January 2016
|
Vol. 2 Iss. 1
FREE
Midvale City Offices Closed
January 1st – New Year’s Day January 18th – Martin Luther King Jr. Day
2015 A Year in Review
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page 15
Scan Here: Interactive online edition with more photos.
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“I want to help break the misnomer that we are a place where old people come and live and sit in rocking chairs, because that is by far not what we are promoting in here.”
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Midvale City Journal
Page 2 | January 2016
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Meet the City Journals Team
he team at City Journals is excited to keep residents in Salt Lake County informed about the great things that are happening in local communities with each of our 12 publications. Our hyperlocal focus is designed to highlight news, city government, education, sports and businesses where it matters most – close to home. We encourage residents to reach out to us and let us know the great things they see happening in their neighborhoods. At the start of this new year, we extend our greetings and well-wishes to all of our readers. Bryan Scott is the creative director of the City Journals. He is the decision maker that oversees all departments, including editorial, design, distribution, operations and sales. Bryan has made Salt Lake City home for the last two years. Rachel Hall joined the team in 2015 as the assistant editor. She has experience as an ESL teacher, GED instructor and librarian, as well as a local news reporter in Houston. She is a native Texan, but has enjoyed her time in Utah since relocating here in 2014. Brad Casper is the director of operations who also oversees distribution of all of the Journals. He was born and raised in Utah and graduated from BYU-I with a degree in business management and finance. He is married to Lauren and together they have one daughter. Ryan Casper is the director of advertising. He has a sales and marketing background. He enjoys networking and building strong business partnerships. He is a diehard BYU fan and avid golfer. He graduated from BYU-I with a degree in communications. Ryan is a family man married eight years to his wife Rebecca and together they have three sons. Melissa Worthen is an account executive and also directs community outreach. She is actively involved in her community, and enjoys supporting non-profit organizations and fundraises to benefit others. Her focus with
From left to right: (Back row) Steve Hession, Ryan Casper, Brad Casper and Bryan Scott. (Middle row) Elissa Wall, Melissa Worthen, Rachel Hall and Trevor Roosa. (Seated) Stacy Nielsen and Melody Bunker.
marketing and advertising is making connections with companies for long term growth that benefits local business and community. People are her primary focus. She is married with two children, two dogs and a rabbit. Elissa Wall is an account executive who joined the sales team in 2015. She actively participates in community outreach programs throughout the state. She is eager to help her Journals’ customers find the right fit for advertising that will help their companies grow. Steve Hession is an account executive who has worked for the Journals since 2009. He has many years in advertising sales and sales management Steve and his wife Julie live in Sugar House.
Stacy Nielsen is the advertising coordinator. She has a background in sales and management and is a writer. Utah has been her home for seven years. Melody Bunker is a designer at the City Journals. She is originally from the Philippines, where she spent 13 years designing newspapers. She currently attends classes at ITT and is married to her husband Jordan.
Editorial & Ad Design: Trevor R, Ty G, Tina F, Melody B
THE MIDVALE TEAM
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Trevor Roosa is a designer for the Journals. He attends The Art Institute of Salt Lake City and is studying graphic design. He is originally from Wyoming. l
Our hyperlocal focus is designed to highlight news, city government, education, sports and businesses where it matters most – close to home.
Creative Director: Bryan Scott: bryan@mycityjournals.com Assistant Editor: Rachel Hall: r.hall@mycityjournals.com Staff Writers: Stephanie Lauritzen, Amanda Butler, Ron Bevan, Tori Jorgensen Ad Sales: 801-254-5974 Sales Associates: Ryan Casper: 801-671-2034 Melissa Worthen: 801-897-5231 Circulation Coordinator: Brad Casper: Circulation@mycityjournals.com
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Page 4 | January 2016
Midvale Senior Center Grand Opening 2015 Review: Story originally ran in July 2015 By Tori Jorgensen
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130 Years
OF TRUST Taking Care of
YOUR FAMILY’S NEEDS
EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.
he new long-awaited Midvale Senior Center will open this month to provide more space and activities to better accommodate seniors around the county. The grand opening of the Center will be on July 15, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony by Mayor Ben McAdams and Mayor JoAnn Seghini at 10 a.m.; however, the new center will be available for use starting on July 6. Ken Donarski, center manager for the Midvale Senior Center, said part of the Center was erected over the old site of the Midvale chapter of the Fraternal Order of Eagles (FOE), an international non-profit organization. “We got to restore a piece of Midvale history in our building,” he said. “They pulled the sign from the old FOE building and it’s now hanging in the Center.” Janet Rose, current office specialist at the Center, said obtaining the new building was a process that had been going on since she was first affiliated with the Center four years ago. “I am mostly excited to have more space,” she said. “We’ve needed it.” The new center will be 4.5 times larger (18000 square ft.). With only a small area, Rose said, the current senior center is forced to utilize the dining area as a multi-purpose room for almost all activities, including exercise classes, eating and crafts. Rose says because there will be more space, they can have multiple activities going on at once. “Now, if you want to start some class or something we haven’t got going, we are open to new things,” she said. “I’m thinking about starting up bridge, as I am just about to retire. I won’t be working at the Center anymore, but I am excited to get to use the Center.” Donarski said that many people do not understand that a senior center is a place to have fun and socialize. “The misnomer is that people think that seniors live in the senior center - they don’t,” he said. “This is just a social, exercise, educational and eating facility.” Donarski said because the seniors travel from their homes to use the Center, the new center will be easier to access for many people. He said he feels that many seniors in the community did not know the facilities existed, or would not travel to it
because of its poor location. “One time this lady, who had been driving to the Center, went looking for an hour to find us,” he said. “She went past this old building a number of times, trying to find it.” Johnny Gonzales, a participant at the Center, said the new location at 7550 South Main Street is much more convenient for him. “I’m just going to walk right down to it in these sneakers,” he said. Lee Hickman, another participant, said he is not completely satisfied with the new place. He, along with two busloads of seniors, went to visit the Center in a preview during the month of June. “I am happy the new center will have more room, but I like a more quiet, relaxed atmosphere, and I think because the new center is in the middle of things, and that more people who aren’t members of the Center will come to the café,” he said. “I would rather there just be members only at the Center.” Hickman said he thinks the parking lot is too small, as well. Donarski said he realizes it is going to be uncomfortable for some people to change, but he believes people will love it after they are accustomed to it. “The café will be a great place to meet new people,” he said. “If you want to come for lattes or breakfast, come on over. It’s not as fancy as Starbucks or Beans and Brews, but it will be pretty close.” Donarski said another main focus of the Center will be physical fitness. The building includes an exercise room with cardio and weight machines. Fitness classes such as tai chi, Zumba, line dancing, EnhanceFitness and yoga will be offered. “I want to help break the misnomer that we are a place where old people come and live and sit in rocking chairs, because that is by far not what we are promoting in here,” Donarski said. Other classes and activities being offered at the Midvale Senior Center include quilting, dominos, harmonica, poker, checkers, choir and more. For a full list of activities, visit: http://slco.org/aging-adult-services/midvale-senior-center/ calendar/. l
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The kitchen and café area of the new Midvale Senior Center. Lunch is served Monday through Friday from 11:30 to 12:30.
January 2016 | Page 5
M idvalejournal.com
Midvale Family Builds Little Free Library 2015 Review: Story originally ran in October 2015
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By Stephanie Lauritzen
atalie Oldham Clayton grew up spending her summers in the back of the family VW bus, listening to her mother read books out loud and traveling the country. Raised by two educators, her parents used the time off during summer vacation to instill in her a passion for travel and literature, values Clayton hopes to pass on to her own children as well as in her Midvale community.
“I grew up with my parents reading to me, and I want to create a place where kids or adults can come get books, because giving people opportunities to own and treasure books is so important to me,” she said. Despite growing up with parents who appreciated literature, Clayton remembers struggling to enjoy reading in junior high and high school. “I couldn’t get excited until my mom sat down with me and helped me read the first chapter. After that, I was hooked. I started to realize that reading was a way to get a peek into another person’s world,” Clayton said. These experiences inspired Clayton to seek out ways to bring the thrill and love of reading to her own city. Last spring, Clayton discovered the perfect opportunity to make books more accessible for Midvale citizens. After traveling through Tucson and Pasadena, she began noticing tiny community libraries filled with free books. Each library was part of a “Little Free Library” program, a neighborhood literacy initiative started in Wisconsin in 2009. Unlike traditional libraries, Little Free Libraries offer free books for all members of the community, no library card or membership required. Patrons can take books for as long as they want, or exchange them with a book of their own. Clayton felt inspired by the tiny libraries, and last May, after waking up from a dream
where she was “surrounded by libraries,” decided to build a Little Free Library in her front yard. Clayton was supported by her husband and her father, who helped design and build the library. “I wanted the library to look like our house, so I asked my dad to design a Little Free Library that matched the features of our house,” Clayton said. Making the library look like her home helped her family feel like they were participating in a “family event,” as her husband and son worked together to build the library, and her other children helped gather book donations to help prepare for the official library opening. Clayton believes working together helped her family “get excited about reading, and helped us reach out to the community and get to know people better.” In order to raise funds for supplies, Clayton created a Kickstarter campaign, and was thrilled to receive enough funding for the library within 36 hours. “The response of support and interest has been phenomenal,” Clayton said. On Aug. 29, Clayton and Midvale Mayor JoAnn Seghini held a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Midvale Little Free Library. Seghini presented free books to children attending the ceremony, as well as donated children’s books for future use at the library. Seghini grew up on Grant Street, where the library is located, and is a passionate advocate for children’s literacy. “We want books in your house that parents can read to their children, and that children read to grown-ups, because that’s really important,” Seghini said. Seghini donated several books designed to bring communities together, including the children’s book “The Big Orange Splot”, a
Natalie Oldham Clayton and Midvale Mayor JoAnn Seghini prepare for the grand opening of the Midvale Little Free Library.
book “about a neighborhood that changes when one person makes a difference, and helps everyone learn to be their true selves.” Seghini hopes that by participating in Midvale’s Little Free Library program, people will read more and learn through literature that “books are best friends that will love you forever.” She also hopes that reading together and maintaining the library as a community will help Midvale citizens remember that “we’re all the same, because we laugh and cry and we love each other.” Clayton and Seghini are not the only Midvale residents passionate about books. In addition to the books donated by the Clayton family and the mayor, Midvale residents dropped off book donations throughout the summer in preparation for the library opening. Clayton will monitor donations and make sure the library is always stocked with books for all age ranges and reading abilities. She also set up an Instagram account, @littlefreelibrarymidvale, to keep residents up-to-date on happening at the library, as well as schedule future donations. Midvale’s first Little Free Library is located at 7889 South Grant Street in Midvale, Utah. l
Midvale City Journal
Page 6 | January 2016
Midvale Boys & Girls Club Celebrates 15 Years of Community 2015 Review: Story originally ran in December 2015
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n Nov. 5, the Midvale Boys & Girls Club celebrated their 15th Anniversary, hosting a community party with food, dancing and tours of the club facilities. The club offers children in the Midvale community positive role models, low-cost extracurricular activities such as dance and club sports and a safe environment for students to enjoy after school. Leanne Saldivar, president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Salt Lake, believes that the Midvale organization helps “save kids’ lives by helping families and communities prepare the next generation for success.”
The Midvale club offers a variety of resources for members, including a recording studio for kids interested in developing musical talents, dance classes and access to a full-size gym. Area Director David Leimsieder believes these resources help “fill in the gap” created by funding and resource restrictions occurring in public schools.
youth development professionals offer mentoring and guidance to students who may be struggling,” Leimsieder said. Angel Gomez, the teen program director, shares the club’s vision for teaching kids through a combination of extra-curricular activities paired with leadership training. Gomez started his career at the Midvale Club at 17, when he began volunteering as part of his community service requirements. At 18, he became the elementary program director, but feels most at home working in his current position as the teen director. “When you work with teenagers, you can help make things real for them; you guide them through real life decisions, and make a positive impact on their lives,” Gomez said. Gomez hopes that the club’s ability to offer opportunities to participate in sports and the performing arts will “get the kids
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Boys & Girls Club members perform a dance learned through the choreography programs offered at the Club.
“When considering what resources our kids needed the most, we noticed that so many schools are being forced to cut arts and athletic programs. We decided to partner with Canyons School District to provide students with opportunities that the more regimented school curriculums can no longer provide,” Leimsieder said. In addition to working with local school districts, the Midvale club also works with the Arts Council to bring in artists to work with members, or help students get involved in local theater and dance productions. “We provide experiences for children whose opportunities might not be as great as some of their peers. Because our program is only $20 a year, we can make an impact in the lives of hundreds of students,” Leimsieder said. Leimsieder noted that the Boys & Girls Club offers more than extra–curricular activities. “We want to help kids develop positive character and leadership skills, our trained
to want to be here, making music, creating sports leagues, and learning new talents like dance choreography.” At the 15th anniversary celebration, friends and families of the Boys & Girls Club gathered at the Midvale Club to celebrate with dancing and dinner. Kids performed some of their new choreography from their dance classes, and the staff provided tours to family members interested learning more about club resources. Families and friends of both members and staff ate dinner together, and enjoyed music and games in the gym. For Saldivar, the evening represented the very best of the Boys & Girls Club values. “We’ve been doing this for over 25 years, helping families that do their darndest to help their kids, but it takes a village. We’ve created a community-based option for parents who want the best for their kids, but for whom expensive options remain out of reach. We provide those resources, and together, we change lives,” Saldivar said. l
M idvalejournal.com
January 2016 | Page 7
Midvale History Museum Provides A Story Of Community 2015 Review: Story originally ran in November 2015
By Amanda Butler idvale residents can revisit the city’s past and learn the story of the community at the Midvale History Museum. The mission of the museum “is to collect, preserve and interpret for the public benefit, education and enjoyment, the historical heritage of Midvale City, Utah.” The museum is located at 7697 South Main Street in Midvale, and is open 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. The museum has artifacts and pictures from the Midvale-Jordan area, spanning a time period of about 1851 to 1960. There is also a newspaper archive of the Midvale Sentinel from 1925 to 1987. Bill Miller, the president of the Midvale Historical Society, said of the artifacts on display in the museum “at least 75 percent of everything in here has been donated by people from Midvale.” Former Midvale Chief of Police Louis Smith posed Miller has been the president of the Mid- on Main Street in the 1970s. Photo provided by Andy vale Historical Society for just over a year, Pazell but has volunteered at the museum and been a member of the board of directors for 12 years. ing distance. It was just a fun place to grow He said his interest in Midvale’s history is “be- up. Bill says he doesn’t want to go back to the cause this is the way I grew up. I was born on old days, but I do. I wish my kids could have a farm that had no electricity. This museum re- experienced the childhood I did.” Pazell even remembers a time when Midminds me of the home where I grew up. I love all history museums and the thing I love about vale had a 10 p.m. curfew. “There was an air this museum is I call it a family history muse- raid siren on top of city hall and at 10 o’clock um because so much of everything we have in the sirens rang and you had to be off the here ties back to a member of a family from streets. I have this memory of jumping behind bushes when we heard the siren. You felt like Midvale.” Miller said his favorite items were in the you were on a prison break because if you saw laundry area of the museum, “because it’s a cop on the other side of the street you were things that I grew up with. It brings back mem- running or hiding. But the cops would just put ories. I still love the good old days. I would a little fear into you before sending you home.” One of the lessons Pazell hopes that munever want to go back to it and do it on a permanent basis. It would be fun to vacation in seum visitors will take away from the museum the old days, but as far as going back to those is the spirit of community. “I think the great times, as much as I loved it, I love modern lesson of Midvale is it’s a melting pot. Peotechnology.” But in the museum, Miller said, ple from all different cultures were here—the Greeks, the Yugoslavians, the Latinos, the Jap“I can live yesterday or I can live tomorrow.” Andy Pazell has volunteered at the muse- anese. Everyone learned how to live together, um for two years. He said his favorite thing so my goal is to get that across. That we’re all about the museum is the collection of vintage part of this human race, and we all breathe the photographs, which show a glimpse of the ev- same air, as President Kennedy said.” During Pazell’s childhood in Midvale, eryday lives of people in the community. “It’s the people. It really comes back to the people “many of the business owners on the street were famous for letting people who were befor me and thinking about how they lived.” Pazell said he enjoys helping museum tween paychecks from the copper mine charge visitors learn about their family history. “It’s their stuff until pay day. People really looked the personal connections that I really like. I out for each other here. They had a real comlike finding the photos and helping people find munity here. They had celebrations—Harvest family members in photos. I get a real kick out Days celebrations were huge, parades, and of finding things for them they might never games and rodeos. Most of that’s been lost. have seen.” Pazell has even found information But we try to keep the memories going beabout his own family members in the museum. cause it’s going to be forgotten.” “I think delving into history can open “I found photos of my dad in the newspaper that I’ve never seen before. So just knowing your mind up to other people—the struggles that there’s something out there that I haven’t that they went through,” Pazell said. “I think seen just keeps me hunting. It’s like solving a history helps to teach kids that their predecessors had to struggle to get where we are right mystery sometimes.” Pazell called Midvale “a wonderful place now, and they can see that here.” If you are interested in learning more to grow up. It was like Mayberry. We just had about Midvale’s history, the museum is looka whole circle of places we could go and get snow cones, soda pops. There was a drive in ing for volunteers. Call (801) 569-8040 for theater up on the corner. Everything was walk- more information. l
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Midvale City Journal
Page 8 | January 2016
The Power of Play at Midvale Elementary 2015 Review: Story originally ran in November 2015 By Stephanie Lauritzen
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ast August, Boston transplant Brendan Toohey moved to Utah seeking new experiences and service opportunities. He knew he was interested in volunteer work, and after a quick Google search, felt immediately drawn to Playworks. Playworks, a recess program dedicated to utilizing the “power of play,” strives to improve the learning environment for both students and teachers by teaching problem-solving skills during recess. “I’m still a kid at heart,” Toohey admitted, “So I’m thrilled that I get to do this every day.” As a Playworks coach, Toohey organizes activities each day for the 12 recess sessions and 800 students at Midvale Elementary. “This isn’t structured play; I organize places for tag, soccer, and creative play. By doing this I create easy and productive play that is both physically and emotionally safe,” Toohey said. Spending recess time playing productively allows students to go back into the classroom ready to learn, and prevents behavior issues that could otherwise take a student out of their learning environment. Ben Cromwell, the program director at Playworks Utah, notes that students often bring the skills they learn at recess with a Playworks coach back into the classroom, from learning to share a toy to remembering to include others in their play. “Students return from recess more willing to engage with their peers, and engage with teachers. Schools with the Playworks program see a dramatic reduction in behavior incidents.” Playworks originated in California in 1996 when founder Jill Vialet met with an Oakland elementary school principal who felt overwhelmed by behavior issues occurring during recess. Vialet decided to “transform recess and the school day with safe and healthy play so teachers can teach and kids can learn.”
Cromwell notes that the resulting Playworks program hinges on the belief that “an engaged adult can proactively solve most of the problems” occurring in elementary school playgrounds and classrooms. Toohey believes in another aspect of the Playworks philosophy: “Using the power of play to bring out the best in every kid.” He also knows that sometimes recess can be more traumatic than fun. “Sometimes kids don’t have friends to play with, or they might be intimidated by the playground. My job as a coach is to help kids who might otherwise be alone. They learn that they have a friend in their coach, and that they have the opportunity to make new friends at recess.” The program also provides valuable leadership opportunities for students through the Junior Coach program, in which 4th- and 5th- grade students meet with “Coach B” for leadership training. As junior coaches, they act as positive role models for younger students, and as long as they maintain good grades, get to help Toohey during two recess sessions during the week. “When I work with the junior coaches, it is silly and fun, but purposeful at the same time,” Toohey said. “Junior coaches get positive experiences as growing leaders.” Toohey also spends time in the classroom working with teachers to help students learn value-based skills such as empathy, problem solving, and conflict resolution. “These are life skills learned through play skills that relate to life both at home and at school.” Cromwell notes that working with Playworks coaches in the classroom allows teachers to show another side of themselves to their students. “Seeing their teacher play with them helps students trust their teachers, and therefore are more willing to learn in class. Playworks coaches also provide teachers with new classroom management strategies to help students learn.”
Midvale students celebrate winning the Golden Trophy Award recognizing the values of respect, inclusion, healthy play, and healthy community.
Toohey was recently recognized for his work at Midvale Elementary with the Golden Trophy Award, an award given to the school best exemplifying the Playworks values of inclusion, respect, healthy community and healthy play. Toohey believes the support of Midvale students, teachers, and administration help him build a successful program. While his contract with Playworks initially placed him at Midvale for 10 months, he is looking forward to extending his volunteer work for another year. “This is real,” Toohey explained, “and it’s pretty incredible.” l
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M idvalejournal.com
As I See It
Midvale City 7505 South Holden Street Midvale, UT 84047 Midvale City Directory City Hall 801-567-7200 Finance/Utilities 801-567-7202 Court 801-255-4234 City Attorney’s Office 801-567-7250 City Recorder/H.R.
801-567-7225
Community Development
801-567-7211
Public Works
801-567-7235
Ace Disposal/Recycling
801-363-9995
City Museum
801-569-8040
Senior Citizens Center
801-566-6590
SL County Animal Services
385-468-7387
Midvale Precinct UPD
385-468-9350
Police Dispatch
801-743-7000
Unified Fire Authority
801-743-7200
Fire Dispatch
801-840-4000
MIDVALE CITY ELECTED OFFICIALS: Mayor JoAnn B. Seghini
801-567-7204
Email: joanns@midvale.com City Council District 1 - Quinn Sperry
801-255-5428
Email: qsperry@midvale.com District 2 - Paul Glover
801-561-5773
Email: pglover@midvale.com District 3 - Paul Hunt
801-255-2727
Email: phunt@midvale.com District 4 - Wayne Sharp
801-567-8709
Email: wsharp@midvale.com District 5 - Stephen Brown
801-783-0962
Email: sbrown@midvale.com Who to call for… Utility Billing regarding water bills (801)567-7258 Ordering a new trash can, reserving the bowery
(801)567-7202
Permits
(801)567-7212
GRAMA requests
(801)567-7207
Court
(801)255-4234
Paying for Traffic School
(801)567-7202
Business Licensing
(801)567-7213
Property Questions
(801)567-7231
Cemetery
(801)567-7235
Water Line Breaks
(801)567-7235
Planning and Zoning
(801)567-7231
Building Inspections
(801)567-7208
(801)567-7209
Code Enforcement Graffiti North of 7200 S (801)256-2537 Code Enforcement/Graffiti South of 7200 S (801)256-2541 CITY WEBSITE: WWW.MIDVALECITY.ORG FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/MidvaleCity TWITTER: www.twitter.com / MidvaleCity or @MidvaleCIty
By Mayor JoAnn B. Seghini
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he news would make it appear that we are all under attack, that we are helpless and cannot control our world. This is only true if we fail to work together to make our community and our neighborhood safe. A national campaign has developed a slogan, “If you see something, say something.” This means that we need to report things that don’t seem to be right. Examples in your neighborhood might be: When someone entering a neighbor’s house when it is unoccupied. When someone knocks on your neighbor’s door and then when no one answers they walk to the back of the residence. When someone appears to be moving items from the home when the owners are not there. When slow moving vehicles are driving through the neighborhood without their lights on, as if searching for something. When there is an unfamiliar car left running or parked on your street. When someone is screaming or making a noise that you cannot not explain such as gun shots, alarms, or windows being broken. When there is excessive traffic to and from a resident, especially during unusual hours. Please keep an eye on neighbors that cannot leave their house. If they have not been seen lately, call police dispatch (801) 7437000 and ask for a wellness check. Also be alert when you are traveling or shopping. Regularly check behind you to be sure that you are not being followed. Other signs that might represent problems are:
When someone is looking into cars or windows. When there is property being removed from homes or businesses during non-business hours. When there is someone sitting in a car watching shoppers & businesses and attempts to talk to a child in the area. When someone is waiting or hanging around ATM machines. Remember to keep purses and wallets where they cannot be seen or taken. Do not post on Facebook that you are going on vacation. WHAT SHOULD YOU DO? Be a good witness by not placing yourself or others in danger. Make a mental picture of the suspects and the environment. Call police (911) and your call will be answered by a civilian dispatcher. Stay calm. The dispatcher must collect important information from you and relay it to responding officers. Write down everything you see and hear as soon as possible, then call the Unified Police at (801) 743-7000 or 9-1-1if it is an emergency. When reporting suspicious activity this includes: A brief description of the suspicious activity. The date, time, and location of the activity. A physical identification of who you observed. A description of the vehicle. Information about where people involved
Mayor JoAnn B. Seghini in suspicious activities may have gone. Your name and contact information, this is optional. Remember, 9-1-1 is an emergency number. For non-emergencies please call (801) 743-7000 and you will be connected to the police who will follow up on your information. During 2016 be safe. If you see something, say something. A happy, safe new year to you all.
Midvale City Journal
Page 10 | January 2016
Mid-Valley Health Clinic Works To Improve Healthcare Access In Midvale 2015 Review: Story originally ran in October 2015 By Amanda Butler
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idvale residents can access a wide variety of healthcare services at the Mid-Valley Health Clinic, located at 8446 South Harrison Street in the Copperview Recreation Center. Utah Partners For Health (UPFH), a non-profit organization that provides primary healthcare services using a discounted sliding fee schedule based on proof of income, operates the clinic. The clinic also accepts Medicaid, Medicare, PCN, CHIP and most other insurances, and is accepting new patients.
The Mid-Valley Health Clinic is a community health center that is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Their phone number is 801-4170131. The clinic has a bilingual staff. “A community health center is not just a clinic. We are responsible for actually looking for gaps in the healthcare system, and meeting those gaps,” Kurt Micka, the executive director of UPFH, said. One way the clinic helps to meet those gaps is with its sliding fee schedule, which Micka said, “allows people to get in for what’s considered a nominal fee, which in our case we’ve set that at $27. Everything that’s related to their visit, including labs and blood draws, all these things are included in their sliding fee discount, so there’s no added on costs to it.” Micka compared that cost to what an uninsured patient might pay elsewhere. “Somebody who’s uninsured would have to pay around $150 for a sore throat visit because they’re going to go in and pay for their visit which will be around $100. Then they’re going to have to pay for their lab, to test whether it’s strep throat or not, and that could be $38 or more. Then if there’s a culture on that, it’s going to be another $50 or $60. So it’s going to average around $150 for that visit.”
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Another way the clinic increases access to healthcare is with a standard of care that is “so high it’s unbelievable. When a patient comes in, we are responsible to track every part of their healthcare,” Micka said. If the clinic refers a patient elsewhere for further testing, such as a mammogram, they are usually given a voucher to get the test done at a reduced cost. “But we don’t just give it to you. We have to track that you actually went, we call and make the appointment for you, then we also call the person who gave the mammogram and ask for the report back. We have all these rules involved to make sure that you get the care that you need,” Micka said. “Our responsibility to the patient is extremely high—that’s what community health centers are all about.” The clinic also provides assistance in finding and applying for health insurance. “We have three Certified Application Counselors (CACs) who assist people in getting set up so they can have their own insurance, whether it’s Medicaid, Medicare, or the marketplace. We have lots of different programs for that,” Micka said. The clinic opened in November 2013, seeing patients one day per week. “In April of 2014, we went to five days a week,” Micka said. “The clinic has seen around 6000 patients since the hours expanded.” The clinic’s current schedule, with later hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays, was established based on patient feedback. “We are run by a board of directors that’s consumer driven, so the majority of our board members are actually patients of our clinic,” Micka said. The board of directors offers suggestions on how the clinic can provide better healthcare access to the Midvale community. In addition to the location at Copperview Recreation Center, UPFH operates mobile medical and eye clinics, which travel to 26 different locations. The mobile clinics work with community-based organizations including Head Start and Deseret Industries in order
The Mid-Valley Health Clinic is located in the Copperview Recreation Complex. Photo courtesy of Mid-Valley Health Clinic
to provide healthcare access to underserved areas. “We have a clinic, that reduces a lot of disparities related to lack of income and insurance, but it doesn’t reduce the barriers of not understanding our healthcare system or not understanding the culture of a health clinic,” Micka said. “A mobile clinic is about reducing those kinds of barriers—culture, language, transportation.” Micka estimates that the mobile medical and eye clinics will see a total of 4200 to 4300 patients this year. Micka has seen how improved healthcare access can make a positive impact on people’s lives. “In the eye clinic, it’s just amazing, I mean, we have kids that go to school and can’t see. We had one student, a sixth-grader, who failed his math test every single time he took it. He went in, got his eye exam, was able to get a pair of glasses right then, went out and back into his classroom, took the math test and got 100 percent. It was amazing. It only costs us probably in the neighborhood of $28 to do that whole process. And that story has been repeated over, over and over again. That’s why we do what we do.” l
The Midvale Arts Council
he Midvale Arts Council honored two amazing and dedicated volunteers at City Hall during their annual Holiday Party December 5, 2015. Joanne Buhler was named as the Volunteer of the Year for 2015 and Nedra Farrington was awarded with a Lifetime Service Volunteer award. Nedra has been with the Arts Council since it was formed in 1985. She had dedicated 30 years of service to the Arts Council and helped form the basis of every program
that is offered by the Council. Joanne has been with the Arts Council for a number of years and is always willing to help with all of our events. Both of these women are responsible for the success of the Hall of Honors event during Harvest Days. They happen to be great friends and the Arts Council is lucky to have them as volunteers. Congratulations Joanne Buhler and Nedra Farrington. Here’s to 30 more years together. l
Joanne is on the left in the pics, and Nedra is on the right.
Come see our amazing workout room. Equipped with four NuStep machines, three treadmills, four weight machines, one exercise bike, and one spinning bike while watching on our 70-inch TV. We also have many fun exercise classes including, tai chi, EnhanceFitness, Zumba, line dancing and Pickle Ball. Contact the Midvale Senior Center for more information at 385-468-3350.
January 2016 | Page 11
M idvalejournal.com
A Message From Your Unified Police
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inter driving presents a number of challenges to you and your car. Cold weather tests the limits of your car’s mechanical abilities. Treacherous conditions test your abilities as a driver. If you’re not careful, you could find yourself sliding towards a guard rail, wondering if your affairs are in order. It pays to be prepared. Here are our tips to get ready for snow and sleet-covered roads, and dipstick-freezing temperatures. We hope you find them useful. If your car needs regular service, get it done now. Make sure your battery and charging system are up to snuff. Check the cooling system. If you have leaks in the cooling system, take care of them now. Make sure your windshield wipers are in good shape.
Keep your gas tank close to full. Make sure your windshield washer reservoir is full. Make sure your rear-window defroster works.
Know your car. Since we live in an area where it snows a fair amount (sometimes), you should get four good snow tires. Nothing will make a bigger difference. Make sure you have some basic supplies in your car in case you do get stuck. Invest in a substantial snowbrush and an ice scraper. It’s good to have a shovel and a bag of sand to help with traction, and the aforementioned extra windshield washer fluid. A blanket is a good idea - just in case. If you have any winter clothes you don’t wear anymore, especially an old pair of boots, throw them in the trunk, too. The last item we always carry? Robert A. Caro’s biography of Lyndon Johnson. It’s 900 pages, so it’s sure to keep us occupied until help arrives and beyond.
Water, Our Most Important Resource You probably don’t think much about water even though you use it every day. There’s a lot of water on our planet, but we can only use a small amount of it. Water covers about 70 percent of the earth, but only about three percent of it is fresh water. Most of the fresh water, about 75 percent, is in the form of ice. In fact, the frozen areas of the world have as much fresh water as all of the world’s rivers will carry for the next 1,000 years. The demand for unpolluted fresh water is increasing because the earth’s population is increasing. How much water does the average person use? In the home, each person uses about 70 gallons of water a day. It takes three gallons to flush a toilet. It takes 15 to 30 gallons to take a bath. It takes five gallons for a one-minute shower. It takes 10 gallons to wash dishes. This is a lot of water, but more than half of the water used in the United States is used by industries. For example, it takes 250 tons of water to make a ton of newspaper and 10 gallons to produce one gallon of gasoline. Given these facts, it’s understandable why it’s so important to conserve water. Sharing Waters Anglers and boaters are not the only ones who use bodies of water and have an effect on fish populations. Industries and power plants use large amounts of water. Communities need water for drinking. Farmers use it to water their crops and livestock. Barges and ships use waterways to bring products to market. Water is also used for waste disposal. The demands for water use can cause conflicts among those using available resources. The results are not always good for the fish. An occasional conflict arises when people want to dam a river for irrigation, for controlling floods, or for the production of electricity. Dams create lakes or reservoirs that are habitat for fish such as largemouth bass and crappie. However, the reservoir destroys several miles of river that might have been prime habitat for trout, smallmouth, or rock bass. Water is too valuable to waste. With so much demand for our water it is important that each of us do our part to conserve it.
Winter driving emergencies are among the few legitimate uses for a cellular phone. If you’re cellularly inclined, and you promise not to use it to chat while you smash into other innocent people, a cell phone is certainly a plus if you get stuck.
Clean off your car - entirely! Once snow or ice does arrive, take some extra time to make sure your car is clean and your visibility is good. When driving in the snow, do everything slowly. Even with good coolant, snow tires, stability control, all-wheel drive, and the bag of Doritos in the trunk, keep in mind that driving in snow, sleet, and ice is very treacherous. And even if you maintain control of your car, not everyone else will. So don’t ever get lulled into a false sense of security. Do everything slowly and gently. Remember, in the snow, the tires are always just barely
grabbing the road. Accelerate slowly and gently, turn slowly and gently, and brake slowly and gently. To do this, you have to anticipate turns and stops. That means what? Going slowly and leaving and leaving plenty of distance between you and other cars. Rapid movements lead to skids and loss of control.
Remember it is against the law to park on the road during the winter months, please help us and the plows out by not parking on the road. Thank you and we hope you start off your new right! l
Midvale City Journal
Page 12 | January 2016
CHRISTMAS TREE RECYCLING
Midvale City Public Works will be recycling Christmas trees again this year. After Christmas, please place your used Christmas trees on the parkstrip by the curb and gutter so that Public Works crews can pick them up. Collection of the trees will begin on Monday, December 28, 2015 and continue through Friday, January 29, 2016. Please be sure to remove all decorations, icicles, lights, hooks, tree stands, etc. We are unable to take any flocked trees or plastic wrapped trees. Trees over 8 feet tall should be cut in half to facilitate handling by our crews. Christmas tree recycling questions can be answered by calling Midvale City Public Works at (801) 567-7235.
WINTER STREET PARKING
Midvale residents are requested to avoid parking on the street during winter months, and especially overnight, so that snow plow crews can more easily clear the streets during storms. Midvale Municipal Code makes it unlawful to park on any City street during the months of November through February between the hours of 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. except for temporary loading and unloading of passengers and property. This will allow unobstructed access for our snow plow drivers.
Midvale City Senior Center Outstanding Project win from Utah Construction & Design Magazine Bringing home another Outstanding Project win from Utah Construction & Design Magazine for Midvale City, Utah Senior Center, well done team! BHB Structural Engineers - Utah, Idaho Stallings Construction, Arcsitio Design, Van Boerum & Frank, Ensign Engineering & Land Surveying, Salt Lake County Aging and Adult Services.
We All Live Down Stream
What is storm water pollution? Storm water pollution is the sediment, bacteria, fertilizers, pesticides, automotive fluids, and other materials that are washed from the surfaces such as parking lots, roads, roofs, and construction sites during a rain storm or snow melt. The gutters, storm drains, pipes, ditches, and outfalls that comprise the storm water system transport these pollutants to the nearest waterway. In many cases, storm water runoff is not treated at a wastewater treatment plant.
Pollutants in urban runoff? Sediment Nutrients Bacteria Oxygen demanding substances Pathogens
The Solution to storm water pollution: Never dump anything into the storm drain. Use fertilizers only when needed. Reduce the use of pesticides. Wash your car on the lawn, not on the driveway, or go to a car wash. Clean up pet waste and dispose of it in the trash.
January 2016 | Page 13
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Midvale City Fiscal Year 2015 AUDIT REPORT
Employee Spotlight
ansen, Bradshaw, Malmrose, & Erickson, Certified Public Accountants, have completed the independent auditors report for the fiscal year (FY) ending June 30, 2015. The auditors issued a “clean opinion”, which means that the financial statements of the City present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the City. The Auditors met with the Midvale City Audit Committee on December 15, after which the report was presented to the Midvale City Council. The Net Position of Midvale City is $95 million, up from $92.7 million at the end of the prior year. The Statement of Net Position below includes all assets and liabilities of the City, including Enterprise Funds such as Water and Sewer. The General Fund is the largest of Midvale City funds. Most of the City’s operations are administered here. In FY 2015, General Fund revenues exceeded expenditures by $44,406. The City is holding $2.8 million in Fund Balance; however, to avoid a property tax increase, the City Council has appropriated $1 million of that reserve to cover FY 2016 expenditures. New this year is the Statistical Section of the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR). This section includes schedules regarding financial trends, revenue and debt capacity, demographic, economic, and operating information. Most of these schedules show a 10-year history and serve as a context for better understanding the financial statements. The CAFR is available on our website. Your questions are welcome. Call Laurie Harvey at 801-567-7238. l Midvale City Corporation's Net Position Governmental Activities Business-type Activities 2015 2014 2015 2014 Current and other assets Capital assets Total Assets
$
Deferred outflows of resources Current liabilities Noncurrent liabilities Total Liabilities Deferred inflows of resources Net position: Net investment in capital assets Restricted Unrestricted Total net position (as restated)
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$
13,477,022 93,166,131 106,643,153
$ 15,042,082 39,055,827 54,097,909
274,034
228,576
91,833
76,599
365,867
305,175
3,380,310 36,308,331 39,688,641
3,697,094 37,924,584 41,621,678
2,907,553 22,569,819 25,477,372
2,061,685 23,866,029 25,927,714
6,287,863 58,878,150 65,166,013
5,758,779 61,790,613 67,549,392
1,292,198
1,048,637
52,370
1,344,568
1,048,637
80,565,863 883,082 (15,512,597)
74,464,507 3,752,036 (13,734,360)
20,418,787 8,657,672
19,014,743 9,232,051
100,984,650 883,082 (6,854,925)
93,479,250 3,752,036 (4,502,309)
64,482,183
$ 29,076,459
$ 28,246,794
-
$
26,693,463 134,464,058 161,157,521
2014
$ 13,216,441 41,297,927 54,514,368
$
$
Total
16,181,896 90,742,026 106,923,922
65,936,348
$
2015
95,012,807
Rocky Crisp Code Compliance Officer
$
$
31,223,978 129,797,853 161,021,831
92,728,977
Put your heART into the Arts!
he Midvale Arts Council (MAC) is looking for volunteers! We are asked frequently what we need help with and thought it was time to let the Midvale community know how you can help us with our events throughout the year. We have three different levels of volunteer: Board, Volunteer Council, and Volunteer Committee. The Board meets once a month and members are by invitation only. Members of the Board run the business end of the Midvale Arts Council. This is the highest of the time commitment of our volunteers; usually between 10-20 hours a month. We only have 5 members of the Board. People wanting more information about the Board of Directors are invited to email MAC Chairman Wade Walker at midvalearts@midvalearts.com. The Midvale Arts Volunteer Council (MAVC) meets on the second Saturday of every month at 10 a.m. We meet at the Midvale Performing Arts Center 695 West Center Street in Midvale. MAVC is divided up into four main committees: Productions, Concerts, Harvest Days, and Advertising. Each committee meets for 30 minutes and then the full council meets for an additional 30 minutes. MAVC members are the ones who decide the programs we offer; they are the idea brainchild of MAC. Member of MAVC should be able to commit to 2-5 hours a month for planning. Our busier months tend to be in the summer, and sometimes we spend more time than a few hours a month. For information on joining the Midvale Arts Volunteer Council please email MAVC President Stephanie Johnson at stephanie@midvalearts.com. The Midvale Arts Volunteer Committee are those who want to help take tickets, build production sets, or help hang up poster and hand out fliers, etc. This is the committee that we call on to help supplement MAVC. Time commitment is based on what you can offer. Usually we offer our volunteers a free ticket to the show they offer to help with. If you want to join this committee, please email our Executive Director Suzanne Walker at suzanne@midvalearts.com. The Midvale Arts Council greatly appreciates the volunteers who help make our programs a success. If you think you have what it takes we would love to hear from you. Please visit www. midvalearts.com for all of our information or find us on Facebook.com/MidvaleArts for the most updated information! l
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ocky has been working with the City of Midvale for two years as one of our Code Compliance Officers. The officers responsibilities include enforcing property maintenance standards and regulations. Enforcing these regulations ensures neighborhood preservation and maintains the integrity of the city. Rocky takes a very hands on approach to his position and can often be found patrolling the city and communicating with the citizens one on one. Before his time as a Code Compliance Officer, Rocky worked as a Police Officer in California. Since moving to Utah he has worked with six cities in Code Compliance and has completed all certification programs put forth by the UOCA (Utah Ordinance Compliance Association). When asked the following questions, Rocky’s responses were: What do your colleagues think of you? Consistent employee. Tell me about the last time you did the right thing and nobody saw? There was an older woman with a disability that had a landscape violation. I purchased some wood chips and a bag of grass seed and helped her maintain compliance. Would you rather be liked or respected? Respected. What did you want to be when you were in preschool? Fireman. If you had to be an animal, which one and why? African Elephant, they appear gentle but are very strong. Who is your favorite superhero? Superman. If you were an animated character who would you be? Johnny Bravo. Star Wars or Star Trek? Star Wars. What song best fits your leadership style? “I Stay Away” by Alice in Chains.
Midvale City Journal
Page 14 | January 2016
Meet New Midvale Middle School Principal Wendy Dau 2015 Review: Story originally ran in September 2015 By Stephanie Lauritzen
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aised by first-generation immigrants from Denmark, new Midvale Middle School Principal Wendy Dau grew up listening to her dad’s advice on education: “Never stop getting an education; you get a degree, and then another degree.” As a result, Dau learned to love learning while developing a passion for education reform. Her desire to help students find success in school led her to earn a degree in history and English teaching, a master’s in history, and a master’s in educational leadership and policy administration.
Principal Dau now seeks to help students at Midvale Middle develop the same love and passion for learning that inspired her to pursue a career in education. Working with her new administration, Dau hopes to help students realize that “when it comes to their education, their background doesn’t matter; we want all our students to become courageous and responsible students who approach learning with inquiry and curiosity.” As a high school history teacher in Davis County, Dau focused on expanding the AP European and AP U.S. History programs to include students who normally didn’t enroll in Advanced Placement classes. By emphasizing strong reading and writing skills, she successfully helped her students not only earn college credit, but develop the tools they needed to do well in college and their future careers. Dau also joined her school’s leadership
team, and while analyzing student performance data, realized the ways her school failed to serve students from key demographics. “We realized we weren’t serving kids in low income areas, students of color, or the LGBT population. We also realized that students not enrolled in Seminary were feeling ostracized. We were failing big groups of kids. So we had to figure out how to support all of our students.” Her desire to serve every student, regardless of background or orientation, led to a “passion for administration.” Leaving teaching was difficult at first. “I miss teaching, but I love coming to work every day because every day is different. In teaching, the routine is the same every day, not having a routine is kind of fun,” Dau said. Dau also learned to embrace working primarily with adults rather than students. “As a teacher, you make a difference in the classroom, but as an administrator, I can hire the right teachers and help teachers better serve their students. I’m more removed from the students, but I feel like I can make a bigger difference.” Now at Midvale Middle School, Dau hopes to expand the existing Middle Years Program (MYP) to prepare every student for the academically rigorous International Baccalaureate (IB) Program offered at Hillcrest High School. The MYP approaches teaching and learning as inquiry based, but data from
Midvale City Offices Closed
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Wendy Dau
past students indicates that middle school students needed more scaffolding and support to achieve on the IB level. In order to better prepare middle schoolers for high school, Dau wants to “zero-in on the sixth grade, so that everyone is caught up academically by eighth grade, and through the MYP, move on to the IB or CTE programs offered at Hillcrest. Research shows that if students are working at grade level by eighth grade, it creates lots of opportunities throughout high school.” Midvale Middle School intends to bridge achievement gaps by focusing on student literacy. Monday through Thursday, every student attends a homeroom class focusing on literacy lessons. The classes organize students by reading levels, and are designed to help students improve reading skills. “Many of our students need help to deal with informational texts, like those they will see in college classes or in a vocational setting,” Dau said. “Our goal is to create an attitude of perseverance, and help students set goals to push themselves to the next reading level.” Principal Dau’s fellow administrators are equipped to help students achieve high academic standards. Assistant Principal Karen Moore spent 14 years in the KIPP Charter School system, working with high impacted students in inner city environments. Assistant Principal Kerry Schroeppel has worked in both Title 1 and high-income elementary schools, and works with the 6th and 7th graders as they transition to middle school. As the school prepares to enter a new building next year, Assistant Principal Kip Carlsen’s technology expertise will help the administration make the best choices for technology resources. Principal Dau believes each member of the administration is “enthusiastic about kids, and passionate about helping teachers. We look forward to working as a team, and gathering data to make sure we are as effective as we can be in helping our students succeed.” l
January 2016 | Page 15
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East Midvale Elementary School Celebrates 50th Anniversary 2015 Review: Story originally ran in October 2015 By Stephanie Lauritzen
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ast Midvale Elementary celebrated its 50th year anniversary on Sept. 10. The day began with a service project organized by the United Way Day of Caring, in which Savage Construction Company provided the school with new garden benches. The United Way’s 2015 mission statement hoped to “Make a difference, enrich the lives of local children, and beautify our parks and schools.” The United Way worked with East Midvale Elementary administrators in order to design a service project best supporting the school community. Later that evening, the school kicked off a community 50th Anniversary Celebration with a carnival and community clothing exchange. East Midvale Elementary Vice Principal Laurie Steed said she hoped the event would bring together families and members of the community in celebration of the school. The carnival included bouncy houses, games, cake, and live music. In addition to the activities, students and community members were entertained with special appearances from Grizzbee, the mascot for the Utah Grizzlies hockey team, and Leo the Lion from Real Salt Lake soccer team. Captain Cutter from the Midvale Fire Department provided tours of the fire truck to kids and families. Vice Principal Steed considered the night a huge success. “It went really well! We had several hundred people come, and stay the whole time.” This year, East Midvale Elementary adopted a Community Schools Model for providing quality education for all students. In addition to ensuring academic success, health and social services,
and youth development, the Community Schools Model emphasizes parent and family engagement and community partnerships. The East Midvale Elementary administration hopes to
continue working with organizations and businesses within the community in order to achieve their motto, “Every Child, Every Way, Every Day.” l
East Midvale Elementary School faculty prepare for the 50th Anniversary Celebration.
Midvale City Journal
Page 16 | January 2016
Hillcrest Swimmers Prepare to Take On Tough Region 2015 Review: Story originally ran in December 2015
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hey came within a few points of taking a region crown last year while competing in the 5A ranks. But a move down to 4A didn’t make it any easier for the Hillcrest Huskies. “We are in perhaps the toughest region in all of swimming, no matter what rank,” Hillcrest swimming coach Ryan Theirbach said. “We have Skyline in our region, which has won the state championship five straight years.” Hillcrest dropped to the 4A ranks this season after seeing a decrease in the studentbody. But the Huskies landed in Region 6, home of Skyline and a virtual who’s who of 4A swimming school. Kearns and Murray are also in the region. The two schools finished second and third, respectively, to Skyline at last year’s state championships. Also in region 6 are Judge, Cyprus and Olympus. All three have previously won state titles, as has Kearns and Murray. “We are the only school in our region without a swimming state championship,” Theirbach said. “But that isn’t something we can dwell on. Our kids are going out there week in and week out just trying to improve our times. With that will come future accolades.” Hillcrest has about 45 swimmers out for this year’s season, a number Theirbach said is about average for the team. There are a handful more girls on the team than boys. Theirbach is relying on 11 seniors to help lead this year’s squad, a larger number of upperclassmen than normal. There are six seniors on the boys side and five on the girls. “They are a talented group, my seniors,” Their said. “They provide quality leadership for the younger swimmers and help us put points on the board.” The boys are led by seniors Jed Day, Nick Skorut, Michael Atkinson, Joe Pope, Kaden Miyagishima and Dalton Dallimore.
By Ron Bevan
Junior Eliot Kang handles the breaststoke and individual medley races for the Hillcrest swim team.
Skorut is one of four captains on this year’s boys team. He brings the most experience of all swimmers, having qualified for state the past two years. He finished seventh in the 50 yard freestyle sprint at state last season. “He is a strong, motivated swimmer that is looking to improve on his times,” Theirbach said. “He is hoping to be able to swim collegiately.” Day is also a captain this year. He is a butterfly and backstroke specialist who has improved in both strokes over the last three years. “Day has really come a long way since he was a freshman,” Theirbach said. “His technique and speed has improved where he is in a great position to qualify for state this year.” Atkinson and Pope are also captains. Both are utility swimmers that can help out wherever the team needs them.
“I can throw them around into different events and strokes and they both respond well,” Theirbach said. Both Dallimore and Miyagishima played this season on the football team before joining the swimming team already in progress. Although the football season throws off their timing, both are expected to be at full speed by regions. “We didn’t have Dallimore last year because he had a broken ankle.” Theirbach said. “But he should be ready to go for us this year. Miyagishima improved his time so much last year after football. He even shaved 10 seconds off his time just at regions, which helped us nearly win.” The girls are led off by five seniors. The group includes Caroline Young, Janella Williams, Keisha Slagowski, Cythian Olivares and Kailee Decker. Young is perhaps one of the smartest swimmers. She carries a 4.0 grade point average and also competes on the tennis team. “Young is a very bright girl and dedicated athlete all the way around,” Theirbach said. “She puts her time in for tennis and swimming and her efforts helped the girls freestyle relay team break the school record last year.” Williams is the distance freestyler on the team, and Slagowski is the sprint freestyler. “I had Slagowski swim the 100 butterfly at our last meet and I was really impressed with her,” Theirbach said. “She will be doing that stroke as well the rest of the year.” Oliveres is a breast stroke racer who just missed qualifying for state last season, but is on track this year. And Decker, like several of the boys, is a utility swimmer Theirbach can use where the team needs her. l
M idvalejournal.com
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his year, Salt Lake County government led the way on economic growth and jobs, low taxes, public safety and responsiveness to residents. As Utah continues to rebound from the Great Recession, we have an opportunity to take charge of our future and work together to show how we can make a bright future. We’ve launched the Global Cities Initiative, which helps business and civic leaders in the metro region grown their business through exports and international connections. Evidence shows that it was the metro areas who led this country out of the recession and that when businesses receive support in learning how reaching new customers and global markets, their employees benefit, earning 17 percent more in salaries. We opened new treatment options for individuals who end up in jail due to crimes related to mental illness or substance abuse. With funding help from the Utah legislature, we opened a new community facility for adult women leaving incarceration. The 16bed residential home allows these women to transition away from jail, get treatment, reunite with children and families and start establishing a more stable and productive path for their lives.
Expanding efforts to build a safe, healthy community in the Salt Lake Valley
Salt Lake County brought more than 31 homeless service providers together around an exciting plan to minimize homelessness. For the first time, everyone is on the same page about we want to accomplish, beginning with recognizing and meeting the distinct needs of at-risk and homeless populations. As a coalition, we’re asking the Utah legislature to support our plan by providing money to build several new, smaller shelters that serve the needs of families with children, homeless individuals who are working and other specific groups. A one-size-fits-all approach to this problem hasn’t worked in the past and we need to channel all the care, compassion, effort and money in a new direction. With a sizeable grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, we’ve launched a community partnership in Kearns to improve child well-being throughout the township. Our framework—Evidence2Success—was developed by the foundation to collect data on the needs and the strengths of local youth. Granite School District will receive additional support to boost their educational programs and it will all be guided by the parents and community leaders who know their schools and neighborhoods best.
Salt Lake County works every day to serve the entire community, through programs such as Meals on Wheels for senior citizens in need, education for coaches and parents on how to recognize and prevent head injuries, expanding senior centers, such as the one in Midvale, to support healthy lifestyles for “baby-boomers” and building three new regional parks, so that every family has a place to get outdoors and enjoy recreational activities together. In 2016, we’ll rededicate our efforts to reform the criminal justice system and by achieving that, improve public safety. My 2016 budget, adopted by a bipartisan County Council vote, provides funding to meet the immediate needs of the Sheriff, the jail, the District Attorney and the Behavioral Health Division in the short term, as well as money for innovative projects to prevent crime in the long term. I’m proud of the bipartisan collaboration that is uniting county leaders, state leaders, our Human Services Department and the Criminal Justice Advisory Council – with the single goal of spending criminal justice and social justice dollars more effectively. How will we measure success? We’ll know we’ve succeeded when 1) we’ve put
January 2016 | Page 17
the criminals behind bars, 2) the homeless in housing, 3) substance abusers in treatment, and 4) children in school, through high school graduation. When we’ve done that we’ll have made a measurable and lasting difference in peoples’ lives. l
I am Grateful for the Poor Man’s Casserole
I
t slapped me in the face, like an old Three Stooges movie. Last month my husband came home from work holding a large envelope. Handing it over, he simply stated, “Read this.” My heart sank. You see, every year in December, his company does their annual, “Merry Christmas layoff,” and I was certain it was his turn. I began to hyperventilate, sweat trickled down my forehead as my trembling hands opened the letter. How could they, after 26 years of company loyalty? They can’t! We are only four years from retirement! As I read and re-read the words on the letter, my mind began to compute: not a layoff letter, but a retirement letter. In two weeks, TWO weeks, my husband would be retired! Could we do it a full four years before we had planned? Yikes! Now, I have a confession to make. We have not always enjoyed a frugal lifestyle; in fact, in the early years of our marriage it was quite the opposite. We lived to the point of an extravagance that almost sent us bust. We lived right at the edge of our means, throwing caution to the wind, buying now and vowing to save later. Then it happened, our turning point: my husband lost his job. It was the 80s.
Remember those days? With 14 percent home interest rates, no jobs and two kids, we quickly discovered our skinny bank account and high debt had put us at the brink of disaster. What could we do? We had officially hit what we call our “Poor Man’s Casserole” days. One only needs to Google “Getting out of debt” to find a plethora of advice from financial savvy experts: refinance the house, make budgeting lists and spreadsheets to track payoffs, start by paying off the highest interest loan rate, etc. All good practices, but what if you don’t qualify for said refinance, or your budget doesn’t cover your bills, let alone allow you to make extra payments? How will making a list help when what you really need is money today? The fact is, finding immediate money in a set budget takes sacrifice, creativity, work and commitment. Here are some practical tips for increasing your finances that I’ve learned and used along the way. #1 – Ditch the luxuries. Cutting cable TV, gym memberships, and eating out top my list of quick ways to save some serious cash. Brown bag it for lunch, discover Hulu for TV
entertainment and take a walk instead of utilizing an expensive gym treadmill. #2 – Sell your stuff. Cleaning out the clutter not only can bring in some extra cash, but it clears the mind of clutter and helps you get organized. Utilize your local consignment store (check Yelp.com for a list of several), make use of online classifieds or give Ebay a try. #3 – Find alternative ways to travel. If you have two cars, sell one. Try taking TRAX or carpooling to work. #4 – Cut your grocery costs. Groceries can be a huge part of the family expenses. Instead of planning your shopping for the meals you want, plan your meals to what’s on sale. Clip or print coupons. You can check Coupons4Utah.com’s “grocery” section for a list of resources. Cut your meat portions in half. For years our mainstays were casseroles and Mexican and Italian dishes like lasagna and pizza. It’s easy to decrease the meat in those kinds of dishes. One of our favorites was called Poor Man’s Casserole, a mixture of ground beef, green beans and mashed potatoes. #5 – Find contentment with what you have. This was a turning point for me, and one of
the best pieces of financial advice I have. In my own personal experience, it took me years to feel contentment with what I have. Once I did, I found that the longing for things grew smaller, and I was able to learn to experience what life had to give. I am grateful for the Poor Man’s Casserole days and the contentment it brought me. l
Poor Man’s Casserole: Brown 2/3 lb of ground beef or turkey with ½ an onion, salt and pepper to taste and place in the bottom of a 3 qt. round casserole dish. Drain 2 cans of green beans and layer on top of the beef, layer 1 can cream of mushroom soup on top of beans, top with about 3 cups of smashed potatoes (about 5 potatoes boiled in salty water and smashed with a little milk and butter). Microwave on high until hot (about 10 to 15 minutes).
Enjoy.
January 2016 | Page 19
M idvale Journal .com
Making a Clean Sweep
A
s long as everything stays the same, I’m super cool with change. So when January rolls around with all its high-pressure resolutions and soul-destroying goals, I choose to decline. After years of making unobtainable promises, I know I won’t learn a new language, acquire the ability to run marathons or stop eating candy by the pound. But this year I decided it was time to get rid of the clutter that had infiltrated my home when I wasn’t looking. On January 1, my house seemed as organized as the shelves at Dollar Tree the day after Christmas, so I thought maybe it was time to clean things up. (FYI: Because Americans have so much junk, there’s a store that sells only containers to store our stuff. There are even boxes to store our boxes. Crazy, I know.) I’ve heard when you’re organized, you can be lazy. That was incentive enough to get
started. Once my mess was stashed away in designer bins, I’d have more time for napping, Pinteresting or sitting on the porch with a cold drink. (Well, not in January, but at some point this year.) My kitchen was the first place I tackled. I thought it would go quickly until I started throwing out cans of soup that had expired in 2009, quinoa I bought during my whole-grain phase and bags of organic kelp that were never opened. That’s when I realized this project could take longer than I anticipated. The freezer was next. I tossed out Ziplocs filled with frozen flesh from indeterminate sources (could be salmon, could be sausage) and Fudgsicles coated with ice crystals. Healthy Habit Tofu Extravaganza meals I couldn’t choke down were sent to the trash bin. After taking a breather to eat a bag of Almond Roca (Christmas clearance!), I headed
to the bedroom to sort through my clothes. Cleaning the closet is difficult, because I’m pretty sure I wear all my clothes every day. But I found the dress I wore to my mom’s second wedding, ballet shoes from dance class 35 years ago, the sequined skirt I swore I’d wear once I lost 25 pounds and a ketchup-stained T-shirt from my first major league ballgame. Gone. Then I attacked the bathroom. I thought it might be easier to throw a grenade into the bathtub, shut the door and walk away actionhero style, in slow motion. I’m truly not a hoarder. I just figure at some point I will use the dozens of hotel shampoos and travel-sized body washes I’ve saved for emergencies. I dug into my drawers (so to speak) and purged almost-empty hair spray bottles, driedup face masks, greasy lotions and anti-aging
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creams that did not work. I tossed cold tablets from the 1980s, stretched-out hair elastics and a tube of ... something unidentifiable. Then I turned to my desk where office products go to die. I found a roll of two-cent stamps, dried up pens that were too far from the garbage can to throw out, tons of cable connectors (although I’m not sure what they connect), enough Post-it notes to write a novel and several used gift cards with a total balance of $1.57. I finally collapsed on the couch, reveling in the afterglow of a job well done. My house felt lighter, like it had gone on a green juice cleanse, and I was pleased with my Zen-like non-attachment to material possessions. That’s when I realized I had room for new stuff! And there were New Year’s sales! Maybe next year I’ll add, “Don’t buy more junk” to my list of soul-crushing resolutions. l
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