Riverton Journal | June 2023

RIVERTON ELEMENTARY SIXTH GRADERS SUCCESSFULLY PROPOSE WATER DISPENSERS FOR PORTABLE CLASSROOMS

By Morgan Olsen | m.olsen@mycityjournals.com

One hot day in August, Will Howell was teaching his sixth graders in the portable classroom at Riverton Elementary when student after student continuously interrupted the lesson asking to go fill up their water bottle.

“I was thinking about how this is a problem and how we need to do something about this,” Howell said. “I thought maybe we could do a presentation to the principal to try and get water dispensers of some sort out in the portable classrooms. It was a perfect fit for our narrative writing unit and the students were really excited about it.”

The sixth graders set out to write a play, a song and prepare a PowerPoint presentation with graphs and data making their case for water dispensers to be installed in the portable classrooms.

“I kept them on track as we wrote a play, cast students for different roles, painted posters for props and chose costumes for students to wear for the performance,” Howell said. “For the PowerPoint we had students do research on schools and water and similar issues in other schools. I also timed them on how long it took to go into the school, fill up their water bottle and come back

Continued page 20

Second round turnaround

Mr. Howell’s sixth grade class put on a play they wrote to advocate for water dispensers in portable classrooms. (William Howell/Riverton Elementary)

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Intermountain Riverton Hospital receives prestigious award for outstanding patient experience

By Dylan Wilcox | d.wilcox@mycityjournals.com

Intermountain Riverton Hospital has been honored with the Human Experience Guardian of Excellence Award by Press Ganey, a global leader in healthcare experience solutions and services. The award recognizes the hospital’s outstanding performance in patient experience and places it among the top 5% of health care providers in the country in delivering patient experience in the last year.

“We are thrilled to be recognized among the best in the nation for providing excellent patient experience in our Radiation Oncology performance – based on feedback from our patients,” Todd Neubert said, administrator of Intermountain Riverton Hospital.

Press Ganey works with more than 41,000 health care facilities in its mission to improve the patient experience, enhance caregiver resilience, overall safety, quality and experience of care. The annual ranking of the top hospitals and health systems in the country is based on performance in patient experience.

“As a winner of the Press Ganey HX Guardian of Excellence Award, Intermountain Riverton Hospital is demonstrating their unwavering commitment to their employees and to the communities they serve,” Patrick T. Ryan said, chairman and chief executive officer of Press Ganey. “By putting their patients and workforce first each and every day, they are truly deserving of this award.”

The recognition is reflective of the opinions and experiences of the patient population, according to Kristin Smith, MHL, RTT, radiation oncology manager at Riverton Hospital. “Our Radiation Oncology team at Riverton Hospital is privileged to receive the Guardian of Excellence Award,” she said. “It represents consistent teamwork to support each patient’s needs and expectations as well

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as a commitment to provide an exceptional patient experience with each interaction.”

The HX Guardian of Excellence Award is a prestigious honor and signifies the hospital’s commitment to putting patients and their families first in all aspects of their healthcare experience. Intermountain Riverton Hospital has demonstrated a commitment to enhancing patient experience, safety and overall quality of care, and this recognition is a testament to their dedication.

Smith explained that their team being awarded this honor is due to their culture of safety and excellence.

“It’s a culture of excellence, a culture of safety – we work toward the why and what we do moves us toward our end goal. It’s the little things we do everyday that ensures our patients receive the best care,” Smith said. “In our department it’s the culture – we talk about everything that goes well and does not go well. Is there something that needs to be addressed to improve this? We don’t work toward the survey, but we have to be committed to the culture to ensure that the patient has the best experience and most incredible care possible,” she added.

The three driving factors behind their excellence is patient safety, understanding “The Why”, and a result of teamwork.

“We have a safety moment – whether it’s a billing, registration or frontline person, we identify that safety is number one. By supporting these individuals’ ability to speak up about safety, and it’s not punitive, it’s something that we’re all committed to – a culture of safety,” Smith said.

Ensuring that patient experience and safety is kept in their focus, Smith and her team at Riverton Hospital often reflect on “The Why” or their purpose of keeping high standards.

Press Ganey awards Radiation Oncology Team at the Riverton Hospital - Afsonai Godfrey, Business Operations Coordinator; Karen Miyasaki, Medical Dosimetrist; Kristin Smith, Radiation Oncology Manager; Todd Neubert, Riverton Hospital Administrator; Holly Taylor, Patient Representative. Not Pictured: Brock Westlund, Medical Physicist; Jon Grant, Radiation Oncologist; George Cannon, Radiation Oncologist; Michelle Miller, Radiation Therapist; Angie Ovard, RN; Lori Welling, RN; Carla Gomez, RN. (Courtesy of Kristin Smith)

“We share experiences every quarter when we have staff meeting, we share an exceptional patient experience. Staff will share feedback about something that went well with the patient. Every experience that patients receive, we treat them as if they are a family member of ours. Have that compassion, that touch, we strive to be positive and to do your best,” Smith said.

And lastly, Smith says that they are able to create memorable experiences for their patients because of the cohesion in their team.

Angie Ovard, a registered nurse who specializes in radiation therapy and has been at Riverton since 2016 said that the award speaks to the leadership of the hospital. “I enjoy the culture here. The leadership is amazing because they prioritize compassion. As long as you are doing your very best, you’ll be supported in your clinical decision-making. The recognition very much

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comes from the top and the commitment to empathy and compassion,” she said.

Ovard explained that everyone involved with the patient process from the beginning to the end plays an important role.

“The folks at Riverton – from our therapists to our receptionists –make every patient experience unique. One of our goals when patients come through the door is to make them feel safe, welcome and at ease. Cancer is not an easy diagnosis. They come very nervous and anxious. One of the first things we do is take the clinical element down a notch. We want them to know that we are here to answer questions. We try hard to make them feel safe, welcome and at ease. What we find is that we can take those steps and the payback is tremendous. When they first begin treatment, they’re on their guard, but by the end, we’re able to get through those defenses quickly,” Ovard said. l

Former naval gunner Ivan L. Bills awarded Silver Star posthumously for heroic actions during Battle of Okinawa

By Dylan Wilcox | d.wilcox@mycityjournals.com

Ivan “Ike” L. Bills Gunner’s Mate Third Class, a former naval gunner during World War II, has been awarded the Silver Star posthumously. Eighty years ago, Bills was killed in action while serving on the USS Hugh W. Hadley (DD-774) during the Battle of Okinawa.

Bills, a native of Riverton, Utah, was a brave sailor who served his country with honor during World War II. He was born on Nov. 24, 1923, to Raymond and Della L. Crane Bills, and was the seventh of eight children in the family. Unfortunately, Bills’ father passed away in 1925, leaving his mother to raise the children on her own.

After graduating from Jordan High School, Ike signed his draft registration on June 30, 1942.

He was described as 5’8” tall, weighing 135 pounds, with grey eyes, brown hair, a dark complexion and a scar on his right wrist. On Nov. 17, 1942, he joined the Naval Reserves in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Bills was trained at Farragut, Idaho, and served on the USS Doherty before being assigned to the USS Hugh W. Hadley (DD-774). The ship was commissioned in December of 1944 and left San Diego for the Pacific War in January 1945. It was on this ship that Bills made naval history. On May 11, 1945, during a 95-minute air/sea battle at Okinawa, the USS Hugh W. Hadley came under attack from Japanese kamikaze planes. Bills’ ship managed to shoot down an astonishing 23 kamikazes, while also enduring five hits from planes and bombs. Sadly, 30 of Ike’s shipmates were killed in action during this battle.

Gunner’s Mate Third Class Bills was one of the casualties on that fateful day, and he was buried at sea. Ike’s brave actions during the battle did not go unnoticed, and he was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and the Silver Star for his heroism.

During the Battle of Okinawa, the USS Hadley was ordered out to Radar Picket station No. 15 to provide early warning of enemy planes to the fleet anchored at Okinawa. On May 11, 1945, the ship was attacked by five raids totaling 56 planes. They shot down 23 planes – a naval record for a single engagement – and were hit by three kamikazes and two bombs. Bills was among the nine men who kept a 40mm gun firing as a kamikaze crashed into their position. All the men on that gun mount were killed. They received recognition for “outstanding performance of duty,” by Hadley’s Executive Officer.

Trenton Oakeson, a great grandnephew of Bills from Huntington, Utah said “Ivan Bills is my great uncle. I will never forget the sacrifices of the men of USS Hugh W. Hadley.”

Bills’ Silver Star award reads: “Gunners Mate Third Class Ivan Leroy Bills, USNR, was posthumously awarded the Silver Star Medal

EVENING SERIES

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for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in the action against the enemy off Okinawa, Nansei Shoto, Japan on May 11, 1945, as a member of the crew of an air defense gun on the USS Hugh W. Hadley. When the blast of a bomb caused Gunner’s Mate Third Class Bills and other members of the crew to be blown a considerable distance from their gun, Gunner’s Mate Third Class Bills re-manned his station and with outstanding courage and coolness resumed fire at an enemy plane diving at him and repeatedly hit the enemy plane whose crash finally resulted in his death. His courage, conduct and outstanding performance of duty throughout was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.”

The Silver Star citation reads: “Mr. Bills, in action against enemy Japanese forces off Okinawa May 11, 1945, was blown from his

gun mount by the blast from an enemy bomb. He instantly returned his gun to aid shipmates firing at an enemy plane plunging toward them. After riddling the plane with bullets, it crashed into the mount killing Mr. Bills and his fellow crew members. For his conspicuous gallantry and indomitable spirit in the face of almost certain death, the president of the United States awards Mr. Bills, posthumously, the Silver Star medal.”

Although Bills and six of the men were reported as buried at sea, in truth, none of these men were ever found. They were all blown out to sea. Bills’ memory lives on in monuments at Memory Grove Memorial in Honolulu, Hawaii, and in the Honolulu Hawaii National Memorial Cemetery. Ike Bills was a true American hero, and his bravery and sacrifice will never be forgotten. l

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JUNE

June 3 Murray Concert Band

June 9-10, Disney’s High School Musical 12, 15-17

June 19 The Bonner Family with special guest David Archuleta

June 24 Murray Symphony Pops

JULY

July 7-8, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella 10, 13-15

July 21 Peter Breinholt

July 28-29, Seussical the Musical 31, Aug 3-5

AUGUST

Aug 12 “Music for the Soul” with Thurl Bailey, Vanessa Joy and Marvin Goldstein

Aug 18-19 A Celtic Summer’s Night

Aug 25 Ryan Shupe & the Rubberband

Aug 26 Jenny Oaks Baker & Family Four

SEPTEMBER

Sept 1 4 HIMS

Sept 9 Grupo Folklorico Sapichu & Karlysue y Los Trios Charros

This program has received funding support from residents of Salt Lake County, SL County Zoo, Arts & Parks (ZAP), Utah Division of Arts & Museums, Utah Department of Cultural & Community Engagement, Utah Humanities, and National Endowment for the Arts.

Ike Bills awarded the Silver Star Award posthumously. (Courtesy of Jeff Veesenmeyer)

As Riverton declares May Historic Preservation Month, another city’s loss of historic structure incites new interest in preservation

Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs proclaimed May 2023 as Historic Preservation Month in mid-May.

The declaration comes at a time when older homes across the valley are being torn down to make way for modern development. Even the prison in Draper has undergone scrutiny as officials look to balance the desires of preservationists with the plans for redevelopment.

“Historic preservation is an effective tool for managing growth and sustainable development, revitalizing neighborhoods, fostering local pride and maintaining community character while enhancing livability,” states the proclamation in part.

Riverton has a historic preservation commission, the proclamation reads, “in an effort to preserve the heritage and legacy of this community.”

One of the oldest standing homes in Salt Lake County—the Brinton Home at 4880 S. Highland Circle in Holladay—is slated for demolition following its purchase by Sequoia Development, who plan to build in its place 11 townhomes.

Built in 1879, the vernacular structure with Greek Revival flair retains much of its original character—from the pinewood staircase to the adobe walls still studded with square nails forged in the Brinton’s family 19th century blacksmith shop.

The Sequoia plan sparked reaction amongst residents who organized a petition expressing support to preserve the home.

Yet even as it garnered hundreds of signatures, the petition had no legal influence to stall the structure’s demise, and now residents are left questioning what avenues exist for preserving the city’s dwindling number of historic homes.

“Most citizens have an idea that there is some kind of guardian out there cataloging, noticing, and protecting old buildings, but there simply isn’t,” said Kim Duffy, member of the Holladay Historical Commission.

“It’s mind boggling. There is a building in our community that was built right after the Civil War that somebody is going to go tear down. I can’t wrap my head around that.”

The Brinton Home is the site of the latest showdown in the pitched battle between preservationists and developers taking place in communities across the Wasatch Front, where staggering growth has complicated the balance between development, property rights and attitudes toward historic preservation.

In Holladay, one of Utah’s longest continually inhabited settler communities, the disappearance of old homes is taking place with alarming quickness, according to David Amott, former executive director of Preservation Utah.

By Zak Sonntag | z.sonntag@mycityjournals.com

“Every time I drive through Holladay it shocks me how the city is changing and how many teardowns there are with these types of properties, the really old ones,” said Amott, whose worked on preservation initiatives in the city, including an unsuccessful effort in 2020 to save the historic Glenwood estate.

“These are homes that are architecturally valuable not just to Holladay but to Utah. People are tearing down history without understanding what that history represents or what it means. The Brinton house and a handful of other quickly disappearing buildings in Holladay tells that story of how the city began.”

Preservation primer: how to save old homes

The Brinton Home has renewed local interest in preservation, and experts like Amott say it can be achieved through two distinct avenues.

One way residents and public entities can pursue preservation is through the National Register of Historic Places, a service authorized in the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and administered by the National Park Service.

The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is a program that aims to catalog historically important places around the nation and provides tax breaks for their preservation—a vital resource for making old homes,

with creaking floors and failed plumbing, livable. Although earning an NRHP designation requires stringent historical documentation that can involve long, deep dives into archives.

That documentation is a key part of the preservation picture because officializing historical places offers documentary evidence and is a vital part of obtaining protection at the local level, where city governments often have the final word on preservation.

“I have gone to countless city council meetings, where historic resources that are not listed on the National Register are under risk, like by the Brinton house. And it’s very hard to say that their history matters because it hasn’t been officialized,” said Amott, who worked with the city to preserve his ancestral home at 4769 Holladay Blvd.

“To have that credential means so much in cases where building’s futures are risk.” Property rights paramount?

Even still, the NRHP credential cannot guarantee a structure’s survival, as seen in the failed effort to save Salt Lake’s historic Pantages Theater on Main Street. Although unlike Pantages, most historically valuable homes disappear with little fanfare and the primacy of property rights goes unchallenged.

Paul Allred, former planning director for the City of Holladay, who left the city in

2021, says he reluctantly issued demolition permits for many old homes in Holladay during his tenure because the city had no authority to do otherwise.

“There’s nothing really to prevent somebody who has a home on a historic list from going ahead and demolishing it. Basically, if you wanted to tear down an old cabin back in the woods that was from the 1850s, you could. Unless your city has ironclad rules on it, you can take any old historic structure down,” Allred said.

“Historic homes are incredibly and inherently a very powerful presence in a community. But you just can’t take somebody’s property rights away from them because they own an older home.”

Local leverage

Although there may be a way to simultaneously honor property rights and historic neighborhood character through tailored local controls, preservationists argue—hence, growing residents’ calls for action at the municipal level, where cities can use their design review and land use authority to help safeguard historic homes.

“Utah is an aggressively land rights state, so I think there is this myth that you can’t have preservation and land rights,” Amott said. “But you can have preservation and property rights, especially with opt-in preservation where people bring their homes

The historic Brinton home to bite the dust as its slated for demolition. (Photos courtesy Kim Duffy)

forward and say, ‘I want to have this protected.’”

Some Utah cities offer examples of how design review and opt-in policy have been put to use in preservation.

In Provo, for instance, the city’s Landmarks Preservation Title establishes strong guidelines and regulations to protect historical structures, many of them opt-in; in Riverton, design review processes in city code impose development standards on historically valued buildings.

Whereas in the City of Holladay, as the dust-up over the Brinton Home has revealed, protective ordinances are brittle at best.

Currently, section 2.08 of the City Code allows The Historical Commission “to provide advice and information to the City Manager regarding the identification and protection of local historic and archeological resources.”

Effectively this means the Holladay Historical Commission has minimal say and zero legal influence over decisions regarding preservation.

Historical Commission stripped of power?

Some with knowledge of the commission’s work say in earlier years that body possessed more authority, but that its power was stripped down by the city council in the mid 2010’s.

Current commissioners are unable to confirm the extent to which the body’s authority was curtailed, but Councilmember Dan Gibbons, who served one term on the city council in 1999 and then rejoined the council in 2019, recalls a time when the Historical Commission was entrusted with greater influence.

“My recollection is that [back in 1999] we adopted a somewhat robust preservation ordinance…and gave at least some advisory powers to the Historical Commission,” Gibbons said. “Sometime after I left the council there was some major revision to the ordinance and it removed those advisory powers.”

This is a sore spot for some longtime residents who’ve expressed frustration with the city’s decisions regarding development.

“As someone who was around when Holladay incorporated, I thought [incorporation] would help us retain the flavor and feel of our neighborhoods. But we are losing that with each house that is torn down, replaced by something much larger and gaudier. There should be an avenue to retain some of what we fought for 20-plus years ago,” said one resident, expressing their opinion on the Brinton Home preservation petition. Can the city afford preservation?

Gibbons, who is the council’s liaison to the Historical Commission, has organized a work meeting for May to explore ways the city might strengthen the commission’s authority along with preservation ordinances.

Albeit any new preservation measures are likely to face an instant hurdle—the city budget—as inevitably staff resources would

need to be allocated. In contrast to big budget cities—like Salt Lake, which has a full-time clerk administering its Historic Landmark Commission—creating a new line item in a small and fiscally conservative city like Holladay could be a deal breaker.

“One of the [challenges] is fiscal. To have a really robust ordinance such as Salt Lake City has requires additional planning personnel,” Gibbons said. “With a city of our size that would be a dramatic increase of our staff.”

Also challenging is that Holladay’s architectural history is scattered. Cities like Ogden, Salt Lake and Provo have historic districts where valuable assets are clustered, making coherent protective zoning and public funding support easier to achieve.

Alas, the Brinton Home is hemmed in by multi-family housing and across the street from the city’s largest mixed use development in the Holladay Hills at the former Cot-

tonwood Mall site—and there it stands alone, a historical emblem amidst an advancing tide of development.

Silver lining?

Amott says losses like the Brinton Home can serve as wake-up calls for those who value history, citing the outfall from the 1964 demolition of historic Pennsylvania Station, which catalyzed public support for New York City preservation ordinances that

remain the standard for local protections of historic structures today.

“I would love to say that the silver lining on this is that the Brinton house is the equivalent of Pennsylvania Station in Holladay,” he said. “Sometimes that’s how it goes—something has to be destroyed and people have to feel that loss before they do something different.” l

Brinton Home stands proudly in its last days. (Zak Sonntag/City Journals)

The historic Brinton home to bite the dust as its slated for demolition. (Photos courtesy Kim Duffy)

One of the oldest standing homes in Salt Lake County is the Brinton home. (Photos courtesy Kim Duffy)

Bluffdale Elementary Portuguese Immersion Program thrives in its eighth year

By Morgan Olsen | m.olsen@mycityjournals.com

Eight years ago, Bluffdale Elementary became one of a handful of schools throughout the state to offer a Portuguese Immersion program for students in first through sixth grade.

“The immersion program was started because of a need in the community,” Principal Staci Moore said. “The community shared their desires for a Portuguese immersion program eight years ago and the district made it happen. There were already Spanish and Chinese programs nearby so it was decided that, since there was a lot of desire to have a Portuguese immersion program in the Jordan School District, Bluffdale Elementary would be the place.”

Each grade level is made up of two classes of 28 students each, allowing for 56 Portuguese immersion students in each grade from first thru sixth grade. Each class spends half of the day focusing on studies in English and the other half of the day learning only in Portuguese.

“Our Portuguese teachers are all native, from Brazil,” Moore said. “They usually come as a guest teacher and they have to have their certification. They can stay here on one work visa for three years and then most choose to renew and continue teaching with us. We love that each of our Portuguese teachers are native because it helps students learn the language and culture authentically.”

Moore says that there never seems to be a shortage of students and families who are interested in enrolling in the program each year.

“We’ve been really fortunate here because, with the Portuguese language, there is so much interest,” she said. “I wish we had more slots available to accommodate every family that wants their kids to be in the program.”

Students are required to begin the program in first grade as the first year is crucial in developing the foundational skills needed to learn the language fluently.

“The kids always enter the program in first grade so they can get all the foundational skills,” Moore said. “The biggest hurdle is that families want to start later than first grade but, unless they are transferring to us from another Portuguese program in the state, they can’t join the program after the first-grade year.”

Students in the Portuguese Immersion program learn everything students in a regular classroom learn, but at a somewhat accelerated pace in order to cover all of the material each year.

“The Portuguese Immersion program is not any different than learning in a regular classroom,” Moore said. “They have to learn things in a smaller amount of time because they make that switch from English to Portuguese halfway through the day. In some ways it’s more accelerated because there’s a lot to get in instructionally in those few

hours they have with each teacher.”

The Portuguese teachers enjoy their time seeing these students progress through their classes each year as they teach them entirely in Portuguese each day.

“I teach first grade so I can see a lot of growth in the students,” Jessica Bell’Aver said, a Portuguese teacher at Bluffdale Elementary. “They come to me with zero knowledge of Portuguese and leave knowing how to say complete sentences. I love to see these kids motivated in what they’re learning. They’re able to use language as a tool and that’s very rewarding.”

Moore says that one of the most positive impacts of the Portuguese Immersion program is bringing the Portuguese community into the school and the entire school embracing it. Students will put into practice all they have learned about Brazil in an end-of-year celebration, called Brazilandia. It is run by the sixth graders in the immersion program and will include English-only students this year, as well.

“Brazilandia is a big celebration of what the immersion students have learned during the year, and we are working hard to prepare fun Portuguese games and activities,” Bell’Aver said. “During the event, the students will speak only in Portuguese and answer certain questions in Portuguese in order to play the games. They also get to sample authentic Brazilian food and experience the culture. The goal of Brazilandia is to get students outside the classroom speaking the language in a different context so they can apply what they’ve learned.”

For families and students interested in beginning the Portuguese Immersion program at Bluffdale Elementary, the application process begins in January preceding the school year in which the student enters first grade.

“Our applications are due at the end of February, and we then go through a lottery process,” Moore said. “Boundary students and students with siblings in the program are taken first. After that, we look at whether or not they are in district boundaries. Those in district boundaries get priority over those who aren’t. We then create the wait list and usually one or two spots open up on that by the time the school year starts.”

The Portuguese Immersion program is well-loved by its dedicated students and teachers.

“When I first got here from Brazil, I wanted there to be more Portuguese schools,” said Lucas, a second grader at Bluffdale Elementary. “I’m glad I found this program. My favorite part is learning Portuguese all the time.”

First graders begin learning subjects like science in Portuguese, and it is rewarding for them to learn about some of their favorite subjects as they learn this new language.

“My favorite subject is science,” said

Adam, a first grader at Bluffdale Elementary. “I think it’s cool that we get to learn science in Portuguese.”

Many students like that they get to learn with the same students from first through sixth grade as they all go through the program together.

“I remember being really scared when I started the program in first grade because I wasn’t allowed to speak English - I could only speak Portuguese,” said Carter, a sixth grader at Bluffdale Elementary. “But it ended up being fine and it helped me learn it faster because it’s all I could speak. Now, I’m able to automatically translate in my head from Portuguese to English and I don’t even have

to think about it. I’m excited that, going into seventh grade next year, I’ll know everyone in my Portuguese class since we’ve all been together since first grade.”

Once students have completed the elementary portion of the immersion program, they are considered fluent in an elementary setting, and they can enroll in a Portuguese class at the corresponding middle school as they move into seventh grade.

“Students who complete the program through sixth grade can continue the program at Hidden Valley Middle School,” Moore said. “By the time they are done with middle school they could essentially go to Brazil and carry on a conversation.”

Fourth grade immersion students practice a dance for an upcoming Brazilian festival. (Morgan Olsen/ City Journals)

First grade immersion students learn in Jessica Bell’Aver’s class at Bluffdale Elementary. (Morgan Olsen/ City Journals)

One parent, Rachelle De Paula, has two students in the Portuguese Immersion program - one in third grade and another in seventh grade.

“It’s amazing how fast they learn the language and know it so well,” De Paula said. “I wanted to enroll them for their brains to be challenged as they learn another language. Many parents worry about whether or not they will be able to help their kids with homework if they don’t know the language, but the teachers are great and are always there to help. They do most of the work at school and the teachers really help them understand.”

Moore loves to see these students progress during their time in the program and is impressed by their confidence in speaking the language by the time they are in sixth grade.

“I absolutely love going from first grade and hearing these young kids speaking this language and then popping into a sixth grade classroom and hearing the progress they’ve made,” she said. “It’s an amazing progression in five years. They can speak full sentences and feel confident in what they are saying and understanding and it’s amazing to watch. They light up from that confidence in the progress that they are making.” l

Portuguese teachers and immersion program students at Bluffdale Elementary. (Morgan Olsen/City Journals)

Portuguese teachers and Principal Staci Moore. (Morgan Olsen/City Journals)

Former teacher creates Educate and Rejuvenate event to provide teachers with mental health, educational resources

When Riverton resident Kelsey Sorenson finished her time as a fulltime third grade teacher, she recognized the resources teachers needed to thrive in their career, and knew they weren’t all available. She started creating resources for teachers and substitute teachers and the Wife Teacher Mommy company was born.

“I started Wife Teacher Mommy in 2014 after I had my oldest son,” Sorenson said, a Riverton local. “I didn’t want to teach full-time anymore because I wanted to be home with him, so I picked up some substitute teaching. I realized that it was hard for teachers to write sub plans, but when I would run a classroom as a sub I could see that it would be good to have more. I started making sub plans for teachers to use and some that I could bring when I sub.”

When Sorenson started Wife Teacher Mommy, her goal was simply to help educators while making a little extra money on the side to help pay the bills.

“My first thought wasn’t to start a business, but it’s turned into that,” she said. “My goal was to make money to help cover our mortgage and now I have grown to have six employees. When I started it, I just thought it was another little side thing to make some extra money, but now it’s grown into so much more than that.”

When Covid hit in 2020, Sorenson knew she needed to re-think Wife Teacher Mommy since schools were shutting down.

“When Covid came we had to pivot and we digitized resources and made home-learning packets,” Sorenson said.

Wife Teacher Mommy is now a monthly membership available for subscription, which includes access to unlimited resources, workshops and printables for teachers and parents alike.

“As I started surveying our members, I realized they were struggling with lots that resources couldn’t solve,” Sorenson said. “They were burned out, didn’t have lots of time and had a lot going on. They needed more support than what printables could give. We created other resources that address those issues like mental health, burnout and even workouts.”

Teachers experienced great changes during the pandemic, and Sorenson wanted to provide resources to help teachers get through those challenging times and beyond. A membership seemed like the best way to do that.

“Our goal is to help teachers feel a lighter burden,” she said. “We know they have so much going on in their lives. We know they need printables, but they can get those anywhere. We wanted to provide

By Morgan Olsen | m.olsen@mycityjournals.com

resources that can help them help themselves. During our first launch, we had about 300 members, and we’ve now grown to have 1,000 members.”

One way Sorenson found to help teachers in their mental health is to focus on life coaching.

“What differentiates us is that we have life coaching, as well,” she said. “I’m a certified life coach and we have one other certified life coach on our team. We do weekly workshops where we focus on life coaching for our members. Teachers are always helping others and we want them to help them have that community and space to get the support and community that they need.”

For the second year in a row, Wife Teacher Mommy is hosting their Educate and Rejuvenate event June 27-28.

“Educate and Rejuvenate is a virtual conference for educators, parents or anyone who is interested,” Sorenson said. “The conference is full of live sessions, pre-recorded sessions and resources that attendees will have access to for 10 days after the conference ends.”

This year’s conference will feature two keynote speakers: Joe Dombrowski and Kristina Kuzmic.

“We are especially excited for our keynote speakers for this event,” Sorenson said. “We know our attendees will love to hear what they have to say.”

The goal of Educate and Rejuvenate

is to give teachers the resources they feel they need to become the best version of themselves they can possibly become.

“We want them to feel that they can get whatever they need from the conference,” Sorenson said. “We cover so many topics and things they can learn about. We want them to learn about education and how they themselves can be rejuvenated. Teachers need to rejuvenate over the summer and then find out how they can make next year better. We’re helping them to learn things and get the coaching tools that we have to offer. After the conference, they can go into the next school year with a better mindset, ready to handle challenges more than they were before they came to the event.”

In its inaugural year last summer, more than 3,000 tickets were sold to the event and attendees found it to be a valuable experience.

“This was such a great event with so many things to offer,” attendee Alaina Wilson said. “A big thank you to everyone who contributed - both on our screens and behind the scenes. I feel like I have a lot of new teacher friends.”

Sorenson said one of her favorite things about the event is the community aspect among all participants.

“I love the community aspect of the Educate and Rejuvenate event,” she said. “I love when we all get to come together and talk to each other. It’s face-to-face

virtually, but it’s such a great way to connect. We’re connecting teachers all over the world. Even if you feel alone in your school there is somebody else out there that you could talk to about it. It really brings people together and that’s what I love about it.”

Ultimately, Sorenson believes it is important to come together as a community to support teachers.

“Thank a teacher,” she said. “They don’t necessarily need food or gifts for whatever, they just need appreciation. It’s often a thankless job.”

Sorenson hopes teachers will take advantage of the resources offered at the Educate and Rejuvenate event and realize that taking care of their mental health is important.

“We have teachers leaving the profession in droves because they are feeling burned out, but most of them truly love teaching. In Utah our class sizes are pretty large, so when you consider all the teachers leaving that’ll make it harder for everybody. We want teachers who feel like they can handle all that teachers have to handle. We all need an educated society and the kids being taught.”

Those interested in registering for the Educate and Rejuvenate virtual conference can do so by going to educateandrejuvenate.com. l

The Wife Teacher Mommy team and hosts of the Educate and Rejuvenate virtual conference. (Kelsey Sorenson/Wife Teacher Mommy)

Kelsey Sorenson, founder of Wife Teacher Mommy and Educate and Rejuvenate virtual conference. (Kelsey Sorenson/Wife Teacher Mommy)

Riverton students receive Rising Star Student, Dr. Patrice Johnson Superintendent’s Scholarships

By Morgan Olsen | m.olsen@mycityjournals.com

Two Riverton High School students have been selected among several applicants and awarded scholarships by the Jordan Education Foundation.

The Rising Star Student Scholarship focuses on awarding students who have shown resilience through difficult times in their life. Each year, principals and staff from each high school in the Jordan School District nominate one graduating senior from their school to receive a $2,000 scholarship, courtesy of the Jordan Education Foundation, to a college or University of their choice.

“These students have amazing stories,” Mike Haynes said, Jordan Education Foundation’s executive director. “We are grateful to be able to help them further their education by awarding them financially.”

One student, Linda Curtis, has been awarded the Rising Star Student Scholarship by the Jordan School District for her ability to overcome significant hardship in her life.

“Linda Curtis had a very difficult childhood,” the banquet program stated. “Due to her circumstances, and with the help of a woman from her church, Linda was able to gain emancipation as a minor. She currently lives with a foster family who has given her love, encouragement and a break from the fears of her earlier life.”

Because of her past, Curtis needed to improve her grades to be considered for college acceptance and has worked hard to do so during her time as a student at Riverton High School. She now looks forward to using this scholarship money to attend nursing school.

“I never even thought about graduation,” Curtis said. “I did not even think it was possible. Now, I will graduate with my Medical Assistant certificate and I will go on to nursing school.”

Curtis worked hard to pass her Medical Assistant state board exams. She has been accepted to six different colleges and is planning to attend Salt Lake Community College and then transfer to finishing nursing school.

Several other students throughout the Riverton area also received the $2,000 Rising Star Student Scholarship award. These students include Kevin Solano Rocha from Bingham High School, Michael Stratton from Herriman High School and Bianca Cardozofrom Mountain Ridge High School.

Rocha moved to Utah from California two years ago and is a first-generation college student. He has shown significant improvement in his grades and credit recovery during his time at Bingham High School. His principal was proud to nominate him for the Rising Star Student Scholarship and feels he is very deserving of the award.

Stratton overcame hardship during his early childhood until his sister and brother-in-law took guardianship of him and his siblings. He

wears a wristband that says “my life is worth living” and is passionate about computers and technology.

“Computers give me the ability to create anything I want, regardless of my circumstances or surroundings,” Stratton said. “Computers have been my stability, my escape and my connection to a world outside my own.”

When things would get difficult for him during his childhood, Stratton collected old computers and spent hours repairing them in order to sell them.

“It was a place where I would let all of my stress fade away into the work that had to be done,” Stratton said. “This is a very important part of my life because it gave me a better understanding of the inner workings of a computer.”

Stratton plans to further his education studying computer science.

Cardozo was raised in Utah by a single mother but had moved back and forth between Utah and Brazil several times by the time she was in high school. She showed resilience as she fought through struggles with her mental health and an eating disorder during her time at Mountain Ridge High School.

“After moving back to Utah, where she found additional support and stability, Bianca was able to find new hope and motivation,” the banquet program stated. “She turned things around her senior year academically and has shown resilience in recovery from an eating disorder and is continuously working to improve her mental health, striving to live a healthy and whole life.”

Cardozo plans to attend Utah Valley University and study forensic science.

The Dr. Patrice Johnson Superintendent’s Scholarship is awarded to a student who has

shown significant effort in demonstrating leadership and perseverance in search of the American Dream. This year’s recipient was Riverton High School senior Brenda Esquivel.

“Brenda Esquivel was born in Mexico City,” the banquet program stated. “She was held back in kindergarten because the school required a minimum level of English which she didn’t have. Her parents invested time, effort and work into teaching her English even though they were both strangers to the language. The first phrase Brenda remembers learning was ‘I don’t speak English, sorry.’ Eventually, she attended a trilingual school learning French, Spanish and English.”

Esquivel and her family moved to Utah from Mexico in 2019. As she enrolled at Riv-

erton High School, Esquivel knew her education was important, and she strived to keep her grades up while helping her family adjust to their new life in Utah.

“She is taking challenging classes in school and continues to practice all three languages, even obtaining the Seal of Bi-literacy for both French and Spanish,” the banquet program stated. “She has been involved in multiple clubs and shown leadership in Latinos in Action, FBLA and DECA.”

Esquivel plans to attend BYU this fall to study psychology and looks forward to applying to law school upon her college graduation. l

Brenda Esquivel, Riverton High School student, was awarded the Dr. Patrice Johnson Superintendent’s Scholarship to help fund her further education. (Mike Haynes/Jordan Education Foundation)

Kevin Solano Rocha - Kevin Solano Rocha, Bingham High School student, was awarded the Rising Star Student Scholarship to help fund his further education. (Mike Haynes/Jordan Education Foundation)

Michael Stratton, Herriman High School student, was awarded the Rising Star Student Scholarship to help fund his further education. (Mike Haynes/ Jordan Education Foundation)

Bianca Cardozo, Mountain Ridge High School student, was awarded the Rising Star Student Scholarship to help fund her further education. (Mike Haynes/Jordan Education Foundation)

Linda Curtis, Riverton High School student, was awarded the Rising Star Student Scholarship to help fund her further education. (Mike Haynes/ Jordan Education Foundation)

How some high school teams handled a stormy spring season

By Travis Barton | travis.b@thecityjournals.com

Whenthe end of February arrived and tryouts started for spring sports, most took place inside with snow still covering the infields, tracks and pitches.

Not really out of the ordinary as winter can occasionally linger.

Then as March plowed on and players looked at their weather app, they continued to see snow in the forecast, postponing games, forcing them inside. And forcing athletic directors to play a scheduling jigsaw puzzle with gym space to ensure soccer, lacrosse, softball, baseball and track and field all had practice time inside.

Even when April arrived, spring was put on hold as snow accumulated so much it canceled in-person school, let alone a baseball game.

With teams shuttered indoors, coaches had to find ways to make practice time productive. The first objective: shaping the attitude.

Riverton High softball coach Katelyn Elliott said they focused on how they can use their time in the gym to get better, that part is within their control.

Everyone from Santaquin to Logan was in the same situation, she told the team, so instead of throwing a pity party or complaining about practicing in the gym, how can they develop themselves.

“You can’t control that there’s 4 feet of snow outside,” she said. “Let’s just take what we have. We have two hours in the gym each day, and we’re going to make the best of it.”

Elliott and her team focused on realistic game scenarios they could practice like leadoffs, tags, signs or bunt scenarios.

“If we have our signs down, things like that the controllable things we can work on in a gym, and we don’t have to work on that in April, we can go out and work on ground balls and flyballs,” she said.

While the Olympus softball team still spent hours in the batting cages, it also utilized time by drilling down on the mental side of the sport.

Head coach Jackson White said they brought in a team psychologist to speak about conflict resolution. The team would read articles every Friday as a group about team building or mental toughness. One article was called the Champions Mindset, he said, that focused on giving your best every play, and if your mind is still on a previous mistake, then you can’t give your best on that play.

“We were able to get a lot of growth mentally without having to see it physically inside,” he said. “It was a game changer to just kind of teach them how to be good teammates and do drills that was about talking to each other or listening to each other rather than catching a fly ball inside for the 100th time.”

White said that mental preparation was important when their shortstop broke her foot forcing them to retool their defense.

Olympus senior catcher Sofia Conlon said the mental work inside unified them in way as they learned how to grow together.

“Being inside is really hard, it's not the same as being on a field so working together as a team mentally made us tighter,” she said. “It pulls us closer and helps us outside for sure.”

Many baseball and softball teams traveled to St. George in March for tournaments while others traveled to Nevada (Riverton baseball) or California (Alta boys lacrosse and Jordan baseball) during spring breaks.

Skyline and Olympus baseball teams are located high on the east bench with snow on their fields slower to melt. They chose to relocate their three-game series to Dixie High School in St. George. Skyline didn’t

The Riverton softball team focused on leadoffs and bunt scenarios indoors when they couldn’t practice outside for most of March. (Travis Barton/City Journals) Track meets were also postponed due to the weather. (Travis Barton/City Journals)

Even in mid-April games were still being affected by rain, snow or some mixture such as this Murray Olympus baseball game. (Travis Barton/City Journals)

have its first outdoor practice until the second week in April.

Golf’s season was essentially shortened to several weeks from mid-April to May 9. Riverton High golf coach Trish Marshall said they practiced outside when they could—layered up with coats, jackets, hats and gloves—but were often just hitting off mats at Mulligan’s covered driving range. They even practiced in her classroom, putting on the carpet or chipping over boxes and books into garbage bins.

“We had to get creative,” she said.

Scheduling affected the season as well with the Alta High boys soccer team opening its season with a region game against Lehi, a rematch of last year’s 5A state title game before eventually playing its nonregion opponents later. Hunter would play three games in a week.

Murray High boys soccer coach Bryan DeMann said at one point they spent a whole week practicing inside playing small-sided games or futsal tournaments focused on getting touches.

“It is hard to simulate soccer on a basketball floor with 30 boys,” he said.

Though Murray had the unique situation of its field being cleared quicker than any other in their region (all are located closer to the mountains, including Park City). They only had one region game rescheduled, but had to reverse some fixtures which meant they played most of their home games during the first round of region play. Only one home game (senior night) was played in the second round of region.

“We were lucky,” he said. l

Skyline and Bingham girls lacrosse play a rescheduled game on Saturday, April 29. (Travis Barton/City Journals)

Murray’s boys soccer team was still able to play most of its games on schedule as its field cleared quicker than at other schools. (Travis Barton/ City Journals)

Remnants of snow still remain around the Jordan soccer field. (Travis Barton/City Journals)

This Taylorsville Cyprus softball game was rescheduled and played on a Saturday. (Travis Barton/City Journals)

RIVERTON REVIEW

Official Newsletter of the Riverton, Utah City Government

Mayor’s Budget

By Mayor Trent Staggs

I was pleased to submit the Mayor’s Budget for the fiscal year 20232024 to the City Council on May 2 for their careful review and consideration. This proposal was the result of much deliberation with city staff on how we could best meet the strategic priorities the City Council has established. The city continues to be fiscally well-positioned for the future while holding taxes and fees for residents to a minimum. Here are a few financial highlights to note as you review my budget:

• No proposed fee or tax increases.

• Expenditures in the general fund are up just 4% year over year, and roughly 30% over the last 10 budget years—essentially the rate of inflation.

• Expenditures across all funds are $83.1M. The differences from last year are largely attributed to additional grants and funding for large projects.

WAYS TO CONNECT WITH RIVERTON

• Sales tax revenues projected to rise from $12 million to $13.5 million.

• We have healthy projected ending fund balances across our general fund (30% of revenues), REDIIF ($3.5 million), Water (280 working capital days on hand) and Secondary Water (170 working capital days on hand) funds, in line with the direction the council has established.

• The city maintains an AAA bond rating and has the lowest debt per capita in over 20 years at $753 per resident.

Additional projects relating to culinary water, secondary water, improvements to the Community Center, the Welby Canal Trail and bridge and street maintenance are also included in the budget. Each of these projects align with the city’s strategic priorities and operational needs.

This is my 10th year as an elected official in Riverton, sixth as mayor,

and I’ve never seen Riverton in a stronger position!

I am grateful for the diligent work of our city councilmembers and city employees. I also appreciate you, our residents, and the standard you have set. Collectively, the contributions made by these three groups have helped Riverton City become what it is today: a thriving, tight-knit community that is fiscally responsible and continuously discovering new opportunities. I look forward to what the future has in store for our great city.

I encourage all to read through the budget and provide feedback to your elected representatives. You can find it at rivertonutah.gov/ budget. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have questions or comments.

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“This is my 10th year as an elected official in Riverton, sixth as mayor, and I’ve never seen Riverton in a stronger position!.”

Mayor Trent Staggs

ELECTED OFFICIALS

Trent Staggs - Mayor

Andy Pierucci - District 1

Troy McDougal - District 2

Tawnee McCay - District 3

Tish Buroker - District 4

Public Service is a Public Trust COUNCIL MESSAGE

By Councilmember Tish Buroker

I hope your plans for summer include Riverton City. Be sure to visit the Riverton City website and attend some of the great activities that have been planned.

Councilmember Buroker’s Jordan River Commission Assignment

JUNE 6 & 20, 7 p.m.

PLANNING COMMISSION

JUNE 2 & 22, 6:30 p.m.

Claude Wells - District 5 CONTACT US

It has been my pleasure to actively serve on the Jordan River Commission. It has been so inspiring to be part of this great organization.

At the Mayor’s request, I will be serving on the Unified Fire Authority board for the next year. I am enjoying learning more about this important special district, which provides fire prevention, fire inspections, fire elimination and emergency safety services to our city.

Riverton City volunteer groups are fully staffed and provide valuable services to the City. Recently the Historic Preservation Commission completed scanning six binders of historical documents that have been completed over the years.

As always, I appreciate your comments, feedback and perspectives on Riverton City. ,

FIND US ONLINE!

@rivertonutahgov

When I retired in 2014, I finally had a chance to reconnect with the community in which I lived. I started walking the Jordan River Trail and was dismayed to find that the wetland ponds I had once enjoyed were dry and full of weeds. More invasive weeds filled the nearby properties, and the City was using two City owned sites along the trail for dumping leftover dirt, rocks etc. from projects. I started to ask what had happened and what could be done to clean it up. I was directed to the Jordan River Commission and started attending. I learned of the long term plans for the River Corridor including completing the trail, removing invasive plants, and planting native trees etc. I was hooked! Involvement led to running for City Council where I have served since 2017. I love the commission, learning the

history of the river, the flora and fauna, the volunteer projects, the Jordan River Night event and most of all the wonderful people involved. I have served as vice chair, chair, and past chair and several subcommittees. The trail is now complete from Utah Lake to the Great Salt Lake, boat docks have been installed, hundreds of trees have been planted, and all cities are now members of the commission with regular funds being supplied by the Utah Legislature to keep this great work moving forward. Slowly and steadily, progress is being made. In Riverton, the support and expertise of the Commission has resulted in Riverton obtaining grants which have been used to clean up the ponds and surrounding area. I look forward to the progress that will continue in the next 10 years and beyond.

Protect Our Waterways: Cleanup Firework Debris

Did you know that firework debris can be a major pollutant for our streams and rivers?

As you celebrate Independence Day and Pioneer Day in July, remember to sweep firework debris from roads, gutters, sidewalks, and driveways. We recommend placing debris from fireworks in a bucket of water before disposal.

A Snapshot of Riverton’s Emergency Responses and the Whys Behind Service Delivery

By Chief Wade Watkins

On average, Riverton’s fire crews respond to 2,000 plus emergency incidents each year within the boundaries of Riverton. That number breaks down to about 167 incidents per month and six per day. Riverton’s firefighters are all either licensed paramedics or EMTs in addition to being certified firefighters. Medical emergencies account for roughly 80% of the responses with the remaining balance falling into the category of fires and miscellaneous responses of many different types. Responding to these emergencies as an effective response force is key to reducing Riverton’s vulnerability related to unwanted fires and other emergencies.

An incident for our purposes is defined as whenever the public calls for emergency support utilizing 911. Generally, the public calls 911 with the intention to get emergency help where it is needed. Many times, the call is initiated early into an emergency incident. These calls happen fast, and, in many cases, information is limited due to the nature of the situation.

with responders when they are notified. These incidents range from a simple ground level fall that requires an EMT or paramedic to assess the patient’s condition to a large-scale apartment complex fire with immediate fire suppression and searches required.

The priorities of these responses are centered around Life Safety, Incident Stabilization and Property Conservation. Every emergency response is focused on these priorities. An example of this that displays these applied priorities in sequence is a fire response. If a citizen calls 911 and reports that they see fire involvement in a neighbor’s home, the appropriate response will be sent to respond to the emergency. Addressing the priority of Life Safety first, the first arriving fire engine or truck will take command and make the decision to send firefighters to fight the fire or address an imminent rescue and, in some circumstances, accomplish both simultaneously focusing efforts on the safety of all occupants.

“Riverton’s fire crews respond to 2,000 plus emergency incidents each year within the boundaries of Riverton. That number breaks down to about six incidents per day.”

Emergency dispatchers are trained to get the appropriate help coming as soon as the type of emergency incident is received. The information shared from the caller to the emergency dispatcher is shared

The other tasks that support the priority of Life Safety and Incidents Stabilization are ventilation and search for life, controlling utilities and establishing a water supply ensuring there is enough water to control the fire growth. Property Conservation is supported through overhauling the affected areas and preventing further damage, thus salvaging any valued property.

Understanding the “whys” behind the response is important, so I’ll

share an example. The response to the average house fire within Riverton requires three fire engines, one ladder truck, one medic ambulance and a battalion chief, at a minimum. The necessary work is divided between all the responding crews. For this example, please assume each responding apparatus is staffed with four firefighters. The below is what the assignments may look like; the incident commander (IC) will assign the tasks as needed to support the incident needs.

Examples of tasks, priorities, and actions during fire suppression:

1st arriving engine: Incident command, determination of strategy and first line on fire or imminent rescue actions to save life.

2nd arriving engine: Hydrant connection followed by a second line for fire suppression and support rescue as needed.

3rd arriving engine: Back up suppression line, initial search for life, second search for life (very thorough).

4th arriving ladder truck: Forced entry, ventilation, control utilities, open access egress, (RIT) rapid intervention team for firefighter rescue, option for heavy rescue support.

6th arriving medic ambulance: Medical on scene support for victims and firefighters.

7th arriving Battalion Chief: Ongoing incident and resource management until the incident is safely concluded.

As you can see from the above tasks and priorities, decisions supported by capable and wellequipped firefighters support effective responses to our community’s needs. Matching resources to the risk profile supports effective responses with better outcomes.

If you have any questions about how the Unified Fire Authority serves Riverton City, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me, Chief Wade Watkins, at wwatkins@unifiedfire.org

UFA crews from Riverton & Herriman attend to a recent fire. Fortunately nobody was injured and the department’s quick actions contained the fire to just one unit in the complex.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Riverton Town Days July 3 & 4

• Carnival - June 30 - July 4

• Car Show - July 1, 4-9 p.m.

• Parade - July 3, 6:30 p.m.

• Movie in the Park - July 3, 9:30 p.m.

Town Days Rodeo Tickets On Sale Now!

• Activities for Everyone - July 3 & 4, All Day

• Country Mile, 1M, 5K & 10K - July 4, 7 a.m.

• Fireworks - July 4, 10 p.m.

• Learn more at rivertonutah.gov/towndays

• Friday, June 23 & Saturday, June 24, 8 p.m., Riverton Rodeo Arena

• Get your tickets early so you don’t miss out at rivertonutah.gov/rodeo

• Tickets are only $10 each (+$1.89 Processing Fee) and must be purchased online.

• Tickets will sell out early and will not be sold at the gate.

3-Man Arena Sorting Competition

Registration for the Town Days 5K, 10K and 1-Mile Races has begun. Register at rivertonutah.gov/ races. Tuesday, July 4, 7 a.m. (10K), 7:15 a.m. (5K), 8:30 a.m. (1-Mile).

Applications are available online for entries in the Riverton Town Days Parade. Entries are accepted on a first come, first served basis. Find details at rivertonutah.gov/parade Applications Close: June 12.

Riverton Town Days kicks off with the annual 3-Man Arena Sorting Competition. Come watch cowboys and cowgirls work to sort calves. Wednesday, June 21, 7 p.m., Riverton Rodeo Arena. Free Event!

Friday Fun Nights Public Safety Night Register: Flag Football Register: Fall Baseball

Registration for Flag Football ends on August 1. Children in 1st-6th Grade are eligible to participate. Season features 7 games. Register online.

• League Begins Tuesday, September 6

Get your kids age 3-8 years old registered for Riverton City’s Fall Baseball league! Season includes 7 games. Registration closes June 26.

• League Begins Tuesday, August 2

2022-2023 Utah PTA

Reflections Exhibit

Friday Fun Nights in Riverton are the best! We’ve got food trucks, a summer market, entertainment, and a movie in the park every Friday in August.

• Food trucks & vendors open from 6-9 p.m. Movie begins at dusk.

Come see original winning art pieces created by dozens of young Utah artists, all age 18 and younger, that were submitted at this years art competition.

• Monday May 22 - August 19, Old Dome Meeting Hall

The Riverton Police Department and Unified Fire Authority have a great family night with food, games and fun planned at Public Safety Night!

• Wednesday, August 2, 6-8 p.m., Riverton City Park

Continued from front page

in. We made graphs depicting the size of the water bottle and how long it took them to fill up their water bottle. A group of students made up lyrics and a song summarizing the entire issue, as well.”

The students then performed their play and presented their data to the principal, the assistant principal, a member of the school district board and the PTA President. At the conclusion of the presentation, students were prepared to answer any questions the board members had about their proposal.

“The plot of the play basically consisted of a student who fainted from not being able to get a drink of water one day,” Howell said. “While he fainted, he went on a magical journey to find people who could give him water. The last person he found was Principal Pullan and then he woke up from his dream.”

The students were successful in their goal of getting water dispensers installed in the portable classrooms and the invited guests was impressed with their hard work and attention to the problem.

“It was a great experience,” Principal Joel Pullan said. “I had no idea all of this was going on behind the scenes. I just knew I had been invited out to a play and it was important that I be there. It was fun to walk in and not only enjoy all the hard work that the kids had put in, but also enjoy their creative talents and collective abilities to pull off a fantastic performance. They provided me with the data, complete with bar graphs, to help me better understand the process and need and how much learning time was being wasted with students going into the school to fill up the water bottles.”

Howell’s sixth graders began this project in August, performed their play and pre-

sented their data at the end of September, and the water dispensers were purchased by the PTA and installed just a few weeks later. Not only did these students help solve a growing problem, they accomplished many Utah state core standards in the process.

“One of the things that impressed me is that the kids had gone through the core standards that they were learning throughout this time and had identified specifically which standards in the Utah state core they had worked on while doing this project,” Pullan said. “The project, over the course of a month, touching on so many different standards is impressive on its own, but also with this kind of a creative pursuit, is something those students will never forget.”

Howell is proud of his students and the things they learned throughout working on this month-long project.

“One thing they learned was that writing can be fun,” Howell said. “Writing doesn’t always have to be boring. They also learned to advocate for themselves in an appropriate manner, and they gained confidence from this. They were able to practice and work so hard to present to so many teachers on the side for rehearsals and they felt so confident in how hard they worked and how passionate they were about the issue.”

Howell is confident that the things his students learned while working on this project will stay with them throughout the rest of their lives.

“I think it will give them confidence and the know-how of how to go about things properly,” Howell said. “If you want something, go to the source and prepare, plan and work hard, and get your resources together and present your idea. It also taught them how to work well together even if they don’t get along. In real life you’re not going to be able to work with your best friend. You’re

going to have to learn to work with different types of people.”

Pullan was also inspired by the things these students learned as they put their efforts into this project.

“Watching Mr. Howell working with the kids and seeing how, under his direction, he was creatively empowering the kids to affect change, impressed me,” he said. “There’s a lot of incivility in communication now and he created and demonstrated with the kids that you can get things done in creative and appropriate ways and advocate for what you need and what’s important and still be very civil in the process. That had a tremendous impact on me. It’s not just about putting the message out there. It’s about putting the message out there in the way you would like to see change happen.”

The students were each excited to be

involved and there was something for each person to take charge of during the project.

“Everyone did something in this play,” Howell said. “Everyone wanted to be part of this because it was their project and their contribution. They wanted it so much. They knew it would help change our time in the portables and help future classes as well.”

Pullan was honored to be part of such a great project and looks forward to seeing what these sixth graders will accomplish in their future endeavors.

“The learning that comes with the project becomes deep learning,” he said. “It’s no longer superficial because it had a real-life application. It had a direct impact on them. These are standards and understandings that will never be forgotten. It was a great project and I was thrilled to be a part of it.”

Graphs created by sixth graders at Riverton Elementary to advocate for water dispensers in portable classrooms. (William Howell/Riverton Elementary)

Mr. Howell’s sixth graders perform a play they wrote to advocate for water dispensers in portable classrooms. (William Howell/Riverton Elementary)

Sixth graders at Riverton Elementary perform a play they wrote for selected board members to advocate for water dispensers in portable classrooms. (William Howell/Riverton Elementary)

Riverton High School student band wins second place in region, state Battle of the Bands

“Nameless,” a band made up of Riverton High School students, has had a successful run at the region and state Battle of the Bands competitions this year. They won second place in the region competition in March and went on to win second place in the state competition in April.

“The Utah PTA Student Leadership Commission sponsors Battle of the Bands, a yearly event where bands from high schools across the state come together to compete for prizes,” states the Utah PTA website. “We also have some great sponsors who have provided recording sessions and

By Morgan Olsen | m.olsen@mycityjournals.com

playing music together for so many years, they have great supportive parents and a wonderful band teacher and mentor Nate Anderson who helps them along,” Jeffrey said.

The band got its start six years ago with just the Jeffrey sisters, but they were connected as they all went to the same elementary and junior high school. The other two members joined as they all decided to start making music together and have enjoyed the success they’ve shared for one year thus far.

“I am most proud of them when they get on stage and

Utah. Financed by Altabank.

Riverton teacher selected to participate in Echoes of History workshop

By Morgan Olsen | m.olsen@mycityjournals.com

Rachel

Van Orden, a teacher at Rosamond Elementary in Riverton, has been accepted to participate in the Echoes of History: Mistreatment and Incarceration in the American West workshop this summer. She was given a $1,300 stipend to cover travel expenses in order to attend the workshop and was one of 72 selected out of more than 175 applicants to participate in the program this summer.

“The workshop will teach educators about the mistreatment of marginalized groups in the American West,” Ray Locker of the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation said. “The focus is primarily on Native Americans, German immigrants during World War I and the 120,000 Japanese Americans, two-thirds of them U.S. citizens, who were incarcerated at Heart Mountain, Wyoming, and nine other camps around the country.”

The weeklong workshop aims to encourage educators to teach history in a way that it’s not likely to be repeated.

“The main goal of the workshop is to encourage teaching about the Japanese American incarceration to ensure that something like it never happens again,” Locker said. “Many of us never learned about this while we were in school. We also want to build a group of ambassadors for this subject and Heart Mountain around the country.”

The Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation was created in 1996 to preserve the site of the World War II concentration camp for Japanese Americans at Heart Mountain, which is between Cody and Powell, Wyoming.

“We operate a museum on the site and are upgrading the few remaining buildings there,” Locker said. “We have expanded our educational offerings, including the NEH-backed

teacher workshops and in-person and virtual field trips.”

Locker says they received applications from many who were well-qualified, but Van Orden stood out to them as one who would be a great addition to the program.

“We look for a number of things in applicants, including familiarity with the topic, the desire to share the knowledge they gain with their colleagues and a passion for learning,” Locker said. “Every applicant we received this year was qualified, which makes the selection process difficult. We want a good mix of educators from big school districts and smaller ones, states with requirements to teach Asian American history and those that have few Asian Americans.”

Van Orden was ultimately chosen to participate in the workshop because of her ability to use what she learns at the workshop to influence her students and make a difference in the community by expounding on the material taught during her week in the program.

“Rachel comes from a state with a growing Asian American population that was home to one of the concentration camps, Topaz,” Locker said. “Utah was also a refuge for Japanese Americans during the war and afterward. Three former Heart Mountain incarcerees who were in the same high school class in camp still live in Salt Lake City -- William Higuchi, Jeanette Misaka and Raymond Uno. Each has received the Order of the Rising Sun from the Japanese government for their work advancing relations between the United States and Japan. All of that means there are multiple resources for Utah teachers to use as they teach this topic. We think Rachel will be a great person to take what she learns at the workshop to a higher level.” l

Rachel Van Orden will attend the Echoes of History workshop this summer in Wyoming. (Photo courtesy of Rachel Van Orden)

Riverton sixth, Herriman fourth in ranking of safest cities in Utah

WhenSafeWise released its ninth annual Safest Cities in Utah report, Herriman City landed in fourth place. With a population of more than 61,000, it is the largest city in the top 10 rankings. Riverton landed at sixth.

The report shows a violent crime rate in Herriman of 0.7 incidents per 1,000 people and a property crime rate of 8.9 incidents per 1,000 people, a small increase over last year’s 8.7.

Herriman Mayor Lorin Palmer said although the city continues to experience rapid growth, a proactive approach by the Herriman City Police Department has created trust with residents as the city builds a sense of community. He attributes the low crime rate to public-facing policies and programs.

“I think everyone’s tried to hang on to this small-town identity, if you will,” Palmer said. “In a way, we’re still trying to watch out for each other. I think it starts with the community, and our police absolutely support that, but I think it’s our community and watching out for each other, and wanting to stay united and tight-knit as possible.”

The SafeWise report shows package theft is the most troublesome category of crime in Utah, with 30% of survey respondents reporting a stolen package during the last 12 months. Nearly 60% are highly concerned about package theft and use methods

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

like video doorbells and verified delivery to combat porch thieves.

Herriman is no exception. Located at the end of a TRAX line, Palmer said it’s easy for people to get off the train, steal packages and leave the area quickly. Often, the package thieves aren’t from the Herriman community.

“We’re just gonna have to watch that and be vigilant. We’re trying to educate people that we’re not a small town anymore, so we can’t leave our doors unlocked, we can’t leave the cars [unlocked],” Palmer said. “So we’re just trying to educate people in not becoming an easy target.”

Domestic violence is the biggest crime problem in Herriman. Each domestic violence call usually has two officers respond to the situation, which can take up time and resources, especially if the scenario lasts a long time or escalates.

“It can be multiple hours, and that’s pulling away the resources from where we could be doing other proactive stuff,” Palmer said. “Domestic violence is by far our biggest thing we deal with and causes the most concern because that will snowball and have a lot of effect on the community,”

Lone Peak was named the safest city in Utah with a violent crime rate of 0.4 incidents per 1,000 people and a property crime rate of 5.8 incidents per 1,000 people. With

30,210 residents, it also has half the population of Herriman.

The other 10 Safest Cities in Utah for 2023 are Kaysville, Syracuse, Spanish Fork, Riverton, Pleasant Grove, Payson, Saratoga Springs and North Ogden. For the full report, visit SafeWise.com.

“Hats off to our police department and

our community for just working together, for being super vigilant,” Palmer said. “The community trusts our officers.”

Riverton moved up five places on the rankings from a year ago and has the second-highest population in the top 10 with almost 45,000. Its property crime rate was 12.2 incidents per 1,000 people. l

Herriman City was named the fourth-safest city in Utah, with a violent crime rate of 0.7 incidents per 1,000 people and a property crime rate of 8.9 incidents per 1,000 people. Utah’s violent crime rates are 2.6 incidents per 1,000 people, and 21.3 out of every 1,000 people experience property crimes. (File photo City Journals)

Turf conversion grants awarded to seven Salt Lake County cities

Inlate April, Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson announced the recipients of $1.1 million in turf conversion grants. Seven cities across the Salt Lake Valley will be awarded funds from the American Rescue Plan. Recipient cities are Bluffdale, Riverton, Sandy, South Jordan, Taylorsville, West Jordan and West Valley City.

Post-performance grants will be distributed to 21 approved projects to support conversion of turf on municipal property to water efficient landscaping.

“This is a visionary program and we’re helping cities who are already doing great things in working with their residents to be waterwise and eliminate some of the grass throughout our county,” said Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson. “Water conservation is not one city’s duty, not one county’s duty, it’s not one household’s duty, we will make a difference by making the change together.”

In total, projects in the participating cities will remove 412,000 square feet of non-functional turf, saving 9 million gallons of water annually. The effort is part of a collaboration with Salt Lake County, Jordan Valley Water Conservancy Dis-

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

trict, and the Utah League of Cities and Towns to supply resources to support water conservation.

“We are leading by example, so we are flipping the strip at our own city hall,” said Taylorsville Mayor Kristie Overson. “Water is so important but it isn’t handled the same in every city, so we’re excited to be able to individualize this and do what works in our city.”

With the help from mayors and councilmembers from every recipient city, West Jordan kicked off one of its projects with a “turf turn” to commemorate the occasion.

“We wouldn’t ask our residents to do something the city isn’t willing to do, as well, so we’re starting at our own house,” said West Jordan Mayor Dirk Burton, who climbed into a mini excavator to begin the turf conversion project at West Jordan City Hall. “If enough people do these little things, it makes a big difference.” l

Local elected officials join Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson at West Jordan City Hall to kick off one of the turf conversion project designed to create water efficient landscaping at municipal buildings in the county. (Photo courtesy of Salt Lake County)

Jon graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Studies in 2012, then a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2015. Looking to expand his skill set, and broaden his ability to care for his patients, he went back to further his education once more and graduated with a Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of Utah in 2020. Prior to nursing school, Jon worked as a therapeutic preschool specialist at The Children’s Center in Salt Lake City which was ultimately the defining point that inspired him to seek a long-term career working with, and advocating for, children. He worked as a registered nurse at Primary Children’s Medical Center for over five years while working on his doctorate degree. Following graduation, he practiced family medicine for almost a year when he realized that pediatric and adolescent patients were the most fun and decided to switch to a pediatric care-focused clinic. Now he is excited to join Granger Pediatrics – Riverton and provide superior care for the children and adolescents of this rapidly growing community.

Riverton golfer takes fifth at state after impressive second day turnaround

By Travis Barton | travis.b@thecityjournals.com

Hunter Gledhill was struggling the first day at state.

Wind was howling and she was nervous, wanting so badly to play so well that every bad shot felt even worse. But the junior golfer from Riverton High School ended her first round of the 6A state championship on a high. She birdied the final hole of the day and thought, “If I do really good tomorrow, it will balance out.”

It balanced out.

Gledhill followed up her first-round 82 with an astounding 3 under 69 on day two, one of only two golfers to have a round under 70 in the tournament, to finish fifth.

“The second day was just awesome,” she said. “Every shot was just going where I wanted and all those putts where I just wanted it up there were going in.”

“It was cool. To go from 82 to 69 was crazy.”

The junior started on the back nine, the section she said she struggled with both days, and kept her cool. She birdied 16 to help offset bogeys on 10 and 18, setting up her final stretch on the front nine. After birdying the first hole, she would then birdie three of the final four holes (with the other one featuring a 50 foot putt for par) to finish with the second-best score of the day.

“I was pumped out of my mind,” Gledhill said. “I could not believe it. My goal this year was to be first in region and top 10 at state. First day I was tied for 10th so I wanted to be in the 70s the second day. I did really well, then was told I was in fifth place.

“It was cool to be up there with all the big hitters that I’ve heard about and they’re always a couple groups in front of me, so it was cool to stay next to them up there with the medals.”

Gledhill was informed of her placing because she didn’t think about her score once during the final round, placing her concentration elsewhere. She wouldn’t even let her coach tell her.

“I would just take it one shot at a time and just focus on where I needed to put the ball next,” she said. “I didn’t think about my score at all. It really helped me.”

Head coach Trish Marshall added she forced herself to remain calm as well to not affect her, but knew Gledhill had a round like that in her.

“It was channeled that day and it was amazing to watch,” Marshall said.

She had no idea how well she did until her teammates and friends came running at her after the final hole.

“I felt like a proud mom…went and gave her a big hug, it was cool to see,” said teammate Chayse.

Gledhill started playing as a toddler when her dad introduced her to the sport, she would carry her little wooden putter and wooden golf balls, putting around the house. At 6 she started playing in tournaments, enjoying it because

she kept winning.

But around 9 she stopped playing competitively and tried other sports including swimming and volleyball (she plays on the high school volleyball team, too). Freshman year, she decided to pick up the putter again and try out for the Silverwolves golf team.

“And ever since I’ve just loved it again,” she said. “I loved hitting a good shot and just wanted to keep doing it over and over. I just love it.”

Gledhill won the region title this season, both the region tournament and held the overall best stroke average. She said it was a challenging feat to accomplish because she was always paired with Herriman High’s talented Maycee Dehlin.

“She would win a couple and then I would win a couple and then we’d tie, it was crazy,” said Gledhill, who dreams to play in college. “It was fun because it kept me determined, pushing myself to always beat her.”

While her skills are sound—she highlights her irons as the best part of her game— those around her identified a mental equilibrium as Gledhill’s great asset.

“She has a great skillset, very good fundamentals, she works hard, but a lot of girls work hard, and I think the thing that sets her apart is she keeps her emotions really in check,” Marshall said. “She’s a very steady, calm player.”

Marshall highlighted Gledhill’s ability to avoid the “emotional spiral” that can happen in golf. Gledhill doesn’t react much to good or bad shots, Marshall said. The most she’ll see is a small fist pump with a little smile or if the junior turns her hat backwards during a bad round.

“She definitely has an edge there, some of that is inherent but she’s mastered that pretty well,” Marshall said.

For the team, the junior-heavy Silverwolves finished second in region behind Bingham a year after placing second to Herriman. It’s a result that both rankles the girls but also adds an extra fire for next year.

“We all have a little bit more motivation and determination to actually win it,” said junior Kayci Wells, who finished sixth in region this year.

“I feel like it’ll be a good year,” Gledhill said of her senior season that could feature seven returning seniors. “If everyone buckles down and really practices this summer, I think we could be really good next year.”

Marshall, who just completed her first season with the team, was quick to recognize the parents and the girls as they prepare for next year.

“The girls were great, the parents were great, the administration is really supportive,” she said. “I had a lot of luck with a great group of girls and I’m lucky enough to get Hunter and a bunch of these girls back next year and hope we can be even better.” l

Junior Hunter Gledhill shoots a 3 under 69 at Riverbend Golf Course during the final round of the 6A state championship. (Photo courtesy Hunter Gledhill)

Hunter Gledhill and head coach Trish Marshall take a photo together after Gledhill finished fifth at the 6A state championship. (Photo courtesy Hunter Gledhill)

Junior Hunter Gledhill shoots a 3 under 69 at Riverbend Golf Course during the final round of the 6A state championship. (Photo by Jacie Moffat)

Mayor Trent Staggs recognized by U.S. Global Leadership Coalition for Community Leadership

By Dylan Wilcox | d.wilcox@mycityjournals.com

Riverton

Mayor Trent Staggs was recently honored by the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition for his advocacy work in promoting U.S. global leadership as an effective way to strengthen local communities. At a ceremony held at the Old Dome Meeting Hall in Riverton on March 22, Staggs was presented with the USGLC Global Statesman Award in front of family, friends and local leaders as recognition of his exemplary service and leadership.

Staggs expressed his belief in the success of American communities, stating that the success of his own community of Riverton is driven by the strength of the international community. He emphasized the importance of leveraging global leadership to support local communities and drive economic success.

“I believe in the success of America’s communities,” Staggs said. “The success of Riverton, my community, starts with my neighbors here at home and is bolstered by the strength of the international community. I know that what happens around the world matters locally, and continued prosperity in Riverton means leveraging global leadership to support our local community and drive our economic success.”

Staggs also serves as a member of USGLC’s Utah Advisory Committee and signed a Mayoral Proclamation in 2021 that declared Dec. 14 as Global Engagement Day.

“USGLC is proud to honor Mayor Staggs because he has been an influential advocate for strengthening American global

leadership to support our communities here at home,” Liz Schrayer said, President and CEO of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition. “Let’s face it, mayors across the country are on the frontlines every day, addressing global issues that are now kitchen table issues – from the pandemic to our economy – that matter to their constituents. They uniquely understand that America simply can’t ignore what happens outside our borders.”

Staggs hopes that Riverton will become a hub for medicine and healthcare, finance and technology, given Utah’s contribution of 410,000 jobs to the state’s $17.7 billion foreign export business. Schrayer expressed her admiration for Staggs’ advocacy work.

“Mayors, like Mayor Staggs, are stepping up, knowing that diplomacy and development are essential to the health, safety and economic interests of every American family. It’s exciting to recognize them,” Schrayer said.

Since its annual Tribute Celebration in December 2021, USGLC has recognized nearly 100 mayors across the United States for their leadership in addressing global issues that affect their constituents. Schrayer concluded by commending mayors like Staggs for stepping up and acknowledging that diplomacy and development are vital to the health, safety, and economic interests of every American family. l

Mayor Trent Staggs, left, is honored by Liz Schrayer, right, of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition. (Photo Courtesy of Shawn Dhar, USGLC)

Plan Ahead

Riverton-based Wasatch Independent Debate League team competes in New York City

By Morgan Olsen | m.olsen@mycityjournals.com

TheWasatch Independent Debate League won an all-expense paid trip to New York City as they won the Sweet 16 round of essay debates, qualifying them to compete in the Elite 8 live debate finals round of the International Public Policy Forum Global Debate Competition.

“One important thing that came out during all of the rounds, but especially in this Sweet 16 round, was getting to what the core of the debate was,” team member Alexander Henage said. “The other team was giving good arguments but weren’t really at the core of what the topic was. That was something we were able to do well and probably the reason we won that debate.”

The team, made up of Alexander Henage, Richard Henage and Bronson Bishop, felt that their performance in the Sweet 16 round prepared them to take their debate to the next level as they prepared for the finals round.

“I think one of the best things we learned in the 16 round was how important it is to get down to the core issues,” Bishop said. “It was important to understand all the intricacies of the resolution. That helped us a lot in this debate and in the finals. It was really valuable in understanding the topic from a geopolitical standpoint. The round of 16 was one of the most informative rounds for me.”

The outcome of the round of 16 would determine the team’s eligibility for the Elite 8 finals round, so preparation was more intense than preceding rounds may have been.

“The stakes were raised in this round,” Richard Henage said. “I think we put a lot more effort into this round than the other ones. We spent a full month working on it. It was definitely a much bigger debate for us.”

The debate topic remains the same throughout the entire competition, with this year’s topic being the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, specifically whether NATO is good or bad for international cooperation. The team was assigned to argue in the affirmative for the round of 16 debate and won, earning them the all-expense paid trip to New York City for a live debate in the Elite 8 round.

“We had just over a month to get ready for New York City, so we did a lot of preparation,” Alexander Henage said. “Bronson’s family runs an Airbnb so, as we were preparing, they were kind enough to let us stay there for a few days. We would just go there and work on that from sunup to sundown. We had to practice switching from the strategies we’d use in the essay round to the strategies we’d need to use in the live debate round.”

During their monthlong preparation, the team conducted practice debates over Zoom for one hour each morning.

“We practiced debates over Zoom and we’d invite guests,” Richard Henage said. “We

had our uncle, who is a lawyer, give us feedback on our arguments. We also had access to essays of other teams from past years who had gone to the Elite 8, and we got practice using those to see some of the strategies they used.”

The live debates were different from the usual essay-style debates used in previous rounds, and the team used different strategies to make their points more concisely.

“Not only was the time we had to give our speech shorter, but we only had a 90 second break between arguments,” Alexander Henage said. “Bronson assigned each of us roles during the debate and that was really helpful. I would write down the central question of the debate and it helped us be able to focus our replies and get to the core of the argument.”

The team was assigned to debate in the affirmative in the Elite 8 round, just as they did in the Sweet 16 round, but the time constraints of a live debate were something they had to adjust to.

“We had less time to lay things out and we couldn’t have a long introduction and conclusion like we are usually able to,” Richard

Alexander Henage, Bronson Bishop and Richard Henage compete at the Elite 8 round of the International Public Policy Forum Global Debate Competition in New York City. (Alexander Henage/Wasatch Independent Debate League)

Richard Henage, Bronson Bishop and Alexander Henage explore New York City after their live debate at the International Public Policy Forum Global Debate Competition. (Alexander Henage/Wasatch Independent Debate League)

Henage said. “We focused on the affirmative in this debate and we ended up focusing just on one argument instead of having multiple arguments to back up our point. That part was very different. It was fun to have the judges ask questions in the cross-examination period. We got more in depth than we would have in a written debate.”

The trip to New York City was a first for each of the team members. They enjoyed being able to experience the thrill of a live debate, followed by some exploration of the city. Ultimately, the team lost their Elite 8 round debate, but they chose to make the best of their time in the Big Apple.

“It was new for all of us,” Bishop said. “We got to see all the sights and eat street food. We saw a Broadway play. We tried to do it all in the five days we were there.”

Bishop, a junior, plans to return to the team next year. He was grateful for the experience of the live debate rounds and says he learned helpful skills that he will use going into next year.

“Judges are really important to the debate,” he said. “It’s not really that we didn’t understand that going into the round of 8, but we weren’t

watching out for the concerns of the judges as much as we could’ve been. The cross-examination period is a huge opportunity to pick up on what the judges care about and what they’re looking for.”

The team developed a great bond and developed their friendships to a deeper level through working together.

“I learned how to work on a team better and trust each other,” Richard Henage said. “This was a year-long team experience. I learned to trust in and rely on our team members and that is a great skill to learn going forward.”

Seniors Alexander and Richard Henage are grateful for their time in the debate league and will take the lessons they’ve learned this year to help them in future endeavors.

“One thing my debate teacher said which was pretty insightful was ‘do not compete in debate if you can’t stand losing,’” Alexander Henage said. “That’s probably the biggest thing I learned from the finals - learn to lose. It was a good skill to be able to accept that we lost the round. I think that will be helpful as I go throughout life.” l

“ The technician was prompt, worked quickly, and was very professional. They provided outstanding same day service.”

—David C

“ Robert and Mark were great! We had pipes burst at night and they were right there to help us get the water shut off and to help us get all the water out and dried. They were both professional, communication was great and they were thorough.I would recommend them to anyone! ” —Anna D

Richard Henage, Bronson Bishop and Alexander Henage compete at the Elite 8 round of the International Public Policy Forum Global Debate Competition in New York City. (Alexander Henage/Wasatch Independent Debate League)

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Keystone Chiropractic (top left) is open and ready to help you. They are located at 12447 S. Crossing Dr. Suite 109. We enjoyed celebrating with them at their grand opening. We also welcomed: FEASTBox, Java Express, Bambu, Kum & Go, Fudge Co., and Break Bread Barbershop with ribbon cuttings. All are open and looking forward to your visit. We also held our annual Teacher Appreciation Lunch (bottom left) and were able to honor 31 teachers. What a great event!

Mountain West Chamber welcomes Signed by Sugar, Serenity Funeral Home, Bank of the West, and Royals Insurance as our newest members. WWW.MOUNTAINWESTCHAMBER.ORG Susan Schilling 801-280-0595 | susan@mountainwestchamber.org

People say they wish they’d had their grandkids first, but you can’t appreciate the ease of grandchildren without first swimming through the shark-infested sewer that is parenthood. The sleepless nights, the face-wrinkling worry and the gut-clenching idea that you’ve messed your kids up forever is all forgotten when you become a grandparent.

Most Wednesdays, my four youngest grandkids come over after school to play games, make crafts, eat Popsicles and cause random chaos. At 11, 7, 6 and 2, they’re young enough to still find me entertaining, but they also expect me to die at any moment because, at 54, I’m unbelievably old.

The 7- and 6-year-old granddaughters team up immediately, take their usual blood oath (“I solemnly swear that I am up to no good”), then disappear for a while.

My 11-year-old grandson tries to teach me his newest Kung Fu moves while the 2-year-old crawls out the doggie door into the backyard.

As I practice my jabs and leg sweeps, and corral the 2yo back into the house, the 6yo and 7yo discuss how to creep into the attic through an opening in the pantry ceiling. They opt for Plan A which has them scaling pantry shelves to get into the crawl space. When I foil that idea, it’s back to the drawing board.

A second chance

Peri Kinder

Now, the 2yo is missing. I send the girls to look outside and the grandson to hunt downstairs. Earlier, I’d closed my office door so she couldn’t get in, but I find her hiding under my desk, happily listening to us search for her.

While the 11yo beats me at Rack-O, I see the two girls mosey into the garage for Plan B. They look suspicious, so I follow and listen to them figure out how to carry the ladder into the pantry.

“Nope,” I say, as they jump 20 feet into the air.

“We’re just getting Popsicles,” one of them says. They scurry to the freezer and make a big show of picking out the perfect Popsicle before going back inside to resume planning.

The 2yo is missing. After a brief search, I find her sitting behind the recliner, eating Milk-Bones with our dog Jedi.

While the 11-year-old wins Yahtzee for

the third time in a row, I notice the two girls whispering on the couch. They’re on to Plan C: looking for materials to build a ladder since I foiled their earlier strategies. I get out the paints, rubber stamps and crayons and distract them with a craft project.

The 2yo is missing. I find her in the backyard, throwing Jedi’s balls down the window well. Jedi stares down at her favorite ball and looks at me like, “I guess you’re climbing into that spider-infested hole to get my squeaky ball.”

I gather everyone for dinner (only the 11yo eats) before realizing the 2yo is missing. I don’t have to look far. She’s in the hall, coloring the wall with a purple crayon. About this time, my husband gets home from

work to find me washing crayon off the wall. “Why weren’t you watching her?” he asks, like I’d encouraged the toddler to create a lavender mural in the hall. I respond by pouring a tablespoon of antifreeze in his Diet Coke.

Although my Wednesday nights are a bit scattered, I’m in no rush for these kids to get older. I’ve learned how fast children grow up and I don’t want to waste a single minute with them. Even better, these evenings are a lifeline to my daughters who are swimming that shark-infested sewer of parenthood.

“Dozens of doctors told me that there was nothing more that they could do to expect to be in a wheel chair. I went from the top 1% in the army Special Forces to being in so much pain that I could not tie my shoe or hold my new daughter. I did physical therapy and pain killers for years, but nothing worked. Finally, I went to Dr. Smith and I improved exactly as he told me I would. I couldn’t believe it! My wife cried, “I have my husband back.”

—Steve M., Army Special Forces

D.C. CSCS Chiropractic Physician