South Jordan Journal | August 2023

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SOUTH JORDAN SPECIAL ED TEACHER RETIRES AFTER TIRELESSLY ADVOCATING FOR HER STUDENTS

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

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During the last 17 years, there have been changes in procedure, paperwork and even in the special education program, but at South Jordan Elementary, there has been a constant factor — the endless support of teacher Kelli Sundell.

“We focus on what they can do,” Sundell said about her students who are in an academic communication classroom. “If they can’t do math, we try doing it with a calculator. If they aren’t able to do it with a calculator, we try other things. We can use a lot of combinations of tools and accommodations to help them be successful, not tell them they can’t do something.”

Sundell is known around her school and Jordan School District for being a champion for students with disabilities.

Her former principal, Ken Westwood, remembers her advocacy when they worked together.

“Kelli Sundell works with a group of highly impacted kids with significant challenges, but she treats them like real people and expected big things; the results for kids were always very high,” he said. “And she was always behind them, a solid advocate. She’d say, ‘These kids are capable, they will do this, and they will succeed’ — and they did. There was no taking ‘no’ for an answer with Kelli.”

Now, those shoes will need to be filled by another teacher who wants to make a difference. Sundell is retiring after 17 years in the classroom.

Her path began as an American Sign Language interpreter for the Utah School for the Deaf and Blind, where she would attend mainstream classes with an assigned student for a couple

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American Revolution play engages student learning

Mercy Otis Warren shared with students about her published political satires during the American Revolution — at a time women were expected to be silent. That outspoken, self-taught woman became one of the leading female intellectuals of the Revolution.

Her representation by fifth-grader Madison Pitre was one of many Revolutionary leaders portrayed during South Jordan Elementary’s play, “The American Revolution.”

The American Revolution was an epic political and military struggle from the years 1765-1783 when 13 of Britain’s North American Colonies rejected its imperial rule. During the play, there were scenes that illustrated King George’s unwillingness to listen, the Boston Tea Party, the midnight ride of Paul Revere, the creation of the Constitution, the Redcoats, and conclusion of the election of George Washington at the Constitutional Convention.

For Madison, it was fun to learn about the time through drama.

“We each had individual appearances by scene so if you were the Red Coats or in the Boston Tea Party, you had costumes to signify who you were,” she said. “Our George Washington has a big coat and a special hat. I got an umbrella and gloves with my fancy dress. I learned more about the war, who was part of it and Mercy. She was one of the first women who took an interest in history and politics and spoke out about things. Even though she had some good ideas, she was a woman and had to rely on the guys to make it happen.”

Her classmate, Zac Petersen, was George Washington.

“I was sitting down pretending to write down what the others were saying with my feather (quill pen),” he said. “I learned he

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By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

didn’t write the majority of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson did. When it was passed, George Washington didn’t sign it because he was in New York with the army.”

Zac learned how to perform in a play.

“We didn’t use microphones and we couldn’t yell, but we had to project loudly,” he said. “Some parts like mine were long, but others were short, but we worked together to learn our lines.”

The play from script to costume was an original production by their teacher, Patricia Gotberg.

“It’s really a love of education and a love of history,” she said. “Children learn more through interaction with the activities instead of just reading it.”

This is the second year Gotberg’s class has put on the play.

“We added a few more characters, including Abigail Adams and Mercy Otis Warren and another British soldier,” she said as her class of 25 students were in the play. “I changed some parts in it. I’m always tweaking it. I’m not really a drama person, but I found a love for it.”

It also was a way for her students to learn more in-depth about the Revolution and those who were part of it.

“As we’d read through it, we’d learn. A character would be introduced, say Ethan Allen, the leader of the Green Mountain Boys, and then we’d learn what he did and why he did. They were engaged and started making connections. You can tell them all kinds of stuff, but until they really live it, they don’t tie it together. It was neat because as they were practicing the play for their performance, the students would relate what they learned and pipe up saying, ‘he did that’ or ‘that’s who she was.’ We experienced a lot of those a-ha, light bulb

moments,” Gotberg said, adding they also learned about key figures by making trading cards of American Revolutionary leaders as they have for other time periods they studied.

Fifth-grader Ruthie Mortensen portrayed Betsy Ross, who narrated the play.

“The play taught us about the Revolutionary War in a fun way to learn,” she said. “I liked learning that King George was really stubborn, and the colonists were really good at fighting back.”

Her classmate, Bentley Vanderveur, portrayed Samuel Adams.

“He was a really big part of the Ameri-

can Revolution so I’m glad I got to portray him,” said the first-time actor who said it took him about three weeks to learn his 20 lines. “It was scary being in a play at first, but then once I got used to it, it wasn’t scary anymore. I’d like to be in another play next year.”

While he, too, learned more about the American Revolution from the play, his favorite part was the discussion of peace.

“I liked what they did to make sure everyone agreed,” he said. “It was a good to learn about everything this way. I want to go see where the all the American Revolution happened now.” l

PUBLISHER

Bryan Scott | bryan.s@thecityjournals.com

EDITOR

Travis Barton | travis.b@thecityjournals.com

Mieka Sawatzki | mieka.s@thecityjournals.com

Jason Corbridge | jason.c@thecityjournals.com

Ryan Casper | ryan.c@thecityjournals.com

Kayla Palmer | kayla.p@thecityjournals.com

Greg Tanner | greg.t@valuepagesutah.com

South Jordan Elementary fifth-grade students in Patricia Gotberg’s class dressed in their finery to showcase an original play about the American Revolution. (Patricia Gotberg/South Jordan Elementary)

Principal of the Year excels at largest school in the district

By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

What kind of principal is needed to coordinate 43 teachers and 42 support staff members for more than 1,125 K-6, special education and preschool students? The best.

Meredith Doleac, principal of Ridge View Elementary School, the largest school in Jordan School District, was named the district’s 2023 Outstanding Principal of the Year because of her flexibility, creativity and commitment.

“There's a lot of logistical issues that you have to overcome, but I feel like we've done a really good job of putting in really good structures and systems to manage all of that,” Doleac said. “The school wasn't built to have that many students in the gym area or cafeteria area at one time, so we've had to get creative there. We've still been able to carry on with our assemblies and our monthly activities, we've just had to do it a little bit differently.”

Jordan District Administrator of Schools April Gaydosh said at such a big school, it would be easy for a teacher or student to fall through the cracks, but not with a leader like Doleac.

“I think it's her focus and energy and authenticity that really makes her a great leader,” Gaydosh said. “She's just such a present person. When you're meeting with her, she is present in the moment and you feel like you are the most important person in that space. She's committing that time and energy just to you. And I think that's what we heard over and over when we talked to teachers and parents, was how present and authentic she was in those interactions. She takes time with people and works with them and really listens.”

Brittney Romney, who has a child attending Ridge View Elementary said, “Ms. Doleac has always made time to speak with me about any concerns I have for my child and has been empathetic and helpful as we come up with solutions. Ridge View Elementary is an extremely large school, and Ms. Doleac has created structure and consistency for the students and teachers.”

Doleac turns what could be a problem into a positive experience by realizing that working in such a large school has pushed the staff to work more creatively and collaboratively.

“It makes us, as a staff, have to be creative and it gives us all the more purpose and reason to be collaborative and work together,” she said. “Because you can't really be selfish in those situations, you have to think about what's going to be best—obviously, always what's best for the students, but just what's going to be best for the school as a whole to make it run smoothly and efficiently so that we can do our jobs.”

Music teacher Kristen Helton said Doleac is an effective leader. “She is a visionary,” Helton said. “She encourages our staff to be pioneers and lead as a model school. Everything we invest in at Ridge View is centered around her expectation that we provide our students with the best educational experience. I believe

the school culture is impacted greatly by her leadership. When people enter our school, they are welcomed. I watch as she works hard to remember each child's name. She is kind in all of her interactions with students, even when the talk might be about improving behavior.”

Romney has worked with Doleac as a parent and as a professional and has been impressed by how involved she is with the students.

“It’s not uncommon to see her out and about in the school and popping into classrooms or out on the playground,” Romney said. “She is such an example of professionalism in the way she interacts with students and parents. She stays calm with students, even when chaotic situations erupt.”

Gaydosh said Doleac’s responses to situations are characteristic of a great leader.

“I've seen her in stressful or high stakes situations where she's been very steady and consistent and able to calm situations because of just her presence,” Gaydosh said.

Alicia Rasmussen, an instructional coach at the school, was one of the teachers who followed Doleac from another elementary school when she was appointed principal at Ridge View Elementary when it opened in 2019.

She said Doleac, as a person, is a good friend and leader because of her kindness, patience, compassion and ability to have fun, and that she is a good principal because of her focus on the students.

“Everything she does at school is about what's best for the students,” Rasmussen said. “She sets high but attainable expectations for the students because she sees greatness in them. She enjoys visiting classrooms and celebrating the good things the teachers and kids

are doing. When students have done something great, they'll get a high-five and a huge smile from her. She makes many good news phone calls home when she has seen students doing positive things around the school. Conversely, when students are having a hard day, she will sit on the floor with them and listen. She is an advocate for the kids and takes quick action when necessary to ensure they feel safe and welcome. Meredith makes being a principal look easy—and she does it all in heels!”

Doleac exemplifies a calm, happy and positive mindset, said Rasmussen. “She is slow to react and make judgments,” she said. “She is fair and incredibly intentional in every decision she makes.”

Doleac created a BEST team to establish interventions for students, school-wide positive behavior systems, a wellness center and calming kits in every classroom.

“By focusing on positive behaviors and habits, negative ones are not being fueled to grow larger,” Rasmussen said. “The positive behaviors, attitudes and adjustments are being praised, therefore, the students put more energy into improving themselves and contributing positively to the classroom and school culture.”

Doleac has also implemented SIOP protocols and instructional priorities to help teachers meet the language and academic needs of about 200 students whose first spoken language is not English.

Gaydosh said all schools have access to the same strategies, but Doleac stands out because of her implementation of the strategies that has led to measured academic growth.

“She's very hands-on and involved, working with teachers and prioritizing that in her building because she sees that as a big need,” she said. “She saw a need and then prioritized

some resources to help address the need in a very systematic way. That's another hallmark of a great leader, being able to see a need and then address the need. And it’s a good way to see some results.”

Doleac is also invested in her staff’s personal growth, so she prioritizes professional development opportunities. She has ensured that teachers have teaching resources, books, games, activities, training and translating devices to improve their multilingual students’ access to instruction.

“Teachers are dedicated and motivated to help all of their students learn, whether they speak English or another language,” Rasmussen said. “They feel more confident in this area because of the resources and support that Meredith has made accessible to them. The biggest celebrations, obviously, are the achievements our multilingual students are making in their English reading, speaking, writing and listening abilities and scores. As these improve, their access to core content is growing, and their confidence in being a member of our community is increasing.”

Doleac loves being a principal, especially the day-to-day interaction with the students.

“Honestly, there are really, really hard days—our jobs are very difficult—but you can be having the toughest day ever and a student will come up to you and say just the right thing or they'll come and give you a hug or a highfive,” she said.

Her focus on relationships is at the center of Ridge View Elementary’s school culture.

“I'm very much a relationship/people type of person, that's how I operate,” she said. “And so I am just very proud of the culture that we've built among teachers, among students and with parents and families, because I feel like that really sets the foundation for everything. And if you have a positive culture, that's what has enabled us to effectively deal with the growth and the large enrollment that we have.”

Because of its location in Herriman, Ridge View Elementary’s student body will continue to grow. Last year, the school used 13 portable classrooms. Three more will be added this year to deal with the increased number of students. There is a more permanent solution in the works.

Jordan District is building a flex school right next to the current school building. When it opens for the 2024-25 school year, the student body will be split, with younger grades housed in one building and older grades in the other.

No decisions have been made about administrators for the two schools, but some teachers have already expressed a preference to remain with Doleac.

“I would follow her to the ends of the earth to be a part of her team,” Helton said. “She makes me, as a teacher, feel valued, important and sets me up to be successful.” l

Members of the Jordan Education Foundation and family members celebrate Meredith Doleac being named the 2023 Outstanding Principal of the Year. (Photo courtesy of Meredith Doleac)

100 Companies Championing Women recognizes equitable policies and practices

In April, the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity announced it had reached its goal of designating 100 Companies Championing Women, recognizing businesses in Utah with women-specific policies and practices that allow women to advance as leaders in their fields.

“These individuals and businesses represent the very best Utah has to offer,” said Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, in a media release announcing the 100 companies. “They work tirelessly and continually step up to meet new challenges, and the results make our state a thriving place for women to do business.”

Whether it’s providing flexible schedules, part-time benefits, pay equity, leadership programs, child care support or family leave, these companies have forged a new direction in how women are hired, trained and supported in the workplace.

Salsa Queen in West Valley City (2550 Decker Lake Blvd.) was one business selected in the 100 Companies Championing Women. Maharba Zapata, who has legally changed her name to SalsaQueen, was a single mother, a talented chef and the mother of

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

seven children when she decided to turn her hobby into a career.

Her boyfriend, and now husband, Jim Birch, encouraged her to sell her delicious salsa as a way to bring in some extra income. It turned into a career Zapata never expected and her salsa can be found in grocery stores across the country. Now, she’s made it her mission to help women step into their roles as leaders.

“In our company, we want to promote the same way that Jim did for me. He believed in me, he gave me some wings to fly,” Zapata said. “Unfortunately, we don’t all have the same opportunity to have somebody that believes in us and because somebody believed in me, I want to give back to everybody else. They have that power within themselves, they just don’t know.”

Salsa Queen’s female employees are encouraged to take leadership positions, even when it’s uncomfortable. Zapata hopes to change the mindset that women are less important or less valuable than men in the workplace, and she has that discussion with the women themselves.

“I don’t know what it has to do with

being a woman but it’s almost in our genes to be doubtful and self conscious and put ourselves down and think we’re not good enough,” Zapata said. “I didn’t have a career, I didn’t have job experience, I didn’t even finish high school and I was able to become successful. I want to empower a woman to feel that same way and to be able to shine.”

Clearfield City was one of only two municipalities listed in the 100 Companies Championing Women. Along with St. George City, Clearfield was recognized for its flexible leave benefits, family-friendly schedules and women’s pay equality.

More than 170 women are employed at the city with two dozen in supervisory or management positions. Several women in the city have been invited by their supervisors to attend Clearfield’s leadership academy and tuition reimbursement is available to help women cover education costs.

After the city conducted a compensation study to ensure equitable pay based on position, not gender, city leaders implemented policies that were more family-friendly and flexible.

“We wanted to make sure women in the workplace were taken care of and earning what they should,” said Clearfield Mayor Mark Shepherd. “Our council’s goal is to have a highly trained and motivated workforce, and that means all of them. It means doing what we can do to ensure that happens.”

Other businesses recognized as one of the 100 Companies Championing Women include Instructure (Cottonwood Heights), Booksmarts (Kaysville), CHG Healthcare (Midvale) and AVIVA (Millcreek).

With on-site child care, female representation in leadership positions, flexible schedules and generous family leave, the 100 Companies Championing Women set the stage for growth and equity. For a complete list of businesses, visit inutah.org/100-companies.

“Times are changing where women are becoming more powerful and more independent,” Zapata said. “For me, it’s about giving women a voice to create their own happiness, their own ending story, their own success.”l

The Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity recognized 100 Utah businesses that provide flexible schedules, pay equity and leadership opportunities to help advance women. A list of the 100 Companies Championing Women can be found at inutah.org/100-companies. (Stock photo)

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With this state title, Bingham softball coach Mikki Jackson again proved

By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

Bingham

head softball coach Mikki Jackson has been there and done plenty of that.

Jackson herself is no spring chicken when it comes to coaching; she's been at Bingham since 1991—the first year the Miners won a state championship in softball.

But what makes Jackson so special through her eight state championships at Bingham might go beyond the stats.

In the third inning of a scoreless game 1 at the 6A state championship, things got heated between rivals Bingham and Herriman.

At the plate to start the top of the third, Shelbee Jones looked to smash her 13th home run but was thrown a fastball inside by Weber State-bound Herriman ace Tiaira Smith.

It forced a slow roller to shortstop, but the throw to first base hit Herriman’s first baseman in the face. Jones continued to second but was thrown out as she slid hard. Jones was reprimanded by Jackson in the dugout for what could have been called an excessive play.

Jackson herself wasn’t done coaching up her kids; she then gathered her entire Miners team and staff together and demanded they show class and respect at all times.

It's that trait of a champion that weaves its way through Jackson’s great Bingham softball teams and draws admirers near and far.

Eric Jones, Bingham football coach, is only entering his second year at the school, but even he was happy to pause and reflect to City Journals on how special a coach and person Jackson is.

“It was inspiring to watch Mikki and her team continually improve and find their identity,” Jones said. “They were and are a young team that found a way to gel and get hot at tournament time.”

In honor of some of Utah’s great women who have shaped their communities on and off the field, here are some highlights from the eight state titles Jackson has won as Bingham coach, starting with the latest one.

Third Time’s The Charm [2023]

The Miners were swept in the state championship game two years ago by next-door neighbor Riverton. Then lost both region games to the mighty Silverwolves last year and this year, stretching their winless streak against the purple and silver to eight games.

That Bingham was able to snap that streak and not only defeat Riverton 7-2 in the 6A state tournament—but also beat the Silverwolves a second time in the double-elimination semifinals by taking their neighbors to the brink and then watch freshman Brenna Cowley slap home two runs with a single, was poetic justice for a team whose motto this year was to “keep the ego subservient.”

That was an old adage that Jackson picked up from Bingham head baseball coach Joey Sato. Jackson, a science teacher at Bing-

ham, has long been friends with Sato, himself a history teacher who not only has coached and taught at the school—he played there from 1974 to 1977 before becoming the head coach back in 1978.

Bingham needed all the help it could get at the state championship game. The Miners were pitted against another rival in Herriman, who was also playing for something bigger than themselves: their sophomore teammate Kiki Feliciano, who was battling lung cancer for a second time.

But on this particular day in a picturesque setting, it was Bingham’s day to lift the state championship trophy.

“It just feels so awesome,” Jackson said after the Miners’ state championship-clinching Game 2 win. “We’ve been in that championship game several times since winning that last one. And to finally pull it off in dominating fashion is great.”

To get there, though, Jackson who was herself a graduate of BYU, used a visual aid to show her players how they could visualize their goals.

The coach, who won her eighth state title in 32 years as a coach in some capacity, got the Miners to believe enough that they were able to "Take A Hike To The Y," a pastime that many BYU students enjoy.

The coach and three of her state championship winning Bingham players displayed a poster board on KUTV’s Talkin Sports, providing an intimate look at how the Miners reached these incremental goals to make it to “The Y” and hand Jackson her eighth state title

in 32 years.

As it turns out, however, this state title wasn’t all that different from the previous seven in that Jackson got her Miners to buy into, and achieve, a mission that the coach herself created.

Talk It Out [2008]

The Valley Regional Complex in Taylorsville set the stage for a three-peat as Bingham’s 2000s Golden Age showed. The Miners, however, didn’t get off to the most stellar of beginnings at this 5A state tournament in 2008.

In fact, Jackson — who had only returned to Bingham’s program in 2007 — told her team that they needed to engage in a two hours-long discussion with each other to help them get over the hump after they were one loss away from being eliminated from the 2008 tournament.

The rest, of course, was history as Bingham’s University of Utah-bound senior Chalese Fankhauser would wallop a solo shot over the wall to win Game 1 of the state championship series versus Taylorsville, 3-2.

The Miners would then capture their first state title in 12 years in a 10-1 win over T-ville, leading off a run of three straight state crowns in the process.

Smooth As An Almond [2009]

Now a junior, Tori Almond needed a lot of help to hand Bingham its first state title in 12 years in 2008.

But in 2009, the Miners were so dominant and so smooth that few stood in their way.

Case in point: the Miners had only lost twice all season going into the 5A state tournament at Valley Regional Complex.

But both of those losses came via very unique circumstances: [Hunter’s pitcher threw 13 strikeouts] in one loss and the other came against the Miners’ next door neighbor, Riverton [Bingham committed nine errors].

Over the following week, however [May 14-21, 2009], Bingham scored 46 runs and allowed one.

Over the month leading up to the 5A state tournament, the Miners won 12 games in a row, avenging both early-season losses in region play to Hunter and Riverton.

That streak would continue through the state tourney, as Almond scattered six hits across seven innings and the Miners won their 5A semifinal game despite committing four errors and only getting two hits on two Bingham home runs, May 19, 2009.

In Game 1 of the 5A state championship game, details were again the devil—but not for Bingham, who scored the game-clinching run after Viewmont’s catcher narrowly missed tagging Meghan Herrick after Herrick took a big lead off of third base.

Herrick sprinted past the tag and touched home plate first, giving the Miners a 2-0 lead— one it would hang onto for a 2-1 win over Viewpoint.

In Game 2, Almond would again need some help—but the junior got it thanks to a sixrun fifth inning in an 8-2 win over Viewmont for Bingham’s second straight state championship.

For her efforts, Almond — who got help from senior Cienna Smith throughout the state tourney — was named tournament MVP. For the game, Almond struck out seven Viewmont batters and Bingham had 13 hits—committing just one error.

A Royal Reminder [2010]

After the Miners, led by senior Tori Almond, pitched a one-hitter, at the 5A state semifinals against Roy it was Jackson’s crew who slipped up against the top-ranked Royals, losing 4-2.

The Miners committed a whopping five errors in the game, and it dropped Bingham into a do-or-die showdown with Fremont.

Bingham won that decisive game 2-0, launching the Miners into a 5A state championship game showdown with that very same Roy team that upended them a day earlier.

Almond, however, was on her A-game, pitching a shutout in a 6-0 win in which the senior scattered just four hits over seven innings of work—forcing one more game for all the marbles and a shot at Bingham’s third straight state championship trophy.

For the BYU-bound Almond, this was the big one; in what would be the third game

she is a master motivator

Bingham head softball coach Mikki Jackson has been part of eight state championships at the school.

(Photo by Pat McDonald)

played on the same May 20 day at Valley Regional Complex she two-hit Roy and had now thrown an unheard-of 20 innings of scoreless ball in a 2-1 championship-clinching win.

What was just as impressive as the 20 scoreless innings, however, was that in that 2010 year Almond had a 19-3 win-loss record as Bingham’s ace and that to this day, Almond holds state records for the second most strikeouts and sixth lowest ERA ever [0.30].

The First Mikki Jackson Era [1991-93, 1996]

Picture Perfect [1993]

Like all of Jackson’s state champions, with the exception of the 1996 team, each of her teams built one unto the other and became more than the sum of its parts.

One could argue that in the history of softball in the state of Utah, however, few teams have been as good as the 1993 Bingham Miners were. Jackson’s 1991 team seemed to build into this mythical creature that was the 1992 team, and so that built into this once-in-a-lifetime ’93 team.

Some would argue that this ’93 Miners team came together as a result of a perfect storm; people close to the program told City Journals that it had more to do with a team that lost several players to graduation—but one said it was deeper than that, more personal.

In an era when certain schools were beginning to lure players away, the disrespect

might have been real. That’s for others to discuss.

What is not up for debate, however, is the manner in which the Miners dispatched Weber in just five innings of play—a thorough 10-0 win to capture their third straight state title.

It capped a 25-0 season in which several underclassmen featured, serving prominent roles in the most unlikely ways: as a cleanup hitter, a shortstop with an inferiority complex and so forth.

Bingham’s state title run would continue in 1994—but not with Jackson at the helm.

Back On Top [1996]

Having watched Alta snap Bingham’s four-peat of state titles in 1995, the Miners ushered in the second Mikki Jackson Era at Bingham resolute to return to the top of the food chain.

To that end, the Miners already reclaimed the top seed going into the 1996 5A state tournament by knocking off Alta and Miller Toyota semipro softball legend/head coach Vaughn Alvey, 1-0.

Even Alta tabbed Hillcrest as the state tournament favorite, though. The Huskies had six starters coming back—four were All-State selections the previous year. But it was Candee Bowden, a Bingham sophomore, who was named the 5A state tournament MVP.

As a pitcher, Bowden had a 15-1 record and a 0.58 ERA. To get there, however, the Miners had to take the more scenic route.

Bowden and Bingham fell to Alta in the semifinals and had to slug it out again with the Hawks in a do-or-die elimination game— which the Miners won, 1-0.

That set the table for a state championship game against Taylorsville two hours later. Bowden and the Miners were just enough in a 5-4 win to give Jackson her fourth state title, her first since 1993.

As it stands, Jackson is second all-time in total state championships [only Bear River’s Calvin Bingham has more, with 11].

With such a young Bingham team in 2024, you’d have to think that the Miners might find their way back up the mountain that Jackson has expertly built for teams she deems worthy of such a climb. l

The Miners softball team won the state championship this year for its first title since 2010. (Photo by Pat McDonald)

Judge Shauna Graves-Robertson encourages all, shares her path toward success

Judge Shauna Graves-Robertson gave her tips for success to participants of the South Valley Chamber Women in Business luncheon in June at the public safety building in South Jordan. Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Robertson was a graduate of West High School. She then went on to earn a degree from Arizona State University before attending the University of Utah for a master’s degree as well as a juris doctorate.

Her professional accolades are many. In 2007, she received the Racial Justice Award from the Young Women’s Christian Association for her dedicated service to the residents of Utah, the Martin Luther King Jr. Drum Major Award in 2008, the Social Justice/Civil Rights award in 2013, the Meritorious Service Award from the Ogden branch of the NAACP in 2014 and an honorary doctor of Humane Letters from Salt Lake Community College in 2017.

Graves-Robertson has had a lot of experience, not only on the bench, but in life. The following are the tips she has learned and implemented on her path toward success.

Always be your authentic self “It doesn’t help to try and be someone that you are not,” Graves-Robertson said.

By Rachel Aubrey | r.aubrey@mycityjournals.com

The only African American female judge ever appointed or elected to serve in Utah, Graves-Robertson was appointed in 1999 and has gone through a general election every six years since her appointment. She reflected on her career and said that her race has been a factor as she has gone through her path, and that being the only African American judge has had its elements of loneliness.

“Just because something is a factor, you don’t let it bar your determination,” Graves-Robertson said.

Another factor she pointed out with some humor was her height. At just 5 feet, Graves-Robertson admitted that she does not let too much get her down or get in her way.

When she was first appointed, Graves-Robertson worked with four other female justice court judges, or her “peers,” who have since retired. Graves-Robertson is one of 81 Salt Lake County justice court judges who serve in one of 115 counties and municipal courts.

Part of being her authentic self is knowing that people were not always going to agree with her decisions, but trusting in herself to make the fairest decision with all the facts she had at any given time.

Do what you love doing

“If

that people are good and that they can change, and thus she makes recommenda-

solute drudgery,” Graves-Robertson said. “We spend so much time at work, you want to make sure your work is something you enjoy.”

During her undergraduate work in Arizona, Graves-Robertson spent a semester in Washington, D.C., where she had the opportunity to work for Sen. Orrin Hatch, who served as the senator from Utah from 1977 until 2019 and practiced law in Utah until 1969.

It was during that semester that she discovered her unrecognized love of the law. Upon returning home to Utah, she enrolled at the University of Utah and received her juris doctorate in 1990.

Robertson worked as an attorney for approximately five years in the State of Utah public defender’s office. She currently presides over a court of limited jurisdiction which includes cases involving theft, DUIs, simple assaults, graffiti and other class B and class C misdemeanors. Graves-Robertson’s court processes more than 11,000 cases a year, a significant amount according to Draper Mayor Troy Walker.

“She’s fair and she treats people with dignity,” Walker said. “She is a pleasure to practice law in front of.”

That sense of fairness stems from her belief that everybody deserves grace and the benefit of the doubt. Among those 11,000 or more cases a year, there have been many instances where Graves-Robertson was poised to alter the trajectory of someone’s life, however she holds strong

tions to a defendant to do better.

“I’m afforded grace every day,” Graves-Robertson said. “We all make mistakes and you want to give people a chance.”

Without fail, however, according to Graves-Robertson, defendants end up back in court. To have so much power over another person, and to be able to decide whether someone will do jail time is something she does not take lightly. A self-proclaimed “copious note taker,” Graves-Robertson keeps track of everything that gets said or done in her courtroom to help her make cautious decisions about how to hand down a verdict.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help

“There are people out there that you have never even thought of, that if you ask them to help you, they are more than willing to do something for you to make sure that you get to where you need to go,” Graves-Robertson said.

Growing up on the west side of Salt Lake City in the Rose Park community, Robertson was raised by a single mother. However, she would be the first to tell you that despite her mother working, Graves-Robertson always felt like she had a place to go and people who cared about her and her family.

“I am a true product of the village,” she said. “If I needed something, I had all [those] people to go to.”

Despite being less than 1% of the population, Graves-Robertson said that there were true African American communities

you don’t love doing it, it’s ab-

Speaking to attendees at a Women in Business luncheon, Judge Shauna Graves-Robertson shared the philosophies she has implemented within her career as a Salt Lake County justice court judge. (Rachel Aubrey/City Journals)

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nearby that believed in her and helped bolster her forward along her path even after she left Utah to pursue her education.

At the time of her appointment to the bench, Graves-Robertson had two of her three daughters and she admitted that she had to ask for help from her surrounding community to help her raise her children. It was also at that time her mother came to live with her and her husband John and provided a great deal of help in looking after her kids.

As a long-time member of the sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha, a service-oriented sorority, Graves-Robertson said that she also had help from her sorority sisters, once again relying on the village to help raise her family.

“You want the village to help,” Graves-Robertson said. “I didn’t want my children raised in a vacuum.”

Graves-Robertson has been a devout member of the Calvary Baptist Church and served with Pastor France A. Davis for more than 43 years, and has leaned on her faith to guide her along her path. The best advice she has been given in her life?

“Be true to your word,” Graves-Robertson said. “Keep your promises.” l

Outcomes

Registry data was published by Sackeim HA, et al. J Affective Disorders, 2020, 277(12):65-74. The outcomes reported represent the subset of study patients for which the CGI-S data was reported before and after an acute course of NeuroStar TMS. Patients were treated under real-world conditions where patients may have been prescribed concomitant depression treatments including medications. “Measurable relief” was defined as a CGI-S score <=3 and “complete remission” was defined as a CGI-S score <=2 at the end of treatment.

SALT LAKE COUNTY PARKS AND RECREATION: WHERE WORK IS ALSO PLAY (AND PAY)

Full-Time and Part-Time Positions Open

Bingham High’s annual car show continuing for more than 25 years

The Bingham High community has supported the school’s annual car show for more than 25 years. The popular event at the end of the school year that showcases iconic vehicles on the school’s back lawn has come and gone, much like this Volkswagen bus, which were popular in the 1960s and 1970s.

Photo by Julie Slama

years.

After 16 years, she earned her master’s degree in special education and began working for Jordan District in 1992.

“I always wanted to teach special ed. I started interpreting because I had that skill; my cousin is deaf,” she said.

That skill has helped with her ability to communicate with her students.

This year, she has a student who has apraxia; the student is able to understand everything, but she can’t respond.

“She couldn’t talk so I got her an interpreter last year and she communicates with her through sign language,” Sundell said, adding that she, too, signs with the student.

Fifth-grade student, Elijah McIntyre, once could make sounds that only his twin, Malakai, would understand.

“It was like they had their own language,” their mother Melanie Candelaria said. “But now, he has learned how to talk. She began by teaching him sign language and now, he carries on a verbal conversation without hesitation.”

Typically, 16 students study core subjects in Sundell’s classroom from fourth through sixth grade. They rotate with general education students in PE and music.

Her students are evaluated every three years to see if they continue to qualify for special education.

“There may be an intellectual disability, a speech and language disability, Autism, health issues so it’s an involved process. We test their speech and language, academic, IQ, adaptive skills — there are quite a few tests,” Sundell said. “Usually, the kids in our classes are three years or more behind the general education peers. That’s why we have our IEPs (individualized education plans).”

Westwood said some of her students take the same test as their peers while others took specialized tests.

“The bottom line for Kelli was, ‘where are you now and where are you a year from now?’ Her kids always made a lot of progress,” he said.

That’s Sundell’s goal.

“If they get 80% growth, that’s great — any kind of growth is great,” she said. “My kids are higher functioning compared to other classes; they can have a conversation with you, and I can send them out to recess with no problems.”

Other special education classes may center around emotional behavior or they’re learning functional skills.

“We don’t use terms at our school; I made sure of that,” Sundell said. “We call them students, the same as everyone else.”

Sundell is known for being a staunch believer in her students’ abilities.

“Never underestimate the abilities of a child with a disability. That’s my motto,” she said.

She motivates them to succeed.

“It’s called, ‘expectation;’ they will rise to the occasion if given that opportunity,” Sundell said. “We teach, we find accommodations and

then, we’re consistent, we’re structured, and we let them know that they can do it. I’m here to help, but they do it. If the child has a hard time and can’t understand the sounds or if they have problems with their hands and can’t write, they can talk into the computer, and it’s typed out for them. If they have a problem with reading, we give them a reading pen that reads to them. Not everything is black and white; my job is to make things gray.”

Her instructional assistant, Staci Marsh, said Sundell does a lot of research.

“She is always looking for alternatives,” Marsh said. “We had some kids who were really struggling to read, and they weren’t progressing as much as she knew they could. So, she researched different options until she found the pen that scans the text and reads it. We had another student who couldn’t really take notes. She found him a pen that records so he could keep the information without having to write excessive notes. A student who has apraxia and is working with an interpreter and her speech is better. She does more than find those accommodations, she gives them confidence.”

Sundell also doesn’t sugarcoat.

“If a kid comes back after going to another school and tells me he can’t do it because it’s different, I’ll tell him, ‘Guess what, Dorothy? You’re not in Kansas anymore.’ Or if they start to whimper over something, I’ll say, ‘There’s no crying in baseball’ and they’ll stop. They understand the concept even if they may not understand the reference. In fact, they’ve added to that. It’s now, ‘There’s no crying in baseball, in basketball and in soccer,’” she said, with a laugh.

Stacy Wise, who has worked beside Sundell for a handful of years, said students appreciate her approach.

“She has a way with the kids,” Wise said. “They respect her. Some of the kids come and they couldn’t read, write, do math. She taught them; she never gives up on them. She tells these kids, ‘You can do this.’ It empowers them. She makes them feel valuable and holds

them to an expectation that sets them up for success for middle school.”

Kristi Richards says that is true of her son, Colton, an Oquirrh Hills ninth-grader.

“She taught him to advocate for himself and that has helped him do well in middle school,” she said. “He learned he needs to be part of the school and not be excluded from anything. When he was in her class, she was advocating to make sure that her class was treated fairly. Students learned that lesson in this classroom — to make sure they get everything they need to be successful and that they can do whatever they wanted to do.”

Wise also has gotten much advice and guidance from Sundell for her own son in navigating the system of IEPs, accommodations, and laws.

“She’s told me how things should be handled in his classes so that they can help him be successful and not to let anyone label him or tell him that he can’t do things,” she said.

Sundell has high expectations for her students and sets them up for success by having a structured classroom, Wise said.

“Everything here is organized. We have spelling; we have reading time, but she also has fun with the kids. She’s a big teaser and knows how to get them to laugh with her,” she said.

Fifth grader Conner Rosenthal likes her jokes.

“She gets us to laugh all the time,” he said. “Once we even got to put a pie in her face and she laughed the most.”

Elijah said his teacher is “a teaser. Last year for April Fool’s Day, she pranked everyone, but us; we were sick.”

His twin, Malakai, likes his teacher because “she’s smart.”

“She told me a secret,” he said. “She has the same birthday as us and taught us a way to know when it’s coming up. I’d tell, but it’s our secret.”

Candelaria said her sons have come a long way.

“He (Malakai) has hydrocephalus and a

brain tumor. He wasn’t even supposed to walk, let alone run. Elijah was born clinically dead and spent five weeks in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). He didn’t talk until he was eight. They were behind in reading and about everything, but they’ve had a lot of intervention and have closed the gap. This class has just been a good environment for them. They’ve made friends and since kids stay in the same class for several years, they have a special bond with each other and their teacher. They have three aides, so they have that oneon-one that is vital to them. They’re learned skills so they can do more things on their own and they’re becoming more independent and successful,” she said.

That’s the reward, Sundell said.

“The best part is seeing them progressing, becoming the person that they know they can become,” she said.

Sundell was getting help taking down graduation announcements, pictures, notes from students and classroom holiday decorations. Her Miss Piggy gifts — “I have over 1,000 things, so many from my students” already were at home.

There still was the final farewell and talent show, where students showcase their singing, dancing, artwork, LEGO sculptures for their parents. This year, a student even was a ventriloquist.

The talent show was a favorite for Bingham High sophomore Emily Austin, who returned to Sundell’s classroom to give her former teacher a hug.

Her mother, Joy, credits much of her daughter’s capabilities to her former teacher.

“Emily is incredibly shy,” her mother said. “Ms. Sundell really helped her come out of her shell. Before Emily was even in her class, she would talk to her and tease her. She took such an interest in her. They would talk about anything and everything under the sun.”

She paused, then added: “I don’t know how she did it, but she was able to bring out the best in every kid.” l

After giving her students year-end awards following the annual talent show, South Jordan Elementary special education teacher Kelli Sundell was thanked for her 17 years of being an advocate for students. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

South Jordan Elementary special education teacher Kelli Sundell, left, joins her students in the parade of athletes during Sports Day 2018. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

WATCH YOUR RATE VANISHwith on-time payments

Hope floats for the Bingham High swim team with new practice lap lanes at the South Jordan Rec Center

By Ella Joy Olsen | e.olsen@mycityjournals.com

Onewouldn’t think that a hazardous drive would be one of the biggest obstacles to becoming a champion swimmer, but for the Bingham High Swim Team, it has been.

Drive time between Bingham High and the current practice pool at the Kearns Oquirrh Park Facility is clocked at 15 minutes minimum along the speedy Bangerter Highway.

“The posted speed limit is 60 but it seems like even if I’m going 70 people are tailgating me like I’m a 90-year-old in a broken Buick,” frequent commuter Madilyn Miller said.

Officer Sam Winkler with the West Jordan Police Department agrees. “[We issue] not just speeding violations but excessive speeding violations, speeds hitting upwards into the triple digits here on Bangerter Highway."

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And these young swimmers (and newly-minted drivers) make the commute at all hours and in all weather conditions.

“We drive back and forth from the school to the pool about four times a day, three times a week,” swimmer Teagan Ross said. “Driving during rush hour is dangerous, especially for the newest drivers. We’ve had two different accidents this season.”

Fellow swimmer Kennedy Schott added, “We meet at the pool at 4:30 in the morning, then again after school at 3:30. On meet days we’ll start early, practice, attend a full day of school then stay at the pool until 9 p.m.”

But like in the Sandra Bullock movie,

sometimes “Hope Floats.”

In June, the Salt Lake County Council unanimously voted to allocate funding for a long-awaited lap lane expansion project at the South Jordan Aquatic and Fitness Center at 10866 S. Redwood Road, which will cut commute time between Bingham High and the practice pool from 15 minutes to just four, routed along much easier-to-navigate roads.

Construction on the project is slated to start this fall and should be finished by January 2025. During much of construction, the existing pool at the South Jordan Recreation Center will be closed, but the existing pool will be refreshed, and pass holders will have access to other pools across the county system.

“This upgrade is good for the community at large,” Corrine Johnson, senior policy adviser to District 2 Councilman David Alvord, said. “Currently at South Jordan Rec there are no swim lessons, no water aerobics, no adult programming because there are no lanes for it.”

The project has been five years in the making.

In 2019 the Marv Jensen Recreation Center was closed due to structural issues and proceeds from the sale of the building were tagged to build a new swim center. But proceeds from the sale fell short, then Covid-19 hit, then inflation drove up costs and hopes of completing the project started to sink.

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Swimmers from Bingham High hold signs directing people to a fundraising carwash. The team contributed $1,500 towards new lap lanes slated for completion in January 2025 at the South Jordan Recreation Center. (Photo courtesy David Alvord)

That’s when the community got serious about options. “We needed to think outside the box,” Councilwoman Laurie Stringham said, who has a background in parks and rec. “And that is exactly what we did.”

The original plan was for a state-of-theart competition pool, but it was out of budget. They pondered a pop-up structure, and finally adjusted the scope to seven new lap lanes which will be added to the existing South Jordan Aquatic and Fitness Center. This brought the proposed cost from roughly $15 million to around $9 million.

Salt Lake County, the Jordan School District and South Jordan City all contributed funding in an unprecedented show of financial support and coordination from county, city and

school district.

The Bingham High swim team also did their part by raising $1,500 at a carwash fundraiser held before school let out for the summer. “Though it was a cloudy day with threatening rain, they had non-stop business for two and a half hours. The community really supports this project,” Councilman Arlyn Bradshaw said, who had three of his own cars washed that day.

The team proceeds will go toward the bleachers and timing systems that will be installed at the new pool. Swimmers presented their check to the council at the June meeting and council members then voted unanimously to fund the project. l

A clean car equals community support as Bingham High swimmers earn money for new practice lap lanes. (Photo courtesy David Alvord)

Bingham High swim team presents Salt Lake County Council with a check to contribute to new practice lap lanes at the South Jordan Rec Center. (Photo courtesy David Alvord)

One smart cookie—founder of RubySnap Cookies, Tami Steggell, is committed to her customers and to her community

She may cook sweet, but the gal’s got grit. Tami Steggell is the founder of RubySnap Bakery where daily she bakes and serves up cookies. It is her dream job and may sound like the sweetest gig in the world, but Steggell worked hard, and continues to work hard, to make it so.

Necessary ingredients

Steggell’s father was a Marine, and as such, she grew up all over the world. She calculated that she’d moved 21 times by the time she was 18 years old. At about age 15, her family was living in Saudi Arabia, and she decided to move back to the States for educational opportunities.

She finished high school and went on to get her degree in Architectural Design from BYU. After that, she spent 15 years in the industry. At that time she was an avid cyclist, training all week, and on her one day off she wanted nothing more than something wonderful to eat. She’d think about it all week, because “every edible moment meant something to me,” but invariably the sweets she found would taste like nothing but sugar.

That’s when she started baking for herself, experimenting with seasonal ingredients like beets, rhubarb, cherries, mint and vanilla beans sourced directly from Bali. Her own cookies were “worth her time and calories,” sweettalking her architectural clients with a batch of fresh-baked was a success, and she thought maybe she had created something special.

In 2008, she quit her job, cashed out her IRA and opened the flagship store at 770 S. 300 West, in an area that is becoming the redeveloped and cool Granary District, but back then it was surrounded by industry and empty store fronts. Still, she liked the vibe of the place and it was rent she could afford. With sweat equity, she gutted the building and opened the doors. And the customers came.

Thankfully, the cookie didn’t crumble

That’s not where the story ends, and things haven’t always been sweet.

At conception, the company was named Dough Girl, a name Steggell had copyrighted, but Pillsbury sued anyway, as the name was a little too close to Dough Boy for their liking. Steggell decided she could be stuck in the courtroom proving she was right, or she could continue her dream journey, baking great cookies. She opted out of a lengthy legal battle and it took her $50,000 to rebrand to RubySnap, but her customers and the community responded and rallied behind her.

By 2018, RubySnap had expanded to five stores, a couple out of state, but Steggell realized with all the expansion, she and her crew had been working harder, not smarter. Her life was unbalanced. It was a hard decision, but RubySnap closed all but their flagship store and pulled out of 165 retail outlets, getting back to their core priorities.

By Ella Joy Olsen | e.olsen@mycityjournals.com

And now we have the Salt Lake “Cookie Wars.” There is fresh cookie competition and it’s getting heated, as Crumbl, Dirty Dough and Crave battle it out in the bakery and in court. RubySnap is out of the legal fray, but when asked about the pop-up cookie shop competition on the South Valley Chamber Podcast, Steggell wasn’t worried, “Competition forces ingenuity, an evaluation of your product and priorities, and the people who win are the consumers.”

Change and innovation keep it fresh for this smart cookie

Steggell has a passion for fresh produce in season. She builds the flavor of her cookies through real ingredients and no preservatives: strawberries in the spring, peaches during harvest, citrus in the winter. She is always experimenting with new flavor palates and wants the seasonal options to taste “pulled from the garden.”

Each day visitors to the store are able to choose from 22 different types of cookie, and the choice isn’t easy. Eighteen are menu/customer staples, two are seasonal specialties, and two are show-off cookies, made with a variety of unusual ingredient combinations. Each cookie is named after one of the “We Can Do It” women of World War II, who Steggell so admires and who are a part of the RubySnap brand.

There’s the Ellie, a gluten-free (you’d never know it) topped with seasonal peaches, created in honor of a former employee with significant dietary restrictions. There’s the Sophia made with passion fruit and hibiscus, the Margo with chocolate cinnamon dough and a

milk chocolate mint center, and the Trudy, an old-fashioned chocolate chip girl. All in all, Steggell says they have developed and baked over 90 different recipes.

For those who don’t live close to the flagship store, frozen dough can be found at Harmons, Lee’s Marketplace and Whole Foods across the state. And for this next holiday season, RubySnap is creating a dry cookie mix for baking and gifting with flavors like eggnog and chocolate peppermint.

Something else to chew on Steggell is the mom of seven and a new empty-nester. This left her with a tiny crumb of extra time, and because one cannot live on cookies alone, Steggell started Bite Me Industries @bitemeindustries, an Instagram account where she creates one-minute tutorials of what she is cooking in her own kitchen. She films an actual dinner-in-the-making, edits the footage to a bite-sized portion and posts the segment with an ingredient list and instructions.

Her goal is to demystify a meal. Recipes include favorite salad dressings, mains, greens and grains salads, desserts (of course), and other recipes using all things seasonal.

Bite Me Industries started as a hobby and morphed quickly into a monthly cooking segment on KSL Studio 5, and a teaching gig at Orson Gygi.

A cookie to share with the community

Since RubySnap cookies are made fresh with no preservatives, at the end of each day unpurchased product is boxed and frozen for donation. Anyone can request cookies, but the company rule is that a donation must go toward a good cause. Recipients are places like the Ronald McDonald House, Primary Children’s

Hospital, unhoused family shelters, nonprofit preschools and various adult rehab sites. Steggell was told that attendance at several of the rehab sites is higher on the days they deliver, as the cookies provide a sweet reason to show up.

And new this year at Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum, kids can try their hand at working at a pretend RubySnap Bakery in a play kitchen complete with ovens, cookie sheets, and plastic cookies and frosting. RubySnap provided ideas and branding for the kitchen, and dollars toward the project. Annually, Steggell and RubySnap donate more than $165,000 to the community, a big bite for a small company. l

All sorts of deliciousness in one box. (Ella Joy Olsen/City Journals)

Tami Steggell founder of RubySnap Cookies stands in front of the flagship location in the Granary District on Third West. (Ella Joy Olsen/City Journals)

The flagship RubySnap location in the historic Granary District on Third West. (Ella Joy Olsen/ City Journals)

What is your name and position with the company?

Jacob Hu — Owner / Operator

How long have you been with the company and what quali cations do you have?

I originated the company in June of 2020, just as the onset of COVID-19 was really getting hot. For years before this I studied wood characteristics coupled with bat design. Having an engineering background, my brother and I started toying with the idea of making a wood bat, not that we ever thought anything would come of it, rather just having fun.

Soon after our rst hand made bat was completed, we grew more curious as to what it would take to make a bat like professional bat companies, and a bat professional players would use. There was so much to learn and innovation still is on the forefront of our industry and our mindset here at American Batsmith. Since the company’s inception, we have made many bats for many players both outside and inside MLB.

How long has your business been in business?

We have been in business for 3 years, going on 4 years. Owning your own business has been quite the ride. Having never run my own company before, learning the business side of the business and the (BAT SIDE) of the business made for some busy years and even now, busy days.

What products and services do you o er?

We o er a full spectrum of Wood bats, from Trophy, amateur, to pros. We also o er a line of Hickory bats and are working step by step on our own composite wood bat.

What sets your company apart from your competitors?

American Batsmith buys the same wood as many market share

bigger bat companies get their raw material. The wood had minimal blemishes and is graded for MLB use. What set us apart is our own style of stains, top coats, and our compression of the wood barrels giving us award winning surface rigidity to our bats.

Does your business solve a problem for your customers?

Many players in baseball are very superstitious. We work to provide a bat that feels like an extension of your hands, giving the player the most con dence and comfort. This in turn places the player in a more achievable hitting atmosphere to promote hitting success.

Who is your ideal client/customer?

Honestly our ideal customer is everyone, we sell to the public and to anyone who wishes to have our product.

How do potential clients choose between you and a competitor?

Generally, I believe it comes down to three components that players usually look at. 1st is the look os the bat, the colors and topcoat. 2nd is the feel of the bat in your hands, the balance, thickness, length, and geometry. 3rd which is the most

important and that gets often overlooked is the quality of wood. Wood quality should be your rst priority in considering any game ready bat. So these three items are typically how players would choose a manufacturer that works for them.

What is your best advice for someone who is considering doing business with you?

Let’s be creative, we love creativity in this realm or market. Be patient also, as some custom cuts and paint need time to create and top coats to cure properly.

What is your favorite product/service your company o ers?

My favorite product we o er is our compressed Birch bats we produce. I feel Birch is a better baseball bat wood than Maple in longer term durability. Seeing how there is no minimum density requirement for Birch within the MLB statutes that we follow, we can be more creative with geometries.

Are you currently running any special or hosting any upcoming events?

We are currently not running any specials or have any events. We typically set up a pop up store at tournaments every year, however we have been so busy those opportunities have been foregone due to workload.

Where can customers nd you?

We can be found at www.americanbatsmith.com or @ americabatsmith on Instagram

If you are a service provider, what is your service area? We have shipped bats all over the world!

Anything else you’d like our readers to know about your business? Buy local!

Dr. Angela Dunn still serves the public, just not so publically

Her job is still to protect the public, but her role these days is a little more Clark Kent than Superman, and that’s just how she likes it.

She’s Dr. Angela Dunn, former Utah State Epidemiologist, and the face many still associate with the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Even now when I meet new people they’ll say something like, ‘I feel like I should get your autograph,’ and that’s always a little unsettling to me,” Dunn says, indicating that public servants don’t serve for celebrity status, either positive or negative. “Heck, I dyed my hair blonde so I wouldn’t be as recognizable, but the hair thing is too much work, so I’m going back to brunette.”

Still, she feels a little bad about being associated with a public health crisis, with the years that were quite possibly some of the hardest ever encountered by our country, our state and the community-at-large.

The role of State Epidemiologist is, by nature, an outwardly focused one. Dunn’s duty was to share directly with the public emerging and science-based suggestions for containing any public health crisis. She just happened to get a global pandemic. She, and other health officials countrywide, worked against a political movement that belittled scientific expertise. This drew controversy from local detractors who circulated her address on social media and gathered in front of her home to protest.

“It was scary and wrong that someone would feel comfortable sharing my personal information,” Dunn told the Salt Lake Tribune in late 2020. “That people would think it is OK to harass civil servants.”

About that time she realized the controversy had diminished her ability to be perceived as a neutral figure, so in 2021 when the county’s executive health director, Gary Edwards, announced his retirement, and Dunn had the opportunity to move into a less visible role, she took off the cape, so to speak. Still a superhero

She’s now two years into her position as the Executive and Medical Director of the Salt Lake County Health Department, one of the largest local health departments in the nation, serving nearly 1.3 million residents. This new role is significantly different in that she is more behind- the-scenes, ensuring that the “best 500 public health practitioners,” those involved on the frontlines, have the resources to protect and improve the well-being of all county residents. She problem-solves in a team environment, doing big picture planning for the future of public health.

Services provided under the umbrella of the County Health Department are vast and seemingly jack-of-all-trades, ranging from expected things like screenings and immunizations, to more obscure services like: noise pollution, noxious weed control, tobacco prevention, bee inspection and water quality.

By Ella Joy Olsen | e.olsen@mycityjournals.com

Or according to the department website, “Every day we immunize children, inspect restaurants, keep tobacco out of the hands of minors, encourage physical activity, teach proper nutrition, protect our water and air, and provide culturally appropriate services to a multitude of disparate populations.”

Dunn believes that, “these different divisions fit well together because, when combined, they touch the health, lives and livelihoods of every single person.”

Casting a community-focused web

Dunn’s first year in her new role was focused on adjusting to the aftermath of the pandemic, on helping staff to process the complex emotions after the adrenaline rush and heartbreak.

She now hopes to apply the lessons learned from those tumultuous years. She is working toward a change in perspective. Rather than applying top-down health objectives to all communities, health workers are now being strategically placed to reflect the unique communities they serve. They will be in a position to communicate with local trusted leaders, with the intent of proceeding from people toward policy (rather than the other way around). The goal is to ask about specific community-focused priorities and needs, then address those needs, then focus on health literacy so the information and services provided will be easily understood and used.

The hope is to build back trust lost during the pandemic, to be engaged with communities over the long term, to be in a positon to let people know why and how recommendations come about and may change, and to innovate and move faster when confronted with another health crisis.

Hero’s journey

Dunn was born in Texas. Her father was in the oil business and his job moved the family from state to state, so by the time she was 7, Dunn had lived in nine different houses. She learned to adapt to change, a trait she still uses in her profession.

Dunn received her medical degree from the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, and completed her residency training in general preventive medicine and public health at the University of California San Diego. She also holds a Master of Public Health from San Diego State University and a B.A. in international relations from Brown University.

After her education she served as an epidemic intelligence service officer for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where she responded to the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone. In 2014, she accepted an epidemiologist assignment with the Utah Department of Health and she became the state epidemiologist just four years later.

Along with her executive director position at the county, she’s currently the president of the Council of State and Territorial

Epidemiologists, or CSTE, which held their annual conference in SLC in June. Unmasking the superhero Dunn’s perfect day would start with an unhurried, unstructured morning of breakfast, reading and cuddling with her sons, ages 11 and 6. She loves trail running, so she might get a little exercise someplace like City Creek, on a trial with a bit of elevation and a perfect combination of shade, sun and views. She loves that she can access mountain trails from her back door, something she realizes is not found in many cities.

If she had a bit of extra free time during the day, she might listen to an audio book to allow for multitasking. Her favorites are not medical thrillers (because she sometimes feels like she’s lived it) but spy or crime novels. Or she wouldn’t mind watching a show. Dunn’s Covid-19 binge series was “Homeland,” which she enjoyed because the main

character’s job woes felt even more daunting than her own.

For dinner she’d go to HSL, where she loves the food and the décor. She’d choose one of the groovy high-backed booths for an easy, private conversation with friends and/or family.

These days Dunn no longer wears a mask at the farmer’s market, on a plane, or while attending the theater. She’s a hugger and is happy to get back to that norm. What she loves is that at this stage we have a better understanding of Covid-19 and tools to fight it. Individuals, knowing their prior conditions, risk factors and vaccination status, can take the proper precautions. We can mask or unmask, and she says, “Isn’t it refreshing that masks can now occupy a more politically neutral space?” l

Dr. Angela Dunn and her son represent the Salt Lake County Health Department at Pride. (Photo Angela Dunn)

Spa Trouvé provides services and opportunities for women

Walk into any of the six Spa Trouvé locations in Utah and you’ll know you’re not in a traditional salon. With glow signs, fuchsia chairs, leopard rugs and recessed neon lighting, the brand is loud, proud and founded on the owner’s passion for beauty and science.

Courtney Anderson opened her first Spa Trouvé in Orem in 2011, and 12 years later she’s built an award-winning medical services spa empire with additional locations in Draper, Bountiful, St. George, Saratoga Springs and Highland.

The BYU graduate, podcast host and business mentor is a motivated and driven leader with an infectious personality who kind of fell into the medical spa business.

“I had always loved the beauty industry, but I'd also gone to BYU and I had a science degree,” Anderson said. “I liked that [a med spa] combined both worlds. We have the science behind the treatments along with the beauty aspect. So it wasn't just hair and nails and pampering but it was progressive.”

One of her biggest challenges is the constant transition of employees. Her spa technicians are usually women between the ages of 18 and 25 and often leave when they get married or have children. She encourages her employees to retain their skills and certifications, and even work part time in order to stay connected to the industry.

She also encourages her employees to have the conversation with their partners about working out of the home. Anderson offers flexible schedules to allow women the opportunity to use their skills, make some money, and have time out of the home after they become mothers.

“My true belief is that all women should have a part-time job, even if it's very part-time, just so they have an outlet and a

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

safe place. Being at home…can be very daunting and mentally challenging,” Anderson said. “I think a lot more women could have a dream…if they had more of that support from their husbands. I do believe women are really, really great at supporting their husbands in general…but I think it can be a little bit more challenging to have men flip their mindset.”

As an elite provider of medical spa services, Spa Trouvé offers skincare treatments, including Botox, microneedling and chemical peels. The spa also does CoolSculpting, laser hair removal and other high-end services.

Anderson is grateful to Comcast Business for supporting her entrepreneurial journey. She said Comcast representative Derek Birch has been a responsive and excellent partner as she created an effective communication system that helped unify her six locations, which includes a 500mbps Comcast Business Internet connection, Comcast Business VoiceEdge and Select solutions. The technology from Comcast Business helps her manage operations at her training facility, as well as her office and front desk areas.

"We are incredibly proud to have played a significant role in Courtney’s inspiring entrepreneurial journey,” Birch said. “Her unwavering dedication to excellence has culminated in the successful establishment of Spa Trouvé across six locations in Utah.

“As a company that values innovation and customer satisfaction, we were honored to provide the necessary communications equipment and services that fueled her business growth.”

Described as the “Nordstrom of medical spas” by Anderson and her clients, Spa Trouvé is a woman-owned business success story in Utah and a leading example for medical spas

around the country. Trouvé means “to find” and the spa’s tagline “Find your glow” reminds women they deserve to be pampered, beautiful and radiant.

“I think something that really helps us stand out is we just aren't that waterfall, muted, typical spa,” Anderson said. “We are a prominent med spa in the state. We employ over 100 women and three LGBTQ men…You will remember Spa Trouvé when you walk in. It’s just very vibrant.”

To find out more about Spa Trouvé, visit spatrouve.com. For information about Comcast Business visit business.comcast.com. l

Courtney Anderson opened her first Spa Trouvé in Orem in 2011, and 12 years later she’s built an award-winning medical services spa empire. (Photo courtesy of Courtney Anderson)

“

Carr ying a legacy. And a new name.

Jordan Valley Medical Center is now Holy Cross Hospital - Jordan Valley. We're honoring our namesake and honored to care for our community. Find us at five Holy Cross Hospital locations and more than 45 clinics along the Wasatch Front.

Holy Cross Hospital

Jordan Valley

Formerly Jordan Valley Medical Center

day service.”

—David C

The easiest way to restore your home... the best way to restore your life.

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

—Anna D

The technician was prompt, worked quickly, and was very professional. They provided outstanding same

Mind the Gap Festival celebrates women’s voices

What better way to celebrate the power of women’s voices than a music festival featuring female musicians? Salt Lake’s inaugural Mind the Gap Fest will be held at The Gateway (18 Rio Grande St.) on Saturday, Aug. 26, with gates open at 11 a.m.

Presented by Salt Lake Community College, Women’s Leadership Institute, Utah Women & Leadership Project, Girls on the Run and more, the festival celebrates women who are pursuing careers in music and entertainment.

The festival features headliners like Beach Bunny, Yaeji, Sales, Orion Sun, Destroy Boys and Jadu Heart in a celebration of Women’s Equality Day. Mind the Gap will help attendees understand gender gaps in equality including income, executive positions, education and political representation.

“We have a really educated workforce of women [in Utah] but they choose to stay home. They get their degree and then don’t do anything with it,” said WLI Director of Communication and Community Patti Cook. “They don't have the opportunity to have remote work. In Utah, 95% of the CEOs in Utah companies are male and so there’s a lot of bias around women and where their place is.”

However, once women step outside the traditional corporate structure, they demonstrate robust entrepreneurial success. With the corporate structure built to support male leadership, women find running their own companies gives them the freedom, opportunity and flexibility to grow as a leader and business owner.

Although this is the first time Mind the Gap has been

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

held in Utah, it’s a national franchise that’s been proven successful for many years. A portion of each ticket sold will benefit a scholarship fund for individuals interested in pursuing a degree in an entertainment related industry.

Tickets can be purchased at MindTheGapFest.com. Use the code WOMENLEAD20 for 20% off.

In conjunction with Mind the Gap Fest, WLI will host an event Wednesday, Aug. 23 from 4-6 p.m. at Kiln (26 S. Rio Grande St. #2072). The event will be an open discussion, moderated by WLI CEO Pat Jones, to identify cultural norms and how they impact women in Utah.

“When we talk to women, they think that they’re the only one having this problem and we want them to know that they’re seen and heard,” Cook said. “It’s not them who needs to be fixed. They’re in spaces that could be more friendly.”

Cook said enhancing women’s voices and giving them a place at the table lifts all aspects of society. Having a diverse selection of voices on boards, commissions, corporate and political leadership and education leads to more inclusive social and economic outcomes.

“We have to prepare women to be able to stand up and negotiate that salary that is on par with their male counterparts, and to not be afraid to do that, and to have the confidence to speak up in meetings,” Cook said. “Confidence is huge. Because so many women have worked in toxic environments, they think if they put their head down and work hard enough, they’ll be promoted, but that is not statistically true.” l

Female musicians headline Salt Lake’s inaugural Mind the Gap fest on Saturday, Aug. 26, a music festival that addresses gender gaps in equality. (Image courtesy of the Women’s Leadership Institute)

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

REHEARSALS: Thursdays at 6:30 PM, August 31 - November 30 Saturdays At 8:30 AM, October and November

PERFORMANCES: Saturday, December 2 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM at Bingham High School Contact Paulette at (801) 808-5971

Pearls With Purpose breaks generational poverty in developing countries

WhenWendy Bird’s husband suggested she make jewelry to sell at farmers markets, she had no idea it would turn into a global foundation that provides training, mentorship and income for hundreds of women.

Back in 2001, Bird was a stay-at-home mom with five children, looking for a project that would help rediscover her identity which had gotten lost in all the laundry and daily chores. Jewelry making seemed the perfect fit. As a certified gemologist, Bird loves pearls for the way they mimic humanity.

“I love that they’re formed because of an irritant within the lining tissue of the oyster,” she said. “The oyster can’t spew it out, it can’t do anything but secrete a soothing nacre. It can only hug the irritant and that transforms it into this lustrous gemstone. To me, that’s a perfect example of what humanity needs.”

The Riverton resident sent out a request looking to import quality pearls for jewelry making and got a response from a woman in the Philippines. The woman said if Bird imported jewelry pieces, instead of loose pearls, she would change lives.

Bird jumped on the idea and created information to make necklaces, earrings and bracelets. She emailed the docs to the Philippines and a group of women began making jewelry. Bird would import it back to the States and sell it, giving the women 64% of the profits.

Pearls With Purpose had begun. The social impact organization provides microenterprise training for women in poverty, or women rescued from sex trafficking or abuse, in the Philippines, Kenya, Peru, Dominican Republic, India and Cambodia.

For four years, everything was done through long-distance correspondence; she had never traveled internationally. But then a representative from another nonprofit invited Bird overseas to meet the women working with her.

“I landed and saw for the first time ever, these humble circumstances that the individuals live in and the struggle it was to get to the internet cafe and the cost associated with being able to print out the documents,” she said. “Everything was 10 times worse than what they’d conveyed because I put this American spin on it.”

The obstacles her jewelry makers faced hadn’t registered, even though she had trained more than 70 women at that point. Invited to stay in the home of one of the women, she was shocked at the level of poverty.

“In my head I thought I’m going to stay in a bedroom with my own toilet. No. They showed me this piece of plywood they put on the dirt floor they’d covered with a sheet that had been shipped over in a shipment that I had sent, and it happened to be one of my kid’s sheets,” Bird said. “There was no electricity. I was told to shower under this tree, and it’s mostly private. I realized these people needed more from me than I had been giving.”

That trip changed her mindset. She applied for 501(c) (3) status and started doing in-person trainings to adapt her program to their needs. She trained women in an abandoned school, she helped women living in the jungle and in villages ruled by a king. She adapted to cultural differences and language barriers and learned each woman dealt with their own difficulties.

In a leper colony in India, Bird trained 183 women on a dirt floor in a community center. As untouchables, the women couldn’t sit on chairs because their low caste status meant they couldn't sit higher than anyone else in the village. After months, Bird got permission for the women to sit on mats.

“We’re dealing with individuals who for their entire life had been told you will never go to school, you will never be

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

counted as human, you will never have a job. You will just sit on the sidelines of life and watch it unfold,” she said. “If you’re a woman and you’ve been told a very specific stigma your entire life and all of a sudden you hear that it could be different from what you’ve always known, wouldn’t you show up?”

An orphanage in Cambodia reached out to Bird, asking her to bring Pearls With Purpose to their location, training teens from 15-17 in jewelry making so they would have a skill when they left the orphanage at age 18. Often, those 18-yearolds turned to sex work or drugs, but with a skill to fall back on, they could create a different life.

“A year after that training, we got the first email that [a young man] was going to a university in Australia and because of this program he has the $5,500 to attend this university,” Bird said. “So all of a sudden you can see that it’s working.”

In the Dominican Republic and Kenya, Bird worked with children rescued from sex trafficking through Operation Underground Railroad. She taught them to polish, design and wire-wrap gemstones to allow them to create an income.

Along with jewelry tools, Pearls With Purpose also purchases sewing machines, computers and other items women can use to better their lives. Bird teaches them to meet with

wholesalers and negotiate prices.

Right before COVID hit, Bird met with some women in the Philippines. They were talking with her but she couldn’t remember their names. She asked what training session they’d completed.

“One of them said, ‘You didn’t train me. You trained my mom. Because of you, I went to college. My mom put me in school. She had enough money.’ Another said, ‘Hi, I’m Janet’s daughter and this is my baby and I married a good man because I went to this university because you trained my mom.’

“It was this generational break in poverty,” Bird said. “I just started bawling. It was so unexpected. You sit there and listen to these younger adults and you know because you landed on that plane in 2005, they were the ones running around barefoot in their little tank tops and shorts…and here they are dressed so properly you don’t even recognize them and they’re saying, you trained my mom and my life is different now.”

Pearls With Purpose endured through COVID on fumes and held a fundraiser in February to rebuild its accounts. The community can help by purchasing jewelry and books at Pearlswithpurpose.org, donating cash or frequent flier miles, and by spreading awareness on Facebook and Instagram.

Bird’s husband, David, is her biggest cheerleader. As travel opens back up in developing countries, he wants her to get back to doing what she does best: teaching women to build self-reliance and self-worth.

“For years, she has given keynote speeches and had the opportunity to sell the jewelry that these women make,” he said. “My wife is amazing and has dedicated her life to helping hundreds of women in several different developing countries.”l

Riverton resident Wendy Bird (left) created the Pearls With Purpose Foundation to provide jewelry-making training for women in developing countries. The women can create an income while building self-reliance. (Photo courtesy of Pearls With Purpose)

Pearls With Purpose works with women in the Philippines, Kenya, Peru, Dominican Republic, India and Cambodia. The nonprofit, started by Wendy Bird (bottom left corner), offers women a way to create income through jewelry making. (Photo courtesy of Pearls With Purpose)

Women who work outside the home are supernatural shapeshifters. One minute they’re closing the deal on a $5-million property and the next minute they’re on the phone with their 5-year-old daughter who’s upset because the parakeet won’t talk to her.

I think we can agree women are in the workplace. I think we can agree most households need two incomes to afford the basics like food, shelter and Netflix. I think we can also agree that mothers take on the biggest load when it comes to child care. Well, our country’s child care system is failing women in a spectacular SpaceX explosion kind of way.

This disparity was highlighted during COVID, an infuriating pandemic where millions of women lost their jobs. As child care centers closed, women were usually the ones to step away from their careers to become full-time school teachers, nurses, referees, short-order cooks, video game experts and day drinkers.

Single mothers always draw the short straw when it comes to child care choices. If you’ve never been a single mom who has to decide between using a vacation day or leaving her sick 11 year old at home alone, consider yourself lucky.

Care.com reported on child care costs in the U.S., showing the average family

spends 27% of their income on child care with the majority spending around $18,000 each year. Utah’s costs are a bit lower than the national average but we make up for that by having one bajillion children.

There are always people who say, “Women should be home raising their children. Problem solved.” Guess what? Problem not solved because most families need two incomes to get by, even adding in the cost of child care. When women choose to stay home, it takes a big bite out of the household income.

To combat this, parents work multiple jobs, alternate work schedules with a spouse or partner, rely on family members to babysit and hope their toddler becomes a child star to cover living expenses.

Employers, do you know how often moms worry about asking for time off to take kids to dentist appointments, doctor visits, parent-teacher conferences, lobot-

omies, etc.? It’s constant. There’ve been times when I was shamed by my boss because I needed to deal with a situation at home. That should never happen.

Women and families need child care support and it’s about damn time to get

creative.

Let’s start with free (or low-cost) onsite child care. Let’s throw in flexible and remote schedules that allow parents to be home after school. Let’s address the stupid 40-hour work week that’s not only a waste of time, but a drain on families.

Kim Kardashian pays each of her nannies (she has at least four on call 24/7) nearly $100,000 per year. She got it right. That’s what women should be paid for watching children because it’s mentally, emotionally and physically exhausting. But the average family can’t afford ONE nanny for even half that price.

And, yes, sometimes it’s the father who stays home with the kids (and they struggle, too) but the majority of child care responsibility is placed on mothers.

Mothers are expected to work competently at a full-time job and turn into Mary Poppins/Mrs. Doubtfire/Amelia Bedelia the minute they get home. We’re tired of shapeshifting. It’s making us cranky.

If employers want to hire shapeshifters, they’d better be prepared to offer flexibility, creativity and full value for that skill or we’ll take our talents and go home. And then nobody wins.

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

—Steve M., Army Special Forces

CSCS Chiropractic Physician