Sandy Journal | January 2023

‘MY FOCUS IS THE PEOPLE, ALWAYS’ SANDY MAYOR REFLECTS ON THE PAST YEAR

By Sarah Morton Taggart | s.taggart@mycityjournals.com

Sandy City’s first female mayor just wrapped up her first year in office. The City Journals sat down with her to look back on the challenges and accomplishments of 2022 and look ahead to the next 50 years. What has surprised you about being mayor?

How expensive everything is to run a city. Until this year, I had no idea. When I was a council member my job was to set the budget, make sure the budget balances. But from the operations end, now as mayor over all the departments of our city, we’ve been hit hard this year by inflation, fuel prices, rising costs of labor and supply chain issues that have just sent our contract estimates skyrocketing.

As a resident and even as a city councilmember, I used to look at some of our equipment purchases. A million dollars for a fire truck? That can’t be true. And then I learned. How did I learn? By going to the fire stations, doing the ride-alongs. I toured the manufacturing headquarters in Wisconsin where our last fire truck was custom built for Sandy.

Everyone has a custom engine. This is how they do it. We have this urban/suburban/ wilderness interface, so a working fire truck

has to be a hybrid. It has to be a fire engine where it can pump water, it has to be ready for medical equipment. It has to be ready to get into tight neighborhoods like in Historic Sandy or parks and trails. So it has to be very nimble.

That’s just one example. We’re known as a well-planned, very organized, professionally run city. Our contractor estimates, our road projects, bulk waste, asphalting, our water projects, all the estimates this year… normally you build in a 10% contingency. And then we cautiously bumped it up to 20% contingency. Now the bids for the jobs are coming in at 40, 50, 60% over estimates.

So that’s something that everybody is experiencing when you go to the store. This same thing is happening, but on the city scale. So with over 600 employees and a $150-million budget we are turning over every couch cushion to find the funds to maintain that high level of services Sandy residents expect. That’s been our challenge this year.

And then mayoral duties. When I was campaigning last year, I was working around the clock knocking doors as a grassroots can-

Sandy Mayor Monica Zoltanski poses in front of Sandy City Hall to cheer on the U.S. Men’s National Team during the 2022 World Cup. (Photo courtesy Monica Zoltanski)

“Dozens of doctors told me that there was nothing more that

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

Former White House photographer chronicles, shares inside the presidency

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

When former White House photographer Pete Souza was in fourth grade, he taped a photo from the New Bedford Standard Times on his closet door.

It was soon after the assassination of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy in November 1963 with Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson being sworn into the presidency with Jacqueline Kennedy by his side aboard a plane that would fly to Washington, D.C.

“For whatever reason, I was transfixed by the images that came out,” Souza recently told a standing-room only auditorium at Salt Lake Community College’s Grand Theatre. “There was something about the still image that even as an 8 year old, I was struck by enough so that I taped these pictures to my closet door. I know that the photograph taken by Army Capt. Cecil Stoughton, one of the two military photographers assigned to the Kennedy White House, became probably the most famous official White House photograph ever.”

Little did he know then that he found his future career. It took Souza enrolling in a photography class during his junior year at Boston University to realize “it’s what I wanted to do. It was magic to me.”

Souza, who photographed Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama during their presidencies, began his career shooting for the Hutchinson, Kansas newspaper. He moved on to the Chicago Sun Times, where amongst his assignments, he was to photograph the campaign of Harold Washington, who in 1983, became the first Black mayor of Chicago.

That same year, Souza received a call from a former photo director at the Kansas City Star, where he was turned down for a job. She invited him to join the White House photography staff during the Reagan era.

“One of the things I used to tell my

(Ohio University) students was, ‘don’t ever piss anybody off professionally because you never know how they’re going to help you some day,’” he said. “Being an official White House photographer was an amazing experience. Documenting the presidency for history, in a lot of situations, I was the only photographer in the room.”

He recalled covering Reagan when he greeted wounded Marines in 1983 after a terrorist attack in Beirut; watching the space shuttle Challenger explosion in 1986, all four summits with Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev; the Iran-Contra scandal; at the hospital following his wife Nancy’s breast cancer surgery; and even, joining him on vacation.

“He and Nancy would go to Camp David every weekend and ride horses and here he is helping her from a horse,” Souza said as an image projected on a screen behind him. “The idea is that you’re making photographs, not for the next day’s newspaper, but for the National Archives. Every single picture that I made during both during the Reagan administration and the Obama administration are now at the National Archives.”

Souza not only took the photos of the serious moments of the commander in chief, but also, the lighter ones.

“I’m trying to humanize them as much as possible. This is Reagan at a hotel in Los Angeles,” he said referring to another image. “I walked into the hotel room where he was staying, and he was folding a piece of White House stationery into the shape of paper airplane. He looked up at me and he’s, like, ‘I’ll be right with you.’”

Then, Reagan flew his official White House stationery paper airplane off the hotel deck.

After Reagan left the White House,

Souza freelanced for several publications, including National Geographic. Then, as a national photographer for the Chicago Tribune, Souza was among the first photojournalists to cover the fall of Kabul, Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks; he did so by joining the local Northern Alliance soldiers and crossed the Hindu Kush mountains by horseback in 3 feet of snow. Also, while at the Tribune, Souza was part of the team who were awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 2001 for explanatory reporting on the troubled air traffic system.

In 2004, Souza served as the official photographer at Reagan’s funeral. It was

during the flight from Washington, D.C. to Reagan’s final resting place in Simi Valley, California that he realized then he had never seen any pictures of JFK’s casket being flown from Dallas to Washington, D.C.

“Cecil made the decision not to be on the plane with JFK, but to take this film to a lab there in Dallas, get it processed, and get that picture sent out to the world. I can’t imagine trying to make that decision because my instinct would have been you got to be with the President on that plane. Cecil probably chose the right thing to do, but I don’t know that I would have been able to make that decision,” Souza said.

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The photograph of Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson being sworn into the presidency intrigued former White House photographer Pete Souza as a boy. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

That same year, while working for the Chicago Tribune, Souza was documenting newly elected U.S. Sen. Obama. He recalled Obama’s first D.C. office in the basement of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, with no windows or anything on the walls.

“People already were talking about that someday he might be a national candidate and I was like, ‘Man, this is going to be a great contrast photo if he ever makes it.’ The thing that struck me so much about that first day was that I’ve just met the guy, and I’m in his personal space, photographing as he’s having lunch,” he said, pointing out in his photograph that Obama’s young daughter Sasha was eyeing part of the uneaten sandwich. “It’s as if I’m not even there. He’s just more about his businesses. I’m about my business. For a photojournalist, that’s the kind of stuff that you want, right? Somebody who’s just going to do their thing while you’re doing it.”

Souza went on to become the chief official White House photographer.

“I was able to say to him, ‘Look to do this job the right way, I need unfettered access’ and he agreed. My goal was to create the best photographic archive of a president that had ever been done,” he said.

Souza captured moments, which now the world can see on his Instagram posts.

He has moments that highlight the passing of the Affordable Care Act to samesex marriage, from the president receiving the Nobel Peace Prize to Obama singing “Amazing Grace” as an eulogy for Rev. Clementa Pinckney, who was killed in 2015 in a Charleston church shooting. He also shared photographs of Obama touring the 9/11 Memorial Museum while under construction and visiting the firehouse where 18 firefighters died during the twin towers’ collapse.

Souza snapped historic moments.

He photographed Obama visiting Nelson Mandela’s prison cell in South Africa; reflecting at Martin Luther King Jr.’s memorial as the first Black president; sitting on the bus where Rosa Parks refused to give her seat to a white man; and joining in the 50th anniversary of the civil rights march in Selma, Alabama.

Souza’s lens not only saw the occasions that marked Obama’s presidency, but also personal times, when Obama and his wife have a quiet moment in a freight elevator or intertwining their hands on a boat rail in the Gulf Coast. His photographs show the president playing in the snow with his daughters, intensely coaching daughter Sasha’s basketball team or getting zapped by a 3-year-old boy dressed for Halloween as Spider-Man—all which audience members chuckled at as stories were shared.

“I would use quiet cameras, usually one with a wide-angle lens and another one with a short telephoto lens. I had a knack for being unobtrusive. President Obama, in his memoir, says I had an ability to remain invisible. I don’t think I was invisible, but I

think I was able to blend in so much so that I became part of the presidency. I could go right behind him and show things from his perspective and do it in a way not to disturb anybody,” he said.

Perhaps the first of two of the most emotional photos, Souza said, is when Obama and all the national security team were gathered inside a small room within the Situation Room complex in May 2011. Souza took a spot opposite of the officials who were watching a screen that showed Special Forces on the ground raiding the Pakistan compound of Osama Bin Laden, who claimed responsibility for the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

“You’ve essentially got all the most important people in the executive branch of our government all jammed into this room and there’s nothing they can do. They are powerless in this moment because it’s totally up to those Special Forces guys on the ground. You can imagine the tension and anxiety,” he said, recalling that Obama quietly took a place in the corner. “As soon as they had Bin Laden, and the helicopters lifted off from the compound in Pakistan, everybody started filtering through. The reaction was very subtle. There was no high fives, no cheering.”

A second poignant photo Souza shared was when Obama gave a hug to the Wheeler family who just lost their 6-year-old son Ben during the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting.

“The worst day (of Obama’s presidency) happened five weeks after he was reelected. That morning, John Brennan, his homeland security adviser, came upstairs saying there were reports of a shooting at a school in Connecticut,” Souza said, looking at a photo he snapped at the time of the president “reacting as a parent.”

Before Obama spoke to the nation in the press briefing room, he took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. It was the first time Souza had ever seen him do that.

“I think he was worried he was going to lose his composure. Later that afternoon when he went up to residence, Malia had just come home from school. He latched on to her and wouldn’t let her go,” he said to a noticeable collective sob in the audience.

As Souza looks back, and shares his first-hand account through books he published, talking and having his photographs

been displayed globally, and being featured in the 2020 documentary, “The Way I See It,” he knows his experiences are making an impact on others as it did himself.

“I realize how lucky I’ve been when I look back and see how much I’ve been able to witness, especially considering I did get a D in U.S. history,” Souza said, adding that history lessons when he was in school lacked stories and pictures. “There were some days where photographing at the White House was like watching paint dry. But when things were happening, there’s no other place I’d rather be than documenting things as history is unfolding. That was a great honor and privilege to be there.”

During his visit, he also met with SLCC students where he gave the advice to “go out and make pictures every day because that’s how you’re going to get better.” Souza said that because he had been a photojournalist prior to the White House, he was able to “anticipate and recognize moments—and that’s experience more than anything.”

SLCC Humanities Associate Professor Claire Adams said students came to know Souza as a storyteller as well as a photographer.

“His conversation was really informal and came from the storytelling angle as well as the more technical questions from our photography students,” she said, adding that each student received an autographed copy of either his No. 1 New York Times bestseller “Obama: An Intimate Portrait” or his recently released book, “The West Wing and Beyond: What I Saw Inside the Presidency.” “It’s apparent that it’s the dignity of the office that he cares about, not politics. He highlights it through his eyes and through his literal lens.”

Adams said that her Honors 2100 Intellectual Traditions class had watched portions of the documentary preceding his visit and was reviewing his presentation.

“The theme of that class is storytelling specifically. Pete Souza is a really good resource to use in terms of artifacts that we look at in the humanities, such as literature, photographs, art, music. His photographs are definitely something I’ll continue to use in classes,” she said, adding that students and the community took advantage of seeing his “Obama: Intimate Portraits” display at SLCC’s George S. & Dolores Doré Eccles Art Gallery.

SLCC Provost for Academic Affairs Clifton Sanders also was drawn into Souza’s photography and storytelling.

“He was captivating,” Sanders said. “The way that he was able to chronicle history through the photographs and give a little bit of information that no one would know other than him being there in those moments. The pictures are very compelling, but the stories really give depth to the pictures. I just got a sense that he was the person for that time in history. He’s really down to earth. There are no airs about him. What you see is really what he’s like. I can really appreciate that the way he documented and is sharing the history for us all to gain insight and witness it through him.”

The annual Tanner Forum on Social Ethics, funded in part by the O.C. Tanner Co., has hosted about 20 speakers from journalists to scientists “to encourage the community to learn more about the world and encourage us to think more critically about issues,” Sanders said. l

Pete Souza, former White House chief photographer, shared the story behind the photo of President Barack Obama and his family joining Sen. John Lewis and others at the 50th anniversary of the civil rights march in Selma, Alabama. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

I realize how lucky I’ve been when I look back and see how much I’ve been able to witness, especially considering I did get a D in U.S. history.

Pete Souza

“I’ve been powerlifting for four or five years now and I love it. I feel strong and beautiful—and I can eat carbs,” says Carb Dealer SLC

Sandy 2022

Jordan High’s unified soccer team parades into the RSL stadium for the state championships. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

A high school student tries out feeling weightlessness during the SheTech Explorer Day at the Expo Center, which resumed being in-person after going virtual during the pandemic. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

The memorial on the side of the road in honor of the two Hunter students who died in January. The District Crisis Team had to adapt protocol the day of the shooting because of the variables involved. (Greg James/City Journals)

Sadie Gardner unleashes a pitch for Alta softball.

The electric bus was able to make it to the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon without a hitch and even recharged most of its depleted battery on the way down. (Justin Adams/City Journals)

Union Middle’s newsies are stopping the world with its production of “Disney’s Newsie’s Jr.” that was Nov. 30-Dec. 3. (Brooke Grant/Union Middle)

Alta View students give their teacher and “Harry Potter” director Libby McShinsky gifts and hugs at a post-play retirement reception. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Dancers from Local Motion dance studio entertain residents at Cedarwood in Sandy during the community’s Intergenerational Day celebration. (Peri Kinder/City Journals)

business owner Roz Danford. (Roz Danford/Carb Dealer SLC)

Alta High student body leaders gave Utah Gov. Spencer Cox a tour of the high school and had candid discussions with him about issues from mental health to the drought. (Denise Ferguson/ Alta High yearbook)

Savannah Keyes, who grew up in Sandy, performs live in the “American Song Contest” representing Utah on April 11. (Trae Patton/NBC)

Early dismissal on Fridays, which has been a routine in elementary schools, now extends to Canyons School District secondary schools which started this fall. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Kyle Van Noy celebrates during the celebrity event of the American Cornhole League event held in May in Sandy’s Mountain America Expo Center. (Photo courtesy Marlon LeWinter)

Employees from Overstock.com in Utah use their paid company volunteer time on Jan. 14 to assemble tables for Afghan refugee families arriving in Salt Lake. (Jonathan Lo/Overstock.com Utah)

Jordan Valley’s Monet Heath gives a hug to one of the dinosaurs that visited her school. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

First-grade teacher Hailey Beutler updates Edgemont’s March Madness book tournament after the first votes came in for students’ favorite picture books. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Alta boys soccer team co-captain Faris Kurdi was a midfield creator for Alta’s state title winning team. (Photo credit @jacklophotography)

Though clouds appeared and rain threatened, a crowd still turned out to watch the hot air balloons at sunrise in Sandy’s annual Balloon Festival Aug. 12 and 13, with some operators offering kids quick up-and-down rides. (Sandy City)

Indian Hills eighth-grade WEB team welcomes sixth-grade students to their new school. (Marissa Merket/Indian Hills Middle)

Some Park Lane students cheered while others squirmed as Principal Justin Jeffery kissed a crocodile in front of the student body after they surpassed their $12,000 fundraising goal. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

didate. I kept telling myself, should you be elected, it’s not going to be like this. It’s going to be a manageable schedule. You’ll have staff, you will have time and there’s a rhythm to the year and it’s going to be a lot easier than campaigning. And while campaigning was hard, nothing can prepare you for the time demands of this position.

So that’s one of the biggest surprises: how much the mayor’s presence is needed in a city like Sandy. And I love it and I rise to the occasion. I am very active in the community. I’m out every day. It also brings you to the table in many different circles. My view has broadened. I’m always thinking about service to Sandy, but this position has vast opportunities to influence regional decisions, statewide decisions on transportation, housing, economic growth, and quality of life issues in Utah.

The learning curve has been high. It’s the time management, to managing the budget, the formal duties of the mayor and the events. What I love the most is the day-to-day social interactions with my constituents and the people of Sandy. That is definitely the highlight. I love trips to Costco in my red cowboy hat. There is no work life balance at this moment. I’m all in for Sandy City. And I love it. It’s an honor. What is something you’re proud of accomplishing this year?

Fire department reform. Moving from a two-handed engine policy to three-hand. That has transformed and elevated the level of safety for our firefighters and certainly the safety for our community.

There have been so many stories that have come in since I made the change in July. Real stories where they can get in, mobilize, set the scene and combat a fire, avoid risk, aid in a rescue, resuscitate a cardiac arrest victim, a choking victim. Just the immense feedback I’ve had from fire profes-

sionals, my fire department staff, chiefs, chiefs from around the valley. That was something worth fighting for.

And that led to an in-depth review of how we are investing in our fire department in Sandy. And I learned that there’s a lot of things that have been deferred. And so the second half of the year has been serving our firefighters, working with City Council, talking to residents, community stakeholders and identifying the primary needs of the fire departments.

This year for example, we’ve looked at the three-two policy. Now that sounds easy, but what does that really mean? It means we need to hire eight new firefighters to cover those shifts. And you can’t just put up a help wanted ad in the window of the fire department. Recruiting, vetting and training a firefighter is a six-month-long process. And then once they are outfitted and equipped and ready to come on, they need field training to make sure that they understand the city. Sandy City has high standards for service and so it’s a long process.

Starting last summer when we made the change, and with the support of the City Council—I have to credit our City Council—they got on board very quickly once the need was identified. Our firefighters have filled that unmet need to staff three hands on an engine. So our firefighters are doing extra shifts and a lot of extra service away from their families. We have not skipped a beat but it’s because of the dedication of our fire personnel. We couldn’t do it without them, and I’m so grateful. I don’t want them to burn out.

Just this last month I attended the graduation of three new recruits who graduated at the top of their class at the Salt Lake City Fire Academy. So our goal is to by mid-year be fully staffed with those eight new positions. But everything comes at a price. It’s about $600,000 just for the additional personnel that’s needed and that’s in today’s costs. So this next year’s budget cycle we’re planning on maintaining that

increased staffing level.

What is something you’ve really fought for?

I’ve really fought for Little Cottonwood Canyon and the Sandy community who is resoundingly opposed to building

Mayor Monica Zoltanski poses in the city’s new custom-built fire engine at Fire Station 34 in November 2022. (Photo courtesy Monica Zoltanski)

a gondola. That was an issue that was central to my campaign. The first act after coming into office, a resident survey was launched and showed that Sandy residents don’t want the gondola, and they sure don’t want to pay for it. I’ve used my position to learn more, connect with representatives at every level of government to convey that message, and to also offer solutions and alternatives.

It’s not enough to say we don’t want the gondola. We’ve come to the table with something better. The goal for UDOT is to reduce traffic on the canyon road by 30%. And I know we achieve that without massive taxpayer spending. There’s better ways. Some of those ways include tolling, reservations, carpooling using technology for rideshares….There are ways to get up and down the canyon safely without taking one vehicle at a time for each skier or each family.

Since I have been mayor, so many people have come to me with very thoughtful ideas. I have open office hours once a month for residents to come on any issue and talk to me. A couple was in my office a week ago. They live at the mouth of the canyon and can see the traffic backlog right out their kitchen window. These are times when it hits the hardest. Let’s focus on managing cars at these times.

Share a time as mayor when you changed your mind about something you’d been sure about before.

I would say (that) with respect to high-density housing. My background is advocating for open space. I ran on the platform of preserving our single-family neighborhoods in Sandy. I live in east Sandy, and we’ve seen a lot of pocket development. You know, neighbors feel very threatened when they see those orange signs (for rezoning) coming up. I just felt that wherever we could fit it there was this push for high density. And so I became one of those people who was triggered by the words “high-density housing.”

But as mayor, I’ve learned about urban design, walkability, the need for affordabil-

ity. And I’m looking for ways for Sandy to participate and lead out. Do we have areas in Sandy where it can work, like along transportation corridors? Absolutely. And so now I’m more open to the discussion and I’ve learned from different developers who have great projects in the city that can work, like in the Cairns District and between I-15 and State Street. We are ready for it, and I’m embracing it.

So I’d say my reaction to the terms density and affordability have definitely changed. It’s simple to say we’re in a housing crisis and we need more housing. But what we’ve seen in Sandy is we get the density, but we don’t get the affordability. I can see that so clearly from my position. I don’t want Sandy to become an enclave for the wealthy. I want Sandy to be family-friendly, affordable. Families are the heart and future of our city. So we can’t just be building townhomes and condos for the wealthy.

We need to get serious about affordability and we need public policy in the state of Utah that helps builders who want to build and cities who want to host affordable housing. Sandy can’t fund and build its own projects. I would love to build workforce housing for our police, firefighters, snowplow drivers, parks crew, school teachers. My workforce lives in Eagle Mountain and Saratoga Springs. I have a firefighter who lives in Idaho and that’s not right. It’s in the city’s interest to offer affordable housing for our workforce because if we have a natural disaster or an earthquake, how are our first responders going to come into the city living an hour or two hours away? We’re leaving ourselves very vulnerable.

So my focus is on affordability and that doesn’t mean low-income. It means market affordability. A city employee should qualify for a $300,000 townhouse but we don’t have that inventory. So we need to either subsidize the housing that’s being built or the city needs to help our workers who are essential workers buy those homes in our community. And we’re not going to be able to achieve

that without funding from state or federal sources.

I’d say that at the end of my first year I have a deeper understanding of the nuances to the question of development versus keeping everything the same. We have to prepare for the future. As a councilmember I was looking at this year’s budget, next year’s budget. Maybe a couple of years ahead. As mayor you look 30, 50 years ahead. You have to. So what do you see 30 years ahead?

Maintaining our core identity as a beautiful, well-managed city. Having a great mix of businesses that serve the needs of the local community. Restaurants, recreation, nightlife, shopping, entertainment venues, great public gathering places for community events. Quality schools, neighborhoods that are safe. Well-funded police, fire, first responders and essential employees.

The Cairns District and Stadium Village are master planned and designed for

tall buildings and walkability. In order to achieve that, in order to maintain our character and embrace quality growth, what’s missing? Transit and transportation. That’s the key. Hopefully, when the mayor looks out her window 30 years from now, there’s going to be a bridge that connects the FrontRunner to Sandy. There’s going to be another interchange off the freeway between 106th South and 90th South.

And it’s my hope that our beautiful mountain view that you can see from City Hall, the view corridor, will also be preserved. And Dimple Dell Park, which is at the heart of our city, will remain as a place of natural refuge and wilderness. Kids 50 years from now will be racing down the hill, tearing up the wood chip trail. They’re running with their dogs and riding their horses just like they are today. l

Sandy Mayor Monica Zoltanski serves Thanksgiving lunch at the Sandy Senior Center. (Photo courtesy Monica Zoltanski)

On Oct. 13, hundreds of Glacier Hills kindergartners through fifth-grade students’ voices blended into a sweet melody that brought a huge smile on the face of achievement coach Jeni Wariner.

It was the schoolchildren’s first time singing their school song, one which Wariner wrote with her family.

“She is one of the most musical people I’ve ever met,” Principal Julie Winfree said. “Not just musical as in she plays a piano for church or that she probably averages a concert a week, sometimes more. She loves music and her entire family is musical, including her daughter and her boyfriend. Her husband is the sound engineer for BYU (Brigham Young University). Jeni is probably the most positive individual I have in my life, just this ray of sunshine. So, when I asked her to write the school song, I trusted she would take her musical background and her positivity to make a beautiful song.”

Wariner, who has taught music and plays keyboard, organ and accordion, began the song over the summer.

“I wrote down Yeti words and then, I wrote down our expectations in my notebook,” Wariner said. “I already had a tune in my head, so I wrote out some lyrics and just started singing acapella to a voice memo. I

Yetis cheer for new Glacier Hills school song

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

sent it to my husband to see if he thought it was any good. When he said yes, he liked it, so we got together.”

Her husband, who majored in jazz guitar at Utah State University, is used to collaborating with Wariner as they performed in the band, Arkansas Travelers, back in the day. Their daughter and her boyfriend joined them in the family recording studio. Together, they added chords, chord progressions on keyboard and electric guitar.

“We worked on it and had a lot of different iterations for about a week, every day,” she said. “The song is part of the school’s identity; it’s the culture you want to build. It’s eternal. So, I worked on it some every day. I knew we wanted to include our expectations in it. It was difficult paring down the words so I kept working on it.”

The school expectations include respectful, responsible and making safe choices.

“I asked Jeni to think about everything that we wanted to build here at Glacier Hills and then tie in the Yetis, so the song summarizes who we want to be,” Winfree said. “It’s catchy. It’s appealing to kids because it is energetic and exciting and will bring about school spirit. We were talking about doing a cheer and a song, but then she kind of put them together and it ends with that. She’s just super creative.”

That’s because the achievement coach, who not only was a former band member, Wariner also was a cheerleader.

The school song ends with the cheer: “Glacier Hills, that’s our school! Yetis make learning cool!”

The chorus also spells out the mascot: “Y-E-T-I, Yes, I’m Yeti. Y-E-T-I for learning,

we are read!”

The “Glacier Hills Song” was finished in July and the faculty and staff sang it at the ribbon-cutting in August.

“The song is lively and upbeat and more modern than some of the other songs,” Wariner said. “It’s fun and exciting seeing it sung.” l

Monday 8-5 Tuesday: 7-4 Wednesday: 8-5 Thursday: 8-5 Friday: 7-2

Glacier Hills Achievement Coach Jeni Wariner leads students in the first singing of their new school song. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Inclusivity increasing as more area high schools support unified sports and activities

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Hillcrest High School junior Kori Carmona Lopez wants to win, the same as any high school student-athlete.

“It’s my favorite part, of course,” she said.

Carmona Lopez, who plays unified soccer and basketball, bonds with her teammates.

“The best part of being a unified player is having helpers and making and being friends with them. I just love it,” she said. “We hang out, walk the mall, watch movies, do anything. They asked me to join LIA (Latinos-in-Action) so I’m doing more at school now. I just went to the Salsa-Salsa party; it was fun.”

That is a welcomed outcome, said Courtnie Worthen, manager of Special Olympics Utah’s Unified Champion Schools, that promotes a three-tier approach through unified sports, inclusive youth leadership and whole school engagement.

“The best things are the inclusion, the friendships they create, how the athletes are celebrated and are included in school activities,” she said.

Inclusion is increasing in area schools. When Worthen joined the Special Olympics staff four years ago, there were about 15 schools. Now, it’s “pushing 100.”

While Special Olympics encourages inclusion in all schools, a noticeable difference is seen in high schools. Brighton High Principal Tom Sherwood said it’s important.

“Everybody benefits,” he said. “We want our school to be a microcosm of our communities. Our special needs students don’t just make up 10 to 15% of schools; they make up 10 to 15% of our population. Inclusion needs to start in schools. The more we can learn to understand each other, the more it expands our humanity.”

Unified sports are a catalyst, Worthen said.

“Training and playing together often leads to friendship and more understanding,” she said.

Unified sports empower individuals with and without intellectual disabilities to play together, promoting inclusion through training and competition. Whether it’s sharing the ball in soccer and basketball or passing the baton in a track relay, students are participating in unified sports from elementary school to the professional level with Real Salt Lake’s unified team.

While the Utah High School Activities Association partnered to bring unified sports into high schools in 2012, a big push came two years ago when Gov. Spencer Cox and First Lady Abby Cox cheered on the high school unified soccer teams in the state championship games at Real Salt Lake’s stadium. Previously, state was

played on a high school field.

“The First Lady, as part of her initiative ‘Show Up,’ came on board and gave us a bigger microphone to share our mission. People started to notice and see what unified sports is and can be and they want to be a part of it,” Worthen said.

At this fall’s unified state soccer championships, Miss America Emma Broyles sang the national anthem, and Miss Utah Lindsey Larsen and RSL goalkeeper Zac MacMath joined her to award medals.

Last year, the unified state basketball tournament was held at Weber State University, which attracted college and semi-professional mascots and cheer squads to join high school cheerleaders in supporting the athletes. Unified track this year will be included in the state track and field meet at Brigham Young University.

Unified Champion School’s College-growth Coordinator Boston Iacobazzi said 37 high school unified soccer teams competed this fall and estimates 56 teams will play basketball in March.

“We’re looking at having three unified team sports and three unified individual or pair sports per year,” he said. “We have soccer, basketball, swimming and track and field right now; we’re deciding which sports to possibly add.”

Brighton, which won a state unified basketball title last year, also has students compete in unified soccer and has individuals on the swim team.

“If we truly believe high school sports add value to students’ educational experience, why wouldn’t you want as many students who are able to participate? It’s a very authentic experience and opportunity for everybody to benefit,” Sherwood said. “It’s a win-win.”

Jordan teammates sophomore Xavier Steggell and junior Cael Sieverts played together this past soccer season.

“It’s great to get to do sports and support each other,” Sieverts said. “We spend time practicing and hanging out together.”

Steggell added that it’s competitive, yet fun.

“We’re getting to enjoy the sport for the pure fun of it,” he said.

That’s what six-year Hillcrest High unified coach Shannon Hurst appreciates.

“I like the joy little things bring to the athletes, like kicking the ball or dribbling it down the field or court,” she said. “It offers perspective. Those little things bring so much happiness. The more buy-in and getting involved as faculty, with support from admin(istration) and our community, the bigger it has grown and been accepted. That’s important. They deserve the same kind of recognition, the same programming and the same support.”

Iacobazzi, who completed his student

teaching for his college degree at Alta High, reignited unified sports at the school.

“Being a coach gave me a different experience than being a partner,” he said. “As a unified partner, I was there to have fun playing alongside the athletes. As a coach, I’m teaching them how to be inclusive, playing together. What helped was the partners. A lot of them were peer tutors in the classroom. Alta’s girls’ soccer team taught a bunch of drills, and some of those girls just kept playing with the team.”

Iacobazzi didn’t grow up playing soccer. He first was a peer tutor, then his first soccer experience was playing for his high school unified team, under Hurst, when Hillcrest represented the nation at the 2018 Special Olympics USA games. Iacobazzi helped gain momentum with forming Real Salt Lake’s unified team.

In a state qualifying matchup, Alta played against Murray High, who eventually became state champions. Murray brothers Braedon and Turbo Domiguez played in the championships and their parents, Kim and Dean, witnessed their gold medal win.

“This program gives our kids a chance to get out and participate,” Kim Domiguez said. “As special needs’ parents, we spend all our time when they’re little trying to teach them the basics—how to eat, how to talk to somebody, how to interact. We’ve

missed out on our kids growing up playing soccer and basketball, so this has been really nice to feel like a soccer mom. We brought our cooler full of Gatorade, our canopy and chairs. This is our time to cheer for our kids.”

That feeling of “belonging” stretches to the athletes on the field.

“These kids are there for each other. They cheer for everyone. It doesn’t matter which side you are on. They’re excited for everyone to score and have that success. They still want to win, but they want everyone to have fun,” Domiguez said, adding that high school cheerleaders also cheer for every player at all schools.

Her husband said learning skills and translating those in a game has given his sons confidence and a sense of accomplishment.

“On the field, they learn key concepts of the game that you practiced with them, so when they get the goal or they get the stop as a goalkeeper, you can see that moment of joy when they see they ‘got it,’” he said.

Domiguez agrees: “It’s that love of sport and team in their eyes. It’s the same for all athletes. They will raise their arms, jump up and down, dance. They just light up.”

Parent Misti Smith watched her son Ashton play on Hunter High’s unified team.

In May 2022, Jordan High unified track teammates pass the baton during the 4x100 relay at the state meet. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

“Our children would not get these opportunities if it wasn’t brought into the schools,” she said. “I would never have known that Ashton even liked soccer or basketball, but these opportunities came, and I’ve watched his competence and confidence grow. He feels like a rock star when he comes to these games.”

Hunter parent Christie Rasmussen was cheering on her daughter Whitney, who made the first goal of the state semifinals.

“My daughter is making friends that she necessarily probably wouldn’t ever had if it had not been for this program,” Rasmussen said, adding that now Whitney is a cheerleader for the Wolverines. “Because of this, our gen(eral) ed(ucation) kids come and cheer.”

That happened at the recent regional soccer tournament Hunter hosted when students came with their classes.

“When they cheered, these kids saw their faces there for them. It’s building the camaraderie between the students and making our athletes feel like they’re actual Hunter Wolverines and that they have a place here,” Rasmussen said. “It’s (partner student-athletes) who we parents thank God for because they’re angels on earth and make our kids feel like somebody.”

She credits unified sports as the spark that is extending more opportunities to special education students.

“Because of this team, it has pushed our faculty to realize our kids have these abilities that can be extended. Our theater teacher got approval for them to perform an adaptive musical,” Rasmussen said, adding that Whitney was cast as Belle in “Beauty and the Beast,” which was performed in early December.

Last spring, Hunter students pledged

to be inclusive by signing a poster that hung in the school and many students participate in the unified class taught by PE teacher and unified coach, Ashley Ellis.

Ellis said after-school practices aren’t feasible for everyone, so she created a unified class following the lifetime activities curriculum.

“I wanted our students to participate in unified sports, and thought, that’s a way to get more kids involved,” she said, starting with sharing with the partner students the history of Special Olympics and the goal of inclusion.

Together, they introduce different sports’ skills.

“As a PE teacher, I saw those kids come into our regular PE classes, and they were not as successful as they could have been. To flip the script and make the class for them and with our regular ed students helping them, it’s changed the playbook so they can be successful,” she said, adding often those partner students join the school’s three unified sports teams. “It’s been the greatest thing. Other schools may think this class is a big daunting task, but the benefit far outweighs any work. Through unified sports, they enjoy sport at its purest form. Unified takes everything that is good about sports and celebrates it.”

Hunter’s unified class is held before lunch.

“Everybody goes into the lunchroom together; they eat together and they’re all laughing. Before, many of them didn’t, they weren’t sure where they fit. Now, that inclusivity flows into other areas of our school,” she said.

Many schools have peer tutors who help students with disabilities be successful.

“They are their buddies who escort them to places, provide support and help them integrate with the rest of the kids,” Sherwood said, adding last spring, Brighton’s peer tutors organized a prom designed for about 50 students with severe cognitive or physical disabilities.

At Murray High, peer tutor Farrah Baldwin said she’s “there to help and answer questions, but not to do it for them.”

Her classmate Kendall Bridgewater is a peer tutor in a foods class.

“When these kids with disabilities go into gen ed classes, others get to understand the things that are easier and harder for them to do and that helps everyone be less judgmental and more just willing to get to know them,” she said. “Plus, with cooking, they’re learning a life skill and I’m getting to learn it too. The other day I learned there are five different ways to cook an egg.”

Both seniors are part of Murray High’s Best Buddies, a nonprofit organization that supports inclusion through friendship and leadership. Murray’s club activities stretch from making slime to pumpkin bowling to hosting a Friendsgiving. Plans are underway for a friendship walk in April.

“Everyone in the club knows they have a buddy and can hang out together,” Baldwin said.

Bridgewater is on board: “I want to be a person they can come to in the hallways or see outside of school and know they have a friend.”

Club adviser and unified coach Jessie Agiriga said they’re building an inclusive school environment.

“We want our community to realize everyone has a place where they belong, they are heard, and they are seen,” she said. “Our club officers, who are both special education students and their peers, plan and

organize activities for the school. As a result, our students naturally pair up to form friendships.”

Throughout the state, special education and general education students have paired up to serve on Special Olympics’ Youth Activation Commission where, as school leaders, they learn how to spread inclusion in their school, said Iacobazzi, adding at February’s youth summit, students will discuss the unified generation and how to empower peer leaders.

Special Olympics Utah CEO Scott Weaver explained that each step builds.

“We’re hoping they feel valued as an athlete and they’re seen as part of their school’s athletic program; they’re getting the attention at a pep rally and having fans in the stadium waving the flags and banners for them,” he said. “By having the opportunity to belong to a club, they’re impacting the school as leaders. The third part is whole school inclusion.”

Schoolwide activities have ranged from inclusive assemblies and themed spirit days to Disney Days and fitness challenges.

In addition to Unified Champion Schools, Worthen said two high schools recently were added to make four Utah schools who have met and are sustaining 10 requirements to qualify as national banner schools. Hillcrest, which earned the recognition in 2019, is the only one in the area.

Sherwood said inclusivity benefits both the school and the community.

“As schools start down the road of being as inclusive as they can and provide opportunities for all students, people are going to see the value,” he said. “Once you see it, then you’ll never turn back.” l

Alta High’s unified soccer team created a tunnel to pump up its athletes during a September 2022 regional tournament. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

At Hillcrest High, freshman Isabelle Wood pied math teacher Matt Synder during a schoolwide assembly in November 2022. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Strong Beetdigger basketball team prepared for region

Photos by Travis Barton

Rachel McKea shoots a free throw in the tight 65-63 victory over Corner Canyon during Jordan’s Beetdigger Classic in mid-December. Through its first six games, Jordan was 4-2 with wins over Corner Canyon, Highland, Kearns and West Jordan while dropping games to 6A schools Herriman and Copper Hills.

Lea Afu has been pivotal for the Beetdiggers so far averaging almost 15 points and eight rebounds per game with her strong inside presence and smooth shooting stroke.

Point guard Elle Jacobson leads the team in assists facilitating Jordan’s offense. The Beetdiggers were set to start region Jan. 3 at Timpanogos before its first region home game against Alta on Jan. 10.

Leading scorer Fui Niumeitolu was averaging 21 points per game heading into the Tarkanian Classic the Beetdiggers were slated to attend.

IN THIS ISSUE:

Z News 1

Sandy Business Connect 1

Snow Removal Reminders 2

Christmas Tree & Cardboard Recycling 2

2023 Waste & Recycling Calendar 2

Alta Canyon Sports Center 3 River Oaks Golf Course 3

HR Jobs Corner 3 Parks & Recreation 4 City Recorder/Passport Of ce Teams 4

Youth Musical Auditions 4

Public Works: Fleet Division 5 Steel Magnolias 5 Public Open House 6

Introducing Flash Vote 6 Stay Safe During a Winter Storm 6 Social Media Highlights 6

Code Enforcement Corner 7 Conservation Reminder 7 Calendar of Events 7

Z News

Dear Sandy Resident,

As I enter my second year as your Mayor, I want to express my gratitude for the honor and privilege of serving as the Mayor of Sandy City. I have heard from many of you who are feeling a renewed sense of energy in our community as we work together to build and improve our community. I am looking forward to furthering our civic pride and nding new ways for you to be involved in key city decisions that will shape our future.

One of my main priorities for this year is securing funding for three important capital projects for the city: the construction of a new main re station (Fire Station 31), the completion of the Public Works building for the city eet, garage, and snow plows, and the rebuilding or renovation of the Alta Canyon Sports Center.

Public safety is of the utmost importance in Sandy City, and I am proud to lead a city that supports our police and re departments. In addition to our rst responders, we are fortunate to have dedicated city employees who provide exceptional service to our residents. I have been impressed by the many residents who have reached out to express their support and appreciation for these hardworking employees. Our parks, utilities, roads, planning, and business services make Sandy City one of the bestmanaged cities in the state.

Your input is extremely valuable to me, and it helps me to prioritize your needs and allocate resources e ectively. I value hearing from you at city events, council and board meetings, town halls, and through our city surveys.

If you have not already done so, please consider signing up for our new survey platform, FlashVote. Your responses will help us make data-driven decisions on important city issues. You can sign up now at flashvote.com/sandycity or call (775) 235-2240 to participate by phone or text.

is year, I encourage you to attend your City Council meetings, either in person or online. ese meetings take place almost every Tuesday night at 5:15, and this is where major budget and land-use decisions are made. You can nd the link to listen to council meetings online at sandy.utah.gov/citycouncil

I am committed to transparency and maintaining open lines of communication. at's why I am out in the community every day - to be accessible to you! I hold monthly o ce hours for constituents to come and talk with me about any city business. In addition, you can stay up-to-date and informed by following the Mayor's page on Facebook, which I update personally on a daily basis.

I have worked with my sta to provide additional opportunities for you to be involved in your local government. Please take advantage of these resources:

• Sign up for Sandy My Alerts to receive noti cations by text, email, or telephone in case of an emergency at sandy.utah.gov/myalerts

• Connect to city websites sandy.utah.gov and SandyNow.com

• Follow our city's social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube for daily updates @sandycityut

• For more ways to connect with us, visit: sandy.utah.gov/CitizenConnect

If you would like to contact me directly, please send an email to mayor@sandy.utah.gov. I look forward to hearing from you.

I wish you, your family, and your neighbors good health, peace, and prosperity in 2023. Happy New Year!

Yours in Service, Mayor Monica Zoltanski

Sandy Business Connect

Sandy’s Economic Development Department has created a vision to develop a web presence and business communication and development ecosystem to help businesses of all shapes and sizes by providing them with the resources and connections they need to be successful. Additionally, it’s the goal of Sandy City and more speci cally, the Economic Development Department to more deeply highlight the businesses that cultivate the community of Sandy.

Accordingly, this vision led to the creation of Sandy’s new business communication and development program, Business Connect, which envisions a one-stop-shop for Sandy’s business community.

e rst phase of Business Connect has recently been launched. is includes a website located at sandy.utah.gov/ businesshighlights and Instagram and Facebook social media pages to highlight Sandy businesses and showcase the unique products and services they provide. Additionally, these resources provide Sandy residents the opportunity to discover everything the Sandy business community has to o er. is is only the beginning for Sandy’s Business Connect Program. In the coming months, there are plans to launch a full Business Connect website to truly provide a one-stop, Sandy business hub which will include business resource information, networking and business opportunities, on-going business highlights, and development updates. Stay tuned for more to come….

Photo contest winner: Jake Adams

Snow Removal Reminders Christmas Tree Recycling Cardboard Recycling

Sandy City and Waste Management would like to make it easier for residents to recycle their cardboard packaging throughout the year and especially now during the holiday season. To help, we have placed cardboard dumpsters at the following location for residents:

• Sandy City Public Works

8775 S. 700 W. Sandy, UT 84070

Sandy

Storm Mountain Park 11400 S. 1000 E.

Bell Canyon Park 11400 S. 1700 E.

Flat Iron Mesa Park 8600 S. 1700 E. (Lower west parking lot)

Highpoint Park 7800 S. 1000 E.

Crescent Park 11000 S. 230 E.

Wild ower Park 9939 S. Wild ower Road

When inclement winter weather hits, the Public Works Department is hard at work clearing roads for safer travel. eir priority is to make all main arterial roads passable for public safety, schools, and re stations. If the snow continues to fall, the city’s goal is to keep the main roads clear. In such instances, it is unlikely that residential roads will be reached immediately because main roads must be repeatedly plowed. It is important for residents to keep cars and debris out of the road so that snowplows and other maintenance vehicles can work with little or no interruptions.

As residents of Sandy City, each property owner plays a role in helping to keep roads and sidewalks free of snow and ice. Listed below are reminders for all residents: e following actions are not allowed:

• Blowing or pushing snow into any city street.

• Parking on city streets during a snowstorm or during the 24 hours after the end of the storm. (Depending on the situation, police o cers are authorized to either cite residents or have vehicles towed if they are not in compliance with any ordinance).

Homeowner Responsibilities

• Removing the snow in front of your mailbox and re hydrants once plows have been through the neighborhood.

• Clearing snow from sidewalks in front of your home within 24 hours of a storm.

For questions regarding snow removal, please call:

Streets - Public Works: (801) 568-2999

Private Sidewalks - Code Enforcement: (801) 568-7254

Parking Issues - Police Dispatch: (801) 799-3000

City buildings, trails, and parking lots - Parks and Recreation: (801) 568-2900

During a snowstorm, if you would like to see the locations for the Sandy City snowplows, please go to sandy.utah.gov/plowtracker

Parks & Cemetery Shop 9120 S. 700 E.

Please ensure that all lights, ornaments, tinsel, and garland are removed from the trees as well as stands. Trees that have been ocked should not be taken to any of these locations since they are not recyclable. Flocked trees can be cut into pieces and placed in your waste container. Finally, bulk waste, garbage, yard waste, and commercial dumping of trees are not acceptable. If you have any questions, call Public Works at (801) 568-2999 or Parks and Recreation at (801) 568-2900.

Open Monday–Friday, from 7 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

e cardboard bin is located inside the Maintenance Entrance gate on the north end of the property on the west side of the salt storage building. (See the map using the web link below). If you have problems locating the bins, please check in at the o ce.

For more information, visit: sandy.utah. gov/1725/Cardboard-Recycling

City will have areas identi ed at the following locations for the collection of Christmas Trees from Tuesday Dec. 27, 2022, until Tuesday morning Jan. 17, 2023:

9565 S. Highland Drive, Sandy, Utah 84092

HOLIDAY HOURS

See website for updated holiday hours

ALTA CANYON MEMBERSHIP SALE

Jan. 2-30

Get the biggest discount of the season right here at Alta Canyon Sports Center. 20% o all annual memberships, aerobics punch cards (limit 2) and A+ memberships. is once-a-year discount is only available Jan. 2-30.

JUMP START

You don't need a New Year's resolution; you need the Jump Start program. It's perfect for those who want to merge an in-person and at-home personal training regimen. Enjoy expert advice from certi ed trainer, Tess, then follow along at home.

BALANCE FITNESS

Working to develop core strength and to gain a heightened mind and body awareness? Our Balance Fitness course integrates barre workout with the principles of Pilates and biomechanics. Our experienced instructor will help you through the movements ultimately improving balance, poise, stability, and exibility.

is is a limited-time specialty course for 6 weeks to develop balance, poise, stability, and exibility.

Jan. 13 – Feb. 17 Fridays at 8 a.m.

PRESCHOOL (AGES 3-5)

rough free play, group learning, and outdoor play, we o er a variety of activities to help children learn and grow as individuals. We provide a safe learning environment that allows children to be creative and build con dence.

Monday-Friday 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. with scheduled class time.

BEFORE & AFTER SCHOOL (K-5TH GRADE)

We provide transportation to and from school. We also provide care all-day for children when o school.

Children enjoy games, arts and crafts, eld trips, homework time, snacks, and many fun activities throughout the school year.

Call to see if there is room for your child(ren) at (801) 568-4600.

KARATE:

Dedicated to teaching Shotokan Karate, IMA is a family-oriented dojo o ering classes to children and adults of all abilities and levels.

Friday night class at Alta Canyon Sports Center from 5 - 6 p.m. imautah.com

9300 South Riverside Drive, Sandy, Utah (801) 568-4653

Sandy.utah.gov/golf

WE ARE OPEN!

River Oaks does not close because of a little snow or cold air!

We o er Winter classes and lessons.

Keep your golf game going with a little “tune-up” in preparation for the 2023 golf season.

INDOOR GOLF LESSONS & NEW CLUB FITTING

Are you looking to buy a new club before the snow melts? River Oaks has a state-of-the-art indoor golf studio where we can t you for your new clubs. Our club tters are trained directly from the manufacturers so you will get the best t possible.

Fittings are FREE if you purchase the club from us, and we match any local price on equipment.

Our indoor studio is also used for winter golf lessons. Golf lessons include a video summary of the lesson, so you don't forget what you learned throughout the year. You will always have something to go back too. Lessons are taught by Ryan Holt who was named to the Golf Digest Best Teachers in Utah List. To schedule your tting & lesson email Ryan at ryanholtgolf@gmail.com.

THANK YOU for choosing Sandy Parks & Recreation!

PARKS & RECREATION

2023 SPRING SPORTS

SOCCER

Registration begins Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023

Grades: Pre-School–9th Cost: $55–$65 Registration Deadline: March 5

ADULT SOFTBALL

Registration: Jan. 17–Feb. 24 (Returning 2022 Sandy Teams) March 1–Until Full (New Teams) Cost: $555/Team Games begin: April 10

BOYS BASEBALL

Registration begins Monday, Feb. 13, 2023 Age: 7–13 yrs. Cost: $55

Registration Deadline: April 16 Games begin: May 1

GIRLS SOFTBALL

Registration begins Monday, Feb. 13, 2023 Age: 7–12 yrs. Cost: $55

Registration Deadline: April 16 Games begin: May 1

T-BALL/COACH PITCH

Registration begins Monday, Feb. 13, 2023 Age: 4–6 yrs. Cost: $40

Registration Deadline: April 16 Games begin: May 1

38TH ANNUAL MEN’S SNOWBALL SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT

Come join us for our 38th annual Snowball Softball Tournament. Grab your friends, co-workers, family members, and neighbors, form a team and come play softball in the winter. Double Elimination format. Games played with eld conditions as is-rain or snow.

Dates: Feb. 10 & 11

Deadline: Feb. 3 by 5 p.m. Cost: $300/Team

Location: Bicentennial Park–530 E. 8680 S. Quarry Bend Park–9020 S. Quarry Bend Parkway

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO Avalanche Awareness Presentation

Join us as a community, bring your family and friends to learn from the Snow Professionals. Know Before You Go is a free avalanche awareness program. Not much science, no warnings to stay out of the mountains, and no formulas to memorize. In one hour, you will see the destructive power of avalanches, understand when and why they happen, and how you can have fun in the mountains and avoid avalanches. Learn the basics of how and when to travel safely in the mountains. Learn about and check out avalanche safety gear and equipment. Win great prizes for coming. is is a presentation you won’t want to miss. e presentation is in cooperation with Sandy Parks and Rec and the Utah Avalanche Center and FREE TO THE PUBLIC.

Date: ursday, Jan. 26, 2023 from 6 – 8 pm. e presentation itself is from 6:30 – 7:30 pm.

Location: Sandy City Hall Multipurpose Room (10000 S. Centennial Parkway, Sandy, UT)

BASKETBALL FUN SHOT COMPETITION!

Each Participant will have two, one-minute rounds to score as many baskets as possible from ve di erent shooting spots. Each shooting spot will have a di erent point value ranging from 2-5.

Top two winners from each division advance to the regional competition. First place winners from a regional competition advance to the nals held at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Divisions will be Boys 3&4th, 5&6th, 7&8th, 9-12th, Girls 3&4th, 5&6th, 7&8th, 9-12th. Please sign up under the grade division we will separate boys and girls. Date: Saturday, Jan. 14 Time: For the speci c time frame for each division visit sandy.utah.gov/registration Cost: Free (pre-registration required) Location: Sandy City Parks & Recreation—440 E. 8680 S.

ONLINE REGISTRATION FOR ALL PROGRAMS: sandy.utah.gov/registration

PARKS & RECREATION JOB OPENINGS: sandy.utah.gov/jobs

e Fleet Division plays a major role in enabling other departments to deliver services to the citizens of Sandy City. Fleet consists of 625 assets and employs 12 people who take great pride in their work. e Fleet team consists of 8 technicians, 2 part-time couriers, 1 eet administrative assistant and 1 eet manager. For management and procurement of repair parts, Fleet has a contract with NAPA through their Integrated Business Solutions (IBS). As part of this contract, NAPA has 1 full-time employee assigned to Sandy City to be the point of contact for the technicians when they are repairing vehicles and equipment.

Sandy City owns and maintains everything from lawn mowers to large re apparatuses. Fleet is responsible for the purchase, disposal, maintenance, registration, parts, and fuel cards for all assets. e city has an annual operations and maintenance budget of $3.1 million and an annual replacement budget of $4.2 million for vehicles and equipment which have passed their service life.

When it comes to replacement, many factors determine when a vehicle has served its life and is due for replacement. Sandy uses a eet management information system called RTA, which helps the city track total cost of ownership and operation for each Fleet asset. RTA records fuel usage, tracks annual inspections, and keeps record of every repair including parts and labor. All the information combined helps us determine life cycle cost, per mile cost and repair order cost. We use this information to bill each department for repairs on their vehicles. To determine if a vehicle is due for replacement, we run a report that scores each vehicle based on a combination of maintenance costs, down time, age, mileage, replacement cost, and overall condition.

Fleet has installed GeoTab telematics and GPS devices in most city vehicles. is provides web-based analytics to help managers and supervisors check on the location and status of their vehicles. e information can help users gain better insights as to how assets are being used. ese devices can also report seatbelt usage, idling time, speeding and harsh driving so that drivers can be coached to make improvements. In addition, these devices can report vehicle performance telematics which Fleet can use to monitor various electronic vehicle systems and identify problems.

Fleet also has an automated lubricant analysis machine that delivers comprehensive test results for engine and gear box oils, as well as hydraulic, power steering, and transmission uids. e machine analyzes all lubricant properties for wear debris and suspended contaminants. is allows technicians to catch potential failures before they become catastrophic as well as extend the life of lubricants, thus saving money on frequent oil changes.

As far as vehicle technology, Fleet has started ordering vehicles with lane departure, blind-spot alerts, Blind Spot Information Systems (BLIS), and collision assistance that actively brake the vehicle in the event of possible vehicle or pedestrian collision.

Overall, Fleet Division employees take great pride in helping our fellow employees do their jobs, by answering operational and vehicle performance questions along with repairing and maintaining their vehicles and equipment.

e Sandy Arts Guild is so excited to present their winter comedy, Steel Magnolias, running Jan. 27 to Feb. 11, 2023.

If you loved the star-studded lm Steel Magnolias with Julia Roberts, Sally Field, Dolly Parton and others - the movie was based on this play - you won’t want to miss it! e action is set in Truvy’s beauty salon in Chinquapin, Louisiana, where all the ladies who are “anybody” come to have their hair done. Helped by her eager new assistant, Annelle (who is not sure whether or not she is still married), the outspoken, wise-cracking Truvy dispenses shampoos and free advice to the town’s rich curmudgeon, Ouiser, ("I’m not crazy, I’ve just been in a bad mood for forty years"); an eccentric millionaire, Miss Clairee, who has a raging sweet tooth; and the local social leader, M’Lynn, whose daughter, Shelby (the prettiest girl in town), is about to marry a “good ole boy.”

Filled with hilarious repartee and not a few acerbic but humorously revealing verbal collisions, the play moves toward tragedy in the second act as Shelby risks pregnancy and forfeits her life. e sudden realization of their mortality a ects the others, but also draws on the underlying strength—and love—which give the play, and its characters, the special quality to make them truly touching, funny and marvelously amiable company in good times and bad.

Come on down to Truvy’s salon before the show ends February 11th! We’d love to see you!

Steel Magnolias Magnolias Steel

Stay Safe When A Winter Storm Threatens

Winter storms create a higher risk of car accidents, hypothermia, frostbite, carbon monoxide poisoning, and heart attacks from overexertion. Winter storms and blizzards can bring extreme cold, freezing rain, snow, ice, and high winds. If you are under a winter storm warning, nd shelter right away and:

• Stay o roads.

• Stay indoors and dress warmly.

• Prepare for outages.

• Use generators outside only.

• Listen for emergency information and alerts.

• Look for signs of hypothermia and frostbite.

• Check on neighbors.

Take an Active Role in Your Safety - Go to Ready.gov and search for winter storm. Download the FEMA app to get more information about preparing for a winter storm.

Sandy City Code Enforcement Corner Conservation Reminder

Sandy City Code Enforcement would like to remind residents of our ordinance related to waste receptacles (trash cans). e ordinance can be found in Title 19, Property Maintenance, of the Sandy City Code Section (see below). Code Enforcement responds to numerous complaints throughout the year related to this ordinance. Violations include improper placement of trash cans, leaving rubbish/trash outside the trash cans and putting the trash can out too early. We also respond to residents who don’t remove their trash cans from the public right-of-way. Residents are encouraged to read and follow the ordinance. It is our hope to make Sandy City a clean place to live.

Sec. 19-4-3. - Waste Receptacles.

(a) Every owner, tenant or occupant of any premises where garbage is created shall provide upon such premises, in a suitable place, one or more durable receptacles, or other durable receptacles as may be provided by the City for automated collection service, with tight tting cover, for receiving and holding all garbage created upon such premises between the times of collection and removal. Every owner, tenant, or occupant of any premises where rubbish is created shall, where necessary, in addition to the garbage receptacle, provide upon such premises, in a suitable place, one or more receptacles or depositories to contain all rubbish which may accumulate upon such premises between removals. All subscribers for service, as herein provided, shall at all times locate such receptacles at places, so as to be readily accessible for removing and emptying the same, but they shall not be placed within the limits of any street or alley within the corporate limits of Sandy City, or anywhere so as to constitute a nuisance.

(b) All garbage and rubbish receptacles shall be kept in a clean and sanitary condition by the owner or person using the same, and garbage receptacles shall be kept tightly-covered at all times except when garbage is being deposited therein or removed therefrom, and shall at all times be protected against the access by ies to the contents thereof.

(c) All garbage and rubbish receptacles shall not be stored within the front yard setback of a home, or in the case of corner lots, within the front and side setbacks adjacent to public streets, except during the time period set aside for garbage collection.

For questions concerning trash cans, please contact our Code Enforcement division at (801) 568-7254. For additional information or to access the City Code, please visit the City’s online Code by scanning the following QR code:

It might be winter, but you can still save water!

Here are some quick tips:

• Load dishwashers and washing machines as full as possible before running.

• Check for leaks! A leaky toilet can waste up to 6,000 gallons a month.

• Upgrade to a low ow toilet (rebates available at utahwatersavers.com).

• Choose the shower instead of the tub.

• Install low ow faucets or aerators.

• Save leftover cooking water to water plants.

• Defrost food in the fridge overnight, instead of under running water.

• Turn o the tap when brushing your teeth, shaving, or washing your face.

For an interactive experience, check out our water-savings tool! bit.ly/sandysaveswater

SANDY CITY CALENDAR OF EVENTS

JANUARY–FEBRUARY 2023

Jan 2-3 Auditions - Disney’s Descendants 5:30 - 8:45 p.m. Parks & Rec : 440 E 8680 S sandyarts.com

Jan 4 First Aid, CPR and AED Class (Registration required) 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. Station 31: 9010 S 150 E sandy.utah.gov/ re

Jan 11 First Aid, CPR and AED Class (Registration required) 6 - 10 p.m. Station 31: 9010 S 150 E sandy.utah.gov/ re

Jan 18

BeReadySandy Meeting 6-7 p.m. Sandy City Hall

Jan 19 Planning Commission 6 - 11 p.m. City Council Chambers sandyutah.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx

Jan 25 General Plan Open House 6 - 8 p.m. Sandy City Hall Room #341 sandypaceofprogress.org

Jan 27-Feb 11 Steel Magnolias 7:30 p.m. The Theater at Mount Jordan sandyarts.com

Feb 1 First Aid, CPR and AED Class (Registration required) 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. Station 31: 9010 S 150 E sandy.utah.gov/ re

Feb 2 Planning Commission 6 - 11 p.m. City Council Chambers sandyutah.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx

Feb 15 BeReadySandy Meeting 6 - 7 p.m. Sandy City Hall

Feb 15

First Aid, CPR and AED Class (Registration required) 6 - 10 p.m. Station 31: 9010 S 150 E sandy.utah.gov/ re

Feb 16 Planning Commission 6 - 11 p.m. City Council Chambers sandyutah.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx

Feb 21 - Mar 28 Community Emergency Response Training (Registration required) 6 - 8:30 p.m. Station 31: 9010 S 150 E sandy.utah.gov/ re

All events subject to change due to COVID-19. Go to sandy.utah.gov for more events.

Business Spotlight

Tribal West Lacrosse was started in 2002 by Brett “Fish” Bartlett, as the premiere destination store for all your lacrosse needs. With uniforms, helmets and protective gear, plus an 8-foot tall bubble gum machine retrofitted to put out lacrosse balls, Tribal West is the best lacrosse store in the western states.

Fish started coaching lacrosse in Utah in 1996 with a travel team and became head coach at Jordan High School in 1997, where he coached for 10 years.

Q: What sets your company apart from the competition?

Our in-store shooting cage has a radar gun that displays how fast the player throws. It also allows athletes to try different sticks and pockets to find the perfect equipment. We create custom-strung sticks with individualized mesh and colors, game-ready in 24 hours.

We offer team discounts and fundraising opportunities and work with Intermountain Lacrosse to outfit more than 350 players each spring and fall. We also provide vending for tournaments across the Intermountain West.

Q: Does your business solve a problem for your customers?

When I started coaching, players couldn’t find a place to buy equipment or uniforms, or get equipment repaired. As the sport grew in Utah, I decided to open a full-time lacrosse store.

It’s been a fantastic ride, watching the sport double and double again and again over the past quarter-century.

Q: Who is your ideal client?

Tribal West Lacrosse

Girls and boys who play lacrosse, ages 5-18, as well as college and club players.

Q: How do clients find you?

New players usually find us by word of mouth. Once they’re on a team, with people who’ve been here before, they come visit and become part of the Tribal Experience which means friendly employees who are passionate and knowledgeable about the sport. People are always surprised that our prices are lower than expected.

Q: Why should clients come to your store?

First, they’re supporting a local business. Plus, online

stores don’t stay open late to make sure your kids' sticks are ready for an early game. We didn’t open to be rich and retire, we opened to grow the game and have a place players could call their own.

Customers are basically family. They come watch a lacrosse game in our lax lounge, talk about games and rules of yesteryear and try out new products and tech.

Q: What else should readers know about your business?

My wife Soni has been an integral part of Tribal West Lacrosse. She was the first paid full time employee of Utah Lacrosse Association and started the girls high school lacrosse team at Jordan High, winning four straight state championships. She was also the first women’s head coach at Westminster College.

Lacrosse is such a great community to be a part of. It goes well beyond playing, coaching or reffing. It’s a way of life. We’re a unique and diverse group of individuals who love team play, bettering ourselves and giving back to our community.

Richard Boyer - Eccles Theater

A.D. Shaw - The Raft

Rob Adamson - Winter Bryce

Throughout the ages, there have been many important advances in mobility. Canes, walkers, rollators, and scooters were created to help people with mobility issues get around and retain their independence. Lately, however, there haven’t been any new improvements to these existing products or developments in this field Until now. Recently, an innovative design engineer who’s developed one of the world’s most popular products created a completely new breakthrough . . . a personal electric vehicle. It’s called the Zinger, and there is nothing out there quite like it.

“What my wife especially loves is it gives her back feelings of safety and independence which has given a real boost to her confidence and happiness! Thank You!”

–Kent C., California

The first thing you’ll notice about the Zinger is its unique look. It doesn’t look like a scooter. Its sleek, lightweight yet durable frame is made with aircraft grade aluminum so it weighs only 47.2 lbs. It features onetouch folding and unfolding – when folded it can be wheeled around like a suitcase and fits easily into a

backseat or trunk. Then, there are the steering levers. They enable the Zinger to move forward, backward, turn on a dime and even pull right up to a table or desk. With its compact yet powerful motor it can go up to 6 miles an hour and its rechargeable battery can go up to 8 miles on a single charge. With its low center of gravity and inflatable tires it can handle rugged terrain and is virtually tip-proof. Think about it, you can take your Zinger almost anywhere, so you don’t have to let mobility issues rule your life.

Why take our word for it? Call now, and find out how you can get a Zinger of your very own.

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Jordan moves to

Alta faces familiar rivals in realignment

By Travis Barton | travis.b@thecityjournals.com

While Macy Ellis signed to play for UVU this fall her returning teammates will face new region opponents as the UHSAA approved a realignment in December that will set the Hawks against familiar foes. Alta will be in 5A’s Region 6 that will feature an old rivalry against Brighton. The rest of Alta’s region opponents are East, West, Highland, Skyline and Olympus. Having been in Region 7 the past two years that saw Alta travel south to face teams in Lehi, Orem and Provo, the Hawks region schedule will remain in Salt Lake County. (City Journals)

Jordan’s track and field team will not only see a new region for 2023-25, but a whole new classification. The Beetdiggers move to 4A’s Region 10 with entirely new opponents in Cottonwood, Hillcrest, Murray, Park City, Stansbury and Tooele. Jordan was with Alta in Region 7 the past two years heading south to face teams like Lehi, Timpview, Orem and Timpanogos. While Jordan’s teams will have travel times to Park City and Tooele, it reunites former region rivals Hillcrest and nearby Cottonwood and Murray. (File photo Justin Adams/City Journals)

ANGELO PULGIANO, MD Internal Medicine

Dr. Pulgiano joins Granger Internal Medicine – Riverton from the University of Utah. He graduated with a Doctorate of Medicine degree from Saba University School of Medicine in the Caribbean Netherlands in 2002. He then completed a residency in Internal Medicine at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center in 2005. Dr. Pulgiano is passionate about being a strong patient advocate and gives his best efforts to educate, support, and encourage each patient throughout all aspects of their care. He is a strong believer in preventative medicine, utilizing annual routine exams and age-appropriate screenings, combined with a healthy lifestyle.

• Diabetes control

• Dietary advice/exercise/ weight management

• Hypertension

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• Joint injections – knees/ burse/tendons/plantar fasciitis

World’s fittest firefighters come to Sandy to compete

By Heather Lawrence | h.lawrence@mycityjournals.com

The world’s finest firefighters came to Sandy Oct. 10-15 for the Firefighter Challenge World Championship. In the event, firefighters from 11 countries competed in the grueling tasks that keep them fit for their jobs. Two competitors from Sandy and others from around Utah made our state proud.

“With us hosting the event, it was important to show up and participate. I was excited to represent Sandy. This year I ran the obstacle course in 2:15, which was a huge improvement from how I did last year,” said Oliver Smith of Sandy Fire.

The challenge was held at The Shops at South Town. In the weeklong competition, the obstacle course is the main event. In it, firefighters simulate scenarios they face during a real fire while wearing full gear and race to see who can get the best time.

“My personal goals are to stay functionally fit. I love lifting weights, and it’s a standard part of my training, but I did step it up a little knowing I was going to compete. It’s a good benchmark of how fit you are for the actual job,” Smith said.

Smith was cheered on by his family and team at Sandy Fire, a great benefit of the competition being held in your own backyard.

Sandy Fire Chief Ryan McConaghie said he was proud of Smith’s performance and of how the whole team helped during the event. He loved walking around the venue hearing different languages and seeing the flags of the countries represented. He also helped the Ukrainian team find their hosts, the David Jack family.

The event was put on by ServPro, the First Responder Institute and partners at the South Valley Chamber of Commerce.

ServPro’s official statement read, “It’s an honor for us to sponsor this event, which has been dubbed ‘the toughest two minutes in sports.’ It’s been held here in Utah as both a regional and national competition; however, the 2022 Challenge is especially exciting because it is the capstone event—the 2022 World Championships.”

Garrett Arnold of Sandy Fire got in on the excitement and competed for the first time this year. He didn’t change up his training much and got a time of 2:40.

“I heard about the event in the past when we hosted nationals and they needed medical help, so this time I decided to give it a try. My brothers and sisters from the fire station came and cheered me on; it was because of them I was able to finish it,” Arnold said.

A finishing time of 2:40 is impressive. Firefighters don full gear for the five obstacles, starting with a run up the stairs of a five-story tower. Then, they hoist heavy hoses and ropes to the top.

After the rope hoist, competitors run back down the stairs where they pick up a 9-pound mallet and pound on a chopping simulator. This mimics what a first responder

might have to do to break down a door.

The next step is to carry a fire hose and “negotiate a 140-foot slalom course,” then hit a target with the water stream from the hose. Time penalties are assessed for missed marks or sloppy moves.

The final event is the victim rescue. Competitors drag a dummy (no carrying allowed) backward for 106 feet to the finish line. The rescue dummy weighs 175 pounds. All of this is done while the firefighter is still in complete gear.

“That dummy drag is hard. You get to the end and you’re already exhausted, and then you lift that dummy and—holy smokes! It’s heavy,” Arnold said.

Smith and Arnold were fortunate one of their team members is also a photographer. Captain Brandon Hardman took pictures and captured the proud moments of extreme competition.

Arnold already plans to compete again next year when Sandy hosts the West Regional Championships July 20-22. He likes the fun competition, but it also keeps him prepared for his job serving the people of Sandy and supporting his partners at Sandy Fire.

“I really like all the individuals who work there. They’re nice and easy to get along with, and we all love the community we serve. Most people in Sandy are just hardworking people who have an emergency and need help,” Arnold said.

The last days of the competition are more formal. There’s a flag ceremony and awards are given. Mayor Monica Zoltanski was at the event, happy Sandy had the opportunity to host it.

“Sandy City was honored to welcome firefighters from all over the world and the

United States to the Servpro Firefighter Combat Challenge. The combat challenge promotes and publicly celebrates firefighters who serve our communities.

“The heroism of these men and women and their extraordinary athleticism is truly an acknowledgement of their dedication. It was an exciting event and the city was elated to support the cause,” Zoltanski said.

The competition’s reach stretched outside of Sandy. Unified Fire Authority’s participants included Barrett LaJeunesse, Chandler Kingsbury, Kelly Bird, Mike DeGering, Tyson Rogers, Justin Austin, Patrick Costin and Mike Christensen.

One Utah competitor, Nick Motta of South Davis Metro Fire, earned bragging rights when he finished the course in under 100 seconds. That gave him a spot in the coveted Lion’s Den.

“There is so much physical and mental benefit to competing in an event like this. It’s been one of my personal goals, but train-

ing for it has also helped me on the job and formed good health habits,” Motta said.

To prepare for the event, Motta added some training to his typical routine, including creating a simulated course at his house.

Motta and his wife BreeAnn are both active in getting the word out about healthy habits to fight cancer and cardiovascular disease, which Motta said is the No. 1 killer of firefighters.

Motta’s finishing time of 1:37:59 was a personal record for him and his family was there to cheer him on. He’d love to see more firefighters from his team at next year’s competition.

Motta was impressed by the firefighters from around the world and said working with them was a huge morale boost.

“I was practicing with the teams from Europe and they’re not here to mess around. There’s a culture in firefighting of hard work, support and healthy competition,” Motta said. “It’s good to remember that camaraderie exists around the world.” l

“You’re already exhausted and then you lift that dummy and—holy smokes! It’s heavy,” said Sandy firefighter and October world challenge competitor Garrett Arnold. (Brandon Hardman/Sandy Fire)

Sandy firefighter Ollie Smith is triumphant after he finishes the Firefighter Challenge World Championship with a personal best time. (Brandon Hardman/Sandy Fire)

The Ukrainian firefighter team on top of the obstacle course tower during the Firefighter Challenge World Championship in Sandy in October. (Sandy City Fire Department)

2022 Economic Trends Carry Over into New Year

By Robert Spendlove, Zions Bank Senior Economist

The last year brought both economic highs and lows, from soaring inflation to the lowest unemployment rate ever recorded in the Beehive State. For better and worse, we’ll see some of these economic currents carry over into 2023: Recession fears linger. Recession fears loomed in most of 2022 as the Federal Reserve ramped up interest rates, consumer sentiment plunged, and the Gross Domestic Product contracted during the first half of the year. While the U.S. economy avoided a recession last year, thanks in part to robust consumer spending, the threat of recession persists. For one, the Treasury yield curve inverted, meaning that investors are willing to pay higher interest rates on short-term bonds than longer-term ones. Historically, this has been a warning signal that a recession could be on the way.

The labor market shines. The labor market was the star of the 2022 economy. As of August, all jobs lost in the pandemic were recovered. The unemployment rate is back down to 3.7% nationally, nearly as low as the pre-pandemic unemployment rate of 3.5%. Utah’s unemployment is nearly the lowest in the nation, measured at 2.2% in November. Yet, businesses are still struggling to find workers amid the Great Resignation

and shifting demographics. The labor force participation rate showed little net change in 2022, and the lack of available workers will carry into 2023.

Consumer sentiment remains historically low. Utahns and Americans expressed discontent in the economy in 2022. In the middle of last year, consumer sentiment fell to the lowest point recorded in the 70-year history of the University of Michigan’s Survey of Consumer Sentiment. The Kem C. Gardner Institute’s much newer Utah-specific index also sank to a new low last summer. While attitudes about the economy have improved slightly, ongoing inflation continues to erode consumer confidence. Consumer sentiment matters because attitudes about the economy drive behaviors like spending and investing, often acting as a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Global shocks roil markets. The economy has yet to fully emerge from the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic. Supply chain snarls and recent protests in China continue to disrupt markets and strangle growth, while the war with Russia and Ukraine further hindered pandemic recovery. These global distortions make understanding the economy difficult and bring ongoing uncertainty in 2023.

Historic interest rate hikes. The Federal Reserve boosted its benchmark interest rate, the federal funds rate, from zero to between 4.25% and 4.5% in 2022 — the highest rate in 15 years. The Fed has said it plans to continue tightening credit to tame inflation, with more rate hikes expected in 2023. Although the amount of expected rate increases will be dramatically lower than in 2022, the Fed is expected to maintain higher rates for a longer period.

Inflation persists. Inflation was one of the biggest economic stories of 2022, peaking at 9.1% in June 2022 — a lifetime high for people under 40. In the Mountain region, prices grew even faster, hitting double digits earlier this year. While inflation has slowed to 7.1% nationally and 8.3% in our region, it’s still being pressured by hot wage inflation and remains well above the Fed’s target rate of 2%. We’ll likely see more price cooling in 2023, but it will take some time to get inflation down to historical levels.

Overall, 2023 is expected to be a year of economic moderation. Inflation will slow as higher interest rates cool economic conditions. We’re already starting to see signs of price moderation in areas like construction, motor fuel and used cars. While we haven’t seen this yet, the labor market should begin

to soften as employers cut back on expansion plans in the next year. This process may be uncomfortable, but it is a necessary part of resetting an economy that has gone through many shocks over the past few years.

Robert Spendlove is senior economist for Zions Bank, a division of Zions Bancorporation, N.Al

Get involved, learn together, communicate with teacher are keys to helping students succeed

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Canyons School District parents and guardians learned while there may not be an easy answer to being a parent, they learned some helpful hints at a recent parent night.

With the theme, “Let’s Succeed Together,” guest speaker Rhonda Brimley outlined ways parents can help their children achieve academic success.

The former teacher, principal, communication specialist and Alpine School District Assistant Superintendent and Utah Association of Secondary School Principals Executive Director said parents need to realize they’re partners in the education of their children.

“When school was taken away (during the COVID-19 pandemic), then we all realize the importance of being together, having social interactions, learning from someone. being able to ask questions and collaborate together,” Brimley said. “Even the students recognize that and they said we want to be in school.”

During the pandemic, she said parents were engaged more in their children’s learning and discovered how children are not only taught intentionally, but through observations.

“Our children are watching not just as the other adults and friends and other people in the community. They’re watching. They’re listening, and they’re learning,” she said. “When a child is curious, we should celebrate that, I should respond if I don’t know by saying that and ‘let’s find out together.’ Then we can research together, but celebrate the fact that our children are naturally inquisitive.”

Brimley said that children need to learn to be resilient.

She shared a story that when her daughter had a lemonade stand, nobody came. Rather than let her daughter, who planned the entire “business” herself, face that consequence, she contacted friends and neighbors asking them to stop and make a purchase.

“We have a tendency to be mama bears and papa bears to swoop in and save them. I couldn’t let her not be successful, right? I stepped in to make sure she was going to be successful and feel confident, but she didn’t have the opportunity to struggle, even if it was just trying to sell lemonade. She didn’t have the opportunity to learn from that,” Brimley said. “We need to allow those opportunities for kids to learn to overcome failure or they will grow up not knowing how to deal with things when they don’t go the way they want them to. When they fall off that bike, we’re going to tell them to keep trying. These kids need to learn how to be resilient.”

She said that parents need to make connections with the school community to help support their children.

“We’ve got to build those relationships with people and we’ve got to build that trust

and as an educational community. All of us have the goal to help your student, to help your child be successful and learn to thrive,” Brimley said.

She suggested volunteering in the classroom, in the PTA or other school committees; making sure to be on email, newsletter and other communication lists; checking students’ backpacks for homework, field trip permission slips or notes from teachers; check Skyward for students’ academic success; and communicating with teachers.

“When there are parent-teacher conferences, meet the teacher face-to-face whether its offered in person or virtually. You might already have communicated by email, but it really is an opportunity to talk about your child, and hear from the teachers, not just about their scores, but what they have to say about your child, how they’re interacting, how they’re doing, and are they participating,” she said.

Four break-out sessions followed the guest speaker. Drew Johnson, who has four children at Alta View Elementary and one at Mt. Jordan Middle, picked digital safety so he could learn the latest tips on keeping his children safe while online.

“I want to know some tools that I can use so I can monitor their usage,” he said. “I’ve had two parenting apps that my 15-year-old has hacked into.”

Brighton Principal Tom Sherwood was one of the principals on a panel in the breakout “The Recipe for Student Success.”

“We opened it up as a discussion and talked about students’ success and the different kinds of supports we have available in the schools,” he said. “Oftentimes, parents don’t know where to go so they jump to a principal or district administration instead of starting with the teacher. We talked about social-emotional support and resources we have and how we all work together so students feel safe and cared for as well as succeed academically.”

Other break-out topics included parent engagement and an insider’s guide to educational and extracurricular options in the district. l

You may choose a burial plot, urn garden, scattering gardens, columbarium niche, or memory wall at our on-site crematory. Whether your family would like a direct cremation without a ceremony or would like to enlist the help of our funeral planners for a memorial ceremony, we are here to help. Choose traditional funeral services or life celebrations to honor the life of your loved one.

As you plan the end-of-life services, there are dozens of decisions to make during an emotional time. LET OUR TEAM HELP YOU choose urns, vaults, and memorials. We can also help with flower arrangements, catering, and grief resources.

Alpine School District Assistant Superintendent and Utah Association of Secondary School Principals Executive Director Rhonda Brimley shared with Canyons School District parents ways they can help support their children in school. (Julie Slama/ City Journals)

Congratulations to our December Members of the Month, Brooke Cummings, Leilani Guzman, & Valeria Gonzalez! Brooke Cummings is 9 years old: she wants to become a youtuber when she grows up, she has been attending the Sandy Club for 5 months, in that time she is not sure what she has learned. Leilani Guzman is 8 years old: she wants to become a teacher, she has been attending for 2 years, in that time she has learned to be nice, kind, and make friends. Valeria Gonzalez is 7 years old: she wants to become a veterinarian, she has been attending for 1 year, and in that time, she has learned to be kind and nice. Congratulations once again, we are so proud of you all!

From the people who brought you Syncrete, nepotistic construction contracts and the ThrU Turn fiasco intersection, comes a mind-boggling project guaranteed to be unnecessary and over budget: the Little Cottonwood Canyon gondola.

The Utah Department of Transportation isn’t known for its rational, effective projects. It spent years studying the LCC traffic situation before making the wrong decision, but at least they didn’t go with the Little Cottonwood zeppelin.

Color me unimpressed with UDOT. Take 5400 South. Please. I travel this road every day and I know UDOT doesn’t understand east-west travel. Going from my home in Kearns to the I-15 interchange in Murray includes nearly 20 stoplights along that 7-mile stretch and I usually hit every. single. one.

There was a legend that if you drove exactly 42.3 mph, under the light of a full moon, you could travel 5400 South without stopping at one red light. Not true.

I blame my road rage on UDOT.

So, let’s talk about the gondola. With UDOT approving the nearly $600 million project, it must have overwhelming support. Nope. Local mayors, residents, environmental groups, Bigfoot and county leaders don’t want this to happen. A majority of the tens

of thousands of public comments are against the gondola.

Just a hair short of sketchy, Snowbird quietly bought land that could (will) be used for the gondola station at the base of Little Cottonwood. When the time comes, Snowbird will sell or donate (ha-ha) that land to the state.

Hikers, fishermen, sightseers and climbers don’t want the gondola. They don’t want to ride the entire length of the gondola system if their destination isn’t a ski resort. I guess UDOT could add a base-jumping experience if you want to parachute out of the gondola halfway up the canyon. But it will probably have an extra fee.

Measuring 8 miles, it will be the longest gondola system in the world and includes nearly two dozen towers, averaging 185 feet high. That’s about 17 stories. UDOT said the towers will be placed up the canyon by helicopters, like they’ll gently rest on the forest

floor where tree roots will wind around the base to hold them down, becoming part of the natural landscape.

No. Each tower will have a huge concrete base, requiring boulders and trees to be demolished. Not only that, but construction could disrupt animal migration patterns, pollute the watershed and highlight UDOT’s decision-making legacy.

UDOT explored options like rideshare programs, electric buses and road tolls that are less invasive, especially when trying to solve a traffic problem that only happens a few days a year. But those alternatives aren’t expensive and ridiculous, so that was a “no” vote from UDOT.

When you factor inflation, the project’s cost will be about $72 gajillion, paid for with “mystery funding” which we all know usually means “taxpayer dollars” in some fash-

ion. Even if you’ve never skied a day in your life, your tax dollars will probably help pay for a system designed by ski resorts, for ski resorts.

We’ve riddled this country with aging infrastructure. Obsolete railways, cables, steel and wiring lie unused and rusting. When the gondola becomes outdated, our grandchildren’s grandchildren will be stuck with the awful towers standing forever in the sacred space of Little Cottonwood.

UDOT’s track record is abysmal. I remember when it spent $700,000 to remove the stupid ThrU Turn on 5400 South. UDOT said the intersection wasn’t a mistake, just unnecessary.

That could be UDOT’s tagline: Building unnecessary mistakes. l

Peri Kinder Life and Laughter