Sandy Journal | June 2023

MAYOR’S TENTATIVE BUDGET PROPOSES A 30% PROPERTY TAX INCREASE

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

Inearly May, Mayor Monica Zoltanski proposed a tentative budget for the fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2023 to the Sandy City Council.

“I am asking for a property tax increase. There’s the headline,” Zoltanski said. “We cannot defer it any longer. I’m asking the average Sandy household to pay $9 a month more in property taxes. You’re going to have a very visceral reaction, as did I, when I learned what it really takes to run the city.”

Most councilmembers did indeed express a strong reaction to the budget, which would raise the average homeowner’s tax bill by approximately $100 a year. The tax increase would create $4 million in new revenue to the $143-million dollar budget.

“I am passionately disappointed in this tentative budget,” said Councilmember Marci Houseman. “Though you acknowledged that there was no disrespect intended, I believe the tentative budget dismisses the extensive time the council has spent on determining the way forward with our various capital projects.”

Brian Kelley, the finance director for Sandy City, presented the budget along with guiding financial principles and revenue policies

“The priorities I showed in the presentation were directly from Council staff,” Kelley said. “We addressed compensation, which was the number one priority, we addressed fleet replacement….We addressed that fire department 3:2 staffing. And I know there were four votes against a property tax increase, but that did not make the top five. A property tax isn’t a priority for us either. We’re trying to strike a balance and still maintain good quality services that are exemplary. And we don’t

Continued page 37

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

—Steve M., Army Special Forces

Smith D.C. CSCS Chiropractic Physician

Alta FCCLA students place at state, two to compete at nationals

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Five Alta High students captured silver and gold medals at a state competition, and two qualified for nationals in July.

In the state’s competitive events for FCCLA, or Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, Alta High junior Lizzy Carlton placed first in her contest, career investigation, and her teammate, junior Alix Aguilar, was second in fashion construction. Both will compete at nationals July 2-6 in Denver.

The pair received gold medals as did senior Serena Jefferson, also in fashion construction. Juniors Emily Richards and Brooklyn Ledesma received silver in fashion construction and entrepreneurship, respectively.

All three students who competed in fashion construction participated in the state fashion show as well.

“I’m proud of them,” Alta High FCCLA adviser Brooke Smith said. “We have a great self-motivated, hard-working group of kids this year. The fun thing about the competition events is that they do something that they’re passionate about, so they’re willing to work hard on it because it’s something they’re excited about—and they did incredibly.”

The more than 30 STAR competitive events, or Students Taking Action with Recognition events, helps prepare students for proficiency and achievement in chapter and individual projects, leadership skills and career preparation. FCCLA chapters prepares members for careers through its four career pathways: human services, hospitality and tourism, education and training, and visual arts and design.

In the STAR events, students demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and abilities to actively identify an issue concerning families, careers, or communities, research the

Jou r nals

SANDY TEAM

The Sandy Journal is a monthly publication distributed directly to residents via the USPS as well as locations throughout Cottonwood Heights. For information about distribution please email hello@thecityjournals.com or call our offices. Rack locations are also available on our website. The views and opinions expressed in display advertisements do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions held by Loyal Perch Media or the City Journals. This publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the owner. © 2019 Loyal Perch Media, Inc.

topic, and develop and implement a project to advocate for positive change.

Carlton, who wants to be a chef, researched the education and training required to pursue a career in the field and learned about the culinary industry, said her adviser. She shared her findings in a portfolio and presentation. She also took gold at region.

Aguilar, in her first time competing in FCCLA, sewed a gown using velvet fabric, which had a unique one-sleeve design, Smith said. She received gold at region.

Jefferson, who competed in fashion construction last year, sewed her own prom dress that she wore to the dance at the Utah State Capitol. She earned gold at region.

In her first time competing, Richards sewed a jacket and skirt combination that

she worked on with her grandma, Smith said.

“It was a very technical sewing job including hand stitching the lining on the jacket,” she said, adding that she earned a silver at region. “It was amazing that we had three students who sewed complete outfits of their own planning and ideas and they each were absolutely incredible.”

Ledesma finished at the silver level at region for her business plan for a virtual interior design service. She was inspired to create it after taking an interior design course last year.

Junior Adam Christiansen took silver in the region culinary arts, where a dish was made based on provided recipes. The dish was judged on technique and the final product, Smith said.

Connect social media

PUBLISHER

Bryan Scott | bryan.s@thecityjournals.com

EDITOR

Travis Barton | travis.b@thecityjournals.com

ADVERTISING EXECUTIVES

Mieka Sawatzki | mieka.s@thecityjournals.com

Jason Corbridge | jason.c@thecityjournals.com

Ryan Casper | ryan.c@thecityjournals.com

Kayla Palmer | kayla.p@thecityjournals.com

Greg Tanner | greg.t@valuepagesutah.com

CIRCULATION COORDINATOR

Lydia Rice | lydia.r@thecityjournals.com 385-557-1022

Rack locations are also available on our website.

EDITORIAL & AD DESIGN

Anna Pro

Ty Gorton

Amanda Luker

Stacy Bronson

Smith, who advises the 20-member chapter along with Danielle Summerhays and Jaden Vellinga, appreciates the opportunities FCCLA conferences provide students.

“There’s a ton of different events they can compete in—foods, sewing, interior design, child development, career opportunities—just all kinds, which is really fun. You’ll see the kids walking around with all their different projects and learn what they made and have been working on—it’s so cool,” she said. “There’s also keynote speakers and workshops and leadership opportunities.”

For students who choose not to compete, Alta’s chapter holds monthly activities, which can tie into material learned in classes.

“We’ve done a few cooking and baking activities where the students learn how to make something. We did a newspaper fashion show that was fun; students created an outfit for their partner out of newspaper and presented it to the group. We also have combined with some of the other clubs to do activities this year. This year, we’ve combined with DECA and HOSA and hosted them in the foods lab and made a Thanksgiving treat together. They invited us to a gingerbread house activity in December,” Smith said.

FCCLA also hosted the school’s Sweethearts dance, which proceeds from ticket sales support chapter activities and help fund students competing in nationals.

“One of the huge focuses is of FCCLA is leadership. It’s a student-led organization. We have a president and a couple officers, so they take initiative and lead our chapter activities,” Smith said. “There’s also a focus on service and other kind of community service events.”

Through the years, Alta’s chapter has tied blankets to donate to bringing in meals to those who need a hand up. l

MISSION STATEMENT

Our mission is to inform and entertain our community while promoting a strong local economy via relevant content presented across a synergetic network of print and digital media.

PUBLISHER

Designed, Published, & Distributed by

Three Alta High students, Emily Richards, Alix Aguilar and Serena Jefferson, sewed their own outfits for fashion construction competition at the recent state FCCLA competition. (Photo courtesy of Alta High FCCLA)

Alta High FCCLA members Alix Aguilar and Lizzy Carlton qualified to compete at nationals in July. (Photo courtesy of Alta High FCCLA)

Jordan High School’s DECA students finish seventh at international competition

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

The Spot is the antagonist in the upcoming Spider-Verse movie and it’s also a common dining establishment name.

Since 1993 at Jordan High, the school store has fondly been known as The Spot, which has recently received international acclaim, its second time in six years.

The Spot was entered into the DECA school-based enterprise contest by Jordan High students senior Lauren Hoggan, senior Ian Hose and junior Chloe Cozzens, as they are the ones who oversee the store, said Sam Soter, Jordan High DECA adviser.

“The greatest thing about winning in this particular event is that it’s done by a team,” he said. “It’s the team that represents their school store, and they’re the ones who wrote the report. They represent the 60 kids who throughout the year have had their hands working in the store, and some of those kids next year will learn and benefit from what these students leave behind. It becomes a tradition, and it has a reputation that they will build on. It has become part of Jordan’s legacy.”

DECA prepares high school and college students to become leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management. At the international conference, students who took part in the competition represented some of the more than 3,600 high school chapters.

At the International Career Development Conference awards ceremony, the group knew they were in the top 10, but it wasn’t until the official results came out that they knew they placed seventh, edging out The Spot’s previous top 10 finish, ninth in 2016.

“From Utah, we had about 300 students at the international competition in different events. Only eight of about 40 different Utah schools made it in the top 10 on stage, so this was exceptional and speaks volumes to the work put in by our kids,” he said. “Even to compete at the national level is an honor as only three school stores per state qualify as well as other qualifiers from other countries. So, it’s rare to be in the top 10 of the 150 top stores in the in the country.”

And The Spot isn’t the same spot year in year out, he said.

While the name and the formula of students running the operation may stay the same, each year, it is rebranded with a new design, look, logo and business plan.

“It’s a student-based enterprise so every year, we start from the ground up and throw away our logo and branding. We start anew with market research and a branding concept. We hold a branding competition

EVENING SERIES

Season Tickets: $49 Adult, $45 Senior, $29 Child

so literally the kids that work there have ownership. They don’t inherit a store with the logo and information from last year, which would be an easy to follow, but instead, they engage in this whole entrepreneurial experience and learn what it takes and be able to create it,” Soter said, adding this year’s “graffiti” look contrasted sharply with the 1950’s diner theme in 2016.

It also comes with establishing a business and operation plan, which is part of the DECA competition.

The three student leaders operated as the CEO, CFO and chief management officer of the store, overseeing its operation. For the contest, they wrote about their experience in a 30-page report, which first was evaluated and received a gold certification. Then, they competed by sharing their business plan, vision, and marketing in front of judges, who are top executives at Fortune 500 companies.

The trio, who operate the school store that serves mostly lunch and snack items as a fundraiser for DECA’s international contest travel, was part of a group of 13 students who attended the business leader academy at the conference, five others qualified to compete at internationals after finishing in the top at state.

Other international competitors included Andrew Hatch, who was a state champion in sports marketing and entertainment series; Vienna Villalobos, who took the state title in retail merchandising; Makayla Nelson and Laurel Ames, who took third at state in marketing management team; and Jared Keller, who placed fourth at state in food marketing series.

Even with their top 10 in late April in Orlando, Soter said they didn’t compete as well as they thought they could at state, where they finished third.

“They didn’t feel they had their best effort at state, so they took what they learned at state to improve as they were determined to do well at nationals. When they announced our students amongst the 20,000 there at the awards ceremony, at first, it was shock and elation, and then there were tears. The rest of the team was just beaming. We’re still on a high,” he said. “As a teacher, I just couldn’t be more proud because this moment will last a lifetime. They learned confidence and hard work and to see them be rewarded for it is the best part of teaching.”

At Jordan, DECA isn’t just competing. While only a fraction of students compete, Soter teaches business ethics and “being altruistic and giving back” to all 70 chapter members. This year, students supported the Utah Food Bank and The Road Home monthly. They have had field trips and guest speakers as well as have gotten together socially, sharing common experiences.

“It’s a positive outlet for our students; the center point is that they are interested in that career in business and marketing. They’re learning and competing—similar to winning in football, but not just in state, but nationally. At the same time, all our students have a great chance they’ll become professionals in the field—and won’t be suffering any concussions along the way.” l

Amphitheater Parking: 495 East 5300 South

Ticket Info: 801-264-2614 or www.murray.utah.gov

Amphitheater Parking: 495 East 5300 South

Ticket Information: 801-264-2614 or www.murray.utah.gov/1959/Tickets

JUNE

June 3 Murray Concert Band

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

June 19 The Bonner Family with special guest David Archuleta

June 24 Murray Symphony Pops

JULY

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

July 21 Peter Breinholt

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

AUGUST

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

Aug 18-19 A Celtic Summer’s Night

Aug 25 Ryan Shupe & the Rubberband

Aug 26 Jenny Oaks Baker & Family Four

SEPTEMBER

Sept 1 4 HIMS

Sept 9 Grupo Folklorico Sapichu & Karlysue y Los Trios Charros

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

Jordan High’s The Spot student store recently was recognized as a top 10 store in the international DECA competition. (Instagram screenshot)

Two Jordan High students advance to nationals in FCCLA, five medal at state competition

When it comes to FCCLA competitions, Jordan High adviser Mary Lynn has goals.

“We always want them to be the best we always want them to be, but ultimately, it’s a learning experience,” she said. “We want them to go outside of their every day and give them an experience where they can be an expert in their projects and be proud of something they pick and do.”

Lynn was “very proud” of her FCCLA, or Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, chapter students who competed this year—seven placed at region, five competed at state and two qualified for nationals—which will be held June 2-6 in Denver.

In the STAR competitive events, or Students Taking Action with Recognition events, students demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and abilities to actively identify an issue concerning families, careers, or communities, research the topic, and develop and implement a project to advocate for positive change.

There are more than 30 STAR events, which help prepare FCCLA students for careers in human services, hospitality and tourism, education and training, and visual arts and design.

At state, senior Avery Williams placed first and qualified for nationals in the repurpose and redesign category. For her competitions, Williams used her recycling and redesign skills to create a used fashion, home, or other post-consumer item to repurpose into a new product. At the competitions, she sets up her display and presents the project to evaluators. Williams also was awarded the Chapter Officer of the Year for the state.

Senior Mackenzie West qualified for nationals and took second at state in “Say Yes to FCS (family consumer science).” She prepared a portfolio, conducted classroom observations, planned and executed a lesson, developed an integration plan, and delivered an oral presentation to show her knowledge in investigating entering a career as a family and consumer sciences educator. At the state awards ceremony, West, who has been a Utah state officer the past two years, pledged to becoming a FACS educator.

Other state winners include junior Riley Nickel, fashion construction, silver; junior Shantel Dominguez, career investigation, silver; and senior Ximena Rimeraz, foods assessment, bronze.

At region, Williams, Nickel and Dominguez earned gold while West took silver. Bronze medal finishers include senior Alex Gonzalez, fashion design; sophomore Payten Romero, food innovations; and sophomore Boston Brecke in the “Focus on Children” contest.

“It’s scary to get up in front of people who are there to judge your project,” Lynn said. “I don’t know that I could have done that in high

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

school.”

Lynn, who has been the chapter adviser for nine years, joined FCCLA in high school, but doesn’t recall being that involved nor her chapter being active in those days.

“I studied interior design after high school and even though I knew I wanted to be a teacher, I didn’t know what route I had to take. So, it’s made me, as an adviser, make sure to reach out to kids, especially those who may need more encouragement to help them, as I would have loved that and would have liked some of these FCCLA opportunities,” she said.

The 25 members in Jordan’s chapter extend their commitment outside of competition as well.

“We got fleece and made blankets. When I asked the kids where they wanted to donate them, they said, ‘We know there are kids who probably can use them here at Jordan. We can donate them to our Helping Hand closet here so our community can benefit from them.’ It just makes me cry; I love these kids,” she said.

The students also have made a commitment this year to welcome others.

“The biggest goal is giving kids a place where anyone can be included. Maybe they don’t have a place or they want to make a friend, or have a place where they can bring a friend,” said Lynn, who added that not every student enrolls in Family Consumer Science classes are involved in the chapter.

During the year, the students engaged in fun activities, such as making haunted gingerbread houses or having lunch together. They also participated in the Digger Fair, an event where they meet new classmates and invite them to join the chapter as well as fundraise for activities during the year.

The chapter participated in the statewide FCCLA fundraiser where they have sold socks and the money raised helps to fund prosthetic legs for kids who live in countries where they may not have that access to them, she said.

“The money goes toward paying for those and then kids can get back to school and live their life, which is wonderful when it’s kids helping other kids,” she said. “Some of the proceeds also are donated to put wells for water in those countries too.

Earlier in the year, student officers attended a leadership conference, where they set goals, learned leadership skills and were inspired by retired Olympian skeleton racer, Noelle Pikus-Pace.

“She got the kids really excited that we can make big differences with their goals,” Lynn said. “It set the mood for our year. This year, I have five seniors graduating involved who have been part of the chapter since freshman year; I’ve seen them grow into being confident seniors and leaders. We’ll recognize them at a lunch and let them know how special they are and how we’ll miss them.” l

Jordan High senior Mackenzie West, with her gold medal from state, qualified for FCCLA nationals along with senior Avery Williams. (Photo courtesy of Jordan High FCCLA)

Seven members of Jordan High FCCLA’s chapter recently competed at the state competition. (Photo courtesy of Jordan High FCCLA)

Canyons’ high schools, tech center give students boost to employment

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Alta

High senior Drake Larsen was heading to check out the school job fair shortly before graduation.

“It’s a good opportunity to explore the different careers available, both for a summertime job and for a position I could have while attending college, maybe one in my intended field,” he said.

Larsen, like many other students at Canyons School Districts’ five comprehensive high schools and Canyons Technical Education Center, could check out the job and further educational opportunities at each school’s job fair, held in April and May before the end of the school year. For some, it may have been their ticket to employment.

“We organize the job fair to benefit our students and local businesses,” said Janet Jefferson, Alta High’s workbased learning facilitator. “Some of our students are needing or wanting a summer or part-time job. At the job fair, they get to see what jobs are available to them, talk to potential employers in an informal setting and explore future career opportunities. The businesses need workers, and they can share their job opportunities with a large number of potential employees at one time.”

She said that it’s been a positive experience not only for students, but for businesses as well.

Booths ranged from Megaplex Theatres to Chick-fil-A, and from Cyprus Credit Union to Salt Lake County. Jobs were available from TKJ, which provides support professionals for people with disabilities; Canyons School District; Sandy City; and others.

At another Alta High job fair booth, Collectiv Academy offered students an option to get an education in hairdressing, barbering and cosmetology. Admissions Director Samy Rash said the school concentrates on teaching the students skills in cutting, coloring and styling while gaining hands-on practice with local clientele.

“We help them get their licensing and we get them pre-

pared for the industry,” he said. “The thing that makes us a little bit different from most cosmetology schools is while they teach you a little bit about everything, our school prepares students to know the skills, pass the certification and help them be more marketable so hopefully, they can get a job.”

Academy Director Alexys Campbell said that Collectiv offers students an alternative to a traditional post-secondary experience.

“We want to make sure that people know that you don’t have to do a conventional college to be successful,” she said. “Being a cosmetologist is not necessarily something to fall back on, but an option to pursue as a passion and realize it’s a career that is actually feasible.”

Avery Stott graduated from Alta High in 2020 and recently completed the program.

“I enjoy what I’m doing; it’s a passion of mine and what I wanted to do,” she said.

Similar to the high schools, CTEC had booths staffed with job recruits from places such as Salt Lake County Sheriff, Code Ninjas, Dimple Dell Recreation Center, Geneva Rock, Sandy City Fire and more.

Recent Alta High graduate Slater Douglas was talking to CTEC students as a recruiter for Maxim Healthcare Services. He was looking for people who are 18 years old and up who would want to help patients in their own homes, many of those who may have disabilities.

He said CTEC was a perfect opportunity to reach students who were completing the school’s health programs such as EMT or certified nursing assistants. Others who are interested, could enroll in Maxim’s intensive program to be certified, he said.

“We’re looking both for summer help as well as those who want permanent jobs with a competitive pay,” Douglas said. “We’re looking for those candidates who want to help people and be in the field they’re passionate about.” l

Alta High students check out Megaplex Theatres and other booths offering employment at a recent job fair. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Jordan lacrosse player finishes regular season as one of top scorers in the state

Photos by Travis Barton

Jane Harmer scores one of her 84 regular season goals against West Jordan. At the end of the regular season, Harmer was third in the state in scoring, popping in almost six goals per game and second in points at 101.

The Jordan High girls lacrosse team finished the year 6-9 (6-6 in region) defeating Mountain View, Timpanogos and Orem two times each while losing to Alta, Lehi and Timpview both times.

Sandy student and Hale Theatre stitcher is part of SLCC spring fashion show

Sara Riches of Sandy was studying theater at BYU in 2021 when she had the chance to work on some costumes for a charity event. The theme was villains, and she was making ball gowns for Cinderella’s stepsisters. Then she had a realization: she liked theater, but she loved theatrical fashion.

Riches loved learning to sew in middle school and helping with costumes at Alta High productions when she was a student. After some research Riches found out that only one school in Utah had a program dedicated to fashion, Salt Lake Community College.

“So I moved back home and registered at SLCC, and I love it. I just finished my third semester at SLCC in the fashion program, and I have learned so much,” Riches said.

The small class sizes and expert faculty members are two things Riches likes about the program.

“They are all industry professionals and highly qualified. They have experience in different aspects of the business, from bridal to warehouses. The classes cover the range of what’s out there: stylists, alterations, retail classes, running your own millinery business and corset making,” Riches said.

Moving back to Sandy also gave Riches an opportunity to work at Sandy’s local professional theater, Hale Centre Theatre.

“I started working at Hale about seven months ago as a dresser. Dressers are part of the stage crew. They are there during performances organizing costumes and moving them around. They physically take the costume where it needs to be and change the actors,” Riches said.

She worked as a dresser on “The Little Mermaid” and “Titanic” productions at Hale, where she said some of the costume changes were only 25 seconds long.

Riches moved up from dresser and now works as a stitcher. “Stitchers work on the costumes. They are there regular daytime hours, creating patterns and sewing. Right now I’m working on the Jewel Box Theater’s production, ‘Hans Christian Andersen in New York,’” Riches said.

“This show is really exciting because

By Heather Lawrence | h.lawrence@mycityjournals.com

Hale is doing the world premiere. That gives us kind of a bare slate to create the look and the costumes for the show.”

Riches has experience creating from a blank slate. As part of her program at SLCC, she entered eight and a half of her creations in the annual spring fashion show.

“The fashion show is the big final for design students. The requirement is at least seven submissions. I say I did eight and a half because one of them is a quick change outfit that becomes something else,” Riches said.

For the April 22 student-led fashion show, Riches took inspiration from “Alice in Wonderland” characters. She started preparing in August of last year.

“In the fall we went through the design process and thought about what inspired us, what colors we liked, what vibe we were going for. This semester we worked on construction. We made the final pieces and had fittings with models,” Riches said.

Because she wants to design costumes, Riches decided to use actors for her models. “I made variations of Alice costumes, and designed costumes for the Mad Hatter, the White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat, the Red and White Queens and the Caterpillar.”

Riches liked playing with the audience’s ideas about these well-known characters. “We often see Alice in a blue dress with a white apron. I put her in pink. Not only is it a naïve color, it also works with the red and white queens in the story.”

Her time at SLCC has taught her that sustainability and being able to make your own clothes are important. She believes they will be a huge trend.

“I knew ‘fast fashion’ was bad, but at school I started to learn how bad it truly is. So I like making something that’s high quality and sustainable. Knowing how to sew is empowering. It’s so nice to be able to make your

own things and be creative instead of having to support fast fashion brands,” Riches said.

Riches has an Etsy store, Sara Sews Designs, as a side business where she sells accessories, mini backpacks, lanyards and wristlets.

The mini backpacks were inspired by her trips to Disney parks where the backpacks are popular, so it makes sense that her next big adventure and her future ambitions are Disney related.

“I’m going to work for Disney in Florida through their college program. I haven’t been assigned a specific area yet, but while I’m there I hope to have the chance to study their incredible costumes up close. My dream is to one day work for Disney designing costumes.” l

Sara Riches, center in floral dress, is surrounded by her “Alice in Wonderland”-inspired creations at the SLCC spring 2023 fashion show. (Sara Riches)

“Because I want to work in theater, I chose actors for my models,” said Sara Riches of Sandy about the people who wore her designs, including this Mad Hatter costume. (SLCC)

Sara Riches of Sandy holds a bouquet of flowers at the spring 2023 SLCC fashion show. Her mother, pictured in the background, taught her how to sew. (Sara Riches)

Sandy resident Sara Riches (wearing a dress she made) realized she loved theatrical costumes, so she started the fashion program at SLCC, got a job with costumes at Hale Centre Theatre, and applied for a college position at Disney. (Sara Riches)

Sara Riches’s pink Alice dress evokes innocence at the spring 2023 SLCC student fashion show. (SLCC)

The Red Queen from “Alice in Wonderland” gets her moment on the catwalk of SLCC’s fashion show wearing a dress created by Sara Riches of Sandy. (SLCC)

Replica of Old Testament Tabernacle Coming to Draper, Utah

June

13 – July 7

A full-size replica of the ancient tabernacle will be presented by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and will be open for public tours at 11626 S. 300 E. Draper, Utah. Tours will run from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Sunday tours on June 25 and July 2 will run from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. It will be closed on Father’s Day (June 18) and July 4th. In conjunction with the event, an Interfaith Devotional is scheduled for June 25 at 6:30 p.m. at the same location. A one-hour program will be presented including music, and featuring Interfaith speakers who will touch on how the Old Testament tabernacle points to Jesus Christ and what it means to their respective faith communities.

All events are free and open to the public. More information available at www.tabernacleutah.com

Eight organizations, including Rape Recovery Center, receive block grant funding

Each year, Sandy City receives Community Development Block Grant funds to help build a stronger and more resilient community. In recent years, the total amount has declined, but the funds continue to do a tremendous amount of good.

The CGBG committee meets each year starting in September to review the scoring process and go over the applications.

“They make the difficult decisions to put together funding recommendations that are incorporated into the annual action plan,” said Jake Warner, the long-range planning manager for Sandy.

The committee recommended that $341,851 be divided between nine organizations and two city departments to be used between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024.

Warner presented the recommendations made by the committee on March 28. On April 21, representatives from the applicant organizations were given a few minutes to share information about their organizations and their reasons for applying. A motion was made by Councilmember Marci Houseman and seconded by Councilmember Zach Robinson to approve the Annual Action Plan for the use of CDBG funds during the 2023 program year. The motion carried with six votes (one member absent).

A new recipient this year was the Rape Recovery Center, which received $8,083 to provide mobile support to approximately 40 survivors of domestic violence in Sandy.

Since 1974, The Rape Recovery Center has been the only nonprofit agency to provide free clinical, advocacy and mobile response services to sexual assault victims and their families in Salt Lake County.

“Last year, the RRC provided over 26,000 direct services to more than 3,000

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

survivors of sexual violence,” said Flor Olivio, development director for the Center. “It was our busiest year thus far. For this reason, we are exploring funding options in the various cities we have historically served.”

The RRC’s services include criminal justice system assistance, emotional support and safety services including therapy, information and referrals, personal advocacy, hospital accompaniment at the time of a forensic exam, and help to find shelter and basic needs after an assault.

“As we do a better job as a society supporting survivors, more survivors are making the brave decision to come forward after an assault,” Olivio said. “This means we have seen an unprecedented increase in services.”

The other organizations that received CDBG funds this year were the Sandy Club, South Valley Sanctuary, The Inn Between, United Way of Salt Lake City, ASSIST, NeighborWorks, and The Road Home, which was awarded $5,000 for homeless housing case management and $20,000 for renovations to a property used for short-term housing.

Michelle Flynn, a Sandy resident, spoke on behalf of The Road Home.

“We have four housing units here in Sandy, where we have families living who we support with case management,” Flynn said. “As our name reflects, we really focus on housing as the solution to end homelessness and work with rental assistance with landlords throughout Salt Lake County, as well as different types of supportive housing programs.”

Flynn reported that The Road Home has served over 4,500 people this year—56 who reported living in Sandy City just prior to

shelter entry.

Under the category of public infrastructure, $115,000 was allocated for improvements to Main Street Park and around $67,000—less than 20% of the total—went toward program administration costs.

“We have received about $30,000 less

each year over the last few years from this grant,” Warner said. “The committee had to make some difficult decisions.” l

The Rape Recovery Center’s Mobile Response Team provides advocacy and support to survivors of sexual violence at hospitals across the county, including Alta View Hospital. (Sarah Morton Taggart/City Journals)

Survivors of sexual assault who have used art in their healing journeys occasionally donate those pieces to the Rape Recovery Center, which serves more than 3,000 survivors in Salt Lake County each year. (Photo courtesy the Rape Recovery Center)

HOSTED AT COPPER CREEK A STELLAR LIVING COMMUNITY

10569 RIVER HEIGHTS DR, SOUTH JORDAN, UT 84095

MEMORY CARE MINI SERIES

for family and friends

TAUGHT BY GUEST EDUCATOR AND DEMENTIA SPECIALIST, RHETT WIMMER!

JOIN US ON:

MONDAY, JUNE 12TH • MONDAY, JULY 10TH • MONDAY, AUGUST 14TH

HEALTHCARE CONSULTANT

VALUE-BASED CARE CHAMPION

DEMENTIA CARE EDUCATOR

JULY 7 - 15

Draper Days is a fantastic community event held every July, featuring a festival, parade, 5K race, sports tournaments, a movie night, concerts, and other activities. Food trucks will be on site for all events at Draper City Park. You are welcome to bring food in to the venues — no glass or alcohol allowed.

SPONSORS WANTED

With 30,000 - 40,000 attendees, we invite you to get involved in the community, and help create memories for all who attend for years to come by joining us as an event sponsor. Learn more and view sponsorship tiers at draperutah.gov/ddsponsors

Rodeo

July 7 & 8, 7:00 PM

Coyboys and cowgirls compete in classic rodeo events at the Ballard Arena. Buy tickets at draperutah.gov/rodeo

Draper Days 5K Race

July 8, 7:00 AM

This popular event starts and finishes at Draper City Park. Registration is required — register by June 25 to recieve a race shirt. Register at draperutah.gov/5k

July 8 - Strider Bike Race*, Pickleball Tournament* July 10 - Horse Pull

July 11 - Children’s Bike Parade July 12 - Heritage Banquet*

July 13 - Amphitheater Movie Night July 14 - All-Night Softball Tournament*

July 15 - Kickball Tournament July 15 - 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament*

Turf conversion grants awarded to seven Salt Lake County cities

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

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

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

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

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

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

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

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

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

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

Alta lacrosse wins region title, comes up just short in quarterfinals

Photos by Travis Barton

Andrew Parry (5) hugs his teammates as the Alta High boys’ lacrosse team celebrates its 22-3 win against Timpview. The Hawks went 12-0 to capture the Region 8 title and 14-4 on the year earning the No. 6 seed for the 5A state playoffs. After defeating East 17-2 to open the postseason, Alta would fall on the road to perennial power Park City 15-9 in the quarterfinals. The Hawks downed Park City 12-11 in overtime during the regular season with their only losses coming against Corner Canyon and two California teams.

Deacon Mearian (right) finished top three in the state in scoring with 82 goals while (left) Casey Blackham’s lefthanded power shot proved an effective weapon for the Hawks who finished with 349 goals.

Berkley Horoba scores one of his 68 goals. He added 76 assists to that tally for 144 points on the year.

Sandy mayor honors elementary art show winners

By Heather Lawrence | h.lawrence@mycityjournals.com

GRIEF HAS NO TIMELINE

Grief is an individual journey with a path as unique as each one of us. To o er support and hope, we provide various Grief Support Services for those who are mourning a recent or past loss.

Sandy Mayor Monica Zoltanski honored some of her favorite pieces by young artists from this year’s Elementary School Art Show at Sandy City Hall on May 15. The Mayor’s Choice works of art had been framed and were hung on the wall during the ceremony. They will stay there for the coming year.

“Art can teach us to focus on a small part of the picture, or you can take a step back and see the big picture. That’s a lot like life,” Zoltanski said during the Mayor’s Choice awards ceremony.

Families were invited to the ceremony where Zoltanski invited each child up individually to give their name, grade and school. She held up their artwork and asked them each to describe what their piece meant to them and how they worked on it.

The works ranged from kindergartner Hazel Kussman’s self-portrait done with red yarn for her red hair, to fourth-grader Shanaya Singhal’s intricately decorated mandala showcasing her favorite colors.

Students were free to use any medium and subject that inspired them. Several said they chose to create something based on what they were learning about in school.

“We learned about an Inuit tribe in Canada, then we went to art class and I drew an Inuit bird. I took my time, and I think it turned out pretty good,” said Christian Nelson of American Preparatory Academy.

Adeline Armstrong, also of American Preparatory Academy said she was inspired by a family outing. “We went to my grandpa’s property up in the mountains and it was really beautiful, so I wanted to draw that,” Adeline said. She also took a moment to say thank you to her art teacher for encouraging her and her classmates.

Submissions for the annual show come through teachers. Educators who would like to learn how to get their students’ work sub-

mitted in the contest can look on the Sandy Arts Guild’s website, and should email Nicole Atkinson at natkinson@sandy.utah.gov.

The art contest is hosted by the Sandy Arts Guild and welcomes entries from all K-6 students in Sandy. The artwork was displayed publicly at The Shops at South Town March 16-23, with an awards ceremony on March 17. Submissions were accepted from all Sandy students, and the contest was open to kids in public, private and charter schools.

The Best in Show award went to Kinsale White, a first-grader at St. John the Baptist Elementary School.

Mercy Shewey, a fourth-grader at Peruvian Park Elementary School, won the T-shirt design award.

The Mayor’s Choice Awards went to Layla Prince, Adeline Armstrong, Scarlett Jones, Marla Hansen, Odyssey Williams, Zoe Claudon, Shanaya Singhal, Jackson Tyler, Christian Nelson, Shaiana Lohani, Matteo Rossi Quintino, Hazel Kussman, Finn Mortensen and Millie Clegg.

Grade level awards were given for first, second and third place and honorable mention.

Kindergarten winners: Justina Santos, Ryelynn Rhoades, Margo Snyder and Ella Presley.

First grade winners: Rachel Carruth, Aarav Jain, Ellie Salmon and Mason Jones.

Second grade winners: Livan Sharma, Jett Young, Libby Buswell and Aissam Amiri.

Third grade winners: Janaye Calva, Zaarah Malik, Saanvi Samal and Will Defeudis.

Fourth grade winners: Ryker Watchorn, Liz Allred, Anouska Raghavan and Nevie Hosenfeld.

Fifth grade winners: Sahiti Pasala, Sonia Bleazard, Dylan Novack and Rilynn Forrest.

Sixth grade winners: Mikaela Johnson, Jose Chacon Hernandez, Mason Bryant and Dominic Rossano. l

Sandy Mayor Monica Zoltanski selected 14 Mayor’s Choice winners from the Elementary School Art Show. Their art was hung in Sandy City Hall on May 15. (Heather Lawrence/City Journals)

Best teen, preteen films showcased at Salt Lake County’s Youth Film Festival

Eleven of Salt Lake County’s top youth filmmakers watched their films debut on the big screen with friends and family.

At an invitation-only event at the Megaplex at Valley Fair Mall, this year’s Salt Lake County Youth Film Festival student-winners came to the front of the auditorium, invited to speak and accept their prizes.

“Coming out of these heavier years with the pandemic and having to really push the film festival forward in a virtual format, the first thing I wanted to do was make sure that that our event was in-person,” said Abbey Summers, Salt Lake County health educator who oversaw the film festival.

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

“I wanted to have a strong theme. A big part of public health and what we do is, especially with youth, is trying to teach them about policy change and advocacy because these things are hugely instrumental in moving public health forward. Through the film festival, we’ve allowed teens to create films around some of those topics that are important to them. With this year’s theme, we encouraged them to think about health topics that were important to them and how they could advocate for change or a way to make it better; or how they could utilize resources in their community or in their schools to teach others. I feel the participants shined this year in showing us their

Summers said.

The winner of the Judge’s Choice award went to Sundance Canyon Academy senior Anthony Ashton for his film, “Resources;” Best Advocate Award to Skyline High junior Anna Liu for her film, “I Advocate for Mental Health;” Inclusivity Advocacy Winner to Highland High sophomore Kanye Saunders for “I Advocate for Inclusivity in Sports;” Best Original Film to Granger High senior James Ngyuen for his film “I Advocate for More Sleep;” Best Filmmaking Elements to Hillcrest High senior Abigail Slama-Catron for her film “Advocasee;” Best Theme Relevance to Corner Canyon freshman Maya Yrungaray for her film “3 Easy Breakfast Ideas;” First Runner-up to Sundance Canyon Academy freshman JD Martin for his film, “Temptations of Peer Pressure;” Group Advocacy Winner to Rowland Hall junior Eric Lu and Waterford School junior Shayan Pandit for their film, “Healthier and More Accessible School Lunches;” and Best Lower Division Winner to Salt

Lake Arts Academy seventh-graders

Aliya Saunders and Anna Peregrine for their film, “Living Life to the Fullest.”

The evening concluded with a private movie screening of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” as well.

“We wanted to make the event an opportunity to showcase their films and be really fun and family friendly,” Summers said. “I loved the films that were submitted this year.” l

Secondary students from across the Salt Lake Valley were honored at the fifth annual Salt Lake County health film festival. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Connect With Us! sandy.utah.gov/citizenconnect

Z News

Hello Sandy Friends,

Before we get to city news… a quick update on some excitement around my barn. Last month I mentioned that my pregnant horses were due with their rst babies. I’m happy to report my sweet mares each gave birth to a beautiful foal. In late April I welcomed Tiramisu’s little lly (a girl), then the following week Little Miss delivered a colt (a boy). Both babies are buckskin color like their mamas, and thriving. ere’s something so precious about new life and it is absolutely magical thing to watch a horse born, stand, and take its rst steps on those long spindly legs.

It was a long wait – typical gestation in horses is 11 months but both my mares went nearly 12 full months.

e vet reports an unusually high number of mares this year have been hanging onto their babies much longer because of our deep winter, and mine were examples of that. I’m sure those mares were feeling like the rest of us – will this winter ever end? Once Mother Nature decides the time is right, all that’s left to do is sit back and enjoy watching the babies nd their mother’s milk and strengthen so quickly. It’s not long before they are bounding around and running circles around their watchful, tired mothers.

Happy Father’s Day to all the Sandy dads, uncles, and outstanding male role models who help strengthen and uplift our community. My dad lived to be 87 years old and was the youngest son of Polish immigrants, who immigrated through Ellis Island. He grew up in a working-class

neighborhood in Trenton, New Jersey where my grandfather worked a union job in a porcelain factory making bathroom xtures. Like his two older brothers, my dad entered the US Navy, but unlike his brothers, he entered as an o cer and was able to attend college on the G.I. Bill where he graduated in electrical engineering from Rensallear Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. My dad had a mind for numbers, mechanics, and processes. While working as an engineer in Pittsburgh, he had the good fortune to meet my mother on a blind date at her women’s college in Columbus, Ohio. at’s when his life really kicked into high gear (his words). My parents married and he went to law school at night while working as an engineer by day. At that time my parents had 5 children. (God bless my sainted mother!)

ey are both now passed, but were married 57 years and raised their 10 children who now live all across the country in various service professions. My dad loved coming to visit me in Utah to watch me try cases in court, and even came to Sandy Justice Court when I was a city prosecutor. We honor and celebrate the role of fathers in our lives, both in our families and the fathers of our community. My mayoral predecessors, our city leadership and city employees at all levels of operations are great examples of outstanding men who give so much to our community and I’m grateful for each one of them.

COMMUNITY CELEBRATIONS

How quickly the seasons change in Utah! Now we’re heading into summer with graduations, weddings, longer days, backyard barbeques, the smell of fresh-cut grass, and the return of our city festival season! We have a great lineup of events this year and every city event is an invitation to come out, learn about our city, meet and make friends, and celebrate Sandy traditions.

Our city events season kicks o with our Historic Sandy neighborhood picnic, leading up to our July 4th extravaganza, then it’s the Sandy Balloon Festival August 11, the Healing Fields Flag Memorial September 10 –12, and nally the Historic Sandy Heritage Festival &

Horse Parade on September 16th. In addition to these big events, Mondays in the summer are Food Truck Nights at the amphitheater. e summer concert season is also in full swing and we’re attracting big acts to our amphitheater venue.

BUDGET UPDATE

City events are one small way we invest in a healthy community life. Bigger, better, and more frequent community events in Sandy City is one element included in my 2024 tentative budget which I delivered to the City Council in May. I prepared this budget after an extensive listening tour with you, our Sandy residents, our city workers who are in the trenches every day, the leaders of our city departments, and the city council at our budget retreats. is has informed every aspect of this year’s budget.

In addition, a city-wide survey conducted in November clearly ranks our main Fire Station 31, which is rapidly deteriorating, as residents’ top building priority. In Sandy, we take public safety seriously. What I learned from all of you made my budget priorities very clear. It’s time to invest in public safety, employee compensation, and Sandy’s eet of vehicles.

e mayor’s budget delivers excellence in city services, treats employees fairly, and addresses the immediate need to build a new Fire Station 31. Ours is a top-tier city and our investment will allow our city to continue to thrive. Sandy is a well-run city where residents enjoy amenities that few can nd today. It’s my commitment to you, as mayor, that I will be a responsible steward of a community that can ourish. My proposed budget re ects our core values of taking care of the good things we have and investing wisely to ensure a strong future.

Yours in Service, Mayor Monica

Zoltanski

Photo contest winner: Sierra Krippner

Sandy Police VIPS Highlight –Paul Corlett

Paul is an all-around nice guy and a great VIPS (Volunteers in Police Services) representative. He is always looking to do something for someone else. Paul is one of the senior members of the VIPS team and exempli es the values of servant leadership. He silently steps up when no one else does to take a position, shift, or responsibility that is open in the VIPS program. He is self-motivated and never complains.

In 2022 Paul singlehandedly made sure that the tra c trailers got moved every week. He allowed time for other VIPS to sign up but if no one did, he lled in.

Paul also stepped up to ll the role of the VIPS Ambassador position where he is going above and beyond, giving us additional visibility and support as a VIPS team.

He is super dedicated and the rst to volunteer. He is always there when needed. He watches the scheduling calendar and if anyone doesn’t have a partner, and he is available, he will sign up even though he does not need the hours. He is supportive of any new VIPS members.

Finally, he sets volunteer goals for himself and tries to beat himself in the hours he volunteers each year. He is dedicated to the program. Paul will take any extra time needed to excel in all things VIPS. He goes above and beyond what is asked or expected of him. He has a heart of gold.

In 2022 Paul was nominated by his fellow volunteers to be awarded the volunteer of the year in the VIPS program.

Quarterly Corner: Sandy Passport O

Planning a Trip? Make sure to check your passport expiration date. Plan ahead and apply early!

Processing times are 10-13 weeks for routine service and 7-9 weeks for expedited. ese processing times begin the day the U.S. Department of State receives your application at a passport agency or center, not the day you apply or mail your application.

ese are the same processing times whether you are renewing your passport or applying for the rst time. For more information on processing times, please visit travel.state.gov

You can renew your passport if you can answer "yes" to all 5 statements below about your passport:

1. You have your passport in your possession to submit with your application

2. It's undamaged other than normal wear and tear

3. Your passport was issued when you were age 16 or older

4. Was issued within the last 15 years (expired less than ve years)

5. Was issued in your current name or can document your name change

For more information, please visit: sandy.utah.gov/passports

Sandy Matters: Waterwise Ideas

Do you know how much water you use in a day? A month? How do you know if you are waterwise? We have a brand-new tool to help you! WaterSmart is an interactive water tracking software that lets you manage, analyze, and improve your water usage. Input information about your home to get valuable comparison data and speci c recommendations for how to reduce your usage. Head over to sandy.utah. gov/watersmart today to sign up!

Cool news: you can get money back for installing water saving stu on your property! Stop by the website at utahwatersavers.com to apply for landscaping incentives, smart irrigation controller rebates, and toilet rebates.

More cool news: Sandy residents can get water saving irrigation audits for free! Learn how to improve your current system’s schedule and function by signing up at extension.usu.edu/cwel/watercheck. Saving water indoors and outdoors doesn’t have to be complicated. Performing simple leak checks can save hundreds of gallons a month! Head over to slowthe ow.org for more waterwise wisdom.

Nestled in the heart of Sandy City, Alta Canyon Sports Center is a community-based Fitness Center, Children's Programs Center, Sports Center, and Outdoor Pool Center. We o er the best-kept secret in Sandy – our Multipurpose Room; here is the nest equipment for all your aerobics and workout needs like BOSU balls, oor slides, and more. Most of our classes such as Zumba, Yoga, HIGH Fitness, and Kickboxing take place in this fantastic open space oor plan. With 2560 square feet of wood oors, it’s perfect for hosting over 35 classes a week. Our certi ed instructors provide the best tness experience. On Friday nights, the room transforms into a dojo for Karate classes.

Our Licensed facility o ers multiple children’s programs. Before and After School Care, Preschool Classes, and Summer Camps for ages 3-15. All this is o ered at very a ordable rates. Our weight room boasts several free weights and circuit machines. If you’re uncomfortable using any equipment, we o er a free orientation once a month with our in-house trainer.

e Olympic-sized pool o ers swim lessons, a home swim team, team meets, diving lessons, water aerobics, lap swim, private parties, open swim, and more. Open Memorial Day to Labor Day, families can stay busy with the many activities o ered. Whether you’re a Racquetball veteran or a beginner, you will appreciate the thrill of stepping into an enclosed court and getting in a good workout while engaging in friendly competition. Racquetball is a favored sport year-round. Any of the 5 courts can be set up into Wallyball courts for indoor play, and one of the courts is designed to hold a basketball hoop when requested.

Yearly membership holders over the age of 18 have use of the exclusive Premium Locker Rooms. We have plenty of lockers for everyone and backdoor access to the pool.

We have 20 pieces of cardio equipment set up in a room with viewing screens. Choose to watch on our TV screens and plug in with headphones, or bring your own. Designed to help you accomplish overall cardiovascular health with bikes, rowing, stairclimber, treadmills, and Crosstrainers™.

SANDY AMPHITHEATER 2023 SEASON

COMING UP NExT:

June 1: Melanie Martinez

June 10: Rodrigo y Gabriela

June 12: Dwight Yoakam & Emmylou Harris

June 29: Kelsea Ballerini

July 1: Lyle Lovett & His Large Band

July 6: Pops Concert (FREE!)

July 12: Air Supply

July 18: Charley Crockett

TiCkETS & MORE: SANDYAMP.COM

Our spin room is for indoor cycling workouts where you bike to the rhythm of inspiring music with soft lighting, creating a sanctuary for your ride. Classes are taught by quali ed instructors certi ed in many specialized areas.

Our fabulous Personal Trainer Tess has a passion for living a healthy lifestyle. Her burst of energy will keep you motivated and teach you to love exercising.

Come try our facility at no charge with our 5-day trial and experience the community, support, and value you’ve been looking for.

Music Man

TickeTS: SAndyArTS.com

Plein Air “Paint Out” Competition

June 2 & 3

Spotlighting modern day Sandy. Winners will recieve cash prizes.

More info: sandyarts.com

Meredith Willson’s

The Theater at Mount Jordan

9565 S. Highland Drive, Sandy, Utah 84092

ACES

ACES swim team is designed to give swimmers an opportunity to compete at all skill levels. From beginning swim team to advanced, ACES o ers something for every level.

JR. LIFEGUARD PROGRAM

is camp is a 2-week long program for ages 9-14. Jr. Lifeguards will receive carefully planned educational lessons that include American Red Cross Lifeguarding techniques, CPR/AED & First Aid skills, aquatic team-building exercises, and safety..

River Oaks Golf Course

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

Sandy.utah.gov/golf

GOLF TOURNAMENT

Schedule your Golf Tournament at River Oaks. We host the best tournaments in the Valley. Great for your company party, family reunion, fundraisers, or just a get-together for family and friends. Call (801) 568-4653 for prices and more information.

GOLF MERCHANDISE

River Oaks Golf Course also has the best selection and prices of golf merchandise in the state of Utah. Shirts, shoes, hats, accessories, and more are all available in our Pro Shop. Come to the Pro Shop and see for yourself our huge selection of golf products. Many things are up to 50% o and we will match or beat any of our competitors’ prices. Come down and play golf and browse our Pro Shop. We look forward to seeing you!

SNAPOLOGY SUMMER

Get Ready to STEAM Up the Fun! Give your kids the best class experience with Snapology's STEAM Camps! With fun activities and workshops tailored to their interests, your kids will be begging for more.

O.U.T.

Take your tness routine outdoors and get ready for the summer with Outdoor Ultimate Training (O.U.T.). Our Personal Trainer, Tess, will lead you through a variety of explosive routines like interval training, lifting weights, and stretching to get you in shape for the summer season!

I CAN TRI

Take on the challenge of your rst triathlon with the I Can Tri Race! is sprint event includes a 400m swim, a 9k bike ride, and a 5k run. With the I Can Tri Race, you can conquer the course with friends and family by your side. Make your rst triathlon memorable with the I Can Tri Race!

TENNIS LESSONS

With Tennis Lessons, you can learn the basics of the game, practice your skills, and become a pro in no time. Get ready to hit the court and show o your moves! Beginners age 6 - 13.

SWIM LESSONS

All swim lessons are taught by American Red Cross Certi ed Water Safety Instructors. Instructors teach students through a variety of games, activities, and using swim props.

POOLSIDE

OUTDOOR PAVILIONS

Our beautiful pool is the perfect place to host birthdays, reunions, family gatherings, and friends. Our scenic backdrop and cool atmosphere will make any party a huge success. We have several options to choose from.

SUMMER CAMPS:

We o er 3 camps for kids: Play & Learn Preschool Camp ages 3 – 5 All-Day Kinder Camp for ages 3-5 Half-Day Limited spaces available.

CUSTOM CLUB FITTING

River Oaks would like to invite you to come down to our North Driving Range for a custom club tting session. We have demo and tting clubs from every manufacturer, including Ping, Titleist, TaylorMade, Mizuno, Cobra and more. Our club tting and teaching professional Ryan Holt will analyze your golf swing and using the latest technology, custom t you for a set of golf clubs. Club tting sessions take about 30 to 45 minutes and are free if you purchase the golf clubs from River Oaks.

PARKS & RECREATION

PARKS & REC JOB OPENINGS

For more info visit sandy.utah.gov/jobs

SPLASH PAD

Splash Pad at Amphitheater Park opened May 26 (weather permitting)

SPOCK’S SKATE CAMP

Learn the fundamentals of skateboarding. is four-day camp is only $80 and for kids 6–14 years old, on Fridays, June 2,9,16,23. Visit spocksskatecamp.com for more information.

FAMILY NIGHT AT THE SKATE PARK

Great fun for the whole family. Family Night is a great opportunity for families to enjoy the skate park. Monday, June 12. Time: 6-8 p.m. at Lone Peak Park10140 South 700 East. ese events are FREE to the public. Children must be accompanied by a parent/guardian.

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE CLUB

Fun- lled activities will include crafts, games, and adventures. Such as go on a mini hike/walk, do a "dinosaur dig", bird watching, outdoor photography and outdoor survival skills. 2-hour sessions once a week for 3 weeks. Mondays June 12, 19, 26 and Wednesday June 14, 21, 28. Time: 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Ages: 5-9. Location: TBD

CHALLENGER SOCCER CAMP

Challenger Sports is the leading soccer camp company in North America and our International Soccer Camp is where we channel our energy and passion for the game into a fun yet developmental environment. Our industry experts have crafted an approach which uses methodologies from all around the world to truly re ect the global nature of the sport today. We use age-appropriate practices to help players develop at their own pace, learn brand new skills and become an all-round better player...while having an amazing time with our international coaching sta ! Register at challenger.con gio.com Camp Dates: June 19-23 or July 10-14.

SKYHAWKS BASKETBALL CAMP

is fun, skill-intensive program is designed for beginning to intermediate players. Using our progression-based curriculum, we focus on the whole player - teaching sportsmanship and teamwork. Participants will learn the fundamentals of passing, shooting, ball handling, rebounding and defense through skill-based instruction and small-sided scrimmages. Register at skyhawks.com Camp Dates: June 19-23.

SKYHAWKS SOCCER CAMP

Skyhawks was founded as a soccer club in 1979. irty years later we are still the number one choice for parents looking to re ne their child's fundamentals of the world's most popular sport. Using our professional curriculum, our sport-speci c sta will ensure your young athlete will gain the technical skills & sport knowledge required for their next step into soccer. is camp focuses on dribbling, passing, shooting, and ball control. By the end of the camp your child will have learned new life skills such as teamwork and sportsmanship, made new friends and improved their sport skills preparing them to play for the playground or league play! Register at skyhawks.com Camp Dates: June 26-30.

“I CAN TRI” SPRINT TRIATHLON

Saturday, June 24. altacanyonsportscenter.com

THE SANDY– 4TH OF JULY 5K

Day: Tuesday, July 4

Time: 7 a.m.

Location: South of City Hall on Centennial Blvd. (10200 South)

Cost: Cost until July 3 (7 a.m.) Cost (July 3–4)

$30/individual $35/individual

$25/family member* $30/family member*

Online Registration Deadline: JULY 3 at 7 a.m.

*Immediate family with three or more members in the same household.

SPIKEBALL TOURNAMENT

Spikeball is a fun for any age or tness level sport! It combines the teamwork of volleyball, the hand-eye coordination of four square, and the physicality of a cardio workout. e two-on-two game is played with a small rubber ball and an elastic net stretched tight over a plastic rim. Come test your skills at the annual Sandy July 4th Spikeball Tournament.

Day: Tuesday, July 4

Time: 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Location: City Promenade - 10000 S. Centennial Parkway

Divisions: Recreational & Competitive

Ages: 12 & Up

Register: www.utahroundnet.com/sandy — Must register together

UPCOMING YOUTH SPORT REGISTRATION

Sport/Programs Age / Grade Registration Begins / Deadline

Fall T-Ball & Coach Pitch 4-7 June 12 / July 30

Recreation Soccer Grades PreK-12 June 12 / July 30

Flag Football Grades 1-4 June 12 / July 30

Economic Development – By the Numbers

17.2% annual growth in sales tax

25.6% annual growth in assessed property value

Received $6,337,749 in property tax increment, which will be reinvested into Sandy City’s economy

Visited 8-10 businesses per month

HIGHLIGHTS

• Launched Economic Development Facebook and Instagram social media accounts to feature small business highlights and share key resources and information with Sandy Business Community.

• Created State’s rst Housing and Transit Reinvestment Zone.

• Designed and launched our “Business Connect” brand. A Business Connect website is to be launched in summer of 2023, a one-stop shop for all things Sandy business.

• Assisted Morgan Stanley’s receipt of State EDTIF incentive for expansion of up to 800 new high paying jobs in its Utah operation over the next 10 years.

GLASS RECYCLING

Sandy City Public Works

8775 S 700 W

Open Mon–Fri from 7 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Sandy City and WM provide glass drop-o bins at the following locations for Sandy residents and businesses:

Sandy City Senior Center / Amphitheater

9400 S 1300 E

Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

e green glass bin is located inside the Maintenance Entrance gate on the north end of the property behind the fuel pumps, next to the cardboard recycling dumpsters. See the location on the map.

e green glass bin is located in the east parking lot of the amphitheater o 1300 East. See the location on the map.

HR JOB CORNER

General Plan Update

e General Plan update process has generated a lot of exciting input from Sandy residents. We held a series of public meetings throughout April that marked a transition from learning about Sandy today to envisioning Sandy in 2050. Now we are kicking o a summer of public outreach. Over the summer we will focus on key topics for the General Plan to generate input and ideas that will inform the vision, goals, and strategies of the plan.

SUMMER FOCUS TOPICS:

• June - Housing

• July - Natural Hazards

• August - Health, Wellness and Safety

• September - Economic Development

TO SEE ALL AVAILABLE OPENINGS VISIT: sandy.utah.gov/jobs

Watch for the announcements on social media, visit the online newsletter, look for us at community events, or go to the interactive map on the General Plan website SandyPaceofProgress.org to see what your neighbors have said and to make sure your voice is heard.

SANDY CITY CALENDAR OF EVENTS JUNE–JULY 2023

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Altara Kittyhawks, their families and the community danced, got their faces painted, were thrilled by a magician, participated in carnival games and bid on items at a silent auction as part of the school’s PTA fundraiser on April 28. More than $22,000 was raised for the school. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Do You Have a Chronic Wound?

If you have a wound that has been open for more than 4 weeks, then something in your body is not allowing that wound to heal properly. Chronic wounds are defined as wounds that fail to proceed through the normal phases of wound healing in an orderly and timely manner. Often, chronic wounds stall in the inflammatory phase of healing.

How do you heal a wound that will not heal? Debridement (removal of dead tissue) is the most common treatment for stubborn wounds, and involves the removal of unhealthy tissue within a chronic wound to promote the growth of healthy tissue, reduce complications of infection, and speed up the healing process.

Your care team may also suggest the following treatments:

• Antibiotics

• Skin substitute grafts

• Laser Treatments

• X-rays to assess for bone infection

• Scans to ensure proper blood flow is getting to the wound to promote healing

Visit Innovation Medical Group today to get a wound care specialist to help guide your care plan and to get your life back without a chronic wound present. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 801-758-2091. We are located at 4624 Holladay Blvd on the second floor in Suite 201 right above Olympus Family Medicine. We accept all major insurances and look forward to being able to enhance your quality of life.

How some high school teams handled a stormy spring season

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Travis Barton | travis.b@thecityjournals.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“We had to get creative,” she said.

Scheduling affected the season as well with the Alta High boys soccer team opening its season with a region game against Lehi, a rematch of last year’s 5A state title game before eventually playing its nonregion opponents later. Other regions saw soccer teams play a region opponent in back-toback games like Brighton had to do with

both Olympus and Skyline.

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

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

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

“We were lucky,” he said. l

Skyline and Bingham girls lacrosse play a rescheduled game on Saturday, April 29. (City Journals) Track meets were also postponed due to the weather. (City Journals)

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

Twelve Alta High students competed at international career development conference

Twelve Alta High students recently returned from Orlando where they met up with about 20,000 students, teachers and professionals at the International Career Development Conference to demonstrate their career knowledge and leadership skills through their DECA presentations and competitive events.

“It’s been a great year,” said Alta High DECA adviser Shaley Louder. “To even get to go to nationals, they needed to be competitive in their events at state, so it’s a great honor.”

DECA prepares high school and college students to become leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management. There are more than 220,000 students who are members in more than 3,600 high school chapters.

“Our students are learning problem-solving skills, leadership skills, making good decisions and are learning skills that can help them in the field,” Louder said. “They are gaining confidence, sharing what they learn and are having adult conversations which will carry them into their future.”

The Alta students finished in the top six at the state competition, including senior Austin Woodley being crowned state champion in the business finance contest.

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Other top Alta finishers include freshman Quincy Thatcher, second in schoolbased enterprise; junior Brooklyn Woodley, third in food marketing; freshman Jessica Roberts, third in school-based enterprise; freshman Taylor Alvey, fourth in schoolbased enterprise; senior Erica Lloyd, sixth in retail management; the team of juniors Dima Kurdi and Madilyn Schuck and freshmen Ansley Johnson and Emi Johnson, national qualifiers in membership campaign; and the team of freshmen Colin Hansen, Cole Haddock and Sam Wray, national qualifiers in community service campaign.

Competing is optional for Alta’s 70 DECA members. Others learn leadership through chapter activities, such as selling “stars” to raise funds for the school’s annual fundraiser, Make-A-Wish Foundation in their school store. Others took charge of organizing and decorating a school hallway for an event.

DECA students also learn from business professionals, both as guest speakers and through onsite visits.

They took a field trip to Castle of Chaos where they not only toured the operation during the season, but learned how it functions off-season as a rental for parties or weddings and as an escape room.

“They learned that it wasn’t as cost-effective for Castle of Chaos to rent a space, set up and take it down, but instead to continuously update the haunted house and learned how they support the seasonal service in the off-season. They learned a lot about being an entrepreneur and the CTE (career and technical education) trades from lighting and sound to ticket sales and partnerships,” she said, adding that the partnership has extended well beyond her seven years as adviser as several Alta students have worked or had internships with the haunted house in the past.

Other opportunities students took advantage of was meeting with KSL and Utah Jazz executives.

“They learned from business executives about communication and sports marketing; we’re fortunate that they get to learn firsthand from them,” she said.

The student chapter also teamed up with other Alta student organizations and clubs.

For example, DECA students explored cows’ hearts and lungs with health science students and made baked goods with family and consumer science students.

“It’s an opportunity to extend our learning and to share what we’re doing,” she said. “It’s been a great year for our students to become involved and learn in our community.” l

Alta High’s Austin Woodley won first place in the business finance contest at state DECA. (Photo courtesy of Thin Air Media)

see how you can accomplish both.”

An area of disagreement is how to pay for a new fire station. The council already voted to bring forward a general obligation bond that Sandy residents would either approve or decline in November. Instead, the mayor proposes adding the construction costs to this year’s budget.

“We’re having two different kinds of tax increases that are being proposed here with very different impacts on the tax paying public,” said Councilmember Cyndi Sharkey. “This one is imposing $4 million a year forever, or until a future council decides that they want to reduce the tax amount or increase it or whatever. There’s another type of tax increase where you ask the voters if they agree to a tax increase, and there’s a start date and an end date.”

Houseman agreed. “I feel we need to honor the work that the council has done. We need to build Fire Station 31 with a bond that sunsets, not a property tax increase that will never go away.”

Kelley noted that if the fire station is paid for with a general obligation bond, and no other changes were made, the property tax increase would drop by four percentage points. What is in the budget?

“Did you know that our police and fire expenses are 53% of our general fund?” Zoltanski said. “Our employee compensation is 76% of our budget. So that’s not a lot of fluff. There’s not a lot of new, exciting, beautiful projects getting launched. It is the people and the safety that is driving this budget.”

The budget proposes new senior positions for firefighter paramedics, a new Animal Services officer position that has been requested by the Police Department for several years and denied each time, and a part-time arts guide producer. Zoltanski noted that even with these new positions, Sandy would employ fewer staff than 15 years ago, before the Great Recession.

“Last year, we changed from two hands on a fire engine to three,” Zoltanski said. “And we’ve had stories come to the mayor’s office about lives and property saved from the moment the change was made last fall with the council’s support. We’ve made it clear to our firefighters we are not turning back. That requires eight new firefighters and that’s not cheap.”

Sharkey reminded the mayor that the council set aside excess revenue to cover the increased firefighter staffing in fiscal year 2024 so that a tax increase wouldn’t be needed.

Kelley acknowledged the proposed general obligation bond and measures to pay for increased staffing, but defended the tentative budget.

“It’s consistent with our guiding financial principles and policies,” Kelley said. “Where we have deviated from some of those resolutions, they were contrary to policies that have been adopted and been on our books for decades. We recommended at the time not to do the fire staffing using one-time funds.”

Nearly 9% of the budget—$4.5 million— is allocated for an overall compensation plan, which includes a targeted market adjustment to salaries. During the council meeting on May 5, city attorney Lynn Pace explained that his department’s biggest asset is the employees.

“We could not replace them for what they’re being paid now,” Pace said. “The challenge is that we have extraordinary people who are extraordinarily underpaid.”

Aside from staffing, many other costs have gone up. Diesel fuel alone increased by 97% in the past two years. Other unforeseen expenses, such as the record snowfall and resources diverted to runoff and flood preparation put a strain on the current budget.

“I recognize our city has needs,” said Houseman in a newsletter to her constituents. “I recognize that some of the needs are more urgent than others. What I have yet to see from this mayor is any effort to prioritize the needs….The mayor and I have very different perspectives on the ‘right now’ needs.” How do Sandy’s taxes compare?

During her presentation, Zoltanski shared the property tax bill for her own home that is valued at $628,000, very close to the Sandy median. She pointed out that the largest taxing agency on her bill is the Canyons School District and Sandy City is the fourth. The proposed increase would just be on the Sandy City portion—a 3% increase to a household’s overall tax bill.

“When you do small incremental tax increases you can avoid this,” Zoltanski said. “Here in Sandy we like to put that off. Going forward, my pledge is to keep small, incremental increases. The percentage sounds high, but what would the cost of inaction be?”

Sandy has occasionally decreased tax rates in recent decades, using sales tax growth and grants to keep up. Even with the proposed tax increase, the property taxes paid on the average Sandy home would still be compara-

ble to those paid on average homes in Draper, Bluffdale, West Jordan and Murray.

“During COVID we did a lot of belt tightening,” Zoltanski said. “We eliminated and deferred a lot of financial investment as a city that we would have been doing for the last three years. This year we can’t put that off any longer.”

City councilmembers pointed out that there have been fee increases in Sandy, including a recent water rate increase.

“Rather than taking a strategic approach to the challenges the city is facing, Mayor Zoltanski wants to throw money at all of the challenges all at once,” said Houseman in her newsletter. “Doing so will not give us the opportunity to measure which investments worked. This approach is alarming. I have no doubt that taxpayer money will be wasted because we are spending money on everything all at once rather than in an incremental, strategic and measurable way.”

What happens next?

By the end of June, the council will accept, reject or amend the tentative budget. The mayor encourages all Sandy residents and stakeholders to view the budget priorities vid-

eos on Sandy’s website: www.sandy.utah.gov /2126/2023-Budget-Priorities.

“From now until the passage of the final budget, the city council will listen to and consider resident feedback, review department budget requests, examine capital needs, and assess personnel requirements,” said council chairperson Alison Stroud in a statement to the Sandy Journal. “Before adopting a final budget, we will weigh the need for quality services versus the overall cost of those services to residents and business owners. Councilmembers may also take this time to propose their own amendments to the tentative budget.”

The council believes they can make the budget work without increasing the property tax this year.

“We cannot place an additional burden upon taxpayers at a time when the members of our community are struggling under the increased burden that inflation and reckless spending have created,” Houseman said in her newsletter. “It is likely that a property tax increase may be needed in the future. But now is not the time.” l

A concept design for the new Fire Station 31 was presented to Sandy residents and stakeholders in March. (Sarah Morton Taggart/City Journals)

A top budget priority is funding the salaries of eight new firefighters/paramedics and creating new senior positions to incentivize training and allow for career advancement. (Photo courtesy Carrie Phillips/Sandy City Fire Department)

Funding replacement vehicles for the Sandy City Police Department fleet is among the city council’s top priorities. (Photo courtesy Sandy City Police Department Facebook page)

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

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

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

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

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

Peri Kinder

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

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

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

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

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

While the 11-year-old wins Yahtzee for

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

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

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

work to find me washing crayon off the wall.

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

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

REPAIR

YARD CARE

Michael Deagle LANDSCAPING

Utah’s Finest in Lawn Care, Spring/Fall Clean-ups, Aeration, Weekly Cuts All Your Landsape Needs Call Mike 801-597-0143

Driveways RV Pads Stamp & Color Garages | Retaining Walls Call Ala for Estimate 801-835-0051

AnEConstructionLLC@gmail.com

PROFESSIONAL PAINTING

Residential, Commercial, Interior, Exterior Reliable, Dependable, and CLEAN 25 Years of Experience Call: 801-750-0977

www.nobleonepropainting.com

LANDSCAPE MATERIALS REPLENISH LANDSCAPE Barks, Colored Mulch, Compost, Soil Blends, Playground Chips, Sand-Gravel, Landscape Fabric & More 801-252-5962

4660 S 200 W Murray Mention this ad for 10% Off