Sandy Journal | May 2023

NONVERBAL DOESN’T MEAN NONCAPABLE

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Usinga spoon, riding a tricycle, exploring on the playground, even learning to do a somersault, may be typical traits for youngsters, but not for Klaus Sloan.

Like many of his peers, Klaus attends preschool four mornings per week. There are bright toys, a colorful rug and innovative games to play.

However, Klaus was born with numerous fragile, complex medical needs. He sits in his wheelchair with a bright purple neck support pillow as he is unable to hold his head up on his own. Klaus is nonverbal, but according to his teachers, he wants to communicate and express his thoughts the same as any 4-year-old.

Klaus attends Jordan Valley’s preschool, which helps 3- to 5-year-old students receive severe special education services. His class has about 80% of the students receiving special education services; the other 20% are peer models, said his teacher Rylee Barstow.

“It’s really awesome and a unique part of our programming in Canyons School District,” she said.

After his teacher and Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind’s outreach teacher of the visually impaired Madelyn Stafford tried several adaptions for Klaus, Stafford reached out to Debbie Inkley, the executive director of The Opportunity Foundation of America, to see if EagleEyes would be a possibility for Klaus.

EagleEyes is different than many communication devices since it doesn’t use eye tracking.

“These kids don’t have purposeful head movement; their heads go either right or left or down to their chin, so they’re unable to use their eyes to track,” Inkley said.

The Opportunity Foundation’s Director of Training Ron Williams, who was helping Klaus with his third 30-minute session, said

Continued page 13

The Opportunity Foundation’s Director of Training Ron Williams and Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind’s outreach teacher of the visually impaired Madelyn Stafford help Jordan Valley’s Klaus Sloan communicate using EagleEyes technology. (Julie Slama/ City Journals)

“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

Do you have a bright idea for a new business? May is small business month, and according to Forbes council member, Terry Tateossian, “each year 305 million startups are born…out of them, only 10% are likely to succeed.”

So, how do you start up a business and where do you go after that to ensure you are part of that 10%? Before you give up on that dream, or invest your money aimlessly, you may want to take a look at just some of the practical steps to get your business up and going.

• Do your research. Look at the competition in your area. Perform a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) on the business niche you want to start.

• Name your business. Check out the United States Patent and Trademark Office (www.USPTO.gov) to see if your ideal name is available. A tip here: before choosing a name, check to see if that name is available through promotional avenues such as a website domain and social media handles. You may choose to secure them here, or we’ll cover that a few steps down.

• Decide how your business will be set up (i.e., LLC, nonprofit, joint venture, etc.).

• Register your business with your state and obtain your EIN (employee identification number). This is essentially your tax ID number. This is also a prime opportunity to use a professional business service, a business information service, or even hire an attorney to help you complete this step. This is especially helpful for home-based businesses as often attorney offices will let you use their physical address for your business, therefore protecting your home address information.

• Set up a business financial account and your accounting system. It is important to keep your personal account and your business account separate. Your tax adviser will thank you.

• If not done when naming your business, this is the time to secure your website and social media handles. There are many sites to accomplish registering your domain name, but my personal favorite is Squarespace. You may also choose to register an email domain, this often provides added credibility to your business.

• Depending on your type of business, you’ll need to secure pertinent permits, licenses, and insurances. Once again, this is where using a professional service or lawyer

Jou r nals

YOUR

SANDY CITY TEAM

The Sandy City Journal is a monthly publication distributed directly to residents via the USPS as well as locations throughout Sandy.

For information about distribution please email brad.c@thecityjournals.com or call our offices. Rack locations are also available on our website. The views and opinions expressed in display 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.

How to start a business

By Holly Curby | hello@hollycurby.com

may be helpful in completing these final steps to protect your business and ensure you are within all legal requirements.

• Set up your systems. From email databases and newsletters to creating lead magnets and referral programs (i.e., ConvertKit and MailChimp). If applicable, hire your staff and set up payroll and benefits systems too.

• Promote! Promote! Promote! This may include simplicities of business cards and signage, to even joining your local chamber of commerce, Rotary Club, and setting up Yelp and Google Review accounts. Developing your brand and a marketing plan can help keep you on track in meeting goals and evaluating the data of what works for your business and what doesn’t.

Still not sure where to begin? Check with resources within your local community such as financial institutions, your local chamber of commerce, and even colleges and universities for their small business startup classes and trainings. Yes, starting a business can seem like a daunting task. As Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t—you’re right!” So, what are you waiting for? There is no better time to start working on your dreams than right now.

Want to dive in deeper to the ins and outs, tips and tricks of starting a business? Check out the following episodes on Holly’s Highlights podcast:

• How to Start a Business with Holly Curby (Season 1, Episode 2)

• Year-end Finances with Tony Wolff (Season 1, Episode 12)

• Preparing for the Unexpected with David York (Season 2, Episode 11)

Holly’s Highlights podcast is available at www.hollycurby.com, and wherever you listen to podcasts including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, and even “Alexa, play Holly’s Highlights podcast.” l

Connect social media

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Bryan Scott | bryan.s@thecityjournals.com

EDITOR

Travis Barton | travis.b@thecityjournals.com

DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING

Ryan Casper | ryan.c@thecityjournals.com 801-254-5974

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Mieka Sawatzki | mieka.s@thecityjournals.com

Jason Corbridge | jason.c@thecityjournals.com

CIRCULATION COORDINATOR

Brad Casper | brad.c@thecityjournals.com 801-254-5974 Rack

Ty Gorton

Amanda Luker

Stacy Bronson

Anna Pro

Our

Published, & Distributed by

South Valley Chamber hosts Business Bootcamp. (Photo courtesy South Valley Chamber)

A new business, Hello Sugar, starts in Riverton. (Photo courtesy of South Valley Chamber)

Healing Utah Success Summit in Sandy spreads hope of addiction recovery

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

Coming home from a networking event in 2019, Al Richards reached one of the lowest points in his life. He’d been hiding his wife’s alcohol addiction from family and friends, without realizing the toll it was taking on his mental health.

“I decided I was going to get my pistol, go up in the mountains and take my life because I just couldn’t come home to what I was coming home to every day,” Richards said. “But then I got a phone call. When I hung up, there was a screenshot on my phone of my daughters and grandkids. I broke down and started crying, knowing I shouldn’t be thinking this way.”

EVENING SERIES

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

MAY

May 26 The Alapa Family and the Kulturang Pilipino Ensemble of Utah

May 27 Aladdin, Movie Sing-Along

JUNE

June 3 Murray Concert Band

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

June 24 Murray Symphony Pops

Malory Ruesch

He called a friend in the West Jordan Police Department who directed him to resources to get the help and support he needed. He started talking about the situation with people around him. Friends he’d known for years started opening up to him about their own addiction or a family member’s addiction.

Two years ago, the Sandy resident created The Other Side of Addiction Podcast, helping people share their journey through their own addiction or the substance misuse of a loved one.

In April, Richards partnered with Malory Ruesch and Brad Neufeld to host the Healing Utah Success Summit at the Miller Free Enterprise Building in Sandy, an event geared toward spreading hope of recovery from addiction.

Ruesch is a recovering addict, public speaker and author of the book “Inspired to Recover: An addict’s journey through addiction and healing.” She had a dream to create an event that would bring hope to addicts and family members, and to educate people along the way.

“Nobody’s condition is their conclusion. We can create a mindset of reconnecting individuals, because the opposite of addiction is connection,” Ruesch said. “If a world can be created where everyone feels

like they belong and they’re important, it takes away a lot of the mentality that can drive you down the path of addiction.”

This was the second healing summit in what organizers hope will be a regular event that brings speakers, vendors and recovery resources to the community. By creating connections, and a safe space for sharing, the Healing Utah Success Summit continues to grow. Those interested in participating in future events can reach out to Ruesch at rueschrecovery@gmail.com or Richards at mralrichards@gmail.com.

“We’ve dragged ourselves out of the darkness and now we’re out helping other individuals,” Richards said. “We want to educate people about addiction and people who are battling addiction and what they go through. Because the stigma is it’s the drugs

or the alcohol or the porn or the eating or the gambling that’s the problem, but it’s not. That’s just the Band-Aid.”

Richards has battled his own cocaine and alcohol misuse. In 2009, he failed a drug test and lost his job of 24 years. He said he’d never considered himself to be an addict because he only used substances on the weekend and never missed work. He hid it so well, even his wife didn’t know he was an addict.

“I pretty much kept a dirty little secret,” he said. “I asked people to come on my show and be vulnerable, and I wasn’t willing to be vulnerable myself.

“My wife is 27 months sober now. She’s now a certified peer support specialist and she’s out there helping people in their recovery.” l

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 Thurl Bailey with 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 Trio Los 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.

From left, Al Richards and Malory Ruesch created the Healing Utah Success Summit to spread hope of addiction recovery. Partnering with Brad Neufeld (not shown), Richards and Ruesch plan on holding the summit in cities across the state. (City Journals)

Nobody’s condition is their conclusion. We can create a mindset of reconnecting individuals, because the opposite of addiction is connection.

Thousands of teen girls’ interests sparked at SheTech Explorer Day

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

More than 3,000 girls attending the ninth annual SheTech Explorer Day profited from the 1,000 mentors, tech companies and educational institutions who offered classes, tech zone experiences and advice to them.

“Think about something that you totally love, something you totally love to do,” said Cydni Tetro, president and one of the founders of Women Tech Council who oversaw SheTech Explorer Day. “Then think for just a moment how technology might be part of the things that you love to do. You’re going to have an opportunity today to see so many different technologies and to be able to apply to things that you love. Think about if you learn technology, how you can apply that and help us change the world—and some really big problems. Your objectives today are to learn about all sorts of things you don’t know about, to intentionally meet role models— hundreds of them. Take advantage of the time to go and meet those women; they are here because of you.”

Behind the “Imagine the Possibilities” SheTech Explorer Day, was a student board of about 100 girls.

SheTech’s student board has two ambassadors from each high school who serve a one-year term. As ambassadors, they share information at their schools, attend monthly events, belong to school SheTech clubs, and have opportunities interacting with women in tech, industry leaders and the governor.

Many of them participated in the SheTech summer internship program. Several donned cap and gown as seniors and 30 were honored with SheTech scholarships to further their education. Applications for the board and internship are open now at their website, www.shetechexplorer.com.

Hillcrest High Work-Based Learning

Facilitator Cher Burbank said her school’s ambassadors have promoted SheTech’s event annually.

“I like how the day is interactive; they’re showcasing their innovation and changes in the industry, and it engages students year after year,” she said.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox supported that as he addressed the attendees.

“Technology is changing rapidly and it’s impacting every single experience that we have; it’s impacting every industry and we need more women involved in those industries,” he said. “I see some of the best leaders in technology in our state here and they are incredible women. You can look up to them. I look up to them. We’ve been working hard to remove those barriers in the past and that’s what today is all about. This will do more to remove barriers than anything else. These people here have broken down those barriers for you and are here to support you in exploration and journey in STEM.”

Tetro realizes the impact SheTech is making as former SheTech students become leaders.

“Last year, a presenter told me, ‘I’m teaching one of the workshops and the only reason I graduated in civil engineering is because I came to SheTech seven years ago. Another told me she had met a woman who was an aerospace engineer, and she decided, ‘I could become that person,’” she said.

Summit Academy senior Kaidence Johnson followed the footsteps of her older sister to serve on the student board. She also serves as vice president of her school’s SheTech Club, a group her sister founded.

“I love the message SheTech is sending

of empowering women to get into STEM,” she said. “It’s definitely a field that is growing and I’ve seen on Instagram and on the news how powerful SheTech is. The program is exploding into every school across Utah and every tech industry, so it’s exciting to be part of it.”

Hunter High senior Paris Ott also is a student board member.

“The end of my junior year, I didn’t know what direction I wanted to go and that’s when I came across the opportunity for the summer internship,” she said. “It was through that, I applied to be a board member and found my passion within STEM.”

She learned from data analysts, product managers and software engineers.

“Seeing their passion and the opportunities I had, I realized ‘this is something I can go into.’ I started my school SheTech club and I’ve been helping others see opportunities. At Hunter High School, we have a lot of ethnic kids with Latina and Asian backgrounds. I think a lot of them don’t know that they even have opportunities, especially those like me, as a woman, to have a future in STEM. I think a lot of girls are scared to enter the STEM field because it’s been a male-dominated field. When I see all these women in STEM, it inspires me. I’ve gained so much confidence through this program, and I was able to get an internship with Pixar because of SheTech.”

Johnson said the male-dominance is changing.

“My dad works in tech and says the attitude is changing and they’d love women’s viewpoints, but there’s still the idea of 20 years ago when you didn’t have a chance,” she said.

During the day, students were engaged in workshops such as programming, engineering, robotics, biomedicine, web development, ChatGPT, virtual reality, entrepreneurship and others.

Copper Hills High sophomore Sadie Smith attended their first Explorer Day.

“It is a good way to learn more about different jobs and get that in-depth understanding of technology, specific for girls,” Smith said. “Having an organization run this that encourages women empowerment is cool.”

Riverton High junior Elizabeth Westwood said she was researching engineering and learned about SheTech’s student board and scholarship program.

“Explorer Day seemed like a perfect opportunity to learn more about that and about STEM,” she said. “I love physics and math, which isn’t everyone’s love, but it’s normal here.”

The TechZone offered hands-on learning about aerospace programs, 3D printing, automotive tech, gaming, aerial photography and more. Students also used creativity and visionary skills in the annual TechChallenge, with the guidance of industry mentors.

Participants chatted with Miss Utah Lyndsey Larsen, who shared she was a SheTech ambassador and summer intern as a Skyridge High student.

“I’m hoping I’m breaking stereotypes by talking about tech with a tiara,” she said. “I was really intimidated by math growing up, but I came to SheTech and realized that STEM is all around us. My experiences inspired me to take a kinesiology class. As a dancer, it was interesting to learn about the mind and the body and how that connection

About 100 high school girls, seen here with Women Tech Council president Cydni Tetro and Gov. Spencer Cox, represent their high schools are part of the SheTech student board, which is now taking applications. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

and the science behind that. That early exposure here at SheTech helped me want to pursue kinesiology with ballet performance for my college degree.”

Hillcrest High senior Morgan Khantivong, who plans to study English and zoology at Weber State, appreciated what she said.

“It made me see how anyone, no matter what your title is or how people may perceive you, can do whatever you want with your life,” she said.

Nearby, girls crowded around the University of Utah’s entertainment arts and engineering, where they learned about game development.

“We teach everything from the history of games to how to do it, like production, design, tech art, game art, programming, all of that culminating in publishing a game,” said academic adviser Miranda Klausmeier. “We want girls to disrupt the norm and envision their future where they can develop these games, whether it’s a traditional entertainment game, or an alternative game, say for the educational or medical field. These

young women here are going to be our lead ers in STEM fields.”

Through involvement with SheTech, Adobe Chief of Staff of Cloud Operations Jamie Dalton wants to engage more females into STEM by sharing more career choices.

“We have a community of women here who are wanting to give back and help these young women succeed,” she said. “A lot of times women are pitted against each oth er and don’t realize if you get into a good healthy environment, women can be your biggest allies. For these high school girls, they’re going to have a really big advocacy group, cheering them on to success.”

Tetro said that is one of the reasons the Women Tech Council founded SheTech— to increase students’ exposure to women in STEM and to have that network “of thou sands of women in STEM.”

“We interviewed a 1,000 girls, who said, ‘We don’t know any women in tech and that’s why we don’t enter STEM fields,’” she said. “We knew we could change that.”

High school girls at SheTech are engaged in an interactive demonstration at the University of Utah chem ical engineering booth. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Nearly 200 Sandy and Draper women turn out for March’s Day of Service

By Heather Lawrence | h.lawrence@mycityjournals.com

OnMarch 18, nearly 200 women and girls ages 11 and older met at their church in the Hidden Valley neighborhood to assemble kits of donated goods and to sew blankets. The kits and blankets were donated to the local community. The charities chosen empower and assist women and families with basic needs.

“We collected a variety of items to create kits and other needed items for a couple of months before the event. It was a combination of self-care kits, hygiene kits, blankets, food and diapers,” said Joanne Hoopes, the chairperson for the Women’s Day of Service.

Service events took place across the valley that weekend, including food drives for the Utah Food Bank. The Women’s Day of Service in Sandy was sponsored by the Relief Society of the Sandy Hidden Valley Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“On the morning of the event, the tables at the church were piled high with all the supplies collected, ready to be assembled into reusable bags,” Hoopes said. Then the women and girls from Sandy and Draper got to work.

Volunteers worked on six different projects: diaper donations; food pantry kits for Canyons District schools; personal hygiene kits for the Utah Refugee Coalition and International Rescue Committee of Salt Lake; home cleaning kits for refugees and Almost There, LLC, a program that helps women transition out of prison; self-care kits for the organization Because He First

Loved Us; and blankets donated to Hearts Knit Together.

After two hours, they had assembled 200 food kits, 100 hygiene kits, 100 cleaning kits and 200 self-care kits that were ready for distribution. They also sewed 40 blankets.

“The purpose of this activity was to help various refugee and other service organizations within the valley. We also enjoyed spending time with each other as we served,” Hoopes said.

It was important to the women that all the donations went to help the needs of local organizations. In 2021, the Salt Lake Tribune reported that 15 schools in the Canyons District have food pantries. The IRC of Salt Lake opened in 1994, and said that since then its ongoing efforts have helped resettle nearly 12,000 refugees in Utah.

The Hearts Knit Together website states it’s a Utah-based nonprofit that delivers “much needed personal items to those escaping domestic violence, sexual abuse or war.” The website for Because He First Loved Us calls itself a “relational ministry to refugee families seeking spiritual, educational, mental and practical needs through mentoring.”

Jan Williams is the Stake Relief Society president in the Hidden Valley Stake. She said everyone who participated that day made a difference. “It was a huge success. The women and girls who served that day left the event feeling like they had done some good in the world.” l

Jamie Chambers Loan Officer

NMLS#1946857

Buyers,

After two months of collecting donations, March 18 was spent assembling the things that were piled on the tables into reusable bags for care kits. (Don Wilhelmsen)

Sewing skills were in high demand on the Women’s Day of Service March 18, as volunteers sewed 40 blankets in two hours and donated them to local charities. (Don Wilhelmsen)

Have you ever had the feeling that your legs were so tight they simply might burst? You rush to see your primary care doctor and the provider tells you to just keep taking your water pills. The thought of taking one more water pill is beyond your control since you have decided that you do not want to spend your whole life in the bathroom. If that is not bad enough, they want you to put on compression hose which are way too tight and absolutely impossible to get on without killing your back or falling.

Have you ever felt like you have no other options?

Innovation Medical Group LYMPHEDEMA CLINIC in the heart of HOLLADAY, UTAH is the place to find answers beyond water pills and ill-fitting compression hose. Let’s get to the root of this problem and help YOU find long term solutions to help address your lower extremity edema. Lymphedema Therapists with over 20 years of experience will be there to guide you through

the process and get you back to LIVING YOUR BEST LIFE. Each patient requires a specialized treatment plan so appointments are limited but can be scheduled at 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.

or selling a home is typically the MOST significant financial commitment of a lifetime.

Free community event will feature music, car show, mini-camps at Alta High

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Thisschool year, Alta High’s marching band took first place, competing with more than 30 other bands, in the Bands of America western regional competition. Now the band students will be sharing their talent with the community.

From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, May 13, Alta High students in the jazz band, drumline and winter color guard, under the direction of the Utah High School Activities Association music educator of the year Caleb Shabestari, will perform at their first-ever community car show fundraiser event. There also will be percussion and color guard mini-camps for youngsters age 5 through 12.

“It’s going to be a free community event, with a little bit of something for everyone, of any age; we’ll have live music, dancing, cars, food—and fun,” said Karla-Ann Whitaker, Alta band booster outreach coordinator. “At the same time, it will serve as a fundraiser for the marching band and to fund updated instruments.”

While it’s free to attend the car show, those who are entering their vehicles need to pay a $20 registration fee. The car show will be held in the southwest parking lot at the school. There will be prizes; the categories include antique/classic cars built before 1965; muscle car era 1965- 1984; import/exotics;

custom vehicles with three or more significant modifications; modern 1985 and newer; and motorcycles. Those who want to show their vehicles, can register at www.successfund. com/altacarshow.

“For those registering their vehicles, this will be an amazingly fun opportunity. They’ll be able to park their vehicle, all buffed, ready to shine, and share their passion and joy with the community alongside live music in the background to entertain all attending the event,” Whitaker said.

Another opportunity for youngsters will be the mini-camps, which will be taught by Alta

High’s percussion and color guard students. A $5 donation is asked per child. Registration for the color guard session is at: canyons.revtrak. net/ahs-mini-color-guard-camp-2023-h for the drumline mini-camp: canyons.revtrak.net/ahsmini-drumline-camp-2023-h.

“The mini-camps will be led by our Alta marching band students. They are working hard putting together simple, introductory routines, which will be a great experience for elementary and middle school students who want to try something new or maybe join the marching band in the future,” she said. “The camp participants will have fun learning and

following a quick camp, will have a short performance for their parents and the community.”

The day’s schedule begins with the car show check-in at 9 a.m. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., there will be stage performances by Alta’s instrumental music program and the children’s mini-camps. At 1 p.m., there will be an awards ceremony.

Whitaker said that the entire event is student-led. All band students have assignments such as the poster design and promotion, teaching the mini-camps, performing at the event, helping with concessions, directing traffic and parking, preparation and cleanup. The 20-member band booster leadership team has helped plan and organize the event.

Food trucks, which will donate a portion of their proceeds, as well as 100% of concessions’ profits will help toward the fundraiser. Donations also are being accepted at successfund.com/altacarshow.

The community is encouraged to walk to the event; parking on the east side of the school will be available. In case of inclement weather, all music-related activities will be moved indoors.

For more information, and about the annual Alta High band community yard sale in June, go to ahsbandboosters.my.canva. site. l

Alta High’s marching band students, who took first place in Bands of America western regional competition, will be amongst the performers, student teachers and organizers of their car show and mini-camp fundraiser May 13. (Photo courtesy of Julia Burnett)

Local professional businesswomen mentor high school girls in scholarship program

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Itwasn’t expected to be a traditional cap and gown graduation, but one to celebrate 11 high school seniors at South Valley Chamber’s Women in Business meeting. Miss America 1985 Sharlene Wells Hawkes and two students were slated to speak.

These female students—one from each Canyons School District high school and Canyons Technical Education Center, four from Jordan School District and one from Juan Diego Catholic High School—have been part of the Junior Women in Business program this school year. It’s an opportunity for them to be mentored by professionals and be awarded with a $1,000 educational scholarship.

Corner Canyon High senior Chesney White, who plans to study international business at the University of Utah, is one of the junior members.

“I thought this would be a great scholarship opportunity for me, but since being a part of it, it’s been much more,” she said. “I’ve shadowed my mentor (Draper City’s Chief of Staff Kellie Challburg) and learned how the city runs and collaborates with other local businesses. It’s important to have good relationships because it impacts the community.”

The program pairs professional businesswomen with the students, who learn that even successful leaders may have been once just like them—ambitious, but maybe a little uncertain too.

Gaby Bernal-Camacho graduated from Junior WIB in 2019.

“As a first-generation college student, I was honored to have received that scholarship, but moreso, the resources that Junior Women in Business gave me were unmatched,” she said. “My mentor, Chris Whipple, was phenomenal. We immediately clicked. She was so supportive, I could have called her at two in the morning and she would have been there.”

Bernal-Camacho’s mentor helped her on her career path, supported her through graduating with a health society and policy major and a business minor and applauded her as she started her own business.

“When I shadowed Chris, she was passionate about her job. I remember thinking, ‘I want to be that in love with my job and have that kind of impact in the world,’” she said. “She and (former South Valley Chamber director of programs) Karla Rogers were always there helping me make decisions that impacted my life and my career.”

South Valley Chamber CEO/President Jay Francis is enthusiastic about the program that began about 20 years ago.

“I’m passionate about having these high school senior girls rub shoulders with successful businesswomen at professional lunches, perform a service project, be mentored; it gives these young ladies a boost

up,” he said.

Former Sandy Chamber CEO/President Greg Summerhays agrees.

“Many of these girls have a great GPA, they know where they’re going, they know what they want to do,” he said. “Others look for direction and guidance. So that one-onone mentorship helps these girls to discover what it’s like to be a woman in business, the challenges women face, and the amazing opportunities out there. They’re able to network and have their mentor’s cell phone number as they are graduating from high school, entering college and looking for jobs or internships. It’s an amazing connection for them.”

The mentorship helps the girls gain insight, support and guidance, said Susan Edwards, Canyons School District’s public engagement and legislative liaison.

“We match the girls and their interests with our mentors,” she said, adding that in the past 15 years she’s been involved in the program, mentorships that once focused in business fields now extend to other careers.

“(My mentee) this year is interested in environmental policy, so she’s had some experiences and talked to people in that field. Last year, my mentee wanted to understand politics so she talked to people at the Capitol. When a student wants to go into education, I introduce her to all the working parts of the district office so she learns the business behind education.”

White, and the other junior members, attend monthly luncheons featuring keynote speakers.

“We heard how small business owners learned from their experiences to become successful. We heard from the Policy Project, a nonprofit that recently got the legislature to pass getting menstrual products in schools,” said White, who afterward volunteered to be an ambassador with the Policy Project.

“We’re lucky because as Junior Women in Business members, we get a shoutout and get to meet the presentation speakers. It’s a cool opportunity to be with these successful women, all who answer our questions. I’ve learned a lot of leadership skills; it’s been uplifting.”

Bernal-Camacho also remembers speaking to the women leaders.

“I’d ask every speaker for contacts and follow up with them,” she said. “I wanted to make the most of the opportunity. I’m still in contact with some of those people as well as my cohort of girls to this day.”

Through the years the speakers have ranged from Gail Miller, owner of the Larry H. Miller Company, to the local business entrepreneurs with Julie Ann Caramels and RubySnap Bakery.

In March, Salt Lake Community College President Deneece Huftalin shared how she uses her leadership style to lead the

state’s largest two-year school. She hopes she inspired the junior members.

“I want them to think the world is their oyster,” she said. “They should never think that they can’t do things they care about. If they want to do something, pursue it. Work hard to get to that place, do your homework and be prepared, and realize, you can do more than you think. Sometimes, a job doesn’t always line up with what is on your resume, but when you’re passionate and have enough capability, you can do incredible things.”

Three-year WIB committee member Gayle Whitefield of Jordan School District said students appreciate the messages of encouragement.

“It motivates them to see the changes they can make and how women are leaders,” she said. “They realize, ‘I can be a part of this great thing;’ we’re here to make that connection and give students a step to achieving their dreams. These girls will be leaders, and we’re giving them support.”

As part of the program, the teens learned from legislators at the Utah House of Representatives.

“We learned how they work through bills and how the government affects how businesses run. I compete in congress debate in school, so I was able to relate to it, which was neat,” White said, adding that they helped with Women of the World, an organization that helps women who have been displaced become self-reliant. “This program is one of the best things I’ve done; I’d do it again—in a heartbeat. I’ve loved it.”

The program evolved from Sandy

Chamber of Commerce wanting to support a student interested in business into the mentorship scholarship, beginning with seniors in Canyons School District and at Juan Diego, Edwards said.

Former Sandy Chamber President/CEO Stan Parrish said that the strong WIB program allowed for more networking opportunities.

“There’s a lot of support in the program and a genuine goodness in the community to want to help,” he said. “We learn a lot from one another about running a business; when we share those stories with everyone, we become a stronger community.”

The junior program multiplied in 2019 when the chamber became South Valley and included four Jordan District high schools: Bingham, Herriman, Mountain Ridge and Riverton. It also expanded in its scope beyond the business pathway, Edwards said.

Summerhays said Rogers “elevated” the program during her tenure to include powerful speakers, strong mentors and meaningful service.

“What’s neat is the Junior Women in Business girls are right alongside these professional women; they see their impact in our community,” he said.

Rogers said the program’s focus allows girls to learn from women about their careers.

“I grew up thinking you were either a nurse, a schoolteacher or a secretary, so having these girls be exposed to women with so many varying backgrounds is critical to their learning,” she said.

Juan Diego Catholic High’s John Mo-

Salt Lake Community College President Deneece Huftalin talks with Junior Women in Business members during a recent South Valley Chamber of Commerce Women in Business luncheon. (Julie Slama/ City Journals)

ran, a WIB committee member, agrees.

“There’s a big push to get girls into these nontraditional tech fields, so we get them opportunities to see these women in action so they can learn successful professionals are doing and how to become those future leaders,” he said.

This fall, the Chamber plans to include girls from all Jordan School District high schools Francis said.

“We’re reaching to all the high schools in Jordan and some private schools to expand this opportunity to 17 or 18 girls. As a Chamber, we’re finding resources so we can mentor young women in careers and help with their college education,” he said.

Canyons’ Career and Technical Education Specialist Patti Larkin is serving her sixth year on the WIB committee.

“The biggest benefit is the connections that are made, those with the mentor, the speakers, the Women in Business and the other girls themselves,” Larkin said. “Most of the girls stay in touch with their mentors long after their mentorship ends and continue to connect with those people they’ve met during their senior year.”

Summerhays agrees.

“There are tears and hugs when they say goodbye at the formal end of the program, but the girls stay in touch as they move forward with their lives,” he said. “Those connections continue through college and as they enter the business world.” l

Continued from front page the biggest difference between EagleEyes and other technologies is that there isn’t an infrared camera that may be disrupted when students flail and would need to be recalibrated to continue.

“EagleEyes captures it externally, so it really embraces their disability and allows them to do what they got to do,” he said. “It’s really forgiving if they’re a mover and a shaker, and other technology isn’t quite as sturdy.”

For the adaption to work, electrodes are placed above and below the student’s dominant eye and on both temples. They pick up the way the cornea and retina rotate in the eye socket and magnifies the electrical signal of the eye 10,000 times, converting it from the eye movement to a mouse cursor, Inkley said.

The result is when Klaus has the electrodes placed in position, the mouse cursor follows the location where Klaus is looking at the screen. This way, he can focus his eyes to a response— and he is able to communicate.

While EagleEyes is relatively new to Klaus, he showed that he could respond during a computer educational activity to a particular quadrant on the screen.

“Through this activity, he is able to understand, focus his eyesight and learn cause and effect. Once the cursor hits the correct icon, it will continue. Once he’s mastered cause and effect, he absorbs this knowledge that his eyes are a tool and they’re making it happen,” Williams said.

Beetdiggers lacrosse hitting highs and lows early in the season

Photos by Travis Barton

The educational story was accompanied with a fun rhythmic beat, to which he responded well; his teachers say Klaus loves music. They noted some of his response times, which were immediate to several seconds, were faster than the last time he used EagleEyes.

“What’s lovely about EagleEyes is it really gives us real-time feedback as to how students see, how they move their eyes,” Williams said.

Stafford said that information is invaluable.

“When we know how he is using his eyes, we can help him train to use his eyes a little bit more. Then, we can take that to the classroom. As the vision teacher, I can educate everybody on what is he doing and how can they help with his modification and accommodations,” said Stafford, who also provides other modified activities in his individualized educational plan.

Inkley has been pleased with Klaus’ initial response.

“This particular technology is just incredible for Klaus because there is really nothing else out there that can help a student like this does,” she said.

Barstow, who said they’ve tried adaptive switches, visual cues, sound cues, tactile cues and other methods, said this is the first adaption that has helped him consistently be successful.

“For almost a year and a half now, we’ve just been working really hard trying to find a way where he’s able to communicate and we see intention from him,” she said. “The big difference with EagleEyes is that we are able to see that he is understanding and he’s doing

things intentionally and he wants to communicate. It’s just been finding the right device and adaptation to help him do that.”

About 525 devices are in use in homes and schools across the United States, about 50 of those are in Utah. At Jordan Valley, four students, including Klaus, use EagleEyes.

Usually, candidates for the device are older than age 4, Stafford said.

“It’s a very complex system,” she said. “You want to try the tactile, the visual, the more low-tech methods first, because they’re more accessible. EagleEyes can help Klaus with CVI, cortical visual impairment, and help those eye muscles start working so then, maybe he can use those visual cards.”

In her classroom, Barstow teaches students who range from speech language impairment to autism and Down syndrome. Klaus is pulled out of his classroom to work with EagleEyes in a more controlled, quiet environment so he can concentrate.

“These kiddos are dependent on everything from somebody else for them to just sustain life. What’s amazing about EagleEyes is that interaction is the first time where they have 100% independence. They make it happen. It’s his first form of feeling empowered,” Williams said.

If Klaus continues to be able to make choices correctly, the team believes he may respond well to communicating through personalized programming.

“We would create an activity with buttons on the screen, maybe a picture of Mom or of

Dad or a picture of brother or sister, and we would ask him to click on say, his sister. Then we have that understanding that he’s verbally understanding what we’re saying and he’s making the right choice. It just builds confidence, his and ours, that he’s understanding and making an actual choice,” Williams said.

What Klaus’ timeline to do that is anyone’s guess.

“Some of our kids never get there. They just don’t get it. But some of our kids grasp it in weeks,” Williams said.

Stafford is optimistic.

“Klaus has just been this really amazing student that we’re trying to figure out his puzzle pieces. We have an amazing team, and we keep trying 100,000 things. EagleEyes is this awesome technology that we’re able to bring him to right now, but what is all going to collectively be Klaus’ way of communicating? To even see some reaction was the biggest we’ve seen all year and Rylee’s had him since last year. She’s tried and we’ve tried things all year and we’ve gotten no reaction. So, the sheer fact that he let these electrodes be on his face and he can respond with his eyes is a big win. We are excited he is engaged and he’s showing that he understands cause and effect. He’s not just that passenger letting life happen to him. He’s showing that he wants to be a part of that life. That’s why we’re all here. We know these students are capable. We just have to figure out what those puzzle pieces are.” l

Senior Jane Harmer leads the way for Jordan’s girls lacrosse team racking up 37 goals through the team’s first seven games.

Senior Sydney Archer brings the ball downfield during a region game against Alta. With many preseason games being rescheduled, many of Jordan’s first stretch of games were region play. While the squad dropped games to Alta, Lehi and Timpview, the Beetdiggers beat Orem, Timpanogos and Mountain View through the first round of region.

Middle school athletes compete in first state unified basketball tournament

About 100 athletes and their peer partners packed Jordan High School’s gym for Utah’s first-ever middle school unified basketball tournament.

The middle school unified basketball tournament is modeled much like the early March high school state tournament where three athletes and two partners play together on the court. The ball is shared with everyone on the team and partners help their fellow teammates be successful, said Boston Iacobazzi, Unified Champion School’s college-growth coordinator.

“We’re wanting to involve more of our middle schools and also elementary schools in Unified Champion Schools,” Iacobazzi said, adding the progression starts with Sports Days or various games at the elementary level. “Inclusion can happen at a young age. It doesn’t need to be later in life; we want it to start as young as possible. Last spring, we started a middle school unified golf program as more of an individual-type sport that students competed in this past year. Now, we’re adding the team sport of basketball. Our goal is to have 25 middle schools involved next year.”

Seven Canyons and Jordan school districts’ middle schools’ players practiced with their peer tutors since mid-winter for the March 23 tournament. Several schools brought more than one team to the tournament. The teams were set into divisions based on the players’ ability.

“It’s all about inclusion,” Iacobazzi said. “Everyone gets to play; everyone is on the floor dribbling, passing, shooting and being out there, having fun.”

Often during the games, unified sports

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

players will clap or high-five a player after a basket, even when the athlete is on the opposing team. Players break out in an impromptu dance with a big grin on their faces in pure joy, realizing that by being included, they’re an important part of their team and their school, he said.

“For me, middle school was not my favorite time. Middle and junior high is an awkward phase in a student’s life. So, it’s important that we add that inclusiveness, that sense of belonging and inclusion while everyone’s still learning how to be a young adult,” Iacobazzi said.

At the tournament, the division 1 middle school teams squared off, with Mount Jordan Middle 1 taking first place. Second place went to Mountain Creek Middle 2 and third to South Jordan Middle 1.

Oquirrh Hills Middle 1 was the champion of division 2, with South Jordan Middle 2 taking second. Mountain Creek Middle 1 took third and Mt. Jordan Middle 2 took fourth.

In division 3, West Jordan Middle won. Second place was Oquirrh Hills Middle 2, followed by Draper Park Middle and Mt. Jordan Middle 3.

“It was very cool seeing just the level of play and how well the coaches, most of them being special education teachers, had really coached their teams,” he said. “And it was great seeing some of the high school coaches supporting and talking to the middle school players, asking them to be on their team when they reach their schools.”

In addition to the middle school tournament, Special Olympics Utah held a March 24 alternative high school state basketball tournament after more than 70

teams competed for one of the 32 playoff spots.

“We offered this tournament to those teams who didn’t get the chance to play earlier at Weber State,” Iacobazzi said. “We wanted to offer more opportunities than just their one-day region tournament and the state tournament.”

At the March 25 college tournament, four Utah schools competed to advance to nationals. Brigham Young University won and was slated to represent the state April 13-16 in Maryland. It was also the first unified college tournament for the state.

Special Olympics had its state community basketball tournament March 25, which has been held for about 10 years. About 35 teams, with players age 8 years old and up, competed at the University of Utah.

“It’s one of our biggest events; we may have to pattern it after the high school tournament and hold a state and alternate state tournament just to make sure we have enough basketball courts,” Iacobazzi said. “It’s great that so many are wanting and getting the opportunity to play.” l

West Jordan student-athletes give each other a high-five during unified basketball, in a game that is meant to bring friendship into sports in middle schools. (Photo courtesy of Jamie Hakala)

Mt. Jordan athletes and partners team up to play in the state’s first middle school basketball game, where all players are included. (Photo courtesy of Jamie Hakala)

In front of a packed gym, an Oquirrh Hills student-athlete brings up the ball in the game. (Photo courtesy of Jamie Hakala)

Glacier Hills kindergarten-authors create a book about their school mascot

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Glacier Hills kindergartner Eva Yoshida thought carefully before she created her page she authored and illustrated in her classroom book.

She chose a mermaid because “she’s friends with the Yeti.”

Each student in Sarah Turner’s kindergarten class had a page to move along the school mascot’s story, “Yeti Finds a Friend.”

Eva’s classmate, Natalie Kanan chose to have the school mascot, Blizzard, meet a cat.

“I picked a cat because I love them, but I can’t have one since my dad is allergic,” she said.

The Yeti made friends with all sorts of people and animals—an astronaut, kids, dinosaurs, a shark, a dolphin—and even Annie Jones’ cat-unicorn creation.

“It was what was in my mind that I thought it would be cool for the Yeti to meet,” she said.

The book taught her kindergartners several lessons, Turner said.

“I wanted it to really be a collaborative experience for my students where we were really walking through the writing process together,” she said. “I told them that they were going to be authors and that we would write a book together. We started by brainstorming what we wanted the book to be about, and they were really excited about it being about the Yeti as the main character because it’s our school mascot, and we’re a new school uniting behind it.”

From there, the class had to decide what the Yeti would do. Going on an adventure, learning something at school and making friends topped their list.

“The more we talked about one of the first most important things they learned in kindergarten—being a friend and how to make friends—they liked the idea of including that in our storybook. So it’s about Yeti trying to find different friends and make friends as he wandered through the area called Glacier Hills, which was named after our school,” she said.

Turner wrote the first page and introduced the character and storyline about the Yeti being sad and lonely. Then, each student got to take a page to brainstorm and create a character they wanted the Yeti to meet to become friends.

“Their creativity went wild, and they thought of magical friends and characters that meant something special to them,” she said.

Students wrote and illustrated their pages and were added in a random order until the end, when Yeti came to the end of his journey with his friends, knowing he’d never be lonely again. In the final page, the students’

Sarah Turner

drawings of their characters joined the Yeti.

In addition to the kindergartners’ artwork, many of the pages have the students’ original spelling as they sounded out the words to write their part of the story, Turner said.

This isn’t the first book the kindergartners have authored together.

Each month this school year, the kindergartners have made paper booklets about subjects they’ve learned in class, from nonfiction writing how to take care of a frog, tying into learning about habitats of their class pets, to fictious topics, such as where a leprechaun would hide gold.

Those books, along with the book about their school mascot, can be found in Turner’s room so students can pull them out and read them again and again.

However, “Yeti Finds a Friend” was the first one that was hard-bound published and it “was a big step.”

“They’re really learning about written

communication and being able to express their ideas and writing. They’re understanding that their words can share their stories, their feelings and their thoughts. This has helped them learn about authors and being an author, and sharing their own stories and what they’ve learned to the world. It’s a powerful thing for them to learn,” she said.

Kindergartner Jett McKee, who had Yeti meet his favorite animal, a dog, said he likes to write.

“I like stories and telling what happens,” he said. “We could decide what we wanted to happen on our page. My dog played ball with Yeti.”

In addition to the classroom copy, a second book was given to Principal Julie Winfree, who has it on display at the school. Parents had the option to purchase the book, and it also was shared with families on a YouTube link.

“This was definitely community building,” Turner said about the book dedicated to the inaugural year’s Glacier Hills families, which came from two different elementaries to bond as one school. “When our principal came, after we gave her the book, and read the story to the kids, it was really meaningful. They were just beaming.”

Turner, who is in her fourth year of teaching and was recently named the school’s teacher of the year, hopes writing a book about the Yeti will become a class tradition.

“This class did such a good job on the story,” she said. “I’m so proud of them.”

Glacier Hills kindergarten teacher Sarah Turner helped her students author the book, “Yeti Finds a Friend.” (Photo courtesy of Sarah Turner/Glacier Hills)

Two Glacier Hills kindergartners read the book they helped write and illustrate. (Photo courtesy of Sarah Turner/Glacier Hills)

The more we talked about one of the first most important things they learned in kindergarten—being a friend and how to make friends—they liked the idea of including that in our storybook. So it’s about Yeti trying to find different friends and make friends as he wandered through the area called Glacier Hills, which was named after our school.

Connect

Z News

Hello Sandy Friends,

As May begins, I pay tribute to mothers everywhere. During the month we celebrate Mother’s Day, I send my personal wishes to all the women of Sandy who raise, mentor, inspire and guide our youth. e threads of motherhood strengthen the fabric of our community.

Now, if you’re reading this, it mean’s you’ve survived the snowiest winter on record in Sandy’s history! After such an extreme snow year, we are relieved to nally put up the snow blowers and shovels and trade them for gardening gloves and lawn mowers.

Before we close the books on winter events, I must recognize the many acts of neighborliness we’ve seen in our community. e extreme weather has tested our resources and required an “all hands on deck” response. It’s heartening to see people sharing resources and lending a hand. anks to each of you who grabbed a shovel or a chainsaw, swept out a gutter or cleared debris out of a storm drain to help your neighbors. Sandy has proven time and again we are a resourceful and resilient bunch. We are at our best when we pull together as a community and look out for one another.

“WATER SMART” FLOOD PREPS

is time of year, all eyes are on our rivers and streams. We are entering peak runo from our snowpacked mountains and the potential for ooding is real. We want to make sure our community is prepared and our residents are safe. We’ve recently launched a Water Smart educational campaign featuring information to help you protect your property and each other. You can view this information in several ways:

• Visit city websites sandy.utah.gov and SandyNow.com

• Follow our social media channels, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube for daily updated information @ sandycityut.

• Sign up for Sandy My Alerts to be contacted either by text, email, or telephone during an emergency at sandy. utah.gov/myalerts.

Meanwhile, if you live in a high-risk area or have speci c concerns about ood mitigation, our Public Utilities team is happy to work with you directly. Contact Sandy City Public Utilities at 801-352-4400.

“WATER SMART” SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

As our rivers and streams swell with the cold spring runo , they can become very high and extremely swift. We caution you - don’t let the intrigue of these sites lure your family too close to the water’s edge. When children or pets play near these areas, a simple stumble could turn into a swift water rescue or worse, a tragedy. Please view the tips we provide on our website to stay safe this season by being “Water Smart.”

“DOLLARS & SENSE” BUDGET PRIORITIES

e Sandy crews out monitoring our creeks and cleaning storm drains serve as a reminder of how valuable our employees are year-round. From the plow drivers in the winter to bulk waste collectors in the spring – and now, as our sta works to prevent ooding – every season illustrates the value of our city sta .

On May 1st, I presented my budget to the Sandy City Council for the next scal year. In this budget, I am appropriately rewarding our city employees for their professional, dedicated work. eir compensation package includes employee salaries and bene ts, along with cost of living adjustments and merit pay at a level designed to keep the salaries of our city employees competitive with other similarly-sized Utah cities. In fact, our city council set a policy long ago to keep pace with the average employee compensation of our sister cities.

My budget also includes eight new re ghter positions and a new pay scale that rewards re personnel for enhancing their paramedic and engineering training. When emergencies arise of any kind, our Sandy team goes the extra mile to assure your needs are met.

As we all experience the impact of in ation, there is a new reality we must face regarding the rising cost of

services. e biggest budget increase this year stems from our employee compensation package, which, in a February city budget retreat, ranked as the highest priority of administration, council members, and department heads.

Attracting and retaining quality employees saves tax dollars in the long run. It makes sound scal sense to assure we retain our highly trained, experienced sta with market-competitive compensation rather than risk loosing personnel to higher paying positions in other cities.

Setting and administering the budget is the most important part of my job, but sometimes gets overlooked because it’s complex. After reviewing our city expenses, and creating savings and e ciencies where needed, we are responding to historic in ation levels and post-pandemic unemployment levels with a responsible budget that serves your priority for public safety and quality city services. I encourage you to let me know what you consider a high priority as our budgeting process proceeds. Learn more by visiting Sandy City’s “Dollars & Sense” webpage. sandy. utah.gov/2126/2023-Budget-Priorities

As the month of May ends, and we gather with our friends and family to celebrate Memorial Day, we honor the many women and men who gave their lives in service to our country. We give special thanks to our hometown heroes. Sandy’s new Gold Star Memorial standing on the grounds just east of City Hall is one special place we can spend a quiet moment to consider what their sacri ce means to us today. We can honor their sacri ce through our own service to community. anks to you for your involvement in Sandy City.

Yours in Service, Mayor Monica

Zoltanski

Photo contest winner: Janice Noyce

Get to know your Sandy City Building Department

Jim McClintic Chief Building O cial

Jim grew up in the construction industry right out of high school. Back then you did a lot of the work on a house from concrete, framing, then the nish work. Everything was hand nailed and not a lot of safeguards built in for the workers. 15 years later in 1991 an opportunity became available at Sandy City for an open building inspector position. e direction the building department was headed was to have inspectors that would train, certify for state licensing, and be a working t not only in the o ce but with the building owners and contractors in the eld. Jim has been president of the Utah Chapter of ICC and still works with the board as historian. Currently, Jim is the chair of the Utah Safety Assessment Program for State of Utah under the Seismic Safety Committee and works on the state level for Building Code Forum as a platform for interpretation of building code related items. He has seen a lot of changes over the years and is excited for what’s happening to make the department better for both employees, citizens, building owners, design professional and contractors we serve. Jim loves the outdoors, photography, and home improvement projects.

Willie Chidester-Professional Building Inspector, Master Code Professional, Assistant Building O cial

Willie Chidester is a father of 4 children and 7 grandchildren. After many years in the construction industry, he joined Sandy City Building Division almost 8 years ago. I am a Master Code Professional and am currently serving as the Assistant Building O cial. He can honestly say it has been the best career change for him. Willie gets to work with the most amazing people both in the o ce and the City. e best part of his job he says is being part of working with and seeing people build their dreams. When he's not working, he enjoys spending time with family, especially going on adventures with his wife.

Rob Durfee-Professional Building

Inspector/Plans Examiner

Rob Durfee has been employed with Sandy City for 16 years. His current position with Sandy is the Building Department Plans Examiner. Before his current role, he served as a Combination Inspector for 10 years and as a Code Enforcement o cer for 5 years. He currently serves on the Utah Chapter ICC board and is active in Building Code Development and State Amendments with the Utah State Legislature. When he's not working, he enjoys camping, boating, and riding his Razor with family.

Don Sick-Professional Building Inspector

Don Slick has worked at Sandy City for 10 years. He spent his rst 2 years as a code enforcement o cer, and since that time he has become a fully certi ed professional building inspector with 8 years of inspection experience. During his o time he likes to spend it with his family and friends either camping or having a backyard cookout.

Steven (Cody)

Day-Professional Building Inspector

Cody Day started his career in the building industry by obtaining an associates of applied science degree in building construction in 1991. He became a licensed general contractor in 1992 and has been building for the past 30 years. In September of 2021, he obtained the International Code Council certi cation as a residential building inspector and started working for Sandy City in November. In the sixteen months with Sandy City, he has completed all eight International Code Council certi cation exams for residential and commercial construction to obtain the status of professional building inspector as an International Code Council Certi ed Combination Inspector. Cody plans on continuing his education and training to provide contractors and homeowners with quality inspections to protect the investments of all stakeholders involved.

Adam Ray-Building Inspector

Adam Ray has worked in the public and private sector of residential and commercial construction for over 30 years. With his training and experience, he enjoys working with others to ensure their construction dreams are safe. His motto in construction is to build it right the rst time. He has enjoyed serving the people of Sandy. Adam also enjoys being outside, building or xing things, especially with my family.

Shaylyn Whetman-ICC Certi ed Permit Technician

Shalyn Whetman has 15 years as a Sandy City employee. I am an ICC certi ed Permit Technician and am currently working on B100 Inspector and Plans Examiner certi cations. Loves photography and exploring the mountains with her husband, two kids and dogs.

Sandy City General Plan

e General Plan Update process is in full swing. Visit us at upcoming events or visit the website SandyPaceofProgress.org to see what your peers are talking about, and to see the materials that were prepared for the April Open House. You can provide the team your feedback and input on those materials on the website.

Check out the Events Calendar on the website to plan your attendance at the upcoming events. ere will be an opportunity on May 15 at the Sandy Food Truck Night at Sandy Amphitheater Park to share your thoughts and ideas regarding the future of Sandy.

We’ve been listening and learning through the website, the rst two open houses, and the Y2 survey, now tell us about what you want for the future of Sandy through the website SandyPaceofProgress.Org and at upcoming events!

Code Enforcement Corner

With spring in full bloom, the Sandy City Code Enforcement team would like to remind residents of City codes related to weeds. We are expecting a fast-growing season due to the amount of water we received this winter. e following regulations are found within the Property Maintenance Ordinance (Title 19 of the City Code).

Sec 19-3-1 Weeds to be Maintained or Removed

It shall be unlawful for any person, corporation, partnership, or legal entity owning or occupying real property in the City to allow weeds on such property to grow beyond the maximum height permitted or to fail to remove from the property any such weeds after having been given notice from the Director of the Salt Lake Valley Health Department or the Sandy City Community Development Director and/or the designated representative of either.

Sec 19-3-2 Standards of Weed Control

(a) Weeds shall be permitted to reach a height of not more than six inches at any time and shall be cleared from all real property in the City. e cutting shall be cleared and removed from the premises.

(b) On property of one acre or more in lieu of cutting the weeds on the entire property the owner shall be permitted to cut a 30-foot rebreak of not more than six inches high around all structures and around the complete perimeter of the property. e cutting shall be cleared and removed from the property.

If you have questions or if you would like to le a complaint, please call the Code Enforcement Division at 801-568-7254 or send an email to steimisa@sandy.utah.gov. You can also report it with your Sandy City CityServe app. If you haven’t setup your account, download the app and stay connected to Sandy City.

Sandy Youth Council

In 2022, Sandy City brought back a program that connects the youth of our City to civic engagement and community service. e Sandy City Council reinstated the Sandy Youth Council in the spring of 2022 and welcomed 23 high school students from all around Sandy into the revitalized program. Representing 11 di erent high schools, including public, private, charter, and home school students, the SYC members spent this past year learning about Sandy’s local government, getting hands on experience in civic engagement, and volunteering at events around the City. roughout the year, the SYC members met with our City Departments, including Public Utilities, Parks and Recreation, Community Development, Administration, and Government A airs. e members also volunteered at the 4th of July Parade, Light Up the Cairns, Trunk or Treat, Sandy Arts Guild productions, and other community wide events.

In January, the members attended Local O cials’ Day at the State Capitol, along with other Youth Councils from around the state. ey participated in mock committee hearings, put their ideas for the future to use in a community development exercise, and ate lunch with their local o cials while listening to a talk from Utah Governor Spencer Cox.

As the rst year of the revitalized Sandy Youth Council program comes to a close, the Program Advisors are preparing for the meetings, tours, volunteer opportunities, and fun activities that will engage Sandy’s future leaders in hands on, educational experiences in our local government.

To learn more about the Sandy Youth Council, visit our website at: www.sandy.utah.gov/SYC

Household Hazardous Waste & Reuse Facility

Sandy is a joint member city of the Trans Jordan Land ll, located in South Jordan. e Land ll o ers a unique program that bene ts Sandy residents while protecting the environment. In partnership with Salt Lake County Health Department the Trans Jordan Land ll provides collection of Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) for free. HHW are items that should not go in your garbage can such as paint, rechargeable batteries, oil, gasoline, uorescent light tubes, antifreeze, pesticides and fertilizer. e HHW program sorts and process these materials in a safe manner to eliminate exposure to the environment.

New or slightly used products are transferred to a Reuse Shed. Items in the Reuse Shed are available free to the public at a rst come rst serve basis. Items frequently found in the Reuse Shed:

• Insect spray & repellant • Antifreeze

• Latex paint • Fuel stabilizer

• Household cleaners • Stain and wood sealer

• Motor oil • Fertilizer

• Weed Killer

Sandy residents are encouraged to take items from the Reuse Center and use them for the purposes they were originally intended. Everyone saves! Sandy residents are not charged for the reused items and the HHW Facility avoids costly handling and disposal fees associated with more traditional management options.

Trans Jordan HHW and Reuse Shed

10473 S. Bacchus Hwy, South Jordan, UT 84009

Monday-Saturday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm — Transjordan.org

9565 S. Highland Drive, Sandy, Utah 84092

EARLY BIRD SPECIAL

Summer swimming at 20% o !

Beginning May 1 through May 26, Summer Memberships are on sale at 20% o ! To take advantage of this great deal, everyone included on the membership must come in together at time of purchase, before the Center closes on May 26, to update photos, addresses, phone numbers, and emails.

Discount valid on annual and summer memberships. Add an A+ upgrade to an annual membership for unlimited aerobic classes at 20% o . If you rather, Fitness Class Punch Cards may also be purchased for 20% o . (Limit 2 per person)

POOL OPENING

Pool opens for the summer season on May 27 at 12:00 p.m.

HOLIDAY HOURS

Monday, May 29.

Center Hours 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Pool Hours 12 – 5 p.m.

No aerobics classes / No children’s programs

LIFEGUARD CLASSES

Learn how to e ectively prevent and respond to water emergencies with the American Red Cross lifeguard training. Our courses are designed to arm you with the skills and knowledge to prepare you for a variety of scenarios in and around the water. See our website for details.

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. Visit our website for details.

NOW HIRING

Alta Canyon is hiring for several positions. See the full list: jobs.citysuitehr.com/sandycity

River Oaks Golf Course

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

Sandy.utah.gov/golf

2023 MEN’S GOLF LEAGUE

e vision of the Men’s Association is to provide a golf environment of friendly competition and enjoyment.

Start Date: Tuesday, March 7 – Runs through October

Association Fees: $40

Green Fees 9-hole: $17 walking $27 to ride

Weekly event fee: $5

Skins: $5 Skins, Duece’s $5 (winnings will be paid in shop credit)

Hole in one: $5 due at registration (optional) Must be paid with cash only For more information visit facebook.com/riveroaksgol eague/ To sign up visit: sandy.utah.gov/golf

I CAN TRI & 5K

Get ready for a unique challenge with the I Can Tri Race! Whether you're a rst-time triathlete or a seasoned veteran, this race has something for everyone. Conquer the 400m swim, 9k bike ride, and 5k run and feel the satisfaction of crossing that nish line! New in 2023: sign up for the 5K portion only! 3.1 miles in our beautiful Sandy neighborhoods.

See our website under “Special Events” for more information.

TENNIS LESSONS

Sessions consist of eight lessons over two weeks, (based on instructor availability). is is the perfect opportunity for your child to learn the fundamentals of the sport. Lessons will focus on agility, balance, coordination of gross motor skills to accelerate skill development and basic stroke production needed to serve, rally and score. Registration for session one begins on May 23, at 7 p.m. Visit our website for details.

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. Registration for session one begins on May 25, at 7 p.m. Visit our website for details.

WATER AEROBICS

Classes will begin again on May 30. See our website for upcoming times and dates of all your favorite classes.

O.U.T.

Ready to get your body moving? Look no further than Outdoor Ultimate Training. Led by our Trainer, Tess, you'll get the best of cardio, weights, and stretching exercises in an outdoor setting. Get t, get healthy, and have fun with Outdoor Ultimate Training! Visit our website under the “Fitness” tab for information on this small group training class.

2023 LADIES & CO-ED LEAGUE

All Ladies and Co-Ed Leagues will play on Mondays. Players may play any time of the day. Players must play with someone else in the league to verify their score.

Start Date: Monday, Apr. 10 - October.

League Members can book tee times 8 days in advance.

Fees: $40 Annual Fee ($80 for Co-Ed)

Weekly Cost: $5 per person on top of the applicable green and cart fees. For more info & to sign-up visit sandy.utah.gov/golf

PARKS & RECREATION

PARKS & REC JOB OPENINGS

For more info visit sandy.utah.gov/jobs

2023 5K RACES

Start your day with all of Sandy Recreation 5K Races. All ages and abilities are welcome; you can walk, jog, run or race. Awards will be given to the rst three male and female nishers in each age group. Prize drawing at the conclusion of the race for pre-registered participants only. For the safety of others, dogs are not allowed on the racecourse. Please leave pets at home!

• 4th of July 5K Monday, July 4 City Promenade

• Midnight Moon 5K Friday, Aug 4 at 11:59 p.m. Alta Canyon Sports Center

• Turkey Trot 5K Saturday, Nov 11 Lone Peak Park

For more information visit us at sandy.utah.gov/registration

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. On these nights, we allow toddler bikes so even your smallest child can enjoy the facility. Family Night takes place on the Monday of the months listed below. ese evenings are FREE of charge. Children must be accompanied by a parent/guardian.

*Sponsored by Healthy Sandy Partnership

Location: 10140 South 700 East

Time: 6 - 9 p.m. ( eme Nights 6 - 8 p.m.)

Date: May 15

eme: *Safety Helmet Giveaway - 25 Helmets will be given away. Additional helmets available for $6.00

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. You must preregister for the program. Limited number of participants at each site. Sign up early.

Registration Deadline: June 5 or until full

Start Date: Week of June 5

Session 1 Dates: June 5–June 22

Session 2 Dates: July 10-July 27

Ages: 5–9

Cost: $30/child/session

Location/Times: sandy.utah.gov/registration

SUMMER PICKLEBALL CLINICS

Age: 15 & up

Cost: $40/person

Days: Monday & Wednesday (No Clinics on Memorial Day)

Dates: May 22-June 15

Deadline: May 19 or until full

Location: Flat Iron Pickleball Courts-1700 E. 8600 S.

Alta Canyon Pickleball Courts-2005 E. 9800 S.

Levels: Intro Clinic (2.0-2.5) – 6-7 p.m.

Drill n Play (3.0)– 7-9 p.m.

Note: e rst day of clinics and leagues will be Skills Day. Skills Day is used to help evaluate on whether an adjustment is needed for each clinic or league. Your registration selection is subject to change based on results from Skills Day. For more information visit us at sandy.utah.gov/registration

SUMMER PICKLEBALL LEAGUE

Age: 15 & Up

Cost: $35/person

Days: Tuesday & ursday

Dates: May 22-June 15

Deadline: May 19 or until full

Location: Flat Iron Pickleball Courts-1700 E. 8600 S. Leagues (3.5/4.0) are played as Round Robin Social Mixers (no ladder leagues) 3.5 league – 6-7:30 p.m. | 4.0 league – 7:30-9 p.m.

Note: e rst day of clinics and leagues will be Skills Day. Skills Day is used to help evaluate on whether an adjustment is needed for each clinic or league. Your registration selection is subject to change based on results from Skills Day. For more information visit us at sandy.utah.gov/registration

SUMMER PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT

Age: 8 & Up

Dates: Saturday June 17

Time: Saturday 8 a.m.-3p.m.

Each division will have a speci c play time. Times are subject to change!

Cost: $50/team (2 players)

Divisions: Men’s, Women’s, and Coed Doubles / 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5

Deadline: June 9

Location: Flat Iron Pickleball Courts-1700 E. 8600 S. For more information visit us at sandy.utah.gov/registration

SANDY HIKING CLUB

Come out and enjoy the many miles of hiking trails within Sandy. e 42+ miles of trails interconnect and can take you throughout the city limits and up into the foothills of the Wasatch Front.

Dates: ursday-June 1,8,15, & 23.

Time: 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Cost: $25 / individual Register: sandy.utah.gov/registration

For more information visit sandy.utah.gov/parks

UPCOMING REGISTRATION DEADLINES

Youth Fishing Class – May 3 or until full Pickleball – May 19 or until full Hiking Club – June 1 or until full Outdoor Adventure Club – June 5 or until full

UPCOMING REGISTRATION BEGINS

Flag Football – June 5

Fall Soccer – June 5

Fall Adult Softball – July 10

Fall Hiking – July 25

Fall Pickleball – July 25

Music Man

May 9 & 10

Youth Suicide Prevention: Talking About Suicide Is Okay

One of the biggest myths about suicide is: Talking about suicide may give someone the idea to commit suicide. is is false. In fact, talking about suicide allows an individual to feel comfortable talking about it. So, let’s talk about youth and how the community can help prevent suicide.

Understanding warning signs and risk factors can increase one’s ability to recognize and support a youth who may be suicidal or having suicidal thoughts. Keep in mind these things when talking to youth about suicide:

1. Youth attempt suicide or commit suicide due to:

a. Overwhelming thoughts of hopelessness.

b. Trying to escape a situation from which they can’t deal.

c. Feelings of rejection, guilt, anger, or sadness.

2. Youth/teens are often dealing with problems that may seem small/insigni cant to adults but are huge and very real to them.

3. Suicide is about ending pain for youth/teens.

SHOWCASE

Anything’s Possible

Warning signs include three di erent areas: talk, behavior and mood. Listen to what a youth is saying. ey could be talking about killing themselves, having no reason to live, feeling trapped, being a burden or feeling hopeless. Watch a youth’s behavior. Consider if a youth has started isolating themselves, withdrawing from activities they normally enjoy (for youth that could mean not spending time with friends, texting friends or being on social media regularly), a change in school work/ attendance, or acts of reckless behavior (that could include alcohol, drugs or risky behavior). Has there been a change in a youth’s mood? Watch to see if a youth has depression, anxiety, irritability, shame/humiliation, anger outbursts or even a relief/sudden improvement of their mood.

Risk factors can be viewed in three di erent areas as well: health factors, historical/other factors and, environmental factors. Health factors will include current mental health conditions, serious physical health conditions including chronic pain or a change in health conditions/serious injury. Historical/other factors would be situations where there have been previous suicide attempts, a family history of suicide or some type of abuse, neglect or trauma that occurred during childhood. ere are many environmental factors that may a ect a youth who is thinking about suicide. ose environmental factors can include, but are not limited to:

1. Prolonged stress (harassment, bullying, cyberbullying, relationship problems, sextortion, etc.)

2. Stressful life events (rejection, break-up, divorce of parents, death/loss of a loved one, etc.)

3. Exposure to another person’s suicide

June

4. Sensationalized accounts of suicide. is can include media accounts, social media accounts, movies, TV shows (13 Reasons Why), books, or even discussion among friends.

5. Having access to lethal means ( rearms, medication, drugs, etc.)

While some risk factors cannot be changed, there are some things that can lessen their impact. ese things can be put into place at any given time. One of the biggest things is what we’ve been talking about, communication. When youth know they can talk to parents/guardians, friends and family, they will feel more comfortable opening up about their stressors and feelings. School and community support can also help youth. Knowing they have community and school support can help them realize they are not alone and can have others to turn to. Help youth learn coping skills, problem solving skills, con ict resolution and con dence in themselves will help them be more equipped to deal with challenges life brings.

If you suspect someone may be suicidal don’t be afraid to ask. Remember, talking about suicide is okay. Be yourself when talking to them and have empathy. Take the time to listen, be supportive and understanding. Don’t fear o ering hope without negating feelings. Take the person seriously. Finally, know your limitations on how you can help and assist them in locating professional help. You can go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org for more information and resources. Remind youth they can download the SafeUT App and talk to someone anonymously.

Start the conversation today and help a youth that may be struggling. If you or someone you know is suicidal or having suicidal ideations, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. e Sandy Police Department is also available for support and information.

Sandy Arts Guild presents

Meredith Willson’s

HR JOB CORNER

Full Time, Benefitted

• Lateral Firefighter EMT/Paramedic

• Drainage Maintenance Worker

Part-Time, Non-Benefitted/Seasonal

• Crossing Guard

• Recreation Site Supervisor

• Official/Referee

• Custodian

• Various Alta Canyon positions

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

SANDY CITY CALENDAR OF EVENTS

MAY–JUNE 2023

Sandy’s Public Utilities crews are working hard to minimize flood danger

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

Morethan 50 people from the Willow Creek area of Sandy gathered on a sunny evening in April. Many remember the flooding in 2010 that almost destroyed a home and were there to learn what the city is doing to address their concerns.

“After the flooding there, we learned some things,” said Tom Ward, director of Public Utilities. “The county stepped up major funding on those creeks. Little Cottonwood Creek is much more stable on either side and also deeper.”

Of all natural disasters, flooding is the one most likely to occur in Utah communities, according to the resource guide prepared by the governor’s office. After decades of drought, historic levels of snowpack could cause a season of flooding.

Ward presented a snowpack, water supply and flood runoff update to the Sandy City Council on March 28. He explained that the likelihood of flooding from snowmelt is dependent on how gradually temperatures rise.

“If they start predicting 70 degree-plus temperatures consistently up at Alta, and we still have a lot of water on the mountain, we know it’s going to come quickly by the time that’s happening,” Ward said. “The staff will be out patrolling every night during those events.”

Public Utilities is doing as much as it can to prepare. They have identified potential “hot spots” for flooding along creeks, including Dry Creek, Big Willow Creek and Little Willow Creek. Crews have been removing debris and stabilizing banks to minimize risk of slides and property damage.

“Sandy has several thousand inlet grates that let water into the infrastructure,” said Scott Ellis, assistant director and operations manager for Public Utilities. “Of those, 70 or 80 are critical that we have to monitor. They get looked at several times a week and before each storm.”

The city has street sweepers to help keep gutters clean, but Ellis urges residents to do

their part to help out.

“If you can just get out and look at your own yard and see if there’s anything obvious (like) clogged rain gutters causing backflow into window wells,” Ellis said. “Sweep your gutters. If there’s something like newspaper or cardboard that could cover one of the inlet grates, do us all a favor and throw it in the garbage and save us all a headache.”

Officials urge residents to stay alert to news and weather reports. If flooding does occur, do not go near flooded rivers or streams and keep children and pets a safe distance away from any flooded area. It’s also not safe to drive through flooded streets. The water may appear shallow, but could be much deeper if the pavement below has been washed away.

If residents encounter a flooding emergency, they should call 911. For non-emergency questions or concerns, call Sandy Public Works at 801-352-4400.

“We would rather have residents call our team than put out sandbags on their own,” Ward said. “The call allows us to track where hotspots are.”

Though the threat is real, Sandy’s Chief Operating Officer Shane Pace believes the city is well-prepared.

“I was the Public Utilities director in 2010 when we had flooding in a lot of portions of our city,” Pace said. “The coordination between Salt Lake County and Sandy City this year compared to 2010 is dramatically different. They’re spending a lot more time with us and working with us. I think it’s going to pay off.”

Ward agrees. “We feel pretty good. We’ve done a lot of work, while everyone was not worried about this, to prepare.”

In anticipation of spring flooding, Gov. Spencer Cox issued an executive order in March that outlined the state resources to be used in the event of flooding. l

Quality Flower Seed. Locally Owned.

Crews have worked to stabilize the banks of Little Cottonwood Creek to lessen the impact of spring floods. (Sarah Morton Taggart/City Journals)

Photos by Travis Barton

Left: Kenzie Searle netted four goals against crosstown rival Jordan in a crucial 14-9 victory which will give the Hawks an edge in the race for the region championship. Searle is one of the Hawks primary scorers this season.

Above: Sophomore Megan Davies had 11 assists through Alta’s first six games. The Hawks reeled off four straight wins in region while dropping its two nonregion games against Bingham and Brighton. Alta was regularly ranked in the top 10 throughout April in the RPI.

Students helping students, providing food during Jordan High’s school break

More than 50 families got food for breakfasts and lunches this past spring break, thanks to two marketing students who reached out to the Jordan High community.

“This started as a marketing assignment; we were to do four hours of marketing for a nonprofit organization,” Jordan High senior Grant Bain said. “We decided we wanted to promote our school food pantry, Helping Hand, and in the process of meeting with people, we learned that students and families who depend on it, don’t have access to it during spring break. So, our idea was to provide food for them that week.”

The goal was to provide 50 families a bag of breakfast and lunch items for students who normally would have access to the pantry during a normal school week.

The students’ teacher, Sam Soter, said the students learned about the need and decided to act.

“They reached to their circle of influence and asked for donations after learning that a lot of students depend on the school for lunch and breakfast,” he said. “So, while students are out of school for spring break, having access to food can become a hardship for some. It’s a cool initiative and insight that these students had. I really like that it’s students helping students.”

Jordan Assistant Principal Jason Long said that the pantry, which is funded and supplied 100% by community donations, is used regularly when school is in session.

“Each school year, there are JHS students that experience homelessness or displacement, so there is a significant need; everyone can use a helping hand throughout life,” he said. “We are very grateful for the donations and community support for these families. Furthermore, it was amazing to see JHS students themselves come together to provide spring break care packages for many students and families in need.”

Bain said it was a multistep process.

“The biggest thing was the marketing part of it,” he said. “First, we made fliers to donate to our pantry and went about getting that word out. Then, we had to share with students that we had the food.”

Bain estimates that he and his classmate, senior Andrew Foerster, each put in about a dozen hours for this project.

Both boys asked neighbors for donations. They also shared the word with the student body officers’ Instagram, the school television announcements and the Sandy Mayor’s office, hoping the need would be shared on their social media

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

sites.

Foerster said it all tied to their class.

“In marketing, we’re talking about how to market events and so we just had to figure out the strategies we could use to market for the school, how to get the word out about what we’re doing and the need for donations,” Foerster said.

It was all done in less than two weeks—including bagging the $2,000 worth of donations, Bain said.

“Once we got all the food together, we got a group of students together who wanted to help out bagging on Thursday before spring break started and after school Friday. We divided food into categories and put some of each into grocery bags,” said Bain, who said he has enjoyed learning more in-depth and applying what he’s learned in this Marketing 1030 concurrent enrollment class.

In addition to students and neighbors donating, Great Harvest contributed loaves of bread and Harmons supplied the bags. The spring break supplies consisted of peanut butter, jelly, macaroni and cheese, noodles, cereal, rice, tortillas, granola bars, Goldfish snack crackers and other items, Foerster said.

“We thanked everyone for all the donations and those who helped us getting the food bagged up in time,” he said.

Counselors distributed the bags to students in need.

“We aren’t necessarily aware of who uses the pantry, but I do know one of my friends uses it occasionally. It makes an impact for us because we are doing it for Jordan, our school, and when we see students leaving with bags after school, it’s kind of cool knowing we were helping them out,” Foerster said.

The two received more donations than what was needed to fill the bags. Those surplus items were to be added to the pantry shelves.

Soter said that the students also indirectly raised awareness in the community about the Helping Hand pantry that distributes food to clothing.

“These two classmates are very service-oriented and put everything together, did all the marketing, created social media and community awareness about both the need and availability of the pantry to those who could use it,” he said.

Foerster said he learned a lot beyond just the assignment.

“I learned there’s a lot more people at my school who can use help, more than I thought,” he said. “As far as the

class, I learned a ton of marketing strategies and while it was really cool to see how those principles actually apply, what I liked most has been the direct impact. I know we’re helping out people here at the high school and it’s actually meaningful.”

The Jordan High Helping Hand Food Pantry is available for all students and community members at 2:30 to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays and at 1 to 3 p.m. on Fridays. Students or families can reach out to a high school counselor or assistant principal, who are willing to arrange access to food or clothing outside of those hours as needed. l

Jordan High students bag and sort food that was donated for their school pantry. (Photo courtesy of Cambree Swenson)

As part of a marketing class assignment, two boys got food donations which were bagged for Jordan High students and their families during spring break. (Photo courtesy of Cambree Swenson)

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

• NOT invasive

NeuroStar is like physical therapy for the brain. It uses magnetic pulses, similar in strength to MRI, to reignite dormant connections in the brain and give you control of your depression. With NeuroStar, you can live on your terms.

“I had taken 11 different medications without any relief… NeuroStar treatment has helped me bring my life back with a happiness that I’ve never experienced before” ~TODD

“When you’re depressed you’re always fighting to live…to survive the next day. NeuroStar made such a difference… empowered, I felt strong, I felt like I wasn’t a victim anymore.

Talented Alta soccer among contenders again, Jordan squad unlucky but skilled as it strives to keep up in battle-tested region

Photos by Travis Barton

A goal is chalked off for Jordan during its region game against Alta when the assistant referee signaled the shot caromed off the crossbar, hitting the football crossbar, before coming back into play.

Keeper Thiago Moreira helped keep three straight clean sheets early in the season as Alta battled opponents and the weather.

Alta right-sided center back Easton Lovell keeps the ball away from rival Jordan as the Hawks went on to beat its rival 2-1 in a closely fought game right before spring break. After dropping its first game of the year, 4-2 to region rival Lehi, the Hawks reeled off six straight wins outscoring their opponents 21-3.

Junior Jessi Lorenzo Herrera looks to evade his defender during a tight 2-1 loss to Alta. Herrera is part of a talented Jordan group who possess the ball well. After two wins to start the season, the Beetdiggers lost its next four region games, all tight losses to some of the best teams in the classification.

Center back Jesus Guzman wins his challenge against Riverton. The windy game saw Jordan control it for large stretches but were unable to find the back of the net in a 1-0 loss.

Junior Justin Roberts looks to find senior Brock Bennion streaking free.

Sandy celebrates 21 years of being a Tree City USA

Trees are critical to the health and vitality of a city, according to Britt Bingham, the Urban/Community forester for Sandy City.

At the recommendation of the Parks and Recreation Department, the Mayor and Sandy City Council proclaimed May 20, 2023, as Arbor Day in Sandy City. As part of the proclamation, Sandy’s residents and visitors are encouraged to become active in promoting and preserving trees.

“Sandy has just exploded and grown and we’ve lost a lot of our natural trees,” Bingham said. “Even though a majority of them are not the best species that we could find, they still help out their environment.”

Quality tree species are also in danger. In February, the Planning Commission prioritized efforts to save five mature London plane trees as a condition for approving plans for the Cedarwood Estates Expansion at 575 E. 11000 South. The trees are struggling to survive after years of underwatering.

“I think it’s critical to the development that the trees remain,” said David Hart of the Sandy Planning Commission. “It’s the one amenity that the residents have expressed concern about.”

Trees absorb the sounds of traffic, reduce energy costs, increase property values, improve mental and physical health, and mitigate the effects of climate change, according to the Arbor Day Foundation.

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

Trees are also good for business.

“In surveys and tests that have been done at malls and shops, the more trees you have, the longer people will shop,” Bingham said.

So what kind of trees should people plant? Bingham says it depends. “Our motto in the tree industry is ‘the right tree in the right place.’”

Factors to consider include the amount of sunlight available, the type of soil, and how much room there is for the tree to grow. Personal preferences are also important. Do you want an evergreen tree, one that flowers in the spring, or one that will provide maximum shade in the summer?

Trees that can thrive in harsh heat include zelkovas, golden raintrees and honey locusts. One of Bingham’s favorite trees is a zelkova on the grounds of Alta Canyon Sports Center with spreading branches that tower over the neighboring Bradford pear, a species that is vastly over-planted.

“We try to diversify our plantings because if you start getting too much of one species, then some type of disease, insects or whatever can wipe them out,” Bingham said. “For example, the Dutch elm disease. That was devastating.”

Bingham is especially concerned about the century-old spruces lining the eastern edge of the Sandy Cemetery along 700 East that are suffering from a common

fungus.

Aside from underwatering, disease and pests, Bingham says a tree may be doomed if it is planted too deeply in the ground.

“So what happens is that a tree with a trunk has a trunk flare, and people bury that trunk, which is obviously not natural,” Bingham said. “And so they will grow adventitious roots (roots growing from the trunk). When those roots come out, they don’t know which way to go so they will actually encircle the tree. It basically chokes itself out.”

Bingham also recommends being mindful of where trees are planted.

“We, as a society, do our landscaping completely wrong,” Bingham said. “I always like to tell people that if you go out in the forest, what do you see? Trees. You don’t see grass. You go out in a meadow. What do you see? You see grass, and maybe one or two trees here or there.”

Bingham encourages residents to group plants by how much water they need or learn about the conservation programs offered by the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District to water their yards more efficiently.

Sandy has maintained Tree City USA status for more than 20 years. The city also has a Heritage Tree program that catalogs trees that are uniquely large, a significant species, or have historic importance. More

Alta baseball fighting in tough region

Photos by Travis Barton

information about the Heritage Tree program, including the nomination form and an interactive map, can be found at sandy. utah.gov/807/Heritage-Trees. l

Britt Bingham, the Urban/Community forester for Sandy City, says this zelkova on the corner of Highland Drive and 9510 South might be his favorite tree in Sandy. (Sarah Morton Taggart/City Journals)

Junior Ryker Mast and the Alta Hawks baseball team didn’t play its first game until March 18, defeating Corner Canyon 7-2 before losing four of its first five region games. The Hawks followed that up with a three game winning streak in a region featuring top teams like Jordan, Lehi and Timpanogos. With weather wreaking havoc on the spring schedule, the Hawks had to spray its nonregion games around the end of April, tossing a few in on Saturdays.

Tyson Kelly lines a pitch to right against Jordan. The junior leads the team in steals and runs scored while Nolan Lohnes, Bentley Crook, Logan Moeller, Jeremy Christensen and Nash Williams have all chipped in from the plate. The team was 9-9 at press time.

ANNUAL MEMORIAL DAY PROGRAM

ANNUAL MEMORIAL DAY PROGRAM

to Honor Military Veterans for Their Service to Our Country.

Monday, May 30, 2022 at 10:00 am.

Monday, May 29, 2023 at 10:00 a.m.

At Larkin Sunset Gardens Cemetery

1950 East Dimple Dell Road (10600 South), Sandy

FEATURED SPEAKER:

Jennie Taylor

Gold Star Wife, Civilian Aide to the U.S. Secretary of the Army

Beetdiggers baseball battling for supremacy in Region 8

PROGRAM WILL INCLUDE: Hill Air Force Base, Honor Guard, Utah Firefighters Emerald Society bagpipes, Patriotic Music by Brian Stucki and the Minuteman Brass Quintet

The featured speaker is Congressman Chris Stewart. Program will include: Hill Air Force Base Honor Guard, Utah Firefighters Emerald Society bagpipes, Patriotic Music by Brian Stucki and the Minuteman Brass Quintet and Refreshments Courtesy of Cedarwood at Sandy.

OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC

OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.

Photos by Travis Barton

Jordan players celebrate hits, scoring runs and bunt singles as the senior-heavy squad battles for region supremacy. The Beetdiggers led off region with five straight victories over Alta and Timpview before heading to a California tournament during spring break. Jordan was 13-6 at press time, 10-1 in region.

Left: Kai Smith is part of a rotating cast of pitchers for Jordan. Head coach Chad Fife emphasized the importance of the team’s pitching prior to the season to determine how well they’d do.

Below: Hunter Gatti lays down the perfect bunt for an infield single.

Sandy resident given Global Citizen Award

Everyyear, Sandy City recognizes outstanding residents and businesses in a variety of categories. One Sandy resident performed such a generous act in 2022 that a new One Sandy Awards category was made just for him: the Global Citizen Award.

A Sandy City Council meeting in October was just about to wrap up when Fire Chief Bruce Cline jumped up to share one last item.

“I got a call today from a Ukrainian group, and they are sending six firefighters here for the combat challenge and they’re asking for some help to find a place for them to stay,” Cline said. “So, if you know of anything or have connections will you let me know? I think that’s pretty cool that they’re leaving their war-torn country to come to Utah to compete in this challenge.”

David Jack, a regular attendee of council meetings, approached Cline and said he could find plenty of families to help. Several of his neighbors did offer to house the athletes, but the group wanted to stay together. So the six athletes all stayed at Jack’s home for 10 days.

“Mr. Jack and his family were so hospitable when the firefighters came from Ukraine and didn’t have housing secured,” said Mayor Monica Zoltanski when she named the awardees at a council meeting on March 28. “He put them up for 10 days and took care of their every need. Just somebody here, sitting in the audience on a Tuesday night. And he not only changed the experience for the athletes, but showed the best of Sandy and touched so many of us who saw his generosity that acts as a beacon of citizenship for so many others.”

The Firefighter Challenge is a weeklong, skills-based course and competition sponsored by the First Responder Institute in Birmingham, Alabama. The competition simulates essential skills of firefighting, including hoisting a fire hose, simulating forcible entry and victim rescue, and climbing a five-story tower in full gear. Fourteen challenges took place across the country in 2022, culminating with the World Challenge in Sandy from Oct. 10-15.

“I think they’re athletes because they want to be strong firefighters,” Jack said. “They try to do everything they can to make their bodies as strong as possible to help others.”

What did Jack’s family think about hosting six strangers?

“Well, it was a little surprising,” Jack said with a laugh. “I had my two sons that were here at that time, 23 and 29 years of age, and one of them gave up his bedroom for one of the Ukrainians. And they got to know the Ukrainians, too. They had some great talks.”

Only two of the athletes spoke English, so the others used their cell phones to trans-

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

late.

“I think it was very positive for our family because these are very strong people. Just very, very strong—mentally as well as physically—and they gave us very useful information on what’s happening in the rest of the world and what’s happening in Ukraine.”

The day of the competition, the athletes learned about a scary situation at home.

“We were just loading all their materials into the suburban, and they all had their cell phones out in front of them and I looked around and thought, well this is quite strange,” Jack said. “And so I went over to the ones that spoke English and said, ‘What’s going on?’ They said, ‘Look, this is

our house, and these are the missiles that are coming in on our house. We’re just hoping that our families don’t get destroyed.’ And that was the morning that the contest started. Oh, that was a tough one.”

As a team, the Ukrainians were able to put their fears aside and compete to their best abilities. On the last day of the competition, they were named World Champions in the Hybrid Relay Category. Individually, Aleksandr Baran won second place in one of the challenges and Oksana Chehmestrenko placed third overall in the women’s division.

“They were rooting for each other firefighter that was against them,” Jack said. “Of course they wanted to win, but they were just

very respectful to each other and the other country members that were there, too.”

Jack has stayed in touch with many of the Ukrainians, who for now are safe and doing well, in spite of the ongoing conflict. Volodymyr Dudka sent Jack an email after seeing a video about the Global Citizen Award on YouTube.

“I congratulate your entire family,” wrote Dudka. “Because it seems to me that David is capable of great things only because he has so much support, respect and love that you give him! You (his family) are both a ‘trailer’ and a ‘locomotive’ and a ‘guiding star’ for him.”

Jack was just one of the 13 individuals and businesses honored with a One Sandy Award in 2023. Video interviews of all the recipients can be found on Sandy City’s website here: www.sandy.utah.gov/1928/ Current-Award-Winners.

“Everybody grows up in their own country in a certain different way that we need to understand,” Jack said in the video made to describe his award. “And the more we understand it the better off we’re going to be as a world.”

“I thank fate for bringing me together with you,” Dudka wrote. “This is one of the most valuable events in my life. Thank you for accepting us, helping us, allowing us to see a little of your life. This experience is incredible. P.S. We stand! We are fighting! Thank you for supporting us in the fight for our freedom!” l

Ukrainian firefighters pose with former Sandy Fire Chief Bruce Cline during the Firefighter Challenge last October. (Photo courtesy Oksana Chehmestrenko)

Ukrainian firefighters received a warm welcome in Sandy while competing in the Firefighter Challenge last October. (Photo courtesy Oksana Chehmestrenko)

Dorothy M. (Buelow) Payne

April 10, 1940 - April 5, 2023

Dorothy M. (Buelow) Payne, 82, peacefully passed away on April 5, 2023 at the Good Samaritan Nursing Home in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

Dorothy was born on April 10, 1940 in Laona, Wisconsin, to Raymond A. and Beatrice E. Schmoll Buelow.

She graduated from Nathan Hale High School in West Allis, Wisconsin.

Dorothy married the love of her life, Tumolehu Payne, from Sandy, Utah, on August 13, 1988.

Dorothy had various jobs around Wisconsin. She was a data processor for about eight years at St. Mary’s Burn Center in Milwaukee. She moved to Shawano and Gresham area in 1978 and helped raise her sister’s children until moving to Utah in 1982. Dorothy was a data processor for J.C. Penney in Salt Lake City, Utah from 1983 until she retired.

During the first 40 years of her life, she lived in Milwaukee, Shawano and Gresham, Wisconsin; and the last 42 years of her life, she lived in Salt Lake City and Sandy, Utah and Idaho Falls, Idaho.

She was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1961. Dorothy held various positions in the church and did genealogy for many years.

Dorothy did a lot of sewing and made quilts

for her nephews, nieces and grandchildren. She also enjoyed traveling, drawing and photography. She was able to enjoy a trip to Tonga and New Zealand with her husband and her mother to visit Tu’s family. Dorothy loved family life and was blessed to be a surrogate mother to many children. She loved to cook and they would do luaus for family members.

She is preceded by her husband Tumelohu Payne, her daughter MaryAnn Fa’asu, her sister Geraldine Molzner, grandson Jaxson Tomasi Payne, her parents Raymond and Beatrice Buelow; and her close lifelong friends Marge and Aubrey Stoehr.

Dorothy is survived by her children: Eileen (Lonney) Casey of Salt Lake City, Utah; Kelly (Nancy) Harms, of Kearns, Utah; Brian (Cathy) Harms of Kearns, Utah; Jane (BA) Acres of Fort Worth, Texas; Judy (Lopa) Nu’usilla of West Valley, Utah; Tomasi (Joy) Payne of Queen Creek, Arizona; siblings: Ellsworth (Margaret) Buelow of Fox Lake, Wisconsin; Richard (Kathleen) Buelow of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin; Carol (Todd) Stoeher of Antigo, Wisconsin. Dorothy was blessed with 25 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren, 10 nieces, 10 nephews, and many dear friends she gathered over the years.

A graveside Celebration of Life will be held in Dorothy’s honor at the Memorial Lake Hills Cemetery (10055 S. State St., Sandy, Utah) on Monday, April 24, 2023 at 1 p.m. at which time you are welcome to come forward and share your memories of Dorothy.

•

•

It’s cap and gown time for hundreds of students

Area schools are announcing their commencement exercises for the class of 2023. ADA accommodations are available at all locations. Here is the pertinent information.

Alta High — Canyons School District Assistant Superintendent Bob Dowdle is scheduled to speak to 522 students who are expected to graduate at 10 a.m., May 25 at the University of Utah’s Huntsman Center. This year’s theme is “We are better together.”

Bingham High — Commencement exercises will be held at 1 p.m., June 1 in the UCCU Arena at Utah Valley University in Orem. The theme is “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”

Brighton High — About 500 seniors are to walk through commencement exercises at 6:30 p.m., May 25 at the Maverik Center with Canyons School District Superintendent Rick Robins speaking. This year’s theme is “Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts,” spoken by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

Canyons Transition Academy — Thirteen students will graduate at 12:30 p.m., May 24 in the Canyons Center. The theme is a quote by Barnum & Bailey Circus founder, nicknamed “The Greatest Showman,” P.T. Barnum; he said: “No one ever made a difference by being like everyone else.”

Corner Canyon High — “Good things end so great things can begin” is the theme for 567 seniors who will graduate at 2 p.m., May 25 at the University of Utah’s Huntsman Center. Canyons School District Assistant Superintendent Bob Dowdle is scheduled to speak.

Cottonwood High — Seniors will walk through the traditional commencement exercises at 1 p.m., June 2 in the school auditorium. The theme is “What matters in life is not what happens to you, but what you remember and how you remember it,” by Colombian writer Gabriel García Márquez. During the ceremony, the school’s Madrigals, Concert Choir and jazz band will perform.

Diamond Ridge — About 60 students will graduate at 6:30 p.m., May 24 at Mt. Jordan Middle School. Canyons School District Assistant Superintendent Bob Dowdle is scheduled to speak.

Entrada — Incoming Canyons School District Assistant Superintendent McKay Robinson is expected to address 140 soon-to-be graduates at 7 p.m., June 22 at Jordan High School.

Hillcrest High — Canyons School District Superintendent Rick Robins will address the 450 seniors at the 9:30 a.m., May 25 commencement ceremony at the Maverik Center. For their theme, the seniors selected a quote from the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg: “Whatever you choose to do, leave tracks. That means, don’t do it just for yourself. You want to leave the world a little better for you having lived.”

Jordan High — About 400 seniors will “Beat the Odds: The odds are up to them, the end result is up to you” at their 2 p.m., May 25 graduation at the Maverik Center. The speak-

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

er is Canyons School District Superintendent Rick Robins.

Jordan Valley — Canyons School Dis trict Superintendent Rick Robins will talk to two students who will graduate at 4 p.m., May 19 at the Canyons School District’s boardroom. The theme is “Adapting to Change.”

Juan Diego Catholic High — Students and their families celebrate commencement week with a baccalaureate mass at 6:30 p.m., May 23 at The Cathedral of the Madeleine in Salt Lake City. The week concludes with commencement for the Class of 2023 at 9 a.m., May 27 at Juan Diego Catholic High School’s auditorium. Contact the school for both ticketed events.

Murray High — The graduation ceremo ny will be held at 1 p.m., May 26 at the Life time Activities Center on Salt Lake Community College’s Redwood Campus.

River’s Edge — “Level Up” is the theme for this year’s commencement, which will be held at 1 p.m., June 2 in the school’s audito rium.

Valley High — Graduation will be held at 10 a.m., May 31 at Zions Bank Stadium at Real Academy in Herriman. This year’s theme is from Indian lawyer and activist Mahatma Gandhi, “A beginning, a struggle, and a victo ry.”

Waterford School

1, the school will honor its Class of 2023 on the campus’ main quad east.

Waterford School will hold its commencement on June 1 on their campus. (Photo courtesy of Waterford School)

Congratulations to our April Members of the Month, Lucy Grell, Ryan Dowdle, & Antonella Eyzaguirre! Lucy Grell is 9 years old: she wants to become a babysitter when she grows up, she has been attending the Sandy Club for 8 months, in that time she has learned to always be nice. Ryan Dowdle is 8 years old: he wants to become a animal rescuer, he has been attending for 8 months, in that time he has learned to make friends. Antonella Eyzaguirre is 8 years old: she wants to become a doctor, she has been attending for 1 month, and in that time, she has learned to always listen to her staff.

Congratulations once again, we are so proud of you all!

Polish your teapots, iron your doilies and butter your crumpets. For the first time in 70 years, an English monarch will be crowned and the whole world will tune in to see if King Charles III, Prince William and Prince Harry bust each other up at Westminster Abbey.

Whether or not the coronation turns into a fistfight, there will be plenty of spectacle, pomp, circumstance, tradition, snobbery and a reminder that England adores fluffy hats.

King Charles will be 74 on the day of his coronation, code-named Operation Golden Orb (not even kidding). He’s much older than his mother was when she was enthroned. Queen Elizabeth was crowned at the age of 27 and reigned for 156 years.

The coronation is based on traditions going back centuries. In fact, for nearly 1,000 years, the Archbishop of Canterbury has conducted the ceremony. You’d think, at some point, people would start asking how he’s been alive for so long.

Our country has a bit of history with England, but we're still infatuated with royalty. American royalty just isn’t the same. It’s either the Kardashians or the Kennedys, depending on who you ask. When we elect a new president, we don’t

The Royal Treatment

coronation. King Charles and Queen Camilla will leave Buckingham Palace in a four-ton Gold State Coach that’s been used in coronations since 1830 and is notoriously uncomfortable. It’s covered in gilded statues and painted panels and will be pulled by eight dragons through the streets of London.

The procession travels from the palace, past Isengard at the southern end of the Misty Mountains, along Trafalgar Square, through Hogwarts to Westminster Abbey where the king will be anointed with holy oil using the Coronation Spoon. I don’t know if there’s a knife and fork. Wikipedia didn’t mention any other coronation utensils.

King Charles will then stand next to a really old chair (and it’s not even made out of swords pulled from the hands of his dead enemies), and given things to hold like the Royal Orb, a couple of scepters, gold spurs, a jeweled sword, gold bracelets and a ring. No wonder it’s hard to be king. That’s a lot to carry.

follow centuries of history and tradition. We do a swearing-in ceremony followed by four years of smack talk on social media.

But England knows how to stage a

Then the Archbishop (who HAS to be a vampire, I mean come on!) places the five-pound crown on the king’s head. Saint Edwards Crown has a solid gold frame and is bedazzled with rubies, ame-

LEAFGUARD RAIN GUTTERS

Guaranteed

Educational, interactive and fun From activity books, to neat fiction series, to internet-linked science and history encyclopedias

Buy Books and More NOW

Contact Independent Consultant: Lauren Casper @ letsreadfunbooks.com

Free Estimate - 385-300-0869

PLUMBING

Plumbing,Piping, Installations Drain Cleaning Service and Repair, Large and Small Remodeling Call or Text - Steve or Lea 801.637.1543 or 385.253.0412

thysts, sapphires and other jewels, making the crown worth more than my entire lifetime income.

Everyone yells, “God save the king!” and trumpets blare and, Bob’s your uncle, England has a new king.

Then the fun starts. Concerts will feature new musical pieces commissioned by the king himself, including an anthem written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and I can only hope it’s performed by the cast of “Cats.” A refugee choir and an LGBTQ+ ensemble will perform, because we all know how much the royal family loves diversity.

There’s even a Coronation Quiche consisting of spinach, broad beans, cheese, tarragon and lard, to celebrate the country’s devotion to bland food. You can get the recipe online and make it for your family as you watch the celebration.

Leaders from around the world will attend the coronation, except some countries who are afraid if they send leaders to the event, England will colonize them while they’re gone. But this is a historical moment you won’t want to miss, especially if the royal family starts throwing the crown jewels at each other.

DECKS & HANDRAILS

Utah’s