South Jordan Journal | November 2022

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Nov. 2022 | Vol. 09 Iss. 11

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BOYD PETERSEN NAMED PRESIDENT OF THE SOUTH JORDAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

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By Rachel Aubrey | r.aubrey@mycityjournals.com

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eginning July 1, Boyd Petersen became the president and CEO of the South Jordan Chamber of Commerce.

Despite the City of South Jordan pledging its financial support to nearby South Valley Chamber in May of this year, the South Jordan Chamber board voted to remain open due to overwhelming response from chamber members. Once that decision was made, a survey was then sent out in early June asking chamber members what they wanted out of their chamber, what things were working for them and what things were not. With the responses collected, the board again met to begin the process of reinventing the South Jordan chamber. It was then that Petersen was asked to be president.

“I’ve been on chambers for a lot of years,” Petersen said.

Previously a full-time position, Petersen balances his part-time work as chamber president with running his own

Boyd Petersen brings 16 years of experience to the South Jordan Chamber of Commerce as its new president and CEO (Courtesy of Boyd Petersen).

small business, BP Media. One of the components of his business is helping other business utilize digital strategies, including social media use. While some owners feel that social media is a waste of time and money, Petersen hopes to change that mindset by showing owners how to make social media work for them in appropriate ways.

“My goal has been, since owning the newspaper [many years ago], to help small businesses grow,” said Petersen. “It doesn’t matter if you’re brand new in business or have been in business [many] years, I want to help you.”

One important take away from the June survey was the need for more and varied networking opportunities. Previously held during the lunch hour, many chamber members asked that opportunities for networking be varied throughout different times of the day, allowing for more members to attend, especially restaurant owners whose lunch time hours are typically the busiest.

In addition to more networking,

there were requests for various types of training. The chamber offers mini and full Mastermind programs, where business owners act as mentors in a peer-topeer format, helping each other find solutions and offering advice.

“We got a lot of cool things going now,” Petersen said.

One such business owner has felt the support from the chamber over the years.

Wagner Ribeiro, owner of Tushar Brazil-

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From start to finish line: A reflection on my marathon journey

By Rachel Aubrey | r.aubrey@mycityjournals.com

I

n January of this year, I made a goal to run the St. George Marathon. On Oct. 1, I met my goal. It seems simple when I say it out loud, but it was anything but simple. There was the obvious physical training that was needed to prepare to run 26.2 miles, and then there was mental preparation.

As a beginner, I knew my level of physicality was going to need a lot of improvement. I made a weekly plan, and began doing all the physical things I could think of or learned about. I was less aware, however, of how important the mental facets were of running such long distances. While everyone’s physical training is unique to them, here are some of the ways I trained mentally.

Have a mantra

I honestly would recommend several, but one will do. During the past year as I was training, and as the training started becoming longer and more intense, there would be reaffirming messages I would say to myself. I would say them out loud while I was running.

As I am not the fastest runner, people driving by during my outdoor runs undoubtedly saw me talking to myself.

I would repeat these mantras or affirmations often, especially during the early morning runs when I had to get up before the sun to beat the heat during the summer or while running up a pretty decent sized hill.

Positive self-talk can be really beneficial, not just when running, but whenever you need an extra boost of self-confidence. The times I spoke these positive thoughts are the times I believed in them.

Know your “why”

In all major decisions, there has to be a “why?” I had to know what that “why” was before I could truly commit myself to this goal of training for a marathon. It wasn’t hard for me to figure out. The idea of a marathon

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had long been on my private list of ‘things to accomplish before I die,’ but so is being a contestant on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.” My “why” are my children.

As a mother, I feel compelled to learn life lessons so that I can help my kids when they go through similar moments. The lesson learned from marathon training, ‘You can do hard things.’ I remember saying this to my kids prior to this year, but only half-hearted.

Now what I say to my kids is, ‘I KNOW you can do hard things.’

Lean into your support system

I was very fortunate to have a network of family, friends and neighbors who were willing to believe in me all along this journey, even at times when it was hard to believe in myself. If training didn’t go right one day, and I felt like the marathon was out of my realm of possibility, I had a support system.

From the gal who cuts my hair (a runner), to my neighbor down the street (also a runner), to those who reside in my own home, I had people around me to believe that I could complete this task when my belief fell short.

I also found a lot of support from social media, as my algorithms caught on to my searching out all things to do with running and those who had previously ran marathons or long races. I was able to gain a lot of mental strength from the encouragement within these communities online. I didn’t realize how valuable that was for me personally until just a few days prior to the race when I read this quote on my Instagram feed, “There will be days you don’t think you can run a marathon. There will be a lifetime of knowing you have.”

Rachel Aubrey bites down on the coveted finishers medal from the St. George Marathon in October. (Photo taken by MarathonFoto)

and keep going. The pain persisted. Not even 3 miles into my run, I decided to stop and walk back towards my home. I didn’t want to muscle through and take a risk. I started freaking out, however, at the thought that something might have been seriously wrong and that I would not be able to continue on my journey.

Almost immediately following that experience, I made some adjustments. I went to purchase new running shoes at a local running store, I began icing my knees more Listen to your body In early August, I went for a run early consistently, and I started to implement more one morning and started to notice some dis- strength training. The knee pain never came comfort in my knees. I tried to shake it off back. A lot of the veteran runners will tell you

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not to skip rest days and I echo this whole heartedly. It’s important for both body AND mind that you allow some time for rest. If you want your body to be able to function and perform, you have to allow it time to heal and recover. I used rest days to be physically still and to meditate.

I think the following quote by Michael D’Aulerio sums up this experience better than I could attempt to: “Crossing the finish line of your first marathon is not the destination. It’s the vehicle. What you really achieve is an incredible new mindset that you can reach any outcome you put your focus to.” l

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A 1,000-pound pumpkin boat race carves its way around Oquirrh Lake

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

I

n one of the quirkiest events in Salt Lake County, pumpkins weighing hundreds and even thousands of pounds were taken to Oquirrh Lake on the North Shore in Daybreak (10491 Lake Ave.) for the 11th annual Ginormous Pumpkin Regatta.

Pumpkin racers, in full costume, carved out the huge gourds, sat down inside and raced across the lake. This year’s winner was Jett Johnson. The event included a harvest festival, a petting zoo, pumpkin games, bell ringers, a corn pit and, of course, the spectacular races on the lake.

“LiveDAYBREAK was established to bring a sense of community to Daybreak residents through events, programs, clubs and activities,” said Robert Stroud, LiveDAYBREAK communications manager.

Along with the pumpkin regatta, witches and wizards were invited to race stand-up paddleboards across the lake, and kids had their own races.

Attendees chatted with the LiveDAYBREAK master gardener and were able to take a seed from a 500+ pound pumpkin so they can try to grow their own ginormous pumpkin for next year’s event.

“Our mission is to create a culture where residents live more fulfilling lives through our guiding pillars of connecting, lifelong learning, embracing arts and diversity, healthy living and giving back,” Stroud said. “Every activity we present ties back to one or more of these pillars. We have a responsibility to foster these pillars in the community, and we work to offer a variety of activities for Daybreak residents.” l

Costumed racers took part in the 11th annual Ginormous Pumpkin Regatta at Oquirrh Lake in Daybreak. (Photo courtesy of Jason Yeaman)

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Nov. 2022 | Page 5

Recent high school graduate shares study strategies in new book

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

S

tudy smarter, not harder.

That’s what a recent area high school graduate advises secondary students.

Emily Erickson graduated in 2021, but in the last month of her senior year of high school, she wrote the book, “The Art of the A: A Guide to Earning Straight A’s in Middle and High School Without Sacrificing Your Social Life, Sleep Schedule, or Sanity.”

She self-published the 300-page book that is available on Amazon.

As a 4.0 grade-point student who took 14 advanced placement classes, earned her associate’s degree while in high school, was named Utah’s business and marketing Sterling Scholar, finished first in her class of 563 students and was involved in seven clubs, Erickson said she was able to do so with eight hours of sleep per night and being able to do activities with friends.

“I found that a lot of the information on the internet isn’t good advice. The people who write it, they haven’t actually gotten straight A’s themselves, or they haven’t actually done it recently, or really understand what it’s like to be a student now,” she said.

“I also feel there’s a lot of books on the market of study tips for college students, but not really for middle and high school students — and not one written by a high schooler for high schoolers and middle schoolers.”

In her book, she addresses the mistaken impression that a student needs to be brilliant to succeed in school.

“There are a lot of misconceptions about what it takes to get straight A’s. A lot of people think that you have to be a genius to get straight A’s, and while there’s some level of intelligence that you need, I don’t think you have to be prodigious in any way. If you’re strategic and you’re organized, and you have an idea for what you’re doing and know how to work effectively, it’s very possible for any student to aim to get A’s,” she said. “The idea that students have to work all day long, be completely obsessed with their studies, have no life outside of school, not have a sleep schedule and be under tremendous amounts of stress is a stereotype which is incorrect and harmful.”

She used her knowledge of being a student today along with her strategies she used to write the book to help others succeed.

“The perspective I wrote the book from is if you’re a student who’s struggling in school, and you ask how you can do better.

The advice people typically give you is study harder, engage more in class or take good notes. Those are OK tips, but they’re kind of poor advice because they don’t ask the central question: what does it really take to earn straight A’s? The answer is really simple. It’s earning a high enough percentage on your assignments, your exams, your essays, your projects, everything you do in a class, so that at the end of this semester, you have enough

Page 6 | Nov. 2022

Alta High School graduate Emily Erickson wrote a 300-page book on how to get straight A’s for middle and high school students. (Photo courtesy of Kyle Erickson)

points or percentage of points that your grade falls above a certain point cut off for getting an A,” she said.

Erickson said she ensured what she was doing would affect her grade, not just complete busy work.

“I asked myself, ‘How can I put in my time, effort and strategies in a direction that moves me toward that A instead of just saying, ‘take better notes.’ I questioned, ‘Why do we need to take better notes? What is the function of notes, how are they earning points?’ A lot of people will come home and study and they’ll make their notes pretty, which doesn’t help get A’s because it’s the assignments that you turn in and are graded on that earns you points. Identifying that is a huge thing,” she said.

With her assignments and tests, she tried to be efficient and effective.

“In the book, I talked about different strategies for different types of assignments.

I go into detail in the book on each type of assignment, so like essays, how you plan and write and do those effectively and how you do daily assignments, math homework or just short things,” she said, adding that she also shares specific strategies for long-term projects.

She includes organizational systems so “you can succeed and handle things that are coming in when you get into the middle of the school year.”

Even if you read her book at this point in

the school year, Erickson has advice.

“Start with making sure you put out any fires,” she said. “Make a list of what needs to be done, and then do what’s worth the highest number of points and due the soonest and then attack it as much as you can. Then refine your systems. Learn organization.”

One section Erickson is especially proud of is a chapter entitled, “Creating time out of nowhere.”

“When I was a sophomore, I took five AP classes at the same time. My counselor was like, ‘you’re insane; nobody’s done that.

You’re going to be stressed out of your mind and go crazy’ — and I kind of did at first,” she said, remembering she took even more AP classes her junior year. “Then, I realized there are periods of time throughout the day, like when my dad dropped me off for school or was picking me up. I had a 30- to 45-minute window there. I had 30 minutes during lunch, and then we had advisory, which was a 30-minute study hall, and I realized if I used those times, instead of just talking with friends or wandering around having lunch and texting, like everybody does, then I could get two hours of homework time during the day that I never realized existed. When a student who feels overwhelmed by homework realizes this, it can really help. I made the choice to do homework at those times because I was at school anyway and I found that by finishing what I needed to do at school, I was left with the evenings free.”

Erickson also addresses stress and burnout of high school students.

“If you’re doing school right, stress can be a positive thing; it means you’re doing something that matters. I’d reframe that stress as if I was playing a game to get good grades and trying to learn to move forward in the world to make it fun. It’s a challenge to build mastery. I talk a lot about mindset and dealing with the game and doing it proactively in the book,” she said.

That mindset extended to assignments, and she would see if she could concentrate on them and turn them in the same day.

“I found that the times I was working most intense were when something was due in 30 minutes. So, there’s the game there; I’d make the strategic game to not procrastinate and get it back to the teachers as if it was due sooner. I remember my English teacher would give out projects and assignments. I had this joke with her that she would finish her lunch and I would hand her my homework before the next period,” she said.

Part of the trick, Erickson said, was to stay organized. She kept her papers and assignments in files at home so she could quickly review assignments or refer to them.

“It’s really helpful to keep track of assignments. I’ve also had times where teachers have missed entering a grade, so I was able to go to my filing cabinet and pull it out and that really did end up saving my butt a couple of times,” she said.

Especially for high school seniors, she said make sure organization and strategies are in place for assignments “as you may be trying to fill out these college applications or traveling for scholarship interviews. Having the ability to have things on autopilot and just having the systems in place to keep you on track when you have other priorities going on. That’s huge as a senior.”

“The Art of the A” is Erickson’s second book. The current University of Utah student wrote a book about education reform entitled “Unlearned: A Student’s Perspective on Bridging the Divide Between Schooling and Educatedness” during the COVID-19 Alta High School closure in 2020.

“The best part of writing this book was just thinking about what I did. It forced me to go back and reflect on everything that I’ve learned all throughout my K-12 education, about studying and homework and all the strategies and the experiences I had with teachers,” Erickson said. “I realized everything I’ve learned over the years would be lost unless I could share it with someone, maybe a little sixth grade girl who was like me and really wants to succeed academically in school. Maybe she’s going to find my book and will develop a solid strategy and find inspiration. Just knowing that my experiences may have that positive impact is really cool.

It brings things full circle for me.” l

S outh Jordan City Journal

School crossing guards ask drivers to slow down, pay attention

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

G

reen and black ribbons are tied on posts at the intersection of an Orem neighborhood in memory of an 11-year-old who was struck and killed in a crosswalk by a motorist.

Harm to a child is a constant fear amongst school crossing guards as they say there has been an increase of motorists who speed through school zones and crosswalks, or become distracted and aren’t being cautious to pedestrians, or may have forgotten that they need to stop until everyone is out of the cross walk.

The issue isn’t just in Orem.

Last spring, 11-year crossing guard Lorena Marcotte stood in the intersection of Isla Daybreak and Top View near Eastlake Elementary in South Jordan when her crossing guard partner, Heidi Cook, alerted her to a car entering the intersection that was “rolling right through the stop, heading right toward the girl.”

“She didn’t see us, despite wearing big yellow jackets, having orange cones set up and having our stop signs up. She was just zoned out,” Marcotte said.

After jumping out in front of the car, the driver “slammed on her brakes. Thankfully, she wasn’t going that fast,” Marcotte said.

Thanks to their quick actions, the girl safely made it to school and the mother wrote the crossing guards a note of appreciation, said DeAnn Bland, South Jordan Police Department crossing guard supervisor.

Bland said it’s important for motorists to be aware of their surroundings, especially in school zones.

“The longest drivers ever tend to stop is just a matter of seconds,” she said. “A few seconds matter. It meant all the world to that mother and her daughter.”

Earlier this school year, on the afternoon of Sept. 22, 10-year crossing guard Lisa VanWagenen was crossing a fifth-grade student at the intersection of 1000 East and 11000 South in Sandy when a motorist entered the crosswalk while both VanWagenen and the student were in the crosswalk.

“I was out there and I’m like, ‘are you really going to hit me?’” VanWagenen said. “Then the driver saw me and stopped, and I proceeded to make sure the kid got across safely. I had told the kid, ‘Stay, wait’ because I didn’t know if the

car was going to stop or not.”

A week earlier, VanWagenen’s crossing guard partner, Stacey Sierer, had a near-miss in the same intersection when a car entered the intersection after she crossed a second-grade student who was on his way to Altara Elementary.

“He was still in the intersection and…a car came and turned left and I was still standing out there with my stop sign,” she said. “There was another that morning who was going straight through. I had to stop him literally with my stop sign and say, ‘you can’t go through here while I’m in the middle of the crosswalk.’ He just kind of shrugged.”

Sierer admits that crossing students with traffic is concerning.

“It gives me anxiety. When there are kids around, I’m watching, but otherwise I look away,” said the second-year crossing guard.

“I love the kids and the hours works with my schedule. It’s a fun job except for worrying about the traffic and if you’ll survive.”

While VanWagenen said, “most are pretty respectful,” she estimates at least three or four motorists attempt or drive through the intersection every day while they are crossing elementary schools.

She said that often drivers don’t wait their turn and will proceed with the car in front of them.

“Everybody’s in such a hurry and they speed up to stop so they can say ‘I was here first’ so they can proceed,” VanWagenen said.

“They should just set their alarm five minutes earlier or deal with being late. We all need to be observant and find patience to make sure these kids are safe.”

Sandy crossing guard supervisor Janice Parker said that throughout Sandy there have been such incidents, including having had two of her crossing guards hit by drivers in the past five years.

“We get lots of speeders; one car was going 50 miles per hour in a 20-mile per hour speed zone,” she said about a motorist recently driving by an elementary school. “We have issues everywhere; there’s really not a specific area that is worse than another one.”

The crossing guards say that it gets “scary” when motorists proceed or turn into the inter-

Continued from front page

chamber member since his restaurant opened.

He encourages other businesses to join and to be a part of the local network. Ribeiro moved to Utah in 1997 from Sau Paulo, Brazil.

Chair of the ambassador committee, Marty Gail was glad that chamber members like Ribeiro wanted the local city chamber to remain open. A resident and business owner in South Jordan, Gail has been a part of the chamber for four years. He said that it takes a village of chamber members to make the activities and events a success, and what better village to have than those who are near to you.

ian Express, admitted he was not excited about the idea of joining a larger chamber. He felt as though a larger chamber wouldn’t be able to pay enough attention to local business owners.

Ribeiro said he preferred to remain with the local chamber as a way to support other businesses that are closer to him in proximity.

“The local network is so important to have because we can help each other,” Ribeiro said.

Opened in 2013, Ribeiro has been a

S outh JordanJ ournal.com

A driver illegally enters the intersection while Altara Elementary crossing guard Stacey Sierer is still in it.

(Photo courtesy of Lisa VanWagenen)

section before they’re out of it and that’s when they try to educate them.

“I’ll say, ‘I’m still holding the stop sign.

I’m still in the intersection’ and try to remind them. I try to be nice and not try to be scolding, but it’s hard when they try to run me over,” VanWagenen said. “I’m here because I love these kids and want to keep them safe.”

In a school crossing walk – the one commonly referred to as a “ladder,” “zebra stripes” or “piano keys”— all pedestrians and the crossing guard need to be safely on the sidewalk before a motorist can enter it. These, and reduced school speed zone beacons, are determined through safe-walking routes which meet regulations, Sandy City Transportation Engineer Britney Ward said.

“The intersection at 10 East and 110 South is really busy,” she said. “It’s a high traffic area with a lot of trips, a lot of vehicles and a lot of students there. There’s just a lot going on there.”

Even with safety precautions in place, Ward recommends “pedestrians should always be cautious when crossing the road and look

and check if there are vehicles coming first.

They can’t just count on the drivers suddenly seeing them or paying attention or seeing that there’s a crosswalk there.”

VanWagenen and Sierer are among 52 Sandy crossing guards who cross children 40 minutes in the morning before school and 30 minutes after school.

While crossing guards undergo training, their priority is to ensure the safety of the students. However, when the crossing guards have time to capture photos of the motorists who violate the law on their cell phones or jot the license plate down, they are instructed to turn it over to Parker, who works with the Sandy Police.

Parker said violators can be issued tickets.

“There’s three things that are really issues: speeding through a school zone; going through crosswalks that are occupied; and talking on your cell phone and not paying attention,” she said. “People just need to realize crossing guards are there to keep your children in Sandy safe and they are among our everyday heroes every day. So slow down, pay attention and have some patience.” l

Gail said that he likes the fact that the chamber is no longer beholden to the city, allowing the chamber to exercise all its time and energy towards business growth. Gail admitted that the city chambers have a unique purpose and offer businesses a sense of identity within their community.

“Most businesses want to be community oriented,” Gail said.

Boyd Petersen hosts a weekly chamber podcast titled “We Are South Jordan Chamber,” highlighting the chamber businesses, and co-hosts a podcast with SEO manager Jim

Carroll titled “Entrepreneur Factory” Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

In addition to supporting Christmas for Kids in December, the chamber has plans for activities such as a casino night in January 2023 and a Topgolf Tournament in March 2023.

For more information or to become a member, visit the chamber website at southjordanchamber.org l

Nov. 2022 | Page 7

Chalk festival provides Elk Ridge students opportunity for art, connection, friendship

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

E

lk Ridge Middle School student Grant Allen was excited to take part in the school’s semiannual chalk festival.

“This is my ninth-grade year; it’s my last year at this school,” Allen said. “I always wanted to do this, so this year is a good time to do it.”

He teamed up with his ceramics classmate, eighth-grader Hailey Durham; she participated in the festival last year.

“It’s a good experience to see other people’s art and ideas and this is a fun way to collaborate with others,” she said.

“The theme is acceptance. I thought our drawing is a good and simple way to show that. We show two different races kind of coming together; it shows there isn’t really a difference between anyone despite the color of their skin.”

Allen added, “Everyone is the same.

We’re all still human; there’s no reason you should treat other people differently.”

In mid-September, students submitted a sketch of their design to be accepted by Students work on their designs to tie into the theme of “acceptance” at Elk Ridge Middle School’s semiannual a selection committee. The 15 chosen pairs chalk festival. (Julie Slama/City Journals) met the morning of Oct. 7 for teacher Mol-

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lie Gonzales to give directions and tips to creating their chalk drawings in front of the school.

After design areas were taped out in either five-by-five or six-by-six squares, they created their designs proportionally.

They used pool noodles to blend the chalk colors. Lastly, they give their drawing a title.

Allen and Durham’s artwork is entitled, “Accept Everyone.”

Following the theme, others created their artwork: Dr. Seuss characters, trees, snails, a hand shaping an OK sign, fish swimming together and more.

“Acceptance is a great theme,” Gonzales said. “We know there is social justice and a lot of different kinds of political comments that are being made, but we talked about how they can convey this message through our artwork. We want their art to invite those deep conversations.”

She hopes students are learning how to work together and to find a connection to each other and the school.

“The past couple years, I find more and more, students are distancing from each other and sometimes just following social media,” Gonzales said. “With this, everybody’s engaged in what they’re doing.

They’re using their phones only to look up something or to play music. They’re having fun, hanging out, being out in the sunshine.”

Art, she said, is needed in their lives.

“Kids need art. They need a form of expression that’s not on their phone. Using their hands and being connected to making something, producing it and being proud of it is something they just don’t have much anymore. They’re also learning to have confidence in their art and they’re needing this outlet more after the past couple of years with COVID with the lock down and disconnection. They need each other; they need the community. This festival builds friends. There’s always a range of different kids that come out and bond,” Gonzales said.

After the student-artists are done, classes parade by their chalk drawings.

Over the next few days to weeks, parents and the community also stop by.

“They’re not as sharp, but they’re still here. In fact, there’s some of these kids that did their chalk right on top of the old square from last May,” she said.

After the festival, Gonzales provides each student with their sketch, laminated.

There are no prizes.

“Except for maybe being covered in chalk,” Durham joked. l

S outh Jordan City Journal

Bingham football clinches an outright Region 3 title led by its offensive line

By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

T

he theme this season for the Bingham Miners football team was “Dig In.” In a 42-21 win over their rivals, Riverton, that clinched an outright Region 3 title Friday, Oct. 14, they did just that.

“I figured it was going to be a grind and resilience was going to be necessary to accomplish that goal,” said Bingham head coach Eric Jones.

The Bingham [8-2, 5-0 Region 3] offensive line was handed the assignment of leading this expedition before the season even started, according to Jones.

“We had some good and bad in the first half of the season which mirrored their play [a 3-2 record this preseason],” the first-year Bingham head coach added.

This Miners’ O-line had a maturation process to go through early in the season, according to Jones. One sophomore was raw, but the other, more experienced four helped the new guy out by forging a path forward with their smarts, energy and optimism— which in turn led to dominance.

“The back half of the regular season was solid and consistent overall, which reflected how good the offensive line played down the stretch,” Jones said.

The unselfishness from that 5-man O-line that dug deep into the trenches and opened those holes was returned in kind by the players at the Miners’ skill positions.

In the final game of the regular season against Riverton, junior Havea Fotu leveled his opponent on a lead block, opening a hole for fellow running back and junior Carson Sudbury to jog into, where the end zone was the next destination and a 14-0 lead was the result over their rival.

When Riverton chopped the Miners lead to 14-7, into the pile went Sudbury to throw a block for his teammate, and it was Fotu’s turn to scurry around the right side for a 21-7 halftime lead. “[Dallen] Martinez, Sudbury, and Fotu are great athletes but they’re only as good as their blockers,” said Coach Jones.

Against Riverton, The Miners ran for a whopping 229 yards in the first half, giving very little ground up to their rivals.

Early in the third quarter, Bingham stamped its mark on this rivalry game and the region trophy when junior Dallen Martinez took off on a naked bootleg around that right end for a 28-7 lead with the PAT. By the middle of the fourth quarter, the Miners had had over 50 carries on the ground, digging deeper the further they ventured into their rivals’ territory.

For the first time since 2017-18, the Bingham High football team were outright region champions once the horn sounded.

“Expectations are extremely high at Bingham; that’s what I signed up for,” added the Bingham head coach. “I’m very proud of

S outh JordanJ ournal.com

our players and coaches for learning a new offense, a new defense, creating new relationships, and still being able to deliver on one of our season goals.”

How They Got There

It’s important to remember how the Miners tunneled into this position—because it wasn’t always first accomplished on the offensive side of the football.

When region play got underway five weeks ago, the Miners were forced to dig themselves out from the dirt their opponents were piling on and so the offense needed help from their defense.

In their first region showdown at Herriman, the Miners found themselves trailing 7-3 in the second quarter, but their defense made a huge fourth-down stop. With great field position, the offense never looked back as senior Maddax Peck scored on one rushing TD. In the second half, Fotu and Sudbury would each tack on TD runs for a 23-15 win.

In the Miners second game of Region 3, they had to dig themselves out of a 10-0 hole at Mountain Ridge. Again it was the defense that helped out, as Tanoai Vehekite’s No. 17 jersey was so covered in dirt that you could’ve sworn it said No. 11 on it. The senior’s two blue gloves and 5-foot-9-inch frame somehow soared inches higher than the outstretched hands of two taller MR receivers to snatch an interception at Bingham’s own 30 in the second quarter. The Miners then scored 17 unanswered points, capped by a fourth quarter field goal from junior Kole Francom in a 24-13 victory.

On Homecoming Night against Copper Hills in the third Region 3 contest, the Miners offense showed they can get a lead and keep it, and go to the air if needed, as junior Dallen Martinez threw for two touchdowns and ran for three more in a 42-7 romp.

The Miners headed to West Jordan for their fourth Region 3 game, one that pitted two teams ranked in the Top 10 in Class 6A. Bingham made that a statement game behind a defense that had seven sacks. Standing behind that 5-man O-line who chipped at the West Jordan defense, junior Havea Fotu blasted his way through for three total TDs on just 10 carries in a 48-0 win.

By winning games in a variety of ways during these past five weeks of region play, you get the impression that a 20-pound weight was lifted off the shoulders of the first-year Bingham head coach.

“I’m very relieved and proud,” said Jones, who with the help of associate head coach/offensive coordinator Fred Fernandes, came over from Roy High and guided the Miners to their first outright region crown in six years, a top-8 seed in the 6A state playoffs and a first-round bye.

“It’s a tremendous accomplishment, considering the caliber of talent and coaching we had to face in Region 3,” added the new Bingham head coach, who also received a celebratory water cooler dousing from his players after the win over rival Riverton.

“The kids told me congratulations and threw some nice cold water on me.”

Next up for these Miners is a chance to

soak in this victorious moment before preparations begin for the 6A state playoffs, which will begin after we go to print. We’ll have a complete recap of the Miners’ trek to the 6A state tournament in next month’s South Jordan Journal. l

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Nov. 2022 | Page 9

Elk Ridge principal bonds with students as they connect to school community

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

“

I’ve got next.”

A line quickly was forming after Elk Ridge Middle School’s new principal, Bryan Leggat, started playing hoops with a middle-schooler.

The veteran principal still has his form from high school days, although he begged off the awaiting game until the next recess.

Leggat was outside after lunch, getting to know students.

“I probably have maybe about 200 names down now; maybe 250?” he said. “A little shy of knowing the 1,110 here at the school right now, but I’ll get them.”

Getting to know students is Leggat’s first step.

“It’s important to build strong relationships with the kids — to find out what extracurricular activities these kids are involved in and talking to them about how their concert went,” he said. “It’s critical as a faculty and staff we have those good relationships, to take those extra moments in class to tell students about personal stories that might help the kids understand they’re human beings, too. They’ve maybe made mistakes in the past and learned from them. It shows we care about them and teachers can utilize those things in class to teach concepts. For example, if the kids are into sports and they’re in

math class, a concept around the game can be taught so kids can connect school to their world.”

Leggat, an abstract landscape artist whose artwork is posted on Instagram at b.legitstudios, had checked out students’ work at the school chalk art festival.

“As a kid I was interested in art. It was more about pencil, pen, charcoal. Then I got into watercolor and oils. It wasn’t very long before I got into acrylics. I really enjoy acrylic paints just because you can do a painting in a small time period,” he said. “I didn’t really do a lot of pastels, but one day, I’d like to give it a try. I’ve been talking to our kids, finding out more about why they chose their different designs and gave them positive feedback. I’m impressed with the talent here at the school.”

Leggat, who previously served as West Jordan’s Joel P. Jensen Middle principal, appreciated Elk Ridge’s chalk art festival on Oct. 7 and applauded the theme of acceptance.

“At this point of the kids’ lives, they’re trying to figure out where they fit in, who they fit in with, and who are they. Many of them struggle to accept even who they are.

It’s important they’re able to look at the mirror and see themselves and accept who they are and learn to accept others. They need to

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Elk Ridge Middle School’s new principal, Bryan Leggat, gets to know students and their interests to connect with them. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

say, ‘OK, this person doesn’t look like me, but we might still have some things in common, and we can build a friendship.’ We have kids coming from multiple schools here, so we want them to welcome new people from different schools and accept them into their friend group,” he said.

As an administrator, principals usually

change schools every six years.

“I was at Joel P. for 10 years and I really enjoyed my time there. I felt we improved on reducing our tardies and helping teachers be able to use every minute of class time. We introduced ‘bell to bell,’ which we’re doing here, with the idea of making sure kids are to class on time and teachers are in the halls

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during the breaks. Kids have five minutes, so our teachers have been great at reminding kids to keep moving. Once the bell rings, teachers are ready right at the bell. That’s the best way to learn,” Leggat said.

He also has been an assistant principal at Copper Hills High and at Butler Middle.

He taught at Brighton High and helped open South Hills as a teacher, instructing students in the afternoon and evening, as during a construction period, the building was split with Oquirrh Hills and those students used it in the morning.

“I went into administration, I’ll be honest, because as a language arts teacher, I had to bring home stacks of papers every night. I wasn’t paid a dime for any of that time, and it was hard to have to spend time away from my young family doing my job,” Leggat said.

While his professional career has been in Utah, Leggat grew up all over — California, Utah, Virginia and Berlin — as his dad served in the military.

“I spent my middle school years in Berlin; those were the years before the wall came down. We were moving from Utah and I had friends here, so on the plane to Berlin, I remember saying to myself, ‘I’m not going to make any friends.’ I already had friends who have gone out of my life because as a military brat, we moved every couple of years. It took me a little bit of time to get past that and look at the opportunity I had to accept and make new friends. I played on a German soccer

team; we went to East Berlin probably over a dozen times; we had to go through Checkpoint Charlie,” he said. “Those years were life-changing for me. I was understanding what freedom looks like compared to communism and understanding and accepting many people who were very different from me.”

While attending the Berlin American High School off base, he went to school during the Berlin bombings that happened in the disco that killed some of those in the service. He learned about threats and retaliation.

“The next day I went to the bus stop and there was a Jeep with a big gun following the bus, there to protect us. At school, there were backpack searches and three or four bomb threats that week. It was an intense time. I was old enough to really kind of understand that we were in the middle of a big crisis,” Leggat said.

Even so, he still went on his school culture week to Moscow and Leningrad, now St. Petersburg.

“It was Soviet Union at the time in the middle of February. It was meant to encourage us, kids of military parents, to go and experience different places. So, we went on an Aeroflot plane to Moscow to see the ballet and the circus; it was incredible,” Leggat said.

The love of art and being exposed to culture inspired him to pursue architecture as a career.

“I started taking some architecture classes in high school at Hillcrest, and I really enjoyed those. I went into the architecture program at Salt Lake Community College, but I looked around and the other guys in my program, most of them had construction experience and I didn’t,” Leggat said.

At the same time, he was teaching English-as-a-second language to adults during the evenings at West Jordan Middle.

“I just loved it. I was most passionate about helping those adults who are new to the United States learn English. I changed my major and went into education — and that was the thing that inspired me to do it,” he said, adding that he still is in touch with some of those first students today, and even their children who studied at Joel P. Jensen.

“I don’t think architecture would have inspired me or given me this sense of fulfillment,” he said.

He passed his night teaching job on to his wife when he enrolled at the University of Utah to finish his English degree with a minor in reading. Leggat went on to earn his Master of Education and an administrative endorsement.

While a superintendent position is “not a goal of mine,” there is one to someday “paint, enjoy life and travel along the coast of Oregon, the wooded areas of Montana and to national parks. We have some beautiful country.”

Chances are, he may even fit right in be-

ing in the countryside, as he plans to learn line dancing alongside the students at the school dances this year.

“I will be there supervising, but maybe doing a little dance. I’m not a dancer, but I can learn,” Leggat said. “We haven’t had a dance here in a while so we’re having two dances this year. We will have people who will be teaching how to do line dancing and some things like that so students will have instruction and can be a part of it. A lot of the kids really don’t want to go and dance with someone else; they would rather dance in a group.”

The school also has plans for an angel tree and to hold a Souper Bowl of Caring this winter before “Seussical the Musical” in March.

Leggat is making his home as a Wapiti.

“Most of my administrative years have been at middle school. When I taught in high school, I met kids who made poor choices for a few years and it was really difficult to make any change. Middle school is the time when we can make change,” he said. “I want to make sure kids are on track to graduate, that we’re giving them the interventions that they need so they can be with the rest of their class when they enter the high school building. That if they’re starting to hang out with the wrong group, we’re helping them make better choices, and help the whole group out.

That’s why I’m in middle school.” l

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As a national youth storyteller, West Jordan teenager Claire Burnham told an original story on stage at the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival. (Jet Burnham/City Journals)

I

n 2016, Jordan Ridge Elementary students leaned in to learn that on his sixth birthday, master storyteller Donald Davis took his new crayons his Aunt Esther gave him and drew a picture on her living room wall.

“I even drew a frame around the picture of the flower garden,” he said. “Why a flower garden? I wanted to use all 64 colors.”

With that, the students burst into laughter.

He continued telling students story after story, intermixing inspiration for them to share their own tales.

Then third-grader Claire Burnham recalled Davis’ story of his mother not wanting him or his younger brother, Joe, to get too attached to a cat his family had found. While the cat was in their garage, Davis and his younger brother went on an octopus-themed ride at the county fair that spun them until they were dizzy. When they returned home, his younger brother placed the cat in an Easter basket and recreated the ride. His mother took sympathy on the cat and let the family adopt it — as long as the pet was never on another octopus ride.

“I remember the story that he told just because of the way he told it,” Burnham said.

“I remember looking – watching him tell the story and listening to the story and just thinking, ‘I want to do something like that.’”

Davis, who tours elementary schools as part of the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival since its inception 32 years ago, tells his stories because “everyone has a story,” he said.

“I want kids to discover they have stories— stories they can write about and tell. Every-

thing works through story—how we learn history, how we remember and solve math, who we are, who our family is—and from there, kids learn to communicate.”

Opening for Davis at the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival in September was Burnham, a Bingham High sophomore who was selected as one of 10 national youth storytellers.

Wearing a bow tie like her inspiration, Burnham told the story, “The Joys of Apples,” that she first wrote in grade school.

“I took the story of Snow White, and I made a twisted fairy tale version out of it,” she said. “I’ve always liked telling stories from the villain’s perspective. I love the villains; they’re my favorite part of any story if they’re done well. I’m always thinking, ‘What story can I give from the villain’s perspective?’ In this story, I retold it where the Evil Queen is really just a very tired stepmother who’s trying to deal with her bratty teenager who’s convinced that every single thing she did was meant to make her miserable. The story has definitely grown and changed with me. It’s not the same story that it started out as; it’s gotten better with each time I tell it.”

While most students were fourth-graders when Davis spoke at Jordan Ridge, Burnham’s teacher, Cathy Smith, invited her to participate, knowing it might pique her interest. After Davis’ visit to the school, students were given a storytelling assignment. The top storytellers from Jordan Ridge were invited to perform at Story Weavers with students from other schools in Jordan School District.

S outh Jordan City Journal

Burnham participated all four years she was eligible.

She also was invited and has frequently participated in the Story Crossroads Festival in Murray.

Burnham also was a fortuneteller in August at the Renaissance Festival at Thanksgiving Point.

“People would come, and they would pick certain cards, and I would begin telling a story based on the card. I would improvise a story for them on the spot, so it was different for each person with the cards they drew,” she said. “I love improvising and that really helped me be on the (school) improv team.”

After getting involved in acting at age 5 — “I could no longer just stay at home and play with stuffed animals all day” — Burnham has honed her talents and is one of three sophomore members on the improv team.

She also is a pirate in Bingham High’s upcoming production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Pirates of Penzance,” which opens Nov. 17.

Not many of her classmates know that Burnham was selected as a National Youth Storyteller after submitting a video audition.

As part of being chosen, she and other youth storytellers performed in local libraries and recorded their stories for “The Apple Seed,” Brigham Young University’s radio program.

“At this point, my story is pretty much ingrained on my soul. I’ve given it so many times and it’s such a big part of what I do.

When I first wrote it, I wrote down a very basic outline of what I wanted and then I would tell it,” Burnham said, adding that she reworked it to be “more pleasing to the ear. I

never wrote down any of the dialogue. I want to feel more like actual speaking.”

Eventually, she’d like to publish it as a children’s book.

“I’m an author, as well as a storyteller and actor, so putting it all together on stage at the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival was a big deal for me,” Burnham said.

Before going on stage in front of her idol, she had the same questions she did when she first performed back in elementary school.

“Will the audience like my story? Will they laugh at all the right parts?” Burnham asked herself. “But they very clearly enjoyed my story. I especially loved performing in front of larger crowds, because the larger the crowd, the bigger the laughter. The bigger the laughter, the more energy you get from it. The more energy you have, the better the story is, and then people laugh even more.

When I see an audience respond to the story I’m telling, I can see the impact I’ve had in that person’s life today. They may not remember the story in a week, but today I have done something to change or entertain them and that’s rewarding.”

As she exited the stage, Davis told her she did an amazing job.

“I told him, ‘You came to my school and told us stories; you inspired me to start storytelling. You’re the thing that started me on this path. And that’s one of the reasons I’m here right now,’ Burnham said. “I don’t think he really understood the impact that he had on me.” l

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Saturday, December 3, 2 : 00 & 7: 00 p.m.

Bingham High School 16th Annual Holiday Concert Benefitting

The Make a Wish Foundation and Family Shelters Your donation gratefully accepted.

Suggested $6.00 or $20.00 per family For more information go to sojochoralarts.com Bingham High sophomore Claire Burnham reunited with her storytelling idol, Donald Davis, at the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival, where they both performed. (Jet Burnham/City Journals)

S outh JordanJ ournal.com

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Nov. 2022 | Page 13

SJMS students ‘Stop the World’ with ‘Newsies, Jr.’ performances

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

“N

ewsies Stop the World” is front page news when a reporter writes how newsboys bring light to the poor working conditions of not only themselves, but of all working children.

The clever headline also plays off the fact that newsies are striking in turn-ofthe-century New York City to rally together in opposition to unfair work conditions by powerful New York World newspaper publisher, Joseph Pulitzer.

More than 70 students are making headlines at South Jordan Middle School as they are a part of the newly released “Disney’s Newsies, Jr.,” a 70-minute version of the 2012 Broadway musical and movie.

“I like the historical tie-ins to it because it’s based on true events,” said director and musical director Shawn Kidd. “I like being able to discuss that aspect with the kids and knowing that we’re at least partially representing real history.”

South Jordan Middle will perform “Newsies, Jr.” at 7 p.m. Nov. 10-12 and Nov. 14-15 along with a 2 p.m. Saturday matinee in the school kiva, 10245 South 2700 West. Tickets are free and can be found at https://sites.google.com/jordandistrict.org/sojo-newsies-jr-tickets/home.

South Jordan Middle’s newsies are stopping the world with its production of “Disney’s Newsie’s Jr.” in November. (Shawn Kidd/South Jordan Middle)

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The choreographers are Nicole Benson and Paige Wightman. The costumer is PTA volunteer Jenn Dishman.

Kidd said that many students are familiar with the Disney movie, and he already has several who know the music as the theater and choir teacher has the seventh-grade boys choir sing a medley from “Newsies” each year.

“A lot of times we’ll watch the movie and talk about the actual historical differences between what happened in real life versus what happened in the movie. We’ll identify which characters were real people and which characters are fictitious. So that’s something that’s built into my regular choir curriculum,” he said. “We’ve gone through a lot of it with the cast, provided historical photos so they know what the Newsies actually looked like as they’ll provide those and the school’s providing the historically significant costumes for roles like the Bowery (Beauties) brigade or the office staff and Joseph Pulitzer’s costume.”

The musical is set in the time of the trolley strike when Theodore Roosevelt was New York’s governor.

“We’ll be using a rear projection screen for a large part of our set so that we can do a lot of our set changes digitally.

We’ll project historical photos of things like newspaper row from New York where the World building was and then the Tri-

bune and the Times buildings, and the alleys and Medda’s theater,” he said, adding that the 14 students in his stage tech class are searching for those as well as learning sound and lights, and working on set pieces and props and will be in charge of the house management during the shows.

While the leads are double-cast, 59 students will appear on stage each performance. The thespians began rehearsing for about two hours four days per week in mid-September.

“I like the junior version because it had a lot more roles for girls. It is much more gender equitable,” he said.

Kidd, who has taught at South Jordan Middle for the past five years, has directed musicals “Elf, Jr.,” “Honk,” and “Mary Poppins” as well as several plays, including “The Orphan Train” that tells the story of nine orphans who were amongst the thousands of orphans roaming New York City streets and shipped to find homes in the Midwest.

“You could basically mail order an orphan, so it was really interesting learning some of those stories in basically the same era when we had tenements and at the time, diseases,” he said. “The students were really interested in knowing about these people that they were portraying, and what it was just because it was kind of the precursor to some of the foster system.”

Kidd was directing a one-act of “Ti-

tanic” in spring 2020 when schools closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We had started rehearsing and the kids were learning who their characters were and whether they survived or didn’t.

They were really into that,” he said. “I love to do shows that have a historical tie-in.

Kids learn so much information, empathy and awareness of other people and things that are going on in the world.”

South Jordan Middle students also have performed two of Stephen Gregg’s plays, “Small Actors” and “This is a Test.”

“We usually have a musical for everyone in the fall and then, in the spring, I have my intermediate theater class’s production that is open to the class members.

I also do a one-act that is open to the full student body to audition in the spring, too,” he said.

Kidd said the intermediate theater class usually reviews scripts looking for one that is a good fit, so at this time, it’s yet to be announced. Both one-acts will be performed in early May 2023.

“I really love that performing is an authentic experience for them. I never hear, ‘when are we going to use this in real life’ because they know exactly when they’re going to use it in real life. It’s very applicable,” he said. “I love that they can see how what they’re doing contributes to the whole team and group effort — and I love how they encourage each other and recog-

nize that if they don’t get it done, it’s not going to get done and we’re on a deadline.

So, it becomes a very real experience for them. There’s no makeup work. It’s very authentic. In education, we talk a lot about authentic assessment. And in performing arts, we do that all the time. ‘Why are we learning this song? When are we ever going to perform it?’ and I can point to the calendar. The stage tech kids, they’re building a real set for a real production.

It’s not just a practice activity. It’s not just a worksheet. We’re going to see this thing all the way through to the end. That’s what I really like.” l

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Nov. 2022 | Page 15

South Jordan Middle students to honor military with Veterans Day Salute

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals

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eterans Day will mark the return of South Jordan Middle School’s Veterans Day Salute, that was last held before the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our school had no live concerts or performances from spring 2020 through 2021,” South Jordan Middle choir and theater teacher Shawn Kidd said. “We’re excited to be able to do the Veterans Day Salute.”

The 15-minute tribute sung by the 69 members of the eighth-grade Chamber Choir and ninth-grade Concert Choir will be held at 9:30 a.m., Nov. 11, in the school’s kiva, 10245 S. 2700 West.

Kidd, whose father served in the Air Force and brother is on active duty in the same service, likes that the students are able to be a part of the celebration.

“The kids prepare the national anthem, sing “My Country Tis of Thee” and the ‘Armed Forces Medley,’” he said. “We recognize those in the audience who served in each of the branches of the military and it’s a brief thing that we do in the morning, but it’s important for the kids to understand and recognize those who have served.” l

South Jordan Middle will host a Veterans Day Salute in its kiva. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Page 16 | Nov. 2022

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Angel’s Hands offers financial help for children with rare diseases

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

Bri (left) enjoys one of the many activities Angel’s Hands organizes for children and their families. (Courtesy of Angel’s Hands Foundation)

W

hen Mark Kristensen’s son Matt was 4 years old, he was diagnosed with mucopolysaccharidosis, a rare genetic disease. They were told he would probably not make it to his 12th birthday.

Not only did Matt celebrate his 12th birthday, but he lived another four years before he passed away in 2002. His life inspired the creation of the Angel’s Hands Foundation, an organization that is now his legacy.

“It started with 10 families that had a child with MPS in Utah,” Kristensen said. “Our mission has evolved over the years to improve the quality of life for individuals with rare or undiagnosed medical conditions.”

Because they understand the financial implications of having a child with a rare disease, Kristensen and his wife Roxann started Angel’s Hands to help families pay for things insurance wouldn’t cover like therapy equipment, specialty strollers and bikes, travel expenses for medical purposes and deductibles or coinsurance payments.

“Utah’s medical community is fabulous but when you’re working with these rare diseases you might have to travel to Boston or Dallas and no insurance will pay for the travel and lodging and meals when you do that,” Kristensen said.

“Anything that could improve the quality of life for families, we’ll consider assisting with.”

Kristensen said Matt influenced many people throughout his short life. He was the unofficial No. 1 fan/mascot for the Utah Grizzlies ice hockey team and dyed his hair green during the team’s season. He also ran the smoke machine with the Grizzlies’ mascot, Grizzbee.

Matt wanted Kristensen to read him every Grizzlies article in the newspaper so he could talk about the team’s season at the games.

In the 20 years since Matt’s death, Angel’s Hands has helped hundreds of families. Kristensen considers it a paying forward for the won-

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derful people who helped his son.

“He was so social that people didn’t know what his cognitive limitations were,” Kristensen said. “He was loved by everybody and had a charisma that not every kid has, but a lot of special needs kids do. I call it the ‘It Factor’ where people just want to know them and befriend them. He was one of those.”

The organization founded for their son has allowed the Kristensens to offer assistance to other families like theirs. Angel’s Hands will help pay for home or van modifications, track systems that allow parents to move older children around the house, therapy hot tubs and specialty camps.

“Let us pay for the things we can pay for and you take your money and enhance the quality of your life by taking a family vacation,” he said. “Back when we were dealing with my son, we would spend that money on medical bills instead of taking a vacation. There are families that won’t ask for help because pride is a powerful thing.”

Angel’s Hands receives a lot of community support. Friends and families have organized motorcycle rides, hockey and golf tournaments, and car shows to help raise money and the Friend Raiser Gala on Nov. 13 at the Viridian Event Center (8030 S. 1830 West) in West Jordan brings in lots of financial resources.

Local high schools have also held fundraising events for the group with students from Herriman High, Mountain Ridge and Bingham High donating tens of thousands of dollars.

“We are very blessed with great people who support us,” Kristensen said. “The money is secondary. We’ll make good use of the money, but the fact that young people are doing service for others, that just melts my heart.”

The nonprofit is a 100% volunteer organization with 95% of donations going to families.

To learn more, visit AngelsHands.org. l

Nov. 2022 | Page 17

Page 18 | Nov. 2022

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Nov. 2022 | Page 19

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Page 20 | Nov. 2022

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S outh Jordan City Journal

With a positive mindset and a young team, Bingham girls tennis sends seven players to state

By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

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tay positive.

According to Bingham girls tennis coach Mark Smith, that was the motto that the Bingham girls tennis team made a decision to live by this year after several key members graduated.

“Our girls were motivated because the varsity spots were all wide open,” said Smith. “Everyone had a chance to win those positions so the girls worked hard to try to do so. Our slogan: ‘Stay positive.’”

The Miners lost Katelyn Oniki, their longtime team captain, spirit animal and peer leader who was filled with such ebullience that if you met her once, you felt you would have known her for a thousand years. They lost several other seniors to graduation as well, and so for the first time in a long time, the Miners girls tennis team was beginning at square one.

The first thing the Miners decided as a team was that they had to perhaps set their sights a little lower. Last year it was region title or bust; this year was be a little bit better than you were yesterday, added the longtime Bingham girls tennis coach.

“Our theme for the year was to not worry so much about the outcome of each match but to just try to improve every day,” Smith said. “As a school, we had won region the three previous years in a row, so we talked a lot about not having the pressure and expectations to repeat again. “‘This is this team’s season, not the previous girls season. Go out and create your own identity and be the best that you can!’

They absolutely did this, and I couldn’t have asked for anything more from them.”

No Pressure With all seven varsity spots up for grabs, that gave everyone on the JV and varsity teams an opportunity to battle for those coveted 10-12 spots, said Smith.

The competition was so open to all that there were three members from the JV team who surprised the Bingham coach by making it up to the varsity team.

For sophomore Londyn Robins and juniors Chelsea Hansen and Madi Mabey, it was through hard work that each of the three put in during the summer leading up to the beginning of the 2022 season that earned them a spot on the Miners varsity team.

“They attended lessons with local clubs and played USTA tournaments and had lots of court time,” explained Smith. “Londyn plays a lot with her dad and sister and took lessons from Marc Dang of Cottonwood Country Club. Chelsea took lessons at Salt Lake Tennis and put in a lot of court time.”

For Madi Mabey, though, there may have been extra incentive. You see, she grew up watching an older sibling play for Bingham, and so she developed more of an un-

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The seven Bingham girls tennis team members at the 6A state tournament. L-R: Katie Smith, Megan Burton, Rylee Yeates, Chelsea Hansen, Londyn Robins, Emaline Roberts, Madi Mabey. (Photo/Mark Smith)

derstanding about the legacy and tradition of excellence that Bingham Girls Tennis tries to uphold, year after year, on and off the court.

[More about that in our December issue.]

Mabey has waited a long time for her opportunity here at Bingham. She actually started the year as an alternate varsity player, and then got her chance to shine on varsity.

Mabey was ready for this moment: she took lessons at Liberty Hills Tennis over the summer, said Smith.

Together with the returning players the Miners had, they were able to send all seven back to the 6A state tournament in doubles and singles, thanks in part to the teamwork and camaraderie developed on and off the court, added the Bingham head coach.

“I am so happy that the girls played so well,” Smith said. “They worked hard all season to improve and won some key matches at the end of region play [to qualify].”

Surprises At State This year, every single team on this young Miners’ squad, be it doubles or singles, made it past the first round of the 6A state tournament. In first singles, sophomore Emaline Roberts was the No. 10 seed; she beat a No. 23 opponent from Kearns to advance. In second singles, No. 12-seeded Megan Burton defeated an opponent from Roy to move on to the round of 16 as well.

It was at the round of 16 where both players unfortunately met their match, said Smith.

“At first singles Emaline played a very strong player from Herriman. She played well and battled, but the Herriman player was too strong and consistent. She lost 1-6, 3-6,” said the Bingham head coach. “Junior Megan Burton at second singles played very well with the first set going back and forth against Brighton Johnson of Farmington. The Farmington girl found her serve and was able to win enough points on Megan’s serve to win the match at 3-6, 1-6.”

In Smith’s estimation, it was actually a newcomer in Mabey teamed with a varsity veteran in Katie Smith who made a lasting impression at this year’s state tournament.

Pitted against a good West Jordan doubles team on their home court in the first round, the junior duo of Smith and Mabey went on to the round of 16 and played the best match of the five positions, he added.

“They really played good tennis. They were consistent, aggressive and powerful,” said Smith. “They had two match points at 5-3 in the third set to win it that they couldn’t quite convert and ended up losing the match at 7-5(3), 2-6, 5-7. I was very proud at how they approached the match with confidence and didn’t let the emotions of playing at state

keep them from playing the best tennis of the year.”

Smith added that Rylee Yeates, the only senior on the team, was faced with a tough task in her round of 16 match, losing it 0-6, 0-6. Yeates had a nice win in the first round against an opponent from Taylorsville to close out her career at Bingham.

In second doubles, the team of junior Chelsea Hansen and sophomore Londyn Robins, a team made up of players who were on the JV squad before being called up to play on varsity, won their first-round match as a No. 15 seed over a team from Copper Hills, and then held their own against Lone Peak in the round of 16, even scoring a point against the eventual 6A state finalists.

In Smith’s eyes, the Miners accomplished what they set out to do, and then achieved even more than that in 2022.

“Our goal was to get better each day and to play to the best of our ability. They accomplished this for sure. Next year our team should be a little stronger as they have all gained valuable experience and only losing one varsity player,” said the Bingham head coach. “They all improved and grew so much by the end of the season. They learned to play with confidence and though young and somewhat inexperienced, they really played to their potential.” l

Nov. 2022 | Page 21

WHERE THERE IS GRIEF, THERE IS GREAT LOVE

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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.

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Page 22 | Nov. 2022

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Wasatch Wanderers rescues abandoned exotic pets, ducks and geese

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

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hen people think of animal rescue, they usually think about the thousands of abandoned dogs or cats waiting to be placed in forever homes. But Wasatch Wanderers rescue a different type of animal.

Although Adison Smith and co-founder Kade Tyler have been rescuing animals for more than 10 years, it wasn’t until last September that they created the nonprofit Wasatch Wanderers to help domestic waterfowl, farm animals and exotic pets.

“I’ve always been very passionate about helping animals because they don’t have a voice for themselves,” Smith said. “We just recognized there was a big need for farm and exotic animal rescue.”

Last fall, Smith was contacted by Weber State University to rescue more than 60 ducks and geese stranded on the school’s campus.

Water for the animals was drying up and the waterfowl were being attacked by dogs.

Geese had been at WSU for several years, but as the birds reproduced, and as people dropped off their pet geese and ducks on campus, the number of birds had increased, creating a problem at the school.

“For years, these geese had been seen as the Weber State unintentional mascot. They’d put the geese on shirts and hats and COVID masks,” Smith said. “I organized a rescue team and found homes for the geese.”

That’s when she decided to create Wasatch Wanderers, and during the last year, the organization has rescued more than 500 domestic waterfowl.

Smith said people don’t realize pet ducks and geese have been genetically altered with wings too small for their bodies. They get too fat to fly to safety. Because they can’t sustain flight, they don’t migrate and get stuck in ponds when the water freezes.

“They rely on humans to keep them alive. You’ll see a lot of dead waterfowl because they can't leave and they’ve become an easy target for predators,” Smith said. “People just don’t know they can’t fly or forage on their own.”

The goal of Wasatch Wanderers is to remove domestic waterfowls from places that aren’t safe and put them in forever homes.

But it’s not just geese and ducks rescued by the group, they also take in pigs, chickens, cows, hamsters, turtles and fish.

Smith is often contacted by shelters across the state who have a rooster, pig or duck that’s going to be euthanized. She takes those animals and gives them to one of the 50 foster homes willing to take in farm animals.

They recently saved a pig from a shelter near Vernal and rescued an additional four pigs from California. Wasatch Wanderers paid for a volunteer to transport the pigs to a foster home and got the animals medical care, including one pig that had eight babies after it was rescued.

“We travel basically everywhere in Utah

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We travel basically everywhere in Utah where there’s a need. Wasatch Wanderers focuses on abandoned, neglected and unwanted animals.

Our goal is to educate the public and get them to treat and see animals differently.

Adison Smith where there’s a need,” she said. “Wasatch Wanderers focuses on abandoned, neglected and unwanted animals. Our goal is to educate the public and get them to treat and see animals differently.”

It can get overwhelming when so many animals need a home. There are currently 85 roosters in the group’s care, more than 150 waterfowl, lots of guinea pigs and hamsters, and they’ve stopped accepting rabbits because they can’t afford the medical care for all the rabbits they receive.

Wasatch Wanderers also rescues abandoned turtles and goldfish. In the last year, the group has saved nearly 70 turtles that have been abandoned in waterways. Smith said people don’t know that goldfish and turtles are an invasive species and damaging to wildlife.

“These are living beings and they have needs and if you can’t meet those, don’t buy them,” Smith said. “Not only is it harmful and cruel to that animal to do that, it’s also illegal. It’s actually a crime in the state of Utah to abandon any domestic animal, even something as small as a goldfish.”

Currently, the organization is 100% foster-based, but Smith and Tyler hope to purchase property to create an animal sanctuary when land becomes more affordable. All the money for medical care, food and transportation comes out-of-pocket or through donations.

To contribute to Wasatch Wanderers, to become a foster or for more information, visit WasatchWanderers.org.

“There is a resource available to pet owners who are in over their head. Don’t abandon, reach out to a rescue,” Smith said.

“The biggest change we want to make is educating the public and preventing the problem at the source. Prevent those impulsive buys because that’s what so many do when they abandon their animal. Make more responsible decisions. That’s what adults are supposed to do.”l

Kade Tyler and Adison Smith, founders of Wasatch Wanderers, rescue ducks, geese, farm animals and exotic pets throughout the state. Photos courtesy of Holly Cluff

Nov. 2022 | Page 23

Utah Jazz and Instructure accepting nominations for top educators

Managing Grief in the Holidays

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

By William G. Hoy Holidays in grief can be particularly challenging with familiar and sentimental sights, sounds, and smells reminding us our loved one is not here. Because this period of the year is built around relationships, a death in the family can make these weeks very difficult. But rather than attempt to just “grope our way” through these special days, there are ways to grow personally through the holidays as grief becomes transformative for us.

Saying goodbye to a loved one is anything but easy, especially if well-meaning friends and family members expect you to just “get on with your life.” Allow time and space for grieving and crying this holiday season. Keeping a journal can provide a vital opportunity for reflection during the holidays. These weeks will not be the same as before because of the “empty chair” at the table so the pain is inevitable.

A list of favorite holiday activities might be quite lengthy but make that list anyway. The list might include many holiday traditions such when the house is decorated, when and where worship takes place, and in whose home the family meals are shared. Though it is impossible to do everything “just like when Mom was here,” you can evaluate what you do for the holidays and determine, with your family’s help, which of those traditions you want to preserve.

In evaluating holiday traditions, consider creating something new. Lighting a special candle, purchasing a unique holiday decoration, providing gifts to a needy family, or hosting an international student can become meaningful holiday traditions.

Well-meaning friends or family may want you to attend parties and gatherings, hoping to “cheer you up” but take control of your schedule and do only as much celebrating as you feel ready to do. Choosing which events to participate in acknowledges that grief is a tiring experience. Even under the best of circumstances, holidays can be taxing so attempting to attend every event, party, or celebration may bring about total exhaustion. Instead, say “no” to some well-intentioned invitations.

Simply remind friends, “My energy level hasn’t returned to where it was before he died; thank you for understanding my need to decline.”

Pay close attention to physical well-being, too. Adequate rest, good nutrition, and moderate exercise is essential for the grief process. Lean meats with fresh fruits and vegetables are better choices than sugar- and fat-laden treats. If your health care provider approves, a brisk walk or other moderate exercise can help you feel better physically and emotionally. And eating a healthy diet coupled with moderate exercise is a remedy for insomnia for many mourners.

Be sure to consider the spiritual aspects of life, too. Because holidays have spiritual roots make sure to include time for worship and reflection during this period.

Volunteering to help others or making a memorial contribution is a meaningful way to put feet to faith during the holiday season.

While it is inevitable to face pain at the holidays, following these suggestions can help bereaved individuals and families find transformative growth during this special season of the year.

William G. Hoy is educational consultant to Larkin Mortuaries in Salt Lake City. Following a career of care for the dying and bereaved for a Long Beach, California-based hospice program, since 2012, Dr. Hoy has been Clinical Professor of Medical Humanities at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Next spring, Larkin Mortuaries will host a seminar series featuring Dr. Hoy. For more information on Larkin’s educational program, please call 801-363-5781 or email skehl@larkincares.com.

www.LarkinCares.com Page 24 | Nov. 2022

Alison Bulson (right) is honored as one of the Utah Jazz and Instructure's Most Valuable Educators at a Jazz game during the 2021-22 season. Joining her in the game-day recognition were (from left) the Utah Jazz Bear, Jim Olson, president of the Utah Jazz, and Steve Daly, Instructure CEO. (Courtesy of Utah Jazz)

N

ominations are now open for the Utah Jazz Most Valuable Educators, presented by Instructure, the Utah-based creator of the Canvas Learning Management System. The public is invited to nominate local teachers who make an impact at their school, in their community, and who inspire students.

The appreciation program will honor 14 educators throughout the 2022-23 Jazz regular season with the first recipient announced on Friday, Nov. 18 at Vivint Arena (301 S. Temple) during the Jazz home game against the Phoenix Suns.

“The outpouring of nominations last season only reinforced the importance of this program and the community’s desire to publicly thank and recognize our educators,” said Jim Olson, Utah Jazz president.

Each winning educator will receive a $1,000 classroom grant (courtesy of Instructure), a surprise classroom visit or assembly, a personalized Jazz jersey and free tickets to a Jazz game where they will be guests of Instructure.

Students, parents, peer educators, principals or school administrators can nominate the person they consider to be the most valuable K-12 and higher education teachers in Utah. Find the nomination form at utahjazz. com/MVE.

“Our program recognizes teachers that go above and beyond every day to engage our kids’ curiosity and show them just how fun learning can be,” said Steve Daly, CEO of Instructure. “It’s a tough time for educators and it’s more important than ever to recognize all they do and find ways to do more for them. Join me in nominating your favorite teacher and showcasing the amazing work they are doing to help our children feel safe, heard and excited to learn.”

Instructure will also provide 300 tickets for Utah educators to attend the Jazz game on March 18, 2023. Throughout the game, teachers will be recognized for their work in the community and given the opportunity to participate in activities. Fans who attend the game can write their own messages of gratitude for educators.

All 14 honorees of the Most Valuable Educators program will be invited to attend an awards dinner with the Utah Jazz and Instructure at the end of the season.

“We are grateful for Instructure to honor and showcase the hard work of our educators by putting a spotlight on them and acknowledging their tremendous impact on our children,” Olson said. l

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Ugandan refugee shares her story to help others

Nature’s Virus Killer Copper can stop a virus before it starts

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

I

f someone had told 10-year-old Desange Kuenihira that she’d be living in America, graduating from college and starting a nonprofit to help people in Uganda, she would never have believed it. But now at 21, Kuenihira has accomplished all of that and is taking the next steps on her journey.

As a child, she fled her home while the civil war raged in the Congo. With her siblings and her aunt, Kuenihira survived deprivation and abuse at a refugee camp in Uganda before making her way to a foster home in the United States.

The Salt Lake County resident recently graduated from the University of Utah with a bachelor’s degree in health, society and policy, and a minor in business, and she just released her memoir “unDEfeated Woman.” Her nonprofit, unDEfeated, supports women and youth in Uganda.

“The first 10 years of my life really prepared me to live the life I’m living right now. I cry when I think about it,” Kuenihira said. “I’m on a different journey. I’m more grateful for this life and all the opportunities that have come my way. The first 10 years of my life really made me value the life I’m living today.”

Her story of resilience and courage reflects the hardships faced by women in Uganda who often experience sexual abuse, poverty and child marriage. Kuenihira hopes to break the cycle of poverty by creating opportunities for women to start and operate their own businesses. unDEfeated provides education for underprivileged youth and women. Donations to the organization can send a person to high school or college. Over the summer, Kuenihira went to

Uganda to meet with women in the community to create the most effective way to provide education, financial support and confidence.

“I was able to sit down with these women and some of them have lost hope. I want to give them their voice and help them find who they are,” she said. “Someone gave me a chance. I imagine, if I was still home, I would have been married and I’d probably have kids and that cycle would continue. I want to give them opportunities and fight for these girls and give them the love I never truly had for myself.”

Kuenihira plans to continue her education and will go back to school in the future, but right now she is spreading awareness through public speaking, her nonprofit platform and her memoir. She would like to collaborate with businesses that are invested in helping women gain a foothold in the corporate world.

She said if she can help women raise themselves to a higher standard of living, the next generation of daughters won’t have to endure what she went through. She wants to help them shift from trauma into successful and happy lives. For more information, visit Speakundefeated.org.

“People can empathize with me and people can relate to me and people can try to put themselves in my shoes, but it’s not the same thing,” she said. “I talk about finding myself and knowing who I am, not letting the world define me anymore. I’m taking that part of my journey to teens who are struggling to find their path. I teach them, how do you overcome something and still live your life and still see the beauty of the world and still accept yourself?”l

A recent graduate from the University of Utah, Desange Kuenihira has written a memoir about her life as a Ugandan refugee and started the nonprofit organization unDEfeated to help youth and women in Uganda. (Photos courtesy of Marty Nicole)

S outh JordanJ ournal.com

By Priscilla Schnarr

www.copperzap.com

S

cientists 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.

New research: Copper kills viruses in seconds.

If you don’t stop them early, they spread and cause misery.

CopperZap® and put it on the market.

Hundreds of studies confirm copper Soon hundreds of people had tried it. kills viruses and bacteria almost instantly 99% said copper worked if they used it just by touch. right away at the first sign of bad germs, That’s why ancient Greeks and like a tickle in the nose or a scratchy Egyptians used copper to purify water throat. and heal wounds. They As thousands more Users Say: didn’t know about tried it, some found viruses and bacteria, other things they “It works! I love it!” but now we do. could use it against, “I can’t believe how good “The antimicrobial including: Colds, my nose feels.” activity of copper is flu, new viruses and “Is it supposed to work well established.” variants, sinus trouble, that fast?”

National Institutes of cold sores, canker “One of the best presents Health. sores, strep throat, ever.”

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S outh Jordan City Journal

Bingham boys golfers wrap up successful season with top-8 finish at state

By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

F

or the Bingham Miners boys golf team, different players stepped up and made difficult shots at different times during the 2022 season, leading to a top-8 place at state under the direction of new head coach Sterling Jack.

“I really felt these young men had a great season,” said Jack, who along with his assistant coach, got a Miners boys team loaded with seniors ready for eight tournaments that included four state qualifiers.

For senior Deacon Kinikini, he saved his best golf for last. When other Miners golfers were struggling to make some of their shots at the last state qualifier at Talons Cove on Sept. 26, Kinikini was making his, and was second overall among all Miners golfers there with a +2 74 over his final 18 holes.

Senior Jack Tobler, who had already qualified for state in August, shot +4 at the

very windy, often difficult to play course that sits along the western shores of Utah Lake.

The leader among all Miners golfers throughout the season, however, was a junior. Individually, the Miners were led by junior Will Blanchard, who averaged a 71.5 per every 18 holes played. That was good for second place in Region 3 for Blanchard, who slapped an even-par at Talons Cove. [Tobler was fourth among all in Region 3, with a 73.7.]

Blanchard went into the 6A state tournament having had the best adjusted average score of any Region 3 golfer [69.3 according to the High School PGA Website], and had consistently had the lowest scores among any Miner in five of the eight region events he played in.

Blanchard was also the top Bingham golfer at two of the four state qualifiers—

but he had trouble with the course at Talons Cove, the one time he played it, on Sept. 26.

In fact, it could be argued based on numbers alone that he played his worst golf on that course, though the junior shot for even par there.

NFL quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who is also a Harvard graduate once said, “That’s why you play the game. You play the game for your teammates, who really want to play with and for you.”

At the 6A state tournament that was also held at Talons Cove, Blanchard again struggled with that course nestled along the shores of the lake, shooting a +4 74 in the first round that knocked him from contention. The good news is that Blanchard, who is a junior, will have one more year to show what he can do.

Meanwhile, the Miners finished Day 1 of the 6A tournament with three golfers in

the Top 20: The senior Jack Tobler had a first round-72, and so did senior Erik Davis and senior Deacon Kinikini. The trio of seniors playing for their last time in Bingham Miners shirts all shot 72s, qualifying all three for the final round of state tournament action.

Senior Jack Tobler played big when the team needed it most in the final round. On the morning of Tuesday, Oct. 11, Tobler finished with a +3 73, giving him a total score of 145 over the two rounds at Talons Cove, good for 20 place.

As a team, after Bingham wrapped up a successful season in region play, finishing in second overall with a stroke average of 296, the Miners finished seventh overall at the 6A state tournament with a 2-day score of 600. l

Women's Leadership Institute recognizes A. Scott Anderson’s advocacy for female leaders

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

I

n 2015, Zions Bank President and CEO A. Scott Anderson founded the Women’s Leadership Institute, a 501(c)(3) dedicated to making Utah a better place for women. At an awards ceremony on Oct. 13, Anderson was presented with the inaugural Women’s Leadership Institute A. Scott Anderson Ally Award, named after him to honor his advocacy for women.

Anderson was surprised by the award and said he didn’t deserve the honor because he’s not the one doing all the work.

“But all of you are,” he said. “And you have the courage to stand up. You have the courage to speak out. You have the courage to help our community move forward. I truly believe that the most, the best resource, the best untapped resource we have in the country are Utah women. And I think that we just need to change some of the perceptions so that we can lead the nation in this. And you're doing the work. This is touching to me. Thank you very much. My grandmother would be proud."

Moving forward the Women’s Leadership Institute A. Scott Anderson Ally Award will be presented to men or women who are exceptional allies in the efforts of supporting and promoting women in Utah in business and political leadership roles.

Along with Anderson, more than 60 organizations were honored for their exceptional commitment to promoting and elevating women in the state. WLI CEO Patricia Jones recognized the businesses as a hope for future growth and their commitment to WLI’s cornerstone ElevateHER Challenge.

“These companies and organizations

S outh JordanJ ournal.com

Organizations participating in the 2022 ElevateHER Challenge were honored during a Women’s Leadership Institute awards ceremony. The businesses have dedicated time and resources to help elevate women in leadership positions. (Photo courtesy of WLI)

are examples of the leaders in Utah, and even across the nation, who are committed to create change now and for the next generation,” Jones said. “We are honored to work with them and prove the business case for gender diversity.”

The businesses receiving the honor are: AlphaGraphics in South Ogden, Alzheimer's Association, Analytic Orange, Associated Builders and Contractors Utah Chapter, Boncom, Bridge Source, Burnaby Velodrome Club (Canada), Cache Valley Bank, Catholic Community Services of Utah, City of Logan, City of St. George, Clozd, Creative Energies Solar, Department of Government Operations (State of Utah), DPS Skis, Elase Spas, Evans Companies, FUEL Marketing, Geneva Rock, Hippie Skin, Hi-

reVue, HYVE Homes, In-Group Hospitality/ The Advenire, Autograph Collection, Intergalactic, Intermountain Precision Genomics, JPMorgan Chase, Ken Garff Automotive, KLAS Research, Leavitt Group, Leavitt Partners, Liiingo, Loveland Living Planet Aquarium, Mountain America Credit Union, Myriad Genetics, National Institute of Medical Aesthetics, Outdoor Gear Exchange, Parr Brown Gee & Loveless, Pepsi-Cola, Prism Philosophy, Progressive Leasing, Real Salt Lake, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah, Ronald McDonald House Charities Intermountain Area, SelectHealth, Service Robotics Technologies, SirsiDynix, SnugZ USA, Spectrum Recruiting Solutions, St. George City, St. George Police Department, Stapley Pharmacy & Compounding, Sunpro,

Sunroc, Tech-Moms, The Community Foundation of Utah, The Wayne Brown Institute, Usana Health Sciences, Utah Jump$tart Coalition, UWM Men's Shop, Vivint, Walker Edison, Wilson Electronics, World Trade Center Utah, WW Clyde and Xevant.

As part of the ElevateHER Challenge, the companies agree to focus on key areas that influence a woman’s ability to serve in leadership roles including increasing retention rates for women, addressing the gender pay gap, supporting women who run for political office and adding women to boards and committees. Nearly 300 businesses now participate in the ElevateHER Challenge.

For more information, visit wliut. com.l

Nov. 2022 | Page 27

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Page 28 | Nov. 2022

S outh Jordan City Journal

Bingham girls soccer advances to second round at state despite a questionable low seed

By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

T

his season, the Bingham Miners were doubted by many. At times it probably seemed like the world was against them.

But it wasn’t for any lack of effort; the Miners chipped away to earn four wins and a draw in their last five games to go into the 6A state tournament with momentum.

Bingham [9-9] entered state this year with a No. 12 seed despite a preseason schedule that would’ve made any high school soccer coach blush.

However, because the Miners had failed to win all but one of their first six games, the UHSAA selection committee reportedly used that as part of the rationale to exclude the Miners, who finished with a 7-3 record, tied for second in Region 3, from having one of the top 8 seeds at state.

That preseason slate Bingham played featured the defending 5A state champions and the class 6A state quarterfinalists away, and the 6A semifinalists and three other schools at home. All six of the Miners’ preseason opponents qualified for state last year.

So the No. 12 Miners were forced into action at 6A state tournament perhaps a bit earlier than they’d hoped when they stepped on the home pitch to face Westlake, the No. 21 seed Wednesday, Oct. 6 for a first-round 6A state playoff game.

Bingham scored first on a goal from senior Greta Davis in the first 45 minutes of this single-elimination game, but Westlake answered right back with a goal early in the second half.

The Miners grabbed a 2-1 lead on a goal

from senior Berkley Payne, but again it was Westlake with the answer to end regulation tied 2-2.

In the first overtime, both teams played to a stalemate. The game was still scoreless in the second overtime, sending this first-round state tournament showdown to penalty kicks.

From the spot, Bingham won the shootout 3-2 over Westlake to advance to the 6A second round at Farmington.

On the road, the Miners never got in sync, allowing three first-half goals en route to a 4-0 loss on Monday, Oct. 11.

For the Miners, the senior Davis led all goalscorers with 14 this season. The senior forward and midfielder will leave Bingham High School as one of the most decorated players in school history. Davis first stepped

onto the pitch as a freshman and scored one goal in limited action. As a sophomore the forward/mid had nine goals and as a junior she tallied a whopping 17 goals.

In all, Davis scored 41 goals in just over three years of action at Bingham, nearly averaging one goal per game.

Another senior playing soccer for her last time at Bingham was Ruby Cordova. The midfield maestro had four goals and two assists to help lead Bingham back to the state playoffs [8 goals, 6 assists in 3 years].

Other seniors who contributed to the Miners in 2022 were goalkeepers Ensley Anderson and Mia Roberts, defender Meg Haycock, midfielders Marley Leister and Emily Palafox, and forward Ane Anderson. l

Mental health leaders work to end the stigma around mental illness and substance use disorders

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

G

ary Mendell was devastated when his 25-year-old son took his own life. Brian Mendell had struggled with substance misuse for a decade but hadn’t used drugs or alcohol for more than a year at the time of his death.

But it wasn’t just the struggle of addiction that finally broke him. It was the stigma and shame Brian felt, and the constant feeling of being measured and coming up short.

“The history on his computer showed he woke up that morning and researched suicide notes, he wrote a note of his own, then he took his own life,” Mendell said.

On World Mental Health Day (Oct. 10), Mendell, the founder and CEO of Shatterproof, took part in an unprecedented gathering at Snowbird Ski Resort that included 175 individuals and 135 organizations.

In conjunction with the Huntsman Mental Health Institute, these experts launched a 10-year campaign to tackle the issue of shame, stigma and prejudice associated with diseases of the brain, mental health and substance disorders.

The three-day Stop Stigma Together Summit created and amplified non-shaming messaging surrounding mental illness to help the millions of people dealing with these issues and their families.

In the United States, 20% of adults experience mental illness each year. Substance abuse disorder affects more than 20 million Americans over the age of 12. Additionally, 9.5 million adults struggle with both. Stigma often prevents individuals from seeking the help they need.

The goal of the campaign is to trans-

S outh JordanJ ournal.com

form the treatment system for brain diseases, educate and empower families, and end the shame.

“Until stigma is eliminated, people with mental illness and substance use disorders and their families will continue to needlessly suffer,” said Kristin Kroeger, chief of programs, policy and partnerships for the American Psychiatric Association. “The movement we launch today unites us all. Together we can do much more than any one person and any one organization alone. Let’s work to change the narrative around mental health.”

Research has demonstrated that mental illness or substance use disorders can be treated, and often cured, but most people don’t get the care they need because of the shame attached to the situation.

Jared Skillings is the chief of professional practice at the American Psychological Association, an organization representing more than 130,000 psychologists across the country. He said the country is in the trenches of a mental health crisis but feels a system of integrated care that incorporates all aspects of a person’s physical, mental and emotional life is the best way to help with recovery.

“During the pandemic and over the last few years there have been a number of ways that we have seen stigma improve and we’re incredibly grateful for that,” Skillings said.

Part of the campaign targets how mental health is discussed in the media. Teaching journalists to do accurate solutions-based reporting can help decrease stigma, leading to common ground public discourse, and po-

The Stop Stigma Together Summit is the first of its kind to bring together key stakeholders to address stigma, prejudice and shame for those dealing with mental health issues or substance use disorders. (Stock photo)

tential public policy changes that minimizes discrimination.

Earlier diagnosis will also help the one in three teens and young adults who struggle with mental illness each year. While symptoms often appear around age 14, most diagnoses aren’t made until 10 years later, or more.

“We look forward to every school having a comprehensive approach to mental health, a plan that’s resourced and enables students to know it’s OK to not be OK and to know where to seek help,” said John MacPhee, CEO of the Jed Foundation.

Experts at the event said offering support to families is a way to normalize the situation that so many Americans are facing. By

working with community groups, churches, schools and other institutions, families can have a lifeboat when times feel bleak.

Janet Lindow is the executive director of Rural Behavioral Health Institute, based in Montana, a state with historically high suicide rates across all age groups and demographics. It is her mission to identify youth experiencing risk factors for suicide and connecting them with care.

“We want to normalize the fact that, at some point in our lives, all of us will have some sort of depression or anxiety symptoms and it is OK to ask for help, and to know where that help can be found,” Lindow said. l

Nov. 2022 | Page 29

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S outh Jordan City Journal

Barking up the wrong tree

M

y dog Jedi started barking at cars. All the time. I don’t know why but my best guess is she a) hates cars, b) loves cars, c) wants to scare cars or d) she needs a ride to Petsmart to pick up some jerky treats and tennis balls.

I stop her from dragging us both into traffic by creating a distraction, usually with yummy treats. I tell her to look at me, hoping to snag her attention away from the tempting Hondas and Toyotas with their tantalizing and rumbly engines.

Sometimes she continues flinging herself toward cars but once she realizes a treat is coming, in the form of mozzarella or pepperoni, she usually stops barking and waits to be rewarded. Not really rocket surgery, but it works.

Someone suggested Jedi’s barking could be a reaction to stress which is probably true because we’re all as stressed as a Yellowstone bison being approached by human-shaped idiots.

Jedi also feels the urge to run outside at 3 a.m. to bark at neighbor dogs, tree shadows and (probably) aliens. Her woofing seems to be important. It’s like breaking news in the canine world.

I can’t yell at her to be quiet because then we’d both be barking at three in the morning. Plus, she’d translate my yapping as, “You are doing such a good job at howling, Jedi. Please, continue louder. Some neighbors might still be asleep.”

Once the noise levels drop, I check social media where barking has been elevated to an Olympic sport. Viral TikToks catch people in the act of snarling at each other. Twitter feeds show a slow regression back to our caveman roots where everyone spoke in grunts and howls.

that baloney. Restaurant guests bark at the waitstaff, which usually ends with a footprint on your waffle. Y’all bark so much, I think some of you might have rabies.

Dogs bark because they’re excited, hungry, bored, scared, tired, playful and frustrated. The trick is to distract them and teach them a different way to communicate. Humans also need a different way to communicate, because barking isn’t working.

It doesn’t matter if you’re barking in fear or anger or fatigue, your message gets lost in the noise. Every time. Have you ever screamed at someone and thought, “Boy, I really think I got my point across. I feel so heard”? Yeah, me neither.

On the opposite end of the rainbow, my daughter had a teacher who only spoke in a whisper. The kids had to be quiet to hear what she was saying. It was kind of creepy talking to her because she’d forget she was talking to an adult and keep whispering.

Maybe there’s a happy medium between barking and mumbling. I know, let’s call it “civil discourse” where our conversations actually promote understanding and connection. Revolutionary!

Instead of talking to prove your point, can you kindly explain why you hate avocados, without melting into a puddle of sweat? Can you avoid the gnashing and spittle that comes with barking and just talk like a human being?

It might take practice but maybe if we calm down, our families will settle, our communities will rebuild and our civil discourse will improve.

Less barking, more listening. And lots of treats. l

Peri Kinder Life and Laughter

Parents bark at teachers and librarians. Drivers bark at each other. Customers bark at grocery store cashiers, and let me tell you, cashiers don’t get paid enough to put up with

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