South Jordan Journal | December 2022

By Rachel Aubrey | r.aubrey@mycityjournals.com

The Daybreak for Diversity and Inclusion Club held its first Human Conversations event on Nov. 12 at the Daybreak Community Center. Patterned after the Human Libraries that began in the year 2000 in Denmark, the event brought peo ple from all different backgrounds to have open dialogue with their neighbors and to satisfy curiosities in a safe space.

The club, run by Daybreak residents, selected 16 “hu mans,” individuals of different beliefs, ethnicities and affili ations, to talk with interested participants in an effort to help bridge gaps of understanding and bring awareness. The event followed a speed-dating format, giving each participant 15 minutes to have a conversation with one of the 16 humans. At the end of the 15 minutes, the participant could then switch to another table with another human.

Daybreak resident Sue Martin was one of the participants that day, going from table to table to talk with individuals who might appear different on the outside, but are nonetheless hu man, and therefore the same on the inside.

“The more events we have like these, the less we have to overcome in our perceptions of each other,” Martin said.

One of the humans was Dr. Russell Gaede, a therapist, author, runner and someone who lives with Tourette’s Syn drome, a neurodevelopmental disorder that causes physical tics, or twitches of movement. Dr. Gaede admitted that he could remember some of his condition beginning at age eight, and that often times the physical manifestations of the con dition are merely “the tip of the iceberg” in terms of what people can see happening. Although a high school dropout, Dr. Gaede went on to receive a doctorate in Psychology and taught courses at Utah Valley University. He is an author and long-distance runner.

“Having Tourette’s doesn’t mean swearing all the time,” Gaede said. “Just ask my wife.”

Another human was Josie Jesse, who in 2018 became the first patient at the University of Utah to have gender confir mation surgery. A “proud Airforce veteran,” Jesse also lives proudly as a transgendered woman. She said that the Day break community was very supportive of her and helped to take care of her when many others, family included, would

not. That support is not something she was accustomed to. She said that events like Human Conversations are so needed because society still has a long way to go. She has a website called Real Talk with Josie.

Some of the humans brought artifacts with them, tangi ble things that represent their background, interests or beliefs. Nahe Foley had plenty of items on her table. A Native Ha

The “humans” that shared their stories at the Human Conversation event at the Daybreak Community Center on Nov. 12, from left to right (back): Thom Reed, Tim Young, Mayor Lorrin Palmer, Josie Jesse, Dr. Russell Gaede, Dawn Riddle, Lexie Adams, Josh Fullmer, Jared Foley, Nahe Foley. Left to right (front): Abish Adams, Zeynep Kariparduc, Carolyn Morris-Williams, Anadine Burrell. (Photo courtesy of Robert Stroud)

Around the holiday season we hear words like gratitude, thankfulness and appre ciation. South Jordan resident and business owner Becky Jane Kemp has been inten tionally trying to “put on” those words all year long. Kemp, who is a wife, mom and life coach, believes that words have a trans formative effect on each of us. Her formula is called The Word Effect, which according to her website, Becoming with Becky, is “a simple framework for creating the life you secretly desire one word at a time.”

The journey for Kemp began in a very personal way. Approximately 10 years ago, Kemp admitted she wasn’t living her true passion and dealt with anxiety and depres sion.

“I was the mother of five amazing boys, I had been married to my high school sweet heart, I lived in a comfortable home and had all my needs met, and enjoyed many of my wants,” Kemp said. “Life was good…so why wasn’t it?”

She recalled feeling a distinct impression to “change your words and you can change your life.” It was that impression that initially led her to start a positive t-shirt and apparel business in 2015 called Becoming Threads. But selling t-shirts wasn’t the ultimate goal. After several years of selling t-shirts at local boutiques, Kemp decided to invest more time into where her dreams lie.

In 2019 she began working on an outline for her first book and became certified as a life coach through the National Speaker’s As sociation. The focus of the book is patterned after Kemp’s belief that if we change the words we use to describe ourselves and our circumstances, we can live our most beautiful lives. Kemp said that the book project was the first time she invested in herself, paying money for a local writing coach and editor. The book is set to be released in January 2023.

Kemp admits that she is not a licensed psychologist, however, as a life coach she has been able to help her clients with the simple, weekly reminders that help set them on a path towards positivity and productivi ty. Kemp believes that individuals have the power within them, she just helps people find the starting point. She compared her role as a life coach to a physical trainer.

“Life coaching is the exercise for the mind,” Kemp said. “I’m just giving the blue print of how to move your story forward.”

Small business owner Christy Smith has been doing one-on-one coaching sessions with Kemp for a year and a half. Smith made the decision to branch out on her own two years ago with Paramount Tax and Account ing Herriman. There were obstacles relating to small business, as there usually are.

“When I met her, I just knew that that was what my next step needed to be to help me with my business,” Smith said.

Working together to put on words like acknowledgement and acceptance, words that Kemp highlights in her book, Kemp has helped Smith to refocus her thoughts every week and to recognize that thoughts drive feelings. By focusing on words such as, “I’m able to succeed in my business,” Smith said although she is a female in a male dominated industry, she has doubled her business in a year.

In November 2020, as a birthday present to herself, Kemp began recording a weekly podcast, The Word Effect. Episodes are no longer than 20 minutes and are filled with positive and uplifting content. Within the year 2022, she held two “Gathering” retreats for women in St. George and Heber, where participants were able to celebrate, connect and create.

At this year’s Utah Pinner’s Conference held in early November, Kemp taught a class

entitled “How to awaken your positive poten tial.”

“I want to help people see the power to change their story and create more of what they want is within them,” Kemp said.

For more information about the book re lease, to sign up for the newsletter, to down load her free e-book or for public speaking inquiries, visit her website at www.becom ingwithbecky.com l

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coach who resides in South Jordan

one-on-one sessions as well as

(Photo courtesy of Beck Jane Kemp)

Flourish Therapy receives a grant to support LGBTQ+ mental health services

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

When Lisa Tensmeyer Hansen graduat ed from Brigham Young University in 1990, she knew she wanted to improve mental health in the LGBTQ+ communi ty. After finishing her master’s degree and Ph.D., both from BYU, she’s done exactly what she promised.

Hansen opened Flourish Counseling in 2017 and changed it to the nonprofit Flour ish Therapy in 2019. The clinic’s mission is to expand affordable behavioral and mental health services for LGBTQ+ individuals, couples and families.

“Mental health is often a product of what it means to feel valuable in a commu nity or society and have something to con tribute. That’s repeatedly missing here in Utah,” Hansen said. “Navigating family dy namics is an important part of what we do.”

Using only word-of-mouth advertis ing, Flourish Therapy (10718 S. Beckstead Lane) in South Jordan, and an additional clinic in Utah County, handles 100 new ap plications each month from people looking for services. The clinic provides 500 free sessions per month and 75% of the clients pay $50 or less. No one is ever turned away based on ability to pay.

With 36 therapists, Flourish Thera py is helping families understand there’s a spectrum from tolerance to celebrating an LGBTQ+ family member. Most families are somewhere in the middle because they don’t know how to celebrate something unfamil iar. But it’s important for LGBTQ+ individ uals to feel included in the systems that are meaningful to them, starting with family.

“A lot of the depression, social anxiety and PTSD symptoms that clients at our clin ic experience are not because there’s some thing wrong with them, it’s because they are interacting with a community that does not know how to make good use of them,” Han sen said. “We feel we’re right in the center of that work for a population that experienc es much higher suicidal ideation in general. We’re doing the work to help support them, so they stay a part of us.”

Hansen said research has proven that students who attend schools making room for LGBTQ+ young people have a higher success rate for all students. When they talk about inclusion and take action against bul lying, students understand there is room for everyone.

Children in other marginalized groups have family members they can watch to learn how to navigate through situations where they’re not in the majority. But as youth recognize their identity is not the straight, cisgender identity their family as sumes, they have to be bold enough to ask for help.

“When we become comfortable with diverse people of all races, ethnicities, gen ders and orientations actually leading us in

some way, as opposed to being second-class citizens, the better our society will be,” she said.

Moving the needle from tolerance to celebration means rubbing shoulders with those different from us, working on projects that benefit the whole community, recogniz ing others are like ourselves and genuinely caring about each other.

“We need to ask ourselves why aren’t we making room for them to have success in their lives. Why can’t they be mentors for my children? Why can’t they teach us what they know? Why would we do something that’s not helpful to them?” Hansen asked.

Flourish Therapy was awarded $3,000 from SelectHealth, recognizing its efforts to make Utah a healthier place to live. It was one of 20 organizations selected to receive the grant.

“The SelectHealth Awards is designed to highlight the notable work and contribu tions of organizations that are making an incredible impact in our community,” said Marti Lolli, SelectHealth president and CEO. “These awards allow SelectHealth to continue to show support for key partners and organizations who have a shared mis sion and wake up every day thinking about how to make a difference in the communi ties we serve.”

For more information, or to make a do nation, visit FlourishTherapy.org. l

Flourish Therapy in South Jordan received grant money from SelectHealth for mental health services provided to members of the LGBTQ+ community and their families. (Photo courtesy of Flourish Therapy)

Budgeting simulation yields dividends for students at two schools

By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

Young adulthood is full of tough financial lessons, including how to live on a bud get and how to avoid scams. These lessons are even more challenging for young adults with developmental disabilities to master.

“A lot of our students are at a very young developmental age in their minds so they’re very trusting, and they’re easily made to do things that you wouldn’t regularly do,” said Eric Slaymaker, a transition teacher at South Valley School, which provides post-high school transition training for 18-21 year olds with disabilities.

Students have weekly lessons about fi nances and budgeting. Slaymaker said repe tition is important for his students to gain the skills they need to live independently, which is the goal at graduation.

Herriman High School business stu dents Katelyn and Elizabeth Anderson have tried to share what they’ve learned about fi nance with their 20-year-old brother who is developmentally delayed and was recently scammed out of hundreds of dollars.

“He’s had a lot of problems managing his money and spending it wisely,” Katelyn said.

For a school project, the Andersons de cided to team up with fellow business student Emily Reinoso to develop a budgeting lesson plan which they shared with students at SVS,

where their brother attends school. Their les son included an explanation of the envelope method for budgeting and an activity to prac tice spending money within a budget. They organized other HHS business students to as sist SVS students as they rotated through sta tions representing a grocery store, cell phone company, real estate office, sporting goods store and credit union to practice making fi nancial decisions.

Actual employees from Harmons Neigh borhood Grocer, Cyprus Credit Union, and Zander Real Estate Team were invited to par ticipate in the simulation to make it a more realistic experience for the students.

“We wanted real people to come so it was a real environment, having adults rath er than students,” Katelyn said. “We’re all younger than the students that attend the school so we wanted people older than them to give them that experience.”

Cyprus Credit Union representative Wendy Buckner was glad to be involved in the simulation, which lines up with the company’s values on financial education for young people.

“We just want them to learn about mon ey, the younger the better,” Buckner said.

Some business representatives brought products for students to purchase during their transaction; Harmons had candy for sale and

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Scheels sold small items such as keychains.

Slaymaker said the simulation was good practice for his students, who responded well to the social interaction of the lesson as well as to the students teaching the lesson, some of whom they attended high school with.

Elizabeth said, unlike her high school friends, these young adults are already work ing and paying rent, trying to live on a tight budget.

“It’s a lot harder for them to get the jobs that will pay well,” she said. “With less mon ey, you need to budget much more because you need to save and to work with the money you have.”

About 60 SVS students participated in the lesson and activity. HHS business teacher Rickee Stewart was impressed when Eliza beth, Katelyn and Emily were able to impro vise when the set-up of the classrooms was

different than they anticipated. She said they also adeptly adapted their memorized speech to a more personalized approach to better connect with the varying abilities of the stu dents they were teaching.

The three girls will write a 20-page re port detailing their “Beyond Budgeting” project, analyzing how it went and describing what they learned from the experience. They will present this report at the competitions for two high school business club organizations, FBLA and DECA. Katelyn and Emily have competed at state and national competitions with previous business projects and hope to qualify again this year. It will be Elizabeth’s first year competing, but she said she gained confidence through this experience and is hopeful of performing well at the competi tions.l

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Top: South Valley School students use the envelope budgeting system to practice paying monthly expenses, such as their cell phone bill. Bottom: A student-planned budgeting simulation included financial transac tions with representatives from Harmons Neighborhood Grocer. (Jet Burnham/City Journals)

Monte Vista students bringing the North Pole to the school community

By Julie Slama|j.slama@mycityjournals.com

More than 75 Monte Vista Elementary students are taking part in Monte Vista’s holiday musical, “North Pole Musical.”

The 35-minute show, directed and cho reographed by fourth-grade teacher Dionne Tarpenning with music specialist Amanda Maloy, will be at 3:30 p.m., Friday, Dec. 9 in the school gymnasium, 11121 S. 2700 West. Admission is free.

“We were excited to find out that so many fourth, fifth and sixth grade students are enthusiastic about this idea of a musical, but we didn’t know that it was going to be overwhelmingly so,” Tarpenning said. “It’s been really good and we’re finding ways for all of them to shine in one way or another.”

Tarpenning said that many of the stu dents are cast as reindeer, snowmen, elves and toys from the Nutcracker Suite and will create their own costumes to match their roles.

“Each of the groups has their own dance and their own song; there are full cast num bers where everybody performs,” she said.

The storyline of the musical is about au ditions that are underway for the 400 anni versary of “North Pole Musical,” with each group performing, trying to convince San ta that he should include them in the show, Tarpenning said.

“In the end, Santa says, ‘I feel like we’ve gotten away from the real meaning of Christ mas and what it’s really supposed to be all about.’ That’s when there is a character who nobody’s ever heard of before — her name is Crystal Snowflake — and she says they need to think about what the heart of Christmas is, and that song talks about people caring about each other, not all of the commercialism. This is a story that has a good meaning. It’s about looking for the good in other people and looking for ways to reach out and care for other people. We’re using the story of Santa Claus and what is typically known as the American Christmas, as the vehicle for the message: to show love and caring for oth er people.”

The idea for the first schoolwide mu sical, Tarpenning said, originated prior to COVID-19, but was delayed because of the health and safety issues with the pandemic.

She said that there are multiple reasons why they wanted to put on the musical.

“It is so good for kids to have a perform ing experience where they can work collabo ratively with other kids, where they can learn to memorize lines and dance moves. It’s good for their brain,” Tarpenning said. “It’s good for their social interactions, good for their self-esteem when they perform. They feel so good about themselves. I want the kids to be able to have that kind of experience and they learn that they can do things that are hard, and it can be awesome. They also learn that working together with other people is really fun.”

Tarpenning said that the musical is also uniting the student body of the school, help ing to bridge some of the social gaps between the neighborhood students and those who study in the dual language immersion pro gram at the school.

“Sometimes, there is a division of the kids in the families where you have the dual language kids or you have the neighborhood kids, but this brings it together and we have a sense of community. This crosses all those barriers, there’s no us and them, it’s every body coming together, working collabora tively,” she said.

Musical auditions were held in early September.

“They’re all able to be in the show, but we wanted to know who really is great at dancing, who really is great at singing, who’s really good at projecting and able to mem orize their lines quickly,” Tarpenning said about the first schoolwide musical she has directed.

Since then, the cast has rehearsed an hour twice per week.

“The very first day of rehearsal, I was blown away by the talent. I had no idea that there were kids out there who could say lines so well and project and have them memorized even before we even had done anything. Kids, at auditions, had the ability to sing out loudly and clearly — and they sounded so great,” Tarpenning said. “It has been an amazing experience.”

Monte Vista Elementary students cast as elves rehearse for their upcoming musical, “North Pole Musical.” (Dionne Tarpenning/Monte Vista Elementary)

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Which schools made the grade?

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Therecently released Utah School Report Card shows public and charter schools that were recognized for excellence, includ ing area schools such as Academy for Math, Engineering and Science in Murray and Beehive Science & Technology Academy in Sandy, as well as how all schools can improve.

Produced by the Utah State Board of Education, school report cards are intended to inform parents, educators, and community stakeholders to learn more about accountabil ity in schools.

The state report also said, “While no stu dent report card tells the full story of a child, no school report card tells the full story of a school. Education is far more than a sin gle score or letter grade, but it is important that families and communities can see both strengths and areas that need support and im provement.”

The report, which takes into account achievement and growth in core subjects of English/language arts, math and science; as well as English language learners’ progress and post-secondary readiness, and other fac tors, can be found at: www.utahschoolgrades. schools.utah.gov

AMES received an A or exemplary sta tus.

“It’s nice to be validated by another source other than our own data and our own workings,” said AMES Principal Brett Wil son.

While COVID-19 impacted many schools report cards, and they weren’t issued

during those two years, Wilson said some measures AMES put in place has helped stu dent learning.

“During COVID, we did synchronous learning, which means our students showed up for every class, every day, only it was held online, synchronous with their teacher. It wasn’t just all online through Canvas (learn ing platform) without the teachers there, without some direction and that helped with learning,” he said. “What a lot of schools did is they would put assignments and con tent up on Canvas and have students watch videos and respond to their assignments. We did that, too, but additionally, we had regular classes on their regular schedule, online via Zoom.”

In addition to making students account able, Wilson said it helped with relationships.

“It helped keep connections and it didn’t let school get too far away. We’re not seeing the really big drop offs in terms of academic knowledge,” said the 11-year AMES princi pal, adding that the longevity of his teachers and staff have kept consistency in relation ships important.

Wilson acknowledged his faculty and staff already have plans to improve their scores.

“We’ve seen students coming in with lower reading scores and some lower writing skills. It’s just not something that anybody does very often outside of school,” he said about the diminishing importance of writing or reading for pleasure.

Wilson said AMES students, under the

Beehive Science & Technology Academy in Sandy maintained its exemplary status on its report card, which was recently released from the Utah State Board of Education. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

direction of a teacher, can select a title from a choice of three books, then will read and annotate together, predicting the plot and the characters’ actions.

“All that goes into good reading skills,” he said, adding that it will help with the ACT standardized college exam’s reading compre hension and speed test.

For schools that have lower marks, Wil son said that they can rebound.

“Dive into your data and see where your gaps are. Try to fill those gaps with either teachers that are highly trained for those stu dents, or curriculum or smaller opportunities that you can really direct the learning. We’ve tossed around doing a better reading test for our ninth graders and tracking them better as they move through our four years here, since we’ve noticed that the reading scores are go ing down — that’s just a small example.”

Beehive Academy also received an A.

“We are quite happy that we are still maintaining an A after COVID, especially when so many things have changed,” said school director Hanifi Oguz, who said that the report card is more than an accountability of doing well. “We take it as a tool, an op portunity to see how we are doing and what we can focus on to improve and help our stu dents.”

For example, in English, Beehive’s score has improved through the years.

“Typically English, in the past, was not as good as our other scores, and we have in recent years been working on it and it re mains a high priority right now to further improve. It’s what we are working on with interventions, extra programs and support staff,” he said. “We have a collaborative team who work very closely to look at data and set the goals for the year—what we are going to focus on, what we are going to improve and what we are going to maintain. Our teachers are active team members and that makes a big difference because they are working very closely with the students and know how to use strategies to make those improvements.”

While test scores are indicators, Oguz said he also relies on the teamwork of stu dents, parents and school staff.

“At the end of the day, the teachers and administration set goals, it comes down to the actual student who is learning and doing the work, and how the students are supported by their parents. So, they have to be a partner in that. Much success is shown by having a strong parent partnership through open com munication and sharing the progress with parents; I think we have done a good job in that over the years, and we’re continuing to develop and have those close partnerships,” he said.

Oguz said Beehive has added more counselors and services to help the so cial-emotional health of students, which in turn, helps students have a better mindset so they’re ready to learn.

Beehive also introduced more free pro grams and clubs so students can experience learning in other opportunities.

“It makes a huge difference for those kids because it supports and enriches their learning, and it helps students become more well-rounded. It’s engaging students very meaningfully, providing not only academic engagement, but also learning to be part of a team, experience working relationships, develop friendship, and those positive inter actions that you want with their peers,” Oguz said.

Instilling a mentality of success begins at AMES from the first day, Wilson said.

“We start talking right away about suc cess and college; we set that bar high. We tell them ‘Everybody’s going to graduate; everybody’s going to have the opportunity if they want to be ready to go to post-secondary school.’ We do that. We’ve got a whole staff and student body who are connected to that mission. That’s the challenge, whether you’re 500 students, 200 students or 2,000,” he said.

“A lot of people refer to AMES students as nerds and we’re OK with that because that means you’re working hard. Our students ar en’t afraid to stay up late and do the work that it takes to get good grades and to learn. We embrace the nerdiness of who we are; we have a whole school of 454 nerds all working together toward a common goal of success and we’ll take that.” l

Academy of Math, Engineering and Science in Murray is one of the schools that received an “A” on the Utah State Board of Education’s school report card. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Bingham volleyball reaches 6A state quarterfinals for the second time in as many years, finishes seventh

By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

The Bingham Miners volleyball team dug itself out of several big holes this season, but the last one was too deep.

By virtue of having one of the stron gest strength of schedule in the entire state, and despite a 4th-place finish in Region 3 play, the Miners earned the No. 6 seed going into the 6A tournament, and thus a first-round bye.

Bingham [18-13] watched their hopes and dreams of a 6A state championship end at UVU Thursday, Nov. 3—but they put up a good fight.

The Miners took the first few points of the first set before they fell to No. 3 Lone Peak in straight sets, 17-25, 11-25 and 1425 at the 6A quarterfinals.

Due to the way in which state tourna ments are set up, once the Miners lost that match, they were then moved into the 6A consolation bracket where they would take on a familiar foe: Herriman.

The Miners split the season series with Herriman in Region 3 play. But, in their first consolation match the Miners put to gether a spirited effort to win after starting

slow against their rivals, 21-25, 20-16, 2520 and 25-19.

It was a surprising victory over a Her riman team that was Region 3 champions seeded No. 2 overall going into the 6A tournament, but it moved Bingham into the 5th place match against Weber.

It would be the Miners who would again come out with their axes ready, scor ing the first three points of the first set. But the senior-laden Warriors would prove to have too much firepower for Bingham, who lost the 5th place match 21-25, 23-15, 1725 to end the season.

The youngsters were big for the Min ers in this one, as sophomore Paige Ballif led Bingham with 5 kills and junior Alli Woolf had 4 in a losing effort—but it was also a preview of what Bingham volleyball will look like next year.

That’s critical because the Miners will lose four players to graduation in seniors Jessica Johnson, Lily Breinholt, Allison Hawes and Hailey Ryan.

They certainly did their part in helping the No. 6 Miners have their second straight

run at state, one started by a come-from-be hind victory in the 6A second round earlier Thursday.

Against No. 11 Corner Canyon the Miners faced a familiar foe; they played in the same region for many years before the last realignment kept Bingham in Region 3 and moved the Chargers to Region 4. The Miners got off to a slow start in the first set, losing 20-25.

But the Miners swung their mighty axes, winning the next three sets and the match, 20-25, 25-13, 25-16 and 25-18. That effort was led by 23 kills from junior Le vani Key-Powell who was the team leader in kills and hitting percentage [317, .261].

Key-Powell will be back for her se nior year, as will Jessica Truong, Ballif and Madison Evans—Bingham’s other team leaders in aces [48], blocks [68] and assists [468], and those three will just be juniors.

For the second time in as many years, it will have to be next year that will be the year the Miners move past the 6A quarters. l

NOW OPEN IN SOUTH JORDAN!

Bingham boys, girls basketball teams will retool after losing a half-dozen players to graduation

By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

After ending their seasons at the 6A quar terfinals, the Bingham boys and girls basketball teams start over.

With the help of six seniors, the boys won all but three of their games the entire season, and were expected to rule the 6A state tournament—but the hot streak came to a screeching halt a lot earlier than they ex pected.

At the 6A quarterfinals, the boys met their match against a 15-10 Westlake team that had played their way into the state tour nament.

Having lost six players to graduation, including their top three leading scorers, the Miners will return their fourth scoring option from that squad in junior guard Ace Reiser who averaged 10 points per game last season.

Along with seniors Tyler Langston and Brayden Whitehead, who offer both size and versatility, the Miners will still have key piec es from that team that went 22-3 last year.

Girls

The girls team season was not as glam orous as the boys, but they fought their way to the Region 3 title, which they sharled with crosstown rival Herriman.

The girls surprised some at the 6A state tournament and made a run all the way to the quarterfinals, where they were finally out matched.

For this Miners team though, they’ve lost five of those players that made that sur prising run at state.

The good news, however, is that their third leading scorer returns in junior guard Brianna Badonie [10.6 ppg] as does one of their top playmakers, senior guard Ane Hen derson.

Other players to watch that played in all 25 games last year on that 17-9 Bingham team include senior guard Sarah Broederlow and senior forward Hallie Bayles. l

from front page

waiian who was born on the Big Island of Hawaii, Foley has spent most of her child hood years and adulthood years in Utah. As a ticketing agent for Delta Airlines, Foley displayed a model Delta airplane on one end of her table, and Hawaiian implements on the other end. She wanted to participate to share not only about her culture, but also how she has been able to keep her culture despite be ing so far from the islands.

A member of the Daybreak for Diversity and Inclusion club, Nycole Rosen helped to plan and organize the event, along with her fellow club members. Rosen said she ob served tears shed, hugs given and heartfelt conversations happening, and looks forward to the next time the event is held.

“I would love nothing more than to see this type of event hosted in every city and every community,” Rosen said. “I think it’s important for all of us.”

Rosen said she was pleased with the turnout, noting that there were 51 people who came and participated. The free event was advertised on the Daybreak Communi ty Facebook page but was open to all adults who wished to converse. Those 12 and older were encouraged to have a parent attend.

To learn more about events and activ ities in Daybreak by the various clubs visit www.mydaybreak.com/get_involved/com munity_clubs/index.php l

Right: Ace Reiser returns for the Bingham boys basketball team. (Photo by Pat McDonald)

Bingham football journey at state ends in 6A semis, but they got back to where they belonged

By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

Standing in the shadow of their own end zone, the Bingham Miners broke up a pass on fourth down to win 25-19 over Lone Peak on Friday, Nov. 4 and advance to the 6A state semifinals.

Bingham head coach Eric Jones said the Miners had three goals. One, win region—which they did. The second was to get to Rice-Eccles—now they’ve done that as well.

Bingham [10-3] ended the five-year curse placed upon them since 2018, one Lone Peak continued last year at the same exact spot: the 6A quarterfinals—though it happened in better weather.

The 2,000 or so in blue-and-white who braved the early winter snow blowing in both directions at Ron Case Stadium were hoping beyond hope they’d make it back to Rice-Eccles Stadium the following week for a 6A semifinal. They did, but they lost once they got there to Skyridge, 45-20 on Nov. 10, and winning state was the team’s final objective.

“The season went really well in my opinion. I thought the kids played hard and battled all season long,” said Jones, who was in his first year at the school. “Of course it was disappoint ing to fall short of our goal of winning the state title but I’m very proud of our team and what we accomplished together.”

You’d be remiss not to know how the Miners got back to Rice-Eccles, however—because the journey was epic.

The First Half

In the first quarter at Bingham Nov. 4 against No. 11 Lone Peak, each team’s defensive front pushed against the other’s offense—offering little leeway in return. The No. 3 seed Min ers missed a field goal attempt but chipped six minutes off the scoreboard clock. On defense, they stiffened on third down, but the visitors hit a 54-yard field goal to dump the Miners in a 3-0 hole.

To begin the second quarter, the Miners punted on their next possession that Lone Peak soon after converted with an other field goal, putting Bingham in an even deeper 6-0 hole.

Senior quarterback Dallen Martinez led his Miners back onto the field. Faced with third and 13 in his own territory, the No. 12 jersey in blue rolled right and found Carson Sudbury open on the left flank for a 34-yard reception at the Lone Peak 28.

For the first time in the game, the Miners were inside the red zone. Another Martinez-to-Sudbury strike on the left looked like a sure six points—but the junior slipped while cutting back on the icy turf.

But Bingham associate head coach/offensive coordinator Fred Fernandes, who up to that point had called most of his plays to the left side of the field, had Martinez roll right and keep going. Two seconds later, No. 12 tiptoed in for a 12-yard touchdown, giving the Miners a 7-6 lead with 37 seconds left in the half.

The Second Half

Coming out of the halftime break, the Miners tried a squib kick that a Lone Peak player bobbled but came out with. It set the tone for a physical, nasty second half. The visitors took a page from Bingham’s play book scoring on a 2-yard TD pass to the right side. But the Miners blitz led by senior Ben Latai stuffed the 2-point conversion.

They came out of it in a 12-7 hole. Three consecutive long-gainers on runs carried Bingham from their own 30-yard line inside the Lone Peak 20—keyed by senior Maddax Peck. In the red zone, the Miners got Lone Peak to give way, as senior Havea Fotu got 6 yards to the 2. Martinez pushed again to the 1. Then Sudbury—touchdown. Bingham was back in front, 13-12

with 2:05 to go in the third quarter. With two breathers, Fotu sur prised everyone by taking the handoff and tossing a rugby-style jump-pass to a wide-open Sudbury in the end zone to make it a 15-12 lead with the two-pointer. Another Bingham squib on the kickoff led to a short field, and a Lone Peak touchdown put the Miners back in a 19-15 hole to end the third quarter.

The Miners kept to the ground with senior Peck having all kinds of room on sweeps and end-arounds—until Lone Peak stopped it cold on third down. Looking at his axe, Martinez scanned the field—trips right on both sides. He hesitated, then sprinted into the open field, diving for the line to gain on fourth down with seven minutes left in the game.

“Dallen is a fierce competitor who doesn’t need external motivation. That kid has as much internal fire & drive as any athlete I’ve coached,” said Jones of one of his team captains. “We just stuck to our plan as coaches and trusted in the boys to go execute. Dallen made numerous plays that night to earn the win.”

Two plays later, Martinez had two receivers on either side, and Fotu to his left. Fotu doubled back from his defender and caught the screen pass, jogging into the end zone for a 22-19 Bingham lead with 6:20 to go.

Taking One for the Team

With the season on the line, the Miners defense needed a big stop. The clock was in their favor as it trickled under 5:00 left in this 6A quarterfinal against Lone Peak, the same team that ended the Miners’ season prematurely, last year.

Senior Ben Latai had been sick all week with the flu, but he made a huge third down stop that forced Lone Peak to punt— but the visitors went for it instead. “Latai really cranked up his pass rush & physicality down the stretch,” said Jones.

As this slugfest dropped to temperatures below freezing,

the Miners had one play they needed to make on fourth down. Junior Tyson McBride saw the ball go up over his shoulder against the wind and leapt. He punched the ball out of bounds, giving the Miners the ball back.

They took to the ground. Eventually, Fotu smashed inside the Lone Peak 20. Sudbury chipped away for five more. Offen sive linemen in blue were earning helmet stickers as they went: Top Gun! Stack Of Pancakes!

But Lone Peak made a big stop on third and short.

With no timeouts to take on the sideline of Lone Peak, and 2:04 to play, the Miners missed the field goal attempt, but a Lone Peak player jumped before the ball was kicked. On his second try, kicker Kole Francom calmed his nerves and snapped it through the uprights for a 38-yarder and a 25-19 lead.

On first down, Lone Peak threw, but senior Beau Hamilton busted it up. Then, Latai blasted through the line and sacked the QB—his only one in this 6A quarterfinal. A short pass went for a yard. It was fourth and nine to go; the Lone Peak QB was hit as he threw it—but the jump ball was caught at the Bingham 41 with 54 seconds left.

A pass over the middle got Lone Peak to the Bingham 17 with 41 ticks on the clock. Another short pass took five seconds. A throw to the end zone was broken up, bringing up fourth down where the long arm of a Miner kept the season going for Bingham.

The week before they advanced to play Lone Peak it was also do-or-die for the Miners on Friday Oct. 28. With the sea son on the line for Bingham, senior quarterback Dallen Marti nez found Havea Fotu out in the flat for a 15-yard screen pass. That conversion on fourth and 7 led to a 2-yard Martinez burst through a hole the Miners offensive line drilled open, and a 2820 6A second-round tournament win over Pleasant Grove. l

Bingham won region and reached Rice-Eccles stadium this year to accomplish two of its three goals. (Photos by Pat McDonald)

Bingham harriers fare well

6A state championships, led by a well-known name on the track

By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

Very rarely does someone lead her team in the track and field events in the spring and then replicate that feat in cross country later that fall.

That’s what senior Natalie Swain did, finishing in 28th place at the 6A state cross-country championships with a time of 19:25.6, tops for Bingham.

Swain is no ordinary student-athlete; last spring at the 6A track and field cham pionships she finished in fourth place in the 3,200 meters, which is four miles in length around a high school track.

Last year, the then-junior Swain not only won the Region 3 title in the 800 meters—on a quick turnaround she captured the 3,200 meter crown as well.

Swain also had the eighth-fastest time in the state last year in the 800, and fifth best in the 3,200.

So as the track and field season ap proaches, and if her times in the 800 and 3,200 meters last year were any indication of her ability, you’d be a fool to count her out of

the medals at BYU in the spring.

Also at the State Cross Country Cham pionships

For the Bingham girls in the 6A state championships top 100, Becca Ferre finished 51 in a time of 20:05.6. Katelyn Perry was 68, finishing in 20:24.1 and Avery Benson was 71 overall in a time of 20:28.6

For the boys, Sam Sorensen topped the Miners finishers at state in 56 place with a time of 16:34.0, while Bridger Kelley was 69 in 16:45.5.

In a wild race to the finish, Miners Ty son Bullock and Issac Allen crossed the line within two seconds of each other, in 86 and 87 place respectively, in times of 17:05.0 and 17:05.2.

Caleb McDonald wrapped up Bingham’s top 100 boys finishers at the 6A state cham pionships in 99 place with a time of 17:22.0.

As a team, the Miners qualified all of their runners for this year’s 6A state cross-country championships on both the boys and girls sides. l

Community packs and ships gift-filled shoeboxes for children around the world

By Holly Curby | hello@hollycurby.com

As Christmas approaches we often start looking for ways to get involved in giving to others, from angel trees and food drives to secret Santa projects. However, groups across the state of Utah have already gathered during the third week of November to assemble gift-filled shoe boxes for children across the world during the annual drive for Operation Christmas Child.

Operation Christmas Child (OCC) is a project of Samaritan’s Purse. According to Samaritan’s Purse, churches around the world partner with OCC to receive shoebox gifts to distribute to kids in their community. Every year Samaritan's Purse has collected shoebox gifts filled with toys, school supplies, and hy giene items for children in impoverished and remote areas. Gifts are matched to children’s specific gender and ages. Since 1993, more than 198 million children in more than 170 countries have received an Operation Christ mas Child shoebox. The project delivers not only the joy of what, for many kids, is their first gift ever, but also gives them a tangible expres sion of God's love. As result of 5,000 drop-off locations across all 50 states and Puerto Rico, it is expected that over 9.4 million gift-filled shoeboxes will be collected this year.

One of the local host sites, Risen Life Church in Holladay emphasized their shoebox packing night during their annual Harvest Fes tival in October. Organizer Kristen Veth shared

that the entire community was invited to bring their trick-or-treaters out for a fun evening of trunk-or-treating and then take part in the com munity service project inside while also warm ing up with a cup of hot chocolate. “Operation Christmas Child really sets the stage for cele brating Christmas each year—a simple gift that creates an amazing impact,” Veth said. “At this point we’ve collected 413 boxes. It is inspiring to see so many join together to make an impact in the lives of kids they will likely never meet.”

Ilona Penner was a recipient of an Oper ation Christmas Child shoebox when she was a child living in a Ukrainian orphanage. When reflecting on her experience opening her shoe box Penner said, “A yo-yo is what actually captured my attention the most!” Penner said what impacted her most about receiving the gift-filled shoebox was, “Here I was in an or phanage and someone remembered about me and the other children—someone cared. It was exciting! It kind of gave hope that we weren’t forgotten.”

Want to help make a positive impact in the lives of children around the world next year? Visit www.samaritanspurse.org/occ to learn more and find out dates. There you’ll learn tips for packing your own box in a shoe box or shoe box-sized plastic container, locate party pack ing events, find a list of drop off locations near you, or even be able to pack a shoebox online. Other ways to help include purchasing items to

go into the boxes for groups to assemble, do nate online towards shipping ($10 per box sug gestion), or even serve as one of the 200,000 volunteers involved in collecting, shipping, and distributing shoebox gifts.

For more of Penner’s story check out Holly’s Highlights podcast Season 1 Episode 6 where Penner shares about her upbringing in Ukraine, her memories of receiving a shoebox while living in the Ukrainian orphanage, and even suggestions on how to pack your own shoebox for a child in need. Hear of her story

WHERE THERE IS GRIEF, THERE IS GREAT LOVE

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

of hope, the heart of giving, the gift of time, and how one simple act made her feel like she wasn't alone. Holly’s Highlights podcast is designed to encourage, inspire, and equip you to intentionally live your life full of pur pose. Holly’s Highlights podcast is available at www.hollycurby.com or wherever you listen to podcasts including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, and even “Alexa, play Holly’s Highlights podcast.”l

Risen Life volunteers assembled over 400 boxes for children around the world. (Photo courtesy Aaron Jett)

Building community for displaced women

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

When Samira Harnish was 10 years old, living in Iraq, she drew a picture of a woman trapped in a spider’s web, calling for help. Even at a young age, Harnish knew the world was a difficult place for women.

Education opportunities weren’t easy for women in Iraq. Harnish’s sister received a scholarship to study in England but com munity members tried to convince her father to keep her home.

“My dad was strong and said my daugh ter got this scholarship and I’m going to send her,” Harnish said. “I remember the family didn’t want to be with him anymore. So in that way, society was harsh for the women.”

As a young woman, Harnish came to the United States for an arranged marriage. It was a difficult time and Harnish said she could feel the sticky web keeping her trapped.

“I felt like I couldn’t take it off my shoulders because I was thinking everyone was going to hate me or not want me because I was divorcing my first husband,” she said. “But I was taking care of my life and not wanting to feel miserable.”

In 2009, Harnish gave up her job as a senior microchip engineer and founded Women of the World, a nonprofit that helps displaced women gain self-reliance by giv ing them tools to navigate an unfamiliar so ciety.

WoW works with refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants, helping them learn English, apply for jobs, go to college or even start a business. But the organization fills an even more important role, it helps women find a community.

Harnish understands the loneliness dis placed women experience when first coming to Utah. Assimilating into a community is difficult and it is a challenge to find people who will welcome and support them.

“Because of these things I went through,

it made me want to become an advocate for them,” she said. “We let women know ev erything’s going to be OK. They just need a guide into a new life. They’ve had a lot of hurtful moments: war, oppression, poverty, rape and mutilation.”

Located in South Salt Lake (415 E. 3900 South), WoW is giving a voice to women who have lost jobs, families and homes. By building confidence through English skills and mentoring, WoW participants learn how to improve their lives and connect with oth ers. These women often have college de grees and valuable professions, but can’t get hired due to the language barrier.

WoW holds a celebration each Decem ber, recognizing women who have reached their goals and becoming independent. The event is supported by local business and government leaders who help the women find jobs in their communities.

The WoW model offers advocacy for immigration, housing, law issues and health matters. It customizes its programs for each individual, matching her needs with what she needs to succeed. Volunteers are always needed at WoW to be mentors, drivers, inter preters, workshop teachers, yoga instructors, child caregivers and event facilitators. Mon etary donations are also accepted.

Gift cards are an important donation for the women who can use them to buy things for themselves or their children. While the women appreciate the used clothes or shoes donated to help them, they like to purchase items that fit their personality and their bod ies.

“They have lost everything but their dignity and pride,” Harnish said. “They had good jobs in their home country and they are looking for jobs in their profession. They bring a great diversity to our state.”

To donate, volunteer or to learn more about WoW, visit womenofworld.org. l

Navigating Grief and the Holidays

By Kathie Supiano, PhD, LCSW

The holiday season is nearly upon us. This is the time of year when grieving people often feel dread and sorrow about the very events and traditions that formerly brought happiness.

As every grieving person handles loss in their own way, each one of us observes holidays in our own way in time of bereavement. There simply is no one right way to experience the holidays. Some find meaning in following cherished traditions, and others benefit from avoiding traditions because their associations are now tinged with loss. Some people find great comfort in being with other people, others prefer solitude to camaraderie. For all of us, how we gather is as important as gathering at all.

Plan ahead for the holidays: The first step in planning is to listen to yourself….what will help you most at this time? You may have strong memories and powerful feelings. Accept this as normal, but prepare for it. Anticipate the pleasures and the stresses of events, and select those you want to participate in. If you expect to be lonely, arrange supportive companionship. If you can’t bear the thought of connecting with the entire extended family, let the family know of your needs. Be creative and accept support by using distance technology.

Accommodate your plans to your new limits: Most grieving people have significantly lowered physical stamina and emotional reserve. Perhaps you can’t get every decoration out this year. Accept these limits as temporary, and good enough for this year. Choose to put your energy into the things that matter most to you.

Accept that the holidays will be different this year: The holidays are often filled with unrealistic expectations that may overwhelm you. You may need to revisit your goals and find a balance between continuity and change. Many people find a special comfort in establishing a new holiday tradition that honors the memory of the person who died.

Recognize that other family members or friends may have struggles, too: Look for opportunities to discuss your feelings and wishes with others who may also be grieving for your family member. Try to respect their choices, if they are different from yours. You all may need to make compromises.

If the holidays have always been hard for you: Use this transition in your life to try something completely new…an untraditional-tradition. Perhaps you have never taken the occasion create a new experience on your own. As challenging as loss can be, it can bring momentum to grow and to try something new.

For all of us, whether the holidays are a time of personal significance or not, it can be a season in which we reflect on what we do cherish as we journey through grief.

Kathie Supiano, PhD,

LCSW is an Associate Professor at the University of Utah College of Nursing and the Director of Caring Connections: A Hope and Comfort in Grief Program. Caring Connections is a not-for-profit program that offers clinician-facili tated grief support groups in Utah. 801-585-9522 healthcare.utah.edu/caring-connections

A Women of the World fundraising event celebrates the success of displaced women from across the globe who work hard to reach their goals. (Photo courtesy of Jake Campos)

Utah cities are becoming more food truck-friendly

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

The Salt Lake area isn’t usually thought of as a top food truck destination, but that might now change thanks to a new state law.

House Bill 146 became effective in May and restricts the ability of a city or county to require a separate business license if the food truck owner already has a valid license in an other Utah community. In other words, it re quires food truck owners to obtain a business license from just one city—not every single municipality or county they want to operate in. Communities around the state are gradual ly amending their codes to be in compliance.

Melissa Anderson from the Community Development Department presented related code amendments to the Sandy City Council on Oct. 25.

“In lieu of a Sandy City business license, mobile food business owners may submit a business license from another political subdi vision in the state,” Anderson said. “The pro posed amendments make it easier to operate a mobile food business in Sandy, consistent with a new state law.”

Among other changes, food truck own ers will also not be required to disclose finan cial information or pay additional fees above the actual cost of processing the neighboring business license. The Planning Commission forwarded a positive recommendation, and the amendments were approved at the Sandy

City Council meeting Nov. 15.

“The impact will be big,” said Taylor Harris, a founding partner and general man ager of The Food Truck League, a network of gourmet food trucks in Utah. In addition to organizing events, the League works to pro mote, lobby and advocate for the industry.

Harris has been part of a four-year-long process begun by then-Sen. (now Lieutenant Governor) Deirdre Henderson and the Liber tas Institute to create a “food truck freedom” law to reduce regulations.

“Sen. Henderson brought everyone to the table,” Harris said. “What was happening was every city was doing a policy that made sense in isolation, but the compounding ef fects—the way we’re organized geographi cally in Utah—it was just killing trucks and stopping them from being able to run their businesses. So, we came up with a frame work, we tried out a couple different things, and that’s evolved over the last several years and we’ve gotten to this place that’s really a happy home where it works for everybody.”

Harris said the original law has been test ed and improved to the point where now it has become a model for other states.

A statement on the Libertas Institute’s website says that the new law is fair since oth er businesses, including catering companies, are not required to obtain licenses in each city

in which they operate.

Though it will take time for every com munity to amend city codes to reflect the law like Sandy has, Harris believes it has already had a big impact in the day-to-day business of food truck owners and operators.

“Most of the cities we work with are working on it,” Harris said. “In practice they’re implementing it and working on for malizing it. I think for cities there’s this bal ance. They don’t want to lose control over protecting their public, and at the same time, they’re busy. They don’t want duplication any more than we do. They just want to make sure that everything is safe and taken care of, and I think this law addressed that concern.”

The Food Truck League held its first pub lic event in May 2015 and has hosted events throughout the valley ever since, including Food Truck Mondays at Sandy Amphitheater Park, 1245 E. 9400 South.

“We work with Sandy to do their event

at the amphitheater,” Harris said. “It has been a great event, but this will make it easier to bring a wider variety of trucks in. Now we can pull from all the best trucks Utah has to offer, instead of just the best trucks registered in Sandy.”

The League counts over 300 distinct food trucks in its network. Harris recom mends visiting the League’s site www.the foodtruckleague.com/food-trucks/trucks/ to find food trucks all year long.

“Anyone that knows restaurants knows that’s a hard business,” Harris said. “They don’t do it for money, they do it for love. So to give them tools to be more successful is really exciting. And this legislation allows the reg ulatory environment to help our creators get out there and not get shut down due to signing paper work over and over again.” l

A new city ordinance will make it easier for more food trucks to participate in events like Food Truck Mondays at Sandy’s Amphitheater Park. (Photo courtesy The Food Truck League)

arrangements are a deeply personal choice. Preplanning provides you with the time needed to make practical, detailed decisions that reflect your standards, lifestyle, taste and budget. And we assure you and your family that the choices you make will be carried out as planned.

New 55+ Community Now Building in South Jordan

Just south of Salt Lake Community College, Utah’s leading builder of active adult communities has begun construction of their newest development. Leisure Villas, known for their lifestyle-oriented neighborhoods, has broken ground on what is promising to be one of their more premiere locations.

Is it time to close the Wild Kingdom Train at Lagoon?

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@davisjournal.com

It’s been the focus of petitions, protests and investigations but the animal exhibit at Lagoon, featured on the Wild Kingdom Train, continues to house dozens of animals includ ing Bengal tigers, bison, African lions and zebras.

Since 1967, Lagoon Amusement Park in Farmington has kept the wild animals on dis play and has received numerous citations from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the animals’ care. Lagoon’s most recent violation of the Animal Welfare Act was in 2018 when a young elk crawled into a neighboring pen where it was attacked by a bison. The elk was subsequently euthanized.

Lagoon spokesperson Adam Leishman said the veterinarians and animal caretakers on staff take pride in the work they do. He said many of the animals have indoor closures and heated outdoor spaces to provide comfort during the cold months.

“I can’t stress enough how much care the animals get from the caretakers here, to make sure that they’re safe and healthy,” he said. “They get excellent nutrition and veter inary-recommended diets. Just because we’re closed in the winter doesn’t mean the care stops. I couldn’t and I wouldn’t say what I’m saying if it wasn’t true.”

55+ Community offers better living for retirees

While nobody likes to see another open field disappear to housing, it is nice to see that it will be constructed by a builder who has a strong reputation for not only building quality homes, but homes and communities that are attractive and fun.

Hearthstone Villas, located at 9550 S. 3400 W. has just opened its first building for sale. While supply and labor shortages threaten to slow construction, the builder is committed to doing all in their power to open four new homes for sale each month.

This long-anticipated community will soon have its community clubhouse under construction also, with its accompanying amenities, like a pool, theater, exercise room, billiards, library, community gathering areas. This community is also planning on installing two pickleball courts and some horseshoe pits in the next phase of construction. Needless to say, there will be plenty to do, and great people to do it with.

If you would like more information about this new community, you can speak with a representative by visiting the sales office on site, or by calling: 801-701-1147.

Amy Meyer, director of the Utah Animal Rights Coalition, said the Lagoon animals have been on her radar for many years, with people often contacting her with concerns about the animals’ care.

Meyer doesn’t understand why the park’s owners won’t send animals to sanctuaries and close the display for good because she thinks the zoo has to be Lagoon’s biggest public rela tions nightmare.

“These majestic animals, especially the big cats, live in small concrete enclosures. These big cats are some of the hardest animals to have in any sort of captivity, let alone some thing that has nothing that resembles their natural environment,” Meyer said. “We’ve ac tually coordinated with some global partners who are committed to helping us get those an imals to accredited sanctuaries. If Lagoon ever says the word, we would get them to beautiful sanctuaries.”

Leishman said the park’s owners have never been contacted by wild animal sanctuar ies and added the longevity of the wild animal park at Lagoon is a testament to the type of care the animals receive.

The big cats at Lagoon came from a va riety of places. The Bengal tiger came from a municipal zoo in the Midwest that lost its funding. The mountain lions were being held illegally in a private home, confiscated by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and placed at Lagoon. The African lion was used for a photo op as a cub. As the lion got older, the owners wanted to get rid of it and Lagoon

took it in.

Patrick Craig, executive director of The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, Colo rado, said they would be willing to take the big cats from Lagoon. Although he hasn’t con tacted the park’s owners directly, the sanctuary has publicly offered to give the cats a home when animal rights groups have tried to per suade Lagoon to discontinue the display.

“This establishment has had their wild life train going since the 1960s and it has a long-established history of never providing adequate enclosures for the animals. It is the No. 1 complaint we receive on a yearly basis, which is saying a lot, given the number of other terrible exhibits that exist in the United States,” Craig said.

He agrees with Meyer that the cats’ en closures are too small, without the benefit of a natural environment. Big cats often suffer from arthritis and other conditions affecting paws and joints when they are kept on con crete. Stress and boredom have an impact on the cats’ mental health, along with being sub jected to the train going past their cages sever al times a day during the summer.

Meyer thinks the time has come to close the exhibit as people’s attitudes toward ani mals held in captivity has evolved over the years. She believes Lagoon could turn the closing of the wild animal park into a positive story, with a happy ending for all.

“If they finally said, ‘You know what, we’re going to shut this down. We started this zoo before we knew what these animals need ed and there are good reputable sanctuaries we can send them to. We’re going to shut this down and turn it into something people enjoy’ then the UARC would definitely be going to Lagoon to celebrate and finally ride on the roller coasters.”l

While Lagoon’s spokesperson says the big cats in the wild animal display are well cared for, animal rights groups and sanctuaries disagree and feel now’s the time to close that part of the park’s histo ry. (Photo courtesy of Amy Meyer)

Move-in ready homes

Salt Lake County Library Services to increase tax rate

By Zak Sonntag | z.sonntag@mycityjournals.com

Salt Lake County Library Services is set to bump its tax levy in 2023 in re sponse to inflationary pressure, as well as ad dress delayed maintenance while maintaining and expanding offerings at its 18 branches.

Under the proposal the average Salt Lake County home, valued around $560,000, would see an increase of $30 per year for a total annu al outlay of $149 to support the library services. The hike will be put to a vote on Dec. 6, and if passed will increase the County Library budget by 25%.

Library officials say the increase is needed to offset inflationary pressure; the library ser vices has seen a compounded 30% increase in expenses since its last tax adjustment in 2012.

“Every business has to deal with (infla tion), and they’ll work through it by constantly raising prices. But as a municipality, we don’t have that option. Anytime we want to raise more money, it has to be through the Truth in Taxation process,” said Sara Neal, marketing and communications manager for Salt Lake County Library Services, speaking about the state law that lays out how government bodies can raise taxes.

The library services has absorbed cost increases through new efficiencies like system automation along with staffing changes and deferred maintenance. However, maintenance needs have continued to mount, and leaders say they cannot continue to put repairs off.

High on the priority list is the West Val ley branch, whose derelict boilers have a pen chant to leave patrons and staff in the cold, and whose limited facility space fails to meet the needs of a modern library user.

“Their boilers are 50 years old at this point. There not made any more and we can’t get parts for them. If that system failed and we had to replace it the cost is huge. But would you invest that much money in an old building that doesn’t serve the needs of the community anyway?” said Neal, who anticipates a brandnew West Valley facility is on the way with the

help of new tax dollars.

Neal says the county is also looking to replace or renovate older, smaller libraries in its service area, including the Tyler branch in Midvale, the Whitmore branch in Cottonwood Heights, and the Sandy branch. The renova tions will help modernize the facilities in ways that meet community needs.

Neal points to the success of the Granite Branch, opened in 2022, which stands in high contrast to the libraries of yore.

“At Granite we have creative space for people who want to explore technology tools that they might not have access to otherwise. They have study rooms that are always being used because people need spaces like that. It’s fun to see how a library can really serve the different needs of people in the neighborhood,” Neal said.

In this way Salt Lake County has become home to one of the most popular library sys tems in the nation, with over two-thirds of the 837,000 people in its service area designated as “active library card users,” defined as a patron who utilizes a library service during a threeyear period.

“There are about 9,000 library systems in North America, and we’re usually about num ber 13 or so,” Neal said.

According to Neal, the county system cir culates 12 million items—close to 80% of them physical items like books and audiobooks and the remainder digital items like e-audiobooks.

The service’s popularity is driven in part by the county’s expanding population, which has grown by 13% in the last decade.

Some county residents—including those in Murray and Salt Lake City, who have their own city library systems—are not impacted by the county library tax in order to prevent “dual taxation,” even as reciprocal borrowing agree ments allow residents to hold cards in all three systems simultaneously. l

A patron enters the Whitmore Library. (File photo Sarah Morton Taggart/City Journals)

Former NBA coach hosts winter break basketball camp

By Catherine Garrett | c.garrett@mycityjournals.com

Utah native Barry Hecker, who coached in the NBA for more than two decades, including working with current Jazz players Mike Conley and Rudy Gay, will be hosting a basketball camp during the winter school break.

The camp, which will emphasize footwork, passing, dribbling and shoot ing, is scheduled for boys and girls in third through ninth grades from 9 to 11 a.m. Dec. 27 through 30 at the Sandy City Recreation gym, located at 440 E. 8680 South.

“These camps are all about the ba sic fundamentals of basketball,” Hecker said. “We focus on quality fundamental instruction, we work hard with a lot of discipline and structure and we have a lot of fun. When these kids walk out of there, they know they’ve been taught and improved.”

The cost is $85 and includes a T-shirt for all participants. Registrations are currently open online at www.san dyparksandrec.activityreg.com/selectac tivity_t2.wcs#.

The veteran coach, who lives in Murray, said the values he has learned from his basketball coaching journey— beginning at Oxon Hill High School in

Maryland and spanning through Salt Lake Community College and stints with the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, Los An geles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies— are invaluable. Being able to share those principles of hard work, teamwork, un selfishness and persistence, along with the physical skills of the game itself, with others thrills him.

“I don’t care who I coach or when I coach,” Hecker said. “I simply enjoy teaching the game. It’s great to see a smile on someone’s face as they expe rience success. If you help somebody, you’ll be somebody.”

Hecker has conducted clinics all over the world for more than 40 years, including many since his retirement from coaching in the NBA. He said he particu larly enjoys working with the youth.

“If you teach skills, that leads to confidence and that confidence can al low anyone to do anything they want,” he said. “I have more fun with young kids than with the pros. In the NBA, you have guys who are making millions and they don’t listen. These kids are making nothing and they’ll listen to you.”

Former NBA coach Barry Hecker has been teaching the game of basketball for more than 40 years. (Photo by Barry Hecker)

Richard Paul Evans’ latest novel reflects the true meaning of the holiday season

By Collette Hayes | c.hayes@mycityjournals.com

By the time Richard Paul Evans was 21, he had lived in over 12 places. Leaving California to move to his grandmother’s abandoned home when he was 9 years old was a traumatic event in Evans’ life. In his book, “A Christmas Memory,” Evans takes a step back in time and reflects on the chal lenges of beginning life in Utah. When things seem to be at their worst, being bullied at his new school and the unraveling of his home life and family relationships, Evans meets an elderly neighbor and his dog Gollum who quickly become a beacon of light and hope in a world where Evans feels he has nothing left to lose.

The New York Times bestselling au thor has called Utah home for the last sev eral years. He attended Cottonwood High School and is raising his family in the Holl aday area. While living here, Evans has kept a watchful eye over the abused, abandoned and neglected children of Utah by providing funds to build a safe haven for those children in need of love, protection and shelter. The Christmas Box House, named after Evans first book, “The Christmas Box,” has provid ed shelter for over 136,000 children in need during the last two decades. In its infancy the Christmas Box House struggled to find community support and secure funding. Af ter the sale of “The Christmas Box,” Evans came forward with personal funding to take

on the responsibility of trying to provide a safe place for those children in need.

“I used most of the money I re ceived from the sale of my first book, ‘The Christmas Box’ to fund build ing the Christmas Box House,” Evans said. “After the book funds were gone, I began taking out per sonal loans to cover the cost which about bankrupted us, and there was no guar antee there would be another bestselling book. I was contin ually being advised to shut the project down. During this time, I had two really cool experiences and because of these expe riences, I decided, if the ship is going down, I’m going with it.”

Evans has more than 35 million copies of his books in print worldwide translated into more than 24 languages. His most re

cent Christmas novel, “A Christmas Memo ry” is a heartfelt story about forgiveness, the power of hope and the true meaning of the holiday season.

“The first of De cember of last year, I came down with pneumonia. I have never been that sick in my life,” he said. “I stopped eating, and then I caught Covid on top of all of that. At the same time my friend had what I had and died. He was the same age as I was. I started thinking, I might not make it through this.

My wife Keri was terrified. During all of this, a book idea started coming to me. I was literally on my stomach starting to scrawl this book down on paper. I was so foggy headed at the time; I thought it probably was all pretty awful. Then in January, I finally began to get better, and I went back and read it and realized this

was the most beautiful thing I had ever writ ten. When I wrote the book, I couldn’t get through it without crying, because I deep ly feel for the little boy and everything he had been through. The book is similar to a memoir. Most of it is based on my life. It is my absolute favorite book I’ve written since ‘The Christmas Box.’ It’s definitely a special book.”

Evans first feature film based on his book “The Noel Diary” will be released in November. Netflix gave “The Noel Diary” their prime opening on Thanksgiving Day. The film is directed by Academy Award nominee writer and director Charles Shyer and stars Justin Harley in the lead role as Jake Turner.

“My first feature film based on my book ‘The Noel Diary’ is coming up this year,” Evans said. “I’ve had seven television mov ies produced based on my books, but this is my first feature film. My book ‘The Christ mas Memory’ comes out on Nov. 22 and two days later on Thanksgiving Day, ‘The Noel Diary’ will be released on Netflix. I’m very excited.”

According to Evans, he writes when he is in the mood and has an approaching dead line. At times he will go to a hotel where there are no distractions and will write for 18 hours a day. He usually has food brought in and doesn’t go anywhere or see anyone due to the fact when creating a fictional universe, it is difficult when writing to leave the uni verse and then return. When writing one of his Michael Vey novels, he was struggling with an Amazon jungle scene. From the ho tel where he was staying, Evans called and booked a flight to the Amazon and went to the jungle. He got what he needed, and it changed the book.

“I started writing young adult science fiction just for fun,” Evans said. “People who knew me thought it was strange that I was writing sentimental things because they see me as more of a science fiction writer. Actu ally, both are part of my personality. I wanted to write a story about a boy who had Tourette syndrome. Both my son Michael and I have Tourettes, and I wrote it for him. I originally set Michael Vey in Holladay around Walker Lane but then decided to move the setting to Idaho. There are still parts of Holladay in the book. I have a Michael Vey fan club in Iran, and I have Skyped with students in Saudi Arabia where it was the most popular book in the school. Michael Vey books are also in Russia and South Korea. It’s amazing how books have the power to unite people.”

Here in Utah, Evans helps bring peo ple together with the annual Christmas Box Angel candlelight service to remember lost children. The event is held at the Salt Lake Cemetery on Dec. 6 at 6 p.m. Evans com missioned the angel monument in response to grieving parents who were looking for a place to grieve and heal. The service is open to the general public. l

“A Christmas Memory Book” cover. (Collette Hayes/City Journals)

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

Covering 27,000 square miles, the Navajo

Nation is home to more than 170,000 people identified as Navajo or Native American. It’s the largest Native American reservation in the country, with land in Utah, Arizona and New Mexico.

The Navajo Nation is one of the few places in the country where indigenous peo ple can live on their homeland and speak their native language, but poverty and need is rampant. Since the 1980s, Adopt-A-NativeElder has provided essentials to the older generation of Navajos.

“I started as a volunteer,” said C.J. Robb, now assistant director of Adopt-A-Native-El der. “What I thought was so interesting is that you don’t realize the level of need so close to where we live here in Salt Lake City. It’s an eight-hour drive to the reservation but you’re really in a sovereign country completely sur rounded by the United States and people are living in Third World conditions.”

The nonprofit serves more than 1,000 Navajo elders over the age of 75 by providing food, fabric, firewood and basic supplies. The elders on the reservation don’t want to relo cate to nursing homes where the staff can’t speak the language and Navajo traditions aren’t observed, so Adopt-A-Native-Elder gives them what they need, allowing them to stay on their land.

Robb said they’ve donated more than 840,000 pounds of food, mobility equipment and clothing over the past couple of years with 344 volunteers taking part in food runs to distribute supplies to the elders. While most recipients live where they can receive physical assistance, hundreds more are living in areas so remote they can’t be physically supported. These elders are mailed food and firewood vouchers.

“In order for them to age in place, in a traditional way like their elders and families have done, they really need support in the

form of food and medical supplies and ev eryday necessities,” Robb said. “There’s not a system of elder care in place on the reserva tion for these traditional people. Part of that is because the elders live so remotely, they’ve never left the reservation. They speak only Navajo, they dress traditionally and practice traditional ceremonies.”

On Tuesdays and Fridays, from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., volunteers can help pack food boxes at Adopt-A-Native-Elder (328 W. Gregson Ave.) in South Salt Lake. Food packages are intended to be gifts, not hand outs, so volunteers wrap boxes to be given away.

For the holidays, all the elders in the program will receive a $100 food certificate to Bashas’, a grocery store on the reservation. Additionally, $200 firewood vouchers will be sent to elders for heating and cooking. These donations total more than $300,000.

There are several options to support the Navajo Nation through the nonprofit. The Adopt-A-Native-Elder program is $300 an nually, which gives the elder a food box twice a year. People can donate money for yarn, firewood, food runs, children’s needs and the general fund which covers elders who have not been adopted. Volunteers are also needed to donate time to deliver boxes to the reser vation.

Adopt-A-Native-Elder hosts an online platform for Navajo artists to sell tradition al rugs and jewelry, and provides fabric for elders to sew traditional skirts and shirts. For more information, visit AnElder.org.

“This is the last generation of tradition al Navajo people left,” Robb said. “Part of the program is showing that there are people in our society willing to help without con ditions. We go down there and just try to connect the cultures and share with all these traditional people and honor their culture and lifestyle.” l

Nature’s Virus Killer

Copper can stop a virus before it starts

By Priscilla Schnarr www.copperzap.com

Scientists have discovered a natural way to kill germs fast.

Now thousands of people are using it against viruses and bacteria that cause illness.

Colds and many other illnesses start when viruses get in your nose and multiply. If you don’t stop them early, they spread and cause misery.

Hundreds of studies confirm copper kills viruses and bacteria almost instantly just by touch.

That’s why ancient Greeks and Egyptians used copper to purify water and heal wounds. They didn’t know about viruses and bacteria, but now we do.

“The antimicrobial activity of copper is well established.” National Institutes of Health.

Scientists say copper’s high conductance disrupts the electrical balance in a microbe cell and destroys it in seconds.

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The strong scientific evidence gave inventor Doug Cornell an idea. He made a smooth copper probe with a tip to fit in the bottom of the nostril, where viruses collect.

When he felt a tickle in his nose like a cold about to start, he rubbed the copper gently in his nose for 60 seconds.

“It worked!” he exclaimed. “The cold never happened. I used to get 2-3 bad colds every year. Now I use my device whenever I feel a sign I am about to get sick.”

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Students add service to their schedules

By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

Lily Reutze, an eighth grader at Kelsey Peak Middle School, wraps white yarn around a square of cardboard. After tying a few knots and making a few cuts, she has made a fluffy snowball. One down, 300 to go.

The snowballs were being made for an indoor snowball fight kit to be donated to Kauri Sue Hamilton School. It was just one of the projects she and her peers participated in at Jordan Virtual Learning Academy’s Day of Service. The hours students spent making hundreds of snowballs, coloring 40 food boxes for the Food Bank, tying 12 quilts for Primary Children’s Hospital and crafting over 200 cards for care center residents count toward the goal of 1,500 hours of service hours performed by JVLA students during November and Decem ber.

All three schools that are a part of JVLA—Rocky Peak Elementary, Kelsey Peak Middle and King’s Peak High—participate in the service hour drive. Last year, students per formed a total of 1,203 hours of service.

To meet this year’s higher goal, a Day of Service was held Nov. 11 to kick-off the ser vice season. Students and their families were invited to participate in four service projects at two locations. Lily and her mother Lisa, who works as an aid at Rocky Peak Elementary, helped with every project.

“It's good to help out your community and to help other people,” said Lily.

JVLA provides community service op portunities throughout the year—students and staff collected 536 pairs of socks for The Road Home in October.

“Service helps kids look outside them selves and takes them away from their own problems,” KPHS instructional coach Ami An derson said.

KPHS ninth grader Blue Hegstrom said he loves helping others. He often helps out at home. The time he spends providing service for his family can be counted toward the school service hour total.

Sophomore Haedyn Cleveland said, as a virtual student, it was great to get out of the house and meet with her peers at the Day of Service activity. She said she appreciates that her school values community service and pro vides opportunities to get involved.

“It's important to help people and the school wants to set us on the path so we know how to start helping people and then we can continue to do that when we’re adults and in different environments,” Haedyn said.

Hawthorn Academy charter school holds a Day of Service for its students each year on the day before Winter Break. Instead of hav ing a holiday party, students work as a class on

New research: Copper kills viruses in seconds.

Lisa and Lily Reutze earn service hours while making indoor snowball kits as part of Jordan Virtual Learning Academy’s Day of Service kick-off. (Jet Burnham/City Journals)

ITA brings hope and healing through its therapy dogs

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

Kathy Klotz believes Intermountain Therapy Animals (4050 S. 2700 East) is the best kept secret in Holladay. As the exec utive director, Klotz has been involved with ITA since its inception in 1993 when it began providing animal-assisted experiences to com munities in Utah.

ITA has grown to 300 volunteer teams, visiting more than 100 healthcare and educa tional facilities, who spend time with individu als going through difficult circumstances.

“The research is just overwhelming about how healthy animals are for people,” Klotz said. “Every place there’s therapy going on, the results happen faster (with therapy animals). People are more engaged and have more fun while they’re trying to do what they need to do. Dogs just enhance the situation.”

There are three categories of working dogs. Service dogs receive extensive training to assist one person. Emotional support animals require no training and help people dealing with issues like anxiety or depression. Therapy ani mals, like the ones at ITA, participate in a wide range of situations and must be screened and trained before going to any facility.

Holladay resident Maureen Feighan and her dog Quincy have worked as a team with ITA for three years. Quincy is a 5-year-old Wheaten terrier/poodle who was nicknamed Mr. Chill even as a puppy. His temperament made him a perfect candidate for a therapy dog.

“He’s one of those dogs that goes to people rather than dogs. At a dog park, he’ll stand with the owners just watching the dogs,” Feighan said. “He’ll go stand next to someone I don’t know. The person will say I just put my dog down a few weeks ago or I have anxiety depression disorder and I’m having a really bad day. Somehow Quincy just knows.”

It’s that innate knowing that therapy dogs bring to hospitals, schools, rehab facilities and nursing homes. ITA dogs work at the Utah

Schools for the Deaf and the Blind, Primary Children’s Hospital, the University of Utah and dozens of other places in Utah, Idaho and Mon tana.

Klotz believes dogs are an incredible cat alyst for healing. She said stroke victims, who might be afraid to get up and walk around, are more confident with a therapy dog by their side. People with a new prosthetic seem to walk far ther and feel more hopeful when working with a dog. Most of all, therapy dogs generate hope.

“More than anything, it’s inspiring to see how quickly you can have a positive impact on an individual and a family going through a situation. It’s quite awe-inspiring,” she said. “Dogs create a sense of normalcy and a lot of fun. They’re incredible motivators to get people up and participating in their essential therapies and they’re great comforters as well.”

In senior facilities, therapy animals help residents feel less isolated. As soon as the dogs cross the threshold, people relax and start smiling and interacting. Klotz said when older adults know the dogs are coming, they’ll get out of bed, get dressed, eat breakfast and line up in the lobby, waiting with smiles on their faces.

At the University of Utah, therapy animals are invited to campus during stressful times like midterms or finals. Businesses bring in therapy animals if there’s been a busy season or tough circumstances. Parents with children going through treatment at Primary’s invite thera py dogs into their child’s room, especially if there’s a pet at home the child is missing.

“Quincy will go right up to the bed. He jumps up on the bed and snuggles to the child. They just pet him and laugh,” Feighan said. “I’ve had parents tell me it’s the first time they’ve seen their child smile in days. It’s really amazing. It’s been pretty awesome.”

Although many people want to work with their pet as a therapy animal, the selection pro cess is quite extensive and only dogs with cer

tain temperaments are accepted into ITA. Klotz invites people to review the volunteer require ments at TherapyAnimals.org.

ITA also provides Reading Education As sistance Dogs to help a child struggling with literacy. The program started in 1999 and has grown to 7,000 therapy teams in 27 countries. Research shows, as a child reads to a dog, their reading scores improve significantly.

“R.E.A.D. was the first formalized literacy support program where the handler is trained in the ways to positively support a child who’s struggling,” Klotz said. “A child’s reading lev el shoots up and their confidence increases and they get away from the peer pressure of worry ing that they’re going to make a mistake. They love that the dogs are great listeners.”l

projects such as making blankets to donate to hospitals, making toys to donate to the Humane Society, and wrapping boxes of cereal to do nate to students in need at nearby schools.

Hawthorn Academy students will also be collecting toys for Utah Youth Village and food for Utah Food Bank, a tradition in its 14 year. Each year, the goal increases, based on the year. This year, their goal is to collect 222 toys by Dec. 14 and 2,022 food items by Dec. 21.

Through Dec. 16, West Hills Middle School students will be collecting blankets, clothes, shoes and glasses to benefit four char ities: Volunteers of America, Christmas Me, 20/20 Vision Quest and Unwanted shoes. Prin cipal Cynthia VanderMeiden said there will be a friendly competition among the students to

encourage a successful charity drive.

Mountain Heights Academy, an online charter school, will also provide service op portunities for their students during the month of December. Students will help fill holiday stockings to send to military members overseas and to veterans in the hospital. School leader ship groups will also organize students to serve meals at a local food pantry.

West Jordan Middle School will be hold ing a food drive and collecting money for char ity. All proceeds from their Dec. 16 Winter Dance will go toward their charity fundraiser.

Joel P. Jensen Middle, Copper Hills High and West Jordan High also have charity and service events planned during December. l

As an animal therapy team with Intermountain Therapy Animals, Maureen Feighan and her dog Quincy travel the valley to bring comfort to children, older adults, patients and students. (Photo courtesy of ITA)

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Progress is happening at The Point, the for mer prison site in its infancy of becoming an ultra-modern development. Officials an nounced that the Utah Division of Facilities and Construction is running ahead of schedule on site abatement, the first step toward demo lition. In December, the Phase 1 development partner will present refined plans to The Point of the Mountain State Land Authority.

“This is getting more and more real. Rather than a place where people are con strained, it’s going to be a place of new op portunity…and change life for the better for the people of the state,” said Alan Matheson, The Point’s executive director.

Innovation Point Partners (IPP), the Phase 1 development partner, is a team of three firms: the Lincoln Property Compa ny headquartered in Dallas, Texas and local partners Colmena Group and Wadsworth Development Group. According to The Point officials, the IPP team has experience build ing large-scale, sustainable communities and innovative, mixed-use projects.

Though they couldn’t share specifics pri or to the December Land Authority meeting, Matheson and IPP spokesperson Abbey Eh man spoke in general terms about refinements to the plan. Ehman is based in Los Angeles, but she previously lived in Utah.

Phase 1 development focuses on Main Street, the central park, and creating a 15-min ute city that supports all forms of mobility including pedestrians, vehicles, cyclists and transit. Ehman was highly complimentary of the framework plan already created for The Point with public input from Utahns. “Nev er before have we seen such an effort…it’s a credit to Utah,” she said. The IPP team is working with that existing framework plan to further refine and enhance it.

“The adaptations are enhancing connec tivity, vibrancy and a strong sense of place. This is our opportunity to build a new down town in Utah…we’re very thoughtful on building types, the pedestrian experience… economic investment driving jobs, and think ing about how that all exists together. The signature element is the recreation space, the commitment to the outdoors and nature that makes it a Utah project. We’re making sure we have places of respite, places we tie into the trail network…we heard the desire to be connected to nature. Market conditions have informed our process, but connectivity to outdoors is the big shift we’ve seen through the pandemic. People want readily accessible outdoor space,” Ehman said.

Matheson indicated these revisions bet ter tie the central park to the River to Range trail and offer new connectivity elements to help people get around the site without ever getting on the road.

Ehman called the Main Street “the heart of our first phase” and said there will be “a keen focus on local businesses.” It will be pe

By Mimi Darley Dutton | m.dutton@mycityjournals.com

Abbey Ehman

destrian-focused with a mix of local and na tional shops and restaurants that spill out onto a promenade.

“We as a firm are so excited about Utah, specifically the demographic, the economic growth, the quality of life, this amazing can vas, and all the work that came before us to make this a preeminent development. There really is no better infill opportunity in the western U.S. because of the location between two population centers. And with the good work that’s come before us on transit and in frastructure, we’re excited to focus our efforts here,” Ehman said. l

A conceptual rendering of the River to Range plans for The Point. Phase 1 development plans are being refined with a focus on connection to nature. (Courtesy The Point)

Even though 2022 seemed to last as long as a 5-year-old reading “Green Eggs and Ham,” the holidays rushed in like a wicked case of intestinal flu. But high grocery prices? Rising inflation? Those things have never stopped Americans from over-celebrating the holidays.

If you’re finding it hard to capture the spirit of Christmas this year, just remem ber the real meaning of the holidays: get ting presents. All those brightly-wrapped packages will bring you hours of tempo rary joy and fulfillment.

I wonder if we have lost our senses, in a very literal way. Maybe if we come back to our senses for the holidays, we’ll stop eating when we’re not hungry, partying when we’re tired and buying a doghouse full of gifts for the family puppy when we’re already overbudget.

Let’s start with the sights of the sea son, like the piles of enticing Amazon box es shoved into hiding places and spilling out of closets. The twinkling lights of po lice cars at the neighbor’s house. The deadeyed stare of a Target cashier and colored globes hanging on the Christmas tree that drops needles when someone walks by.

How about the sounds of the season, like your favorite holiday tunes played by an accordion, or the infinite Mariah Carey

song remix/mash-ups/covers. You’ll hear “Carol of the Bells” so often it becomes part of that nightmare where you’re run

ning to get the last LEGO set but you’re wearing furry slippers and keep tripping over elves. And there’s so much jingling!

What does Christmas feel like? A tod dler’s fingers, sticky from a candy cane, leaving pink fingerprints down the hall. Paper cuts from wrapping gifts. Cold, wet toes as you trudge through snowy parking lots and discover a hole in the sole of your boot. Frozen fingertips, runny noses and being bustled by bustling crowds.

The tastes of Christmas include nasti ness like eggnog and fruitcake, but also the sugary sweetness of gumdrops that suction to your molars and must be surgically re moved. Then there’s scalding hot choco late with toasted marshmallows. (Hint: don’t toast marshmallows in the actual toaster. I know that now.)

December smells like cinnamon, cloves, Seussian roast beast and smoke from your overused credit card. I’ve never smelled roasted chestnuts, but I imagine they have an aroma like a wet dog lying by the fire. Real evergreen trees emit the scent of fresh forests while making it hard to breathe for people with pine allergies.

Obviously, it’s easy to get caught up in what’s going wrong with the holidays, without paying attention to the feeling behind the scenes. When I sit with that

emotion, it’s one of peace, generosity, kindness, forgiveness and love. Things Hallmark Christmas movies are always going on about.

What if Hallmark is right? And I’ve never said that before.

Maybe the miracle of Christmas is noticing the small pleasures like when your friend sends you a funny card or your husband brings you a soft, fluffy blanket as you binge holiday movies. Maybe it’s reading stories to your grandkids or listen ing to grandparents share favorite Christ mas morning memories.

More than the senses, Christmas is about time. A time to pause. A time to be still. A time to remember. A time to breathe. A time to be grateful. A time to be with family. A time to reflect with wonder and awe at the beauty of this world.

Coming back to our senses, in a real way, slows time. It reminds us we’re not alone as we move together through these dark nights with bright stars, just doing the best we can.

Peri Kinder is an award-winning hu mor writer, hosts the Life & Laughter pod cast and was voted Best of State for 2022. She’s also a yoga/meditation instructor and life coach.

Peri Kinder Life and Laughter