Millcreek Journal | September 2023

SPARTA UNITED TO

By Daniel Olsen | d.olsen@mycityjournals.com

Whenthe Sparta United soccer club won the Far West Regional last year, that was a monumental leap for a team in the often overlooked state of Utah. They came back and won the national championship for the boys U 1617 division for the USY (United States Youth Soccer).

“Many people helped us build off last year’s success,” said soccer club player Alex Horton. “Teammates push me on and off the field to my limits. Another person is my dad. He’s pushed me like nobody has ever pushed me before. It’s helped me be where I am today. The days where I don’t like being pushed hard are where I have learned the most. Those are the days I learned and improved the most.”

There are many aspects of the game that Horton focuses on to be able to compete at this level.

“Most of my work is done in my weekly training,” Horton said.

Continued page 8

Alex Horton with Sparta United after winning the National Championship. (Photo Natalie Horton)

USA Rugby to host International Friendly in Utah

Rugby is a popular sport in Utah and teams and players here have helped build up the sport in the United States. One player who has thrived in this environment is Paul Mullen.

“I’m from Ireland,” Mullen said. “It’s on a small island off the coast. When I went to high school on the mainland, the only sport they played was rugby. It was sink or swim. Fortunately, I was able to excel.”

Utah’s Major League Rugby team, the Utah Warriors, is hosting an attempt at the Guinness World Record for the largest rugby scrum, and proceeds from the event will benefit 5 for the Fight and Make-A-Wish Utah. With fan and player participation, the challenge will take place immediately following the upcoming international rugby spectacle featuring the USA Eagles and France’s Stade Toulousain on Sept. 16.

“We have a partnership with Stade Toulousain,” Utah Warriors CEO Kimball Kjar said. “They are arguably the Real Madrid of rugby. They won the most recent French championship. They are the most successful rugby club in the world. One goal of the partnership is to grow the sport of rugby but specifically within North America to help their brand grow. We also want the Utah Warriors brand to grow internationally and throughout Europe. We want to create events that showcase the sport of rugby.”

The thrilling matchup will be held at America First Field in Sandy with gates opening at 3 p.m. and game kickoff at 4 p.m. The pursuit for the world record begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets to participate in the scrum, along with a commemorative T-shirt, cost $10 and can be purchased as an add-on at checkout when purchasing match tickets here.

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By Daniel Olsen | d.olsen@mycityjournals.com

“American football fans like big hits,” Mullen said. “Rugby is the same but doesn’t go on for four hours. It’s only 80 minutes.”

While Mullen didn’t grow up in the United States, he still is happy to be a part of the national rugby team.

“My grandfather grew up in the U.S.,” he said. “For me to represent America is a great honor.”

This momentous endeavor in rugby history serves to engage the community and rugby fans from around the world and raise funds for the Utah Warriors’ local nonprofit partners. Fans who have upgraded their match ticket at the cost of $10 are invited to come down onto America First Field after the game, where over 3,000 people will lock arms to break the record of 2,586 participants set in 2018 in Aichi, Japan.

“This will be the biggest scrum in the world,” Mullen said. “It should be a friendly scrum. It is like a huge huddle. That would be cool if it was broken.”

“The long-term goal is to make Utah the epicenter of rugby for North America,” Kjar said. “We also want to be growing on a global scale. Utah has a love affair with the sport of rugby. Rugby playing countries led to the University of Utah playing rugby on their campus and eventually American football. Rugby was being played in the mid-20th century. BYU has won five national championships. Utah won a national championship too, in about 2010. Highland High School was successful and won over 20 national championships. We have one of the largest Polynesian communities outside of Polynesia. The guys that are in the NFL out of Utah all played rugby. Rugby is a part of Utah’s DNA. We are trying with

the Warriors to help people understand the energy that is played in this sport. We can help re-awaken the energy of the sport.”

This event should be an educational opportunity for those involved.

“Anyone who hasn’t come to a game of rugby should come. It’s a perfect opportunity to watch the best players in our backyard. We make it very easy for people to come out and enjoy the sport and game. Educational things. Gives people a view of what the sport looks like. People love it carries the day,” Kjar said.

“The Rugby World Cup is the biggest event,” Mullen said. “But we are playing against incredible world class athletes. They are one of the best clubs in the world.”

While this event will take place during

the middle of the Rugby World Cup, there will still be plenty of talented athletes who will line up against each other. The Rugby World Cup will take place from Sept. 8-Oct. 28.

The tickets are much cheaper than basketball, football, and soccer,” Mullen said. “It will be hard hitting with lots of scores and tackles. It should be an exciting time.”

While not every player from these teams will be in attendance, it will still be a world class matchup.

“We will have six to seven Utah Warriors playing as well as many of the best players from Toulouse,” Kjar said. “These are some of the best players in the world.”l

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Stacy

Eagles USA Rugby player Christian Dyer. (Kayla McFarland of Utah Warriors)

Carmelite Fair returns with events for the entire family

By Collette Hayes | c.hayes@mycityjournals.com

TheCarmel of the Immaculate Heart of Mary monastery in Holladay prepares to welcome a crowd of thousands to its annual Carmelite Fair.

Twelve cloistered nuns live, work and pray at the monastery. The nuns are independent of the diocese and live solely on alms. Donations received from the Carmelite Fair provide 80% of the monastery’s yearly income.

There are more than 150 volunteers serving on fair committees to support the daylong event. Engineers, attorneys, business owners and many others donate time to chair committees. Chris Bertram, chairperson for the fair, was the former Chief of Police in Holladay until he retired in 2015. After retiring, he began to take more of an active role as chairperson for the Carmelite Fair.

“I became involved in the fair with my dad,” Bertram said. “My dad, a retired FBI agent, was the chairperson for the fair for over 25 years. Fair preparation begins soon after the fair ends. We meet as a committee and talk about what went well and what needed to be improved. Starting in January our volunteer committees begin to meet monthly. Everything provided at the fair is donated from individuals or businesses. Most businesses have been donating for decades. The nuns pray for peace in the community. They pray for peace in the world. That is their vocation. They live a life of prayer every day. Our job as volunteers is to help provide funds so they can continue.”

Silent auction chairperson, Mary Solak, has a committee of five volunteers who work up to six hours a day four days a week beginning in February to prepare gift baskets for the silent auction. After gift basket

donations are received, the committee creates over 250 gift baskets to be auctioned off at the fair.

“The silent auction committee has a certain quality level for the gift baskets,” Solak said. “Each year we want to be sure to retain a high bar for everything auctioned. We have support and donations for the baskets coming in from all over Utah as well as other states in the United States.”

According to Bertram, it takes a lot of

effort to prepare the monastery for the daylong event. Juan Diego High School students will arrive early the morning before the fair to prepare the monastery grounds. The Judge Memorial High school football team will gather at the monastery after the event to take down event booths and provide general cleanup of the monastery.

“Our volunteers have become so dear to us,” Mother Therese said. “They come from all different parts of the Salt Lake Valley, all

for the love of the nuns. We are here to serve the Lord by praying for the community as well as the entire world. The Lord takes care, and the Lord will provide.”

This year, an original oil on canvas painting donated by renowned Canadian contemporary visual artist Peter Winnett will be auctioned. Handmade goods, including embroidered items made by the nuns, a food court, dancers from around the world, giveaways such as a 2023 Kia and many prizes and games including a new duck derby in the children’s area will all be part of this year’s fair.

The lineup for Carmelite events:

Sunday, Sept. 17: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Carmelite Fair, Carmelite Monastery (5714 Holladay Blvd.). There will be limited parking near the monastery. Shuttle service will be available in the community at four different locations. For shuttle information visit: www.carmelslc.org/carmelite-fair/.

Saturday, Sept 9: 8 a.m. 12th annual Golf for the Nuns Tournament, Old Mill Golf Course, shotgun scramble format. For tournament information contact dvgarcia8@ gmail.com.

Sunday, Sept. 17: 8-9 a.m. 12th annual 5K “Run for the Nuns” walk/run. The start and finish lines will be at the Carmelite Monastery. $25 registration fee. The race is open to all age levels and fitness abilities. For race information contact runforthenuns@gmail.com.

For more information about the Carmelite Fair visit: www.carmelslc.org/carmelite-fair/.

For questions about how to become a volunteer or make a donation to the Carmelite Monastery of Salt Lake visit their website at: carmelslc.org. l

On Sunday, Sept. 17, the 12th annual 5K “Run for the Nuns” walk/run will be held. Start and finish lines will be at the Carmelite Monastery in Holladay. The race is open to all age levels and fitness abilities. (Photo credit Erika Solak)

Handmade goods, including embroidered items made by the nuns, a food court, dancers from around the world, a 2023 Kia giveaway and many prizes and games, including a new duck derby in the children’s area, will all be part of this year’s Carmelite Fair. (Photo credit Erika Solak)

After gift basket donations are received, the silent auction committee creates over 250 gift baskets to be auctioned off at the Carmelite Fair. (Photo credit Erika Solak)

Pet therapy: A scratch behind the ears for humans

Sometimes it feels like a dog’s life

If you’re lonely or stressed there’s nothing like having someone to lean on, who will listen without judgement to what’s been getting you down, someone who doesn’t give unsolicited or unhelpful advice, someone who doesn’t care if you are sick, or old or anxious.

Now what if this someone was also cute and soft and they met you in the place where you needed them the most, say at school just before a big exam or in the hospital when you’re not feeling so great?

An Animal Assisted Intervention (AAI), or more familiarly pet therapy, can provide that special someone for humans who could use a “scratch behind the ears.”

Utah Pet Partners is a local nonprofit provider of pet therapy and is dedicated to improving human health and well-being, in partnership with therapy animals.

“These sweet dogs help release anxiety during exam week,” said Heather Panek, the dean of nursing at Arizona College of Nursing in Murray, where therapy pets visit on a monthly basis to ease the stress of test taking. “There’s nothing more beneficial for our students than a laugh, a snuggle, and a moment or two with no worries.”

Where to get some puppy love

Utah Pet Partners collaborates with about 100 volunteer teams (pet and owner). Teams are often deployed to Primary Children’s Hospital and other hospitals around the state, local veterans homes, and memory care and assisted living facilities. At times they are summoned for crisis response and suicide prevention at mental health facilities.

There is empirical evidence that therapy animals reduce anxiety, improve healing time, and increase motivation for accomplishing difficult tasks (among many other positive outcomes). “Dekker knows just when people need to feel supported and when they need to be leaned into,” said Whitney Stewart, Pet Partners human volunteer, and owner of Dekker, a black standard poodle. “He doesn’t shy away.”

Therapy animals are frequent visitors to elementary schools, where their presence has proven benefits on emergent readers. When a child has someone to read out loud to, someone who will endlessly listen and not judge as they sound out words, they are willing to try harder and read longer, improving comprehension, test scores, and most importantly the love of reading.

One local volunteer team, Rumble (and his human companion Megan Stewart), have weekly visits at Brookhaven Elementary, where the fourth-grade class has named themselves Rumble’s Readers and eagerly look forward to his attention.

By Ella Joy Olsen | e.olsen@mycityjournals.com

Teams typically visit for about an hour to 90 minutes. There is no charge for a visit, as the organization is donation and volunteer based. However, for-profit companies will be asked for a donation. The visits are not intended for entertainment or novelty, they are therapeutic.

Purrrrfect Partner - Qualifications of a Volunteer team

About 90% of therapy animals are dogs, but many animals are eligible to volunteer in a pet team varying from cats to birds to llamas (no wild or exotic animals like iguanas).

“There is a handler course and an in-person evaluation each team must pass,” said Melany Hillstead, executive director of Utah Pet Partners. “We need to know how the pet will respond if they are hugged, or petted by people with limited mobility, and how they will respond in a stressful situation or in a crowd.”

The national Pet Partners organization provides the teams with professional handler training, support and mentoring, careful team assessment, and they have a commitment to animal welfare. Once the team passes the tests and a health examination, and becomes a registered Pet Partner team, they will be available for visits. Insurance is provided and the location of the visit is vetted for safety of the volunteers.

Treats for good behavior

The best reward for volunteering with Utah Pet Partners is the pleasure of helping others and in sharing the love of a good animal. But the organization also provides an annual volunteer appreciation picnic. This year it was held at Wheeler Farm and included dinner, a prize drawing, and games and treats for the pets. A doggone good time was had by all.

To inquire about a Pet Partner visit or to volunteer, visit utahpetpartners.org l

Dekker and his human companion Whitney Stewart visit the Arizona College of Nursing campus in Murray during exam week. (Ella Joy Olsen/City Journals)

These puppy eyes make everything less stressful. Moses is a Utah Pet Partners volunteer. (Photo Utah Pet Partners)

Wasatch Wanderers presented with the Governor’s Spirit of Service Award

AdisonSmith thought she was being scammed when she got the email from the governor’s office. But when they reached out a second time, Smith realized the email was legit and her nonprofit was being honored with the Governor’s Spirit of Service Award.

Smith is the president of Wasatch Wanderers, an animal rescue organization that has saved nearly 1,000 abandoned or injured domestic waterfowl and exotic animals since it was founded in September 2021. The award recognizes the group’s efforts to rescue animals and educate the public.

“The Spirit of Service winners are amazing examples of why Utah leads the nation in volunteerism and service,” said Gov. Spencer Cox. “I am honored to pay them tribute and recognize the good they are doing in our great state.”

Wasatch Wanderers was selected from hundreds of nominations submitted to the governor’s office this year. Smith and co-founder Kade Tyler attended the ceremony at the Utah State Capitol in July. She hopes the recognition will bring more attention to their cause.

“We’re asking the public to share this important message that not only is it illegal to abandon animals, but it’s also extremely cruel,” Smith said.

The group’s focus is on saving waterfowl and animals that aren’t considered typical pets including ducks, geese, pigs, turtles, goats, hamsters and guinea pigs. Wasatch Wanderers make it their goal to show just how valuable these animals really are.

During the last two years, Smith said she’s seen a change of mindset as people learn the dangers of abandoning domestic wildlife. Parents have told her they stopped releasing

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

ducks, geese, turtles and fish into public lakes and streams after hearing the Wasatch Wanderers message.

Cities have also reached out to the organization to help rescue animals in their waterways. Smith would like to get more cities on board with the idea of rescue instead of euthanization.

“The choice of euthanizing all of those animals over and over and over again every single year isn't making a difference,” Smith said. “They continue to have the same amount of people buying the animals and abandoning them. And if they don't understand that, they're not getting the point.”

As Wasatch Wanderers grows in visibility, it needs more foster homes, people willing to adopt animals and more donations to keep the effort going. The goal is to one day purchase property to have a rescue facility where people can drop-off or adopt animals. For more information, or to see a list of animals available for adoption, visit WasatchWanderers.org and follow its social media pages.

Smith is optimistic that change is possible and is pleased with the progress they’ve made in the last two years. She’s had parents tell her they had no idea it was illegal to abandon geese or ducks in the wild. They didn’t know it was a danger to the animals and the environment.

“In the animal community, change takes forever, so seeing this change means everything,” Smith said. “One of my favorite things to do, when we teach an educational group, is to watch the parents’ faces of the children we’re teaching. They're just totally floored. So it’s neat to watch and it’s big. Hopefully, with the parents hearing it too, we could possibly change traditions or choices for generations to come.”l

Why do we continue to see labor shortages, even with big wage increases?

The labor market continues to be a puzzle. The unemployment rate is back to where it was before the pandemic and the number of jobs created is much higher than analysts expected. However, we still struggle to bring people off the sidelines and back into the labor force. Shouldn’t a strong economy entice more people to work?

This is one of the challenges the Federal Reserve faces as it tries to bring the economy back to normal. The Fed is targeting “below-trend” growth in the economy to cool things back down after several years of overheating. But in doing so, the Fed runs the risk of pushing it into a recession.

Inflation is down significantly compared to last year, but price increases remain too high. While supply chains are largely back to normal, some sectors are seeing “sticky” price increases that are struggling to come down. This includes the service sector, where price hikes are primarily driven by wage increases rather than input prices. So, when the Fed says they want below-trend growth, what they mean is they need the labor market to slow.

One of the main measures of labor market strength is the labor force participation rate, which measures the pool of poten-

By Robert Spendlove, Zions Bank Senior Economist

tial workers available in the economy.

The U.S. labor force participation rate peaked in 2000 at 67.3%. Since then, it has been gradually trending lower, dropping to 63.3% in early 2020 as baby boomers reached retirement age and left the labor force. This “silver tsunami” of retiring boomers wasn’t a surprise, but the COVID pandemic caused the wave to crash.

In two months, from February to April 2020, the participation rate dropped to 60.1%, as 22 million people lost their jobs during the outbreak of COVID. Since the pandemic, the participation rate has been slowly increasing as groups of people return to the workforce. But the rate currently only stands at around 62.6%, and it hasn’t increased in four months. This gap in labor participation represents millions of people who haven’t come back off the sidelines to return to the workforce.

Different groups have had unique reactions to the pandemic economic shocks. The labor force participation of “prime age” workers who are between 25 and 54 years old dropped initially in 2020 but has since fully recovered and is now higher than before the start of the pandemic. However, the labor participation rate of workers

55 years and older is still far below levels from 2020. The participation rate for this age group has been trending lower for the past 18 months.

This imbalance in the labor market is one of the main targets of Federal Reserve policy actions. Since it is very difficult to increase the supply of labor and get people to come out of retirement and return to the labor force, the Fed instead is focused on reducing the demand for labor. Rising interest rates increase the cost of business borrowing, which should slow demand for

workers.

However, many businesses are reluctant to let workers go and job vacancy rates remain high. It’s still too early to tell whether a soft landing is possible or whether the overheated economy will cool too quickly over the next few months. If the current labor market conditions continue, this could represent a new normal and we won’t return to pre-pandemic labor force participation. Dynamic economies like we have in the United States can adjust, but the road ahead remains foggy. l

Adison Smith (right) president of Wasatch Wanderers, and cofounder Kade Tyler, received the Governor’s Spirit of Service Award for their work in rescuing abandoned or injured domestic waterfowl and exotic pets. (Photo courtesy of Adison Smith)

“We focus on speed and technical drills. I want to build in every aspect of the game to make ourselves better overall. Apart from that, I go to the gym and work on my build. It’s hard, but in the end I look back and say I did a good job because it paid off.”

Before they got to nationals, the regionals were a touch obstacle for Sparta United to get to the same place they were last year.

“They won regionals and came back Horton said. “Having that in our minds really pushed us a lot. It’s the same thing that happened last year. The key that helped us was having a positive attitude towards referees and coaches. There were some really good teams, and we had to push and not get down on our-

The national championship was played in Florida again. The championship is at the ESPN World Wide Sports Complex. Every sport by ESPN is hosted on that Disney

“We went to the Disney water park before to calm my mind,” Horton said. “I wanted to have fun with my family before it all started. That was a good part before the

Being a Millcreek native means that this was not only a win for the state of Utah, but

“This goes toward getting recruited collegiately,” Horton said. “If you go to nationals, there are college coaches coming after you. The state of Utah is highly underrated. People assume there aren’t good players there. You shouldn’t look past us. Whether you are a college or regular coach or just a fan, you can’t assume we are crummy at soccer just because we are from Utah. Not a lot of kids have made it as far as I have. It’s awesome to be in this lovely area and have the attention that has resulted from this.”

Other college scouts are taking notice and have reached out to Horton and his teammates about opportunities to play in college.

“There’s less for men than women in Utah but that’s OK,” Horton said. “I have some opportunities in the state of Utah. Most of the opportunities are coming out of state

and some are out of Colorado. Wherever life takes me, I know it’s for a reason. I am 100% planning on playing collegiate soccer. My teammates committed verbally but the earliest day you can sign is in December. One of my friends who graduated last year just committed a month or so ago.”

Until college commitment time comes, Horton is concentrating on the here and now.

“We have already had one practice since we won nationals,” Horton said. “We decided we want to set the tone. We are losing a lot of good players, but we are filling in the roles and setting the expectation that we will do this in 2024.”

Along with the regionals and attention from colleges came perhaps the most amazing feat in youth soccer in Utah history, a national title.

“Ever since that last game we won I got a lot of congratulations and questions,” Horton said. “I am often asked how it feels. I am lost for words. We set the expectation. We could have been better in last year’s performance at nationals. The first year we didn’t know what to expect, but now we know so we have to go out and get it. In the summer it is over 90 degrees with humidity at nationals. In those moments, you have to fight and push through it. Another team kicked us out last year and we beat them at nationals this year.”

It wasn’t easy, but Sparta United was able to get the job done.

“If you get knocked down the first time, then it’s important to get back up and knock them down,” Horton said. “It feels great to be on top of America. We have to come back and get it next year.” l

Alex Horton at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. (Photo Natalie Horton)

A recycling refresher: What, where and how

By Ella Joy Olsen | e.olsen@mycityjournals.com

The pizza box is empty, but gooey cheese bits stick to the corners. Susan Reese, a Murray resident, heads for her blue recycle bin because, as she claims, “Cardboard is recyclable.”

But is it?

“We usually recommend people rip off the top of the pizza box to recycle, and put the greasy bottom in the trash,” McKenna Tupa’i, the sustainability coordinator for Wasatch Front Waste and Recycling, said on the City Cast podcast. “Because paper items soaked in food waste can’t be recycled.”

But what if you don’t? Does one cheesy pizza box ruin a whole blue bin’s worth of recycling?

It does not. “This is a common myth,” continued Tupa’i. “Only the items that have directly touched the food waste, and typically only paper products that absorb, would have to be trashed.”

Plastic and glass containers with a little food left in them, as long as it’s not drippy, will be rinsed and recycled. And don’t bother soaking off those labels, they’re fine.

So what can you recycle?

Plastic: things like detergent tubs, soda bottles, plastic Starbucks cups, and those plastic berry/greens containers. Basically, plastic types 1 through 7. No plastic bags or liners of any sort because they gum up the machine.

Household metals: soda cans, empty aerosol and tin cans.

Paper: cardboard, junk mail, newspaper, cereal and other boxes. No shredded paper because it gums up the machine. Unfortunately, no paper with waxy coating (like almond milk containers) or paper envelopes lined with plastic.

Hard to recycle items: some things are harder to recycle than others. Some items, like batteries and remote controls, contain hazardous materials that require special handling. But there are options. Here’s an example or two:

mattresses at Spring Back Utah; electronics at Best Buy; plastic bags and packaging at WinCo, Walmart and Smith’s.

You can find a handy and comprehensive list at wasatchfrontwaste.org/about/faqs or slco.org/recycle/hard-to-recycle-items/.

Glass: glass isn’t lumped in with blue bin recycling items for the safety of the handlers, however it’s infinitely recyclable, so you should try to recycle it. Most Salt Lake Valley residents can sign up for a glass recycling container (start-up cost of $45 and additional $8/month fee), or take glass bottles to one of many locations valley wide. For a map, see utah.momentumrecycling.com/recycling-services-homes/#dropoff.

What happens to the materials in the blue bin once they leave your home?

The specific recycler who processes your household items depends on your address, but your local MRF (Material Recovery Facility), collects, sorts and bales like-recyclable items. Bales of aluminum or plastic or paper are sold and transferred to one of many processing sites across North America. From there the materials are turned into pellets and resold to be remolded into fresh aluminum, glass, steel, paper or plastic consumer items.

Sometimes it seems like we only recycle to make ourselves feel better about our consumption, so are there actual benefits to recycling?

Of course employing reusable items, like ceramic plates from your cupboard or cloth napkins is the best, but recycling reduces the landfill and it also creates jobs. Most importantly it saves energy and natural resources, as the virgin materials do not have to be mined for manufacturing in the first place. “If you recycle just one glass bottle it saves enough energy to light a 100-watt bulb for four hours, power a computer for 30 minutes, or a television for 20 minutes,” Tupa’i said. “So it’s worth it.” l

Bins lined curbside on garbage day. Brown is yard waste, blue is recycling, green is headed for the landfill. (Ella Joy Olsen/City Journals)

Dazzling the skies: Drone light shows take flight

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

Duringthe Cottonwood Heights Butlerville Days celebration, a merging of lights and technology took center stage in the night sky. Residents gathered to watch a mesmerizing drone show, where art and innovation collide.

Cottonwood Heights Culture Manager Ann Eatchel added the drone show to this year’s celebration after meeting with Open Sky, a drone light show company. She wanted to bring a new element to the annual celebration and offer an alternative to fireworks.

Not quite breaking with tradition, Eatchel scheduled the drone show for Friday night and the regular fireworks show for Saturday. There was mixed reaction from residents for both shows.

“Some people left the drone show saying that was the coolest thing ever…It didn’t have the loud noises that can scare pets and it doesn’t leave the smoke and pollution a fireworks show does,” Eatchel said. “And then I had people say no, I’m a fireworks person. I gotta have the booms, gotta have the sparkles. So it totally went both ways.”

Cities across Salt Lake County are choosing drone shows over fireworks for celebrations. Salt Lake City held a drone show for its Fourth of July event and the city of South Jordan teamed with LiveDAYBREAK to bring a drone show to city residents.

Nate Mortensen, Open Sky CEO, said demand for drone shows has increased significantly. Last year, the company did about 30 shows, but now they’re doing that many each month. He says comparing drone shows to fireworks is an apples to oranges situation. While drones can’t replicate the pop and sizzle of fireworks, the show provides cities with the ability to person-

alize the production and tell a story.

“We customize and change the show to match the theme of each event that we fly and use this as a storytelling opportunity as opposed to just entertainment,” Mortensen said. “If you can imagine staring at the sky and seeing shooting stars or meteors crossing the sky, it happens so quick, but you really remember that experience. A drone show is 10 to 13 minutes of choreographed shooting stars that you're watching in the sky.”

A customized drone show’s cost can be equivalent to a fireworks show, usually starting around $15,000, based on the

COREY J. MILLER, MD

number of drones used. Most city shows average 150 drones but Open Sky has created shows using hundreds of drones at a six-figure cost.

Proponents of drone shows say drones are better for the environment and safer for residents than traditional fireworks. But while a fireworks show can last up to 30 minutes, a drone show lasts about half that time.

Each drone costs thousands of dollars and battery life lasts about 14 minutes. Mortensen has found that’s a great length of time to keep the audience engaged without losing their attention.

The Cottonwood Heights event featured 150 drones with music and was customized to include the city’s logo and the logo of two event sponsors. If she has her way, Eatchel would love to offer both a drone and fireworks show at next year’s Butlerville Days.

“I have a whole plan if the council wants to move forward,” she said. “But I’m here to do what the council wants, what the Butlerville Days committee wants and what the public wants.”

As drone technology evolves, Mortensen expects the Open Sky shows to bring more creativity, choreography and customization to his clients. He’s excited to see what comes next and he challenges everyone to get out to see a drone show in person.

“Watching [a drone show] online is a great way to see it. But it’s much different in person when you see the size and the scale of these formations that are hundreds of feet wide and hundreds of feet tall. It’s really something to behold,” he said. “The most common takeaway we hear from people after a show is they didn't know what to expect….It just exceeds their expectations when they finally see one in person.” l

For Dr. Miller, joining Mountain States Eye Center is highly personal. Serving the patients that his father, Dr. Corey A. Miller has cared for and and treated is as an honor and privilege. Dr. Corey J. Miller brings his own set of exceptional skills, experience, and dedication to continuing the legacy of outstanding medical care.

Dr. Miller specializes in cornea, cataract, refractive, and external disease. He is board-certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology.

Cottonwood Heights residents enjoyed the city’s first drone show during Butlerville Days, as more cities explore drone show options. (Photo courtesy of Cottonwood Heights)

Solution to misbehavior is sensory stimulation

At Advantage Arts Academy, a free arts integration charter school in Herriman, staff members respond to student misbehavior with an untraditional method—they send the student to play.

“Most kids who have extraordinary behavior issues are dysregulated,” AAA Special Education Director Jennifer Evans said. “Their proprioceptive systems are out of whack and there they are overstimulated. If you don't flesh out these systems, then what you're doing all day long is you're putting out fires. If they are emotionally dysregulated, they're not even in your classroom. They're off volcanoing in the hallway or in the administrator's office.”

To address students’ sensory needs, Evans implemented two systems at AAA: Sensory Pathway and Sensory Lunch.

The Sensory Pathway is an obstacle course with a series of physical exercises that provide proprioceptive input to kids’ vestibular systems and calms their anxiety and frustration.

Evans said when students are able to move their bodies and get the sensory input they need, they can regulate their emotions, and are able to spend more time learning in the classroom.

“You'd have to see it to believe it,” Evans said. “They just feel so much better and they can go back to class and focus until they get their next break. And then there's no volcano going, which is what I call it. So it's like heading up the mountain to the explosion, and we head it off before we get up to the top.”

Jennifer Jolly’s 9-year-old son, who struggles with undiagnosed ADHD and emotional issues, participates regularly in the Sensory Pathway.

“Our son has taken advantage of this as a way to escape when he feels overwhelmed or out of control of his body,” Jolly said. “This has often led to a very successful return to a classroom instead of being sent home for aggressive behaviors.”

Evans works with teachers and parents to identify patterns in a student’s behavior, which could be triggered by anxiety, overstimulation, hunger or strong emotions, and schedules a visit to the Sensory Pathway before the time of day they tend to act up.

First-grade teacher Addison Bowcutt said it has “saved her life” as a teacher.

“I had a lot of students last year that really needed some sort of sensory stimulation,” she said. “Had they not had the chance to get it out, it would've been a complete disaster. While in the Sensory Room, they would complete an obstacle course, jump on a trampoline, or whatever else they needed at the time to just fulfill their sensory needs. Anytime a student would come back from the Sensory Room, it was like they could take a breath of air as a relief, and they were ready to learn again. Rather than hyperfocusing on their overstimulation, they could actually focus on the task at hand.”

The other program which has made a huge difference for overstimulated students is Sensory Lunch, which is an alternative location for lunch, held in a small room, with fewer people, less noise and dimmed lights.

“The lunchroom is a very loud, chaotic place for a student,” third-grade teacher Annie Rose said. “There are lots of kids and they have to make choices. I get stressed going in there sometimes because there's so much going on.”

Last year, she had a student who was agitated every day after lunch.

By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

“They would have such a hard time coming down to do math right after lunch, that it caused a behavior problem almost every day, so I'd have to calm them down and it was a whole process,” she said.

When Sensory Lunch was implemented midyear, select students were invited to eat their lunches in the less stimulating environment.

“The sensory lunchtime allows for a less chaotic experience, where eating is encouraged with a small amount of friends and then a break period to be physical without all the stimulation of a playground recess,” Jolly said. “This has worked very well for our son so far, as we have had fewer phone calls from the school to come and get him during this particularly hard time of day.”

Melissa Tryon said the school’s systematic approach to addressing her extremely shy son’s behavior has been a game changer. At the beginning of last year, he didn’t want to go to school and he wouldn’t interact with the other kids. He would call several times throughout the day asking to come home.

Once he began participating in the Sensory Lunch and Sensory Pathway, his school experience changed.

“By the end of the year, he was happy to go to school every day, eating lunch with the kids in the lunchroom again and playing soccer with others at recess,” Tryon said. “He would come home with fun stories every day and was in much better spirits overall.”

AAA Principal Kelly Simonsen said students and parents are much happier because of the way behaviors are being addressed at school.

“We’re not labeling behaviors as proof of negative

worth of a student, but we’re helping students understand this behavior happens when you feel dysregulated and here's how we're going to help you calm yourself, here's some things that you can do,” Simonsen said. “We’re helping students understand their own behavior and their own brains.”

She said it has been a relief to parents who’ve been told for years that their child had a behavior problem.

“We're saying we recognize that your student has this need and here's how we're going to help to meet it, and you just see a lot of parents feel validated,” Simonsen said.

Jolly's son previously disliked school but now loves it.

“He knows now he has options instead of being labeled the ‘hard’ kid or the ‘problem’ child,” she said. “He loves being in school and has a few friends. We have had so much respect for some of the teachers at AAA who are willing to, not only accept, but to favor these strategies and systems.”

Bowcutt said changing the mindset of seeing “naughty” students as kids who are overstimulated, has made a huge difference in her class.

“I saved myself a lot of phone calls, emails and visits to the office because these kids got a chance to help themselves,” she said. “Overall, it has created a better learning environment for the school as a whole.” l

Participating in physical activities helps students regulate their emotions and improves their behavior. (Kelly Simonsen/AAA)

Students who spend time doing physical activities in the Sensory Pathway return to class ready to learn. (Kelly Simonsen/AAA)

“To care for those who once cared for us is one of the highest honors.”

—Tia Walker, author of “The Inspired Caregiver”

Caregiving is hard work. Often unpaid. Often seemingly unappreciated by the one receiving care. And sometimes caregivers are the ones who need care.

In a CNN “Ted Talk,” Alexandra Drane, the co-founder of Rebel Health, and the Wellness Expert for Prudential said, “Forty-three percent of Americans are currently in the role of unpaid caregiver. And 70% of these caregivers have a mental health impact from it—anxiety, depression, substance abuse or suicidal thoughts. Worrying about the ones we love is normal, because we care. And sometimes it seems like there is no help for the caregiver.”

But in Salt Lake County, there is.

Salt Lake County Aging & Adult Services has a remarkable array of services available for caregivers. Accessing resources is easy. Look online at slco.org/ aging-adult-services/caregiver-support/. Or call 385-468-3200.

A care support coordinator will respond to the unique caregiving situation, assess the individual needs, and direct the caregiver to services available. Maybe a caregiver could use a hand in providing

Care for those who are caregivers

By Ella Joy Olsen | e.olsen@mycityjournals.com

meals, or securing a ride to a doctor. It might be in finding help with insurance paperwork or in learning behavior techniques to help calm a loved one.

One of the many programs available, one that has received a 2023 award from the National Association of Counties (NACo), is the Caregiver Talking Points Program. It was created using years of frontline caregiver experience and knowledge, and in honestly assessing the struggles faced while caregiving. The purpose of the program is to care for the caregiver, so they are better skilled at improving their own daily lives and managing their routine of caregiving.

These talking points can be used in a support group setting (in-person or virtual), or one-on-one with a case manager, or even as a worksheet to be completed at home.

“The simple act of caring is heroic.” —Edward Albert, American actor

The Caregiver Talking Points were created for non-professional caregivers: children, spouses, and friends. Givers who need a bite-sized education moment. Caregivers who may be part of the sandwich generation, caring for parents and their own children at the same time. Caregivers who are still working and are trying to get over the hurdle directly in front of them, before considering the next.

Or as Kathy Nelson, training specialist with Salt Lake County Aging & Adult Services and the primary author of the Caregiver Talking Points, said, “Imagine yourself looking at a charcuterie board and knowing you can simply take a few items off the board and then stop. You got what you needed and savored every bite. Now imagine your parent making you eat every crumb on your plate before you can get up from the table.

“A caregiver should not be required to sit through a six-part education series just to learn the one skill they need from chapter three, paragraph seven. If you want the buffet, and you have the time, please attend a longer program—those programs also have great value. But if you are a tired, burned-out caregiver you might need something more flexible—a bite-sized approach like the Caregiver Talking Points.”

“It is not the load that breaks you down. It’s the way you carry it.” — Lena Horne, American dancer, actress, singer and civil rights activist

There are 25 Caregiver Talking Points covering a wide variety of care management subjects and skills needed by family, friends, and other caregivers as they journey through the continuum of care, from the first stages of caregiving to the very end.

Some talking points topics are: Setting Boundaries, Calming Behaviors, Arrang-

ing Care at Home, or Building Resilience. Here is a snippet from the Building Resilience talking point:

It is easy to drain energy and damage your ability to be resilient. Reviewing your current behaviors can show you why your resilience is depleted and provide ideas on how to rebuild your energy reserve. Here is an example:

• Energy draining behavior—I do not set good boundaries with mom. I do everything she wants right when she calls. I feel overwhelmed and I dread hearing the phone ring.

• Energy building behavior—I will put a notepad by mom’s phone. When she calls, I will have her write down what she needs. I will set aside Mondays and Thursdays from 6 to 8 p.m. to help her. Which of your current behaviors is draining energy and damaging your ability to be resilient?

Feedback regarding the program has been positive. This quote is from online feedback to Aging & Adult Services, “I didn't realize until I sat down with the worksheet and really thought about it what behaviors were irritating and causing me stress. Once I identified an energy draining behavior of my loved one, I wrote down how I could answer her constant questions differently and to my amazement, I calmed

down and she calmed down. Hooray!!”

And another, “There is so much useful and important information in these workshops that I don't even know where to start. The Arranging Care at Home worksheet was full of details to help me when I'm in a crisis mode and trying to work and take care of my immediate family. If I can't think clearly, I know I can call SLCo Aging and get some help there. These sessions have opened my eyes to see things and learn things I would never have known. They have relieved my stress so much!”

The Caregiver Talking Points program was one of the silver linings that came about during Covid-19. Trainers and case managers couldn’t go directly into homes, so they got creative and started teaching coping skills and talking points online. The program is fully funded by the county and is free and easily accessible to all caregivers and caregiving partners via no-cost PDF links.

Salt Lake County Aging & Adult Services is staffed by 250 employees and just over 2,400 volunteers. Visit slco.org/aging-adult-services/caregiver-support/.

“This getting old is getting old.” — Helen Romney Reese, former Murray resident, care receiver and reporter’s grandma l

Caregiver Talking Points creator and trainer, Kathy Nelson, coaches case managers on how to utilize the award-winning program. (Kathy Nelson)

Community east-west trail finally complete after 30 years

After 30 years and piecing together both funding and physical sections, the final leg of the 8-mile, east-west Parley’s Trail has been completed with a bridge on 900 West over the Jordan River, to be celebrated with an opening ceremony next month.

Headed by Parley’s Rails, Trails and Tunnels (PRATT) Coalition, the completion of the bridge over 900 West and the Jordan River completes Parley’s Trail connecting the west part of the valley to the East Bench. Construction on the section began in May and recently culminated this August.

“One of my favorite things about this section of trail was the influence PRATT had with common sense and vision,” said Juan Arce-Larreta, the chairperson of PRATT Coalition.

Six years ago, the coalition looked at this zone of the trail, finding it dead ended at a newly renovated 900 West. “It became this six-lane interchange, an on-and-off ramp where cars were now going 45 and accelerating to get onto the freeway, or decelerating coming off these high-speed main roads,” Arce-Larreta said. “So when we met there, we agreed we can’t expect or ask people to cross here, it’s just not safe.”

There were ideas of diverting the trail traffic to a safer crossing point down the way. But realistically the members knew asking that of riding cyclists and pedestrians was futile. “When you build a trail that comes to a main road, if you don’t have it going straight across, they’re not going to do it and you set yourself up for failure and create a dangerous situation,” Arce-Larreta said.

Thus the team ideated a bridge to solve the problem. The bridge brought the project from a $1.5 million to a $6.5-million project. “But do you do it right or do you just do it? I believe you do it correctly, you don’t do it in a hasty way,” Arce-Larreta said. “Let’s do it the right way, and that would be building a bridge.”

A look back at the Sugar House tunnel

A similar problem arose back in the ’90s at 1300 East in the heart of Sugar House. The road was too busy, too dangerous of an ask for bikers and pedestrians to cross the main vein through the tightly packed, urbanized area. In 1992, Salt Lake City adopted an Open Space Master Plan, ideating the concept of an off-road bicycle pedestrian corridor connecting Hidden Hollow to Sugar House Park, ultimately connecting Parley’s Canyon to the Jordan River Parkway.

In 1998, Kids Organized to Protect the Environment (KOPE) of Beacon Heights Elementary launched a problem-solving campaign to brainstorm ways to cross 1300 East between Sugar House Park and Hidden Hollow, finding that a tunnel would be the best solution.

By Genevieve Vahl | g.vahl@mycityjournals.com

“Kids are expected to be thinking outside the box,” said Lynne Olson, a former board member of PRATT Coalition. “When you allow young people to be a part of the solution planning, they come up with some pretty creative ideas, which, given enough thought, can be implemented into a truly remarkable product. And that’s what happened here.” The Draw at Sugar House was born.

In 1999, the University of Utah Department of Civil Engineering’s Community Transportation Team confirmed a tunnel would be the safest crossing, at the site of the historic Utah Central Railway. “It would cost less than an aerial bridge and would create fewer hazards to pedestrians than a traffic light and crosswalk,” Olson said. The PRATT Coalition was then formed in 2000.

In 2002, The National Endowment for the Arts New Public Works Initiative awarded Salt Lake City Planning Division money to host a juried competition to design the pedestrian crossing. “The winning design by local landscape architect Steven Gilbert and famed environmental artist Patricia Johanson was chosen for its careful attention to the cultural and ecological history of the place and its potential to enhance the transportation corridor,” Olson said. An artist’s vision and design

Johanson is an internationally known environmental artist who combines engineering, sculpture, landscaping, flood control, wildlife habitat and an outdoor classroom into her designs that work within the

environment in which they are set, taking inspiration from the land and natural ecological patterns of the area. “We need to envision and implement shared landscapes that collaborate with nature, rather than build more infrastructure demonstrating power and control,” Johanson wrote for the publication “Humans and Nature.” “By incorporating functional infrastructure within the living world, engineering can become more resilient, inclusive and continuously creative, harnessing and preserving the biological processes on which we all depend.”

The design, coined Sego Lily Plaza at the Draw, is both artistic and functional, including a major sculptural element only visible in its entirety aerially, in the shape of a Sego Lily, the Utah state flower, for its significance in the survival of early pioneers to avoid starvation by eating the flowers’ bulbs, per Native American recommendation.

In the case of a 100-year flood, the installation directs water overtopping the Parley’s Creek detention pond in Sugar House Park to collect in the basin that is the Sego Lily to then flow under the eight-lane highway draining into Parley’s Creek in Hidden Hollow. The 1300 East road is a certified dam, but even with this year's unprecedented snowmelt that flooded Sugar House Park, the water didn’t even make it to the Lily diversion mechanism, remaining in the well-designed basin of the pond with 1300 East damming it. The three petals function as the dam’s armature. The north petal rises

30 feet to counter waves to prevent erosion from under the road if a major flood were to happen. The east petal is striated with irrigation channels with seven veins representing the seven creeks that flow into the Great Salt Lake Valley. The south petal has winding pathways to get up to 1300 East.

“It is a major piece of water-control and transportation infrastructure, incorporating Parley’s Trail, which links the Bonneville Shoreline Trail to the Provo-Jordan River Parkway,” Johanson wrote. “This would be the first flood control system in America that has not only been designed as a work of art, but also accommodates many layers of functionality, from safe highway crossings to trails, wildlife corridors, educational programs and tourist magnet,” Olson said.

On the west end of the tunnel is a sculpted floodwall, faux “slot canyon” built featuring hoodoos representing Echo Canyon which was a “natural conduit through the mountains, used for thousands of years by wildlife and Native Americans migrating between the Rockies and the Great Basin,” Johanson wrote of the functional sculpture that features water catchment basins and habitat ledges for native plants and animals. Echo Canyon was the final leg for early pioneers before crossing the Weber River and scaling the Wasatch Mountains. “Johanson’s land art floods the imagination with memories, symbols and feelings of the men and women who walked the same path over 100 years ago, as well as reminding us of the forces of nature we do our best to nego-

An aerial view of Patricia Johanson’s environmental art in Sugar House Park working both functionally as a water diversion mechanism and artful installation. (Adam Isaac Hiscock/Wikimedia Commons)

tiate with,” Olson said.

The term “draw” “was used by Utah’s earliest settlers to describe the sunken riparian corridors that carried water off the Wasatch Mountains, most of which have now been filled,” according to Johanson. It is a low area, sloping down in one direction only and sloping upward in three others. “I never design until I have discovered the meaning of the place,” Johanson wrote. “Each place has a unique set of conditions and we need an intimate understanding of what it has been, is now and will become in the future, in order to create a design that is more than a willful act.”

Connecting communities with the trail

“It was cost prohibitive to do the trail all at once,” Arce-Larreta said about Parley’s Trail. So the trail has been piecemealed together for the past 30 or so years as funding has been raised for each new section. “Say the first phase of the trail we completed may have cost $2 million and a comparable section of the trail is now costing $6 million. Inflation costs increasingly went up,” Arce-Larreta said. “Every time we would come to another phase, it was another major fundraising effort and campaign.”

As it was for the Sego Lily Plaza and the Draw, Olson said. “But it was because there was such a coalition of people intent on making this work for as many communities as possible that made it a bit easier to get funding,” Olson said. Johanson’s project got funding primarily from the federal government, the second largest donors being the state and the county with some private donations.

“There were a lot of people in the public who didn’t think putting money into some artistic elements in the underpass was

Understanding Grief: Caring for Yourself, Caring for Others

Thursday, September 14, 2023

6:45–8pm

Larkin Sunset Gardens Mortuary 1950 East Dimple Dell Road, Sandy, Utah

SPEAKER

a good use of funds,” Arce-Larreta said. “But people love it now. It’s an amazing amenity in the community and people still don’t know about it.”

Parley’s Trail helps connect communities across the valley. “This is bridging the gap, connecting community,” Arce-Larreta said. “It’s connecting a lot of cities. People are going to be able to go from the East Bench to the west side in a relatively safe way. When they get to the Jordan River Parkway, we broke down this last barrier between 900 West and the Jordan River. The use of the trail should go way up as people discover it more and more.”

Even though the trail is officially complete, work on it still remains. “We’re not turning our back on the trail at this point, we’ll continue to improve it. Now we can add a bench here, or events there,” Arce-Larreta said. “The community needs to continue to be involved in not just the trail, but in their local community park and their local sidewalk and storm drains to make the community a better place.”

Now with this community amenity in place, Arce-Larreta encourages people to continue thinking big, about what else could better the Salt Lake communities we are all a part of. “If people see an opportunity to bring amenities to their community like the Parley’s Trail, they should not be intimidated about accomplishing their vision,” Arce-Larreta said. “They might be surprised to find that with a little time and effort and commitment to the project, just what they’ll be able to accomplish.”

The opening will be held in September to celebrate the decades of work to put Parley’s Trail together. l

William G. (Bill) Hoy, PH.D., FT

Author

Educator

Grief Counselor

Chaplain

Bereavement is not about “recovery,” but rather, about finding renewed life. The basic task for a bereaved person is to learn to live in a radically–changed world that no longer includes the physical relationship with our loved one. In this practical, community workshop, Dr. Bill Hoy will help bereaved people and those who care for them understand the practical steps to take charge of their grief and live again, even in the aftermath of incredible sorrow. For those in attendance who are curious about how to help, there will be ample ideas for the practical things to say and do (as well as to not say and do!).

During the workshop, we’ll find answers together to questions like:

• What simple actions can I take now to get my life back on track?

• Is what I’m feeling and seeing normal?

• How do I deal with well–meaning friends and their unwanted advice?

• The holidays are coming; what in the world are we going to do without them?

This event is complimentary of Larkin Mortuary and registration is not required.

For more information, call (801) 571-2771

Headed west on Parley’s Trail at 1300 East, riders emerge out of the tunnel along a faux slot canyon wall representing Echo Canyon where the pioneers made their final stretch into the Salt Lake Valley. (An Errant Knight/Wikimedia Commons)

Utah Water Savers incentivizes homeowners to create waterwise landscapes

By Genevieve Vahl | g.vahl@mycityjournals.com

We’veall seen the waste of water. A sprinkler gushes water onto the concrete. The delicate rays of water to be dispersed evenly across the grass jumbled into a mass of unfettered drench reaching nothing but the hot concrete to evaporate into thin air. In arid Utah, that’s a problem.

“Approximately two-thirds of drinking water in Utah is used to water lawns and landscapes,” according to Utah State University’s extension Center for Water-Efficient Landscaping. “Much of this water is being applied inefficiently, either due to sprinkler system design flaws or because sprinklers are running too long.”

A unified approach to saving water

In May of this year, a program called Utah Water Savers, the nation’s first statewide landscape incentive program, rolled out, working to eliminate wasteful moments exactly like this. The Division of Water Resources has partnered with Central Utah, Jordan Valley, Washington County and Weber Basin Water Conservancy Districts to develop the program that gives rebates to qualified homeowners in municipalities that have adopted water efficiency standards, of up to $3 per square foot when they replace their grass with water efficient, or waterwise, landscaping.

The most recent legislative session allocated a one-time $5 million and an ongoing $3 million to the program, on top of the $5 million one-time allocation in 2022. “This means that the amount of money available to help homeowners reduce (they don’t have to entirely eliminate all lawn) have increased threefold,” said Cynthia Bee, the public information officer for the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District and one of the creators of the localscapes method.

These state funds are available to those living in municipalities that have adopted water efficiency standards for new construction—52 cities have already done so—and will be matched in areas served by Central Utah, Jordan Valley, Washington County and Weber Basin water conservancy districts. Cities will be added as landscape ordinances are updated to meet state requirements. “New construction will operate within some limits on how much lawn area they can have and how water is applied,” Bee said. “The incentives are intended to help those with existing landscapes who choose to convert them to the new standards, to do so more affordably.”

“I think having our new growth come in as waterwise as possible is going to make a significant difference because the water and the landscape decisions we make today impact our water use decisions for decades to come,” said Candace Hasenyager, director of the Utah Division of Water Resources.

“Every planning decision, every land use decision, is a water use decision,” Bee said.

The team concocting the program involved experts from across the spectrum of

industries, including horticulturists, maintenance staff, landscape construction, water experts, collaborating to create tangible, efficient solutions to the ongoing reckoning with drought, water shortages and rising populations in the West. “The last couple of years of drought has shown us that we need to do better and that we’re willing to do better,” Hasenyager said.

“Rather than trying to go through each funding source and municipality separately and make it really awkward, we built all of that calculating into the Utah Water Savers site,” Bee said. “Instead of each individual agency doing their own thing in their own program, we’ve all banned together in one unified approach.”

The localscapes method

Current homeowners can “flip their strip” or convert their yard entirely using the Utah Water Savers Program localscapes method, created specifically for Utah.

“Localscapes is an approach to landscaping that shows how to get landscapes that fit, rather than fight, our climate,” Bee said. They include waterwise plants, trees and shrubs local to Utah with different creative landscaping solutions to fill yards with purposeful activities and zones, ultimately looking to remove

nonfunctional grass. “There are parts of your landscape where the only time you’re there is when you’re pushing the lawn mower,” Bee said. Localscaping promotes looking at those nonfunctional turf areas and reevaluating what it could be used for.

“In places where there’s an active purpose for it, we want to be able to keep it, which means you can keep up to 35% lawn,” Bee said.

But where there is no active recreation point—the kids outgrew the playset, the park strip is not walked on—and with a minimum of 200 square feet, localscapes can “integrate water and land use planning,” to better serve the climate and the homeowner. “Changing out these different specialty zones becomes really easy over time and it makes the yard far simpler to manage,” Bee said.

“We want water efficient plants, but water efficient plants are only a plant with potential if you don't change how you're delivering water to that plant,” Bee said. Also no water is saved if the sprinkler system is inefficient. “In a localscape, we control that water, only providing water to the plants that we’re intentionally planting. We’re disadvantaging the weeds and you’re seeing fewer of them,” Bee said.

To realistically get homeowners to con-

vert their lawns into thriving localscapes, Utah Water Savers requires free classes, both in person or online, to teach how to apply localscapes correctly, within the water efficiency standards, giving tools on how to do it yourself. Hired out landscapers can also be used, depending on the homeowners’ budget. “We’re trying to provide a full slate of tools to help them accomplish the outcome,” Bee said.

To apply, go to utahwatersavers.com, enter your water provider or register for an account and you can see what type of rebates you qualify for in your municipality. For example, the process of submitting a landscape plan to be approved, completing the project within one year and maintaining the new landscape for a minimum of three years are common parameters.

“The key is you need to apply before you start,” Bee said. “We do not rebate retroactively, so don’t tear out anything until you’re approved in the program.”

Homeowners’ experiences

In the months since its launch, some homeowners talked about what is working and not working.

Draper homeowner Nancy Bromfield and her husband flipped their strip, side yards and front and backyards, removing 7,500 square feet of grass across the whole property. Because of their flagstone walkway in the back, they did not qualify for the rebate back there. “But we didn’t care. We still did it because we knew we wanted to save water and we knew it was the right thing to do,” she said.

Now between the front and back, their property has 2,500 square feet of grass. “We overseeded our water hogging grass with white Dutch clover,” a localscapes plant type, Bromfield said. They also added 40 tons of rock around their property amongst the waterwise plants. “Having these beautiful pollinator friendly, waterwise plants have brought us different varieties of bumble bees and hummingbirds and moths. It’s just amazing.”

When they bought their home in July 2013, the previous owners were using 115,000 gallons of water a month, making a bill of $147, with a winter consumption of 60,000 gallons. After implementing their localscape via Utah Water Savers in July of 2023 they have gotten their water consumption down to 13,000 gallons, over a 100,000 gallon difference. In addition to the water cuts, their lawn care efforts have been cut drastically too. “It used to take us 46 minutes to cut the grass, now it takes seven minutes, front and back,” Bromfield said.

They were once quoted $20,000 to $30,000 to redo their yard because of its sheer size. But with the localscape approach, their project cost about $4,000 with a rebate check of just over $1,000. “The rebate was about 25% of what we spent, but only 40% of what we did was rebate eligible,” Bromfield said.

To help find the right waterwise plants

Waterwise plants dispersed within Nancy Bromfield’s front rock beds. (Nancy Bromfield)

for her full-sun-all-day property, Bromfield attended localscape university classes, the required classes in person—which she found especially helpful—visited ConservationGardenPark.org/plants, as well as used the

localscapes YouTube channel.

For others like Elizabeth Sweat and her husband, who are a part of a homeowners association in Draper, the online classes proved trivial, but they found visiting the Jordan Val-

ley Water’s Conservation Garden Park much more helpful in their project vision. “They had all different stations and you could learn and look at examples and I grabbed brochures. That was more educational than anything,” Sweat said. Although the couple did the work themselves, they found the process more expensive than expected. “Once manufacturers and rock companies saw that the state was paying, they jacked up their prices,” Sweat said.

They also had to make several runs to the county dump to dispose of their 90 square feet of sod they removed per project requirements, tacking on unexpected expenses. Bromfield left her ripped up sod out for free for the taking, and about three quarters of it was gone by the end of the day. The rest they had to take to the dump. “Unfortunately,” she said.

Both homeowners did most of the work themselves and both found it difficult to get an initial inspection because of increased demand. But once someone did finally make it to their properties, it was a five to 10 minute review.

Ultimately, both homeowners would recommend the program to others. “I would recommend it if you want to flip your strip, but if you’re trying to make some money on it, it won’t,” Sweat said.

“I would definitely recommend it. It’s really weird how I didn’t like gardening and now I have my plants and I really enjoy taking care of them,” Bromfield said. “It’s really cool

the world that it opened up for me that I had no idea of.”

Time for a change

“Doing a small project is a great place to start. You don’t have to commit your whole landscape. Commit your park strip, your side yard,” Bee said. “Test everything out that we’re teaching and verify for yourself before you obligate yourself to do more.”

Since the launch, there have been over 2,500 applications across the state and another 460 flip your strip applications. “That’s almost 3,000 applications, which is pretty amazing,” Hasenyager said. In Washington County alone, just over 600,000 square feet of grass has already been removed, according to Hasenyager.

“We’re in a change window, we have to change, that’s non-negotiable,” Bee said. “What we’re figuring out is how do we do it in a way that is the most orderly and accomplishable for people.”

“Not only is there more water in our reservoirs and groundwater, less is evaporated that completely leaves the system. There’s more that goes into our lakes and streams including the Great Salt Lake,” Hasenyager said. “I think there’s a really good incentive for people to do it. Not only for those that are here today and making our current water supply more resilient, but also those that might be here tomorrow.”l

Supporting Our Police Force for a Safer Community

In a recent national study, a concerning trend has come to light within our police departments. Law Enforcement agencies across the country are facing challenges in recruiting new officers, and what's more, a growing number of officers are opting to leave their positions or retire earlier than expected (Source: Police Executive Research Forum).

We know that when a police force is stretched thin, struggling to respond promptly to emergencies and investigate crimes, it impacts our community’s safety. The heart of effective policing lies in the experience and expertise of our officers. If we find ourselves with a shortage of seasoned officers, it could affect the quality of training, decision-making, and overall effectiveness of law enforcement agencies.

The life of a police officer is anything but easy. They face a multitude of demands, carrying the weight of public expectations on their shoulders. Every day, they confront challenging, and sometimes heart-wrenching, situations. It's important to recognize that amidst the stress, many officers are driven by a genuine desire to make a positive impact in their communities. However, it's crucial to acknowledge that prolonged exposure to stressors can take a toll on their mental well-being, leading to burnout and other health issues. We must stand together to support their journey toward mental wellness.

Aimee Winder Newton

Salt Lake County

Councilwoman|

District 3

As a society, it is our responsibility to treat our police officers with empathy and respect. While constructive feedback is valuable, it's equally important to remember that the weight of their responsibilities can impact their mental health. Demonstrating appreciation and understanding will go a long way in boosting their morale and overall well-being.

Police officers are not just symbols in uniform – they are individuals with families, emotions, and aspirations. The pressures they face on the job can ripple into their personal lives, affecting their relationships and overall happiness. Recognizing their humanity and the toll their profession takes on their mental health enables us to build a community that truly values those who safeguard us.

Challenges police officers endure are immense, often exposing them to traumatic events and high-stress situations. Research indicates that police officers are more suscepti-

ble to mental health struggles compared to the general population.

As a united community, we can make a difference by offering support for the emotional well-being of our police officers. Express your gratitude for their dedication and support programs focusing on mental health training for both officers and the public. Educate yourself and those around you about recognizing

signs of mental health issues and providing a compassionate hand.

By standing together, we can ignite a positive transformation. Let's prioritize the mental well-being of our law enforcement officers, ensuring they have the necessary support and resources to thrive personally and professionally. In doing so, we fortify our police force, cultivating safer and stronger communities for all.

Waterwise plants finally taking space in the Bromfield’s front localscape. (Nancy Bromfield)

Marina Nelson, owner/proprietor of Big Mountain Alchemy, has been selling handmade jewelry, one-of-a-kind art and stones for more than 25 years. She learned about crystal healing from her mother, who was a jewelry designer, specializing in the metaphysical aspects of stones to benefit her customers. Marina developed a love for the mineral kingdom’s abilities to be used as a universal healing tool and learned all she could about the spiritual aspects of Mother Earth’s gifts.

She has used the creative, artistic side of life as a form of therapy and has shared this with her customers through various aspects of that journey, whether it was through teaching alternative arts and crafting or by featuring a new art form. Tell us more about you, Marina.

I would say I am a jack of all trades in terms of New Age talents, artistic endeavors and how this has applied to my trade over the years. I believe my customers appreciate my honesty and vulnerability as much as they appreciate my knowledge and expertise. This is what I offer and what I share with those who come to Big Mountain Alchemy. I don’t think my shop is a predictable place to visit. Sure, we have incense and crystals, Tarot and jewelry, but there is so much more in terms of the unexpected little things that can change from day-to-day that contribute to an original experience in my store.

How long have you been in business?

Big Mountain Alchemy has been open in Trolley Square since December 2022. I have been doing festivals, markets, boutiques and private classes for 25+ years.

What products and services do you offer?

I offer a unique shopping experience for those seeking items for a

more intuitive and spiritual lifestyle. Crystals, jewelry, books, tarot, apothecary/bath items, local products, featured art, hand-picked new, second-hand and vintage clothing, and much more. Many of our items are from local artisans featured on consignment.

What sets your company apart from competitors?

Big Mountain Alchemy provides an ever-changing collection of merchandise. I select stones and products from eco-friendly and ethical sources, offer sustainable options for clothing and accessories and provide products and artwork from local and regional artists. This is a large store with lots of amazing products to explore.

Big Mountain Alchemy provides personal attention to customers’ needs, not often seen in retail these days, primarily in customizing your experience and making suggestions from an intuitive, knowledgeable source.

Does your business solve a problem for customers?

We provide an original shopping experience for those seeking to support multiple local and small businesses. Locals, visitors, young to old; all demographics will find something that they love.

How do clients choose between you or a competitor?

It comes down to personal preference and a conscious decision to patronize a small business that is dedicated to spiritual living and sustainable lifestyles. I’ve been told the overall energy and experience is worth coming back for again and again.

What is your best advice for someone who is considering doing business with you?

Plan on spending a bit of time in the shop. It is a big, 1800 squarefoot space with lots to explore. Don’t be afraid to ask questions! When exploring new spiritual ideas, let your instincts be your guide and don’t overthink. Come with minimal expectations and be receptive.

Are you currently running any special or hosting any upcoming events?

We have a special running in the City Journal Value Pages and always have in-store weekly specials and Instagram specials. We will host in-person monthly readings from talented local psychics, offering specialties like tarot and crystal readings. Other events will include color, art and sound healing, art and (witchy) craft nights and more. Customers can follow us on Instagram for updates.

*All participants who attend an estimated 60-90-minute in-home product consultation will receive a $50 Visa gift card. Retail value is $50. Offer sponsored by Leafguard Holdings Inc. Limit one per household. Company procures, sells, and installs seamless gutter protection. This offer is valid for homeowners over 18 years of age. If married or involved with a life partner, both cohabitating persons must attend and complete presentation together. Participants must have a photo ID and be legally able to enter into a contract. The following persons are not eligible for this offer: employees of Company or affiliated companies or entities, their immediate family members, previous participants in

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Getting Schooled

Last month, I watched the neighborhood kids trudge back to school. Hunched under the weight of heavy backpacks, the little Quasimodos marched into the school year carrying a 300-page summer homework packet, an associate’s degree they earned at math camp, 750 colored pencils, scissors, an emotional support stuffed animal, cleaning products, a mass spectrometer, a non-BPA bento box and some allergen-free crackers.

When I attended elementary school in the 1900s, we didn’t use backpacks. They hadn’t been invented. It was too cumbersome to drag our handcart to school, so we carried our math, history, language, science, reading and social studies books home in our arms every night.

Most kids didn’t fail because they didn’t understand the homework, they failed because they were too weak to carry 50 pounds of textbooks.

Parents and educators set the bar for us at “extremely low” and we were lucky to hit that. One of my biggest challenges came in fourth grade when I started the school year wearing homemade avocado-green culottes. And it got worse. My Bionic Woman lunchbox had an unreliable latch, so I spent lunchtime worrying my PB&J would fall onto the floor and

everyone would laugh.

Not sure if I learned anything that year.

The motto at the elementary school near my home is “Academically smart, character strong.” I don’t think my school had a motto, unless it was “Sit down and shut up.” It wasn’t that our teachers didn’t care, they just thought “quiet reading time” or “rest your heads on your desks” was the best way to spend the majority of our day.

But that first day of school was always exciting. New school supplies had to be arranged carefully in my desk, including a brand new cardboard pencil box with a built-in pencil sharpener that was never sharp enough to create a point. It just mangled the top of my pencils, leaving a broken lead I kept pushing back into place.

And, of course, there had to be space

for my colorful hoppy taw, for hopscotch, and a bag of cat’s-eyes so I could shoot marbles at recess. Not real cat’s eyes. I’m not that old.

My grandson is in sixth grade, taking classes like flight science, robotics and computer engineering. When I was in sixth grade, we wrapped eggs in styrofoam and threw them off the school roof.

#Science

Luckily for today’s hard-working students, they get vacation days all the time. They’re off for Burning Man and Mardi Gras and Oktoberfest and (ironically) International Literacy Day. In the 1970s, we had Christmas Day off and a half-day for Thanksgiving. We didn’t even miss school for being sick. We just took our pneumonia-filled lungs to class and hoped we didn’t die during recess.

I’m not saying elementary school was better in the 20th century. It wasn’t. Not at all. If we could eat with a spoon in kindergarten, we would be at the top of the class. Kids who knew the difference between a letter and a number were named class president. Our role models were Bugs Bunny and the Muppets, so we were trained early in sarcasm.

Kids are so much smarter now than we ever were. I’m amazed at what my grandkids learn. I have a 7-year-old granddaughter learning Spanish and a 6-year-old granddaughter building LEGO robots. When I was their age, my biggest challenge was learning cat’s cradle. I guess the content in those heavy backpacks is paying off.

TREE

Tarabetz