do you want to see a more inclusive state? Do you want to see a state where everyone feels a sense of love and belonging and that they can do what they want to do and they can be who they want to be?”

Abby Cox, who was a special education teacher, has Special Olympics Unified Sports as one of her pillars for her “Show Up” Initiatives.

“My heart is with the Special Olympics unified sports, and I will always be a champion for my friends who don’t have a voice and I want you to be that too,” she said. “I want to do a special shout out to my athletes, for the work that you do in being able to show the world what it means to have ability. You have incredible abilities. Don’t ever let anybody tell you that you don’t. To my partner athletes, you are making a huge difference in creating an inclusive environment, not only in your schools, but in your entire communities

CIRCULATION COORDINATOR

Brad Casper | brad.c@thecityjournals.com 801-254-5974

Rack

Our

EDITORIAL & AD DESIGN

Ty Gorton

Amanda Luker

Stacy Bronson

Anna Pro

MILLCREEK CITY JOURNAL

9500 South 500 West, Suite 205 Sandy, UT 84070

PHONE: 801-254-5974

network of print and digital media.

Skyline High senior Anna Davis and junior Penni Duzy pose in the Gold Room during their visit to the capitol where they were recognized on the Senate floor for their work for inclusion. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

and in this state. You are being powerful leaders to be a voice for people that don’t always feel like they have a voice. I want you to recognize your power in that and continue to do what you’re doing and bring more along with you.”

Special Olympics Executive Committee Board Chair Michelle Wolfenbarger echoed those sentiments to the youth delegation.

“You’re all choosing to spend your time here and let your voices be heard and it will be heard; they are by far the

most important voices out there,” she said. “There’s nothing like being here with you and seeing the future leaders of our country and our state and of our communities be here and want inclusion, want kindness and love and unity.”

During their visit, the group toured sights such as the Hall of Governors and Gold Room to behind-the-scenes places by taking spiral stairs or the governor’s elevator past the capitol printing press to the emergency operations center. There, Mike Mower, community

outreach and intergovernmental affairs senior advisor for the governor, walked them through the coordination and cooperation of civic leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It took everyone working together to bring awareness and understanding in the decisions that were made,” he said. “That’s what you’re doing bringing awareness and your voices, and that means so much here at the capitol.” l

Eagles picked to finish first in tough Region 6

Skyline High senior Anna Davis and junior Penni Duzy and other members of Special Olympics’ Youth Activation Committee met with Gov. Spencer Cox and First Lady Abby Cox about the need for inclusion. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Logan Loosli cuts the ball back as Skyline circulates possession around the Murray penalty area. The Eagles would win the game in overtime 1-0.

Photos by Travis Barton

Kyler Madsen hooks a cross across the box for the Eagles. Skyline went 3-0 in preseason before kicking off a region schedule that’s seen them drop games to Olympus and East while picking up wins against Murray, Highland and East. The team only allowed seven goals through its first nine games.

Sophomore Nico Golesis sprints off with the ball down the touchline. Golesis, along with Kyler Madsen, Brennan Lamont, Logan Sorenson and Alex Horton, are proving a skillful bunch to power Skyline this season.

Runners race up Grandeur Peak to raise money and awareness for clean air

By Jolene Croasmun | j.croasmun@mycityjournals.com

How ironic to be surrounded by unhealthy air and yet over 200 endurance runners were set to compete for the most laps and best time up and down 8,200-foot Grandeur Peak. These racers spent the first weekend of February raising money along with awareness about the region’s polluted air through Running Up For Air (RUFA).

RUFA is an endurance mountain running race that is part of the Up For Air series. There were several races being held on Grandeur Peak that weekend starting on Friday night with a 24-hour race and a sixhour “date night” race. Two additional sixhour races and one 12-hour race were held on Saturday.

The idea for the race originally came to the RUFA founder Jared Campbell, who is an avid mountain runner. “We started in 2012 unofficially on the west side of Grandeur Peak and we were running for 24 hours up and down the mountain. It is not an official trail so we could not get the race permitted. People were saying, ‘This is awesome, you ought to turn it into a race,’ but I didn’t think anyone would be into it,” Campbell said.

The race is now on the east side of Grandeur Peak. Campbell worked with the U.S. Forest Service and got it permitted for the Church Fork trailhead, which is up Millcreek Canyon. Campbell has been officially running this race for six years.

“Every runner becomes their own fundraiser and our goal is to raise $100,000 from all of the events this year. The money raised is then funneled to different nonprofits like Breathe Utah and Utah Clean Energy,” Campbell said.

RUFA has grown over the years and now this event is held in Ogden, Provo, Montana, Colorado, Seattle and even in Europe. Many of those mountain towns suffer from the same type of air pollution as the Wasatch Front.

The PM2.5 which refers to the atmospheric particulate matter (PM) that are less than 2.5 micrometers or smaller and is used to determine air quality was very high during the race weekend. “The University of Utah’s chemistry department put in two sensors on the trail to see what the pollution levels were at, and around 11 a.m. it was yellow orange and now it is terrible and purple. We need to run up 500 feet for the air to get better,” Campbell said.

“In 2011 and 2012, the (University of Utah) Department of Atmospheric Sciences was on Grandeur Peak and they were coming from all over the world to study humans living in terrible pollution, right here where we live,” Campbell added.

Campbell has been running Grandeur Peak for years and lived in Sugar House but moved to Jeremy Ranch once he start-

ed a family due to the air quality. “I used to wear a respiratory mask when I would run,” Campbell said. He suggested that, “for the first few hundred feet, racers should wear masks.”

Audrey and Katie were volunteering and giving out beverages and food such as perogies, grilled cheese sandwiches and soup for the runners. “We are waiting to put food out until we expect the first runners to come back. The food is for refueling,” Audrey said. “Some runners will hang out for a while in the tent, other people will eat and quickly run up again.”

Roch Horton rang a cow bell. The bell is used by the runners once they complete a lap.

“Anyone can ring their own cow bell once they are down off the mountain,” Horton said. Horton has been working on this event for 10 years and he has run in it for four. “I just love the sport and to make it successful you kind of put a little bit of effort into it and people will give back,” he said.

“It has grown every year and we have lots of people for sure to thank like the (U.S.) Forest Service and the city of Salt Lake,” Horton said. “They let us use this venue, so close to a city interface and we have earned it. We are clean, we use shuttles, we have zero waste and we are just trying to get our air cleaned up. No people breathe harder than athletes and there is no one better to bring awareness about clean air than runners.”

Each runner wore a tracking device to place them in the race. The winner of the 24-hour race was Kevin Cantwell, 40, of Cottonwood Heights. Cantwell ran 12 laps coming in at 23 hours 43 minutes.

The “date night” race started at 7 p.m. on Friday night and ended at 1 a.m. Many

couples came out for the fun. Most ran but several just hiked including Millcreek residents George and Alicia Odell. George said, “We are power hiking as a couple.”

“We have a donation for the whole family since our son is running in the 12-hour race tomorrow,” Alicia said. “Team Odell is what we are calling ourselves.”

The winner of the six-hour race was Josh Reddish, 30, of Salt Lake City. Reddish completed four laps up and down the mountain side in four hours and 49 minutes.

The oldest participant in the six-hour event was Ed Rich, 80, from Salt Lake City. He completed one lap in four hours and 44 minutes.

A young couple came to date night to celebrate their wedding anniversary. Hannah and Nick Belles had raced last year. “We signed up for the 24-hour race last year because it was our fifth anniversary and we wanted to do five laps. I only completed two laps,” Hannah said. Hannah then pointed at her husband Nick and said, “But out of love,

he did five laps.”

“So this year we are doing date night and it’s still really fun and will try to do two or three laps,” Nick said.

The 12-hour race began on Saturday at 6 a.m. The winner of this event was Blaine Benitez, 25, of Salt Lake City with a completion of eight laps in 11 hours and 20 minutes.

Tara Warren, the director of RUFA in Ogden, normally runs on Malans Peak in Ogden. “I did this event in 2017 and 2018 and my friend and I decided we can do this in Ogden,” Warren said. “We have a huge community of amazing mountain runners and we got in touch with Jared. We will be holding our fourth event on Malans Peak, at 6,800 feet, at the end of February.”

“If you would ask this whole group right here, how many times they ran up and down Grandeur Peak these last two weeks, everyone would say 10-15 times,” Warren said. “That’s what we do, we train and run on the mountains.” l

RUFA tent with runners getting ready to race at the Church Fork trailhead on Grandeur Peak the first weekend of February. (Jolene Croasmun/City Journals)

Volunteers at RUFA cooking food for the runners to refuel between laps up and down the mountain. (Jolene Croasmun/City Journals)

Pollinator-friendly landscapes help butterflies rebound

At the weight of a paperclip, the western monarch butterfly is deceptively capable.

Recognized by the stark contrast of its black and orange wings, every year the iconic pollinator makes a multi-generational, hundreds-of-miles long migration from Mexico and Southern California to as far north as Oregon, and inland throughout the Rocky Mountain West.

Some, in fact, are enroute to Utah now, and within weeks will be fluttering in from a 600-mile journey to refuel on native nectar and lay the next generation of butterflies in the leafy folds of milkweed plants throughout the Wasatch Front—from suburban backyards to roadside ditches and open public spaces.

Despite their apparent super strength, however, the monarch’s fragility is starting to show with precipitous population declines in recent decades.

“There are fluctuations in population, but the overall trend, both east and west of the Rockies, is down 80 to 90% since they started tracking them” in the 1990s, said Rachel Taylor, founder of Utah Friends of Monarchs.

“In 2020, the western count had gone from millions down to 19,114 monarchs counted,” she said, citing data from the research group Western Monarch Count.

The decline raises larger concerns as the monarch provides a gauge for the well-being of an array of pollinator species, along with the ecosystems in which they serve vital functions.

Resident conservationists like Taylor, whose popular TED Talk has begun to generate buzz with Utah leaders, are working double time to educate the public and prod policy makers to take action.

New data gives reason to suggest that those efforts may be having an impact—and one impactful example could be in your neighbor’s backyard.

Here’s what leaders and activists are doing to turn the tide on pollinator habitats.

Resident conservationists

Fairmont Park in Sugar House is one of the few urban areas where monarchs can be seen in significant numbers, owing to the Monarch waystation planted personally by Taylor with permission from the SLC Parks Department.

Waystations are garden habitats that cater to monarch needs, providing critical milkweed and nectar rich plants— like tubular flowers, butterfly bush and hummingbird mint— needed to sustain successive generations of butterflies.

“That waystation was so successful its first year that Salt Lake City Parks Department jumped in with both feet and dug out all sorts of grass and daylighted little streams that were feeding the pond, and planted native pollinator plants,” said Taylor, showing how resident initiatives can inspire public action.

“It has become an absolute monarch breeding habitat. This last summer, every day of August you could walk over there and see males fighting each other in the air, and hummingbirds and bees, so many bees you wouldn't believe it,” she said.

The Monarch waystation program was started by national nonprofit Monarch Watch, which Taylor says has become vital to the monarch’s survival—and the program’s growth is a further sign of hope.

When Taylor first registered her waystation less than a decade ago, there were around 16,000 private waystations— now that number is up to 42,000 registered, and there are likely many more partial or unaffiliated waystations across the country.

“I believe a larger number of people have just added

By Zak Sonntag | z.sonntag@mycityjournals.com

milkweed to their pollinators gardens to try to help, but didn’t take the time to do the official waystations. I’ll bet this number is 10 times as many as the official registered waystations,” she said.

Beyond the backyard waystation, however, Taylor says that much more is needed to save pollinator species—and it must start with a diagnosis, and getting educated about what she says are the threefold causes of pollinator loss: habitat loss, climate change and growing use of pesticides.

Utah Pollinator Program

The Utah Legislature in 2021 passed HB 224 to promote pollinator habitat.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Ashlee Mathews, created a three-year pilot program with the Department of Agriculture and Food to oversee public education campaigns along with the distribution of pollinator-friendly native flowering plants.

Taylor says the Utah Pollinator Program has been successful, and in the legislatures most recent General Session the pilot program was allotted additional funding.

Regulating pesticide use

Even as lawmakers are pitching in to bolster native habitats, some believe that public leaders should focus on regulating products that kill pollinators, like pesticides.

The widespread use of pesticides in recent decades has vastly diminished the native plants needed for monarch survival—especially milkweed, where caterpillars hatch.

“When products like Roundup came out in the 1980s… it just wiped out entire food supplies for the monarch, so their population really declined with the rise of those products and their availability to the general public,” Taylor said.

“All of those farm fields used to have milkweed around the borders.”

In addition to farm pesticides, pollinators are also threatened by an increasingly popular class of chemicals known as neonicotinoids, a synthetic nicotine-based product that indis-

criminately kills insects by disrupting their nervous systems. James, a horticulturalist at Millcreek Gardens nursery, worries about the prevalence of neonicotinoids in commercial growing operations.

“They're using those harsher chemicals to crank stuff out. It's cheap and it works, which is why it's so prevalent, but it is a kind of a nuclear bomb option because it impacts insects indiscriminately,” he said.

This poses dangers when residents seek to create pollinator habitat with plants sourced from commercial nurseries.

“I really think that legislatures on the state and national level don't realize how crucial these insects are for not only our survival, but the rest of the ecosystem in general,” James said. “I think changes need to happen, whether that’s on a regulatory level or a social pressure level.”

Shrinking migration window

Climate change has also put downward pressure on monarch populations by sending mixed signals about when to head inland in search of milkweed, while also shrinking their window for migration and minimizing the numbers that survive the flight.

“The longer we have warmer weather the longer they stay,” said Taylor, referring to a trend toward unconventionally warm fall seasons.

“But then it does that quick change to winter and it’s shortening the period they can fly all the way to Mexico. Climate change delays migration in the fall and speeds it up in the spring,” she said.

For James, of Millcreek Gardens, small creatures signify big things.

“It's all tied together. You start losing aspects of it and resiliency decreases, then it starts going downhill fast,” he said. “We need to be sure we’re protecting and preserving these creatures because we are intimately tied up with them whether we know it or not.” l

A monarch in Fairmont Park alights on a native flower. (Courtesy Rachel Taylor) Pollinator habitat at Fairmont Park buzzes with pollinator life. (Courtesy Rachel Taylor)

Jordan River Trail meets Millcreek as city secures funding for new trailhead

By Sara Milano | s.milano@mycityjournals.com

Millcreek

residents and visitors will soon have expanded access to the Jordan River, thanks to a new funding agreement between the city and Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) to create a trailhead and expand the trail into the city. The project aims to enhance recreational opportunities and promote environmental preservation along the river’s 51-mile stretch, providing a much-needed respite in a rapidly growing urban area.

According to Utah’s Water Restoration Initiative, about half of the state’s population lives within 15 minutes of the Jordan River. However, “a long history of abuse and urban encroachment has left habitat fragmented and the river in an impaired state,” according to the Initiative.

For 100 years, untreated sewage and waste was dumped into the river and mining operations contaminated it with heavy metals. River cleanup efforts began in the 1970s, and government priorities for the 40mile park and trail system that runs along it have shifted to environmental conservation and access to recreation. Included in these efforts are plans to expand the Jordan River Parkway Trail into Millcreek.

Millcreek is the largest city along the Jordan River without an extension of the

Parkway. Extending the Parkway to the planned Millcreek City Trailhead near the Meadowbrook Expressway on 4000 South will provide a crucial access point to an underserved section of the community.

City Manager Mike Winder explained that the city council’s agreement essentially involves accepting a legislative allocation of $1.5 million to aid in completing the Jordan River Trail. Silvia Catten, a councilmember of Millcreek District 1, is also the chair of the Jordan River Commission, which oversees the implementation of strategic initiatives to improve the river and parkway. Catten considers her appointment as chair “serendipitous” and attributes her involvement to her district’s proximity to the river. Nonetheless, her position as a councilmember and appointment to the Commission creates an opportunity for Millcreek to remain engaged in the development of the Jordan River Parkway.

The funding agreement between Millcreek and UDOT to expand the Jordan River Trail in the city will provide expanded access to a much-needed recreational and environmental resource for Millcreek residents.

As efforts to improve the health and accessibility of the river continue, Millcreek’s involvement in the development of the Jordan

River Parkway and Catten’s position on the Jordan River Commission will help ensure the city remains a committed partner in pro-

moting conservation and recreation at the Jordan River. l

Pictured is the Jordan River Trail. Extending the Jordan River Parkway Trail to the planned Millcreek City trailhead near the Meadowbrook Expressway on 4000 South will provide an access point to the community. (City of Taylorsville)

Millcreek volleyball player invited to national training program

By Catherine Garrett | c.garrett@mycityjournals.com

Skyline High junior Kai Sorenson, along with two other Utah volleyball players, has been invited to the National Training Development Program May 5-7 in Washington, D.C. This is the third year the 17-year-old from Millcreek has been invited to the prestigious Spring Indoor Training Series.

“I am thrilled to have been selected to train with the best players in the country my age.

It is a huge honor to get the opportunity to play and receive coaching at the highest level,” Sorenson said. “There will be about 40 kids there my age from all over the country and about five setters total so I am thrilled to be one of them.”

The NTDP brings selected players the opportunity to train with other top-level athletes and coaches to further their athletic progress within the framework of USA Volleyball’s philosophy, methods and culture.

Warren Van Schalkwyk, Kai’s coach at Club GSL in Draper said, “Kai is one of the most gifted setters we’ve ever seen come out of Utah. He has amazing hands and is able to run a deadly offense from anywhere on the court. He always works hard and has a natural way of helping his team play relaxed yet competitive. He has so much potential, and I look forward to seeing what his future holds.”

Also invited to the national training were North Ogden’s Tennison Lighthall and St. George’s Corbin Batista.

Kai, the son of Ashleigh and Lance Sorenson of Millcreek, has been playing volleyball for as long as he can remember, following in the footsteps of his father. They both played at Churchill Junior High—27 years apart—and were

both coached by Gene Bechtold. Kai’s younger sisters have since been coached by Bechtold, and the tradition started by Lance Sorenson, who went on to play for the Pepperdine team that competed for the 2002 national championship, continues.

“I started playing competitively in fourth grade with older boys from my neighborhood,” Kai Sorenson said. “At the time there weren’t many boys teams so we would sometimes play against older girls. It has been so much fun to watch boys volleyball explode in Utah since then and now we go to local packed tournaments being hosted at multiple locations. I am so excited that boys volleyball will be a Utah high school sanctioned sport next year for the first time for my senior year of high school.”

Kai Sorenson has played multiple sports over the years, eventually settling his 6-foot-3 frame onto the volleyball court where he has collegiate aspirations. He is also a power forward on the Eagles basketball team.

“I love the life lessons that volleyball has taught me,” Kai Sorenson said. “In volleyball, every point is a new point and a new opportunity to start over and do better. I love that I can apply this to my daily life by learning from my mistakes and not dwelling on things in the past that I can’t change.”

Off the court, the Eagle Scout is a 4.0 student who recently scored a 35 on the ACT and takes multiple Advanced Placement courses. l

Millcreek’s Kai Sorenson will train with the National Training Development Program this spring. It’s his third invitation to be trained within the framework of USA Volleyball’s philosophy, methods and culture. (Photo courtesy Kai Sorenson)

Young Skyline baseball team weathering the storm

By Daniel Olsen | d.olsen@mycityjournals.com

wasn’t until the second week of April that the Skyline Eagles baseball team had their first outdoor practice.

“I try to limit our practice time to two and a half hours,” coach Eric Morgan said. “It’s unfortunate that we just had our first practice outside. We’ve been working indoors on the basketball court. I try to keep them engaged and focused. They see the light at the end of the tunnel now that they are finally able to get outside.”

The Eagles have had a slow start, but are still battling in the region standings.

“The key to finishing the season strong is confidence,” Morgan said. “We have really good players, but we are just a little inexperienced. We are just as good as other teams, but we need to stay mentally confident and rise to the occasion.”

Several sophomore players have stepped up to help the team be competitive.

“Charlie Billick is a sophomore who has been a utility man for us,” Morgan said. “He plays second base and in the outfield. Benson Johnson is also a sophomore. He has done a really good job defensively and has been competitive at bat.”

In addition to focusing on offensive firepower, one challenge in coaching baseball in high school is managing the bullpen of young pitchers.

“It’s always a challenge in high school,” Morgan said. “Typically, the pitchers with the best arms are also position players. It’s really about managing the arm. We do the right things to prepare for the game and then take care of them after the game. We try not to have them throw too much in practice. If they throw a certain amount of pitches then we give them rest.”

Some might count the Eagles out, but the coaching staff

believes in this young team to keep progressing.

“I think experience will be the biggest thing,” Morgan said. “The more games we play, the more comfortable the kids will get. We only have two seniors on the team. The more time we get outside to practice and play games, the better we will become.”

The Skyline Eagles will wrap up their regular season on May 11 against the Murray Spartans which will be a senior night on their home field. So far they have plenty to be proud

of, but they aren’t done yet.

“This season has been a challenge,” Morgan said. “We haven’t had a lot of practice time on the field. We just had our first practice on the baseball field. It feels nice to take fly balls. We were stuck inside before throwing squishy balls. We were competitive against all four teams in the tournament in St. George. We are a super young team. They will be challenged as they are stepping into varsity and going up against varsity pitching.” l

Senior Greyson Debo. (Photo courtesy Brad Leinberger)

Junior Brooks Walker. (Photo courtesy Brad Leinberger)

For more than 10 years, Steven A. Tingey has helped clients create an estate plan that ts their personal and nancial situation. He started his own business, Tingey Law Group, in January 2021 to o er boutique estate planning and personalized services. Steven graduated from the University of Utah in accounting before going to the University of Kansas for law school, where he earned a Juris Doctor degree and certi cates in tax and business law.

What services do you o er at Tingey Law Group?

Tingey Law Group provides legal services in the areas of estate planning, asset protection, gift tax and estate tax planning, business succession, charitable giving, special needs planning, and estate and trust administration.

What is estate planning?

Estate planning refers to the preparation of documents and the carrying out of tasks that help people manage their assets and prepare for the events of incapacity or death. Estate tax planning uses advanced techniques to transfer assets outside of the estates and to reduce the tax burden of high-net-worth individuals and families.

Why should individuals create an estate plan?

Protecting your family and preserving your estate is

too important to leave to chance. Let us show you how elements of a comprehensive estate plan can give you and your loved ones security and peace of mind.

What sets your law rm apart from your competition?

At Tingey Law Group we seek to establish long-term relationships with our clients and with their families and advisors to help clients build, manage, and protect their assets, organize their estates, protect their families, and prepare for the future.

What problem does your business solve for your clients?

Tingey Law Group works with clients to develop a personalized estate plan, tailored to meet the needs of the clients and their families. We do this through meaningful discussions and in-person meetings throughout the drafting, review, and signing stages of the estate planning process.

Who is your ideal client?

Tingey Law Group enjoys working with anyone in need of estate planning services. From the recent high school graduate who needs simple planning before heading to college to the well-established client with a

multimillion-dollar estate who is looking for help with asset protection, estate tax planning, or wealth transfer, Tingey Law Group has experience to help.

How can people learn more about what you do?

At the Tingey Law Group, we work closely with potential clients to analyze their current situation, consider their goals, and develop an estate plan that is right for you. For questions, or to schedule an appointment, please call 801-477-0672 or email us at info@tingeylawgroup.com.

Steven Tingey Attorney at Law

Skyline girls and boys swimming are 5A state champs again

After all the hard work, it finally paid off for the Skyline Eagles as both the girls and boys swim teams hoisted up the 5A state trophies. These victories required a collective effort by this experienced team.

“We knew early on after last year’s state meet that since Olympus had their seniors graduate and we were young with a senior class coming in,” team leader Daschiel Springmeyer said, “we knew we were the team to beat and it was our year.”

It was their year indeed. While swimming is thought of as an individual sport, it was the depth of the team that really helped them win both team titles.

“We calculated how many points we needed to win,” girls leader Rachel Dalton said. “In order to do that, we needed everyone to do really well. Olympus has a few amazing swimmers that carry their team.”

It was the strong relay performance that really set Skyline apart. While there weren’t many individual titles for the Eagles, it was the relay wins as well as the other points they scored for placing high in their events.

“There wasn’t one single defining moment that made the difference this season,” Skyline swimming coach Deni Cullom said. “With swimming, it’s not like the team sport where the regular season record matters. It just comes down to one state meet. Our swimmers performed insanely well and were fast.”

Both team leaders have spent years training for swimming to get ready for this moment.

“I started swimming in a summer program when I was 6,” Dalton said. “I did a summer program, then a club team but I quit. In high school I joined the swim team because I play water polo so thought it would be good conditioning. Deni is a good coach and has made practices enjoyable. He puts so much effort into the team. He made swimming more than just a sport. He makes it hard and that is rewarding. He has cool stories from swimming experiences.”

“I’ve been swimming since I was 3 or 4,” Springmeyer said. “I started with swimming lessons, then my parents put me in a country club league. I then competed year round and haven’t stopped.”

Springmeyer also had high praise for coach Cullom.

“He’s young and I really like the atmosphere and difference he makes for the team,” Springmeyer said. “He is a genius. He has us dialed down for training during our taper period. When our training peaks, it is perfect. He is a great guy to be around.”

While he didn’t have the meet he was looking for, individual success was not a big deal to Springmeyer. He finished first in his relay and fourth in his individual fly event.

“It was a really great way to end my high school year,” Springmeyer said. “I’ve wanted to win a state title since eighth grade when I saw my brother win one.”

By Daniel Olsen | d.olsen@mycityjournals.com

EVENING SERIES

Season Tickets: $49 Adult, $45 Senior, $29 Child Amphitheater Parking: 495 East 5300 South Ticket Info: 801-264-2614 or www.murray.utah.gov

Amphitheater Parking: 495 East 5300 South Ticket Information: 801-264-2614 or www.murray.utah.gov/1959/Tickets

MAY

May 26 The Alapa Family and the Kulturang Pilipino Ensemble of Utah

May 27 Aladdin, Movie Sing-Along

JUNE

June 3 Murray Concert Band

June 9-10, Disney’s High School Musical 12, 15-17

Deni Cullom

While swimming can be hard at times, it is still a rewarding experience for the Skyline swimmers.

“I think swimming is so rewarding,” Dalton said. “It’s hard in little moments, but it’s all about the big picture. You put in all this work and have successes and failures. When you drop a couple tenths of a second off your time, it’s the most exciting feeling in the world. It’s such a good way to go out. I never got to experience winning a state title before. It’s about getting better and building friendships.”

Dalton also didn’t take home a title individual event, but was an integral part of the team’s success.

“It’s all about doing my best and having fun,” Dalton said. “We took first in the 200 medley relay and second in the 200 meter freestyle relay. I took sixth and seventh in my individual events. It took a team effort. It set us apart that we worked as a team.”

Cullom already has high aspirations for the future as early as next year.

“I’m really looking forward to next year,” Cullom said. “I’m already looking forward to the training program. I’m excited to see what kids can do a year from now.”

Many swimmers of the senior class have aspirations to continue swimming after college.

“As of now I’m committed to play water polo at Santa Clara,” Dalton said. “Being in water is a big part of my life. I’m planning on swimming on my own or with the team. I’ll practice at a local swimming pool and see older swimmers practicing and it’s so much fun. Maybe I’ll try some triathlons.”

The swimming season doesn’t stop for many of the Skyline swimmers even after the state meet is over.

“We just got done competing,” Cullom said. “The high school season ended with the state championships, but USA swimming continues. We attended a meet called sectionals. It’s a minor level national meet. These events are centered around year-round club swimming. Swimming can be a demanding sport that requires a lot of dedication.”

“It’s honestly a year-round thing,” Dalton said. “The season starts in October and the state meet is in February. The girls practice on A day mornings. The boys practice on B day mornings. We also practice on Saturday mornings. We go from six to eight. Some of us practice after school every day for two hours. We do core strengthening which we call ‘dry land’ since it’s not in the water. Our coach has been showing us videos to help improve our technique.” l

June 24 Murray Symphony Pops

JULY

July 7-8, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella 10, 13-15

July 21 Peter Breinholt

July 28-29, Seussical the Musical 31, Aug 3-5

AUGUST

Aug 12 Thurl Bailey with Marvin Goldstein

Aug 18-19 A Celtic Summer’s Night

Aug 25 Ryan Shupe & the Rubberband

Aug 26 Jenny Oaks Baker & Family Four

SEPTEMBER

Sept 1 4 HIMS

Sept 9 Trio Los Charros

This program has received funding support from residents of Salt Lake County, SL County Zoo, Arts & Parks (ZAP), Utah Division of Arts & Museums, Utah Department of Cultural & Community Engagement, Utah Humanities, and National Endowment for the Arts.

The Skyline Eagles girls and boys swim teams hoisted up the 5A state trophies in February. (Photo by Roger V. Tuttle)

There wasn’t one single defining moment that made the difference this season. With swimming, it’s not like the team sport where the regular season record matters. It just comes down to one state meet. Our swimmers performed insanely well and were fast.

For: 3D mammograms that detect signs of breast cancer.

By: experts trained in early detection.

Mammograms are vitally important in detecting breast cancer and saving women’s lives. At Salt Lake Regional Medical Center, we take great pride in offering advanced technologies like 3D mammograms in a comfortable environment run by caring, well-trained specialists. So whether you have a family history of breast cancer or simply want the peace of mind that early detection provides, you can rely on our personalized treatment and expert services, as well as our easy, convenient online booking.

Millcreek residents eligible for rebates with water-wise landscape switch

By Sara Milano | s.milano@mycityjournals.com

Residents of Millcreek who replace their traditional grass lawns with native, water-efficient plants will soon be eligible for rebates under a new ordinance passed by the Millcreek City Council. The measure, which aims to promote water conservation in a state facing persistent drought conditions, is expected to help residents save money on their water bills, reduce water diversion from the Great Salt Lake, and enhance the beauty and ecological health of Millcreek’s neighborhoods.

Under the new ordinance, residents who want to remove their grass lawns can apply to a statewide “grass removal rebate” program to receive payments of up to $1.25 per square foot of converted lawn. Millcreek hopes that the financial incentive will encourage more homeowners to adopt landscaping practices that are more suitable for an arid, desert climate like Utah’s.

Francis Lilly, Millcreek’s Planning and Zoning director, explained that the city is “also looking at eliminating ornamental grass for commercial or industrial applications unless it has some sort of functional purpose.” City staff hopes that their ordinance can be used as a model for other cities in Utah that are not as committed to water conservation efforts.

Salt Lake City, St. George, Ogden and other Utah cities have already passed ordi-

nances that qualify their residents for participation in the state’s program, which sets aside $10 million in incentives for residential water-wise landscaping. However, the state government continues to lag behind other western states like Nevada, which offers $3 per square foot of converted lawn and will ban all “nonfunctional turf” in southern Nevada by 2026.

The Millcreek ordinance also includes a list of endemic, water-efficient plant species, as well as a list of invasive species that would be prohibited. Homeowners looking to “flip their strip” need not hire a professional landscaper to qualify for the rebate. Interested residents will need to apply to the program and get pre-approval, in addition to passing a post-installation inspection. The funding for converting lawn to water-wise landscaping will become available in July, Mayor Jeff Silvestrini told the council.

As climate change and geography continue to exacerbate water scarcity issues in many regions of Utah, the success of the city’s rebate program could serve as a model for other municipalities looking to promote more responsible use of this precious resource. l

A park strip and garden in North Salt Lake that was converted to water-wise landscaping with native plant species. (City of North Salt Lake)

Janet Wolcott, owner and CFO of Wolcott Optical, trained in the family business all her life. She was o cially hired as the company bookkeeper in 1974 and chose to stay after receiving her accounting degree in 1976. Along with her brothers, Ron and Jim, she acquired the company in 1989 and continued servicing optical patients as they were trained by their dad.

Tell us about your business.

Ours is a family business that started in 1945, as Americans began reclaiming their lives following World War ll. Now in our second and third generation, the family-owned and operated optical dispensary maintains the traditions of the family legacy. We o er the best products at a reasonable price with a lifetime service posture.

What products and services do you o er?

We are retail optical so we sell all types of prescription and non-prescription eyewear and sunglasses. Our best o ering is our customer service. We believe in “Service after the sale.”

What sets your company apart from your competitors?

Our customer service is exemplary. The Wolcott’s continue to serve customers, satisfaction guaranteed. This is not a “warranty,” this is our promise.

What problem does your business solve?

Problem solving is part of customer service. First, we listen to the patient. We need to know what they are experiencing before we can o er a solution – and there is always a solution.

Who is your ideal customer?

There is no ideal client. The optical industry has so many options to o er folks today that we really enjoy the challenge of nding the perfect t in lens design and frame design for every individual.

How do potential clients choose between you or a competitor?

Wolcott’s has a great reputation, spread by word of mouth. We are very fortunate to have a large client base that advertises for us. They appreciate our level of care and want their friends and family to have that experience. We truly o er personalized service and care.We invite people to visit our store and experience the di erence for themselves.

What is your favorite product? I couldn’t possibly pick a favorite. We o er an extensive variety of high quality frames, sunglasses and prescription lens

designs. Our large selection ensures that you can nd the best eyeglasses. It shouldn’t be a struggle to see, so we provide superior optical services.

We also provide contact lenses as an alternative to wearing glasses. Our experts can help you determine the best contact lenses for your speci c needs.

Do you have any upcoming events?

We are hosting a Maui Jim and Zeal Optics trunk show on Friday, May 12, just in time for Mother’s Day.

Continued from front page

While ranked choice voting has been gaining favorability in Utah and across the country (it is now used in state and city elections in Maine, San Francisco and New York City), not everyone believes the system is advantageous.

Millcreek resident David Else told councilmembers that the nature of ranked choice voting violates the principle of one-person one-vote. He believes the result of ranked choice voting “is actually a loss of the voice of the people.” Else also referenced the ranked choice election in Sandy, “where it was only 39% that ended up voting for [the winning candidates].”

DeSirant also made reference to the issues experienced during the Sandy election, where the city had its first ranked choice election between nine candidates, resulting in confusion for many voters as to how to complete the ballot. “The big issue Sandy City had with ranked choice voting is they just didn’t do a great job educating the public,” he said. As a result, “it just was a mess.”

Despite some opposition, the majority of surveyed Millcreek respondents who used ranked choice voting in 2021 to elect councilmembers for Districts 2 and 4 reported that the instructions were clear, the process was easy to use, and that they liked ranked choice voting and preferred it to traditional elections.

The decision to opt in to ranked choice voting is part of a pilot program started by the Utah Legislature, after which the state will decide whether or not to continue. Councilmembers voted unanimously to implement the ranked choice system in the districts who had not used it in 2021, with Councilwoman Cheri Jackson citing the need for a “citywide experience” of the process in order to make a long-term decision.

Candidates for city council in Districts 1 and 3 as well as mayoral candidates will have from Aug. 8-15 to declare their candidacy and elections will take place in Millcreek on Nov. 7. l

Sen. Romney talks Millcreek future

By Travis Barton | travis.b@thecityjournals.com

Millcreek City leaders met with Sen. Mitt Romney at the end of March to talk about the city’s future.

“Robust city centers help strengthen communities and build an identity for the city. I enjoyed having Millcreek Mayor Jeff Silvestrini and the City Council share with me their plans to develop Millcreek’s downtown, including bringing in new retail, recreation, restaurants and much-needed residential developments,” Romney said. l

Romney met with various elected officials from different cities throughout the last week in March including Draper’s Mayor Troy Walker and various city councils including South Jordan, Salt Lake City, Lehi and St. George.

(Photos courtesy Romney Press Office)

SBOs from Granite District high schools create an anti-slur campaign

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

Student body officers from the eight Granite District high schools came together to create an anti-slur campaign, sharing the message that words have power. With help from district leaders, SBOs from Taylorsville, Cyprus, Olympus, Granger, Skyline, Kearns, Hunter and Cottonwood high schools created and launched the video “Stand Together, Speak Out, Make a Difference.”

The video invites viewers to walk in someone else’s shoes to see how slurs, derogatory language and hurtful words have an impact on individuals.

During the April 11 Granite District school board meeting, the SBOs were recognized for their work on the video and the efforts they have made at their schools to bring about inclusion, acceptance and change.

“It was so fun to have the district reach out to us. We had a big part in coming up with a lot of the script, which was super cool,” said Skyline Student Body President Max Stewart. “We thought this was such a fantastic idea and a message that really needed to be heard.”

Student leaders shared their own experiences being targeted because of their culture, heritage or skin color. They thanked the district for its action in bringing attention to the problem and hope the video starts conversations to foster respect and understanding.

The campaign inspired the SBOs to create programs in their own schools to further the message. Olympus High introduced Kindness Week, where students were encouraged to demonstrate acts of kindness to the school community. Cottonwood High

SBOs started the “Acceptance Starts with U” campaign to encourage empathy and kindness.

“Obviously, Cottonwood is one of the more diverse schools and due to that there’s also more racism, which is kind of hard to say, but it’s a reality,” said Cottonwood High Student Body President Jario Licona.

While many slurs and comments can be obviously hurtful, many microaggressions often go unaddressed. The Harvard Business Review defines microaggression as “When someone says or does something that feels hostile or offensive to some aspect of our identity, and the person doesn’t even realize it.”

Microaggression includes phrases like, “What country are you really from?” or “Don’t be so sensitive” or “I don’t see color.” The anti-slur video encourages students to take responsibility for their actions and words and understand the importance of speaking up when hearing or witnessing derogatory comments. It also demonstrates the importance of developing empathy by showing kindness and compassion.

The Stand Together, Speak Out, Make a Difference video is available on YouTube.

“I want to express how proud I am of this group,” said Granite School District Superintendent Rich Nye. “When we meet with our SBOs, we are talking about those issues of importance for our students as they’re occurring in our schools, and then they leverage their leadership to make that effective change. When we think of bullying and harassment and discrimination in our schools, there’s simply no place for it.” l

OUR FULL-SERVICE ER IS HERE FOR YOU

At Salt Lake Regional Medical Center, we encourage you to listen to your body, eliminate the guesswork, and avoid taking chances anywhere else. Our safe and ready facility is here 24/7 to promptly diagnose and treat every emergency. Learn more at saltlakeregional.org

Student body officers from Taylorsville, Cyprus, Olympus, Granger, Skyline, Kearns, Hunter and Cottonwood high schools created a video to address slurs and derogatory language at school. Several SBOs attended a Granite District board meeting to present the video to board members. (Photo courtesy of Granite School District)

“ The technician was prompt, worked quickly, and was very professional. They provided outstanding same day service.”

—David C

“ Robert and Mark were great! We had pipes burst at night and they were right there to help us get the water shut off and to help us get all the water out and dried. They were both professional, communication was great and they were thorough.I would recommend them to anyone! ”

—Anna D

Polish your teapots, iron your doilies and butter your crumpets. For the first time in 70 years, an English monarch will be crowned and the whole world will tune in to see if King Charles III, Prince William and Prince Harry bust each other up at Westminster Abbey.

Whether or not the coronation turns into a fistfight, there will be plenty of spectacle, pomp, circumstance, tradition, snobbery and a reminder that England adores fluffy hats.

King Charles will be 74 on the day of his coronation, code-named Operation Golden Orb (not even kidding). He’s much older than his mother was when she was enthroned. Queen Elizabeth was crowned at the age of 27 and reigned for 156 years.

The coronation is based on traditions going back centuries. In fact, for nearly 1,000 years, the Archbishop of Canterbury has conducted the ceremony. You’d think, at some point, people would start asking how he’s been alive for so long.

Our country has a bit of history with England, but we're still infatuated with royalty. American royalty just isn’t the same. It’s either the Kardashians or the Kennedys, depending on who you ask. When we elect a new president, we don’t

The Royal Treatment

coronation. King Charles and Queen Camilla will leave Buckingham Palace in a four-ton Gold State Coach that’s been used in coronations since 1830 and is notoriously uncomfortable. It’s covered in gilded statues and painted panels and will be pulled by eight dragons through the streets of London.

The procession travels from the palace, past Isengard at the southern end of the Misty Mountains, along Trafalgar Square, through Hogwarts to Westminster Abbey where the king will be anointed with holy oil using the Coronation Spoon. I don’t know if there’s a knife and fork. Wikipedia didn’t mention any other coronation utensils.

King Charles will then stand next to a really old chair (and it’s not even made out of swords pulled from the hands of his dead enemies), and given things to hold like the Royal Orb, a couple of scepters, gold spurs, a jeweled sword, gold bracelets and a ring. No wonder it’s hard to be king. That’s a lot to carry.

follow centuries of history and tradition. We do a swearing-in ceremony followed by four years of smack talk on social media.

But England knows how to stage a

Then the Archbishop (who HAS to be a vampire, I mean come on!) places the five-pound crown on the king’s head. Saint Edwards Crown has a solid gold frame and is bedazzled with rubies, ame-

thysts, sapphires and other jewels, making the crown worth more than my entire lifetime income.

Everyone yells, “God save the king!” and trumpets blare and, Bob’s your uncle, England has a new king.

Then the fun starts. Concerts will feature new musical pieces commissioned by the king himself, including an anthem written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and I can only hope it’s performed by the cast of “Cats.” A refugee choir and an LGBTQ+ ensemble will perform, because we all know how much the royal family loves diversity.

There’s even a Coronation Quiche consisting of spinach, broad beans, cheese, tarragon and lard, to celebrate the country’s devotion to bland food. You can get the recipe online and make it for your family as you watch the celebration.

Leaders from around the world will attend the coronation, except some countries who are afraid if they send leaders to the event, England will colonize them while they’re gone. But this is a historical moment you won’t want to miss, especially if the royal family starts throwing the crown jewels at each other.

Etc. Call Dan: 801.518.7365 GUTTER