South Jordan City Journal | April 2024

THE DESERT STATE: SOJO TAKES STEPS TOWARDS WATER EFFICIENCY

By Bailey Chism | bailey.c@mycityjournals.com

When people think of Utah, they think “desert,” and during years with little snowpack, they’re not wrong. Today, Utah is widely known as the second driest state in the country. South Jordan leadership has been looking ahead for a long time now, wanting to provide for the city, and help guide the state towards a water-secure future.

South Jordan has now announced the opening of a first-of-its-kind water purification facility.

Amid growth in Utah, unpredictable snowpack and concerns about the Great Salt Lake, the city of South Jordan looked to secure the future of its water supply. The city has been planning for more than a decade on what they can do to secure a water supply without a water source, and city officials developed a unique educational demonstration facility for water purification.

“This project, to recycle and purify reclaimed water to drinking water standards, has been many years in the making,” South Jordan Mayor Dawn Ramsey said. “When your goal is to have a sustainable water supply for the future as you grow, you have to get innovative, work with all partners at your disposal and find solutions.”

They call the project Pure SoJo. It investigates a process that could eventually become official and add to the city’s water portfolio. South Jordan is the first city in the state to be issued a drinking water permit for recycled water after extensive scientific testing and working with other

South Jordan Mayor Dawn Ramsey and Pure SoJo team gather for the first taste of recycled water. (Photo courtesy Tyson Cole)

Embrace the challenge: Participate in the Challenge Run and make a difference in students’ lives

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Up for a challenge?

Jordan Education Foundation’s 8th Challenge Run is a 2.5-mile course where participants can run through mud, climb a wall, hurdle a barricade, navigate an obstacle, slide down a hill — or simply go around, if preferred. The family-friendly event and festival will be May 11 at Veterans Memorial Park, 1985 W. 7800 South, in West Jordan.

Registration is $20 at jefchallenge.org. The race begins at 9 a.m. and the festival runs from 10 a.m. to noon.

“The competition is fun; you don’t have to be an athlete to compete in this,” Mike Haynes said, JEF executive director. “You can walk it, you can push a stroller, you pick up the flag and carry it to the rodeo grounds’ stadium, you can carry sandbags and all sorts of things, or you can simply go around them. It’s accessible so anyone can do it, we welcome families no matter what the age.”

JEF Board Member and race planner Jason Casto agrees.

“This isn’t a Spartan Race,” he said. “It’s not to train for. We put some fun in it. You can use a sledgehammer to break bricks or shoot a paintball into a target with a slingshot or weave through cattle pens. You can even slide down waterslides. People come from age 5 to 95.”

Casto organized the race not only as a fundraiser for Jordan School District schools, but also to let the community know about the Foundation and how it supports schoolchildren.

“We take 100% of the funds and just put them into the classroom grants,” he said. “People learn and understand what we’re doing to support students and they’re having fun and doing something for a good cause.”

At last year’s event, JEF was able to raise $400,000 in classroom grants, Haynes said.

“We’ve seen a big increase in teachers

applying for that grant. In the past, we only allowed teachers to apply for the grant every other year. Now, it’s every year,” he said.

That’s because teachers post their requests on Donors Choose, which can get individuals, businesses, corporations and foundations to donate to their projects, and often, the latter ones will hold a matching day. That’s when JEF will use funds to match the amount, “stretching our dollars instead of funding the whole thing out of our budget,” Haynes said.

He said every one of Jordan School District’s 3,600 licensed teachers can put in an annual request of $500 each.

“That would mean $1.8 million; we don’t have that much. So, we need to do all we can to bring in more and more,” Haynes said. “I’m telling teachers, ‘every nickel, no matter what it is, if you need it, ask.’ I don’t want money to be a reason you don’t do something that’s best for kids. We live in a great community who wants to support educators.”

In March, the Challenge run registration was on track for about 1,000 participants, close to the numbers pre-COVID-19, Casto said.

Haynes said the challenge run is one of the top 10 races in the state for participation.

A fun aspect of the challenge run is open to Jordan District students, faculty and staff. The school with the greatest percentage of participation receives an additional $1,000 in classroom grants and a traveling trophy, Casto said.

Herriman High has won that three years, Kauri Sue Hamilton School earned it twice and South Jordan Middle, once.

The community is invited to participate in Jordan Education Foundation’s Challenge Run, seen advertised here at South Jordan Middle School. The run is a family-friendly event that supports Jordan School District schools. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

“Butterfield Canyon Elementary has some early registering going so if they keep that percentage up, they could be at the top,” he said. “What sets this apart is we’re a Foundation and people want to help our schools. We get so many businesses, community resources and groups that come and offer free food, activities and stuff, it makes it a fun festival afterward.”

Haynes said that even West Jordan City allows JEF to offer volunteer service in lieu of a park rental.

“Last year, students came and painted

some buildings on the park property, so there’s a volunteer service element in this,” he said. “This event brings us together. It helps promote what the Foundation does to support education, and how through community support, we can help meet the needs of Jordan School District students.” l

Bingham softball is off and running to a 7-1 record early on

By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

Your defending 6A state champions may have lost cornerstones Shelbee Jones, Charity Drake and Braxtyn Hunter to graduation [and college softball].

But, this Bingham [7-1, 1-1 Region 2] softball squad that’s led by head coach Mikki Jackson returns eight key players who were part of that legendary 2023 squad including senior Oakley Clark, six juniors and a sophomore.

One of those juniors is Brecka Larson, who was a 1st Team NFCA Western All-Region selection last year during the Miners’ magical run to the state championship trophy. Larson is already showing off her might; she has a 6-1 record as the team’s ace on the mound and has thrown 66 strikeouts through six games. At the rate she’s going, the junior pitcher will break the school record for strikeouts. [Shelbee Jones had 168 last year.] Larson is also hitting well for this Bingham team; with three home runs and 9 RBI she’s been a dual-threat all season.

But the Miners’ best hitter thus far has been a freshman. Mackenzie Turner has slammed five homers and seven RBI for the Miners, who have also been led by sophomore Brenna Cowley [two triples, four doubles and 12 RBI] at the plate. Like Larson, Cowley was also named an All-State selection last year and will be expected to step up for this Bingham team.

Junior outfielder Gracelyn Lemke has also been contributing at the plate; her two home runs and 10 RBI have been a great help, as has the bat from junior Rian Howland who has hit one home run and driven in nine runs for the Miners.

Bingham is just getting into the rigors of Region 2 action; most of the games the Miners have played so far have been nonleague. They defeated Weber 12-6, and 10-

run ruled Lone Peak by the score of 15-0 before heading down to St. George for the Warrior Elite tournament the weekend of March 15. While there, Bingham got by Desert Hills 7-1, thumped Uintah 10-0 and Salem Hills 11-3 in five short innings before eking out a 6-3 victory over Crimson Cliffs in the last game in southern Utah.

The Miners opened the Region 2 slate by getting past Mountain Ridge 5-1 at home on Tuesday, March 19 but lost 4-12 on Thursday, March 21 at rival Riverton.

By the time you read this, Bingham is scheduled to play a non-league contest at Tooele on April 3 and resume Region 2 play the following day, April 4 at Copper Hills. l

Brooklyn Fogg and the Miners jumped out to a strong start this year. (File photo City Journals)

Brecka Larson, who was a 1st Team NFCA Western All-Region selection last year during the Miners’ magical run to the state championship trophy. Larson is already showing off her might. (File photo City Journals)

Sophomore Brenna Cowley and the Miners jumped out to a strong start this year. (File photo City Journals)

SoJo takes a timeout for Wojo — middle school is renamed for the day

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

South Jordan Middle School physical education teacher Joseph Herendeen didn’t know when he put in a classroom grant request for new basketballs it would result in renaming the school.

“I put a request in for new basketballs because the rubber is coming off the balls and you see the black underneath; they’re really in bad shape,” he said. “But I didn’t think I got enough donations. Then, I was surprised by the Stars donating the basketballs. It’s unbelievable.”

The Salt Lake Stars, the Jazz’s NBA G League team, presented the teacher with 30 balls for students to use as well as an autographed team ball to showcase.

“I have a ton of students who love basketball and are talented players. It’s one of their favorite sports. This is going to mean so much,” he said.

Stars coach Steve Wojciechowski, or Wojo, as he is commonly known, received the honor of having South Jordan Middle, or SoJo Middle, be renamed Wojo Middle School for the day on March 13.

“This is a first; it’s an honor,” he told a gathering of students, faculty and staff. “It was fantastic to have you students at our game because it was our best crowd of the year. When you have a full building of enthusiastic young people, it gives juice to everybody on our team

as well as our coaches and staff.”

Wojciechowski compared his role of coach to that of a teacher.

“My job is like a teacher’s job, so I have great empathy and appreciation for what teachers go through,” he said. “When I was your age, my best mentors outside of my family were my coaches and teachers. They were always people I could go to whether things were going great and asking ‘how do I keep it going?’ or what I should do when I hit a rock. Teachers take care of you and they are there for you.”

The 3,600 Jordan School District teachers, like Herendeen, can submit requests for a $500 grant annually through Donors Choose, said Jordan Education Foundation board member Jason Casto.

“Instead of the Foundation funding it 100%, we match donations on a matching day from a foundation or company on a certain day,” he said. “This way, we have been able to award $6.3 million in classroom grants in the last eight years. We’ve funded 11,914 classroom grants for 3,258 different teachers. We’ve been able to take advantage of some of those big things and we’ve also been pleasantly surprised how many people — 2,252 — from out of state are donors and find a project they resonate with and want to support.”

The 15-year board member said most

School, district and city leaders rename South Jordan Middle School to Wojo Middle School for a day after Utah Stars coach Steve Wojciechowski and his team donated much needed basketballs to the school. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

classroom grants requested are “tied to some kind of book material” like instruction books and training manuals as well as technology. Supplies often are requested as well.

As JEF Executive Director Mike Haynes handed out Wojo Middle School T-shirts that matched the school’s marquee, he said this is the first time a school has been renamed.

“This is fun; it’s entertaining,” he said. “We get to honor a leader in our community and the Stars are aiding our students. It’s a win.”

Superintendent Anthony Godfrey agreed: “It’s a good way to build relationships with our community and our partners who support our students.”

The idea to rename the school Wojo Mid-

dle came from Utah Jazz and Salt Lake City Stars public relations coordinator Megan Zipfel.

“I can’t say enough about coach,” she said. “His career is extensive; I’m so happy we got to do this for him.”

As Principal Curtis Jenson passed the big scissors to 34-year veteran math teacher Laurie Petersen to do the official cutting of the ribbon for the school’s new name, leaders gathered around the students for the official photo with the coach. The snow leopard, the school’s mascot, joined in.

An early spring snowstorm continued to fall.

“It’s a great day to be a snow leopard, literally,” Wojciechowski said. l

High-quality, innovative health care with a heavy dose of compassion

With a focus on health care excellence, community service and faith – the doctors, nurses and care teams at Holy Cross Hospital – Jordan Valley and Holy Cross Hospital - Jordan Valley West are committed to compassionate and high-quality care for their neighbors.

It has been nearly a year since CommonSpirit Health took over five Wasatch Front hospitals that now bear the name Holy Cross, a reference to the Sisters of the Holy Cross, who brought Catholic, faith-based health care to the people of Utah nearly 150 years ago. Today, the hospitals are reinvigorating the Sisters’ vision while caring for all with open arms.

“Our care is focused on neighbors helping neighbors, whether they be in West Jordan, West Valley City, or our surrounding communities,” said Christine McSweeney, CEO of both Holy Cross Hospital – Jordan Valley in West Jordan, and Holy Cross Hospital – Jordan Valley West in West Valley City. “Our care providers live in these communities, and we are committed to playing an active role in improving the health of those around us –inside and outside of our hospital walls.”

Besides innovative health care in services that include orthopedics, bariatric programs, a cancer center, heart care, stroke accreditation and a Trauma III ER, the hospital’s teams are actively involved in helping to make the communities better, from leading food drives at local schools to partnering with the American Heart Association to educate our communities on heart health.

Through its Hello Humankindness program, CommonSpirit is actively promoting the health benefits

of kindness and recognizing employees who go above and beyond the call of their jobs to help those in need.

“We believe that simple acts of kindness have a profound impact on the lives of our patients and communities, in addition to the medical expertise that our doctors and nurses provide,” McSweeney said.

The community-focused work also involves close partnerships with local first responders, including fire departments and EMS agencies, who understand the advanced medical care that CommonSpirit provides at its Holy Cross hospitals when patients need an ambulance.

“They know we have some of the most advanced stroke care in our communities and some of the most advanced heart care,” McSweeney added.

CommonSpirit’s mission includes advancing social justice for all, and last fall, it bestowed eight grants from its Health Equity & Advancement Fund to local nonprofits that are working every day to improve lives in ways that include health screenings for Spanishspeaking neighbors and mental health treatment for children and families.

With a long legacy of service and healing, CommonSpirit is just getting started in extending health care excellence for all Utahns at the Holy Cross hospitals.

“Our vision is a healthier future for all – inspired by faith, driven by innovation, and powered by our humanity,” McSweeney said.

Learn more about the services, care providers and mission-driven work of the Holy Cross hospitals and CommonSpirit Health at www.holycrossutah.org

When things go wrong, we provide the right care.

Christine McSweeney, CEO

Continued from front page

partners.

“It's a new concept and a new idea, something that might be unfamiliar to a lot of people, but this facility will serve to educate the public, to educate water managers and school kids,” Jason Rasmussen said, the assistant city manager.

The State Division of Drinking Water issued the city a special permit to operate the project and begin to purify recycled water. The city will be working closely with state officials, including sharing water sample test data for treated water.

South Jordan currently imports 100% of its water because they don’t have a local water source of their own. They do this because the groundwater is contaminated and will take up to 40 years to clean. They started Pure SoJo because of the rapid growth the valley is seeing, and city officials want to plan for future water supply by investigating other sources.

“We’ve proven that this process is safe, reliable and sustainable and the state of Utah agrees,” Ramsey said.

The water used at Pure SoJo comes from the South Valley Reclamation plant, where it is cleaned to an irrigation water standard before going into the advanced purification process at the demonstration facility that brings it to drinking water quality. The water won’t go into people’s

homes, as it is being used only for educational purposes right now. But one day that could change.

So, why recycled water? South Jordan city officials looked at the city’s demand and needed to look at every available source, and that includes recycling water. They believe the purification of recycled water will be necessary in the western United States, including Utah, to meet water demands for growing populations and the trend of decreased water supply.

The project was started back in 2019, when South Jordan city staff saw the growth of the valley and the inconsistency of the water from snowpack runoff.

Several states, including California and Florida, already use recycled water. The purification process was recognized by the International Water Association as a market-changing water technology for 2018.

The Pure SoJo facility was made for educational tours so people can come see how the process of purification works. The facility has been finished and running since March 2022, but not open to the public. The facility opened March 21 and they will be holding public tours on the first and third Thursday of every month. The tours will focus on the role that water recycling can play to meet the state’s water supply needs, how technology is used to purify recycled water and how the economics of water recycling make sense to consider

this source for future water supply.

“Mark my words, I believe 20 years from now we will see this technology employed in communities across the state and

a lot more communities around the country as the entire West deals with a water shortage,” Ramsey said. l

South Jordan seeks to secure the future water of South Jordan and the state of Utah. (Photo courtesy Tyson Cole)

Senior Lincoln Hymas earns 6A Male Swimmer of the Year

By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

It wasn’t that long ago that Bingham’s own Tanner Nelson set the pool on fire with a finish that ranked as one of the best in Utah high school swimming history.

But if anyone can eventually come close to reaching that it might be either Lincoln Hymas or Graden Tennant.

Come to think of it, Nelson’s time of 1:38.39 200-yard freestyle swim in 2021 at the 6A state championships still stands as the fastest 200 free in the state to this day.

At the 6A state championships at BYU Saturday, Feb. 24, however, it was the senior Hymas who came as close as he could to 2021 Nelson, touching the wall after four laps of action in 1:44.34, good for second place overall. Right behind Hymas in fourth place swam Tennant, in 1:47.16.

Neither Hymas nor Tennant were done, though.

In the 500 free, Hymas touched the wall first in a time of 4:43.85 to win the gold medal. Eleven seconds behind Hymas in fifth place surged Tennant in 4:54.91.

For his efforts at this 6A state tournament, Hymas was named the 6A Male Swimmer of the Year.

“It was really exciting to see Lincoln Hymas win 6A Swimmer of the Year,” said coach Clint Sorensen. “He has worked hard all year and has seen the individual results. He was hoping for a win in at least one event.”

Other male Miners who competed and placed at state were Caleb Sorensen, who won the consolation heat, completing his 200 free in 9th place overall. Sorensen completed his day of individual races at BYU in style, finishing the 100 free in 12th place.

He then teamed up with Hymas, Tennant and Jordan Rushton for the 200-medley relay. The Miner quartet finished in 10th place overall.

In the 500 free, Rushton went on to touch the wall in 15th place and Aiden England was 29th, while Rushton finished 21st in the 200-freestyle relay.

In the 200 individual medley, AJ Hanselmann teamed up with England, Mannix Drange and Thane Millet for the 200-freestyle relay and finished in 31st place.

For the women, the Miners got top-20 finishes from several swimmers on an individual basis and a meet-best team finish as well.

Raegan Whipple had two of the highest overall individual finishes at BYU for the Bingham women, as she touched the wall in 11th place in the 100 free and was 12th in the 50 free.

Amelia Black wasn’t far behind, however, in terms of finishes. She endured all 10 laps of the pool to capture a 13th place finish in the 500 free and had a 15th place finish in the 200 free.

Miners Laina Bradley and Brielle Collings were 17th and 18th place finishers in the 500 free and 26th and 27th in the 200 free, respectively. In the 100 freestyle, Elle Christopherson finished in 17th place and Kennedy Schott was 26th. And in the 100 backstroke, Christopherson finished 26th and Schott was 27th.

The women, led by Christopherson, Maddie Howell, Samantha Humphry and Whipple achieved their best finish at the state swimming championships in the 200 free relay, touching the wall of BYU’s Natatorium in 8th place. In the same race, the Miners also had a four-woman team finish in 17th place featuring Schott, Raegan Wilson, Mercedes Trayner and Danika Johnson.

In the 400-freestyle relay, the Miners had the quartet of Whipple, Black, Christopherson and Humphry finish 11th. For Sorensen, he said he was proud of his whole team and of what is to come at Bingham.

“I was really excited to see the improvement of the girls team. We have a lot of younger swimmers who performed extremely well at state, and I’m excited to see what we can do next year.

I know it’s all still a long way off, but our team is really excited to be able to swim in a pool closer to our school. It will help us with recruiting and will help develop the program into an even better one.” l

Help send the CheerAbilities team to the world championships

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

For many of the athletes on this team, it could be the chance of a lifetime. The Utah CheerAbilities Fusion Rampage team in South Jordan was named one of five nationwide teams to compete in the 2024 Cheerleading World Championships at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at the Walt Disney World Resort on April 26-29.

Members of the team include kids with Down Syndrome, a set of twins with cerebral palsy, several children who are nonverbal and a young girl battling brain cancer for the second time. Volunteer coach and Herriman resident Lauren Bolland has watched them overcome some big obstacles to earn a place at the championships and she wants to give them the chance to compete.

“If there’s anything about this team, it’s the perseverance they have for pushing through challenges and adapting,” Bolland said. “They don’t travel, their families don’t have money for vacations because they have to pay for medical expenses and adaptive equipment for their kids.”

Bolland submitted a video of the team’s cheer routine in the hope they’d be selected for the championships. She found out a few weeks ago the Rampage were invited to compete. Their goal is to raise at least $20,000 to cover flights, hotel, food and other expenses. They’ve already brought in $15,000 but need several thousand more to schedule travel and reserve their spot at the competition.

Rampage is part of the Utah Fusion All-Stars, a competitive cheerleading club for kids ages 3-18. Owner Emily Morgan pays for uniforms and competition fees for athletes on the Rampage team and several Fusion cheerleaders volunteer to coach, including Daisy Nielson, a college student at Utah Valley University.

“One thing I’ve learned from coaching Rampage is that there is a lot of joy in life that we often overlook or undervalue because we are constantly seeking the next great thing,” Nielson said. “These kids’ excitement at every single practice helps remind me to appreciate every accomplishment, big or small.”

Creating a two-minute cheer routine for athletes with disabilities is a challenge. The kids with Down Syndrome love to hug and touch but children with autism have sensitivity and need their space. One girl is blind in one eye and can’t use her right leg and another child gets overstimulated with loud noises.

Bolland said it’s a testament to these athletes that they work through their difficulties so they can be part of the team. They’re willing to be uncomfortable because cheer is something they love.

“They may not be comfortable with something, but they figure out how to deal with it anyway, which I think is important

in life,” she said. “What is incredible is they look around at their team and see that everyone’s counting on them. They see all the faces watching them and know they’ve worked hard. They take a deep breath, they wipe their tears, they get on stage and they shine.”

Sponsored by the U.S. All Star Federation, the world championship event features more than 12,000 cheerleaders from more than 20 countries, but only five CheerAbilities teams are invited to participate. To help fund the team’s trip to the championships, visit utahfusioncheer.com/rampage.

“[At the championships] they have to be able to do the entire routine without any assistance so they are lifting each other, they are tumbling, they are moving to their position. Everything’s entirely on their own so that’s been the biggest challenge,” Bolland said. “This was very unexpected and expensive but I so want this awesome opportunity for them.” l

The Utah CheerAbilities Fusion Rampage team in South Jordan is a cheerleading program for kids with disabilities. They’ve been selected to perform at the 2024 Cheerleading World Championships. (Photo courtesy of Rampage)

South Jordan Spring Spectacular

The Easter Bunny makes its debut at South Jordan’s Spring Spectacular celebration on Saturday, March 31, 2024. Live music, a petting zoo and an egg scramble were available for the whole family to enjoy

A little boy waits in the cold for the Easter Egg hunt, or candy scramble, to start. The event happened rain or shine — this year it was a little on the colder and wetter side of things.

(Rebecca Olds/The City Journals)

It can be hard to keep Easter eggs in your basket. A little boy grabs two eggs in one hand to put in his quickly-filling basket. (Rebecca Olds/The City Journals)

When the wait was over and the countdown reached one, egg hunters raced to pick up as many eggs as they could. (Rebecca Olds/The City Journals)

A little girl sits on a man’s shoulders while leaving the egg hunt with a bag full of goodies. (Rebecca Olds/ The City Journals)

Children's recording and performing artist, Doctor Noize aka Cory Cullinan, performed a oneman-band concert at the event, even playing his hit “Phineas McBoof Crashes the Symphony” and inviting kids up on stage to dance and sing.

(Rebecca Olds/The City Journals)

(Rebecca Olds/The City Journals)

2024-25 registration opens for Mini-Miner preschool

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Registration is now open for Bingham High’s preschool.

It’s an opportunity for children who are potty-trained and 4 years old by Sept. 1 to come two mornings per week to start to learn their letters, letter sounds and numbers. The class, which is taught at an almost 1:1 ratio by high school students, typically has 16 students. Those children who are age 5 and can attend kindergarten are not eligible for the preschool.

An online $40 deposit is required to hold a spot for the Mini-Miner preschool. After opening the Bingham Website at binghamminers.org, find the Preschool Mini-Miners under the resource tab. Additional information is there, including the monthly tuition of $85 per month for two days per week.

Tours of the facility are available by emailing the instructor, Janae Dunn, who has her email listed on the webpage.

The preschool, which serves as a lab for high school students — many of whom want to pursue education as a career ¬¬¬— has hands-on activities that are developmentally appropriate for the youngsters.

“We’re always practicing our letters and numbers; we always have an art activity, and we always have a science or sensory

Tactivity as well,” Dunn said, who said that students may form letters in shaving cream, sand or with dot markers. “This exposes them to different skills that they’re going to learn, like fine motor skills, cognitive skills, social skills. It’s helping them in each of those areas of development.”

She said the daily themes are engaging.

“Each of our themes are tied into a story that we incorporate so that the kids can learn the sound of the letter,” Dunn said.

For example, preschoolers may have a space theme and learn the number 7, so high school students, who are teaching the preschoolers under the supervision of Dunn, will share a story about the moon and space that ties in with the number. Preschoolers may make their own moon rocks or create their own astronaut masks to tie to the theme.

Themes have ranged from water and ice to jungle animals or dinosaurs and the activities extends to art, science, or sensory, literacy, and math. The lessons are adaptable to fit each preschooler’s ability, she said.

“The high school students really take ownership of the program,” Dunn said. “Every Friday they create their lesson plans and we go through curriculum, but they spend hours on the lessons after school or at home

because they really care about the kids and they want my kids to have a great experience.”

The room has multiple stations including a large carpet area where high school students lead beginning activities and story time, and hands-on stations for science or sensory, math and language arts.

This past summer, new gray tile, LED lighting and other upgrades were made which “makes the room a lot brighter,” Dunn said.

The preschool traditionally offers guest speakers such as a firefighter or a magician. Preschoolers may participate in a carnival where they learn to play games and have their faces painted. They also learn from other Bingham teachers, such as visiting the instructor who teaches agriculture classes, to learn and see baby pigs, chicks and goats.

“They get to go see and explore the baby farm animals they learn about, right here at Bingham, which is awesome,” Dunn said.

Preschoolers celebrate holidays as well. This year, they made striped cardstock hats, like that of the Cat in the Hat, and created their own storybook characters when they celebrated Dr. Seuss’ birthday and were scheduled to go on a leprechaun hunt around

Bingham High preschool students, like 4-year-old Oaklee, learn through lessons prepared by high school students under the supervision of teacher Janae Dunn. (Photo courtesy Bingham High)

Bingham High.

Bingham High opened its preschool in 1999. Dunn, who has taught a decade at the school, has overseen the education of approximately 300 preschoolers. l

State and county leaders prioritize child sexual abuse education

he numbers are startling…one in seven Utah children are sexually abused before they turn 18 and there is a 91% chance they are abused by someone they know and trust. The chances are high that a child in your social circle is being sexually abused. Children tell an average of three adults that they are being hurt before someone helps them. It is critically important that we believe children if they tell us, and not let our surprise or fears get in the way of protecting them.

I firmly believe that when a society is committed to the healthy development and protection of children, it significantly contributes to the future prosperity and well-being of that society. As a Salt Lake County Councilmember, in my role at the State in the Office of Families, and as a former board member for Prevent Child Abuse Utah, I’ve been committed to supporting policies to protect children.

This past legislative session, I took particular interest in bill SB 205—a bill dedicated to protecting children from the harms of sexual abuse by expanding in-classroom sexual abuse prevention education for all of Utah’s students in kindergarten through sixth grade. I’m thrilled to say that it passed with unanimous support.

This bill was initiated by The Policy Project, Malouf Foundation, Saprea and

Aimee Winder Newton

Salt Lake County Councilwoman| District 3

Prevent Child Abuse Utah. It was included in Gov. Spencer Cox’s budget. Legislators recognized that child sexual abuse is a bigger problem in our state than most people realize and were committed to protecting children.

Currently, in the state of Utah, only 11% of our elementary students receive any type of sexual abuse prevention education. Studies show that early intervention can help children recognize inappropriate behaviors, and learn to understand boundaries which will empower them to speak up if they experience or witness abuse— likely preventing further victimization or long-term psychological harm.

Furthermore, in-classroom prevention education provides parents with the resources they need to engage in conversations about safety and boundaries with their children and gives teachers the tools

to recognize distress signals from children and be able to guide students to proper resources.

Prevention strategies can break the cycle of abuse and protect vulnerable children from revictimization. Calling and reporting abuse is another way you can help break this cycle. Utah law requires any person who has reason to believe that a child has been subjected to abuse or neglect to immediately notify Child and Family Ser-

vices or law enforcement. Abuse of a child can be physical, emotional, or sexual and can be reported at 1-855-323-3237.

As Utahns, we should be doing everything we can to protect our children. Childhood trauma impacts both mental and physical health well into adulthood. Healthy children and healthy adults are a top priority!

South Jordan artist promoted by MakerPlace at Michaels

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

Whenthe creative retailer Michaels launched its MakerPlace platform in March, it opened an avenue for local artists to grow their business by selling their handmade crafts and products on the site.

South Jordan resident Jande Laulu has created unique stickers, cards, bookmarks, art prints and coloring books for 14 years. A lifelong Michaels customer, she was selected to help debut an in-store pilot program with MakerPlace at the Michaels store in Riverton (13282 S. Kestrel Range Road) with her platform page Jande Summer.

“I brought a wide variety of the things I sell online, which I feel the community will love. But the coolest thing I love is the connection to the people,” Laulu said. “I’m meeting people, I’m talking to them. It’s just really cool to be part of in-person selling again.”

When Laulu’s son was diagnosed with autism at the age of 3, she needed a way to have a career while working from home. She has been selling her products on other craft websites for years but jumped at the chance to create a site on MakerPlace and partner with Michaels.

“I love Michaels and I wanted to be part of it. I just thought that it was amazing,” she said. “The store setup was so easy. Once I started selling things, Michaels immediately started featuring things that were on trend and they started featuring things that were, of course, seasonal, which is great. So they tell you what they’re looking for, what they’re asking for and they give you those opportunities to show up and to participate in dif-

ferent campaigns.”

The in-store selling program gives local artists the chance to sell directly to Michaels customers and it allows customers to support handmade craft businesses. As a dedicated customer of Michaels, Laula draws inspiration from the store. Her floral-themed products include unframed prints, colorful notecards, Zodiac coloring pages with birth flowers and custom keepsake art prints.

“I just love anything floral because it’s something bright and cheery,” she said.

As she continues to build her brand, Laula is excited about her opportunities through MakerPlace. She hopes to continue the monthly in-person selling but would also love to host classes and get her painting kits out to people so they can host their own art parties. Her goal is to get more people engaged in creative activities so they can feel the satisfaction of making something homemade.

Laula encourages artists to look into creating a site on MakerPlace, noting its ease and competitive fees compared to other platforms. People interested in creating their online store can reach out to Laula through MakerPlace. For more information, visit Michaels.com/ makerplace.

“Once you get your stuff in your shop, you start filling your shop, sharing it and promoting yourself,” she said. “When it comes to promoting your stuff, it’s about taking that first step and getting out there and taking that jump. There are endless possibilities once you promote it. I would tell people to just try.” l

Jande Laula, a South Jordan artist, displays some of her floral creations at the Michaels store in Riverton. Laula is part of an in-store pilot program that highlights crafters on the store’s MakerPlace platform. (City Journals)

Eastlake Elementary Dragons embrace Year of the Dragon

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Eastlake Elementary’s Joaquin and Sofia Jones were excited to take part in their school’s Chinese New Year performance. Fifth-grader Joaquin was to perform in “Lemon Tree,” an upbeat rock song with his dual language immersion classmates while sixth-grader Sofia was to be an emcee for the program.

“It’s a cool celebration of Chinese culture,” Joaquin said. “It’s not just the New Year’s performance, but it’s also learning to do their different crafts and learning the history of their traditions.”

His sister agrees: “It’s an opportunity to showcase our Chinese language and what we’re learning in dual immersion; it’s a lot of fun.”

Both students were to perform along with their classes at a Chinese New Year’s celebration at Herriman High along with other area schools, but they joined all the Mandarin dual immersion students at their own school’s celebration as well.

The school program included first-grade students performing “Happy New Year” and “Hello, New Year.” Second graders took part in “Congratulations” while third-grade students performed to the popular folk song, “Little Apple.” Fourth graders performed “Youth Cultivation Manual” pop song and fifth-graders strummed blow up guitars and danced to their song. Sixth-grade students not only could be emcees, but also took part in “Chinese,” which combined the fan dance, Kung Fu and tongue twisters.

Even Eastlake’s mascot, Fireball the dragon, was ready for the Year of the Dragon

with a special vest made by school librarian Piper Wise’s sister.

“It’s a big celebration for our students to showcase their knowledge of the language and learn more about the culture, which is important to have these authentic experiences,” Wise said.

Fifth grader Madelyn Hatch was psyched to take the stage.

“We’ve never performed a pop song before; it’s usually traditional songs,” she said. “It’s really fun to be able to learn the culture and share it.”

Madelyn said she likes the tradition of sharing red envelopes at school, filled with candy and Chinese coins.

Her DLI classmate, Avie Fraidenburg, has appreciated learning several Chinese crafts such as papercutting, calligraphy and making paper lanterns.

“I like learning the art and culture, seeing the dragon dance and eating Chinese food,” she said. “Every year, we learn something different and it’s super fun.”

Joaquin said the celebration wasn’t just learning the song to perform, but understanding the Chinese traditions and history behind the 15-day Chinese New Year.

“Since first grade, we’ve studied and been more involved in learning the culture and why the Chinese celebrate what they do; the legends are fascinating and it’s just exciting to be in a school learning the language and the traditions,” he said.

While traveling in San Francisco, Joaquin and Sofia used their language skills to order food and speak with others.

“People were appreciative of us communicating in their language,” he said. “I decided I wanted to learn another language to be involved in their culture and now we are not only learning what they enjoy eating and doing, but we’re celebrating their holiday and that’s really cool.”

His sister said by studying a language, it opens opportunities.

“It’s important to learn a language because you can interact with different people in Mandarin and not lose anything in translation. When I grow up, I want to be a senator and knowing Chinese is going to be a vital part in my communication and I’ll have a broader perspective having studied the language,” Sofia said, adding that she’d love to study abroad.

Her classmate Eli Beckstrom said he followed his two brothers in learning Mandarin.

“It’s fun to learn. I want to study through high school and when I pass the AP test, I’ll get college credit,” he said. “Even in high school, I can take Chinese and get college credit.”

Even so, it’s not an easy language to learn, Eli said, with sixth-grader Benson Woolf agreeing.

“There’s a lot of different tones which can be confusing so if you actually say something wrong…,” Benson said.

They also are learning not only traditions, but superstitions, such as not having a fourth floor in buildings because if the word is said with a different tone, it could mean death, Eli said.

However, the boys also are willing to use their knowledge to communicate. Benson said he’s been called on to communicate with a student who arrived from China and knew limited English.

“Being able to communicate with him was really cool,” he said.

Wise, who has had two kids be part of the DLI program, said that there are advantages to learning a second language.

“The connections your brain makes and the skills you learn in Chinese immersion helps set you up for success,” she said. “The kids thrive in learning. Early in the program, our teachers were on two-year VISAs, so it was a lot of starting over every couple of years. Now, there is more stability in the program, and that makes a huge difference because we just build upon each year. Our students are entering middle school and high school with more language skills. They stay in the same cohort of kids all the way through 12th grade, so they work together and are very comfortable with each other. It’s a tight group and they have each other’s back.”

While the boys took part in the dragon dance, Sofia was able to see the performance.

“It was cool to see them perform as well as the ribbon dancers and those who played the drums, the sticks, and cymbals. It’s just a big celebration and for DLI kids, it’s definitely a highlight every year.”

Eastlake Elementary currently is accepting DLI applications for first-graders at immersion.jordandistrict.org/apply or in the school office. l

Eastlake sixth-grader Poppy Freeman takes part in her school’s Chinese New Year celebration. (Piper Wise/Eastlake Elementary)

Students take part in Eastlake Elementary’s Chinese New Year performance in their school multi-purpose room. (Doug Flagler/Jordan School District)

Bingham Miner Branden Carlson is saving his best for last on the Utah Utes basketball team

By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

When Branden Carlson tipped in a teammate’s heave at the buzzer to pull off a 70-69 upset for the Utah Utes basketball team at UCLA back on Sunday, Feb. 18, his father was asked how the family’s living room ebbed and flowed as the officials went to the replay monitor at Pauley Pavilion.

“Honestly, pure joy, then some reservations that the refs might take it away,” Bryan Carlson said. “Then joy again!”

That might have summed up the career of his son Branden at Bingham High School and the University of Utah, too.

The 7-foot senior and pride of South Jordan started his time at the U after a storied career at Bingham that included backing up BYU-bound, eventual pro Yoeli Childs until Carlson was a senior.

It was then that Carlson took over, and he not only led the Miners to a state title during the 2016-17 school year—he left Bingham ranking in the school’s top 10 in scoring [eighth] and rebounds [third].

When Carlson poured in 12 points to become the University of Utah’s fifth all-time leading scorer on Sunday, March 24 in a 91-82 NIT tournament win over Iowa, it only came after the former Miner decided to stay at the U for his senior season rather than declare for the 2023 NBA Draft.

“This year, the NBA process has taught me a lot and showed me the level I aspire to be, but I’m not done here — not yet,” Carlson said in a video statement last May. “Legacy, that’s what’s on my mind — my legacy as a Ute, as a player and as a teammate.”

Again, Carlson chose loyalty over leaving when he wasn’t considered the best player on his team.

After a return from his mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to Manchester, England at the beginning of the 2019-20 school year that coincided with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Carlson— along with 10 other freshmen that former Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak recruited—averaged about seven points and two rebounds for the Utes as a freshman. But, he also put up 15 points, 10 rebounds and eight blocks in one game—something that only three Utes have done in school history.

In the 2020-21 season as a sophomore, Carlson’s 9.6 points per game, 4.6 rebounds and 1.7 blocks got the attention of the Pac-12 Conference. But, Carlson wouldn’t receive any accolades from the Pac-12 coaches and media then, either—and didn’t leave the program after new head coach Craig Smith arrived at Utah from Utah State. Instead, Carlson got married and waited for his turn to shine.

That patience paid off; as a junior, Carlson scored the basketball at a rate of 14 points, grabbing six rebounds and getting 1.6 blocks per contest.

That would earn Carlson second-team All-Pac-12 honors at a time when Utah’s program was undergoing some turnover.

Again, Carlson had some opportunities to leave Utah after his junior year—but he stayed. It turned out to be a great move for the South Jordan native because the numbers from his junior year not only increased, Carlson was named first-team All-Pac-12 after a 16.4/7.5/2.0 kind of year as a senior.

Not only have Carlson’s numbers improved—if that were possible—from 16.4 to 17.2 in terms of points, the graduate senior’s elbow sprain that he suffered at Oregon in the season finale seems to have healed.

It’s that legacy that kept Carlson at Utah for the COVID year he was allowed to take, and it’s that legacy the Bingham Miner has retained in his personal life from high school to college and from a shorter hairdo to what is now curly hair held back by his trademark headband.

All that Carlson asked for in his entire career was to have the Huntsman Center filled one last time, for posterity, at the NIT quarterfinal versus a VCU team coached by former Utah State coach Ryan Odom.

“My last time playing at the University of Utah on Wednesday after 5 amazing years,” Carlson said on Tuesday, March 26. “Would

love to see a packed Huntsman Center one final time! Go Utes!” l

Utah Utes senior graduate center Branden Carlson is honored as the school’s 5th all-time leading scorer. (Photo courtesy University of Utah Athletics)

Bingham boys soccer opens region play with two impressive wins

By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

L

ast year, the Bingham Miners watched their season end at Skyridge in a state tournament second-round game.

But, they must have remembered that Granger was their first-round opponent— the Lancers were Bingham’s season opening opponent this year as well.

Bingham [4-2, 2-1 Region 2] welcomed Granger to Ron Thorne Stadium on March 8. But, it wasn’t the kind of welcome the opposition would’ve enjoyed, as the Miners rolled, 3-0. Two goals were scored in the first half and one in the second by Bingham, who had three different goal scorers [Briggs Smith, Kade Davis and Camden Behunin] while Riley Whicker collected the shutout in goal.

Because of the snow, the Miners wouldn’t play again until March 15 when they hosted Riverton. Bingham fell into a 0-3 hole at the half and watched in vain as the Miners lost, 1-5. Bingham’s lone goal was scored by Dawson Jackson—his first on the season. Ben Pulsipher set up Dawson’s goal.

The weather held up March 20 so that Bingham could play its third game of the season, a home tilt with rival Mountain

Ridge. In that game, Kade Davis collected his second goal on the year and Riley Whicker picked up his second shutout in three games, as the Miners held on for a 1-0 win.

To close out the month, the Miners hosted Corner Canyon on March 22. Bingham won in a 4-0 romp as two goals apiece were scored in either half of action.

Dawson Jackson pumped in two goals putting his season tally at three, while Kade Davis and Briggs Smith each notched one goal. Ben Pulsipher had two assists and senior Cayden Gillis picked up his second shutout of the season between the goal posts.

For Bingham, the season is still young with a minimum of eight games left to play. But at three assists on the season, Pulsipher is just three from tying the school record set by Gabe Morris [6 assists] in 2022.

All of the players mentioned in this article except for Whicker are seniors and their experience is paying off thus far.

By the time you read this, the Miners will play league games at Copper Hills [April 3] and will be at home against Salt Lake Academy on April 5. l

Chinese New Year brings music, dances and cultural classroom activities to Monte Vista

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Monte Vista fifth grader Tess Visser is looking forward to next school year when as a sixth grader, her grade will be the one to do the dragon dance.

“I’m hoping to play the drums or be the dragon head,” she said. “I like hearing the legend of the Chinese dragon. Some people tell it differently than others, so it’s interesting to hear them.”

She’s been a part of the Chinese New Year festival at her school since first grade when she enrolled in the dual immersion program.

“I was excited to be in it,” she said. “When I was in preschool, my brother started speaking Chinese when he was in first grade, so I wanted to do it. Our Chinese New Year celebration is a lot of fun. I like to hear the Chinese songs and it’s fun to see everyone perform here since we’ve worked so hard on it.”

This year’s school celebration started with sixth graders performing the dragon dance. It was followed by first graders singing, “I’m a Little Blue Dragon” and second-grade students singing about zodiac animals. After a song and dance by third grade, fourth grade shared about the Chinese New Year. Fifth grade’s time spotlighted Chinese New Year before sixth grade performed Tai Chi.

The program was coordinated by Amanda Maloy, the school’s Beverely Taylor Sorenson specialist.

“It was a collaboration,” she said. “I worked a lot on the choreography and the instruments that went along with the songs; the Chinese teachers worked on the language. I love how I see the students in a different rehearsal format. A lot of them helped me. The third graders completely choreographed their dance. So, the collaboration with not just their teachers, but also with the students.”

Sixth grader Jacob Sorensen appreciates being a part of the Chinese New Year’s festivities He was the tail of the dragon during the dance.

“We get to learn so much about different cultures and that helps us have a different perspective on the world,” he said. “I like the food and the stories; everything they do is related to an old story. There’s the monster dragon story and how the color red and the fireworks come from the monster Nian and so much more.”

Much of the Chinese culture also is incorporated into classrooms.

“We made these diamonds that goes over the door that are red and we wrote, ‘May good prosperity come to you,’” Jacob said. “We learned that by learning and doing good in school, it can lead to good prosperity.”

His class also practiced tongue twisters relating to dragons, which were included in the performance, since it’s the Year of the Dragon.

Fifth graders made paper lanterns.

“It’s cool to see how beautifully they are made even though they’re not real lanterns,” Tess said. “We learned in Chinese culture that grandparents typically give children red envelopes with money or small gifts in them. My teacher gave us candy and a stamp with our Chinese name on it.”

Even non-dual immersion students were engaged in Chinese culture during rotations. For example, in the STEM rotation, students made miniature Chinese rockets which they blew with a straw to see how far they could go, Malloy added.

The dual immersion students also had the opportunity to perform for a Chinese New Year’s program at nearby Bingham High School.

“It’s way better because we have more space to do our actual dances,” Jacob said, who added that since he has performed there for six years, he felt comfortable on the bigger stage in front of a large audience. “It was packed even though the auditorium had more seats. People came who didn’t really know much about Chinese New Year; I hope they had a good time learning about it.”

Tess also thought it was fun.

“It’s cool we do a different dance every year. We practice in a smaller space so it was weird to be spread out, but I feel like we did a good job, and everyone could see what we were doing better,” she said.

At the end of the celebration, alumni joined them on stage to sing “Gong Xi, Gong Xi,” which is typically sung for the Chinese New Year.

“It’s a traditional song where we welcome everyone who has been Chinese DLI immersion to come up and sing along. It was cool,” said Jacob, who had a high school sophomore brother join him on stage. “He inspired me to study Mandarin. I wanted to be part of this program; I think it would be fun to become a translator for the government or maybe a doctor and work alongside Chinese doctors.”

Tess said she’d like to help other students learn the language.

“I feel like I could help students because I know how hard and frustrating learning Mandarin can be and it would be cool to help other kids get better at it. I’d love to travel in China, too,” she said, adding that she’d like to go on a church mission where she could use the language.

Jacob said studying Chinese is rewarding.

“By knowing the language, we are able to do some of the stuff by being able to speak the language and studying the culture,” he said. “I hope we inspired some kindergartners to want to study Chinese in the fall so they can be part of the Chinese New Year celebration and learn about the world.” l

Monte Vista sixth graders perform during the school’s Chinese New Year celebration. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Making birthdays memorable: Welby principal strums ukulele and sings for students

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Welby Elementary third grader Alexander Gray watched as his principal plucked the strings on a ukulele. It was a special song just for him that day.

“He plays and sings for each of us,” he said. “That’s really cool.”

Welby Principal Aaron Ichimura was on his 48th rendition of Happy Birthday that particular day, personalizing it for each child’s birthday that month.

“Generally, the kids love it, and it gives me a chance to have an opportunity to talk with each of them individually,” he said.

Playing ukulele was a skill that he learned a few years back.

“I learned how to play when I was in elementary school in Hawaii; we learned the chords to ‘Mele Kalikimaka.’ When I was principal at Elk Meadows (Elementary), the third grade would play and I’d join them as they practiced, so we played together. That was their song they would perform at the holiday sing-along,” Ichimura said.

He polished up his ukulele skills when his daughter was learning the instrument about 10 years ago. Then, he introduced singing it to kids for birthdays first at Heartland Elementary, then Elk Meadows before coming to Welby.

“All principals wish kids a happy birthday. When I was teaching, I remember playing my guitar with them. I switched to playing the ukulele to sing happy birthday to students when I was principal,” he said.

Ichimura said it’s more than just a fun way to wish pu-

pils happy birthday.

“This is guaranteed that every month, I get to have some positive interactions with individual students,” he said. “When kids come down to the office, I don’t want them to feel because they’re in my office that it’s a horrible thing. It can be positive, and we can talk about good things that are going on. I remember when I was growing up, my parents would say you don’t want to be sent to the principal’s office. I’m wanting to change that so it’s not a scary place anymore. Kids’ interaction with the principal can be a good, positive, uplifting thing. This activity lends to that to happen.”

Ichimura was singing to each child in the school cafeteria near special treats and pencils for the birthday kids.

“The PTA is so good when they see something happening, they try to help. When I came here, they said. ‘let’s get some volunteers, we can decorate a table for you.’ Back in the day, I would have all the students with birthdays sit at the same table, but then when COVID hit, we changed that. Now, we’re just doing it this way so they’re each getting their own song,” he said.

The PTA generates a list of students for Ichimura to sing to and even incorporates the summer month birthdays.

“They know whose birthday it is and sometimes the kids forget about their birthday treats, they remind about it, they’ll come back. That’s why it’s nice to just be able to wish them personally a happy birthday,” he said. “Even some of the staff will want to celebrate their birthday with us.” l

Welby Elementary Principal Aaron Ichimura plays ukulele and sings happy birthday to each student during the year. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

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Students learn 3D printing skills in free afterschool Hawthorn Academy club

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

There’s a rush when sign-ups open for the start of a school quarter.

That’s because it’s first come, first serve for a limited 15 spots.

It’s not for a favorite class or tickets to an event.

It’s for third- through sixth-grade students to get one of the coveted spots in Hawthorn Academy’s 3D Design Club.

In the club, students learn the basics of 3D printing using Tinkercad. As STEM specialist Katie Rivera shows tutorials on different projects, she joins teachers Steven Suggs and Stephen Mesker in helping the students through the tasks that often tie into holidays, seasons and special events.

For example, last fall, the students printed light-up ghosts for Halloween, turkey napkin holders for Thanksgiving and snowflakes and snowmen for winter.

Fourth grader Briella Alvarado wants to make butterflies this spring.

“I like that we get to make the shapes the way that we want,” she said. “I want to keep 3D printing when I grow up.”

Last school year, the South Jordan school began the club, which continued to be offered into the summer.

Briella was one of the students who enrolled last summer.

“During shark week, we made sharks that are flexible and really kind of cool, but mine broke when my 2-year-old brother was playing with it,” she said.

Last summer, there were two groups of students, each meeting for two hours per day, three days per week.

“It was the best because we had more time,” Mesker said. “We made the Delicate Arch using mostly orange colors and because we are the Beehive State, we made bees and honeycomb for the 24th of July. The last thing we did was make donuts and it was really fun.”

Students can also work on challenges, such as creating a birdhouse last summer.

“Anytime they finished whatever project we worked on that day, they worked on the birdhouse and then we had people vote on which birdhouse they liked the best,” Mesker said.

Students have also used their skills as service. They made and printed 3D bookmarks for South Jordan and Herriman branches of the Salt Lake County library system and created covers they printed for the school’s hydroponic system in the cafeteria.

The club began last school year with a $15 charge per student. This year, there are a dozen 3D printers and it’s free, thanks to a Utah STEM Action grant.

“The whole point of applying for the grant was to have it be equitable, so more people have access. We’re wanting students to learn engineering design skills,” he said, adding that he hopes the club will eventually evolve into a makerspace for the student body and the school will receive a state STEM designation.

Mesker said it’s those 21st century skills of identifying problems and finding solutions that is being taught.

“We teach them the skills, but the hope is to get everybody involved in STEM and get them prepared for future jobs. Many manufacturing jobs now use 3D design and 3D printing and other makerspace skills. We need to provide that education and opportunity to our students,” he said.

Rivera said every term there are new students who sign up in addition to some returning students, and appreciates seeing their progress.

“It’s fun watching their advancements from week one,” she said. “I like seeing what they can design outside of what we show them and sometimes, they teach us something we didn’t know — and that’s awesome.” l

Hawthorn Academy STEM specialist

Katie Rivera and teacher Stephen Mesker help students with their designs during the school’s afterschool 3D printing club. (Julie Slama/City Journal)

Bingham girls, boys lacrosse are off to hot starts

By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

Last year saw the Bingham girls lacrosse team go all the way to the 6A state semifinals with a new head coach in Courtney McCabe—where they lost to Lone Peak in a 19-9 shootout.

Carrying the mantra of “Go Together” along with them to every game, this Miners squad is already off to a hot start in a difficult Region 2 this season.

Bingham [4-2, 1-0 Region 2] won at Pleasant Grove 9-7 to tip off the season on Wednesday, March 6 and then were able to tough out an 11-6 victory in their home opener Tuesday, March 12 against Davis.

The Miners then traveled to Farmington Thursday, March 14 for a match and won 11-9.

It wasn’t until Bingham’s home game against Brighton that the Miners finally lost by the score of 7-10 on Monday, March 18; the next day saw Bingham capture its first win in Region 2 play by dispatching of Copper Hills 11-2.

The Miners closed out the month by losing 5-20 at Olympus, last year’s 5A state runners-up.

By the time you read this, the Miners will be in the mix in Region 2 play; they’ll travel to rivals Mountain Ridge on April 4 and host crosstown foes Riverton on April 9.

For the Miners, junior attacker Aspyn Little was a 6A second-team All-State selection last year. This year she’s already racking up not only points with 14 but goals [12] to lead Bingham.

Additionally, senior midfielder Sophie Curtis has also been scoring points for the Miners; she has 12 through six games and eight goals including four assists.

Junior midfielder Sophie Grizzle has also been a bright spot for Bingham; her 10 points on eight goals included two goals in the loss at Olympus in which Grizzle also forced 10 ground balls. All told, Grizzle is the Miners’ key disrupter; she’s forced a total of 44 ground balls through six games and has already set a school record, breaking Norah Davis’ previous mark of 38 from last year.

Senior midfielder Brenna Miller is another key defensive-minded player for the Miners; her 8 caused turnovers is tops on the team and senior goalie Morgan Edman has 25 saves through three games. She was named a second-team All-State selection last year.

While the girls have started well, the boys team is exceeding expectations.

The general consensus was that this would be a rebuilding year for the Bingham Miners boy’s lacrosse team.

It’s just that someone forgot to tell the Miners that.

Bingham [5-2, 2-0 Region 2] is running rampant over most of its competition through its first five games of carrying the sticks.

The Miners got the season underway in style at the Weber Tournament Saturday,

March 9 where they defeated West Jordan 11-5 in the opener, blasted Viewmont 11-4 and wrapped up the daylong event by defeating host Weber 7-3.

On the road again for the fourth game in four games, Bingham suffered its first loss of the season by the score of 3-11 on Monday, March 12 at Farmington.

At home for the first time this season Wednesday, March 14, the Miners played a spirited match against Lone Peak but lost, 3-7.

Bingham opened Region 2 league play by capturing an 11-3 win at Copper Hills on Monday, March 19 and continued the winning streak with a 12-3 at-home thumping of rival Mountain Ridge on Wednesday, March 21.

For the Miners, seniors Curtis Carlson, Tucker Hale and Ryken Whitney have combined for 24 goals and 14 assists on the season.

In the midfield, senior Parker Nielson has caused 31 ground balls while sophomore Cashton Moon has created seven turnovers in defense for a Miners squad that has also had senior goalie Dylan Wahlberg step up in his final year of high school lacrosse to make 43 saves thus far.

By the time you read this, the Bingham boys lacrosse team will have played two crossover matches at Highland [Tuesday, April 2] and Park City at home on Thursday, April 4 before Region 2 play resumes the following week. l

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The girls lacrosse team jumped out to four wins in its first six games. (File photo City Journals)

Students curl up with good books, showcase their own during Monte Vista readathon

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

On a Thursday night this winter, students and their parents wrapped themselves up in blankets. Some were laying on the library or hallway floors with pillows under their heads. Some pushed chairs and desks together and got underneath.

It wasn’t an evacuation assembly area or a giant slumber night. It was Monte Vista’s first readathon.

Nearly 100 students and their families showed up — to read.

“It was a quiet event,” said fourth grade teacher Christie Matheson. “Students and their families came in and explored some of the classroom reading activities, but for the most part, they found a spot and sat down to read. It was fun to see the kids randomly sit in the hallways, classrooms and library and reading books. Some wore pajamas, some brought blankets and pillows. They got into the spirit of it by curling up to read or using blankets between tables to create tents to read in.”

The readathon was a casually planned event, with input from teachers and the community.

“There were four or five themed rooms. One was an autobiography room and there were discussions about the books and what they learned from them. Anoth-

er room had picture books and it was designed that only picture books were read in that room,” Matheson said.

Matheson’s 26-member class became authors and illustrators of their own stories prior to the readathon so she was in her classroom to explain the project. The fourth graders had spent several weeks creating their books.

“They’re self-reflective books; they used mixed media and poetry to tell readers about who they are,” she said.

Matheson cut cereal and other thin cardboard boxes into squares, seven inches by seven inches, to make the covers of the books. Then, students covered them with specific wrapping paper.

“They choose wrapping paper that best represented them in some way, so maybe they chose a brown pattern to represent their brown eyes. Then, on the front cover, we just had a whole bunch of materials, and they were able to decorate the front cover based on that,” she said.

Again, it wasn’t random, but rather using mixed media — scrapbook paper, beans, foam, oil, pastels, watercolors, string and more — to decorate it as “What they thought the world saw them as physically,” Matheson said.

Inside the book the pages pulled out to four different sections with each to represent how they see themselves on the inside — what are their dreams and wishes or what are their strengths. The only text was a poem – an original piece or an already published work they may have studied or memorized — to represent their own uniqueness or a goal they wanted to

achieve.

“It was fun to see the students come up with their dreams and wishes and put it into art form. They’re all different because this is their interpretation, using skills they were taught,” she said.

On the back cover, parents wrote reviews about them.

“It was just like a regular book, and they signed it as an author and an artist. We spent several weeks on them; they were just amazing,” Matheson said. “The students learned how to put themselves out there. Some said it was harder to create the outside than the inside, to be vulnerable enough to say, ‘This is how I think the world sees me.’ Others said, ‘It’s easy to do the inside, I know about myself,’ but a few found it hard because they were like, ‘I don’t tell everybody that part.’”

During the readathon, a white board allowed visitors to give feedback to the books, prompted by questions, “What did you think of their art? What did you think of the book?”

“We wanted people to read the books and it was fun to see their responses,” she said. “The books tied into their visual art and literature curriculum. They learned vocabulary and can talk about foreground, middle ground, shadowing and background. They reviewed the vocabulary that goes along with art skills and were able to use both. They also learned about sequencing and used planning and organization skills.”

Matheson said the students’ books were based on the idiom, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”

“The project was based on what we don’t see when we look at someone new. It’s a way for students to understand judging what we think we know about someone when we first see them versus getting to really know them. That’s something we

Monte Vista fourth-grade students show their books they created that were displayed at the school’s first readathon. (Christie Matheson/Monte Vista)

talked about with this project, like, if they met a businessperson, can they look beyond the surface and see they’re into high adventure and traveled the world? I want them to realize there’s more to a person than what we see about them just like with books. We don’t judge a book by its cover so we shouldn’t judge people by their cover. We shouldn’t judge them; we should look deeper and learn more about them. I hope students learn to pause and look deeper when they meet someone new,” she said.

As students wandered into the library, they received a bookmark from the PTA. For many kids this is where they wanted to read a picture book or finish a chapter in a chapter book. Even Principal Natalie Gleave sat in her office chair with a blanket thrown over her and read.

“Some read to their parents, or the parents read to their kids. Some kids were reading while sitting right next to their parents, side by side, reading their own books. Some of our older students were reading their Battle of the Books,” Matheson said, referring to the optional afterschool program for third- through sixth-graders who read 20 books per year and then compete on teams in a Family Feud-style knowledge challenge at the end of the school year. “It was a fun experience to be at school reading when it wasn’t part of the school day. The parents seemed to enjoy it

because they didn’t just come from work, and they weren’t rushing to go to another event. It was coming to read.”

Matheson organized the readathon to encourage reading for simply the joy of it.

“I wanted to promote reading for the joy of reading, not because it’s for an assignment or it’s part of the job. There’s enjoyment in reading; there’s relaxation; there’s curiosity; there’s learning something new,” she said. “With everything that’s going on in the world, there was something magical about this night, about having that time to sit and read.” l

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Between the stacks of books and wrapped in blankets, students read to themselves or with parents during Monte Vista Elementary’s readathon. (Photo courtesy Monte Vista Elementary)

Area students top DECA’s state finals; international competition will be in April

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

More than 22,000 high school students, teachers, advisers, alumni and business professionals will gather at the DECA international career development conference this month.

Many of the 10,000 DECA members will demonstrate their knowledge by participating in the competitive events program, which will be held April 27-30 in Anaheim, California. They had to qualify at their state competitions.

In Utah, hundreds of high school students dressed in their finest packed the Davis County Conference Center for the statewide business or DECA competition in late February.

DECA’s mission to prepare emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges

worldwide. There are more than 255,000 DECA members who are students, teachers, advisers, alumni and professionals.

At the statewide competition, next year’s student officers were announced, including Corner Canyon’s Maddie Bloom, who will serve as the central region vice president.

Alta High was one of several Salt Lake Valley teams that competed. Its DECA club has 85 members and 30 competed at state.

“I’m so proud of these kids, watching how far the seniors on stage have come and seeing the progress already made for our younger students,” said Alta’s adviser Shaley Louder. “These students have a bright future.”

Corner Canyon was recognized as one of five chapters of the year. l

Top finishers from Alta, Bingham, Brighton, Corner Canyon, Cottonwood, Jordan, Hillcrest and Murray high schools include:

• Business Administration Exam

— Thomas Hansen, Brighton; McKenna Fuller, Bingham; Surya Kapu, Corner Canyon; Stephanie Ball, Corner Canyon

• Business Management and Administration Exam — Russ Storm, Bingham

• Entrepreneurship Exam — Nathan Laker, Corner Canyon; Kimball Shill, Brighton; Zachary Naylor, Corner Canyon

• Hospitality and Tourism Exam

— Allen Liang, Hillcrest; Sophia Lin, Hillcrest; Maximilian Schneider, Jordan; Nathan Williamson, Corner Canyon; Grace Norton, Corner Canyon; Sang Chun, Hillcrest; Teagan Kay, Hillcrest; Daniel Whalen, Murray

• Marketing Exam — Kiara Collins, Brighton; Vishnith Ashok, Hillcrest; Dovan Lapin, Corner Canyon; Kayla Nguyen, Corner Canyon; Savanna Barlow, Alta; Max White, Cottonwood; Mia Palmer, Corner Canyon; Gwen Holt, Cottonwood; Sathwik Boya, Hillcrest; Draven Hodges, Jordan; Vincent Liang, Hillcrest; Colton Woodley, Alta; Jonathan Arulanandam, Hillcrest

• Automotive Services — Dima Kurdi, Alta

• Business Finance — Veeranshu Danech, Hillcrest

• Business Growth Plan team — Corner Canyon

• Business Law and Ethics team

— Bingham

• Business Services Marketing

— Aditi Vandanapu, Corner Canyon

• Business Services Operations Research team — Brighton; Hillcrest

• Business Solutions Project Management team — Corner Canyon

• Buying and Merchandising Operations Research team –Hillcrest

• Buying and Merchandising team

— Hillcrest

• Career Development Project Management team — two teams from Corner Canyon

• Community Awareness Project Management team — two teams from Corner Canyon

• Community Giving Project Management team — Alta

• Entrepreneurship — Kalash Rimal, Bingham; Thomas Pepper, Cottonwood

• Financial Literacy Project Management team — Hillcrest

• Financial Services team — Alta

• Food Marketing — Allie Hammond, Corner Canyon

• Franchise Business Plan team — Corner Canyon

• Hospitality and Tourism Operations Research — two teams from Hillcrest

• Hospitality Services team — three teams from Corner Canyon

• Hotel and Lodging Management

— Grace Norton, Corner Canyon; Amy Baer, Corner Canyon

• Human Resources Management

— Haley Neff, Corner Canyon; Maria Salazar, Murray

• Independent Business Plan team — Alta; Hillcrest; Corner Canyon

• Personal Finance Literacy — Ava Lindman, Corner Canyon

• Principles of Business Management & Administration

— Jake Catten, Cottonwood

• Principles of Finance — Gabriel Quebodeaux, Corner Canyon; Thomas Hansen, Brighton

• Principles of Hospitality and Tourism — Alexandra Franklin, Bingham

• Principles of Marketing — Stephanie Ball, Corner Canyon; Jet Piper, Corner Canyon; Jessica Cederlof, Bingham

• Professional Selling — Dovan Lapin, Corner Canyon

• Quick Serve Restaurant Management — Daniel Whalen, Murray; Teagan Kay, Hillcrest; Sienna Yang, Hillcrest

• Restaurant & Food Service Management — Sang Chun, Hillcrest

• Retail Merchandising — Colton Woodley, Alta

• School Business Enterprise Event team — Alta; Brighton; Jordan; Corner Canyon

• Sports & Entertainment Marketing team — two teams from Hillcrest; Cottonwood

• Start-up Business Plan team — Hillcrest; Corner Canyon

Alta High students show their medals earned at the state DECA contest this spring. (Photo courtesy of Shaley Louder/Alta High)

The Boob Bus looks to educate and bring awareness to breast health

By Rachel Aubrey | r.aubrey@mycityjournals.com

The name is unnerving. The concept is inspired. The execution is genuine.

South Jordan resident Rena Vanzo and her team are ready to educate and bring awareness to breast health in Utah. Nicknamed ʻDoris Jeanʻ after her grandmother, who was a survivor of breast cancer, the ʻBoob Busʻ is a mobile unit that will drive to a client specified location and will provide on-site services such as 3D mammogram, 3D dense breast tissue ultrasound, genetic counseling, as well as injectables such as Botox and Dysport. All of the services are performed by licensed professionals.

According to the United States Preventive Services Task Force, women who are 50 to 74 years old and are at “average risk” for breast cancer are recommended to get a mammogram every two years. The USPSTF also reports that women who are 40-49 should talk with their doctor about when to start and how often to get a mammogram.

Because of her educational background in genetic counseling, Vanzo knows more than most about the genetic mutations that can lead to cancer. As someone with a family history of breast cancer, she also knows how important early detection can be.

Vanzo went for her first mammogram two years ago, upon turning 40. Her mammogram coincided with the knowledge that there was a gene variant in her family history.

“I think this is very much a passion project,” Vanzo said. “I also consider myself kind of a health advocate and health educator. And the bottom line is, I just want any woman who comes on board to feel supported and not judged.”

The University of Utah reported in 2023 that Utah is ranked the third lowest in mammography screening rates among women 40 years and older. Vanzo wants to make her Boob Bus as accessible to as many women as possible, providing them with the latest in mammographic technology.

“The fact of the matter is equipment has come a long way,” Vanzo said. “The instrument we have gives the lowest dose of 3D instruments. It’s more aligned with a 2D instrument in terms of the radiation but the quality is that of a 3D instrument.”

Vanzo admitted that while there are hospitals for services like this, for some it’s hard to find the time, and for others going to a hospital, even once every two years, can be daunting and bring back traumatic memories. On the Boob Bus, you can not only receive these medical facility type services, but clients can also receive a bit of pampering.

“Everybody who comes in gets a heated robe,” Vanzo said. “They get a little goodie bag when they leave, and we have one of those paraffin hand dip machines. It’s just a little extra for women, to celebrate the fact that you did this, this was a big deal.”

Niki Keene is the lead mammography technician for the Boob Bus. With more than 10 years of experience, Keene previously worked on similar mobile medical units. She has also worked in environments that don’t cater to working individuals or to individuals with kids. For Keene, the Boob Bus is a step in the right direction for breast health.

“It’s the approach I think we’ve needed for mammography to kind of come into the future,” Keene said. “For me it’s exciting and something wildly different.”

When booked, the Boob Bus will come to your neighborhood, to your local community center, just about anywhere. Vanzo’s goal is to be flexible and to be accommodating to busy schedules.

“It takes away those excuses women have to not do it,” Keene said.

Cancer survivor Christine DeMita has a story to tell about her treatment experience. She credits a “good doctor” who sent her for an ultrasound.

According to The American Cancer Society, “Breast ultrasound uses sound waves

and their echoes to make computer pictures of the inside of the breast. It can show certain breast changes, like fluid-filled cysts, that can be harder to see on mammograms. Ultrasound is not typically used as a routine screening test for breast cancer.”

A mammogram didn’t catch DeMita’s cancer, the ultrasound did. She said having access to the Automated Breast Ultrasound, like the one on the Boob Bus, a year prior would have detected her cancer even earlier.

“We need to do better for women,” DeMita said. “As it is known, cancers are being missed.”

Vanzo is actively working on contracts with different insurance companies to be able to be “in-network” for her clients. And while the Boob Bus may be viewed as being in competition with larger hospitals, Vanzo said, there needs to be room for all methods to ensure individuals get access to early screening methods.

“It’s okay to have these different types of ways people can get mammograms,” Vanzo said. “And the bottom line is let’s just work together and make sure women are getting them.”

The Boob Bus has been on the road since February and has served more than 25 women thus far.

To schedule the Boob Bus visit www. theboobbus.com/book-online. To see more photos and videos visit their Instagram page @theboobbus1 l

More than just a hospital visit,

The fully renovated and fully equipped Boob Bus houses state of the art technology for services such as 3D mammography and 3D ultrasound as well as genetic counseling and injectables. (Photo courtesy Rena Vanzo)

the Boob Bus offers a pampered experience while providing access to early breast screening procedures. (Photo courtesy Rena Vanzo)

The Boob Bus offers 3D ultrasound or automated breast ultrasound which is not a typical procedure for most women. (Photo courtesy Rena Vanzo)

I’m not sure what Utah legislators think happens in women’s restrooms, based on the ridiculous bathroom bill that was recently passed. Do they imagine we walk into a restroom, disrobe, dance around drinking martinis and chat like teenagers in a TV sitcom?

Otherwise, I can’t imagine why our “leaders” thought banning trans women from public bathrooms would protect my privacy. If there was a creepy man dressed as Mrs. Doubtfire, accosting women in the restroom, yes, that would be terrible. And it’s already illegal.

But I’m letting the legislators in on a little secret. Here’s what happens in a public restroom. I walk to the bathroom and wait in line (because there’s always a line). I make no eye contact with the women around me. When a stall is available, I scurry into it, do my business as quietly as possible and rush to wash my hands. I glance in the mirror to make sure there’s no popcorn stuck to my face, and I leave.

I wouldn’t know if there was a trans woman in the bathroom with me because (and hear me out) trans women are women. Legislators, you continue to create fear and disconnection. Stop it.

This unenforceable law could mean

Peri Kinder Life and Laughter

Circling the drain

we must carry a small copy of our birth certificate, next to the mini-Bible and a pocket-sized copy of the Constitution we’re already toting around. But…scanning my scriptures…I see one that reads, “Love thy neighbor.” Interesting. I don’t see an asterisk that explains *Unless your neighbor has a lifestyle of which you don’t approve.

Speaking of protecting privacy, as the legislative session wrapped up last month, our “leaders” passed a law that blocks access to the daily calendar of elected officials. (I think they confuse “privacy” with “secrecy.”)

Imagine you hire an employee and tell them you’ll be tracking their work, checking their calendars and watching their emails. You want to see how they spend their time, who they hang with and if they’re misbehaving.

Then imagine that employee said

you had no right to do any of that. That it’s none of your damn business. Well, you’d fire that employee in a heartbeat. Elected officials work for the people and we deserve to know what they do.

The Freedom of Information Act grants access to government records so the media and the public can see how the sausage is made. But Utah legislators continue to pass bills making government less transparent. It’s like painting over a window, one thin coat at a time.

In 2011, Utah’s governor and legislators were presented with the Black Hole Award by the national chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists because of a bill they passed (HB477) limiting access to government records. Five years later, Attorney General Sean Reyes received the same award from the Utah chapter.

Sensing a theme?

Overall, the legislators passed nearly 600 bills this year, including one that eliminates Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs at universities and some government entities. That’s nice. As if Utah wasn’t white, wealthy, male and straight enough already.

And through a law signed by Gov. Spencer Cox, teachers are now encour-

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aged to bring guns to school because how do we address a gun control problem in this country? More guns!

For a state that declares it’s against big government control, a lot of bills passed this year seem glaringly hypocritical.

As the year goes along, I’m sure we’ll hear more from our “leaders” about book bans, school vouchers, revised history curriculum, church-protected abusers and the benefits of coal. Legislators seem just as clueless about those things as they are about women’s bathrooms.