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(Shaun Delliskave/City Journals) DEAD CITY’S HAUNTING DAYS DECEASED HAUNTED ATTRACTION SHUTS DOWN FOR FAILING TO MEET CITY CODE
Last year, Murray City Fire Department used Dead City’s sets for its Community Emergency Response Team training. As reported in the Murray Journal in June 2021, Fire Inspec tor and Safety Education Coordinator George Zboril came up with the idea with the owners of Dead City. He asked their permission to use the facility, and they recruited volunteer “victims” for the training. According to Sumsion, Murray FD used the facility for CERT training last October, in the exact same layout they
Local Halloween venue Dead City announced they were shutting down after failing to meet city building code re quirements. The burgeoning spook house attraction felt tim ing and costs associated with bringing their facility up to meet code were impossible to continue.
“We have tried almost 100 different solutions and fixes to get on good grounds with the city planning officials, who have been extremely unhelpful ensuring we get answers be fore the operating season, which has been troublesome. We are now the furthest behind we’ve ever been, and things ar en’t looking good while other shows are casting and we can’t open our doors,” Dead City marketing director Josh Sumsion said.
| s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com Continued page 11 Thank YouPostalECRWSSLocalCustomer to our Community Sponsors for supporting City Journals PresortStd U.S.Postage PAID Ogden,UT Permit#190 Scan Here: Interactive online edition with more photos. FREE
Dead City Haunted House attraction has had to shutter its operations permanently.
By Shaun Delliskave
HAuNTcon and Haunted Attraction Network recognized Dead City in 2020 as a “Haunters to Watch.”
M urray C ity J ournalPage 2 | S e P t . 2022
S e P t . 2022 | Page 3M urray J ournal . C o M Grow your money for brighter days. Membership eligibility subject to verification. Federally insured by the NCUA. *Rates effective 9/1/22. Rates displayed include 0.10% APY Relationship Bonus. For Money Market Plus Relationship Bonus Rate accounts, you must maintain a LifePlus or Business Checking account during the calendar month. The monthly qualified cycle is defined as the period beginning on the first calendar day of the month and ending on the last calendar day of the month. APY = Annual Percentage Yield. Fees could reduce earnings on the account (applies only to maintenance or activity fees). Variable rates. Rates subject to change at any time. UT/NV chartway.com Scan to learn more 1.25%APY* on a Money Market Plus account. upEarnto
However, residents are more divided about how the development should be fund ed. “We do see a majority support there again with a leaning towards restaurants and local shops—sort of a walkable atmo sphere is what residents would like to see downtown. There is not so much conclusion around how that development should be funded. So, we’re looking at basically a coin toss, statistically speaking, as to whether res idents would prefer to see the city develop the land and rely on tax dollars to do that and potentially increase taxes to develop the area or sell the area and have it be developed pri vately,” Gibb said.
After deciding to go back to the drawing board, Murray City released its survey results about what to do with downtown, otherwise known as “Block One” (4800 S. State Street). Murray’s market research con tractor, Y2 Analytics, presented its findings to the city council’s July 19 Committee of the Whole meeting. In 2021, the city presented an open house for the “48th and State” project, com prising two six-story residential buildings of 262 rental units and over 26,000 square feet of retail space. However, at the open house, residents’ comments were critical, feeling a lack of input about density, retail, histor ical preservation, and the overall look of the project.“Ithink it’s a good reminder residents’ voices are valuable, and they do elect us to really work with them in tandem, and in some of these spaces, this is a good start ing point. This document can serve us way beyond just Block One, and I think that’s a good approach,” City Councilmember Ro salba Dominguez said. In total, 939 Murray residents were sampled from randomly selected households within the city boundaries. Nearly split equally between female/male, respondents were similarly represented in age groups. The vast majority of respondents were white: 84%. When considering the city’s overall health, Murray residents express high lev els of satisfaction—86% would recommend Murray as an excellent place to live. “Overall, we find that residents express relatively high levels of satisfaction. Over two-thirds of residents say that they feel the city is headed in the right direction, and a vast majority would recommend the city as a good place to live. So, really, positive assess ments about the health of the city overall,”
Murrayites
“We do find that a majority of residents are interested in preserving the historic look and feel of Murray City. They’d like to main tain the character of the city that they know and love, and sort of leaning on historic ar chitecture in new buildings is also a priority going forward,” Gibb said. Residents report that their top prior ities for the redevelopment would be open space, walkability, places to gather, and lo cal business such as “mom and pop” stores.
to city: More local retail, walkability, and beautification for downtown
By Shaun Delliskave | s.delliskave@mycityjournals.comMurrayCity’ssurveydetermined that residents wanted to retain the historic look of downtown Murray. (Shaun Delliskave/City Journals)
In addition, residents prioritized elements that improve the area’s atmosphere, such as landscaping, walkable plazas, and outdoor dining areas.
M urray C ity J ournalPage 4 | S e P t . 2022 MURRAY CITY TEAM The Murray City Journal is a monthly publi cation distributed directly to residents via the USPS as well as locations throughout Murray. For information about distribution please email brad.c@thecityjournals.com or call our offices. Rack locations are also available on our website. The views and opinions expressed in display ad vertisements do not necessarily reflect or repre sent the views and opinions held by Loyal Perch Media or the City Journals. This publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the owner. © 2019 Loyal Perch Media, Inc. ConnectsocialmediaJou r nals YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS THE CITY /MURRAYJOURNAL/FACEBOOK.COM INSTAGRAM.COM/CITYJOURNALS CITY-JOURNALSLINKEDIN.COM/COMPANY//MURRAYJOURNALTWITTER.COMMURRAYJOURNAL.COM CREATIVE DIRECTOR Bryan Scott | bryan.s@thecityjournals.com EDITOR Travis Barton | travis.b@thecityjournals.com DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING Ryan Casper | ryan.c@thecityjournals.com801-254-5974 ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Mieka Sawatzki | mieka.s@thecityjournals.com Jason Corbridge | jason.c@thecityjournals.com CIRCULATION COORDINATOR Brad Casper | brad.c@thecityjournals.com801-254-5974 Rack locations are also available on our website. EDITORIAL & AD DESIGN Ty AmandaGortonLukerStacyBronsonAnnaPro MURRAY CITY JOURNAL 9500 South 500 West, Suite 205 Sandy, UT 84070 PHONE: 801-254-5974 MISSION STATEMENT Our mission is to inform and entertain our community while promoting a strong local economy via relevant content presented across a synergetic network of print and digital media. PUBLISHER Designed, Published, & Distributed by FREE | COMMUNITY | PAPERS
Y2 Analytics Vice President Kyrene Gibb said. By contrast, residents express much more negative feelings toward the city’s cur rent downtown area, particularly the Block One district. The concerns include too much high-density housing, the need for more lo cal stores/restaurants, and the need to beau tify the“Whenarea. we think about the downtown area specifically, and Block One in its cur rent state, as you might expect, there’s a lit tle bit less enthusiasm. Residents are a little bit concerned about some of the direction of development downtown or the options that have been considered for development…in cluding the possibility of too much high-den sity housing and a desire for more of a local hometown, downtown feel. So, small stores or shops and restaurants and just an overall desire to beautify the area—those were some of the common themes that came out in the open-ended responses,” Gibb said.
“Walkability, places to gather, sort of open in a relaxed commercial environment seems to be the direction that residents would like to see the downtown area,” Gibb said. The complete survey results can be found online at: https://www.murray.utah. gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/6160. l
While most residents agree that they would like to preserve the historic look and feel of the area, there is equal support for restoring the landmark Block One buildings and replacing some with new buildings that maintain a historic look.
Russ Kakala was appointed the new Murray City Public Works director. (Shaun Delliskave/City Journals) Music is a universal language that crosses all demographics, creating connection through a shared experience. Michelle Willis, music director for the Murray Symphony, said music also reflects community values and opens doors to imagination. As a music teacher for nearly 30 years, Willis joined the group in 2018 and is now the principal music conductor for the symphony. Started in 1975, the Murray Symphony is get ting close to celebrating its 50th anniversary.
In 2006, Kakala was involved with the formation of the storm water department for the city. As a result, Kakala collected all the storm drain data that is now used in the city’s GIS maps.
By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com
S e P t . 2022 | Page 5M urray J ournal . C o M Having started his career painting the lines on Murray City roads 35 years ago, Russ Kakala has risen in the ranks to be appointed the city’s new public works director. Kakala replaces Danny Astill, who retired in June. The Murray City Council unanimously approved Mayor Brett Hales’ appointment at the July 19 council meeting. After being sworn in, Kakala told the council, “This ain’t my favorite thing to do is get up here and speak or dress up; it’s just not something I like to do. But for this, I felt it appropriate to actually put a tie on, so I just want to say thanks from the bottom of my heart, and I will strive for greatness.” Born and raised in Kearns, Utah, Kakala has held numerous positions, which include Maintenance Worker, Heavy Equipment Operator, Storm Water Lead Worker, Storm Water Supervisor, and most recently, Streets and Storm Water Superintendent.
“I was about to retire, but now I think I’ll stick around for a while and try to do the best job I possibly can for the council, mayor, staff, and people that are here today that support me,” Kakala told the council.
Murray City appoints new public works director
“We’re one of the longer-standing com munity orchestras here in the valley and we pull musicians from all over, not just Murray,” Willis said. “We bring arts to the community and share the love of music and help people understand different types of music.”
Willis believes music should be accessi ble and available to everyone in the commu nity. When she first moved to Utah, she lived in Herriman before it had become a big city and there were no arts programs available. She joined the arts council and has been building it ever since. She said the value of music can’t be mea sured in a community and she’s excited to lead the Murray Symphony which has a tradition of great selections and performances. Even more than the public, the symphony is necessary for the musicians involved.
“It’s for the members because they don’t do music for a living and they need an escape from their busy work life or raising children. Music is their outlet,” she said. “It gives them a place, not only to practice music, but to form a new family relationship. That’s one of our big things for us, we’re a musical family. We give them a space to express their talent in a very non-judgmental, friendly place.”
Willis said the public benefits from hear ing live music performed by people who love what they do, and musicians benefit from par ticipating in something they love and building camaraderie. “They come here and they’re fulfilled,” she said. “It’s something that just brings them joy. They see it builds community and bonds in a special way. It’s just a great place to be and feel each other’s energ….People are realizing we’re here for each other. I think that’s really been helpful to bring us closer.” l Under the direction of Michelle Willis, the Murray Symphony provides opportunities for musicians to perform and the community to enjoy live music.
“We’ve been around long enough that they come looking for us,” Willis said. “We get anywhere from 25 to 50 each year saying they want to join and obviously we can’t take themTheall.”
Kakala will have oversight of the divisions that make up the Public Works Department: Streets, Stormwater, Water, Sewer, Sol id Waste (garbage collection), and Fleet Services. Kakala will have to address how these divisions handle the new mixed-use develop ments planned for Murray.
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Murray Symphony in tune with the city’s residents
“My brother Mitch has been a great mentor to me my whole life. He has always been there to offer his experience and guidance and has taught me a lot,” Kakala said.
Murray Symphony holds five con certs each year and it will be starting an edu cational outreach program in partnership with the Murray Arts Advisory Board. Elementary students in Murray School District will take part in a performance that includes classroom material that will hopefully build a love for music in the students. For more information, visit MurraySym phony.org.
“Sidewalks are huge for him,” Hales said. “Russ always fol lowed through. If it wasn’t possible, he explained why, but Russ tries to make that Accordingpossible.”toKakala, his family has been his most significant influence. He cites his wife’s support, and his son Colton works in the Public Works Department.
By Shaun Delliskave | s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com
“My plan is to continue to be an advocate for the residents, business owners, and especially our employees, who are the back bone of Murray City. I feel involvement and participation are key and that you can’t lead from behind a desk,” Kakala said.
“It’s been really cool for me to witness over the past seven months our department heads and supervisors. The love that they have for every single one of their employees, and I mean you just see it, they just love their employees, and Russ is no exception. I’ve real ized that he loves and appreciates all his employees and for all they do, and he loves and appreciates our citizens,” Mayor Hales said. Kakala has worked with the Public Works Water, Sewer, Fleet, and Engineering divisions. Over the past 12 years, streets, storm water, and solid waste have been his focus. In his three decades, his projects have included everything from roadway reconstructions, preventive maintenance, pipeline repair, new construction and main tenance.
After nearly a half-century of performing, the Murray Symphony has gained a reputation for excellence. With 76 musicians, ranging in age from 17 to 85, the symphony is considered non-audition, although auditions are held for principal positions to ensure the musician’s ability and work ethic fit in with the leadership role. Musicians from as far away as Evanston, Wyoming, play with the group and there is al ways a waiting list for people who want to be part of the symphony orchestra.
“I can’t do anything without the group of people that I work with. They are truly the best people I’ve ever been around. We’ve worked a lot of years together and have great friendships. All I have to do is ask any of these guys, and whatever it is, it’s done,” Kakala said. When not in the office, Kakala can’t put away his construc tive instincts and loves to help others with their projects. However, he will try to escape with family and friends to camp, hunt or ride horses.
Recovering from the drop in attendance and involvement in classes during the pan demic is what’s ahead for Linde, Wihongi said. “I think a challenge that most high schools are facing right now is getting kids back in and engage fully in their education. I think the pandemic kind of took them out of the habit so the motivation for them to engage fully in their schoolwork,” he said.
Wihongi, who comes from a family of educators and is married to one, now will re join Superintendent Jen Covington, who he worked under as an assistant principal when she was principal at Hillcrest Junior High, in the district office administration team.
“I went into education for the kids, and I believe with my new position I can still have an impact on whatever we do, wherever we're at. The objective is to provide opportunities for our students. Hopefully, I can do that and support our administrators and our teachers,” he said.
Other administrative changes in Mur ray School District include Mindy Ball, who has been Grant Elementary’s principal since 2017, will become principal at Horizon Ele mentary as Whitney Anderson stepped down.
“I think it's kind of been in my life model not to be comfortable in one place. You need to try and push yourself to be the best version of yourself and when the opportunity present ed itself, I thought I could try and stretch my self,” he said. “I think from teaching, coach ing and being an administrator at schools, I’ve learned that relationships is really at the heart of everything I’ve tried to do. Seeing the po tential in every student and helping them to reach their goals and potential has been some thing I’ve kind of prided myself on and it is what motivates me.”
Filling Ball’s position will be Jill Burnside, who began in 2015 as Liberty Elementary’s interim principal and was named principal in 2016. New to Murray District is Lisa Young, who will be Liberty Elementary’s principal, and Samuel Salinas, who will become Hill crest Junior High’s assistant principal, filling the shoes of Megan Orme, who is stepping down.
Former Hillcrest High Assistant Principal Quinn Linde will become Murray High’s principal as Scott Wihongi was named Murray School District’s new assistant superintendent. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
Linde has a bachelor’s in biology educa tion from Utah Valley University and his mas ter’s degree in administrative leadership from Western Governors University. He taught science for four years at Corner Canyon High in Draper before becoming assistant principal there for two years. The past three years, he has been at Hillcrest High in Midvale. While Linde said he liked working in Canyons School District, he jumped at this opportunity.
Quinn Linde
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By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com I think as administrators, as staff and teachers, we need to be on the halls; we need to be seen by kids. They need to know that we’re there and we’re working to build those relationships day by day.
In addition to his two years as an assis tant principal at Hillcrest Junior, and three at Murray as an assistant principal, he also served three years as an assistant at Corner Canyon High School. He taught science nine of his 22 years in education at Hillcrest Junior and Murray High. As assistant superintendent, Wihongi will oversee the District’s state assessments, the career and technical education programs at the secondary level, the dual immersion program, the media center, contribute to the teaching and learning team, support teachers and administrators, and perform other duties. Wihongi said students still will be at the heart of his new position.
So, Linde said he plans to start from day one, being in the halls and getting to know the kids.
Wihongi has gotten to know students during his tenure at Murray High. “My ultimate goal was to create a culture where kids wanted to be here to be engaged and safe,” said Wihongi, who has served as Murray’s principal since 2017. “We set up a system where teachers got to know their kids a little bit better, then we set up a positive be havior program and the year before I came in, there were probably 10 to 12 fights per year, and now, I think we may average one. We introduced the Murray Medallion pro gram and have awarded 600 in five years, the Spartan initiative, the differentiated diploma, and we’ve revamped the credit recovery sys tem, and during COVID, we pushed toward canvas-based lessons. Murray High now has a culture where everybody feels included. Everybody feels heard. Everybody feels that they can be successful and take advantage of the opportunities that that are provided.”
As students file in Murray High, Princi pal Quinn Linde may be the first face they see as he introduces himself. Linde is replacing Scott Wihongi, who is Murray District’s new assistant superintendent as former assistant superintendent Scott Bushnell retired. “I always knew I wanted to go into edu cation,” Linde said. “I had an awesome group of eighth-grade teachers that were just incred ible and super supportive; they were pivotal for me, helping me navigate those waters. My basketball coach would support me too. They just encircled me and treated me so kindly and we’ve stayed in touch ever since. I love the feel of schools and I thought it’s a great career to give back to the community.”
New faces greeting students this fall
Linde not only was a student-athlete, but he also was involved in the performing arts— and can even be seen in “High School Musi cal 2” as a baseball player.
“Jen is a mover and shaker. She gets things done. She's a supportive leader who looks for ways of making things work. She's very high energy and she's very proactive. I like that she's looking for ways to always im prove and progress. She's innovative and very creative. She's done a lot of things to kind of unify and connect people,” he said.
This fall, some students may be greeted by some administrators new to their schools.
Young, who has been in education for 20 years, has been a principal at a school in Arizona and Utah and has served as an edu cational specialist at the Utah State Board of Education, where she was responsible to help develop and implement a cohesive system of supports and professional learning for school leaders. She has taught in schools in Nevada and Utah and has worked as an instructional coach. She holds degrees in psychology and ed ucational leadership and is currently working on a degree in indigenous education. Salinas has been in education for 26 years, including 14 as an administrator. In Utah, he has taught and has been an assistant principal at two schools. He also has taught in California and has been the director of exten sion at a state university in Baja California, Mexico. He has degrees in liberal arts and scienc es, history and educational leadership. In addition, Scott Taggart will take the position at the district as director of support services as Dave Roberts has taken a position in another district. Taggert has been an administrator 14 years and in education 28 years. He has taught science and business, been a high school as sistant principal, technical education center principal and an assistant director of facility services. He holds degrees in biology, busi ness administration and educational leader ship. l
“I think as administrators, as staff and teachers, we need to be on the halls; we need to be seen by kids. They need to know that we're there and we’re working to build those relationships day by day. I want them to share a little bit about themselves and their lives and let kids know that they’re human and hope kids will be willing to reciprocate,” he said.
“We are very proud to hire those with special needs and they do a phenomenal job as a part of our staff and that’s a special experience for our customers,” he said, adding that the chain also hosts an annu al golf tournament amongst other ways to support Special Olympics.
“It was really awesome, but my feet hurt; it was tiring,” Williams recalled. “I like getting to do cheer. I like the pom poms and when we do the jumps and stunts.”
Weaver said the bonds people make through Special Olympics is what makes it memorable. Through his 42 years of being in volved with Special Olympics, he’s made unforgettable friendships, starting when he was in college, meeting 7-year-old Buddy. “I just connected with him and that became my connection with the disabled community,” he said, adding that because of that bond, he changed his major from forestry to therapeutic recreation and spe cial education.Weaverwent on to play and coach a unified softball team in 1986-7, then he formed lasting friendships with his unified double tennis player Gary and unified cy cling race partner Jeff. “I've had friendships with them for about 20-25 years now,” he said. “It’s the people that make such an impact, the sup port and connections we have that make all the difference.”
By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
We are very proud to hire those with special needs and they do a phenome nal job as a part of our staff and that’s a special experience for our customers.BobHarmon
“Bob’s parents started supporting Special Olympics 40-plus years ago and the family has continued ever since,” Weaver said. “When it comes to my years of nonprofit work, not many partners stick around that long. The longevity of this re lationship is truly impressive.” Harmon said it’s through the generos ity of their customers during annual pro motions that they can impact the lives of so many Special Olympians.
Special Olympians join Bob Harmon of Harmons Grocery Stores with a cheer as he presented them a check for $302,238 on Aug. 12 from this year’s root beer float sales as well as donations at the 19 Har mons stores’ checkouts. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
Mountain Creek ninth-grader Jaymi Bonner has participated in Special Olym pics for five years. She competed this summer in the inaugural sport of unified golf and competes in unified track for the Oquirrh Thunder.
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As a token of appreciation, Jordan School District 2022 graduates Kate Wil liams and Miranda Clegg, who have been a part of unified cheer with Forever Athlet ics for the past five years, presented Har mon with a Utah Special Olympics jersey that the team worn at the Special Olympics USA Games, with the slogan, “Shine as 1” on theWilliamsback. and Clegg both volunteered to tell Harmons’ customers about Special Olympics during the selling of root beer floats back in March.
In addition to the Forever Athletics cheer team, members of the Oquirrh Thun der community team showed their appre ciation to Harmon for supporting Special Olympics.
Clegg said that she was able to tell them about her experiences with cheer leading and making friends. “I liked talking to people and they asked me about Special Olympics,” she said, adding that now she has transitioned to help coach the team. “It’s been a lot of fun and I’ve made a lot of friends. I’ve been able to help coach since I’ve been there cheering, I have that perspective.”
Special Olympians Kate Williams and Miranda Clegg, who have been a part of unified cheer with Forever Athletics, presented Bob Harmon of Harmons Grocery Stores with a Utah Special Olympics jersey that the team worn at the Special Olympics USA Games. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
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Harmons’ ongoing support provides Special Olympians’ opportunities
W hen Randy and Bob—the faces of the Harmons Grocery Stores—were in elementary school, their mother agreed to host three Special Olympics athletes who were to compete the next day at the University of Utah. “It was the first time we were intro duced to someone different, but we didn't look at them as being different,” Harmons Grocery Chairman for the Customer Bob Harmon said. “We watched them compete and at that age, we were like, ‘we want to run too.’ They were engaged and a part of something, which is wonderful. It was an amazing experience and because it was so positive, we just continued to support Spe cial Olympics.”Thatsupport has extended to 42 years, and it continued Aug. 12 as Harmon handed Special Olympics Utah President/ Chief Executive Officer Scott Weaver a check for more than $302,000 from root beer float sales in March at the chain’s 19 grocery stores as well as donations at the checkouts. It was almost double the previ ous year’s Weavercontribution.saidthemoney is earmarked for the teams who told Harmons’ patrons about Special Olympics during the root beer float sales and will be used to offset sporting fees, uniforms, transportation, equipment and other costs.
“It makes me strong,” she said. “It’s fun to do it with my friends.”
To schedule a free private tour of our Women’s Center, please call 801-350-4078
BUSINESS
M urray C ity J ournalPage 8 | S e P t . 2022
It’s a big decision. But when you choose an OB/GYN af liated with Salt Lake Regional Medical Center, you’ll enjoy our advanced labor monitoring for you and your baby; labor Jacuzzi tubs; a customized birthing experience in a private, quiet room; plus a celebratory dinner for two. This is where healthy is delivered daily in all of its amazing beauty.
“There are a number of options when it comes to landscape materials, but they are not all created equal,” explained Greg. “We believe that in Replenish Compost, we have the finest and most versatile compost available, period! To complement our signature Replenish Compost product, we have made it our focus to develop, or find, the very best soil blends, barks, wood mulches certified playground chips and soilless mixes specifically formulated for growing vege tables and flowers in containers or box gardens. Quality is what we sell.” Any of Replenish’s products can be picked up at their Murray yard, in either bulk or bag. They also deliver in bag, bulk, or in the 1-cu bic-yard Super Big Bag to homes and businesses from Brigham City to Price. One of the unique services Replenish offers is their “Blower Truck” service. With this truck, they have the ability to install through a hose any of their products (ex cept the rock and sand) directly into gardens, lawns or playgrounds. Make your garden and yard work a success ful, rewarding, and enjoyable experience. Call Replenish Landscape Garden Products at (801) 252-5962 for any question you might have or for a free quote.
BEFORE HE FLASHES THAT MAGICAL SMILE, YOU’LL CHOOSE WHERE HE’LL BE DELIVERED.
SPOTLIGHT
Replenish (the compost) and Replenish the Earth Products (the company) were created by Connie Cannon in 1994 in the driveway of her home. She wanted to create a compost mulch that would be high in nutrients, low in salts, as well as dark and rich in appearance. After seek ing counsel from Peter Lassig, who had been the head landscape architect at Temple Square for over 40 years, she came up with the superior for mula and blend for Replenish Compost. Mixing it together in her driveway, she would have her children put the compost in bags and sell it in their neighborhood.
Replenish Landscape Garden 4660 South 200 West, Murray • 801-252-5962
“Whether you are picking up material at our yard, or having us deliver or install material in your yard, the service is always outstanding and to your satisfaction. As our customer, we have your best interest in mind,” said Mike Nitz, the currentTheco-owner.Cannons sold the company 10 years later to the current owners, Mike Nitz and Greg Bettinson. After purchasing the company in 2004, Mike and Greg gave it a new name – Re plenish Landscape Garden Products – to better describe what the business was all about. They also moved the business from West Valley City to its current location in Murray, at 4600 S. 200 W. Over the past 15 years, they have grown the business by expanding the variety of landscape materials offered and expanding their customer base to cover the entire Wasatch Front.
In Partnership with Physician Owners. Twenty-seven years is an important mile stone for any business. In fact, only 20 percent of all businesses will survive to see their 20th an niversary. At Replenish, we believe our business model of providing top quality landscape materi als, at a fair price, together with exceptional cus tomer service, has provided the foundation of our success for these 27 years. Beautiful gardens, lawns, and landscapes all start with the foundation of quality, nutrient-rich soil. While that is easy to say, it is much more complicated to sort through the numerous com panies that all claim to sell the best. Whether you are starting a new flower garden or growing your own fruits and vegetables, Replenish Landscape Garden Products is here to help make your gar dening goals a reality.
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Each year, more than 300,000 students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade national ly create original works of art in response to a student-selected theme. This program, which is more than 50 years old, is designed to give students a way to express their own thoughts through artistic ability in dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography and visual arts.
Mia’s jazz dance video, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” expressed her way of matching the theme, “I will change the world by….” Her excitement grew as she developed the dance and performed it with her friends, who she has done multiple activities with, including tumbling and soccer, despite Jackie being in a wheelchair.
Cottonwood Heights Powell Nebeker, Bella Vista Elementary, literature, honorable mention; Katelyn Green, Butler Middle, 2D visual art, honorable men tion; and Laura Passey, Butler Middle, 3D art, honorable mention.
Inspired by theme, Draper girl choreographs dance for national Reflections win By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
“I hadn’t done Reflections before; it was my first time,” she said. “I’d tell anyone to do it. It’s a lot of fun.” Her mother was on hand for the an nouncement.
The Draper Elementary students are among the 17,000 Utah students who compete at the school level. Students then can advance with an award of excellence to the council or regional level before those winners continue to state and possibly, nationals.
Draper Charlie Hansen, Willow Springs Elemen tary, film production, award of merit; Max Stephens, Draper Park Middle, music compo sition, award of merit; Alex Piech, Draper Park Middle, photography, award of merit; Beau Boyce, Willow Springs, 3D visual art, hon orable mention; and Natalie Van Roosendaal, Willow Springs, 3D visual art, honorable men tion. Midvale Catherine Rubsam, Hillcrest High, litera ture, honorable mention; Micaela Madariaga, Hillcrest High, 2D visual art, award of merit; Elena Parker, Hillcrest High, 2D visual art, award of merit; William Griffiths, Edgemont Elementary, 2D visual art, award of merit; and Honoka Smith, Midvale Middle, 2D visual art, honorable mention. Murray Noelle Thackeray, Longview Elemen tary, photography, honorable mention; Milo Patterson, Horizon Elementary, 2D visual art, honorable mention; and Ivy Harding, Horizon Elementary, 3D art, award of merit. Sandy Kate Hepworth, Edgemont Elementary, film production, award of excellence; Anna Larson, Jordan High, music composition, award of merit; Leah Memmott, Indian Hills Middle, music composition, award of excel lence; Vivian Christine Mackerell, Lone Peak Elementary, music composition, award of mer it; Tawny McEntire, Willow Canyon Elemen tary, literature, honorable mention; Cameron Avery, Quail Hollow, photography, award of merit; and Ashley Meza, Jordan High, 3D art, award of merit. South Jordan Gabriel Hardy, Welby Elementary, film production, honorable mention; Siena Duncan, South Jordan Elementary, music composition, honorable mention; Jacob Whitmer, Welby Elementary, music composition, honorable mention; Bridger Pedroza, Elk Ridge Middle, music composition, award of merit; Eleanor Elshaug, Golden Fields Elementary, literature, honorable mention; Rush Simmons, Monte Vista Elementary, 2D visual art, award of mer it; Olive Pettit, Golden Fields Elementary, 2D visual art, honorable mention; and Rebekah Brinton, Mountain Creek Middle, 2D visual art, award of merit.
M urray C ity J ournalPage 10 | S e P t . 2022 When the theme for last year’s PTA Reflections was announced, Draper Elementary Chinese dual immersion sec ond-grader Mia Seaborn knew she wanted to enter in dance choreography. Before she burst in the doors to tell her mother what she was doing, she already enlisted the help of her two friends, Kenedey Anderson and Jackie Woodward to join her. “She came home that day and was like, ‘I’m doing Reflections and I've asked Jackie and Kenedey to be in it. I have this whole plan of how to make the world better,’” her moth er, Ellie Seaborn, said adding that in the video, they recycle, they pick up trash and help plants grow “so the world will be more beautiful.”
“I’m super proud of all the kids who worked hard and did a great job,” she said. “As a volunteer, it was fun to see their videos and artwork. It’s so rewarding.”
“I like to dance,” Mia said, adding that she began at age 3 and knows several styles of dance. “I wanted to show all kinds of ways we can helpMia’sout.”dance choreography video was not only the best in the state for kindergart ners through second-graders, but she also was crowned national champion. She was surprised by a banner and balloons in her classroom and quickly had her two best friends join in the cel ebration.
Draper Elementary’s Mia Seaborn, seen center in pink top, won nationals in Reflections for dance chore ography that she performed with her friends Kenedey Anderson and Jackie Woodward. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
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The 2022-23 year’s theme is “Show Your Voice.”
Draper Elementary Reflections Chair Melarie Wheat was proud of all the students’ entries.
Other 2021-22 state winners from the area include:
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“It’s really fun and it’s a really great mem ory for her and her two best friends to be able to do this together,” Seaborn said. “It started out with ‘let’s do something fun’ and now, it’s just ending with another fun moment.” Her principal Christy Waddell said that the dance was “creatively made by a great stu dent who was a darling to get her friends in volved and just excited from the get-go when the theme was introduced.”
In addition to competing, the two Cot tonwood students had a chance to trade FC CLA state pins with other students and visit some sights in San Diego. l
“They came back through to inspect again after that, and suddenly we became a city planning problem? Outside fences, rein forcing ADA, etc. A new list of issues after a failed path of solutions the fire department stirred up,” Sumsion said. However, the city counters that they have provided Dead City with reasonable ways to meet the city code. Murray City Chief Administrative Offi cer Doug Hill, said, “The mayor’s office and Chief Mittelman met with two representa tives of Dead City to discuss their concerns. Mayor Hales asked Chief Mittelman to work cooperatively and quickly with Dead City representatives to make sure the building meets the building and fire codes to assure safety for the public.
Murray Fire Chief Joseph Mittelman said, “CERT instructors are a group of parttime employees that are not certified or have the in-depth knowledge of all updated fire codes for Murray City. Their expertise is focused on emergency preparedness rather than code violations through occupancy type and classifications.
Recent Cottonwood High graduates Lily Lundeen and Georgia Barrus brought home silver and gold medals respectively from a national FCCLA competition. (Photo courtesy of Georgia Barrus/Cottonwood High)
“After this meeting and prior to this meeting, the requirements have been ex plained to the owner in the following pro cess. First, request a DEMO permit for any non-permitted or non-code-compliant areas of the building. Second, submit new archi tect plans for any new construction required under the applicable codes of a special amusement occupancy. Third, complete the required work following Murray City Code and use applicable licensed commercial con tractors. Complete inspections both during and upon completion of the construction phases.” While the 2022 season is out of the question, Dead City did not say if they will try to update the building, find a new one, or call it quits altogether. l
After several attempts, Dead City own ers appealed to the mayor’s office, but the city code is the law of the land. “I was pleased to have the conversation transparently, getting to a common under standing. Basically, the new fire code deter mines what an entertainment venue should have now, unlike ever before in Murray. While unpleasant, they changed the rule book underneath us after four years of suc cessfully operating, we understand we can’t change the city code,” Sumsion said. Sumsion said some violations required sets to be torn down and rebuilt in com plete drywall (gypsum) with fire retardant paint, materials, and coating every inch of the show. In addition, exit signs need to be quadrupled in visible appearances. Further, inspectors found that the building’s fire sup pression system was choked with dust. After making modifications, Dead City invited the city to return and view its progress.
Cottonwood graduates rank amongst best in FCCLA leadership contest
By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com suddenly had issues with this year. However, it wasn’t due to an inspection but by provid ing exterior security footage for a potential arson case near the building. While walking through the building, the new fire officials seemed to be on a different page than the previous officials and quickly demanded changes and re-inspections.
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In her presentation, Barrus outlined her leadership and high school experiences such as five years on the mountain biking team, including being captain her senior year; her presidency in both FCCLA and in Cotton wood’s National Honors Society; her intern ship at a nearby elementary school; and her part-time jobs. She also included how she’d like to bring a FCCLA chapter to a Native Amer ican reservation since currently there isn’t one and it’s part of her heritage. Barrus plans to attend the University of Oregon in early education, rooming in the Native American and Indigenous Studies ac ademic residential community.
“The code violations within Dead City are specifically focused on special amuse ments. The code requirements are actually found in the building code and not the fire code. Both the fire and building codes work together to protect our citizens and business es from unnecessary hazards. The special amusement section of the building code is not a common code that staff firefighters or other safety officials would recognize with out being ICC (International Code Council) certified. These books are made to prevent catastrophes such as the Six Flags haunted house fire in May of 1984, Chicago night club fire of 2001 with flammable materials.”
FCCLA is a club associated with family consumer sciences and helps youth expand their leadership potential and develop skills for life, such as planning, goal-setting, de cision-making and interpersonal communi cation.At the state contest in leadership this past spring, Barrus took gold in the event and her teammate, Lily Lundeen, took silver. After being recognized on the nation al stage for being in the top 10, Barrus and Lundeen were honored respectively in front of the Utah delegation with national gold and silver levels of distinction. Barrus said that she has received posi tive feedback of her flower analogy.
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“My theme was what really stuck with people. I’d say that in freshman year I was a little seed in the ground. And now, I’m this blooming flower, but that start and budding seemed so long ago,” she said. “After my presentation, the judges asked questions like ‘what did you learn during the presentation?’ Or ‘what did you learn from being a lead er?’ Or ‘how would you improve?’ Those are pretty easy to reflect on. I talked about in my presentation that after I graduated, I learned that it’s vital to being a leader is to reflect on yourself every week. It's really important that you improve.”
“I was competing against the best of the best,” she said, as each state was allowed to send their top candidate in the contest to compete nationally. “I was a little bit ner vous, but I was ready. I approached it, hon estly, as I'm doing this for myself to see what I can do so I was more excited.”
Lundeen used her experience as a Girl Scout as a base of her presentation, Barrus said. “She was able to really talk about all her Girl Scout leadership experience in her pre sentation,” Barrus said, adding that this past year, Lundeen oversaw Cottonwood’s chap ter’s social media, so she was able to address the importance of communication, social media and time management goals as well.
Cottonwood High graduate com pared her leadership skills to a budding flower, which helped her blossom into the top 10 nationally in a national competition. Georgia Barrus was recognized as one of the top 10 nationwide in the leadership contest at this past summer’s Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America confer ence, which attracted more than 7,100 stu dents, advisers and educators to San Diego.
By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
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Outside, students had fun on four inflat able bouncy houses, and were joined with their families munching on some hamburg ers and watching an outdoor movie.
A plaque inside Longview Elementary shows the school opened in 1962. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
Also at the celebration, after a couple months of weekly meeting with art and mu sic teacher Lauren King, each grade level sang a song from the ’60s in the school au ditorium. Kindergarten and first grade sang “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” second and third grades sang “Born to be Wild,” fourth and fifth grades sang “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and sixth grade sang “Sweet Car oline.”
Longview celebrates 60 years of learning
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During the 60th anniversary celebra tion, Longview also held a student show case, which revealed the talent of about 20 students who mostly performed piano, dance and singing. “It was pretty cool, so many people came to see the kids perform, and it wasn’t just their families coming, it was the com munity,” first-grade teacher Mike Okumura said. “It was amazing. The kids did a fantas tic job, and it all was just great.”
For elementary school students, who regu larly use the internet to do research, they may have searched to learn John Glenn was the first American to orbit the Earth 60 years ago, but it may be hard for them to under stand that it was that same time period when major new stories were first trans-Atlantic stories were transmitted live on television. It was the time of the oral polio vaccine was developed, Spider-Man makes his first appearance in comics, the Cuban Missile Crisis, rioting on the University of Missis sippi and the death of actress Marilyn Mon roe. It also was when Longview Elemen tary opened its doors to school children in 10 classrooms. The school cost an estimated $200,000.Sixty years later, school children re lived the music of the times. The after-school choir gave perfor mances at a spring concert as well as the school’s 60th anniversary celebration, which was held at the end of the school year. The choir’s repertoire included “I Want You Back” by The Jackson 5, “Stand by Me” by Ben E. King, “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles, “Build Me Up Buttercup” by The Temptations and “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong.
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Cordova also helped with the finish ing work on another Murray High house, a 4,900-square-foot, three-bedroom, two and one-half bath, four-car garage home close to Wheeler Farm that sold for almost $975,000 last year. His classmate Alejandro Tolayo is return ing this year to help finish the home on Bullion Street.“This is pretty much what I want to do when I grow up,” he said. “I took woodwork ing classes ever since seventh grade. There's so much opportunity, learning from and being here with Drury and competing in SkillsUSA. It’s already given me opportunities for schol arships. Hopefully, one day I'll be able to have my own business and be able to build homes.”
Drury said that the experience students gain by building a house translates to many different career and college opportunities for students. He estimated that 75% of his senior class last spring “will have a full tuition scholar ship.” His graduates typically enroll in programs at Salt Lake Community College, Utah Valley University, Weber State University, Brigham Young University and Southern Utah Univer sity. Some students graduate and go straight to work.
“It makes me happy, and it gives us a rea son to get out of the building, get out in the sun for a little bit and build something,” he said. Having taken some business classes, one day Cordova hopes to own his own construc tion business. “It’s my eventual goal, but it will take some time,” he said, adding that since he has taken the Murray High classes, he has been able to become the “handyman at home” ap plying his knowledge to help his family reno vate a bedroom.
“I can just stand back and look at what I did and be able to say, ‘I did part of this work and I know how to do it,’” he said. “I'm just grateful to even be able to do this because, I’m still in high school and I'm already learning how to build a house.”
By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com S. 3000 E., W.
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S e P t . 2022 | Page 13M urray J ournal . C o M After a few months break, the sounds of humming saws and beating hammers returned to the Murray High’s project house, located on Bullion Street one block north of ViewmontMurrayElementary.Highconstruction management students are beginning where the spring class left off, having passed the sheeting and shear inspection. With the exterior mostly done, Murray High School skilled and technology education teacher Quinn Drury said this school year will focus more on the interior work.
“You're always learning something every time you come here,” he said. “I didn't know anything about building a house and the foun dation, so pretty much what I’ve learned is go ing to stay with me and it’s knowledge I’ll use every time I build. I love all this program. It's just amazing.”That’sthe goal, Drury said. “I just love that this program gives kids real world, hands-on learning,” he said. “They can apply what they learn and learn real, use ful skills. I also love that there is a direct path for them to find success. I also love that ev ery kid with every specific skill set or talent, there’s a place for them to be successful. And we produce a quality product that goes out on the market. It’s a real testament to our kids.”
“We'll start with electrical, plumbing, me chanical,” he said. “Then, we will do the in sulation, sheetrock, paint, finish trim, flooring cabinets—and all the exterior concrete.”
Murray High student-built home teaches ins and outs of trade, house to be sold this spring
l Murray High School skilled and technology education teacher Quinn Drury has students practice the skills they need on a dog house before they do them on the actual project house. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
“In the field, there are good career op portunities and there still is high demand. I get called or get an email every day by people in our community asking if I have students who want to work,” he said. “I always instruct the kids that they want to get as much education and as much experience so it will take you right to the top of the field.” That education begins with students en rolling in Woodworking I and II beforehand.
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Cordova agrees: “One day you show up, you work for two hours and there's four walls up. You can already see the whole house.” The two and their classmates began on the house “when there was just a hole in the ground. I helped the cement guys level out the concrete that was poured in the basement,” Cordova said. “Then everything from the an chor bolts to the rim board on them to the floor on that the TGIs (Truss Joist I-Joist); I think what we did the most was just learned to build wall receiving walls, exterior walls, load bear ing walls.”Tolayo said that through the process, he’s applying what he has learned in class as well as gaining new skills.
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Tolayo, who prefers to work with wood and has made a table and nightstand for his family, said that this house project has given him a sense of accomplishment.
“When they do that, they can get up to 18 hours concurrent enrollment at SLCC (Salt Lake Community College) toward their con struction management degree,” he said. Those basic carpentry skills gained from classes translate into measuring, cutting and other mathematics that go into constructing a house, Drury said. “It’s all intertwined. The projects we do are small projects in those classes, but this (home) is nothing more than a whole bunch of small projects,” he said about the current 2,800-square-foot two-story home with a fin ished basement that has three bedrooms, two and one-half bathrooms and a three-car garage. After the house is completed, it will be put up for sale. Those funds will go back into the program to fund supplies and the building lot for the next house students will learn how to build.The routine is a familiar as Drury has guided students the past 24 years to build 12 houses.
Recent Murray High graduate Gregory Cordova said he chose the program because he enjoys “working with my hands.”
Katie Gardner, a member of the IDE Task Force, addresses the city council. (Shaun Delliskave/City Journals)
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he Murray City Council approved a resolution at their Aug. 2 meeting accepting the recommendations made by an ad hoc Diversity and Inclusion Task Force. The resolution moves forward to Mayor Brett Hales, who must decide how best to execute this resolution. City Councilor Kat Martinez proposed forming the task force in January 2021. Its explicit purpose was to research and examine the relationship between the community at large and marginalized and underrepresented communities within the context of city policies, practices, and program ming and to provide feedback that will help foster mutual understanding and respect among all members of the city.
The second part of the resolution encourages the cre ation of an ongoing Equity Advisory Board to initiate and facilitate inclusion in Murray with a particular focus on community events by tasking this board with the directive to: recruit minority and marginalized community members to serve on the Equity Advisory Board; seek out and invite minority and marginalized community members and orga nizations to participate in current events; determine how to celebrate and include the many cultures within Murray in community events; engage with the Chamber of Commerce to collaborate on and promote inclusion, diversity, and equi ty events and initiatives; and provide relevant periodic rec ommendations to the city, where new needs or gaps become evident as Murray grows and evolves. According to Martinez, the equity director position would likely start as part of a current position within the city. However, the job is unfunded, so it is the mayor’s discretion on how best to implement the resolution under current city staffing.
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Specifically, the director will be charged with creating a strategic Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (ID&E) plan for the city. They will also seek ways to: standardize job post ings and interview practices to ensure equitable and inclusive practices; identify and recognize meaningful days or seasons for all communities and cultures at a city level; research and implement the policies detailed in the “Policy Suggestions”; utilize social media, the website, and city newsletters to communicate with the public; and finally, standardize dress code do’s and don’ts. “I’ll use (an example) that’s just very specific; social media or anything that’s going on the internet. There are best practices out there to make sure that anything you put on social media is accessible to someone with a screen reader. So someone who’s blind is accessing your social media; they can access everything you’re putting out there, from videos to images to text.
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“It is a resolution thanking the task force members and a resolution of support for designating an equity director to head any equity work within the city. What it does not do is mandate a full-time position with any immediate scope of the role; it gives the mayor’s office a lot of flexibility,” MartinezPrimarily,said. the task force had two primary goals: to in crease access to services for all residents by identifying and removing barriers; and to improve the level of inclusion and safety all residents experience at city and community events.
Murray City Council approves Diversity and Inclusion Task Force recommendations
“The primary takeaway from this task force is for the city to appoint an equity director. That person, in their role, would be to research, to educate, and implement policy. I mentioned that the city is already doing a lot of really awe some things, and some things are very department specific and will always be specialized, but there’s a lot of things that are experienced across all departments,” Martinez said.
By Shaun Delliskave | s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com
“That’s something that is not department specific. So for that, this role would be to research what are the best practices for creating a user-friendly, one-page or a template of ‘here’s what you do,’ ‘here’s what to look out for.’ The idea is also to take the burden of all that extra research and expertise from department heads,” Martinez said.
According to Murray City Budget Director Brenda Moore, “You’re probably worried that the 15% is going to be on that full $1,200 bill. It’s not. It will be on the Mur ray section of that $1,200 bill you get. If you live within the school district boundary, Murray School District and other schools get about 57 cents of every dollar you pay in property tax (Granite School District residents pay 59 cents per dollar). Salt Lake County gets approximately 19 cents. Murray City gets 16 cents. The library gets 4, and other small entities get the other 4 cents.”
Murray City approved $3.3 million in road projects for this coming budget year. (Photo courtesy of Murray City)
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Murray holds truth in taxation hearing; approves budget
Over 90 separate government entities in Utah con sidered property tax hikes this year. Most residents in Salt Lake County can depend on seeing their taxes rise, with South Salt Lake seeking the most dramatic hike at 109%.
S e P t . 2022 | Page 15M urray J ournal . C o M M urrayites can expect a 15% increase in property taxes this year, a modest increase as compared to previous years. The Murray City Council approved the tax increase by a three-to-two vote at the Aug. 9 Truth in Taxation meeting. For the average city residence assessed at $523,000, the tax increase will be $56.38 per year or $4.70 per month.
So, what is the situation regarding Murray City’s sales tax “Taxationgrowth?sales tax can be very volatile right now. I haven’t seen the last figures for 2022, but we’re OK for last year,” Moore said. After granting the tax rate increase, the city council approved the city’s budget. City employees will receive a 7% cost of living increase, and the city will hire another police officer, streets crewmember, recreation coordina tor, and two theater employees.
The new city hall bond payment at $1.8 million will be among the most significant budget items. Other capital projects include $5.2 million for the Murray Theater, $3.3 million for street projects, $1.2 million for a park storage building, and $1 million for a new ambulance and other fire equipment.Murray’sannual budget can be found online at mur ray.utah.gov. l
Jordan School District residents could expect to pay $1,733 on their portion of the tax bill alone.
One frequent misconception residents have about their tax assessment is that Murray City is responsible for the entire amount of the property tax.
By Shaun Delliskave | s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com
“In 2018, the last property tax increase of 45%. The city was asked (by residents, according to Moore) over and over again to do frequent, smaller increases. Due to the pandemic, we have not done that for the last three years. This year we decided that there’s just no way we could postpone it another year and not do at least some property tax increase,” Moore said. Property values in Murray have skyrocketed. In 2020, the total taxable property in Murray City was $5.5 billion. Only 18 months later, those values increased to $7.7 “Salesbillion.tax accounts for the largest part of our reve nue, or 39%. Property tax is 19%, and then there’s a whole bunch of charges for services and all the other stuff. In a perfect world, it would be 50/50,” Moore said.
“Murray was 12th out of all the cities for property tax levy rate. I feel we’re going to remain 12th because most of the people (local governments) are asking for property tax increases,” Moore said. By far, the biggest driver in the budget is public safe ty salaries. To keep and recruit police and fire employees, the personnel budget for Public Safety has increased 17%, or $3.2 million, since the last property tax increase, $2 million of which occurred between FY2022 and FY2023.
M urray C ity J ournalPage 16 | S e P t . 2022 LOVE WHERE YOU LIVE DISCOVER YOUR NEXT HOME VISIT UTRERC.COM OUR SERVICES: › Find a Home › Home Value › RESOURCEUTAHCommunitiesREALESTATECENTER
“I felt I learned a lot from the girls be cause they all had these different life expe riences. They are all really insightful. They really took me in,” Sariah said.
Sariah (l) and Faith (r) Taeoalii played on Samoa’s team, trying to qualify for the World Cup. (Photo courtesy of Kelly Taeoalii) II Corinthians 5:10 “For we all must appear before the judgement seat of Christ.”
Two Murray sisters play for soccer’s World Cup
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S e P t . 2022 | Page 17M urray J ournal . C o M Two Murray teenage sisters, Faith and Sariah Taeoalii, had the opportunity of a lifetime to play soccer at a World Cup qual ifying tournament. Both sisters, who are of Samoan heritage, were recruited by the island nation to compete in the Oceania Football Confederation Women’s Nations Cup. Faith, a recent graduate of Murray High School, is no stranger to playing for Samoa. In 2017, she played on the Samoa U-16 Na tional Team. She eyed playing for them again in 2020, but COVID and a measles outbreak eliminated that chance for her. The Samoa National Team’s stakes were high for 2022, as OFC powerhouse New Zea land would be sitting out the tournament. In stead, they received an automatic bye to the World Cup since they will be hosts along with Australia. The Kiwi’s free pass gave Samoa a strong chance of advancing to the World Cup as a representative of Oceania. Samoa knocked on the Taeoalii’s door to recruit Faith to play on the Samoa Wom en’s National Team. Kelly Taeoalii, Faith’s mom, told them there was a second Taeoalii who could help the team. The team initially passed on Sariah, a junior at Murray High; at age 16, she was considered much too young to play on the women’s team. However, after watching some videos of her, she too received the invitation. “The oldest girl on the team was 30. It was nerve-wracking to know that there were girls twice my age,” Sariah said. Faith and Sariah practiced frequently and scrimmaged before leaving Utah. Their dad, Jeremy, ran them through conditioning drills at Murray High. “We just tried to touch around the ball as much as we possibly could,” Faith said. However, before they headed to the tour nament in Fiji, Faith had committed to a hu manitarian service project in Greece to help refugees. As a result, teenage Sariah had to travel alone to meet a team full of strangers. In addition, due to the team’s COVID pro tocols, she was separated from her family during the tournament.
One teammate, Shontelle Stevens, a mother of a 2 year old, also had to quarantine with the rest of the team and remained sepa rated from her child. However, she took Sar iah under her wing, and they became friends. Eventually, a jet-lagged Faith arrived just in time for the team’s first game against Polynesian rival Tonga. Unfortunately, Sariah rolled her ankle during practice, and they only got to watch Samoa beat the higher-ranked team 2-0. Still, Faith and Sariah say it was sat isfying to support their team moving forward in the tournament. In the second game of the competition, against the Cook Islands, both sisters saw significant playing time. Sariah was cleared to compete and played the entire second half of the game. Faith also played, and both got a couple of chances to threaten a goal. They beat their opponent 1 to 0. Samoa’s good fortune on the field caught the attention of folks living in Apia, Samoa’s capital city. The Prime Minister of Samoa, Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa, attended their game against New Caledonia. Faith and Sariah played significant roles in the team’s 4-2 vic tory. With three victories, the Samoa Wom en’s National Team had never gone so far in the tournament before. However, Papua New Guinea shut out the Samoans in the next match, and the team tied in the consolation bracket against the Solomon Islands. Still, Faith and Sariah look fondly back at their ex periences.
By Shaun Delliskave | s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com
“It was really cool, knowing that we would be representing Samoa and represent ing family. You would walk into practice and have a couple of fans yelling your names. It was cool and scary at the same time,” Sariah said. So, what are their plans now that they have Faithreturned?plans on hanging up her cleats. Instead, she plans to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and then head to college. Sariah, on the other hand, is going to keep on playing. In two years, the Samoa Women’s National Team hopes to play at the Paris Olympics, and she intends to represent her ancestral homeland by playing soccer. l
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State Sen. Gene Davis faces sexual misconduct allegations
By Shaun Delliskave | s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com indo-mexican fusion
By Shaun Delliskave | s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com
Hackers attacked online services at Murray City Hall. (Photo courtesy of Murray City) Hackers attack Murray City phone and online services
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Hackers impacted computers, net works, phones, and online services for approximately one week. As a result, resi dents could not make utility and other on line payments.“Thecity is working with third-par ty specialists to investigate this issue,” Hill said. “The issues have been resolved. Please know the city worked 24/7 to re store systems to normal and secure func tionality.”Murray City allowed additional time to pay bills and did not charge penalties or late fees during that period. However, re garding compromised data, the city posted on its Facebook page, “Should the investi gation identify an impact on personal in formation, we will provide the appropriate notices as necessary.” l
T he Utah Senate is investigating state Sen. Gene Davis on allegations of sexual misconduct toward a former intern and cam paign staffer. The outgo ing Democrat District 3 senator, who represents Holladay, Midvale, Millcreek, Murray, South Salt Lake, Sugar House, and West Valley City, failed to ad vance in the primary elections to challeng er Nate Blouin. Sonia Weglinski, a 20-year-old intern, accused Davis of inappropriately touching her. As a result, Utah Democratic Party leaders asked Davis, the minority caucus manager, to resign. He is currently sus pended from participating in the organiza tion’s events. The senator’s term ends Jan. 1, 2023. l
Provided as a community Association Community M urray City officials announced com puter hackers attacked the city’s telephone and online services on Aug. 7 causing disruptions to city operations. According to Chief Administrative Officer Doug Hill, the city identified encryption of certain files on its network.
September city hall update
By Shaun Delliskave | s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com
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Crews have installed most of the outside windows to the new Murray City Hall. The last remaining windows will be the large panes of glass for the great hall. In addition, workers removed debris around the building to prep for landscaping.
At the Aug. 2 Murray City Council meeting, Mayor Brett Hales announced the tentative date of the opening of the new city hall. “I’m going to say April. It felt like it might be a little earlier than later, then we thought it was probably on time. We were thinking it was going to be February, but I think it’s going to be April,” Hales said. l
Crews will soon add windows to the great hall portion of the new city administration building and start with landscaping. (Shaun Delliskave/City Journals)
M urray C ity J ournalPage 20 | S e P t . 2022
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Peri Kinder Life and Laughter A slow burn
Remember in the ‘70s, when it was discovered that chlorofluorocarbons from aerosol hairsprays were destroying the ozone layer, that thin layer of protection that absorbs radiation so we don’t get mi crowaved by the sun?
I recently walked through the Room of Extinction and Forewarning at the Utah Museum of Natural History, where dino saur bones are displayed, like the 90-footlong Barosaurus that was all neck and tail, and died 150 million years ago. A trophy wall of triceratops’ skulls stared down at me with hollow eyes and gaping jaws. Gi ant sloths and massive bears wandered this area 12,000 years ago. Of all the species that ever existed on Earth, 99.9 percent are now extinct. We could soon lose mountain gorillas, black rhinos, African forest elephants and orang utans. Here’s the thing, the Earth will be fine. It’s gone through climate cycles for 4.5 billion years. It’s watched civilizations rise and fall, and specialty soda shops fade into extinction. However, humanity is in a spot of “Buttrouble.theclimate is going to change anyway. Why is it our problem?” annoying people ask. Shut up. Yes, climate change happens naturally, but thanks to humans, the pro cess has sped up like a meteor breaking the sound barrier. I don’t want my grandchildren to wor ry about water and food and sharknados. We need to elect leaders who promote green solutions. We need politicians who care less about their pocketbook and more about the planet’s future. I believe in global warming because I’m not a knucklehead. It’s my fear that one day my skeleton will be displayed in a museum as an extinct species, with the sound of Al Gore quietly weeping through the speakers.
Everyone used aerosol hairspray to get big hair and sky-high bangs. In fact, Aqua Net was our school mascot. But when we learned the chemicals damaged our atmo sphere, there was a worldwide campaign to ban them -- and it happened. Everyone agreed the ozone was worth protecting and did something about it. Crazy, huh? Where’s that cohesion now? Remember in the spring of 2020, when people actually cared about trying to stop the spread of COVID-19? We isolated in our homes, playing endless games of Uno, Clue and Cards Against Humanity, until getting the disease didn’t seem so bad. Flights were canceled, millions of cars were off the roads, and introverts were having big celebrations. By themselves. In their closets. During those brief weeks, cities around the world showed an improvement in air and water quality. Even in Utah, the sky was bluer and the air was cleaner. Now we’re back in our cars and the air is trying to kill us.
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