Murray City Journal | June 2020

June 2020 | Vol. 20 Iss. 06

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By Shaun Delliskave | s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com

W

ith the economy in turmoil due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Murray community leaders have come together to provide relief to some of Murray’s most vulnerable residents—children. The Murray Children’s Pantry (MCP), a newly formed organization, will focus on feeding children and their families in the Murray area.

Former Murray City Councilor Jim Brass serves as president, with Murray Exchange Club officer Sherri VanBibber as treasurer, and Kathy Romero as secretary. On the Board of Directors are Steve McGinty, Marie Goettsche, Eliza Romero, Michael Romero and Jennifer Brass. The MCP organization has applied for a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, a nonprofit charitable organization.

“It is for all children, regardless of age, race or ethnicity, and their families that are at risk for hunger in our city.

Many children who don’t belong to any organized clubs or are too young to attend school are still at risk,” volunteer Lynda Brown said. “We also seek to help those families that are under undue stress due to the current pandemic, whose families need assistance. This could be single-parent families or those simply experiencing a hard time.”

Murray has a sizable population residing in apartments and rental properties who are typically young families. With national unemployment rates at 25%, families with very young children that are not able to take advantage of school district subsidized school lunches can suffer from food insecurity.

MCP intends to form alliances with the Murray Police and Murray Fire Departments, along with the Murray Victims The Murray Children’s Pantry receives a food donation. (Photo courtesy Murray Children’s Pantry) Continued page 5

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June 2020 | Page 3

Murray voters can participate in drive-up voting this primary election

By Shaun Delliskave | s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com

T

he pandemic of 2020 has obviously altered Murrayites’ lives, including how they handle most daily tasks: curbside pick-up for fine dining, drive-up doctor visits, parking lot grocery pick-up, and now drive-thru voting.

House Bill 3006, passed by the Utah State Legislature on April 16, mandates that all voting will take place via mail. The June 30 primary election will be conducted entirely by mail, but for Murray voters who do not receive a ballot in the mail, they can pick up a ballot on Election Day at the Salt Lake County Government Center drive-up location at 2001 S. State St. Times and other pick up locations have yet to be posted. Once ballots are completed, voters can drop them in one of the numerous ballot drop box locations including Murray City Hall, 5025 S. State St. These secured boxes are available 24/7 until 8 p.m. on Election Day. Ballots will be mailed to registered voters around June 8, with the last day to request a ballot being June 23. Residents can register to vote by mail by June 19.

The pandemic stifled some candidates’ efforts to collect signatures to appear on the primary ballot, and the party conventions locked in most of their candidates for local house and senate races. However, Murray voters will still be able to consider candidates for governor and federal House of Representatives.

For Salt Lake County Council, eastside Murray’s County Council District Four will see incumbent Ann Granato advance to Inauguration Day; there were no Democratic primary challengers nor is there a Republican candidate for Granato to face off with in the general election.

Voters living in the Granite School District, namely Woodstock and Twin Peaks Elementary Schools area residents, will decide who will compete for the open seat left by

Journals

Murray residents can register to vote until June 19.

(Photo courtesy Salt Lake County)

outgoing Precinct Two Board Member Connie Anderson. Three candidates have filed, two will move on to the general election.

Candidates are Jerry Haslam, Clarke Nelson and Starleen Orullian.

Murray School Board incumbents Glo Merrill and Jaren Cooper face no primary or general election challengers and will retain their places on the board.

Voters in southeast Murray will have a new representative in House District 46, as Marie Poulson has announced that she will retire after this year. While there will be no primary contests for this seat, the Democratic State Convention delegates advanced Gay Lynn Bennion to the general election, where she will face Republican Jaren Davis, who previously ran for the seat in 2008, and Libertarian Lee Anne Walker.

Republican State Convention delegates forwarded Kyle Bird directly to the general election to face House District 44 (Central Murray) incumbent Andrew Stoddard (D).

United Utah Party will also field candidate John Jackson in this race.

Other Murray House races will skip the primary for the general election. District 34 (southwest Murray) saw David Young emerge from the Republican Convention to

Ballots for this year’s primary election can be deposited in any county ballot drop box. (Photo courtesy Salt Lake County)

face incumbent Nancy Kwan (D). District 37 (east Murray) incumbent Carol Spackman Moss (D) will face Maryann Christensen, who was selected during the Republican Convention. District 35 (north Murray) will see Republican Luke Gustafson and United Utah candidate Adam Bean take on incumbent Democrat Mark Wheatley.

The only Murray State Senate seat in contention this year is for Senate District 8 (southeast Murray). Voters that will see a repeat battle between incumbent Democrat Kathleen Riebe and Republican Brian Zehnder.

Since many races are set for the general election, Murray voters will be able to vote for some statewide races, namely the governor’s office with Gov. Gary Herbert retiring.

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Murray Republicans will select from Jon Huntsman, Spencer Cox, Thomas Wright or Greg Hughes. All other political parties chose their candidates out of the convention.

Murray Republicans will also select between Trent Christensen, Kim Coleman, Burgess Owens and Jay Mcfarland, as their candidate to run in the general election against incumbent Congressman Ben McAdams (D). Additionally, they will decide whether incumbent Attorney General Sean Reyes or contender David Leavitt will move on to the general election.

There are no Murray municipal offices on the ballot this year. Murrayites can see who will be appearing on their ballot and learn more about the candidates by going online to vote.utah.gov. l

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Continued from front page Alliance. These front-line organizations can help identify those who need or are seeking assistance. The MCP, currently located at the former Creekside School (179 E. Myrtle Ave.), will relocate to the Murray Baptist Church Parsonage (184 E. 5770 South) starting June 15.

“We will have a volunteer committee soon and other programs where our community can get involved. We will also be reaching out to Murray businesses and community organizations to join in our advocate program,” Brown said.

This program differs from other food programs since it is all-inclusive of all chil-

dren and their families that need food. They don’t need to belong to any particular club, school or athletic/sports group. If they are in Murray, they can access the pantry.

“There will always be more demand for food than the pantry can supply. Hunger is an ever-growing problem, and the MCP hopes to rally the community together to address our needs,” Brown said. “We are currently helping some organizations with their food programs, and the need is always greater than the resource.”

The organization is currently taking in food donations and monetary support to purchase what they need. They accept all new, non-perishable, non-expired food for distri-

bution. On social media, they post items that they are in most need of each week before their food drives, which are every Tuesday from 10 a.m. to noon and the third Saturday of each month at the same time.

According to Brown, “Our current plans include getting our committees and community volunteers organized to help us reach as many children and families as possible and to bring in as much food as possible. We would never want to turn families away because we ran out of food. We have future plans for fundraising activities when the lockdown lifts. We see us outgrowing our current space very quickly as needs and donations increase. At this point, we see giv-

ing out boxes or shopping bags of food that will supply several days’ worth of meals, but that is still being determined.

“The best support is for anyone supporting our pantry to bring whatever you can in suggested food items to one of our drives. If you have a business, please contact one of us about becoming a partner. We are confident everyone is with us in seeing that our future generation of kids get what they need to grow strong into the business leaders, government and city employees, neighbors, and friends of Murray.” l

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June 2020 | Page 5

How will COVID-19 impact K-12 education?

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

With students no longer in classrooms, educators now question what the impact of COVID-19 online education will be in the new academic year. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

M

any educators say students’ academic retention will plunge greater than that of the typical summer slide from the prolonged COVID-19-induced school closure — and preliminary research is supporting that.

NWEA, a not-for-profit organization that supports students and educators worldwide with assessments and research services, studied what summer learning loss can tell educators about the potential impact of school closures has on student academic achievement.

In their April 2020 findings, NWEA researchers concluded, “students will return in fall 2020 with roughly 70% of the learning gains in reading relative to a typical school year. However, in mathematics, students are likely to show much smaller learning gains, returning with less than 50% of the learning gains and in some grades, nearly a full year behind what we would observe in normal conditions.”

While many school districts plan to give assessments to students in the fall to determine the actual amount of reviewing and reteaching that may be necessary, Mathnasium of Cottonwood Heights owner Mila Gleason said the impact may be even greater with students who already are struggling.

“Some of these students may not have a structure in place or a support system and are needed to help with their family situations,” she said. “We may see an increased divide.”

That may be from helping care for younger siblings to working to help sustain the family, leaving little time for homework.

Students may also not have the additional income needed to attend college in the future or the ability or time to seek out counselors to help figure out college financial aid packages, researchers said.

Hillcrest High Principal Greg Leavitt

Page 6 | June 2020

said it’s been a challenge.

“This is something we didn’t plan for in this massive way, to have school shut down for more than a day or two,” he said. “It’s a different kind of challenge, foreign to all us, and there’s no way we can deliver the product we normally do. Our teachers are teaching 30 minutes versus 70 minutes in normal classrooms. Some students are doing well and keeping up the rigor. Others we’re trying to keep motivated and learning; it’s a different world right now.”

Park Lane Elementary Principal Justin Jeffery said his staff is following up with students who haven’t checked in on a Zoom meeting or haven’t grabbed a packet, with emails, phone calls and even with a certified letter.

“We all know this is not the same as instruction in our classrooms, but what our teachers don’t want are huge learning losses,” he said. “We haven’t been in this situation before, but the silver lining is that we all will be better with teaching with technology and offering blended learning. Many of us haven’t pushed to learn everything until now, when we’re forced to, and so we’re becoming much more tech-savvy. I’ve never done social media so I’m finally coming into the 21st century.”

Utah’s schools may have an advantage over other states, Utah Assistant Superintendent of Student Learning Darin Nielsen said.

“We’ve worked to provide technology to our schools throughout our state,” he said.

“We’ve infused money to increase the number of devices and training in distance learning. We have a real emphasis on blending learning.”

West Kearns Elementary dual immersion third-grade teacher Daisy Reyes said the soft closure caught her off guard, but her new norm is teaching online from her living room.

“I’ve been continuing to read the story we were reading in class, being consistent, so students can look forward to this time every day,” she said. “It’s ideal to be there in person, but the benefit of technology is that we’re still able to make some face-to-face connections through the screen and we are all learning how to use technology more.”

Indian Hills science teacher Rachel Afualo said that she had to step up her learning when it came to Canvas.

“This has helped me become more open-minded to digital learning and gain more resources as a teacher,” she said. “I can create labs online and use them in the future, when a student is absent. And we can look at the way we’re teaching and discover more ways to interact with students and find more opportunities and platforms to connect with them. It’s a different territory and I’m learning to be more flexible working with it.”

Granite School District Director of Technology Chris Larsen said that his school tech specialists and media center specialists have been reaching out to help teachers and parents, helping them learn digital platforms so they can connect with students.

“Our teachers know how to teach, and in a matter of days, have taken their curriculum to provide it to students face to face through technology so students can continue to learn,” he said. “We are all making this the best situation for families and kids.”

Larsen said that more than 20,000 Chromebooks have been checked out to Granite School District families. Murray School District’s secondary schools already are on a 1:1 device ratio, but the District also checked out Chromebooks for younger students. Canyons District also checked out Chromebooks to families who indicated a need and worked with providers to provide free internet access as a temporary solution to the crisis.

This may lead to innovation in education, something many educators applaud, like Summit Academy seventh- and eighth-grade math teacher Natalie Sluga.

“A lot of positive can come from this,” she said. “We can tap into creativity, we can

With students gone in the schools and studying online, educators worry about retention of learning and if blended learning will become more of a norm. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

A Viewmont Elementary student holds a sign up during the school’s social distancing parade, letting teachers know how much they’re missed. (Photo courtesy of Viewmont Elementary)

use more platforms, more apps, more ways and ideas in education.”

The combination of asynchronous online learning tools (such as reading material through Google Classroom) with synchronous face-to-face video instruction could turn into the new norm, educators said.

Butler Elementary Principal Jeff Nalwalker said that now there is different sense of urgency in learning to teach online.

“We are making sure our community understands what teachers are doing and doing admirably,” he said. “We had teachers who were timid to try new things, jumping out of their comfort zone to learn new technology.

There’s no way to duplicate the experience of our professional instructors in person, but this is giving us an opportunity to look at blending learning opportunities in elementary school.

We could see asynchronous delivery and then doing it together in a synchronous model that would allow more in-depth discussions and new opportunities for learning.”

Nalwalker also said that he would like to look into checking out Chromebooks to students to use during their elementary years.

“Students will have greater access and can empower their own learning. It can become a habit that is integrated into daily routines,” he said.

Families also may play a greater part of students’ education, Altara Elementary Principal Nicole Svee Magann said.

“Families have slowed down and family dinner has returned for the majority,” she said. “There’s more time they are connecting together, playing games and interacting with one another. Parents are stepping into teaching roles and are appreciating what teachers do more and are working together to ensure students are learning.” l

Murray City Journal

Grizzlies end season on top, ready for next year

A big grand flag

By Shaun Delliskave | s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com

By Greg James | g.james@mycityjournals.com

Utah Grizzly forward Tim McGauley led the East Coast Hockey League with 42 assists. (Photo courtesy Utah Grizzlies Hockey)

T

he Utah Grizzlies Hockey season ended abruptly on March 14, as did most sporting events in this country, but before everything was canceled it was an unforgettable year for the team.

“Overall, I am extremely pleased with this season,” Grizzlies head coach and general manager Tim Branham said. “We had an amazing group of young men who did wonderful things on and off the ice. We had a real good chance of making a long playoff run and it’s disappointing that the players don’t get that chance. They really believed in themselves.”

At the time of the season suspension and eventual cancellation, the Grizzlies stood tied for second place in the Mountain Division of the East Coast Hockey League. Their .637 winning percentage was the best in franchise history.

This was the second season of the team’s working agreement with the Colorado Avalanche. Under the agreement the National Hockey League team supplements the Grizzly roster with their contracted players.

Forward Ty Lewis led the team with 25 goals. He scored four goals in one game Dec. 17. The team scored 207 on the season highlighted by a 10-goal game against the Allen Americans in November, the most goals they had scored in a game since 1995 against the Chicago Wolves of the International Hockey League. That night eight different players tallied a goal or an assist. Josh Dickson had a hat trick (three goals).

Forward Tim McGauley led the league with 42 assists and was second in scoring with 62 points overall (assists plus goals).

In December, the team posted nine wins, one loss and two ties. During the December run, the team went from last place to first.

The players assigned to the Grizzlies play at this level to showcase their talent. The abrupt ending to the season could sidetrack many hopeful careers, but Branham is hope-

MurrayJournal .com

ful it doesn’t.

“The end was extremely disappointing.

When you work as hard as the players did all year, giving so much blood, sweat and tears.

It’s hard to see it end without any closure. I think it is too soon to tell how things will affect them, time will tell. I loved this team and hope every one of them is back next season,” Branham said.

On Dec. 12, the Grizzlies acquired goaltender Martin Oueluette from the Atlanta Gladiators. He was awarded ECHL goaltender of the week in his first week with the club.

He stopped 51 of 53 shots against the highest scoring team in the league. In 28 games with the club he allowed only 2.16 goals per game and had a .921 save percentage.

The Grizzlies had qualified for the playoffs if the season had not been canceled. This would have made 12 of the past 13 seasons they have made the postseason.

Branham has compiled 249 wins over seven seasons. He is the winningest coach in franchise history. This year a total of 37 players logged time with the team including five goaltenders. Hunter Miska began the year with the team and eventually spent time with the Avalanche in the NHL. As of press deadline, the future of the team and its players is up in the air.

“I am in the dark just like everyone else,” Branham said about beginning the season on time. “I believe everyone is waiting on direction from the NHL, but we are extremely hopeful that we will have hockey in Utah next season and it will start on time. The support that we get from our fans is tremendous. We could not do it without them. The passion that they bring each and every night really energizes the boys.”

The 2020-21 season is scheduled to begin in October, but the league is waiting for direction from local authorities before a final decision is made. l

Frontline workers in the battle against the coronavirus were honored May 21 by the display of a giant flag on the central tower at the IMC campus. The 11,700 square feet 400-pound flag was unfurled on the west side of the hospital as part of National Emergency Medical Services Week.

Follow the Flag organization, which owns the large emblem, aptly named it “Big Betsy” after Betsy Ross.

The group stated on their Facebook page that they hoped that it would raise the spirits of healthcare workers engaged in treating those with COVID-19. (Shaun Delliskave/City Journals)

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June 2020 | Page 7

Murray Boys & Girls Club serves front-line workers

By Shaun Delliskave | s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com

D

Please Sign The Petition Urging Public Officials to Add Sidewalks and Limit Additional Needless Destruction to Vine Street The Wasatch Front Regional Council (WFRC) and Murray City plan to increase the width of Vine Street between 900 East and Van Winkle to a uniform 81’.

This is a Wasatch Front Regional Council (WFRC) project, approved over a decade ago, being managed and implemented by Murray City.

Plans include the addition of a 12' center turning lane, two 5' bike lanes, two 6' parking lanes, curb and gutter, two 5' park strips, and two 4' sidewalks totaling 81 feet.

An 81’ roadway will require the removal of approximately 52 mature trees, along with numerous bushes, young trees, and hedges that will be replaced with asphalt and concrete.

Mature trees and landscape provide character and shade in the area, reducing the amount of water needed to preserve surrounding landscape areas and reducing the amount of energy required to heat and air-condition surrounding homes. Removal of more than 52 large trees will increase use of water and energy, resulting in additional costs to homeowners.

The area is zoned R-1-10 and City code requires that homes be set back 25’ from the sidewalk. The City’s forced acquisition of property from homeowners will create numerous non-compliant homes.

uring the unprecedented pandemic crisis, Murray’s Miller Boys & Girls Club transformed its efforts to serve kids and families, especially those of front-line workers.

The club provided emergency childcare to kids while their parents work in places like emergency rooms, while general childcare centers had to close down.

The Miller Boys & Girls Club location has been operating as Emergency Care Centers (ECC) as part of the One Utah Child Care system. These centers serve the kids of first responders, medical personnel, and other essential workers critical to maintaining Utah’s medical and public safety operations during the pandemic.

Also, since March 30, over 15,500 meals have been distributed to children and families by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Salt Lake (BGCGSL). In conjunction with partners Waste Less Solutions, USANA Kids Eats, the Utah Food Bank, and other donors, BGCGSL has been able to make “grab ‘n’ go” breakfasts and lunches, along with pantry and food items available to families impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.

“We are happy we could provide support for medical and essential workers through One Utah Child Care,” Murray Club Director Andi Whitesides said.

As an ECC, it has served several families and has an enrollment of 13 kids. However, regular patrons were prevented from attending the club due to the ECC regulations.

Instead, club staff had to innovate new ways to meet kids’ needs.

“During this pandemic, we are trying to offer several different services to meet the different needs of our families,” Whitesides said. “We are providing food bags and boxes to help families who are experiencing food insecurity at this time. We are also providing

Miller Boys & Girls Club demonstrate chalk art through virtual meetings. (Photo courtesy Miller Boys & Girls Club)

a variety of different virtual programming, including activities like cooking, soccer, or STEM to keep our youth engaged in our programming and busy but also providing some homework support by hosting Zoom meetings where our youth can log on and get help with their school work.”

COVID-19’s disruption in everyone’s daily lives has caused anxiety, especially for youth. Isolation and changed routines have compounded the problem that the club staff has noticed in their online meetings with the kids.

Vine Street at Rodeo Lane is currently only 56 feet; 81 feet would be a 25 foot increase or nearly 50% more asphalt!

SignTheVine.Com Page 8 | June 2020

Miller Boys & Girls Club taught youth cooking during virtual meetings. (Photo courtesy Miller Boys & Girls Club)

Murray City Journal

According to Whitesides, “I think the main struggle we see with our club members is with mental health, now even more so.

Many of our youth come to the club without even realizing it to learn conflict resolution and coping skills. They have a place to put a label on their emotion and work through it with an adult they trust, and right now, that is missing. Isolation is hard for everyone but adds emotions that you still don’t quite understand, the level of uncertainty we all are experiencing right now, and not being considered old enough to understand.

“From the time schools and the club closed on March 11, our teen program created virtual meetings and space where our youth can discuss what is going on right now. They can talk about their fears or frustrations which allows them to recognize the feelings surrounding this interesting time we are living in. It helps them know they are not alone in those feelings; that what they are experiencing is valid and that many people in our club but also our country are also experiencing.”

The Miller Boys & Girls Club will reopen for its summer programs on June 18 under new guidelines. The club will have limited slots available to provide appropriate social distancing. The Murray facility recently renovated last year to include expanded classrooms and activity areas. More information can be found online at www.gslclubs. org. l

Parkside students send cards to hospital staff

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

N

early 100 thank-you cards were delivered to Intermountain Medical Center’s nurse administrator Suzanne Anderson and Marketing and Communications Manager Kris Beldin as a way for Parkside Elementary students to show their gratitude to the hospital staff. “We recognize a lot of fear and the impact this time has on kids, so we thought this was a proactive way they could take away their fear and bring brightness to those who are putting in long hours to help others,” said Parkside Principal Brian Dawes, who delivered the cards and letters along with Assistant Principal Kay Oborn. “Some

Miller Boys & Girls Club worked with youth to maintain good mental health during virtual meetings.

(Photo courtesy Miller Boys & Girls Club)

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of the kids were really clever; some sent in photos of themselves holding up their letters; some wrote, ‘you’re great, we appreciate and thank you for everything you’re doing,’ and dropped them by the school.” In addition to those cards, students also sent ones in appreciation of their teachers and staff and there are discussions about sending thank-you cards to other community frontliners. “We only have a few weeks of academic time this school year,” Dawes said. “This is a nice way to support our community and have meaningful assignments.” (Photo courtesy of Murray School District) l

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your murray schools – Murray City School District Newsletter MURRAY CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT 5102 South Commerce Drive • Murray, UT 84107 Phone 801-264-7400 | Fax 801-264-7456

Website: www.murrayschools.org | Facebook: Murray School District UT The Your Murray Schools section is a Murray City School District publication, under the direction of D. Wright, MCSD communications & public information.

A Message from Superintendent Jennifer Covington Never before has our appreciation for teachers, students, and parents been greater than during the challenging days we have experienced in our community, state, and nation. The COVID-19 public health crisis and the immediate transition to digital home learning brought out the best in our amazing school community.

Mrs. Jennifer Covington Our educators rose to the occasion by blazing new trails in instructional design.

They also repeatedly demonstrated how much they truly care for their students and how deeply they were missed. Our students stepped out of the classroom one day and into digital learning in their own homes the next. End-of-year celebrations and rites of passage

were lost and yet they continued to persevere. Our parents worked side-by-side with their students and teachers to support both academic and social/emotional learning all while managing their day-to-day duties.

It is my privilege to pause with gratitude at this time to honor our educators for their professional dedication and service to children; students for their willingness to learn in new and different ways; and parents for supporting their students and our schools.

We are eager to see our students back at our schools in the fall. Reopening schools in a post-pandemic world will require an incredible amount of flexibility.

We are committed to working with our state and local government and health officials on how to make this happen in the safest way possible. Updated information will be shared on the Murray City School District website as it becomes available.

Murray Murray City City School School District District 2020 – 2021 Academic Calendar Murray City School District 2020 – 2021 Academic Calendar 2020 – 2021 Academic Calendar

Aug. 10 Aug. 10 Aug. 14 Aug. 14 Aug. 17 10 Aug. 17 TBD Aug. 14 TBD Aug. 17 Sep. TBD 7 Sep. 7 Sep. 22-23 Sep. 22-23 23-24 Sep. 7 Sep. 23-24 25 Sep. 22-23 Sep. 25 Sep. 25 23-24 Sep. 25 Sep. 25 30-Oct. 1 Sep. 30-Oct. 1 Sep. 25 Oct. Sep. 230-Oct. 1 Oct. 2 Oct. 2 Oct. 2 Oct. 15-16 2 Oct. 15-16 Oct. 22 2 Oct. 22 Oct. 23 15-16 Oct. 23 Oct. 22 Nov. 25-27 Oct. 23 Nov. 25-27

Teachers Begin (2 work days/3 pd days) Teachers Begin (2 work days/3 pd days) First Day of School, 7th Grade First Day of School, 7th Grade First Day of School, Grades 1-6,pd 8-12 (All Schools) Teachers Begin (2 work days/3 days) First Day of School, Grades 1-6, 8-12 (All Schools) First Day of School School,Kindergarten 7th Grade (All Elementary Schools) First Day of School Kindergarten (All Elementary Schools) First Day of School, Grades 1-6, 8-12 (All Schools) Labor DayofHoliday First Day School Kindergarten (All Elementary Schools) Labor Day Holiday Junior High Parent/Teacher CCR* Conference Junior High Parent/Teacher CCR* Conference High School Parent/Teacher CCR* Conference Labor Day Holiday High School Parent/Teacher CCR* Conference Secondary CCR* Compensatory Day Junior HighTeacher Parent/Teacher CCR* Conference Secondary Teacher CCR* Compensatory Day Elementary Development Day High School Professional Parent/Teacher CCR* Conference Elementary Professional Development Day Elementary Parent Teacher Conference Day Secondary Teacher CCR* Compensatory Elementary Parent Teacher Conference Elementary Professional Development Day Elementary Parent TeacherTeacher Compensatory Day Conference Elementary Teacher Compensatory Day Secondary Professional Development Day Secondary Professional Development Day Fall Recess Teacher Compensatory Day Elementary Fall Recess Early SchoolProfessional Dismissal for PD Day (HalfDay Day) Secondary Development Early School Dismissal for PD Day (Half Day) Teacher Work Day Fall Recess Teacher Work Day Early School Dismissal for PD Day (Half Day) Thanksgiving Teacher WorkHoliday Day Thanksgiving Holiday

Dec. Winter Break Holiday (Dec. 18 last day of school/Jan. 4 School Begins) Nov. 21-Jan. 25-27 1 Thanksgiving Dec. 21-Jan. 1 Winter Break (Dec. 18 last day of school/Jan. 4 School Begins) Jan. Dec.15 21-Jan. 1 Jan. 15 Jan. 18 Jan. 18 22 Jan. 15 Jan. 22 Jan. 18 Feb. 22 15 Jan. Feb. 15 Feb. 16-17 Feb. 16-17 Feb. 17-18 15 Feb. 17-18 Feb. 19 16-17 Feb. 19 Feb. 19 17-18 Feb. 19 Feb. 24-25 19 Feb. 24-25 26 Feb. 19 Feb. 26 Feb. 26 24-25 Feb. 26 Feb. 26 Mar. 26 Feb. 26 Mar. 26 Mar. 29-Apr. 2 Mar. 29-Apr. 2 Mar. 26 May 31 Mar. 29-Apr. 2 May 31

TeacherBreak Work(Dec. Day 18 last day of school/Jan. 4 School Begins) Winter Teacher Work Day Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Early School Dismissal for PD Day (Half Day) Teacher Work Day Early School Dismissal for PD Day (Half Day) Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Washington Lincoln for Holiday Early School & Dismissal PD Day (Half Day) Washington & Lincoln Holiday High School Parent/Teacher CCR* Conference High School Parent/Teacher CCR* Conference Jr. High Parent/Teacher CCR* Conference Washington & Lincoln Holiday Jr. High Parent/Teacher CCR* Conference Secondary Compensatory Day High SchoolTeacher Parent/Teacher CCR* Conference Secondary Teacher Compensatory Day Elementary Non-Contract DayConference Jr. High Parent/Teacher CCR* Elementary Non-Contract Day Elementary Parent/Teacher Conference Secondary Teacher Compensatory Day Elementary Parent/Teacher Conference Elementary Non-Contract Teacher Compensatory Day Day Elementary Teacher Compensatory Day Secondary DayConference ElementaryNon-Contract Parent/Teacher Secondary Non-Contract Day Elementary Teacher Compensatory Day Teacher Work Day** Secondary Non-Contract Day Teacher Work Day** Spring Break Spring Break Teacher Work Day** Memorial Day Holiday Spring Break Memorial Day Holiday

June 31 3 May June 3

Last Day ofDay School Memorial Holiday Last Day of School

June 3

Last Day of School

Dates Students Dates Students NOT in School NOT inStudents School Dates NOT Sep.in7,School 2020

Sep. 7, 2020 Sep. 25, 2020 Sep. 25, 2020 Sep. 7, 2020 Sep. 2020 Oct.25, 2, 2020 Oct. 2, 2020 Oct. 15-16, 2020 Oct. 15-16, 2020 Oct. 2, 2020 Oct. 22, 2020 (Half Day) Oct. 22, 2020 (Half Day) Oct. 2020 Oct.15-16, 23, 2020 Oct. 23, 2020 Oct. 22, 2020 (Half Day) Oct.25-27, 23, 2020 Nov. 2020 Nov. 25-27, 2020 Nov. 25-27, 2020 Dec. 21, 2020 – Jan. 1, 2021 Dec. 21, 2020 – Jan. 1, 2021 Dec. 21,Jan. 2020 Jan. 1, 2021 15,–2021 Jan. 15, 2021 Jan. 18, 2021 Jan. 18, 2021 Jan.2021 15, 2021 Jan. 22, (Half Day) Jan. 22, 2021 (Half Day) Jan. 18, 2021 Jan. 22, (Half Day) Feb.2021 15, 2021 Feb. 15, 2021 Feb. 19, 2021 Feb. 19, 2021 15, 2021 Feb. 26, Feb. 26, 2021 Feb. 19, Mar. 26, 2021 Mar. 26, 2021 Feb. 26, 2021 Mar.Mar. 29 –26, Apr.2021 2, 2021 Mar. 29 – Apr. 2, 2021 Mar.May 29 –31, Apr. 2, 2021 2021 May 31, 2021 May 31, 2021

Endings of Terms Endings of Terms Endings of Terms

1stst Term, Oct. 22, 2020 (45 days) 1 Term, Oct. 22, 2020 (45 days) Term, Jan. 14, 2020 (46 days) 2nd Term, Jan. 14, 2020 (46 days) 2rdnd Oct. 22, 25, 2020 2021 (45 (46 days) days) 31rdst Term, Mar. Term, Mar. 25, 2021 (46 days) 3 nd Term, Jan. 2020 (43 (46 days) days) 24th Jun.,14, 3, 2021 4rdth Term, Jun., 3, 2021 (43 days) 3 Term, Mar. 25, 2021 (46 days) 4th Term, Jun., 3, 2021 (43 days)

*CCR (College Career Readiness) in secondary schools. *CCR Career Readiness) schools.day necessary. **Teacher Work Day(College on March 26 will be used in assecondary a school makeup **Teacher Work Day on March 26 will be usedthis as calendar a school makeup daynecessitated necessary. by unforeseen events.

The Murray Board of Education reserves the right to alter or amend as may be *CCRthe (College Readiness) in secondary The Murray Board of Education reserves right toCareer alter or amend this calendar asschools. may be necessitated by unforeseen events. **Teacher Work Day on March 26 will be used as a school makeup day necessary.

The Murray Board of Education reserves the right to alter or amend this calendar as may be necessitated by unforeseen events.

Page 10 | June 2020

JUNE 2020

Murray Education Foundation Pinnacle Award Recipients Sheri Heaton, Teacher (Longview) Pictured at right.

Lisa White, Teacher (MHS) Ryan Moffett, Teacher (MHS) Randy Bodily, Teacher (Riverview) Ginger Shaw, Teacher (Grant) Sheri Winn, Teacher (McMillan) Monica Giles, Volunteer (Riverview) Brady Nielsen, Technology Specialist, (DO)

District Recognition Teacher of the Year: Jessica Porter, Grant Elementary Nominees: Jessica Pearce (Hillcrest); Michelle Smith (Horizon); Amy Koehler (Liberty); Mike Okumura (Longview); Angie Thompson (McMillan); Rich White (MHS); Cara Cerise (Parkside); Kara Dye (Riverview); Vange Watts (Viewmont)

Classified Employee of the Year: Jim Brown, Murray High School Nominees: Wendy Rippa (Horizon); Brittany Roller (Viewmont); AnnMarie Nielson (DO); Lindsay Preece (Grant); Kaydee Fondaco (ECEC); Kerri McCullough (McMillan); April Walker (Liberty); Alicia Brimley (Parkside); Janie Moysh (Riverview); Heather Wilks (Hillcrest); Cassidty Lundskog (ECEC)

State PTA Recognition Utah PTA Outstanding Support Staff Award: Corey Peterson, Librarian (McMillan) Utah PTA Outstanding Educator Award: Mike Okumura (Longview)

Retirees Rock Boyer, District Office (19 years) Jim Brown, Murray High (35 years) Debbie Dow, Grant (26 years) Ellie Ferrero, Liberty (27 years) Carol Forythe, Viewmont (16 years) Sherie Heaton, Longview (28 years) Julie Hebertson, Riverview Jr. High (26 years) Catherine Lovato, District Office (10 years) Shauna Maughan, McMillan (29 years) Anne Renz, Viewmont (32 years) Kathy Reynolds, McMillan(28 years) Gayla L. Salmon, Longview (32 years) Joy Sanford, McMillan (18 years) Darle Taylor, Horizon (37 years) D. Wright, District Office (15 years)

Murray City Journal

Murray City leaders and Chamber of Commerce launch economic task force

By Shaun Delliskave | s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com

A

t the end of April, Murray had 145 coronavirus cases, according to the Utah Department of Health. Murray’s economy was hit hard with closures due to the pandemic. Restaurants, retail and personal services like spas and gyms were directly impacted; but wholesalers also saw supply chains break down and service industries had to deal with consumers cutting spending.

“Lost revenue, furloughs, layoffs, and even permanent closures are happening right here in Murray,” said Joseph Silverzweig of the Murray Area Chamber of Commerce.

Gov. Gary Herbert loosened restrictions in May, allowing some establishments, like Fashion Place Mall, to open. Restaurants, gyms, and hair salons were allowed to open with social distancing and sanitizing requirements.

To help local businesses respond to the economic impact of the pandemic, the Murray Area Chamber of Commerce has created an economic task force.

“The purpose of the task force is to position the economy of the Murray area to rebound as quickly and fully as possible from the COVID-19 crisis while preserving public health, equitable employment, and the local character and spirit,” Silverzweig said. “Representatives of our retail, wellness, restaurant, and healthcare industries serve on the task force as well as Chamber leadership, representatives from Murray and Midvale cities, and local community leaders.”

Silverzweig, an attorney and Murray resident who works for Comcast as a government affairs manager, chairs the task force.

He also serves on the Chamber’s political affairs committee and was an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Utah.

“The Chamber is committed to being a resource for every business in our community, not just members, and we’ve stepped up to the challenge presented by COVID. Chamber President and CEO Stephanie Wright has done a wonderful job pivoting quickly to digital formats for education and has been a leader on this task force, leveraging her experience and connections to help everyone we can,” Silverzweig said.

At the April 7 Murray City Council meeting, the council passed a resolution expressing support for the task force. City Councilor Kat Martinez was appointed to represent the council on the task force. A Midvale City councilmember is also going to be appointed to the group.

“The task force has compiled a library of resources for any member of our business community to access, including information about how to take advantage of federal, state, and local aid opportunities and how to effectively run a business during lockdown. We’re also going to be highlighting local businesses who are open and show our community how

MurrayJournal .com

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hard business owners are working to keep you safe and leave you feeling comfortable and excited about going out and shopping again. In addition, we are advocating for policies at the local level that will help our businesses thrive,” Silverzweig said.

Utah sales tax revenue plummeted significantly in March, according to the Utah State Tax Commission. Murray City’s sales tax revenue fell 15.2%. Some industries fared The Huntington Group - Coldwell Banker. worse than others in Utah: food services tax revenue dropped 26%, retail clothing fell 44%, and auto parts were down 20%.

Murray City Council held budget meetings in May asking all city departments to identify at least 4% in cuts to deal with the lost revenue. Among other things the council considered to balance the budget was increasing its share that it taps from enterprise funds (revenue collected from Murray Power and Water).

“We’re inviting all small business owners who don’t know where to turn or what to do next to contact the Murray Chamber of Commerce,” Silverzweig said. The Murray Members of the Murray Area Chamber of Commerce attend an “Eggs n’ Issues” brunch in February. (Photo Chamber of Commerce can be found online courtesy Murray Area Chamber of Commerce) at www.murraychamber.org. l

Members of the Murray Area Chamber of Commerce attend an “Eggs n’ Issues” brunch. (Photo courtesy Murray Area Chamber of Commerce)

June 2020 | Page 11

COMFORT SOLUTIONS HVAC NEWSLETTER - ASK THE PROS!

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SHOULD I REPLACE MY AC? Here are some general guidelines when considering upgrading/replacing your central air conditioner. Most manufactures current life expectancy for your HVAC equipment is 18-20 years. If you have had small repairs during the 18-20 years of running your equipment and your central air all of a sudden stops working. It may be time to look at replacing your AC/Furnace system. With that age of equipment repair cost can get expensive and those funds could be better used to replace vs repair. When you consider replacing your HVAC equipment you will likely gain higher efficiency equipment, reduced operating cost and more comfortable living environment. Ask for details on Variable speed, 18-20 Seer and smart phone controls. A new system will be reliable for years to come and keep your family comfortable year round.

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Lastly choosing the right HVAC provider should be simple and easy. Check out the on-line reviews of the company you are selecting. Google and BBB ratings are a very good indicator of what service you can expect from your HVAC professional. Never buy out of a van! Visit your local HVAC business/showroom to see working displays and options. Be weary of those providers who work out of a garage or small shop.

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Page 12 | June 2020

Twin Peaks students share cultures as cultural night tradition continues

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

T

win Peaks third-grader Samuela Olive held a conch shell, wearing traditional Tongan clothing at this school’s cultural night. His 14-year-old brother, Lehi, then demonstrated how to blow the shell to make a sound.

“It’s really hard,” Lehi said. “I lick my lips and put my mouth right on the hole, but I have to get the right pitch. It took me about two weeks to learn.”

The two brothers along with their family were at the Tonga booth, which also had a display that included items representing the culture and, like many of the other booths representing cultures, sampling of their food.

Their cousin was one of the many dancers from Tonga and Samoa heritage that performed in three dances.

Twin Peaks’ cultural night began eight years ago when PTA President Paige Janzen noticed the diversity at the school.

“I noticed Twin Peaks’ population and that we had a lot of kids from different countries—from Mexico, Central and South Amer-

ica to the Middle East and India,” she said. “I looked around and thought wouldn’t it be neat if we shared our culture and learned something about them. I thought if we celebrated our culture, it would bring our school and community closer and broaden people’s understanding.”

That first year, she invited a couple of the students and families as well as returned missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The next year, she invited classes to adopt a country and culture.

“That worked out OK, except it was during testing time,” she said.

Since then, students and their families who have lived in different countries have been invited to share as well as any student who wished to have a booth on a country they have traveled to or researched.

This year after getting names of interested students, Janzen passed the reins over to Christina Linke, who helped her with the cultural night last year.

“When she said that it was going to be her last year two years ago, I couldn’t let it

Murray City Journal

end,” Linke said. “It’s something that is important for our school. When I first came to culture night, I walked around and saw food from around the world where we can’t get it from anywhere else and kids learning from each other and I was sold. So, I said that if she taught me last year, I’d take it over with her help this year. It’s something I’d like to see bigger, to grow.”

Linke said she also may look into the community to bring in others to include with the school cultural night.

“I’m shocked at how many families there are from different countries. In fourth grade, there are 64 students and 12 are from different countries. This year, we have Egypt and Japan, and we’ve never had a booth from those countries before. I love the food, but I also love when there’s interaction with crafts and performances as well,” she said.

For example, at the Scottish booth, students could weave their own tartan and at the Japanese booth, they could fold origami.

Many booths, including Mexico, Korea, Navajo, Vietnam, Germany, Samoa and Brazil, brought food samples. At some booths, such as Sweden and Costa Rica, students wore costumes.

“My grandma brought it back for me,” said fifth-grader Melody Gonzales about her traditional dress. “My dad and his family are from Costa Rica. It’s very beautiful, with a super warm ocean and good food—rice, tuna and picadillo.”

Melody was with fifth-grader Sarissa

Dancers took to the stage at Twin Peaks’ culture night. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Peterson and sixth-grader Maya Compton.

Sarissa already had sampled the gelato at the Italian booth.

“It’s really good,” she said. “I like to ex-

perience all the different booths.”

Maya, who attends Bonneville Junior High, came at the invitation of her friends.

“I like the food and what’s on the post-

TM

ers,” she said, adding that she would like her school to start a cultural night. “It’s fun to experience different cultures.” l

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June 2020 | Page 13

Cottonwood High’s athletes and coaches find reasons to celebrate

By Ryanne Riet | r.riet@mycityjournals.com

T

hroughout the country many high school sports athletic programs and athletes have had to cancel their 2020 season due to school shutdowns.

At Cottonwood High School, things are not much different from that.

Greg Southwick is the athletic director and head golf coach at Cottonwood High.

“It has been difficult, especially for the seniors,” Southwick said. “Like all athletes they understood they were among many who were making sacrifices for a better cause.”

Many senior athletes were already identified by college scouts prior to the shutdown.

However, some were affected more than others.

The Cottonwood High baseball team has felt the effects from the shutdown significantly.

“All of our seniors are suffering the impact from this,” head baseball coach Jason Crawford said. “From a player looking to improve his position in the draft, to players looking for college scholarships.”

After the team returned home from playing in the Boras Classic in Arizona, they learned that the rest of their short season would come to a halt.

There has been plenty of good to counteract the shutdown in the 2019-2020 school season for Cottonwood High’s athletics.

Head baseball coach Jason Crawford was named Utah Baseball Coach of the Year

by UHSAA. Another positive event this year was girls golf MVP Aleigha Beverly qualified to Coach Jason Crawford accepts UHSAA’s Baseball compete in the state championship.

On the Cottonwood soccer field, next Coach of the Year award. (Photo courtesy Granite School District) year’s team is already getting their prepa-

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Murray City Journal

JUNE 2020

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 Heritage Center (Sr. 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 ................... 801-264-2671 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 OFFICE

Mayor’s Message

D. Blair Camp -Mayor

Congratulations to the Class of 2020 In the years to come, the year 2020 will surely be a memorable one for all of us. Many of the plans we had made for this year, whether personal, professional, educational, or recreational, have been altered by conditions beyond our control.

One example of a group whose plans have been altered are the graduating high school seniors of the Class of 2020. We have heard and seen much surrounding their disappointment for not being able to participate in a “traditional” graduation ceremony. Murray’s two high schools, Murray and Cottonwood, have a total of 776 graduating seniors whose graduation plans have been altered. Both schools have found creative ways to acknowledge the graduating seniors while maintaining the social distancing guidelines, and I applaud them for that. Among other unique arrangements, Cottonwood High organized a “graduation walk” for the graduates from Woodstock Elementary to Cottonwood High, where each student’s name was announced. Murray High seniors were recorded in their graduation regalia for their graduation ceremony video, a feat that required a week to complete in order to comply with social distancing guidelines. Many local high schools, including Murray, participated in a “lights-on tribute” on Friday May 8 to encourage the Class of 2020 to “Be the Light” in turbulent times.

The conditions of 2020 are themselves a life lesson for the graduating class. Things will not always turn out the way they were planned. It is necessary to be flexible and able to adapt to the circumstances that life throws your way and, to use a baseball metaphor, there will be curveballs thrown along the way! It is almost guaranteed that the graduating Class of 2020 will face challenges that will make the loss of the traditional graduation seem like a very small inconvenience.

High school graduation means an end and a beginning at the same time. Graduating seniors will go their various directions, some to college,

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

some to trade schools, others directly to the work force, and various other plans.

Some will stay in touch with close friends and others may not. Regardless of their chosen path, I wish nothing but the best for these new graduates.

To the young women and young men of the Class of 2020, I say congratulations on your milestone achievement! The time you have all invested in learning over the past 13 years of your life, along with the social and personal experiences along the way, have made you what you are today.

As you move forward in life, don’t dwell on the negative circumstances surrounding your last days as a high school senior and what you may have missed out on, but rather celebrate what and who you have become, and what you have learned from your unique senior experience. You are our future medical professionals, teachers, public safety officers, civic leaders, engineers, financial experts, business leaders, parents, and so forth.

In the meantime, let us continue to make plans, knowing full well that some will work out exactly as planned while others will completely change due to circumstances beyond our control. How we respond to those unexpected changes in plans shows our true character. The novelist Susan Gregg Gilmore wrote, “It’s a funny thing, how much time we spend planning our lives. We so convince ourselves of what we want to do, that sometimes we don’t see what we’re meant to do.”

The advice to the graduating seniors is a valuable reminder to all of us to “be the light in turbulent times.”

Congratulations to all graduating seniors of the Class of 2020!

I also want to congratulate the following recipients of the Murray Mayor’s Scholarship: Elizabeth Ivins and Jackson Neuberger from Cottonwood High School, and Allyson Vuyk and James Delliskave from Murray High School. I’m proud of each of you and wish you the very best in the future.

Murray Police Department MURRAY CITY POLICE CHIEF HITS THE 35 YEAR MARK Police Chief Craig Burnett recently passed a milestone of 35 years as an employee of Murray City. After a short stint at a neighboring agency, he began his law enforcement career with Murray City in 1985. In 2014, he was appointed Chief of Police where he currently oversees a department of 76 sworn officers. He is a great example as a leader and mentor and strives to instill knowledge and support each day with the staff of the police department.

Chief Burnett is not a stranger to the Murray community. In fact, he has been here most of his life and is a Murray High School graduate. During high school he became interested in police work and was in one of the first groups of Police Cadets at Murray High. He

has served the department in various capacities over the years while moving up in rank. He continues to participate in many boards and committees throughout the valley, where he is respected for providing his valuable expertise and experience. He truly enjoys positions of service and giving to his community.

Because of his dedication to creating and maintaining partnerships between the police department, citizens and businesses, we have a well-established sense of community in Murray City. It is a great place to live, work and raise families.

We congratulate Chief Burnett for his 35 years with Murray City, and hope for many more! Murray City is fortunate to have you as our Chief of Police.

Message from the Council Fred Rogers is known for saying “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” The last 3 months have been a frightening time for all of us. Jobs have been lost, children kept home from school and there is much uncertainty.

But when I look for the helpers here in our Murray community, I do not have to look far. Murray’s generous spirit is shining through.

Murray resident Lynda Smart started collecting food for families in need. She then teamed up with Murray community leaders including Jim and Jennifer Brass, Sheri VanBibber, Kathy and Mike Romero, Steve McGinty, Marie Goettsche, and Eliza Romero to form The Murray Children’s Pantry. You can bring nonperishable food donations Tuesday mornings and the 3rd Saturday of every month, from 10am to Noon, to Creekside High School.

The Vietnamese Community of Utah sewed over 7,000 masks which they donated to first responders all over Salt Lake County.

Jaimie Dunn at the Boys & Girls Club organized an inhouse program where they provide 6000 meals per week to the children they oversee.

Veronica Bustillos, known as Ms. V to her students, has been distributing food to students in need from both Murray and Cottonwood High School. Ms. V was recently able to establish a food pantry, with the help of Councilmember Dominguez, where she continues to support Murray families. Those in need can pick up food Wednesdays and Fridays 5:30 PM - 7PM at the Fraternal Order of Eagles in Murray.

Longtime Murray community partner, Neighborworks continues to offer down payment assistance and home improvement loans to make housing more accessible in neighborhoods you love. If you are looking into purchasing a home in Murray, reach out to Neighborworks to see how Kat Martinez they can help. They also help residents to be the change they want to see in their District 1 community through programs like Paint Your Heart Out and Rake Your Heart Out. My family has found a way to give back through a mutual aid group. Through the group COVID19 - Mutual Aid SLC, the Martinez family delivers groceries to a few Murray families in need every week. This group has completed nearly 2,000 deliveries over the past 3 months and its completely powered by volunteers.

Now is not just a time to look for helpers, it is time to be the helpers. There are so many ways to support your neighbors and community members. Whether you can sew masks, donate money to mutual aid groups or drop off a box of nonperishable food at one of our community food pantries, be the good you wish to see in the world.

Taking care of each other is the Murray way, it always has been. Our sense of community here in Murray is stronger than ever, and I’m proud to do the work to support our neighbors with you at my side (even if we are 6 feet apart).

Kat Martinez, City Council, District 1

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

kat.martinez@murray.utah.gov Council District 2 Dale M. Cox 801-971-5568

dale.cox@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 Brett A. Hales 801-882-7171

brett.hales@murray.utah.gov Executive Director Jan Lopez 801-264-2622

jlopez@murray.utah.gov

REQUEST FOR NOMINATIONS 34th Annual Jim & Jean Hendrickson Beautification Award The Murray City Shade & Beautification Commission and Murray City Power’s Forestry Division are pleased to announce the 34th Annual Jim & Jean Hendrickson Beautification Awards Program. Each year this program acknowledges attractive, well maintained landscapes in our community. The Commission invites all residential and commercial property owners and renters to enter and participate in this city-wide endeavor. Nominate yourself, a neighbor, or a local business whose landscaping you admire. We are proud that Murray is recognized as one of the most beautiful and well-kept cities in Utah.

HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS There are two types of landscape projects, the traditional landscape of grass and trees and the water efficient type landscape called xeriscape. The judging will be done by teams of volunteer Murray citizens. Judging will be of front yards only. A winner will be selected in each City Council voting district for “Council District Award”. The “Mayor’s Award” will be given to the city-wide best project. Entries must be submitted by July 10th. Entries may also be submitted online at murray.utah.gov. For additional information, call Murray City Power at 801-264-2730.

MURRAY CITY’S JIM & JEAN HENDRICKSON BEAUTIFICATION AWARDS PROGRAM ENTRY Fill in the indicated information and mail or deliver before July 10, 2020 to: MURRAY CITY POWER, 153 West 4800 South, Murray, Utah 84107 Name of property owner or resident of project location:

Address of Project Location:

PROJECT CLASSES: (check one) Commercial Premises Multi-Family (Apartments & Condos) Single Family

Phone:

ENTERED BY: (check one) Owner or Renter Property Admirer Other

PROJECT TYPE: (check one) Traditional Landscape Xeriscape (Water Efficient) Landscape

Sponsored by Murray City Power and the Murray City Shade Tree & Beautification Commission

JUNE 2020 Murray Senior Recreation Center

Murray Senior Recreation Center

Although the Murray Senior Recreation Center remains closed for the protection of its vulnerable participants, we are implementing ways to serve the 55+ population in a fun and safe manner.

We will continue to offer sack lunches for pickup Tuesday through Friday, from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Orders must be placed 24 hours in advance by calling 801-264-2635. The cost is $4 per lunch and payment can be made with a credit card over the phone. Lunches consist of ham, turkey or roast beef sandwiches or wraps and bratwursts on Wednesdays.

Our popular golf season will begin on June 1 as we play the Murray Parkway Course. Social distancing modifications will in place at each tournament, i.e. no shotgun starts, one person to a cart, etc. The cost to join is $10 and there is a green fee and prize fee for each tournament you wish to play in. Additional tournaments in June include June 15 - Glenmoor, June 22 – Meadowbrook and June 29 - Wasatch. Feel free to call us for more information and a complete schedule.

55+ Car Bingo!

#10 East 6150 South (one block west of State Street) For information on these and other great programs call 801-264-2635

Every Wednesday Beginning May 13 9:00 - 10:30 FREE Reserved Parking for First 20 Cars Call 801-264-2635 to Reserve Your Spot Today Bring a Mask and a Marker Max 2 People Per Car 4 Games We’ll Provide Cards and Prizes!

Murray Senior Recreation Center #10 East 6150 South Murray, UT 84107 801-264-2635 Take State Street to 6100 South (the light north of Fashion Place Mall) and turn west on 6100 South.

We are located one block west of State Street and on the south side of 6100 South.

When you arrive, check-in with the parking lot attendant they will direct you to your reserved parking spot!

Murray Public Works Department Murray City is working on a Transportation Master Plan. A transportation master plan assesses travel to, from, and within the city whether it is by walking, biking, driving, public transit, or any other way in which people move around Murray. This plan will provide recommendations for the present and future transportation needs of the city. You can learn more about the project here: www.murraytransportationplan.com Please join with your neighbors and participate in the online community survey and come back to the website frequently for plan updates and project lists.

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

Lori Edmunds: 801-264-2620

RESIDENT ON DISPLAY Original artwork by Murray resident artists are displayed in the central display case at City Hall and Murray Library. Neecholl Vass is our June – July Resident on Display featured at City Hall.

Murray City Storytelling (Virtual) Showcase This year, selected participants in our Storytelling Residencies, were invited to submit videos of their stories in place of our annual Storytelling Showcase. Board members of Story Crossroads judged the submissions and we are proud announce our winners for 2020 Storytelling Showcase: First Place: Elizabeth Myers Second Place: Aaboli Samant Third Place: Genevieve Myers Fourth Place: Katherine H. Fifth Place: Annabelle Jackson Alternates: Micah Black, Sonny Payne & Arianna Parra

t o

Placed winners were invited to participate in this year’s Story Crossroads Spectacular. Pictured are two of our Murray Storytelling winners with Big Buddah from Fox 13 Utah.

Murray Library

166 East 5300 South • Murray, UT 84107

MURRAY LIBRARY OFFERS SUMMER LEARNING CHALLENGE Beginning June 15, the Summer Learning Challenge will be available for all ages. Visit murraylibrary.org to register and begin your summer of learning fun. Earn badges, learn new skills and contribute to the community reading goal of 2 million minutes.

Looking for something to read? Murray Library has you covered with a variety of ways to access materials. Hold Pickup Service allows you to check out physical materials.

Not sure what you would like to check out? Our knowledgeable librarians will choose for you with our We Recommend Service, which you can access on our website, murraylibrary.org or by calling the library at 801-264-2580.

Murray Library also offers a variety of e-formats to check out. Formats include books, audiobooks, music and movies. We also offer free Rosetta Stone for language learning and Creativebug for arts and crafts. Not sure how to access these resources? Give the library a call at 801-264-2580 and our helpful librarians can walk you through the process.

More traffic on local trails as residents seek escape

By Joshua Wood | j.wood@mycityjournals.com

“Putting myself in your shoes, to help you through the biggest real estate transaction of your life.”

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• 4th generation Murray resident Runners have been able to connect online until they can race together in person again. (Photo courtesy of Mitt Stewart)

S

alt Lake County’s trails have afforded residents a nearby escape from COVID-19 restrictions. While crowded routes have added waste and social distancing concerns, they have also helped grow community appreciation of local trails.

Mitt Stewart and members of the Wasatch Trail Run Series still hold out hope for some form of in-person running events later in the summer. Meanwhile, they have taken their popular series online. Stewart has worked on developing an online feature that will enable people to find challenges and trail routes to run, log their times, and compete with others.

“The whole reason for doing this is to offer people some connection while we’re not connected,” Stewart said. “We’ll be running virtual races.”

To do that, people can look up the race route and take it on individually. They can then submit verification of their effort using their favorite fitness app. Stewart hopes to help people connect as a running and biking community while they maintain a safe distance.

Keeping that distance has been a challenge with increased trail usage.

“Any increase in trail or usage is anecdotal, but it is clear that our public spaces have been a place of refuge during this time,” said Clayton J. Scrivner of Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation. “Last month we launched our ‘Be Park Smart, Stay Apart’ campaign that is designed to educate users of

MurrayJournal .com

our public spaces on responsible use according to current health guidelines.”

Stewart has noticed the increased traffic on the trails as well. While more people on the trails can create problems, it also gives people throughout the community a healthy outdoor activity.

“A big reason to go out is to have solitude, so that’s been a bit of a buzzkill,” Stewart said. “On the flipside, it’s healthy and good for people.”

Stewart likes the idea of people connecting by sharing their appreciation of local trails and their achievements on them. He also thinks measures could be taken to help vulnerable members of the community enjoy the trails. More signage at trailheads instructing people on trail etiquette and social distancing could help, he said. Stewart would also like to see special hours set aside for the elderly to enjoy trails without the crowds.

Those crowds have plenty to enjoy, though. “Salt Lake County maintains over 100 miles of trails and pathways,” Scrivner said. “Jordan Parkway, Dimple Dell, Rose and Yellow Fork Canyons, Parley’s, and Utah and Salt Lake Canal trails are the most extensive.”

While increased trail use has produced things like more garbage and animal waste bags left behind, it has also helped the community through unprecedented times.

“People need to get out and exercise,” Stewart said. “It’s a great way to keep people motivated.” l

• Murray Female Business Owner/Broker • Top 500 & Hall of Fame Salt Lake Board of Realtors Award Recipient • Utah Business Magazine “30 Women to Watch” Award Recipient • Founder of local non-profit for Suicide Awareness • Specialist in seniors, divorce, and estate sales • Certified Residential Specialist (CRS designation) • Expert in Salt Lake County & Park City sales

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June 2020 | Page 19

Former Murray High volleyball star inducted into U of U Hall of Fame

By Ryanne Riet | r.riet@mycityjournals.com

F

ormer Murray High volleyball team alum Lori Baird was one of eight chosen to be inducted into the University of Utah’s Hall of Fame in 2020.

Baird graduated from Murray High in 2005 and from the University of Utah in 2009.

Lori Baird said lessons learned on the volleyball court have taught her to face life head on.

Former Murray High volleyball star inducted into U of U Hall of Fame

She began her athletic career early at Murray High playing on the freshmen team when she was just in seventh grade.

During her time at Murray, Baird played in four 4A state tournaments and was named a 4A MVP and 4A first team all-state her senior year.

“I had some really great coaches that pushed me to be better,” Baird said. “Becky Anderson, in particular, helped me look beyond what I already knew about the game.”

Baird racked up a total of 1,236 kills during her college career, ranking seventh on the school’s record books and 561 total blocks which ranked her third.

She was also recognized as the AllWest Region selection, the AVCA third team All-American, and the Mountain West Conference Co-Player of the Year in 2008.

“For sure my greatest achievement is to be inducted into the U of U’s hall of fame,” Baird said. “It’s incredibly humbling to be placed next to some of the greatest athletes to have passed through the U.” As Baird looks back on playing for the University of Utah, she recounts one of her most rewarding experiences as when her team beat Colorado State to win the conference title.

“Being a college athlete is not easy,” Baird said. “It was a huge achievement to not only make it through that freshman year, but

University of Utah’s Lori Baird (Photo courtesy University of Utah)

the entire four years I had committed to. The team camaraderie and game nights made it all worth it.”

Since graduating, Lori has served on an LDS mission, been married, had two boys, obtained a master’s degree, and has done some work as a school counselor.

In the future Baird hopes to get back into coaching volleyball and looks forward to cheering her children on as they try out different sports.

“Overall, the challenges that came while playing collegiate volleyball really taught me to face life head on,” Baird said. “I contribute a lot of my success post volleyball to the invalu- Lori Baird and family (Photo courtesy Lori Baird able lessons that I learned while playing.” l Brady)

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Page 20 | June 2020

Murray City Journal

National FBLA high school conference to be hosted in Salt Lake City rescheduled to online

Jenkins-Soffe Offers Covid-19 Relief

by Offering FREE Live Streaming of Memorial Services

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

∙ We want to protect your health while allowing you to honor your loved one ∙ Services can be viewed on any device, and available online for 30 days Funeral or cremation arrangements can be made ∙ on our website ∙ over the phone ∙ or by video conference

www.Jenkins-Soffe.com

FBLA logo from website

W

hile many high school activities, from state debate to spring sports championships, were canceled in light of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, about 500 students nationwide had been looking forward to coming to Salt Lake City, this summer’s host of the national FBLA conference.

Originally scheduled June 29 through July 2, the Future Business Leaders of America’s academic competitive event and leadership development conference is considered to be the pinnacle of high school students’ experience who are preparing for careers in business.

According to the organization’s website, there are more than 230,000 members who are preparing for careers by becoming community-minded business leaders in a global society through relevant career preparation and leadership experiences and focuses on leadership development, academic competitions, educational programs, community service and more.

However, in a recent update, the organization’s board of directors decided to ensure the safety of student members and volunteer advisers and not hold the conference as scheduled in Salt Lake City. Instead, FBLA is developing an online event that will include a keynote presenter, leadership workshops, competitive events and the annual election of national officers.

It did not address if Salt Lake City will host the national conference in 2021, which was already scheduled for Anaheim to hold it. Chicago is slated as the host in 2022.

MurrayJournal .com

Students, like Hillcrest High senior Emily Zhang, may breathe a sigh of relief she will still get to participate, even though the conference will look different than what she imagined.

Zhang has taken part in FBLA competitions for four years, and last year, placed second at nationals in the health care administration competition, which was held in San Antonio.

This summer, her plan has been to compete in business ethics with classmate Annika Torres after qualifying in the event at the state competition.

“Nobody has committed at this point to nationals because everything is undetermined what will happen,” she said before the recent announcement that the competition and conference will be virtual. “We’re prepared. We have everything written, memorized. There’s nothing more we can do, except wait for the announcement of what is going to happen.”

Zhang was referring to the March 12 statement that said the organization’s leadership was working in collaboration with the states to develop alternative plans to best support student members in their involvement with conferences and competitive events.

Hillcrest, alone, had qualified about 35 students to compete at the national competitive which was to be held at the Salt Palace Convention Center, she said.

“We all were just preparing for nationals and then, the coronavirus spread, and we just hit pause on everything,” Zhang said. l

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www.graniteschools.org/ nutritionservices/jobs June 2020 | Page 21

Schools scramble to refund students for classes, sports participation, tours

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

A

s in-person schools were dismissed abruptly under Gov. Gary Herbert’s “soft closure” order in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many school activities were canceled, from spring sports to academic tours.

High school classes, which require fees such as woodworking and ceramics, now have classrooms of projects left in progress, uncertain when, if and how students will return to complete them.

In the midst of all this, school districts and school administrators are in the process of refunding students’ fees.

At Hillcrest High in Midvale, junior Abby Morrell had been looking forward to going to Washington, D.C. with the vocal ensemble, wind ensemble, and chamber orchestra for a festival.

Her mother, Barbara Morrell, was asked last minute to be one of the 90-student group’s chaperones and just paid her tour fees two days before she got an email on March 12, saying that the trip scheduled for March 2630 was canceled and it was being looked into rescheduling or refunding.

Twelve days later, Barbara emailed the school, inquiring about the $1,250 refund for both herself and her daughter. The next day, Principal Greg Leavitt emailed saying the school’s decision was to reschedule the trip next spring and so all the funds would roll over for that tour. No new tour dates were provided.

The 21 seniors, chaperones of senior students, or those who weren’t planning to commit to the classes were to be refunded unless the fee was paid for out of fundraising. The latter would be donated to the music department.

“The rest of us weren’t given the option of getting a full refund,” Barbara said. “I’d love to get the money back to pay something or be able to use it. Some people may want or need to free up those funds now.”

Hillcrest vocal ensemble and chamber orchestra director RaNae Dalgleish said that the decision was made by administration after talking to parties involved, including WorldStrides that was hosting the festival where the groups would perform, be evaluated and participate in clinics given by notable musicians and professors.

The tour also included vocal ensemble performing the national anthem at a flag-raising ceremony at Fort McHenry, giving a tribute at the Martin Luther King Memorial and singing at a local cathedral. The groups also would go sightseeing in the area.

“It was unprecedented and ultimately, WorldStrides canceled the entire festival, which involved hundreds of tours or more,” Dalgleish said. “We had made the final tour payment days before. Our choices were to use the money on next spring’s tour at the same or a different location, but equivalent-priced tour, or get a refund and lose half the airfare,

Page 22 | June 2020

Seen here in 2018, Cottonwood High School students participated in their music tour in Los Angeles, however this year, the performing arts students weren’t able to travel to San Francisco after schools were put on “soft closure” during the COVID-19 pandemic and now students are awaiting refunds on tour fees. (Amber Tuckness/ Cottonwood High)

because the airline wasn’t given a full refund.”

Dalgleish said that right now, the school will absorb the cost of the seniors, and hope to be reimbursed as new members in the groups pay to go on tour next year.

She also said that while the tour is meant to celebrate and learn about music from other parts of the country, the absence of performing together also has had a powerful, bonding effect.

“The kids are all in and they’ve learned not to take this for granted. They even got together, six feet apart, to sing in the lawn of one of the students as they were missing singing and performing together. I think when we come back, we’ll be stronger and ready to start again,” Dalgleish said.

At Corner Canyon High in Draper, about 80 choir students were to participate in a festival in New York City. As of press deadline, negotiations were still being made with hotels to ensure students receive a full refund. The airlines reimbursed flights in vouchers and the two Broadway shows the group was to attend were reimbursed in full.

The group also planned on seeing Little Italy, Chinatown, 9/11 Memorial and the Brooklyn Bridge.

“Right now, we have $1,100 of the $1,250 or so back and we’re still negotiating the onenight deposit on the hotel,” Principal Darrell Jensen said. “We had a choice to roll over the funds, but we don’t know if we’ll travel next year or even what next year would be like, so we decided to make it a clean break.”

Students who paid for the trip through fundraisers will have their funds be earmarked to the music department, he said.

Jensen said that school officials are looking at all students’ accounts, including class fees, activity or participation fees, and fines, to determine the amount that may be refunded by early June.

Canyons District Chief Financial Officer and Business Administrator Leon Wilcox said that he wasn’t aware of any of the five or six

trips approved for the remaining of the school year that were not in the process of reimbursement.

He also said that Canyons School District does not take out travel insurance, but individuals or schools can do so.

In an April 28 memo, Canyons School District outlined refunds to students, including that trips and tours should be worked with parents and teachers to determine the best method.

The memo continued to state $15 of activity fees to high school seniors should be returned while other students would have their fees reduced the next school year by the same amount. Participation fees for all sports would be refunded, but spirit packs that students already received would not. Dances and banquets that weren’t held should have money returned, while classes, would be up to the discretion of the teacher on materials used to determine any refunds. And if driver’s ed was completed online, money would not be refunded, but rather a time to schedule driving instruction would be determined when restrictions have been lifted.

At Brighton High, Principal Tom Sherwood said his performing arts groups planned to participate in the WorldStrides festival in Anaheim. Fortunately, the 150 students’ fees had been collected in the office, but not paid yet to the festival so he won’t have to be dealing with airlines, hotels and transportation to refund students’ money.

Sherwood said that refund process as well as the collection of student checkedout items, such as textbooks, calculators, uniforms, musical instruments and Chromebooks, will take place in late May. Even Canyons School District’s community education classes were in the process of prorating refunds for students in various afterschool programs and community education courses for approximately 1,080 people, said Jose Rincon, head administrative assistant.

Cottonwood High’s 130 members in choir, band, orchestra and jazz band were ex-

pecting full $750 refunds from their canceled San Francisco tour, that included a WorldStrides festival as well as “Hamilton” tickets and Alcatraz tour tickets that they had just purchased weeks prior to the tour cancellation.

“San Francisco was an early hot spot for the coronavirus, so we were watching what was happening,” said band director Amber Tuckness. “If I canceled our trip, we wouldn’t receive refunds, but when Gov. Herbert made it official, then we could get the refunds.”

However, students who fundraised, including seniors, will not be receiving refunds and instead, the money will be given to the music department, she said.

Murray High Principal Scott Wihongi, who had just returned with the drill team in early March from New York City, said that the only trip that hadn’t happened at his school involved 15 students who were scheduled to go to San Francisco with the AP art history class in late April.

“We’re getting a full refund from the hotel and tours, but we’re working with the airline and travel agency to see if we can get refunds for the flight instead of vouchers,” he said. “This was an opportunity for the students to see different art styles at museums, as a way to enhance what they’re learning.”

He also was working with his staff in the process of refunding student-athletes’ fees, including the canceled tennis and baseball teams’ trip to St. George, and students’ partial class fees if materials weren’t used. School officials also were collecting textbooks, library books, some athletic uniforms, and seniors’ Chromebooks.

“I think the programs and students will be fine heading into next year,” he said.

“Right now, we prioritized and streamlined our teaching to get in the standards. The students got through three-fourths of the meat of everything and it’s how much time students focus on learning that will determine how much we’ll need to reteach and reinforce that material when we return.” l

Murray City Journal

Utah graduates showered with love in special Adopt a Utah Senior project

By Stephanie Yrungaray | s.yrungaray@mycityjournals.com

H

igh school seniors across the Salt Lake valley are sharing a common experience they never anticipated…graduation during a pandemic. Although every school district is handling the end of the year differently, there is no doubt that the class of 2020 is not getting the graduation they dreamed of or deserve.

One Utah mom is trying to soften the blow of unmet expectations through a project called Adopt a Utah Senior and teens across the valley and state are being recognized by strangers in a very special way.

Monica Kennedy from Erda, Utah saw what her senior daughter Paige was experiencing and wanted to make a difference for all high school seniors.

“I was really sad for my own senior,” Kennedy said. “I reached out to family and friends for ideas to get some excitement into this season because I can’t make up for the stuff she’s missed out on.”

Modeling a Facebook group after a similar one in Alaska, Kennedy started the Adopt a Utah Senior project which has paired over 2,500 seniors with “adoptive” individuals and families. Parents or legal guardians share pictures and information about their high school graduates, and angel adopters offer to recognize the senior with cards and/or gifts.

Once they are paired, the adopter is encouraged to send or deliver something to the grad within two weeks.

Kimmy DelAndrae posted about her daughter Haley who is graduating from

MurrayJournal .com

Bingham High School. After reading posts from other parents she decided she wanted to adopt another senior.

“I wish I could adopt every one of these kids,” DelAndrae said. “They are missing so much. I want to let them know that one, they are not alone and two, everyone is rooting for them. The whole thing just made my heart so happy.”

Haley helped her mom pick out another senior and together they put together a gift basket for him.

“It was a really fun experience to get one and to give one,” said Haley DelAndrae.

Luke Vickery, a senior at Alta High School, was adopted by Shalysa Meier from West Valley City. Meier also adopted two other seniors.

“Anytime I see a good thing it is a no-brainer to be a part of it,” Meier said. “Not only do I feel it impacted seniors on the receiving end, it brightened my spirits on my end. It gave me something to look forward to and a project I could do to spread kindness beyond my social circle.”

“As seniors, it’s a bummer we don’t get to experience the traditions that most people do,” Vickery said. “Everyone is trying to make a difference and [the Adopt a Senior Project] is a really cool way that people are doing something for our class to brighten our days. It’s really cool.”

Luke’s mom Kourtney, said she can’t believe how generous people have been.

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Shalysa Meier gave a personalized gift basket to Alta senior Luke Vickery as part of the Adopt A Utah Senior project. (Photo courtesy of Kourtney Vickery)

Kennedy said the stories and pictures that come from the adoptions have been heartwarming.

“I love it when they find a common interest,” Kennedy said. “We will get emails with people who want to find someone who plays a certain sport or went to the high school they went to. We have people adopting from as far away as Alaska and Hawaii.

It isn’t about getting stuff, it’s about cheering up the class of 2020.”

Just like all good things, Adopt a Utah Senior must end. Kennedy said they will take their last senior on May 23 and allow 24 more hours for adoptions to be finalized. The following week they plan to allow gratitude posts.

Kennedy isn’t worried about any of the graduates not being adopted because of all of the generosity she has seen so far.

“Anytime we’ve gone on and said we need angels to take a referred senior we’ve had so much support,” Kennedy said.

She is sad to see the project come to an Bingham senior Haley DelAndrae was adopted and end. her family adopted another senior as part of the “There has been so much love and ranAdopt A Utah Senior project. (Photo courtesy Kimmie dom kindness,” Kennedy said. “It’s been so DelAndrae) awesome to see smiles on these kids’ faces that have had so much taken away.” l “I love reading the kids’ stories and seeing the things they are involved in,” Kourtney Vickery said. “[The project] is giving people a chance to forget about what’s going on, all of the negative stuff in the world, and focus on other people. It is a bright spot I think.”

Kennedy said she was overwhelmed at how quickly the Facebook group grew.

Along with a team of eight other volunteers, TM she is spending many hours a day trying to make sure each senior is accounted for and matched to an individual or family.

“There is a lot of work involved,” Kennedy said. “We watch for posts that come in, make sure they have correct information including their high school and make sure they are posted by a parent or legal guardian. We tag them so it is easier for people to find who hasn’t been adopted and answer a lot of questions.”

www.WLIUT.com/challenge

June 2020 | Page 23

Without an announcement about fall sports, cross country athletes being coached virtually

W

ith about 5,000 student-athletes and many supporters submitting a #LetUsPlay petition to hold spring sports, the Utah High School Activities Association on May 5 upheld their earlier decision in midApril not to hold a spring season in response to Utah’s social distancing mandate during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As of press deadline, UHSAA has not made an announcement about fall high school activities and sports.

Brighton High Principal Tom Sherwood, who serves on the UHSAA executive committee, said there is no timeline for a fall announcement.

“We are hopeful, but we are in the ‘wait and see’ mode still,” he said on May 6.

Once the spring sport decision was confirmed, and without direction about fall, many coaches who coach track in the spring can turn their focus to the upcoming fall cross country season — only virtually.

“We can’t coach or even meet in-person right now, but we can communicate with our athletes,” said Jordan High cross country coach Greg Shaw.

Shaw not only has a blog linked to the school website for his runners, but he emails them weekly and has the athletes report in their mileage so he can give them feedback.

Some of the runners use the Strava app, where he and teammates can immediately see the runs and paces athletes are doing and support each other with comments and kudos.

He also has reached out to area middle schools, asking for them to send out fliers to incoming freshmen about the team.

On top of that, the second-year head coach is introducing a “Coach Challenge,” which includes a 40-day challenge including core, cardio, healthy eating and workouts.

“My hope right now is to have a great start for the season, starting in June,” he said about his young team. “It’s hard not being together and without track, speed will be impacted, and we may need to do more this summer to be ready for the fall.”

Riverton High cross country coach Chase Englestead said that if restrictions are lifted so training can be done in small groups, he likely will hold four practices per day for his 60- to 80-member team, meeting or running with all the individuals. In the meantime, he plans to post weekly workouts, track his runners with Strava, and hold Zoom meetings.

“It’s important to communicate about what run they did, what time or pace it was, how they feel, so we can support these students in their goals and mindsets,” he said.

“It’s hard to build the good relationships and culture of the team when we’re not practicing together. It’s invaluable for every single person. We want them to work hard, go through the process, be praised for that and carry over

Page 24 | June 2020

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com to not just be better runners, but better people.”

Englestead said that building the team also is more difficult without being amongst students as the best recruiters are the student-athletes themselves, where they become a social group, interact, support one another and find their passion.

“I’m hoping when they come back, they’ll want to work hard, be more focused and motivated since they’ve missed this competitive environment,” he said.

Corner Canyon coach Devin Moody is hoping that he can hold a cross country camp in July, but if not, the training will be more individual and self-motivated like he plans for in June. His workouts will include running, strength workouts with body-weight exercises and conditioning.

He plans to communicate with his team via Instagram Live as well as monitor and give them feedback through Strava.

“It’s a good way for the team to hear from teammates, feel their energy, rally behind each other’s training to support one another,” he said. “I’m hoping to find my team returning from this unique resilience challenge and having reflected on why they do the sport to find more enjoyment in it.”

While Corner Canyon lost five seniors on the boys team that was nationally ranked, he said the team has depth so it’s “not a rebuilding year, but a refocusing year” and the team “should be really good.” He also said that the girls should be stronger this year, even with two seniors graduating.

However, many coaches are uncertain what the fall season will look like and if it will happen, as health officials have stated one of the best ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is social distancing.

Some are hopeful for a full season, while others say, even if it’s reduced to a matter of weeks, it’s doable. UHSAA also was considering adding in a divisional race, which would fall between region and state, but that, too, has yet to be determined.

Herriman coach Jonathan Haag said that if there is to be a shorter season, he’d rethink the schedule and likely make August a training month instead of the traditional start of the season.

“That would give time to make sure all our athletes are in shape and we can provide even more individualized workouts,” he said.

“We can make it work, but those kids who are training on their own, will benefit more.”

Haag is keeping in touch with his team through GroupMe and he and an assistant coach are talking to every team member about how they are doing “running or not.”

“We want to know where they’re at, what their family support is like, how their motivation is, where they want to be next season,” he said. “There’s a good chance we can’t run

together, but we can help them reach those goals if we’re able to communicate.”

Haag is asking athletes to run a time trial in place of getting times from track meets.

Then, he can use that as a baseline and build speed, strength training, endurance workouts from those. He even hopes to have intersquad meets this summer to help runners get their best times and build confidence, if allowed by the UHSAA. “The biggest thing that hurts from not having a track season, apart from the seniors, is the confidence it gives our athletes. I feel pretty confident though if our kids stay working hard and are motivated, they’ll be in good shape and we’ll contend to be a top team.”

Hillcrest High coach Scott Stucki also is having his athletes run time trials and speed workouts, just to see how fast they are, and for seniors, to see if they could run their personal bests. He also is supporting student-athletes to run road races, if they’ll be held this summer.

Stucki doesn’t see being able to coach them personally until maybe after the traditional moratorium week of July 4.

He regularly posts workouts and tracks their distances; some runners he communicates with regularly and knows their mileage, some have focused on year-end testing and have taken a break from running. Stucki expects his boys team to be good, better than last year if they dedicate themselves.

Hillcrest girls team should improve over last

year, too, with six juniors returning.

Stucki already has named two seniors as captains in anticipation of a season, although he isn’t sure what the UHSAA will decide.

“I don’t know about the season. I haven’t even put together a schedule as meets aren’t sanctioned yet,” he said.

Copper Hills coach Garth Rushforth also is hoping for “some kind of program” this fall as he’s been providing his squad workouts, including drills, such as lunges and body squats, that can be done at home without a weight room, and tracks his runners’ mileage on a Google document. He said it’s important for student-athletes to get their training in all summer to prevent injuries.

“There’s a greater risk of injuries if we have a shorter season. For some kids, who are self-motivated and are dedicated to their training, they’ll have a good season, others who aren’t, not so good. We’d like to be as ready as we can be if the season happens,” he said, adding he hopes that a decision will be reached before June.

Rushforth expects his girls team to be solid this season. The boys graduated some “very good seniors, but I have a junior and sophomores who show promise.”

He is in charge of his region’s meet so he already scheduling a park for the race.

“It’s hard since the parks aren’t sure if they’ll be open and we’re not sure if the season will happen,” Rushforth said. “We’ll cry a lot if there’s not (a season).”

Runners are packed in at the start of the 2016 high school cross country race, which brings uncertainty if fall sports will happen during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Murray City Journal

Stuck at home? Play a game

By Greg James | g.james@mycityjournals.com

C

heckmate!” “Uno!” “Do not pass go!”

Nowadays you are bound to hear those expressions around the tables of many a family cooped up in their homes during the quarantine.

“Right before all of this Covid stuff we absolutely saw an uptick in sales,” said Game Night Games employee Tyler Lashlee. “We have been mostly curbside delivery recently and are not hosting events right now so lately it is hard to say.”

Google trend searches for board games are typically at their peak from mid-November to late December. In 2020, March through April saw equal search numbers. Board games, best board games and online board games topped the charts in Google searches.

Utah has a higher proportion of queries on the subject than any other state.

“We do lots of puzzles and play lots of games in general,” West Valley resident Brittany Kluge said. “Since coronavirus I’ve been teaching more board games to my kids.

Specifically strategy games.”

What are the most popular games?

“Two-player games and puzzles are the most popular right now,” Lashlee said.

“Ironically, Pandemic is a popular game right now. Online Dungeons & Dragons has also happened a lot. Lots of people play on Zoom calls now.”

Personal connection might be a major reason for gaming popularity.

“I think people are looking for a friend group,” Lashlee said.

In a City Journals’ poll, 40% of those asked said they play games at least twice a week and 70% enjoy strategy games. What did they say are the most popular games they are playing right now? Here are the top five:

Wingspan

Produced by Stonemaier Games, this game was released in March 2019. It’s a card game that you attempt to attract a diverse collection of birds to your preserve. The winner is the one that scores the most points in four rounds of play. It is designed for one to five players.

“My kids learned a lot about birds from playing it,” Kluge said. “We simultaneously had a nest in our backyard that we watched birds hatch from the eggs. It (the game) is hard to find right now. I think it is sold out everywhere.”

Dominion

A deck building game for two to four players, each player starts with the same deck and buys other cards as they can afford them.

As players construct their deck they attempt to gain the most victory points before the game ends.

It was awarded the best new family strategy game by Game Magazine in 2010.

Ticket to Ride

A simple game to play for two to five

MurrayJournal .com

What’s your legacy?

As the pandemic hit in March, game stores across the state saw an uptick in sales. (Greg James/City Journals)

people. Players collect train cars and use them to claim railway routes. The longer the trains, the more points they can score. The game has a successful board version and online play is an option.

“Trying to beat my friends online is becoming my hobby,” Jill James said.

The game has expanded with several versions including domestic and foreign locations.

Escape puzzles

Ravensburger, a game company, has designed a new concept combining two favorite gamer pastimes. The puzzle is only the first step to the game. After it is assembled you most solve the clues to help you solve the mystery.

“The first one we did we had to figure out how to keep the vampire in his coffin,” Wendy Wood said. “They are not easy and once the puzzle is together you have to figure out the clues.”

Dungeons & Dragons

“As the DM (Dungeon Master) here at our store, I have slowed down playing quite a bit (in the last few weeks), but I have several friends playing through Zoom or (Google) Hangouts quite a bit,” Lashlee said.

Made famous by “The Big Bang Theory,” role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons have seen exponential growth in recent years. Traveling exhibitions like Comic-Con have helped expand their popularity.

The fantasy role-playing game was designed in 1974. Players embark on imaginary adventures within a fantasy setting.

Traditional games like Monopoly and Sorry were also mentioned in the survey. l

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THOUGHTFUL GIFTS FOR THOUGHTFUL STUDENTS

by

CASSIE GOFF

Thoughtful gifts for thoughtful students Spring is the time for new beginnings… after graduations. During those events, you might overhear stories about someone’s parents buying them a new car for graduation, or someone’s rich relative flying them and their three closest friends to an island for a few weeks. Depending on how many people you know who are graduating, and how high the expectations have been set for you, buying gifts for grads can be expensive. Instead of spending more money, try one of these doit-yourself (DIY) gift ideas.

One of the most common DIY graduation gifts are graduation leis, similar to those Polynesian garlands of flowers, but without the flowers. You’ll need a lot of plastic wrap for this one. Gather the things you wish to include in your lei. This may include snacksized candy bars, gift cards, rolled-up dollar bills, mints, etc. Be very careful as you lay out a long piece of plastic wrap. (Alternatively, you may choose to use smaller pieces of plastic wrap and tie all the pieces together at the end.) Place all your goodies out, side by side, leaving about 2 inches between each item, down one edge of the plastic wrap.

Roll that plastic wrap over to trap the goodies in their new packaging. After you have wrapped all the items thoroughly, tie each of the spaces between goodies together. Alternatively, if you’re talented with origami, you

can fold dollar bills and tie them together to create a beautiful flower-resembling lei.

If you, or your graduating human, really likes being cheesy (like me, I usually go so-cheesy I approach Gouda territory), you can make small graduation caps to put on almost anything you may think of. You’ll need a circular base, something resembling a lid of a jar or a bottlecap, some parchment paper, a button, and some string. Wrap the parchment paper around the circular base and glue or tape it down. Then, glue or tape a square-shaped piece of parchment paper on top of the circular base to create the top of the cap. Glue or tape (hot glue might work best for this part) a button to the middle of the top of the squareshaped parchment paper. Lastly, wrap the string, (which needs to be tied to create a circle, with cut segments of the string draped through the middle, and tied together to create a tassel) over the button.

As mentioned, almost anything can be

capped. You might buy a small jar from your local Michael’s or Handy Dandy (my nickname for Hobby Lobby) and make the lid of the jar a graduation cap. Then you can fill the jar with candy, gift cards, anything your heart desires. You can do the same thing with a lightbulb and use a cheesy saying about how bright the graduate’s future is. You could put little graduation caps on a handful of different candies. You might even attach a cap to the lid of a drink tumbler and fill the tumbler with confetti and the aforementioned goodies. Lastly, you could stick a cap on the top of a money cake: a cake made out of rolled-up dollar bills placed in a circular shape.

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Murray City Journal

Life

Laughter AND

by

PERI KINDER

Om is Where the Heart Is

MURRAY

In a subtle attempt to calm me down, my husband enrolled me in a meditation course. I love meditation, in theory, and had a random practice that included meditating in bed, grocery store lines and during TV commercials, but I didn’t have an actual sitdown meditation practice.

Now I do. Twice a day I sit for 20 minutes and watch the thoughts in my brain battle to the death. According to Instagram, nothing proves to the world how spiritual you are more than sitting for a long time in silence. The longer you sit, the better a person you are. Fact.

So now I’m a super-spiritual Zen person. I make sure I talk about my meditation practice all the time. The more you talk about how you’ve merged with your inner self, the more interested people around you become. They could listen to you talk about your meditation practice for hours.

You also need an expensive meditation cushion. Here’s a conversation I had with my husband, who just couldn’t understand the complexities of meditation.

Husband: Can’t you just sit in a chair?

Me: To be uber-spiritual, I need an $80 meditation cushion so I’m closer to Mother Earth.

Husband: Why don’t you just sit on the floor?

Me: Don’t be crass.

I tried sitting on the ground to meditate.

I was in San Luis Obispo at a conference, and I went to the beach early in the morning.

I listened to the waves, communed with my inner being and radiated calm as I left the

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As I ran up the trail from the beach, I tripped on a rock and fell face-first onto a wooden stair, nearly breaking my nose and spending the rest of the weekend with a bruised and swollen face. If I’d been sitting on a beautiful cushion instead of the ground, my inner being wouldn’t have been pissed off and try to kill me. Fact.

Meditation in nature is supposed to be super-relaxing, but right when I close my eyes I feel an ant crawl across my foot and I have to look to make sure it isn’t a spider because then I have to jump up and scream.

The only reason to meditate outside is so people can see you mediate and understand you’re a super-spiritual person.

I’m teaching my puppy to mediate with me, hoping my calm energy will soothe her.

After 10 minutes of getting her to settle down, I’ll place my hand on her back, syncing our breath and heart rate.

Just as I create an intense connection to her heart chakra, she jumps in my lap to lick my face and ruins everything. She’ll never be as spiritual as me. Fact.

People ask what I do when meditating.

First, I sit quietly on my expensive cushion, noticing the thoughts running across my mind. I spend several minutes trying not to notice the thoughts running across my mind.

I achieve two seconds of stillness before the thoughts start up again.

Soon I become numb from the waist down. The more numb you feel, the more spiritual you are and the more disconnected from those pesky thoughts you become.

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I expect I’ll achieve enlightenment any day now since I’m so good at meditating. If there’s one thing I excel at it’s doing absolutely nothing. Fact.

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