Murray Journals | August 2022

August 2022 | Vol. 32 Iss. 08

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MURRAY SCHOOL DISTRICT HONORS EXEMPLARY CUSTODIAN, TEACHER

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

V

iewmont Elementary kitchen/custodian/groundskeeper Jean Blackbird was invited to join other Murray School District schools’ outstanding employees of the year at a luncheon, but she decided not to attend since they were short-staffed in the lunchroom.

Blackbird’s supervisor and her principal told her she needed to attend and arranged for a cafeteria worker from another school to cover her shift. While the honor was “all very nice” that’s all Blackbird thought about it. She returned to work and there, she was pulled aside by a counselor to discuss a “confidential” matter.

“I thought maybe we were having problems with a student so I can understand being confidential, but she actually talked about the improvement of students until her walkie-talkie said, ‘We need you right now,’” Blackbird said. “She said, ‘Can you come with me? I have to take care of this student, but I really want to talk to you too.’ And I remember thinking, ‘I could go do my other job,’ but she said, ‘Come on, come on.’ We walked down toward the kitchen and then I looked in (to the multipurpose room) and there’s an assembly. I remember saying, ‘I’m not going in there.’”

Continued page 9

Longview special education teacher Katie McBride was named Murray School District’s teacher of the year and given flowers by one of her students at the Murray Board of Education meeting. (Photo courtesy of Murray School District)

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August 2022 | Page 3

Murray Centenarian Fay Grover attributes longevity to eating healthy…and chocolate

By Shaun Delliskave | s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com

I

t was only two in the afternoon, and Fay Grover had received her fifth phone call from a funeral home. Why the intense interest in Mrs. Grover? Whether it is predatory business practices or good marketing, those morticians might want to make themselves comfortable, as this centenarian shows no signs of stopping.

Upon greeting you in her Murray home, she invites you to have a seat, but she would prefer to stand. She can still get around without using a walker or even a cane. Unsure whether this is a good idea for somebody born during the Warren G. Harding presidential administration to remain standing, you can invite her to sit too, but beware, she will take a seat at her piano.

“I am 100 years, eight months, one week, and four days old,” Grover said without pausing. “I was born on ‘politicians day.’” Or, in other words, Election Day— something this lifelong Democrat still pays particular attention to.

From memory, she plays a rousing rendition of “I Remember You From Somewhere” and then transitions to another tune she played when her husband, Elmo, came home from the Marines after World War II. She has a small end table crammed with sheet music that seems of little use, as she perfectly recalls numerous melodies.

Growing up, she remembers playing with a younger boy in her school whose name was Orrin Hatch. She also remembers listening to President Franklin Roosevelt’s radio broadcast that proclaimed December 7, 1941, as “the date which shall live in infamy.”

She grows bored of the piano and hops off to give visitors a tour of her century of memories. The first stop is a picture of Salt Lake City’s Washington Elementary, where she taught for decades. If she had you as a

Journals T H E

I was one of the first teachers to work with the Vietnamese refugees after the Vietnam War. I worked with them to make sure they could help their families.

Fay Grover student, for better or worse, she remembers you. She can recall some who went on to become judges and others who probably went on to appear before a judge.

“I was one of the first teachers to work with the Vietnamese refugees after the Vietnam War,” Grover said. “I worked with them to make sure they could help their families.”

She wasn’t always a teacher. She remembers working as a teenager at the elegant and graceful Salt Aire, which was far different from today’s successor. “I took tickets, and it cost 15 cents to enter and play for the whole day,” Grover said.

An astute observer of politics, she reads books on current affairs. She recently completed three books and is midway through Bob Woodward’s latest book “Rage.” She would like to use her desktop computer more, but it is not fast enough.

“This thing is so outdated. I have to use my laptop,” Grover said.

She likely wore the computer out while

Fay Grover points to the cake she saved from her parent’s 50th wedding anniversary. That cake also happens to be 50 years old. (Shaun Delliskave/City Journals)

building the genealogy library she has put together. Active in her Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ward, she has compiled photographs and stories of her family history. Her history collection goes beyond a book or even a bookshelf, but bookcases of information collected over decades.

Speaking of collections, she has a display case of family mementos that are much more personal than valuable. One particular relic is the cake from her parent’s 50th wedding anniversary. What makes that actual cake ironic is that it is the 50th-anniversary cake’s 50th anniversary.

Grover is holding on to another keepsake from her children, Thomas, Linda, and

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Kathleen, that she considers a bit of a miracle. Eight months, one week, and four days ago, she got balloons for her 100th birthday, and they are still inflated, albeit droopy.

Genetics likely played a key role in her making it to the century mark, as her father did; and her mother made it to 90 years. She also attributes her longevity to advice she received from her dad: “My father believed that food cured everything,” Grover said. “Every day, I try to eat something from the three food groups— milk, fruit and vegetables, and chocolate.

Especially chocolate cupcakes.” l

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Murray City Journal

Two area outstanding Granite teachers, one principal applauded for education excellence

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

T

hree area top educators in Granite School District were recently honored amongst their peers and students for their excellence.

Twin Peaks special education teacher Colette Madsen, Cottonwood High School English teacher Kathy Hess and Woodstock Elementary Principal Brenda Byrnes were each surprised to learn of the honor.

“They said it was an assembly and the kids like going to the assemblies and I was thinking, ‘I didn’t even know we had one,’” Madsen said. “I was heading down with them and then was told I needed to pop into the office about switching money in an account. I'm like, ‘I don't have that money,’ but I was told to sign this form— and I realize now, it was a fake form. So, I hurried right into the assembly, and I was like, ‘Why is there a camera in my face?’ I totally didn’t know.”

Each year the Granite Education Foundation, in partnership with the Granite School District, awards nine teachers and one administrator an Excel Award of $1,000 apiece. Each awardee was nominated by either a student, parent or colleague.

Granite School District Family and Community Engagement Director Jadee Talbot said more than 1,500 nominations were submitted this year.

“Nominees are then invited to submit an application to be considered for the next round,” he said. “From the applications, the list is narrowed down to a finalist list.”

Then, the Excel committee visited classrooms before the winners—who represent the 2,961 teachers at 87 schools— were announced.

Madsen

“I was nominated and applied, and they did the observations; it was all before winter vacation and in January, so I never gave it another thought,” Madsen said.

“I still can’t believe this. I’m still kind of numb.”

The 15-year veteran teacher originally planned to be a commercial artist.

“When my daughter went to kindergarten, I started working at the school where she was going because I had to go and pick her up and I fell in love with special education,” she said.

Through an alternative learning route, she was able to gain her education while being a paraeducator in Jordan School District. After she graduated, she was offered a position at Twin Peaks, where she has taught for 13 years.

“I was extremely happy, and I can still do art with the kiddos. They’re visual learners so I can bring that in with the way I teach and communicate. A lot of our

MurrayJournal .com

students are non-verbal and because they think in pictures, not words, we use a lot of pictures, picture schedules, picture communication. It is very much visual, and the kids are so fun. When you know how they learn, a bit slower and in a different way, you’re able to adapt the teaching. There are days when you watch them succeed; you watch the little milestones,” said the kindergarten through second-grade teacher. “I just love teaching.”

school mental health club that was started by some students and offers her room as a safe atmosphere for students.

Even though she has ways to acknowledge students, Hess said she was surprised for being acknowledged herself.

“I certainly feel honored,” Hess said.

“I recognize how much the District cares for teachers. Granite is a huge supporter of the teaching profession and of the students.

Hess

Byrnes

“It was quite a shock,” Hess said as she watched her husband, children and grandchildren file into her classroom along with other district and school personnel.

“We had read ‘Frankenstein’ and a student was just ending her presentation and sharing a beautiful drawing when everybody started coming in. It was still for about 10 seconds, then I realized what was going on. It was just kind of overwhelming.”

Along with observations and paperwork, Hess had shared with the Excel committee her teaching vision and why she loves it. She also shared the focus for inclusivity and voice she incorporates in her teaching.

“The focus is on how do I find my voice and then, when I find my voice, what can I do with my voice? What is the purpose of not just tolerance, but inclusivity?” she said. “We worked on acquiring graphic novels for a fundamentals class so that they can read some of the classics more on their reading level. We want students to be able to read more books on a social justice platform so they can become involved.

They've chosen books that they are reading, they’re getting into groups, and they will be diving into social justice issues that are so important for them. They see what's going on in the world and they've got a voice and know that they matter.”

Through reading, Hess said students are looking at social issues and becoming more understanding.

“I have found they are much more accepting and tolerant of others’ perspectives. Their perspectives have just not been tarnished, and we're not only recognizing what the problem is, but also that they have got some very keen ideas on what social justice should look like in the world. So, we have about 10 minutes where we talk about your perspective and open up for two minutes. There are those that would prefer not sharing vocally, so I give them an opportunity to write some of their questions or concerns on a paper.

But everyone has an opportunity to share in this atmosphere that is safe,” she said, adding that she has been an advisor to a

Byrnes was meeting with a director in a windowless room in the library. She had a long day, and a student wanted her help.

“It is funny because I almost didn't go into the meeting because I was wanting to help a student,” she said. “But the director, she was kind of like, ‘let's do this. Then we'll circle back around to help that student.’ Her job was to get me locked away in this room so students could come in the gym. Then, they told me that there was an incident in the gym so they needed me. I walked in there having no idea. I did hear noise, but we have PE on Monday, so I just thought something happened in PE. I was completely shocked.”

Byrnes first saw her family, then Granite School District Superintendent Rich K. Nye holding a congratulatory sign.

“I knew I had been nominated for the award. So, at that point, I figured it out pretty fast, and the kids were so cute. They were just screaming and cheering for me; it was really fun and so sweet how happy and excited they were for me,” she said. “I got teary-eyed and emotional. It's a huge honor and something that I never thought I would win.”

Byrnes, who taught second grade at West Valley Elementary, just completed her fifth year as Woodstock’s principal.

She also has served as assistant principal at Cyprus High and Eisenhower Junior High.

“I wanted to have a bigger impact, to be able to help more kids so I became an administrator. So even though leaving the classroom was hard, because you're one step removed from the kids, I did it so I could work with the adults, and the adults are going to be working with the kids, so I realized, we’ll have a bigger impact on them,” she said.

Now she is leaving her principal position to hire teachers for the district, so they, too, can have a positive impact on students.

“This all has just been a big circle of emotions,” she said. “I am very honored.” l

After realizing she was an Excel winner, Twin Peaks’ Colette Madsen broke out in a smile. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Kathy Hess was surprised to learn she was a Granite Education Foundation Excel Award winner.

(Photo courtesy of Granite School District)

Woodstock Principal Brenda Byrnes expected a mishap in the gym when she was told she was needed, not to be awarded with the Excel Award.

(Photo courtesy of Granite School District)

August 2022 | Page 5

Murray School District announces new principals

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

F

ive Murray School District schools will have new principals this fall.

Murray High School students and faculty will see a familiar face return this fall when Scott Wihongi walks through the door as the new principal. Wihongi, a former Murray High assistant principal, replaces John Goldhardt, who left to take a director position with Salt Lake City School District.

“I’m excited to be returning to Murray,” Wihongi said. “I’ve been in another district the past three years and it’s been a great experience, but I’m looking forward to returning to Murray High School that has a great history and tradition of providing students with opportunities to succeed.”

Recently, Wihongi has been the assistant principal at Corner Canyon High School in the Canyons School District.

Wihongi said his intent is to build upon the great traditions Murray High has and focus more effort on building a positive culture for both teachers and students.

“Supporting teachers support their students is a main focus. Murray has a good blend of young and veteran teachers who blend new approaches and ideas with proven approaches and ideas to help students learn. Creating a school framework in which they can do this is a key to supporting that goal,” he said.

Wihongi added that positive academic and behavior expectations in addition to increased technology access is a big part of that framework.

“I would also love to see more students involve themselves more in their high school experience,” he said.

He wants to introduce a medallion program where students can earn the medallion with increased involvement in their advanced academic courses and extracurricular activities.

“The intent is to award participation, not necessarily achievement. Those who meet a certain criteria of involvement by their senior year will be able to wear the special medallion at graduation,” he said.

Prior to working at Corner Canyon High, he was assistant principal at Murray High for three years; assistant principal at Hillcrest Junior High for two years and taught science at Murray High for nine years.

Dolph Church and Therese Mbaku will remain as Murray High assistant principals.

At Hillcrest Junior High, Buck Corser has been named as the principal, following five years as assistant principal of the school to Principal Jen Covington. Covington was named superintendent after the recent retirement of Steve Hirase.

Corser has been in the school district for 11 years, starting out teaching special

Page 6 | August 2022

“I want to be a handson principal, out and about. My goal is to be out on the playground, in the lunch room, interacting with students so they get to trust me and know I’m there for them and have their best interest in mind.” education for six years. He is a Hillcrest Junior High School and a Murray High School alumnus.

Megan Orme has been named Hillcrest Junior High School assistant principal. She has been with the Murray District for nine years in the special education department.

At the elementary level, District Teaching Specialist Lindsey Romero will be the new Parkside principal, replacing Colleen Smith, who has accepted a principal position at Sprucewood Elementary in Canyons School District.

Romero, who is a Murray High graduate, has spent the last year working in the District’s teaching and learning department, but has taught in the District at Parkside as

Former Murray High School Assistant Principal Scott Wihongi will return to the school this fall as its new principal. (Scott Wihongi)

well as Horizon for nine years. She also has been the Title I coordinator.

“I’m thrilled to become a principal and my goal is to build the students’ characters as well as help them progress academically,” she said. “I want them to be successful lifelong learners and apply what they’re learning to real life, such as working well with others and having good citizenship.”

Romero plans to have monthly celebrations for students who have learned and incorporated character education traits.

“We’ll honor students and teachers and bring in members of our community who are examples as guest motivational speakers,” she said.

She also wants to focus on attendance and introduce an attendance program that Horizon Elementary began last year, which showed improvement during the year.

“I want to be a hands-on principal, out and about. My goal is to be out on the playground, in the lunch room, interacting with students so they get to trust me and know I’m there for them and have their best interest in mind,” she said.

Grant Elementary Principal Matt Nelson will move to Viewmont Elementary to replace Missy Hamilton. Hamilton will move to the District office where she will assume the duties of Romero and Teach-

ing and Learning Director Martha Kupferschmidt, who is leaving the District.

Nelson has been the principal at Grant for five years and taught for 10 years in Murray School District prior to that post.

Viewmont kindergarten teacher Mindy Ball has been named Grant Elementary principal. She has been working for the school district for 13 years.

At Horizon Elementary School, Whitney Anderson has been named as administrative intern, replacing Rick Kelson who has accepted another job outside of the school district.

New to the District is Robin Williams, who will assume the role of Director of Secondary Teaching. Before joining Murray School District, Williams served in Park City School District where she has been a principal for two years. Before Park City, Williams was Logan School District’s Director of Teaching and Learning for seven years. She also has worked in Alaska and Colorado schools as an administrator and in the Granite School District for eight years as a teacher.

Williams will be taking over this assignment from Assistant Superintendent Scott Bushnell, who will focus on other duties. l

Murray City Journal

Lifelong Murray resident Shaun Delliskave writes about his community with the passion and tenacity of a ‘local’

By Carl Fauver | c.fauver@mycityjournals.com Editor’s note: this series highlights the writers behind the stories found here every month.

Excuse me, Mr. Delliskave, who are you wearing?”

“Uh…Mr. Mac.” “Oh, is he a new Scottish designer?”

Murray Journal scribe Shaun Delliskave describes that as one of the more interesting exchanges he had with a member of the paparazzi nine years ago, as he and his wife Jennifer were walking the red carpet at the Catalina (Island, California) Film Festival.

“I had been nominated for a Best Original Screenplay award,” Delliskave explains.

“My screenplay didn’t win that night; but I have earned more than 30 awards in several different festivals and competitions.

I’ve also had a couple of them optioned by movie producers. But none have gone into production yet.”

Shaun wrote his first screenplay at age 11. But now, 40 years later, cracking into Hollywood would have to be considered Delliskave’s third career.

First, Shaun is the University of Utah Department of World Languages and Cultures Administrator. That’s the career feeding his family and keeping a roof over their head.

Second, of course, is Delliskave’s 5-plus years writing news and feature stories for the Murray Journal. And, like the screenwriting, he’s won a number of awards for that as well—from the Utah Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists—most recently taking third place for “Best Medical/Science” article.

Put succinctly: Shaun enjoys writing… and does it exceptionally well.

Several years after penning that age 11 motion picture screenplay, Delliskave first tried his hand at newspaper writing at Cottonwood High School, which he graduated from in 1989.

“I wrote for our school newspaper, the ‘Colt Roundup,’ and enjoyed it,” he said.

“That’s also when the old ‘Green Sheet’ was being delivered weekly. I always thought that paper would be fun to write for someday.”

Jump ahead nearly three decades to the summer of 2017 and you find Shaun starting to work for City Journals.

“I thought working for the Journal would keep my writing skills going,” he said. “Plus, I had been reading some Murray Journal articles and it felt like they needed someone local. I understand government pretty well, since I have a master’s

“

MurrayJournal .com

in public administration. It just seemed like a good fit.”

Technically, Delliskave began writing for the Cottonwood Heights Journal. But as soon as the opening came for him to cover Murray City government, he was all over it.

“I have a passion for this because I want to be sure our elected officials are responsive to their constituents,” he added. “I like them to know someone is keeping an eye on them.”

Shaun has lived virtually his entire life in Murray. And before that, his ancestors moved into the area within years of Murray’s 1903 incorporation.

“My relatives were part of a large Italian group who moved into Murray when they left their work in mines to become farmers,” he said. “My family has been in the city since 1910. My parents are now deceased. I have an older brother and sister. My sister still lives in the family home I grew up in.”

Nine years out of high school, in 1998, Shaun married his wife, Jennifer. Their son James graduated from Murray High School in 2020, that spring when coronavirus was changing everything. Meantime, daughter Elizabeth is expected to enjoy a much more “normal” Murray High School graduation when she dons her cap and gown next May. “When the pandemic canceled my son’s graduation, we decorated our pickup for James and a friend and drove them through our neighborhood,” Delliskave said. “As we drove around, people waved from their driveways. Some people threw them candy and gift cards. Then we also drove through the setup they had outside the high school, where he received his diploma.”

James is now studying history at the University of Utah, hoping to one day be a museum curator.

His sister Elizabeth is the visual artist in the family.

“She will be a senior at Murray this fall and is big into graphic arts,” Shaun said.

“She has had several art pieces place in the annual Murray Art Show. Her work was also recently displayed at Murray City Hall.”

As for wife Jennifer, Delliskave says she owns her own copy editing and marketing business.

“She reads all my newspaper articles to make sure they are good enough to go to the editor,” he said.

Back on the Hollywood side of things, Shaun still has high hopes the very first screenplay he wrote will eventually be-

Nominated for a Best Original Screenplay in 2013, Murray Journal writer Shaun Delliskave and his wife Jennifer walked the red carpet at the Catalina (Island, California) Film Festival. (Courtesy Shaun Delliskave)

Shaun Delliskave’s son James graduated from Murray High in 2020, at the height of the pandemic. So, Shaun drove James and a friend around their neighborhood and to the school to receive the recognition they deserved. (Courtesy Shaun Delliskave)

come a major motion picture.

“I wrote the screenplay ‘Mass Exodus’ in 2012,” Delliskave said. “It’s a true story about some 20,000 Jews who were smuggled out of Europe through Italy before and during World War II. The screenplay has been optioned twice. But Hollywood is fickle. I still believe it can become a successful,

big budget movie. We’ll see what happens.”

If and when it does—and Shaun and Jennifer end up walking another red carpet—you can bet there’s a good chance one of the City Journal’s most reliable and outstanding news writers will again be wearing a Mr. Mac suit.

August 2022 | Page 7

Audience gives thumbs-up review of Viewmont’s Roald Dahl Musical Revue Photo by Julie Slama

S

hortly before summer break, Viewmont Elementary students put on their Roald Dahl Musical Revue highlighting stories by the children’s author including

favorites “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Matilda,” and “James and the Giant Peach.”

Second-grade teacher Michelle Best directed the show. l

Work crews install windows into the new Murray City Hall. (Shaun Delliskave/City Journals)

City Hall August update

By Shaun Delliskave | s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com

C

rews started installing windows on the new Murray City Hall. Ground and second-floor offices have been completed on the east side, while the west side will be completed in the second phase.

Also premiering at the construction site are parking lots with fresh striping. Parking stalls that surround the west side of the build-

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ing, as well as an auxiliary lot across 5th Avenue, are ready for cars. The old Poplar Street and former La Femme Beauty Salon on the east side will be converted to parking when construction crews finish using them as staging areas. Hanauer Street, which borders city hall on the east, has been completed for over a year but is not open to traffic. l

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Murray City Journal

Continued from front page

On hand was the student body, teachers, principal and district administrators. They gave her flowers and balloons and announced she was Murray School District’s employee of the year.

“This little boy, and he’s just a sweet little boy, comes up and is holding this huge poster card from the second grade,” Blackbird said. “It was so cute. I was on the verge of tears, so I blew kisses and gave a thumbs up to everybody. I couldn’t speak.”

With Blackbird, Longview special education teacher Katie McBride was announced as the District’s teacher of the year. The two, neither who like to be in the public’s eye, were honored at the Murray Board of Education “for professional excellence and outstanding support of the students of Murray.”

During the board meeting, highlights from parent letters were read highlighting McBride’s teaching, starting with “she has a gift.”

A couple administrators, including Longview Principal Becky Te’o shared their thoughts on the teacher who also has worked at Horizon Elementary and Riverview Junior in Murray School District.

“Katie holds students accountable to high expectations, but she supports them every step of the way in reaching those goals,” Te’o said. “She sees their hearts and makes sure they know they are each loved for who they are. Katie fiercely advocates for all kids, making us all better educators in the process.”

Students’ messages shared ranged from “She teaches us good” and “I love that Miss Katie is so kind” to “I like making TikToks with Miss Katie.” Then, they came up in person, gave her hugs and personal messages.

When Blackbird was introduced at the podium, the first thing she did was grab a tissue as she had teared up from the students hugging the teacher of the year. Viewmont student comments about Blackbird ranged from “She is nice and serves lunch really well” to “She is so funny and gets the jokes.”

Assistant Superintendent Scott Bushnell read from Blackbird’s nomination that she has been known to turn in aluminum cans for money.

“I quickly learned that she recycles the cans to offset unpaid lunch money because she never wants a student to go hungry,” he read.

Viewmont Principal Jen King told Blackbird at the Board meeting: “I can’t tell you enough how much the staff appreciates you and depends on you. You are a rock of consistency. You are so kind to the adults, to the children, to the people who come in from the community who need the support and help. You are dedicated, you are devoted, you are dependable above all. You are simply amazing.”

Blackbird has worked for the District for more than 25 years. She started working as a custodian in the evenings when her children were done. Then, she added in working in the kitchen and eventually worked her way to the

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“It was kind of scary in the beginning because I have never served students to this capacity. You know, many people will say, it’s just like family dinner, maybe like 10 to 15 so no big deal. I’m just glad I wasn’t in charge then, so I just did what I was told and then, I started to learn,” she said.

Blackbird also added groundskeeper to her duties and adjusted her schedule to fit her family’s. Even as her kids all left the school, she remained. It’s the same elementary she attended as a child—although she recognizes the additions and modifications since that time.

Even as Blackbird stood before the Board, and when students and teachers congratulate her, she quietly thanks them.

“I don’t really like the limelight,” she said. “I’m getting a little bit better, but with all those kids loving the teacher of the year, I was already tearing up there and I thought, ‘Please don’t make me speak.’”

Supporting her that night was her mother and her brother, who was in town from Nebraska. Her husband and three kids weren’t there.

“I didn’t tell them; I just kind of told them afterwards,” she said. “I just do what I love, and it’s for the kids. They’re really cute and it’s like I can’t go to the store anywhere without someone recognizing me. I just say, ‘I just work at the school.’ But they think I’m a movie star or a rock star and they’ll bring me cute cards or notes, thanking me. That’s when I smile and feel rewarded. It’s great being appreciated and I do appreciate this recognition, but I really don’t like being in the spotlight.” l

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August 2022 | Page 9

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Local high school students recognized for their excellence in art

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

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everal area high school students had their art selected for the 50th Utah All-State High School Art Show, a juried show that honors the best high school artists in the state for their creativity, talent and dedication at the Springville Museum of Art. This year’s show had 335 works, representing 108 high schools. Here is a selection of area work that was displayed this spring.

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AMES student Taycia Linford Perez created “Life of the Party,” which was displayed at the 50th Utah All-State High School Art Show.

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Murray High student Alexa Rodriguez’s “Writer’s Statement” was part of the 50th Utah All-State High School Art Show.

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Czeching out. Public Works Director Danny Astill retires to serve abroad

By Shaun Delliskave | s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com

F

irst, New Zealand beckoned for Murray City’s fire chief earlier this year, and now the Czech Republic has called on Public Works Director Danny Astill. Astill has led the Public Works Department since 2018 and announced his retirement to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in central Europe.

“All of my life, I have had the goal to retire at age 65 and for my wife and me to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ, together,” Astill said. “I have been blessed to work for Murray City for 27 years and have loved and appreciated working with the many employees and elected officials. I was really tempted to change my plans and stay specifically to work with the new administration and council, but I know I need to continue with my lifelong plan and goals and feel good about leaving, knowing that the city is in good hands.”

In 1994, Astill took over the role of Murray City water superintendent. His responsibilities included managing both the Water and Wastewater Divisions in the city.

At that time, Murray City had 18 culinary water wells and seven springs, with about 185 miles of transmission and distri-

bution water lines transporting an average of about 2.85 billion gallons of water annually. In addition, the Wastewater Division had about 125 miles of sewer lines and four sewer lift stations that conveyed about 1.45 billion gallons of water to the Central Valley Water Reclamation Facility each year.

When Mayor Blair Camp was elected, he appointed public works chief Doug Hill as the city’s chief administrative officer; Astill took his place. During Astill’s time as Public Works director, the demands for Murray City resources have increased and become more complex with a prolonged drought. He reflects that he achieved many long-term goals under his watch.

“In the last few years, the Public Works staff has been able to secure over 12 million dollars in funding from various sources for a number of projects throughout the city.

We collaborated with five of our surrounding communities to identify and develop an active transportation plan that will serve as a frame to guide the city and add more active transportation elements where identified, and made significant infrastructure upgrades to our water, wastewater, and stormwater systems that will continue to

Danny Astill has led the Murray City Public Works Department since 2018. (Photo courtesy of Murray City)

provide essential services for many years to come,” Astill said.

In 2021, Astill and other city department heads asked the city’s elected leaders to place a moratorium on the number of commercial properties being flipped to

mixed-use development. With the added burden on the city’s infrastructure, city departments felt they needed to evaluate what they could and couldn’t handle regarding high-density development.

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made great strides in our ability to service and maintain our existing utility infrastructure. However, with the significant escalation of costs to repair and replace infrastructure, which ranges between 30 and 50%, I fear that without continued funding opportunities, some needed projects will be delayed for years,” Astill said.

At the July 5 city council meeting, a joint resolution by the mayor and city

council thanked Astill for his years of service to the community. Mayor Brett Hales announced that Streets and Stormwater Superintendent Russ Kakala will assume Astill’s post.

“The new director is a colleague and a friend. I think the main piece of advice would be to keep learning and looking for ways to improve how public works, work.

To never be afraid of change, but don’t

change just for the sake of change,” Astill said.

Astill still wishes he could have helped the city more, but there were limitations on what the city could do.

“I think the hardest part of being the director is saying no to citizens. That we cannot fix every piece of sidewalk and curb, or resurface a road in the time frames that they want it done, and trying to help them

Public Works Director Danny Astill retires after 27 years with Murray. (Photo courtesy of Murray City)

understand that there are constraints on what we can do,” Astill said.

The Astills’ church mission assignment will be “member and leader support,” helping to teach, train, and support the church members and assist the young full-time missionaries in the Czech/Slovak Mission. l

Murray City Public Works Director Danny Astill receives a copy of the joint resolution from Mayor Brett Hales, thanking him for his service. (Shaun Delliskave/City Journals)

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August 2022 | Page 13

Murray High physics students test their knowledge in year-end traditions

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

I

n late May, Murray High School students paraded down State Street, carrying various sizes of cardboard.

Though it may seem strange to a visitor in Murray, locals know the long-standing tradition.

Physics students created their own cardboard boats, held together with only duct tape, then walked them to Murray Park’s outdoor pool to test their understanding of physics.

The objective was to have the boat hold the students as they paddled across the length of the pool and back.

While nobody knows who quite started the cardboard boat tradition, physics teachers Tony Romanello, Kristi Ratliff, Alison Bulson, Katarina Nielson and even current principal Scott Wihongi, all had their students embrace the traditional cardboard boat race.

“That physics boat project has been going on as long as I can remember,” Wihongi said. “I was teaching in the science department 20 years ago, and it was going on then.”

It’s a task with little instruction. Current teacher Aaron Daniels gave students suggestions, including six different types of designs.

“I’m hoping they apply the engineering principles and the design process they learned,” Daniels said. “This one is a little more fun and a tradition at the end of the

CELEBRATING

Murray High physics students tested their engineering skills as they paddled their cardboard and duct tape boats in Murray Park’s outdoor pool. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

year.”

Daniels also provided calculations they could perform to see how much their boat would sink into the water—which some students did the math, and some students admitted they did not.

Best friends Eli Cushing and Jack Petty, both juniors, used three layers of cardboard.

“We got the cardboard from two boxes that held football helmets that was 5 years old,” Petty said.

Before launching their boat displaying scriptures, they said a prayer. As the boat took on water, they playfully blamed each other for not doing the weight calculation before “decommissioning” their cardboard.

“We didn’t even get a chance to christen it,” Cushing said.

Besides jokingly saying they should have used better cardboard, Petty said they learned “how to actually make use of the bare minimum. We figured out how high the side should be and what the length should be, but we didn’t do the weight calculation. We assumed that it would be able to float.”

The team of juniors Morgan Bushman, Sofia Bigler and Mariam Wakil only used two layers of cardboard and built a boat in a week to hold two of them.

“We had to meet the requirement that at least 50% of the group has to fit in the boat and paddle,” Bushman said.

Their boat survived.

Morgan Jones, who was the first one to complete the two laps of the pool, had the inside knowledge of her older brother Duncan, who floated across the pool in his boat six years earlier.

“I was excited to do this; my dad knew where we could get cardboard and I designed it,” she said, adding that her sister missed out on the activity when the school shut down in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

“I like that we do big projects like this.”

Daniels said throughout the year students have had other projects such as test gravity vehicles and hold their own egg drop letting the eggs fall from the football bleachers.

Another year-end tradition is taking part in Utah State’s physics day at Lagoon, which has been available since 1990. There Murray students and other area physics students descend upon the amusement park to drop an egg from the 60-foot sky ride, or they could make a force sensor, then ride a roller coaster to determine the g-force.

“Lagoon day was awesome,” Petty said.

“We went on all the rides, but it was more than that. If we were able to know the velocity of the train car and the weight of every person, we could understand the acceleration.

This has been a fun class.” l

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FREQUENTLY REQUESTED NUMBERS Attorney .................................. 801-264-2640 Business Licensing .................. 801-270-2432 Cemetery ................................ 801-264-2637 City Council ............................. 801-264-2603 Finance Department ............... 801-264-2513 FIRE DEPARTMENT Administrative Office .......... 801-264-2781 Non-Emergency Calls ......... 801-840-4000 General Information................ 801-264-2525 Senior Recreation Center ......... 801-264-2635 Human Resources.................... 801-264-2656 Library .................................... 801-264-2580 Mayor’s Office.......................... 801-264-2600 Municipal Court....................... 801-284-4280 Museum .................................. 801-264-2589 Murray Park Outdoor Pool ....... 801-266-9321 Murray Parkway Golf Course.... 801-262-4653 PARKS AND RECREATION Administrative Office .......... 801-264-2614 Rain-out Information ......... 801-264-2525 Park Center (indoor pool) ........ 801-284-4200 Passports................................. 801-264-2660 POLICE DEPARTMENT Administrative Office .......... 801-264-2673 Animal Control/SL County .. 385-468-7387 Code Enforcement .............. 801-264-2673 Non-Emergency Calls ......... 801-840-4000 POWER DEPARTMENT Administrative Office .......... 801-264-2730 After Hours Emergency....... 801-264-9669 PUBLIC SERVICES Administrative Office .......... 801-270-2440 Building Inspection ............ 801-270-2431 Green Waste Trailers ........... 801-270-2440 Planning and Zoning .......... 801-270-2420 Solid Waste......................... 801-270-2440 Water, Sewer, Streets.......... 801-270-2440 Zoning Enforcement ........... 801-270-2426 UTILITIES After Hours Emergency....... 801-264-9669 Billing Questions ................ 801-264-2626

murray.utah.gov

Mayor’s Message

MAYOR’S OFFICE

How Much Land in Murray is Taken Up by Apartments?

mayor@murray.utah.gov 801-264-2600 5025 S. State Street Murray, Utah 84107

Hint: Not as much as you might think…

“Affordable housing” is an oxymoron in these times. That is particularly true if you are a first-time homebuyer or if you’re looking for someplace to rent. It’s very true if you’re looking in Murray.

You might lament apartment projects. You might be saying there are too many apartment buildings/projects in Murray, but here are the startling facts.

• There are 5,828 apartment units in Murray. There are 21,569 total housing units in the city.

• Apartments occupy a total of 214 acres of the 7,885 acres of land in Murray, or about 2.7% of the total acres of land.

• Apartment vacancy rates in Murray are around 2.0% meaning it’s not easy to find a vacant place, whether you can afford the rent or not.

• The rental costs for market-rate apartments will typically range from $1,100 or more per month for one-bedroom units and can reach upwards of $2,200 for some two and three-bedroom units.

Meanwhile, purchasing a home remains tough and pricey. Though the market has calmed a little due to increasing interest rates, home prices aren’t coming down to a level that makes them accessible for firsttime home buyers.

Murray is still a very desirable place to live. There is a great demand for housing, for rent or ownership. In addition to new single-family lots that have been developed recently, many rental units have been planned and are being built right now, including three projects that are under construction now or will be shortly:

Brett A. Hales -Mayor

Murray Square, on 9th East where Kmart once stood, will have a total of 421 units when all phases are complete. Construction is well underway on two of the three residential buildings. Those apartments include one, two and three bedrooms and will start leasing soon.

Construction just began on The Current, formerly Bonnyview Elementary School, located on Commerce Drive and 4994 South. The project will have 305 units ranging in size from one-to-two bedrooms. This project should be complete and leasing by 2024.

The Vine, under construction right now on Vine Street near 200 East will have 130 units. The project is about 20% finished. It will include one-to-two-bedroom units. Below is the current construction picture and the artist rendition of the finished product.

All three of these projects are providing rental apartments, each as part of a mixed-use project, meaning that along with the apartments being built, each project includes some new commercial and retail space as well.

Message from the Council Combatting the Housing Shortage As municipalities continue to combat the housing shortage and lack of affordable housing, one concept I have been researching, and find very interesting, is the idea of mixed-income housing. Although the concept of mixed-income housing has been Diane Turner around since at least the 1960’s, this concept District 4 has grown in popularity, especially in the last 20 years, as more and more major cities adopt this idea as part of their housing strategies.

Although there is no agreed-upon definition of what mixed-income housing really is, the consensus is that mixed-income housing, or a mixed-income development, refers to a development in which housing is affordable to families and individuals of all income levels.

It creates a community where people of different income levels can live together in the same area. It can revitalize blighted neighborhoods and help provide affordable housing.

The types of housing offered in these communities varies from development to development but it can include single-family homes, town homes, duplexes, and apartments. A high-rise multi-family building can also be used for mixed-income housing as the different size of units within the building can be concealed and unnoticeable to the general public.

Murray Public Works

Mixed-income housing developments help to eliminate areas of high poverty, prevent residential segregation, and provide for vibrant neighborhoods. Additionally, there are many social advantages to the residents of a mixed-income development. Residents may experience better housing quality, an increased sense of safety, reduced stress, improved mental health, and a feeling of inclusion from this type of living situation.

I find the idea of mixed-income housing very appealing because instead of having apartments in one area of the city, some single-family neighborhoods in another area, and some town houses in yet another area of the city, all of these housing types can be put together in one community that will appeal to and welcome residents of all income levels.

As Murray City moves forward we must be willing to take on the challenges of our changing world. It is imperative that city staff and city leaders take the time to research and learn about all the resources that are available to us and brainstorm for the best solutions to keep our City moving forward. Mixed-income housing is just one tool available to us that can be used to help create more affordable housing for our residents. I plan to continue to learn about this concept and study areas in the City where mixed-income housing could possibly be implemented.

Diane Turner, District 4

For additional info, contact Murray Public Works Department at 801-270-2440

August 2022 Murray Public Works Update Murray City Public Works crews and its contractors have completed several projects this spring and summer.

Murray Water replaced a waterline on 370 East north of Winchester. Murray Street crews have reconstructed roadways on Belview Avenue and Afton Avenue. Mill and overlays on Main Street, Century Drive, and Commerce Drive from Vine Street to 5300 South have also been completed.

Mill and overlays on Fashion Boulevard from 6100 South to Winchester and Commerce Drive from 4100 South to 4800 South are expected to be completed by mid-August. Murray City concrete contractors have replaced curb and sidewalk along Halcyon Drive and adjoining streets.

Reconstruction of 6240 South, 370 East, and Moon Ridge Drive are expected to be completed early this fall.

Vine Street from 1300 East to Van Winkle is largely complete. Small repairs and punch list work is underway. This project provided a new surface, sidewalks, bike lanes, and a center turn lane to encourage a safe and comfortable corridor for all users.

Several UDOT projects are on-going in Murray City. The State Street mill and overlay is underway and is replacing asphalt surfacing and replacing center medians from Winchester to 3000 South. Contact the project team at 385386-3806 for any questions. In mid-August, UDOT will begin a mill and overlay on 4500 South from I-15 to 700 East.

CITY COUNCIL Council District 1 Kat Martinez 385-743-8766

kat.martinez@murray.utah.gov Council District 2 Pam Cotter 801-541-8364

pcotter@murray.utah.gov Council District 3 Rosalba Dominguez 801-330-6232

rosalba.dominguez@murray.utah.gov Council District 4 Diane Turner 801-635-6382

diane.turner@murray.utah.gov Council District 5 Gerry Hrechkosy 385-800-1796

ghrechkosy@murray.utah.gov Executive Director Jennifer Kennedy Office: 801-264-2622

jkennedy@murray.utah.gov Telephone Agenda Information 801-264-2525

AUGUST 2022 Murray Senior Recreation Center 10 East 6150 South, Murray, Utah 84107 801-264-2635 seniorrec@murray.utah.gov murray.utah.gov/140Senior-Recreation-Center mcreg.com Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Thursday 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Closed Saturday and Sunday Check our website for any changes in programs.

DAILY LUNCH BY CHEF OMAR LIMON

Date: Tuesday through Friday Time: 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Cost: Cost is $5; prior registration not required BRUNCH CAFE Date: Monday, Aug. 15 Monday, Aug. 29 Time: 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Cost: Price varies; prior registration not required

SPECIAL EVENTS

CLASSES CERAMICS Date: Tuesday and Thursday Time: 9:00 a.m. – noon Cost: $1.50 each class plus cost of supplies GRIEF SUPPORT Date: Friday, Aug. 5 Friday, Aug. 19 Time: 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Cost: Free; Register now AVOIDING SCAMS AND FRAUD Date: Tuesday, Aug. 16 Time: 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 p.m.

Cost: Free AARP SMART DRIVING CLASS Date: Tuesday, Aug. 23 Time: 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Cost: $20 AARP Members otherwise $25 (payable day of class); register now Space is limited to 12 participants.

VITAL AGING: COPING WITH TRAUMA Date: Tuesday, Aug. 30 Time: 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Cost: Free; register now

FAMILY CONCERT SERIES Date: Monday, Aug. 8 – Crazy Coyote (country and swing) Time: 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Cost: Free; no appointment needed open to all ages and doors open at 6:00 p.m.

DANCE

SERVING UP KNOWLEDGE featuring Dale Myrberg, a U.S. National Yo-Yo Grand Master Date: Thursday, Aug. 18 Time: 12:45 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.

Cost: Free

EXERCISE

FAMILY CONCERT: THE BD HOWES BAND Date: Monday, Sep. 12 Time: 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Cost: Dinner is $10 for those 55+; concert is free for all ages

PROGRAMS

LINE DANCE: BEGINNING Date: Tuesdays Time: 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Cost: $10 for the month; register now DAILY EXERCISE CLASSES – Check our current newsletter for the schedule UNIVERSITY OF UTAH STUDENTS – Overall Fitness and Personal Training Date: Tuesdays and Fridays (Overall Fitness) Time: 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Cost: Free; register now NOTE: Personal Training appointments are available based on student schedules, call the Center for training availability and appointments.

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THURSDAY EVENING SOCIAL DANCE Live Music provided by Tony Summerhays Date: Thursdays Time: 7:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Cost: $5 HAND AND FOOT CARD GAME Date: Mondays Time: 12:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Cost: Free BRIDGE LESSONS Date: Mondays Time: 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Cost: Free MEXICAN TRAIN DOMINOS GAME Date: Thursdays Time: 12:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Cost: Free

HEALTH SERVICES BLOOD PRESSURE CLINIC by Harmony Home Health Date: Thursday, Aug. 11 Time: 10:30 a.m. – noon Cost: Free; no appointment necessary HAIRCUTS Date: Wednesdays beginning on Aug. 24 Time: 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Cost: $10; advance appointment required MASSAGE THERAPY Date: Thursdays Time: 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Cost: $20 for half-hour or $40 for hour; advance appointment required

TRIPS WENDOVER Date: Thursday, Sep. 8 Time: 8:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Cost: $22; register now

For information call 801-264-2635

Please join Murray City Power as we celebrate being a public power utility!

As a public power utility (rather than a for- profit utility) Murray City Power delivers better reliability, provides local jobs, and contributes to Murray City’s general fund. Perhaps, to our customer, the biggest benefit is having a lower power bill each month, which is something to celebrate!

If you’re not following Murray City Power’s Facebook page, you should! In addition to our in-person public power celebration, we will be sharing energy savings tips and giving away prizes during the week of public power. Our Facebook page also includes outage information, employee recognition, and department information.

Thursday, September 15th 4:00-6:30 pm Murray City Park Pavilion #5

Murray Arts Beat RESIDENT ON DISPLAY We will be showcasing local artist, Carl Christensen, as our Resident on Display at City Hall, August – September. You can check out his display in City Hall, Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm in the main display case next to the Chamber Room.

GET TO THE RIVER CELEBRATION

Celebrate the Jordan River with us at Germania Park, September 10, 2022.

Grab a free ice cream sandwich while learning about the native plants & creatures that can be found along the river trail.

Chalk Art Contest will be held that day from 8:00 am – 2:30 PM. Preregistration is required at mcreg.com or at the Murray Parks & Rec Office. (Registration closes September 5th or until spots are filled) More details can be found at: https://fb.me/e/1BjLiCUk5

For additional information, please contact Lori Edmunds at 801-264-2620

Meet the general election candidates hoping to represent Murrayites

By Shaun Delliskave | s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com

M

any Murrayites will see new candidates on their November election ballot, as redistricting changed boundaries that were set 10 years ago. The primary election on June 28 also provided one surprise: Senate 13 incumbent Gene Davis lost his seat to Democrat challenger Nate Blouin.

Senate 13

Davis, who represented Murray west of State Street for decades, lost his seat to Nate Blouin’s landslide victory, claiming 76% of the primary election vote. Davis’s defeat opens the door for Republicans to claim the seat held by Democrats for the last 30 years.

Blouin lists his occupation as a Renewable Energy Advocate. He has been a member of the Salt Lake County Open Space Trust Fund Committee and the SLCC alumni board. His Republican opponent, Roger Stout, emerged from the GOP’s convention without a primary election opponent. According to his election conflict of interest statement, he is currently retired.

Senate 14

With Sen. Jani Iwamoto stepping down, Murray’s eastside will have new representation in the Utah Senate.

Current House Rep. Stephanie Pitcher (D) had an official primary challenge from Deondra Brown to run for the open Senate seat. Pitcher, an attorney, solidly defeated Brown, a musician from the 5 Browns classical piano ensemble, 79% to 21%.

Two candidates are up against Pitcher in the general election: Dan Sorensen and Dennis Roach. Sorensen, a Republican, had no convention or primary contest. He is owner of the Granite Insurance Agency.

Roach is running as a member of the United Utah Party. He is a Holladay City Planning Commission member, and he listed his profession on his campaign documents as a call center manager for the TruGreen lawn care company.

House 34

Eastern Murray’s District 34 race features Democrat incumbent Carol Spackman Moss, a former educator, who is vying for her 13th term in office. She was first elected in 2001. Moss fended off a challenge in the Democratic Convention from Jonathon Paz. Her Republican challenger, John McPhie, lists his profession as retired, but he was an owner or officer in SLAA Capital, JLB Associates, and the Gordon Burt Affleck Foundation. He also has served on the board for Raise the Future, a nonprofit supporting youth in foster care and their families.

House 35

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Democrat Mark Wheatley, SLCC administrator, is attempting to secure his 10th term in office. He was first elected in 2005. His district covers the majority of Murray City.

General election challenger, Republican Belinda Johnson, serves on the Murray City School District Board of Education.

Johnson owns the J&B Johnson Properties property management company and coowns a Farm Bureau Financial Services insurance agency with her husband.

House 40

Southcentral Murray’s Democratic incumbent, Andrew Stoddard, is seeking a third term. He currently works in Murray City’s General Counsel office.

Stoddard is facing two challengers, Thomas Young and Tim Loftis. Young, a Republican, was formerly an economist at the Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst; he now works for Econometric Studios. He also serves on the board of directors for the American Preparatory Academy and is on the board of trustees at the Utah Foundation.

United Utah Party candidate Loftis lists his profession as Mountain West Region Equipment Finance Executive for Med One Group. In addition, he was publicly involved with the Economic Development Corporation of Utah (EDCUtah) and the Downtown Alliance, and was a corporate recruiter for Salt Lake City Corp.

House 41

Murray’s southeast neighborhoods will decide whether to re-elect Democrat Gay Lynn Bennion to her second term.

Republicans held a primary election between cleaning services owner Steven Aste and Granite Mills Woodworking owner Wayne Gary Sandberg. Sandberg claimed 58% of the vote to Aste’s 42%.

Sandberg has served on the University of Utah Fine Arts Advisory Board.

State School Board District 5

Redistricting split Murray between two State School Board districts. District 7 covers southeast Murray and has no active race this year, and District 5 covers west and northeast Murray.

Republican candidate Laurel Fetzer lists her professions as registered dietitian nutritionist and certified functional medicine practitioner. Her children attended Murray schools, and she was a PTA president.

Sarah Reale, the Democratic candidate, works as Director of Digital Marketing at Salt Lake Community College. Her public experience includes Ballpark Community Council Vice Chair.

An Independent candidate, William Fisher, identifies his profession as a free-

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Murray School Board precinct 3

The board race for Murray City School District’s northeast precinct features April Wilde Despain against Jill Weight. According to Despain’s website, she is currently homeschooling her children; no profession was listed. Weight, a former school teacher, has served on advisory panels for the Utah State Office of Education.

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Information about voter registration and who will appear on your ballot can be found at vote.utah.gov. Election Day is Nov. 8. l

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‘The Drowsy Chaperone’ visits Murray Amphitheater’s stage

By Shaun Delliskave | s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com

O

ften called a musical within a comedy, ”The Drowsy Chaperone” will bring 1920’s era jazz to Murray Amphitheater’s audiences in August. The five-time Tony Award-winning play, including Best Original Score, will wrap up the Murray City Cultural Arts summer season.

The play is narrated by the enigmatically named Man in Chair, who recalls a 1920’s musical about all the misfortunes at a celebrity wedding. As Man in Chair, a dyedin-the-wool musical theater fan, plays his favorite cast album, the fictional 1928 musical comedy “The Drowsy Chaperone,” he recalls events surrounding that fateful play.

As the overture starts, the musical comes to life in his studio apartment, telling the high-spirited tale of a brash Broadway actress giving up her life on the stage to marry her love, and her producer, who is so anxious to keep his showgirl that he will go to great lengths to stop the nuptials. With an elaborate cast of extravagant characters, including the handsome groom, his best man, two gangsters posing as pastry chefs, the Latin lover, and a drunken chaperone, “The Drowsy Chaperone” addresses one of the greatest desires in everyone’s heart—to be entertained.

As the Man in Chair wraps up his memories,

he invites the audience to join in and sing with him, “As We Stumble Along.”

Written by Bob Martin and Don Mckellar, with music and lyrics composed by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison, “The Drowsy Chaperone” first premiered in Toronto in 1997. The show debuted on Broadway in 2006 and toured nationally in 2007.

Veteran director Jim E. Smith helms Murray Amphitheater’s production. Smith started directing shows for Murray City in 1991 and has been teaching theater at Lone Peak High School, having just retired this year.

“Before I started directing, I was an actor, and until I was asked to direct a show, and decided I liked directing better,” Smith said.

Broadway veteran Emily Witte will star as Janet. In 2013, she performed “Ghostlight” in New York City. The role of Man in Chair will be brought to life by JD Ramey, who played the part at the Scera Center of the Arts in 2021. He also starred in Hale Center Theater’s 2018 production of “Annie,” in the role of Bert Healy. Natalie Savage plays Mrs. Tottenham; she recently appeared in “The Christmas Carol” at Hale Centre Theatre 2022.

Rounding out the rest of the cast are: Macy Rhees (Chaperone), Erik Christianson (Underling), Dallin Lewis (Robert Martin), Kevin Elzey (Feldzieg), Meagan Rudd (Kitty), Damon Yauney (Aldolpho), Ashley Gates (Trix the Aviatrix), Allessandro Falabella (Gangster No. 1), and Daniel Bearss (Gangster No. 2).

The production team is composed of Betsy Christenson (Assistant Director/Stage Manager), Kersee Whitney (Choreographer), Leslie Rhodes (Musical Director), Chloe Cox (Set Designer), Tawnya Bearrs (Props), and Steve Voorhees (Orchestra Conductor).

“It is a very funny and heartwarming show,” Smith said.

The show will take place at the Murray Amphitheater (495 E. 5300 South). Performances will be held on Aug. 12-13, 15, 18-20 at 8 p.m. ASL interpreters will be signing the show on Aug. 15. Tickets are $10 adults, $8 child/senior/military.

Individual tickets and season passes are sold at the Murray Parks & Recreation Office (296 E. Murray Park Ave.) and the Murray City Senior Recreation Center (10 E. 6150 South) or online at www.murraycity.smashpass.com/. l

Macy Rhees plays the chaperone. (Photo courtesy of Jim E. Smith)

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Murray City Journal

Internships give Cottonwood High students ‘insider look’ at careers

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

T

his summer, several Cottonwood High students should be finishing up their 40-hour career and technical education internships and more are likely set to do theirs in the fall.

More than a dozen others, like senior Georgia Barrus, completed internships last spring.

Barrus was interested in teaching and had helped at the Cottonwood High’s preschool. She had heard about internships when she was a freshman, but she had forgotten about it until senior year when Cottonwood work-based learning specialist and internship coach Mary Campbell approached her.

“I was like ‘I'm going to do this because it’s such a good learning experience for me,’” she said. “I’ve taken early childhood class and the preschool class, but then taking the internship and working at Oakwood Elementary School, just confirmed my passion for teaching.”

The internships are optional for juniors and seniors who, if enrolled, receive a pass or fail grade and receive 0.5 credit, but they also have an insider look at working in the career, Campbell said.

“We want to give our students more career exploration and this is a great way to do it,” she said, adding that they have interns working in physical training, libraries, computer science, sports marketing, aerospace and other fields. “Our goal is to see them all graduate with knowledge

or skills in whatever they may be interested in. We want to help them toward their career, and this is helping them know ‘this is what it looks like’ before they step into the job.”

Campbell works closely with Granite School District internship development specialist Erin Gubler.

“Many students can use this internship as a way to test if it’s a field they want to pursue, which can save them a lot of money determining that now instead of during college,” she said. “They may also discover different pathways or if the job will help pay for their college or training.

It gives them a look into certifications, scholarships or even classes to take if they choose to pursue a certain career.”

Through the internships, students practice their writing, create their own LinkedIn profiles, and learn interview skills as they create resumes and have mock interviews. The students also are paired with a mentor at the internship location. At the end of the students’ internships, they share with others about their experience.

Barrus already had her LinkedIn account, but she said that she’s learned a lot through her internship and was able to bring in some experience she has from her high school education classes, such as creating a daily schedule or a certain activity.

During the internship, she helped teach kindergartners, working with students in-

“Many students can use this internship as a way to test if it’s a field they want to pursue, which can save them a lot of money determining that now instead of during college.” dividually and in small groups as well as in the larger classroom setting.

“I’ll ask the teacher what she needs or what she’d like me to do. I’ve helped with circle time, a dance they’re learning, library and music time and math bingo to teach them numbers. What I really like is getting to know them and their personalities. They’ll say what’s on the top of their head and sometimes it’s so funny,” she said. “Sometimes, I learn what works and doesn’t work. Like yesterday, a girl was outside of the playground did not want to come in. It was raining and so I just went out and asked if she wanted to come help me cut off the paper and she instant-

ly got down and came in, held my hand and walked back with me. I was shocked because she wouldn’t come when other teachers called for her to come in, but maybe she just listened to me or wanted a reason to come in.”

Much of her spring, Barrus, or Miss G, as she was called at Oakwood, was at the elementary school three hours two days per week.

“I’m learning how to become like a better leader and how to teach students in a way that will work for them. Like some kids I'll sit down with, and I'll help them with the math. I count out with them, pointing to a picture. Some other kids really need to get blocks out and take away blocks. I have learned it's important to communicate on all levels—the kids, the teacher, parents, everyone,” she said.

Having that internship experience is critical as it helps build students’ experience and confidence, Gubler said.

“It’s impactful and can be an important experience students can use as they prepare life after graduation,” she said.

“They’re learning soft skills as well as getting excited about their future skills. Everything they learn will help them as they make career choices.” l

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Cottonwood High senior Georgia Barrus gets supplies ready to do an art project with students during her internship. (Photo courtesy of Georgia Barrus/Cottonwood High)

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August 2022 | Page 21

New Woodstock, Cottonwood principals to welcome students

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

T

wo new faces are greeting students this fall, stepping in the shoes of former beloved principals who have left Woodstock Elementary and Cottonwood High.

At Woodstock Elementary, Kristie Reather will greet about 500 students, some she met last spring, as former principal Brenda Byrnes has left to work in the Granite School District office.

Nearby, Mike Douglas got a jump start, moving into his office in June and was trying to meet with some of the Cottonwood High community before school began. He takes over for retiring principal Terri Roylance.

Education, especially elementary school, isn’t new to Reather.

“I just I love school and my folks traveled around a lot,” she said. “I went to five different elementary schools, and I had some amazing teachers that made a huge impact on me,” she said, adding she remembered her second-grade teacher Mrs. Parabeck at Central Heights Elementary in Billings, Montana let her hang out at school until her older siblings got home.

“She made it easier and cared a lot about me and touched my life,” Reather said. “She just helped me want to do the same thing. She influences the lives of all the kids that I touch now.”

Reather also fondly remembered her sev-

enth-grade choir teacher, Harold Anderson at Riverside Junior High, also in Billings.

“I was racing to class one day because of course it was 30 seconds before the bell rang, and I was eating as quick as I could. He stopped me. I thought, ‘I'm going to be in so much trouble.’ But instead of yelling at me, he told me I needed to go out for track. It's just moments like that that make a difference. So, I did, and I even broke some records,” she said.

Reather went on to earn her bachelor’s in elementary education with a focus in language arts and her master’s in elementary education, both from Utah State. She also holds a master’s in educational leadership.

As an educator, she taught nine years in both first and third grades. She’s been a school reading specialist, a District reading coach, an interventionalist, an instructional consultant and an assistant support coach. Before coming to Woodstock, she was assistant principal at Hunter Junior and at Olympus High.

“I've been from elementary to high school and the bottom line is kids are kids and their bodies get bigger, but they're still amazing and the decisions they make as they get older, of course can impact them a little bit more. They all need to be loved and accepted and we need to raise them up to become their best. Flexibility and laughter are the key. Establishing those

relationships, making sure everyone's safe and respected, and just eliminating obstacles that interfere with learning is my job,” Reather said, adding that she plans to be with the students as much as possible, playing four-square or going along with the PTA doing some crazy things to help motivate them to read.

“I love reading. I’ve recently been reading about World War II, and I also love John Grisham, but usually it’s just whatever strikes my fancy,” she said, adding that she also loves playing with her three grandkids and traveling to places such as Yellowstone National Park and Puerto Rico.

But her heart is being at school.

“I love being a principal,” Reather said.

“People who have reached out to me said Woodstock is phenomenal. I've heard wonderful things about the students and their families, how caring and involved they are, and all the activities they do. I’ve heard Woodstock is their family so that makes me happy because it’s now my family, too.”

That’s how outgoing principal Byrnes has felt the past five years at Woodstock.

“I always try to be in the lunchroom, go outside with the kids, be outside with them before and after school,” she said. “I read certain books to every grade level. So, throughout the year, many times I'd go in and read books to

them and they love it and I love it my tradition as well. I’m going to miss it.”

After a pause, she continued.

“I love being in education. There is no doubt this is what I was meant to do,” she said, adding that she came from a family of educators. “I'm going to obviously miss the kids and the staff and the teachers. We genuinely consider ourselves to be a family. We genuinely care about each other and are so close and tightknit.”

During her tenure, Woodstock’s academic growth has risen.

“Our greatest accomplishment is that we have steadily increased our academic achievement base, you know, and we've got data to show that over the past five years,” she said.

“That has to do with everybody in the Woodstock family, saying ‘this is what we're going to do.’ I'm super proud of everyone’s hard work and efforts.”

During the last few weeks of spring, Reather shadowed Byrnes on Fridays, so she got to learn about the school and its routine and even a bit about the “sweet seat,” a place of honor created first by a teacher, now in the school office.

“Students are nominated for any reason, whether it's they've improved a test score, they've just given it their best, they improved

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Murray City Journal

their behavior or whatever the teachers see. I love it because it's just time where they get to sit and tell me about what they did and how awesome they are— so we get to celebrate together,” Byrnes said, adding that she also sends a personal note to their parents.

While Byrnes acknowledges she will be a step further away from the students, she will still have an impact in their education hiring teachers who will have a positive impact in the classroom as Granite District’s human resources associate director.

“It’s an honor to be chosen for this position. We need good teachers for our district and part of my skill set is getting people excited about being part of education here,” Byrnes said.

Douglas also is excited about his new position so much he is knocking on doors adjacent to the campus to introduce himself—on top of being part of a group who is trying to visit about 400 incoming ninth-graders’ homes.

“We're going to give them a welcome backpack with some school supplies and a Cottonwood T-shirt or swag in there, see what extracurricular activities they are interested in, and invite them to a welcome barbecue,” he said. “I want people to know I have an opendoor policy if they have any great ideas they want to share or questions they need to ask or even concerns that they can call me.”

During the year, he plans to be at several extracurricular events and activities, from the performing arts (which will include a new upgraded sound system and sound booth this fall) to clubs and sports.

“I wanted to be at a high school. High school has it all—all the extracurricular activities, the clubs, the sports, AP (advanced placement classes), concurrent enrollment, robotics, chess, debate, arts—if there's anything you love or are interested in, you can participate in that in high school level,” he said.

As a Cyprus High School student, Douglas played football—“my coaches had a great influence on me in my life and shaping me as a as a person as a man and I wanted to be able to do that for other people”—and did ceramics.

“I just loved it. I had an affinity to it and I ended up being pretty good at it,” he said, having earned art awards not only in high school, but also while attending Dixie State University.

“It's an incredible thing to take a lump of clay and make something beautiful out of it. My pottery teacher Joe Van Leeuwen would say life is like a lump of clay. He’s now retired, but he was an amazing teacher.”

Another teacher who had indirectly influenced Douglas into a career in education was his fifth-grade teacher who in struggling to have the students focus would take away recess time when they didn’t pay attention.

“What she was doing was trying to try to motivate or change behavior using a punitive approach as opposed to saying ‘hey, if we can get through this as a class, you can earn a point’ toward something; for me, it would have been more PE time,” he said. “So instead, she was taking away PE time. I remember I went to the bathroom, and I came back, and all of our PE

MurrayJournal .com

time had been taken away. I wasn't even in the room, and I love PE, and now it was gone so, I was really upset. That was the part where I thought, ‘I'm never going to do this when I'm a teacher.’ That was the first time I ever thought about being a teacher.”

Douglas went on to earn his bachelor’s in physical education with a minor in history from the University of Utah, then got his master’s in administration and education leadership at the University of Phoenix.

He taught history and government seven years at Cyprus High—right down the hall from his mother, who was finishing her teaching career in English-language arts.

“Some students were lucky enough to have both of us as their teachers so that was fun,” Douglas said.

Now in his 11th year as an administrator, he brings his experiences in education to Cottonwood.

“Every individual matters, every person that walks in your building, whether they're an employee or a student or a parent, that person matters. You give them your time and listen and make sure you hear them; I can't listen to everybody, but our staff can, our teachers can, our assistants can,” he said. “We need to think about the individual student. It's not students.

I’ll often say, ‘it’s the student first and always;’ we need to address the individual needs of every student because every student is different.

I've learned that each person and all people matter; we need to be respectful and understanding so each of our students excel and achieve and do new things and hard things, the same as I want the staff, the teachers to excel and achieve and to do new and hard things.

When we have a growth mindset about people’s ability to learn, then everyone can learn given the right environment, given the right supports.”

Having that strong school culture where students and faculty support one another was a legacy Roylance left behind. Her last year, she met with others to start the Stampede, a club designed to solely support campus groups and get teams and clubs to support one another.

“I just loved my time at Cottonwood, absolutely loved my time there,” she said shortly after moving out of her office in June. “I worked with the best people and had the best kids there. I will miss the people very, very much, there are no regrets.”

Roylance assumed her duties as new Cottonwood High principal in November 2015 when former Principal Alan R. Parrish took a job in Granite School District’s office. She had to prepare for the following fall when about 500 ninth-graders would come to Cottonwood, making it a four-year high school and pushing enrollment to about 1,800 students.

“That whole year was just crazy; we spent planning and going over and interviewing and observing the junior high teachers that were interested to move to Cottonwood and be in the high school. The building remodel (which began in April 2016 and was supposed to be ready by that fall) was not done on time—it wasn't anywhere near finished,” Roylance

Principal Brenda Byrnes met with incoming principal Kristie Reather to ensure a smooth transition at Woodstock Elementary this school year. (Photo courtesy of Brenda Byrnes/Woodstock Elementary)

said. “I remember saying, ‘We got to prioritize, and the classrooms and the cafeteria need to be functional. The rest of us can figure it out.’

We abandoned all the teacher meetings and instead, helped each other get into new rooms that weren't quite finished. It’s one of my favorite memories, just watching teachers help each other. Then, they came to me and say, ‘Terri, what else do you need?’ I just remember thinking that we have the best personnel.”

Another favorite memory was when Cottonwood’s baseball team was playing for the state championship her second year. The game was the same day as graduation; both were held at Utah Valley University.

“I ran down to UVU in the morning with my cap and gown and with the diplomas. I graduated those baseball seniors on the baseball field at UVU right there in front of home plate. Then I quickly sprinted across the field and ran up to make it to our graduation at one o'clock,” Roylance said.

Meanwhile, the team won the state championship. At the commencement ceremony, they baseball team came in and stood by the auditorium doors.

“They were waiting to take my picture with the state trophy. It was awesome; it was so great. I started to cry. I remember standing to front of the audience and my secretary slipped in saying they just won the championship. So, right then and there, I announced that as the graduates were coming up on the stage. It was absolutely a sweet memory,” she said.

Another standout time was when the school’s rookie robotics team qualified to compete at the world championships in Houston.

“It was difficult to raise that kind of money to get the whole team to Houston in the span of 10 days. At first, I thought there's no way we can do this, but our awesome community gathered and rallied around these kids, so they raised more money than was needed for the whole team to go compete,” she said. “Our kids are just awesome. I love to see them outside of the school setting, participating whether it was a theater performance or an athletic competition or with a club. It was just fun to see that side of our kids. I just love the community. We have a very diverse community and I just felt as a privilege and an honor to be there for seven years.”

Even though she’s retiring, she isn’t putting her feet up. She will work for the University of Utah, supervising student teachers at several schools, including at Cottonwood High.

Through her education career thus far, while Roylance taught and was an administrator in several places, Cottonwood has remained a special place for her. Her first placement as a teaching intern was at Cottonwood.

“When I left as an intern, I said, if I should ever be so lucky to come back and work at this school, it would be a dream come true,” she said. “When I was appointed here, I remember thinking this will be my dream job and it has been; it absolutely has been.” l

August 2022 | Page 23

Outgoing Sen. Gene Davis still plans to keep serving

By Shaun Delliskave | s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com

D

on’t expect outgoing Sen. Gene Davis to hang up the “gone fishing” sign. After 36 years in the legislature, Davis still feels he has unfinished business.

Democrat voters rejected the long-time moderate legislator of central Salt Lake County in favor of progressive candidate Nate Blouin.

Democrats left Davis at this year’s convention, but he still had enough signatures to join the ballot. However, the primary election results strongly indicated voters wanted a change; Davis lost 24% to Blouin’s 76%.

“It’s been my pleasure to serve and work with many different mayors. South Salt Lake, Midvale, Murray, Holladay, Millcreek, West Valley, as well as my home area in Sugar House. Working on the needs in these various areas, we were able to rehabilitate portions of State Street as well improve roads in Murray and Millcreek,” Davis said.

As a former disc jockey, he has an encyclopedic knowledge of music, gained from his years spinning records for KNAK and KALL radio stations. Then, as all good broadcasters do, he switched careers and went into public relations.

Davis was first elected to the legislature in 1986, when the Democrats asked him to challenge a longstanding, seemingly invulnerable

Republican house member. Davis served six terms representing South Salt Lake and Sugar House.

“I ran for the Utah State Senate as Sen. Blaze Wharton decided not to run for another term. I ran in his stead in District 3, adding parts of Murray and Midvale, so my career representing that area of Salt Lake County began. In 2002, redistricting created a larger district that included parts of West Valley City and most of Murray into Holladay and parts of Midvale,” Davis said.

Of all the legislation he has worked on during his decades in the legislature, Davis wishes to be remembered for his healthcare access legislation. He sponsored legislation creating the Utah Health Insurance Risk Pool, the predecessor to many of today’s health reform initiatives.

“When Barack Obama was elected and brought forward the Affordable Care Act, I was one of the first proponents of that change.

It meant that in economic downturns, people would still have access to healthcare. One of the great advantages of the Affordable Care Act was Medicaid expansion. I worked for many years trying to get that through until the people decided to take it upon themselves, and we passed through a referendum on the expan-

sion of Medicaid in Utah. It meant more people had more access to health care,” Davis said.

Still, he wishes he had more time to finish his work regulating medicinal marijuana to provide better consumer protections. He also wanted to do more as co-chair of the Local Food Advisory Committee to address food insecurity.

According to Davis, “I’d like to get that taken care of, that we just reauthorize that committee to go on for another five years. So, there’s a number of things that I’d like to be working on to get that done…but having not gotten enough votes to proceed into the general election, that will be forestalled. And so I just have to work with that on the periphery end of the future. I don’t know exactly what the future holds; do any of us?”

Davis does have some plans once his term ends in December.

“I would like to share my experiences in the classroom. I also would like to continue working on legislation. It’s important to our communities to work on the Murray Theater and make sure we can get the funding in place to make sure that it gets rehabilitated,” Davis said.

Davis will still be involved in committee work until the end of his term. However, he

says his mantra of 36 years remains the same: “I have always told people I don’t own the office; I serve at the will of my fellow citizens,” Davis said. l

Sen. Gene Davis addresses the Utah State Senate.

(Photo courtesy of Gene Davis)

Comcast introduces new service offering to support the ACP, where Utahns can apply for free internet

I

n today’s world, access to high-speed internet is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. Unfortunately, many Utah families can’t afford to pay for internet access without cutting back on other essentials.

The Affordable Connectivity Program, created as part of a bipartisan infrastructure law, helps millions of American families reduce internet service costs. As the only internet provider in Utah participating in ACP, Comcast has increased its efforts to bring awareness to the program while helping families receive $30 each month toward connectivity costs.

“It's never been more important to make sure that every Utahn has access to in-home broadband,” said Bill Crim, CEO of United Way of Salt Lake. “We are grateful for Comcast's contribution to closing the digital divide and will continue to work with Comcast and our other partners to remove barriers and address the needs of those without access in every zip code in our community.”

To access the savings, people can sign up for Internet Essentials Plus, a service that is free after the ACP Benefit, at local Xfinity stores. Internet Essentials Plus includes 100 Mbps speed, a cable modem, access to WiFi hotspots and unlimited data for $29.95 per

Page 24 | August 2022

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com month.

Any Xfinity customer across all Comcast markets who qualifies for ACP can apply their $30 credit toward their monthly internet bill.

As an added bonus, Internet Essentials customers can get one Xfinity Mobile Unlimited line with 5G for $24.95 a month plus tax when they qualify for ACP. In addition, through its Project UP program, Comcast commits $1B to advance digital equity and build a future of unlimited possibilities.

“Our state is making great strides toward digital equity, thanks to engaged community members and dedicated partners like Comcast,” said Liz Gabbitas, digital access and education program manager with the Utah State Library Division. “These collaborations are how we'll get every Utahn connected.”

ACP is available for homes with an income of less than twice the federal poverty level, $55,000 a year for a family of four or $27,000 a year for an individual. Also, those who receive SNAP/EBT, Medicaid, or free and reduced-price school lunch would also qualify.

ACP is a game-changer that makes highspeed internet available to families across the state. United Way of Salt Lake operates a 2-1-1

With Comcast and Xfinity, families can get free internet access through the Affordable Connectivity Program. (Photo courtesy of Comcast)

help center in Utah, where 6% of calls are related to bill payment assistance. The center will refer inbound callers to Internet Essentials and ACP when calls refer to internet bills.

“Working toward all Utahns having access to high-speed, in-home broadband is the

right thing to do,” said Deneiva Knight, Comcast external affairs director. “We're proud to support the Affordable Connectivity Program, which provides people with the digital resources needed to actively participate in today's society.”l

Murray City Journal

Murray 2022 Fun Days Parade Photos by Shaun Delliskave

Veterans with mock-up USS Utah submarine.

“Sister Act”—the musical entry.

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Miss Murray on Murray City’s float.

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Murray City Journal

By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

W

ith only 25 players on varsity, the same number as it had last season, the Cottonwood High football team will head into another year as an independent.

The Colts may be in their last year under that distinction in football, but that is something that head coach Casey Miller said he wasn’t sure about.

For Miller, who is now in his sixth year at the helm, this year is about taking the giant leap forward that he envisioned could happen for the program when he took it over after Bart Bowen resigned.

“We are really trying to get that elusive fifth win and be the first [Cottonwood football team to have a non-losing season in a decade,” said Miller, who will return some key players this season.

The kicker, added the Cottonwood coach, is that all 25 of his varsity players will have to play both ways, offense and defense in 2022.

Those will include senior quarterback/defensive back Brock Simpson, who was only a freshman when he was taking licks from hulking defensive linemen when the Colts were in Class 5A and were losing by 60 points or more by halftime.

Simpson, who has thrown for 3,416 yards in his four years here, threw for over half that last year [2,048 passing yards, 13 TDs, 12 INT] for Cottonwood.

Another player who will be key for the Colts is their versatile running back and linebacker Sterling Wilson. He ran for a good chunk of yardage last year and also had 41 tackles on defense.

Where Cottonwood could really do some damage though is out on the flanks.

Senior Nick Bean headlines a talented receiving corps. His 665 yards led all Colts receivers last year. Bean also hauled in three receiving touchdowns and ran back a pick six on defense. Along with Bean returning to feature for Cottonwood, senior Lincoln Martinez was also a deep threat last season, hauling in three touchdowns on 195 receiving yards.

But they’re not all that the Colts have coming back at wide receiver this season.

They also bring back Kaelen Gray and his 495 receiving yards and team-leading four TD grabs from 2021 as well as Roman Caywood. Each is in their third season of playing football at Cottonwood.

The area that could be problematic for a Cottonwood team looking for five wins on the season for the first time in over 10 years is smack dab, front and center, on the offensive line. That’s where

MurrayJournal .com

Miller said their biggest and one of their most talented guys was lost for the season—but not to an injury.

“We are going to just be inexperienced,” added Miller when talking about his offensive line. “Lost our biggest returning player [300-pounder] to grades, so he won't be playing.”

In addition, the Colts football program was hurt even more by several other kids not making grades, and ended up losing four total the previous semester, which in Miller’s view kills a program that only has 25 to 30 varsity players to begin with.

Miller said he envisions his offensive and defensive lines to start two seniors, one junior and one sophomore with just one having had any varsity experience— but with a touch of the bad news comes some that is good. For the first time in his six years at Cottonwood, Miller doesn’t foresee having to play any ninth-graders on the varsity.

“We shouldn't have to dress any freshman this year unless something drastic happens,” Miller said, who mentioned before this article went to print that he will be forced to train several upperclassmen who are new to the sport of football in the two weeks of team practices leading up to the Colts home and season opener against Summit Academy Aug. 12.

Cottonwood will round out the month of August with games at Richfield [Aug. 19], and will return home to face Providence Hall Aug. 26. We’ll have recaps of all three games and reactions in the next edition of the Journal.

All in all, added Miller, the team had a good summer camp that began July 12 and they got out of the two-a-days with no injuries—important for a team dressing just 25 players on varsity. The boys also did what they were asked to do in the offseason, and Miller believes that could very well equate to a season unlike any other in recent memory.

“Kids have been working hard in the weight room and are as strong as we have been,” he said. “We have lots of experience returning, and the spirit of the team is as high as it has been in my six years.” l

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Cottonwood football heads into the season with just as many players, but tons of promise

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Peri Kinder Life and Laughter

To infinity and beyond

N

early one million miles away from Earth, the James Webb Space Telescope is gazing into space with the intensity of a teenager watching TikTok. The most powerful observatory ever launched (Hubble orbits a measly 340 miles away from Earth), the JWST navigated to its location and deployed its mirrors, telescopes, solar panels and antennas, unfolding like a Transformer in the middle of space.

NASA (Nerding About Space Again) was unsurprisingly geeked about the first images from the JWST and organized a live event to reveal the pictures to the world. I’m an astronomy fangirl, so it made my nerdy

heart happy to see the images unveiled on July 12 during the NASA production.

I couldn’t help but appreciate that Hollywood hadn’t produced the reveal show. It would have been completely different, with movie stars turning it into a literal song-anddance. It would have included a Gorgeous Galaxy red carpet event before the Beautiful People, dressed in sequins and velvet, highlighted the space pictures “right after these messages.”

Instead of talking to actual astrophysicists, the Beautiful People would have interviewed actors like Matthew McConaughey and Tom Hanks, asking them what it was

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like portraying an astronaut in the movies.

There would have been glitzy graphics, a soundtrack by Lizzo and brief glimpses of the space images before the cameras returned to the Beautiful People so they could talk about how much they liked planets.

Thankfully, NASA did the whole program themselves. It was like someone handed the high school astronomy club an iPhone and told them to prepare a science project about the Webb telescope. They didn’t use professional spokespeople. They weren’t dressed in formal wear. It was just astrophysicists literally (yes, literally) bouncing with excitement as the world saw the photos for the first time.

There was even a technical glitch when NASA tried to connect to scientists in Canada but couldn’t get through. NASA can relay images from billions of light years away, but can’t connect with colleagues in Montreal.

Stupid Zoom calls.

Astronomers explained the images sent from the JWST that included dying stars

and black holes and cosmic cliffs and binary stars, which I don’t think are legal in Utah.

It showed a universe teeming with galaxies never seen before. At least not by people on Earth.

The telescope can see through space dust, asteroid rubble and alien trash to get the clearest pictures ever created. Scientists once thought there was only one galaxy in the universe, but one JWST image showed thousands of galaxies in a teensy bit of sky.

Hopefully, this will prove to politicians that the world does not revolve around them.

Webb’s mission is to search for light from the first stars and galaxies that formed the universe after the Big Bang, unless you don’t believe in the Big Bang. In that case, you can sit next to those who think the moon landing was fake, the earth is flat, evolution is a fraud, the Mars mission is bogus, the moon is an alien spacecraft, that it’s NASA’s job to create space hoaxes and we’ve never crossed the Van Allen Belt.

But if you’re a star-nerd, like me, watching something so vast is mind-boggling.

We’re a tiny, blue marble floating through the enormity of space, doing our best not to fall into a black hole or get vaporized by a meteor.

So many evolutionary steps had to happen for us to even be here. What a rare gift.

Let’s stop messing it up. l

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