South Jordan Journal | September 2023

STUDENTS MAKE COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS, CREATE BUSINESSES THROUGH BINGHAM’S ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACADEMY

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

This school year, students are following the footsteps of those who piloted Bingham High’s Entrepreneurship Academy.

Recent Bingham High graduate Jace Wagstaff was one of the first students to participate in the program. He and other students split into small groups and brainstormed ideas to start a business. Then, they had a local business leader mentor them.

His four-member group’s idea was to create a device to dock a boat without a rope.

“We developed the idea over a couple months,” Wagstaff said. “Basically, you pull the boat into the dock, then you have a suction cup that hooks onto the face of your boat and then there’s a shock system that goes against the dock that prevents it from colliding. It helps those people who struggle to find the right ropes and tying them. The idea behind it is to make it simpler and, in some cases, safer.”

He said the initial design was for waterskiing boats, but the device, Dock Hero,

should work on all watercrafts including jet skis and kayaks.

Wagstaff, who has continued with the business on his own after the class ended, has six or seven prototypes and has met with an engineer to get it professionally built and manufacture about 100 devices this summer.

The Entrepreneurship Academy began when Jordan School District career and technical education directors wanted to create entrepreneurship programs within the business departments at its six comprehensive high schools. Each high school then was charged to start its own course, so no two programs are identical, said Pepper Poulsen, Bingham High CTE/concurrent enrollment coordinator.

In Bingham’s program, students first identify “a problem that they encounter all the time that they feel they can create a business or a service to fix,” class teacher Andrea Call said.

Recent Bingham High graduate Jace Wagstaff showed his entrepreneurship class the prototype, Dock Hero, that he developed with his classmates. (Photo courtesy of Jace Wagstaff)

USA Rugby to host International Friendly in Utah

By Daniel Olsen | d.olsen@mycityjournals.com

R

“I’m from Ireland,” Mullen said. “It’s on a small island off the coast. When I went to high school on the mainland, the only sport they played was rugby. It was sink or swim. Fortunately, I was able to excel.”

Utah’s Major League Rugby team, the Utah Warriors, is hosting an attempt at the Guinness World Record for the largest rugby scrum, and proceeds from the event will benefit 5 for the Fight and Make-A-Wish Utah. With fan and player participation, the challenge will take place immediately following the upcoming international rugby spectacle featuring the USA Eagles and France’s Stade Toulousain on Sept. 16.

“We have a partnership with Stade Toulousain,” Utah Warriors CEO Kimball Kjar said. “They are arguably the Real Madrid of rugby. They won the most recent French championship. They are the most successful rugby club in the world. One goal of the partnership is to grow the sport of rugby but specifically within North America to help their brand grow. We also want the Utah Warriors brand to grow internationally and throughout Europe. We want to create events that showcase the sport of rugby.”

The thrilling matchup will be held at America First Field in Sandy with gates opening at 3 p.m. and game kickoff at 4 p.m. The pursuit for the world record begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets to participate in the scrum, along with a commemorative T-shirt, cost $10 and can be purchased as an add-on at checkout when purchasing match tickets here.

ugby is a popular sport in Utah and teams and players here have helped build up the sport in the United States. One player who has thrived in this environment is Paul Mullen.“American football fans like big hits,” Mullen said. “Rugby is the same but doesn’t go on for four hours. It’s only 80 minutes.”

While Mullen didn’t grow up in the United States, he still is happy to be a part of the national rugby team.

“My grandfather grew up in the U.S.,” he said. “For me to represent America is a great honor.”

This momentous endeavor in rugby history serves to engage the community and rugby fans from around the world and raise funds for the Utah Warriors’ local nonprofit partners. Fans who have upgraded their match ticket at the cost of $10 are invited to come down onto America First Field after the game, where over 3,000 people will lock arms to break the record of 2,586 participants set in 2018 in Aichi, Japan.

“This will be the biggest scrum in the world,” Mullen said. “It should be a friendly scrum. It is like a huge huddle. That would be cool if it was broken.”

“The long-term goal is to make Utah the epicenter of rugby for North America,” Kjar said. “We also want to be growing on a global scale. Utah has a love affair with the sport of rugby. Rugby playing countries led to the University of Utah playing rugby on their campus and eventually American football. Rugby was being played in the mid-20th century. BYU has won five national championships. Utah won a national championship too, in about 2010. Highland High School was successful and won over 20 national championships. We have one of the largest Polynesian communities outside of Polynesia. The guys that are in the NFL out of Utah all played rugby. Rugby is a part of Utah’s DNA. We are trying with

Eagles USA Rugby player Christian Dyer. (Kayla McFarland of Utah Warriors)

the Warriors to help people understand the energy that is played in this sport. We can help re-awaken the energy of the sport.”

This event should be an educational opportunity for those involved.

“Anyone who hasn’t come to a game of rugby should come. It’s a perfect opportunity to watch the best players in our backyard. We make it very easy for people to come out and enjoy the sport and game. Educational things. Gives people a view of what the sport looks like. People love it carries the day,” Kjar said.

“The Rugby World Cup is the biggest event,” Mullen said. “But we are playing against incredible world class athletes. They are one of the best clubs in the world.”

While this event will take place during

the middle of the Rugby World Cup, there will still be plenty of talented athletes who will line up against each other. The Rugby World Cup will take place from Sept. 8-Oct. 28.

The tickets are much cheaper than basketball, football, and soccer,” Mullen said. “It will be hard hitting with lots of scores and tackles. It should be an exciting time.”

While not every player from these teams will be in attendance, it will still be a world class matchup.

“We will have six to seven Utah Warriors playing as well as many of the best players from Toulouse,” Kjar said. “These are some of the best players in the world.” l

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Learningmight be a bit sweeter at American Academy of Innovation this year, thanks to a sixth-grade assignment.

Last year, sixth-grade language arts teacher Mark Sanderson turned the story of Roald Dahl’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” into reality.

After reading and discussing the novel, 30 students visited Utah State University’s chocolate factory before dreaming up their own chocolate bars, complete with the name, slogan and ingredients, and presented those to their class. Each class voted for their favorites and then the student body voted for the top one. Those finalists got the “golden ticket” to step into USU’s factory to actually create the winning chocolate bar.

“This is exposing kids to something that’s fun, engaging and gets them to be creative outside the school,” Sanderson said. “It also invites them to think about possible

Sweet success for one sixth grader

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

careers. Ultimately, it’s helping them realize that as sixth graders, ‘I can have an impact on the world. I don’t have to wait until I’m a college graduate.’”

This year’s top chocolatier is Sienna Anderson. The school purchased 500 of her “Sunset Sweets” for students.

“My slogan was ‘Sweet and Salty Nights’ because it went with the name of my chocolate bar,” she said. “My ingredients include Reese’s Pieces, and those colors remind me of a sunset, that’s why I named it that. I love sunsets and I used a bunch of my favorite snacks for the ingredients — potato chips and the pretzels that are salty and Reese’s Pieces that are sweet. Lots of people didn’t like the idea of potato chips and chocolate. They doubted it, but when they tried it, they thought it was really good.”

Sienna liked the assignment from the start.

“‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ is a really good book. I’ve seen the movie, but this was the first time I read it,” she said. “When everyone went to the Aggie Chocolate Factory, we looked at what they were doing behind the glass. We got to learn how they make their chocolate and where they get their ingredients from. I learned a lot about what cacao beans are and how you get the flavor of chocolate.”

Sanderson said it was a good opportunity for all the students to learn more about the process and to sample the chocolate made there.

“They could tell the difference. Aggie chocolate is a little more earthy flavor and a creamier texture. USU is the only bean to bar chocolate factory on a college campus. Most of the major chocolate makers don’t make their own chocolate. Here they make chocolates from beans from several areas so each chocolate tastes differently because they’re using beans from different areas,” he said.

Sanderson also liked how they not only gained an understanding of chocolate, but the idea that they could study it in college.

“They learned if you like chocolate, you can do this in college. They got a bit of a career perspective with chocolate specifically, but learned they could study food sciences. The director of the factory uses chocolate to teach a chemistry course, so who wouldn’t want to go to college?” he said.

After they returned to AAI, Sanderson instructed them to create their own chocolate bar along with a label. They also made a PowerPoint slideshow to present to their class.

“I felt I had a pretty good idea,” Sienna said. “For me, the hard part was the presentation because I get anxious and stressed when I’m presenting in front of people. Once I got past that, it was fun.”

After class presentations, they voted for the three chocolate bars they liked best. The concepts with the most votes were entered into the finals.

“We made posters for our chocolate bars and those were put in the cafeteria. Then the whole school voted; the poll didn’t say the students’ names, just the chocolate and ingredients,” Sienna said. “I was really excited because my friend, Jaelyn Jones, also was a finalist. We were supporting each other, and we said that even if one of us was a finalist and the other wasn’t, we’d still be really close friends. When the vote was in, they had us stand in front of our posters and announced it. I was nervous, but excited to see who’d win. When my name was announced, I was in shock, frozen for a second. I realized that everybody was screaming and cheering for me. I had beat Jaelyn by five votes, so she was second overall. It was fun celebrating together.”

At 10 a.m., Feb. 1 – the same time and day Charlie went to visit Willy Wonka’s

chocolate factory — Sienna, the other five finalists and families were invited to USU’s chocolate factory. They learned more indepth about USU’s chocolate process.

“We put on hair nets and paper scrubs over our shoes and went behind the glass where we saw the roasting and de-shelling of the cacao beans. They already had my chocolate premade with the potato chips mixed in, so we got to do the next step of filling the mold with the chocolate and put it in this machine that vibrated the bubbles out. Then, we put the toppings on — a pretzel and a tiny scoop of Reese’s Pieces — and set them in the fridge for 30 minutes. We wrapped them and that had to be done fast because they melt in your hand. Then, we put the label and the sticker on to take home,” Sienna said.

“It tasted how I imagined it would taste, both sweet and salty — and crunchy, which I love,” she said.

This is the second time Sanderson has given this assignment. Previously, he taught at Butler Middle School where the “Campfire Crunch” won.

“Both years, the winner is not the one that is the most outside the box, but oddly enough, the one that appeals to the most people,” he said. “Both years, several bars could have won. There were a lot of good ideas.”

Sanderson said he can foresee expanding the assignment so students could learn how to make it an entrepreneurial business and could market their products. He also would like to have the project include other schools to increase the competition.

Sienna loved the assignment.

“I loved giving it to my family and my friends because they all were happy for me when they learned I had won,” she said. “I liked proving my idea was a good one when people doubted my ingredients.” l

Last spring, AAI student Sienna Anderson won the grade-level chocolate contest and got a “golden ticket” to make her original candy bar recipe at Utah State University. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Last spring, AAI student Sienna Anderson and her classmates made her original candy bar recipe at the Aggie Chocolate Factory. (Mark Sanderson/AAI)

After studying “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” and winning a grade-level competition to make her candy bar, AAI student Sienna Anderson said it had the perfect balance of being salty and sweet. (Mark Sanderson/AAI)

Students engage in learning through fictitious world of Harry Potter

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Sixth-grader

Adilyn Summit knows the anticipation of what this year’s fifth graders in Diane Witt-Roper’s class may be experiencing — waiting for the Harry Potter STEM Day at the end of the school year.

“I have been looking forward to this day since my sister was in fifth grade two years ago because she said it was really fun,” Adilyn Summit said last spring after she sat on a stool and was sorted into the House of Ravenclaw. “It’s been great. Ms. Witt-Roper puts a lot of time into it. We’ve built dragons, done science experiments, made our own wands. It’s been fun dressing up; I like Luna Lovegood because she doesn’t care when people judge her.”

While this school year has barely begun, most South Jordan Elementary fifth graders in Diane Witt-Roper’s class know at the end of the school year they can fly across the gym, mix up some potions and have their own book of spells.

The South Jordan Elementary teacher

said her students are “10, turning 11, so it’s a very good time to go to Hogwarts.”

Before the students enter the magical world, their foundation of Harry Potter is set.

“During the year we read the first four books and do a lot of language arts activities – comprehension, character trait study and writing activities,” the 16-year veteran teacher said.

This past year, students were able to listen to Harry Potter by the readings of Jim Dale, who created 200 different voices for the characters.

“It’s a fun way for them to enjoy a different way of learning the story. I show them a YouTube video in the beginning of the year of how he created the voices to read these stories. Many of them have seen the movies so they know what the characters look like, but when he reads them, it’s described for them, so we stop the recording and talk about that and what’s happening in the book in that moment,” Witt-Roper said. “We also

talk about writing, so they understand it’s more than just a story, it’s an example of wonderful writing.”

Students can read along while they listen, and they’re encouraged to read the rest of the series.

That was student Addie Jensen’s plan.

“I have the first book, but I plan to get the rest of them from the library to read,” she said. “I’ve watched all the movies, but they cut out some of the parts, so I like the books better. My favorite character is Harry Potter, because he’s actually a wizard, but I dressed up as Hedwig because I love owls.”

Her classmate, Atticus Thackeray, agrees.

“The books are better; I’ve read them five times,” he said. “I like the storyline. Harry Potter is cool. It would be fun to do magic, fly on a broomstick and protect people and the school by doing those quests.”

During the year, Witt-Roper has the students watch movie snippets to do a compare-and-contrast activity to the novels.

“We talk about why they’ve made changes from book to script and the kids learn about a different style of writing, editing and even about careers,” she said.

The Harry Potter STEM Day is the culminating activity after a year-long curriculum of language arts and technology activities focused on the books.

“The students are invested in the story and characters so now they’re immersed in it and it’s more interactive and engaging while they learned STEM activities,” Witt-Roper

said. “We’ve done a lot of science activities that tie into fifth-grade science, we’ve done technology, we did engineering when they put together their own dragon eggs and they’ll get more engineering toys when they go to Weasley Wizard Shop and we’ve done math activities.”

While there were several science experiments, Atticus liked learning about surface tension with Polyjuice when they added food coloring and Dawn dish soap to milk.

“That was really cool to see it spread, almost magically,” he said, adding that he’s excited to see his Mandrake grow now after each student planted one and added a silver potion to it.

Atticus also sampled Sprite-based “Unicorn Blood” and played Quidditch.

“The first time it was like baseball, we had to hit it into the hula hoop and the second time, we carried the golden snitch on a spoon, and we had to make it into the hoop,” he said. “It was fun.”

He and others had just finished completing their golden egg tasks, which combined recalling Harry Potter literary characters and stories with several physical activities.

“We make it a fun day while they’re still learning. It’s a more immersive, engaging day with experiments and activities,” Witt-Roper said.

Near the end of the day, before the students received their Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry mastery certificates, students went through rotations, getting quill pens and visiting Honey Dukes. They also looked at their swag bags.

As a fifth grader, Crae Baker looked through the bag filled with items he bought with pretend galleons.

“I got a Pygmy Puff, the magical creatures the Weasleys had, and this sponge that turns into an animal; mine is a raptor,” Crae said.

Even during the COVID-

pandemic, when the Harry Potter STEM Day wasn’t held, Witt-Roper, who has taught fifth graders for 10 years, didn’t want to disappoint her students.

“When the kids came at the end of the year to pick up all their supplies, I gave them swag bags with a very special potion – hand sanitizer. It was the year you couldn’t buy hand sanitizer, but I’d already bought it,” she said. “That was truly magical.” l

Fifth-grade students participate in STEM activities and Quidditch as part of South Jordan Elementary’s Harry Potter STEM Day. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

South Jordan Elementary fifth graders make golden snitches as part of their Harry Potter STEM Day (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Bingham High junior pays tribute to veterans, receives college scholarship

“ They are the ones who bled the scarlet stripes; who fought on the ocean of blue; who slept beneath a foreign sky, whose stars shone less brightly, so that we could raise our banner of stars undimmed.”

Those words Bingham High junior Elizabeth Hooper penned, thinking of those who have served our country from Dwight D. Eisenhower supervising the invasion of Normandy to John F. Kennedy piloting patrol torpedo boats in World War II to her neighbor, David Sparkman, who received a Purple Heart for his service in Vietnam.

Hooper wrote that as part of her audio essay, “National Treasures,” which was part of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Voice of Democracy national scholarship program. She placed sixth in the nation and received $5,000 for college on March 6 in Washington, D.C.

Earlier this school year, she received a wooden plaque from the district level and in late winter when she won the state contest, she was awarded a $240 scholarship, a crystal plaque and the trip to Washington, D.C. This summer, she also will travel to Valley Forge for a leadership camp.

“I wrote a speech with the thesis, ‘why is the veteran important?’” she said. “I wrote it over three days and talked about how our veterans are our national treasures. I recorded it and I sent it in; I had no idea where this would take me,” she said after learning about the scholarship opportunity while paging through a library book when she was home with COVID-19.

Hooper, who had both her great-grandfathers serve in the military, said she shared it with her neighbor.

“He’s the first person I read it to and he loved it,” she said.

During her four days in Washington, D.C., she visited national monuments, Arlington Cemetery, Smithsonian museums and went on a riverboat cruise on the Potomac River. She also traded Utah VFW pins with other state winners to collect all 50 state pins.

“It was my first time on a plane and my first time there. Since the speech was an audio essay, they had already judged it so there wasn’t any pressure on us. We just got to see everything and have a fun time before they announced who had won,” Hooper said. “At the ceremony, they started with the countdown and the longer I was up there, the more excited the people who traveled with me were getting. This all was a chance in a lifetime. I had hoped, but I was surprised I won along the way, and it was happening that I was in the top 10.”

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Back in South Jordan, her family and friends watched the livestream, which included the 76th annual VFW Parade of Winners.

“When they announced my name, the first thing I did was credit my VFW people from Utah. They told me there were over 30,000 people who entered the contest. I was like, ‘Holy crap.’ I was so freakin’ lucky and blessed. I was definitely helped by God. I love writing. I feel a lot of what I wrote wasn’t just my ideas; it was inspired,” she said.

When she returned home, she shared her experience with her neighbor.

“He was excited for me, and I told him all the cool things I got to see and be

a part of,” she said.

Hooper also enjoys writing science fiction and fantasy and wrote a 500-page novel by hand between her eighth grade and sophomore years’ summers. She’s working on her second novel when she isn’t busy with the school chess club she started this year.

She maintains a 4.0 GPA with a couple Advanced Placement classes and at Bingham has had a part in a school play, performs on the viola with the school orchestra and has run cross country and played soccer.

“Meeting so many people was one of the best parts of this scholarship experience. I have a friend from every state in

the United States plus Japan and Europe and we made a big group chat to text. It will be fun to reconnect with everybody in Valley Forge,” she said.

Hooper is thinking of studying law at Brigham Young University, but also wants to keep writing.

“All these veterans have stories, so it’s got me thinking that I want to write my neighbor’s story or a short story that’s based on his story, and dedicate it to him,” she said. “That will be an honor.” l

After winning the state VFW essay contest, Bingham High junior Elizabeth Hooper placed sixth in the nation. She’s pictured here with VFW auxiliary President Jane Reape and VFW National Commander Tim Borland. (Photo courtesy of the Hooper family)

South Jordan resident presented with the Distinguished Graduate Award by Western Governors University

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@mycityjournals.com

Western Governors University has selected South Jordan resident Dr. Andrew Nydegger as one of 15 recipients of the 2023 Distinguished Graduate Award. The online, nonprofit university presents the honor to alumni across the nation who have made remarkable contributions in their professional fields and to their communities. Nydegger is the only recipient from Utah among this year’s winners.

“WGU has always been about changing lives for the better through quality and accessible higher education,” Director of WGU’s Northwest Region Ismar Vallecillos said. “Dr. Nydegger embodies the essence of what it means to be a WGU graduate. His accomplishments post-graduation are a testament to the university’s mission, and we are immensely proud to have him as a part of our community.”

Nydegger is a prominent advocate for the nursing profession in Utah and across the nation. He is the current president of the Utah Nurses Association, as well as the director-at-large for the executive leadership committee of the American Nurses Association.

Additionally, he is the Utah delegate to the Nursing Advocate Institute and a senior administrator for the Arizona Col-

lege of Nursing. Nydegger is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. He earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of

Utah, two master’s degrees from WGU and holds a PhD of nursing practice from Samford University.

“When I transitioned out of the military, my education from WGU helped me establish a happy, meaningful career in healthcare,” Nydegger said. “I am passionate about my work and making a difference in my community. For WGU to recognize my efforts with the Distinguished Graduate Award is humbling and inspiring.”

Nydegger is a vocal advocate for the nursing profession, featured on many news and media outlets. He served as the chief editor of the Utah Nurse publication that reaches more than 40,000 nurses across the state. Over the past year, Nydegger has traveled to Washington, D.C. multiple times to talk with U.S. senators and representatives, pushing for safe staffing and workplace violence laws.

For a list of all the 2023 WGU Distinguished Graduate Award recipients, visit the WGU Alumni website. l

South Jordan resident Dr. Andrew Nydegger was presented with the Distinguished Graduate Award by Western Governors University for his work and volunteer efforts supporting nurses across Utah and the nation. (Photo courtesy WGU)

With a new head coach, Bingham volleyball will play all of their games away from home to start the season

Thissummer, a new head coach welcomed the Bingham girls volleyball team.

“We have a positive outlook going into this season,” new Bingham head volleyball coach Reed Carlson said.

Any time a new head coach takes over a team there are bound to be some changes.

Take the offseason. For years, the Miners have always held their tryouts inside The Pit. It’s been a fortress over the years for Bingham, and so there’s a level of comfort the Miners feel when they play there.

But this year, construction at the high school has forced the new coach Carlson to hold team tryouts elsewhere. A 30-minute drive from Bingham in North Salt Lake, Club V North was chosen as the site for tryouts.

Held July 31-Aug. 1, each hopeful checked in an hour before the first day of tryouts and then went through three hours of evaluations apiece over a two-day period.

After about three weeks of preparation, the Miners began their 2023-24 season at Syracuse, Aug. 22.

Bingham then played at Brighton and at Pleasant Grove on Aug. 24 and 25.

The Miners then continued their preseason at Davis on Aug. 29.

By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

By the time you read this, Bingham will have had to play its first four matches on the road. But Carlson said they’re handling it well.

“It’s been great. They are extremely focused,” Carlson said. “We have all agreed that playing more away matches [early on] will strengthen our mentality.”

Bingham is currently scheduled to open Region 2 action on Sept. 12 at home in the new and improved Pit against Mountain Ridge, who rejoins the new league along with Corner Canyon. Riverton, Herriman and Copper Hills will make up the 6-team realigned Region 2 for volleyball this season.

As the preseason rolls on, Carlson said the hope is to get better and make the best of every day by the time the Miners are able to come back home.

“We have a positive outlook going into this season. I’m hoping to see improvement in our system of play, using speed in our offense to give our hitters an advantage of space and discipline in our defense to cover more space.

Going into our first tournament in early September I expect our connection and chemistry to increase significantly.” l

The Bingham

High volleyball team will have a new coach this year. (Photo courtesy Reed Carlson)

The

City

Jordan transforms city hall into a waterwise example

of South

In a concerted effort to set an example for waterwise landscaping and usage, the City of South Jordan recently completed a transformation of the grounds around South Jordan City Hall (1600 W. Towne Center Drive) to water-wise landscaping.

City officials have been leaders in water-wise design and South Jordan was the first city to win Utah’s Water Efficiency Award in the effort to create a drought resilient state.

“We want to be part of the waterwise solution,” South Jordan City Manager Dustin Lewis said. “We’ve made a long-term commitment to being a leader in the way people can conserve water, and transforming the landscaping around city hall is one of many steps we are taking as we move forward.”

South Jordan updated the landscaping around the public works building in 2022 which, like the city hall project, included the removal of underutilized grass areas, installing water-wise plants and replacing pop-up sprinklers with drip lines. City staff completed the work at both project locations.

“We are proud of the work we’ve done to set an example for water conservation in the state of Utah, and we’re fortunate to have such talented staff who can do the work of converting our landscaping, saving the city money in the process,” South Jordan Mayor Dawn Ramsey said.

South Jordan was approved for American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 funds for the city hall project and for converting the park

strips on 2700 West, from approximately 9400 South to Horseshoe Circle (approximately 10000 South).

South Jordan also has a robust waterwise rebate program for its residents and boasts one of the first comprehensive water conservation programs in the state. The program is designed to help residents conserve water by offering rebates for waterwise fixtures and landscaping, as well as a $20 credit on water bills for residents who sign up for the customer water portal. The portal allows residents to monitor their water consumption, set goals and detect leaks, making it easier for them to conserve water. The full list of South Jordan’s waterwise rebates is available at watersmartsojo.org.

“In South Jordan, we are steadfastly dedicated to building a better future,” Ramsey said. “One step towards that goal is our commitment to sustainability and securing our water supply. It is with great pride that we receive recognition for our efforts in this regard.”

These waterwise programs are an ongoing effort in South Jordan. In July 2022, the city allowed Daybreak residents to take advantage of South Jordan’s rebate program by submitting a copy of their approved design review application, implementing one of the waterwise park strip templates provided by the Daybreak Community Association.

South Jordan City follows the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District’s watering guidelines. l

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The City of South Jordan recently completed a transformation of the grounds around South Jordan City Hall (1600 W. Towne Center Drive) to incorporate waterwise landscaping. (Photo courtesy of South Jordan)

School counselors select best of the best for Jordy Awards

By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

Schoolcounselors advise students about academics, course options, graduation requirements, career paths, college preparation, scholarships, mental health issues and identify and accommodate students with learning obstacles such as ADHD, autism and English as a second language. They also offer support to staff members and parents.

“There is a lot that we do— it’s a big job,” Jordan District Secondary Counselor Consultant Stacee Worthen said.

Jordan District counselors follow a comprehensive school counseling program based on state guidelines and defined by priorities parents, students and teachers identify in a survey which is sent out every three years.

“We’re looking at the data to make sure that we’re implementing a program that is based on the needs of our community, our students, our parents and our teachers,” Worthen said.

How they implement the programs to meet those needs is up to the creativity of individual counselors. Worthen has been impressed with the dedication and innovation of counselors in Jordan District and created an award to recognize them.

“We’re really just trying to come up with ways to really highlight them and show them that we see that they’re working hard, we see that they have the best interest of the kids in mind,” Worthen said. “They’re really advocating and contributing in a positive way for Jordan School District.”

The first ever Jordy Awards winners, nominated and selected by their colleagues are:

Natalie Bartholomew, Herriman Ele-

mentary School

Jody Jensen, Copper Mountain Middle School

Alyson Law, Fort Herriman Middle School

John Blodgett, Mountain Ridge High School

Counselors around the district were bursting with praise for their colleagues. Melissa Yardley, who was previously a counselor at Fort Herriman Middle and is now at Riverside Elementary, submitted several nominations.

“I nominated a bunch of my co-workers, actually, from all across the district,” she said. “I think it’s fantastic that there’s more recognition being placed out there for a lot of really hard work that goes into being a school counselor. And I was really grateful for the opportunity to be able to try and throw out some suggestions for people to be recognized for the work that they’re doing.”

One colleague Yardley is most impressed with is Alyson Law, who she described as an exceptional counselor with contagious enthusiasm and positivity.

“Alyson is a passionate and dedicated counselor who has made a significant impact on the students and staff at Fort Herriman Middle School,” Yardley said. “She’s always thinking about how to best serve the needs of her students. She’s proactive in finding solutions and sees a need before it becomes a problem.”

Worthen agrees.

“Alyson Law is cool,” she said. “She’s like the cool mom. She is always thinking outside the box and how she can do a better job for

these kids. She just cares. She connects deeply with these kids. She’s super smart and she just does a really amazing job.”

Yardley said counselors have an impact on the school community because they are responsible for supporting not only students but parents and staff members, as well.

The Copper Mountain Middle counseling team doesn’t know what they would have done without Jody Jensen, who increased her hours to cover the workload of her coworker Heather Kirby who went on maternity leave last year.

“She went above and beyond to step in while I was gone and take on so much,” Kirby said. “She works way more hours than her part-time because she cares so much about helping her students be successful.”

Worthen said “Jody Jensen is spectacular. She’s a really, really great, solid counselor. The kids love her. She’s positive and she’s done a great job.”

Those who nominated Natalie Bartholomew mentioned her infectious positive attitude and dedication to her students and coworkers.

“She is always willing to jump in, help and be available to students, parents and teachers when they need her,” said one nominator. “She is continually leading by example, turning negative situations into positive and doing everything in her power to advocate for and support her students. Natalie is such a wonderful asset to the school counseling profession.”

Worthen was not surprised that Bartholomew was among the Jordy Award winners.

“Natalie Bartholomew is probably the

most phenomenal school counselor that you will ever come across,” she said. “She’s smart. She’s caring. She’s very proactive when it comes to trying to do what’s best for kids.”

Jordan District counselors meet regularly to collaborate and share ideas as a professional learning community. The number of school counselors in Jordan District has grown from 88 counselors six years ago to 153 this year. That number will increase as open positions are filled.

To fill these available positions, most at the elementary school level, Jordan District partners with state universities to provide internship and shadowing opportunities, mentoring, training and a Grow Your Own grant to help with tuition reimbursement for students studying to become school counselors.

“We really are trying to be innovative and trying to do some things to help support school counselors,” Worthen said. “We really want them to be their very best so that what they can provide for students is the absolute best.”

Worthen said John Blodgett is an example of the effective mentoring Jordan District provides new counselors. Last year at Mountain Ridge High, Blodgett had an entire staff of newbies, which he mentored, officially and unofficially. Many of them nominated him for the Jordy Award.

“His newbies were really complimentary,” Worthen said.

One said, “John is the kind of leader who makes you feel empowered and capable. He guides, but he also lets your creativity shine. Even if the idea is different than how he would normally do things, he is always open to trying new things.” l

Jordy Award winner Alyson Law, a school counselor at Fort Herriman Middle School. (Photo courtesy of Amy Gibson/Jordan District)

Jordy Award winner Jody Jensen, a school counselor at Copper Mountain Middle School. (Photo courtesy of Amy Gibson/Jordan District)

Jordy Award winner John Blodgett, a school counselor at Mountain Ridge High School. (Photo courtesy of Amy Gibson/Jordan District)

Jordy Award winner Natalie Bartholomew, a school counselor at Herriman Elementary School. (Photo courtesy of Amy Gibson/Jordan District)

New administrative faces welcome students this fall

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Whenstudents returned to school this fall, they may have found a new administrator welcoming them.

Amongst the new administrative appointments effective this summer in Jordan School District are three assistant principal assignments in South Jordan.

The new assistant principals include

Jack Pay at Valley High, Vaega Toilolo at Bingham High and Janae Young at Welby Elementary.

In addition, there were two district office appointments: Equity & Compliance/ Title IX General Counsel Melissa Flores and Evaluation, Research & Accountability Data Scientist Brooke Anderson. l

You love living in South Jordan as much as I do. But, are you doing everything you can to protect the life you’ve built here? As your local Allstate Agent, I can help you make informed decisions to help ensure that everything you love is well protected. Contact me to get covered.

Pet therapy: A scratch behind the ears for humans

Sometimes it feels like a dog’s life

If you’re lonely or stressed there’s nothing like having someone to lean on, who will listen without judgement to what’s been getting you down, someone who doesn’t give unsolicited or unhelpful advice, someone who doesn’t care if you are sick, or old or anxious.

Now what if this someone was also cute and soft and they met you in the place where you needed them the most, say at school just before a big exam or in the hospital when you’re not feeling so great?

An Animal Assisted Intervention (AAI), or more familiarly pet therapy, can provide that special someone for humans who could use a “scratch behind the ears.” Utah Pet Partners is a local nonprofit provider of pet therapy and is dedicated to improving human health and well-being, in partnership with therapy animals.

“These sweet dogs help release anxiety during exam week,” said Heather Panek, the dean of nursing at Arizona College of Nursing in Murray, where therapy pets visit on a monthly basis to ease the stress of test taking. “There’s nothing more beneficial for our students than a laugh, a snuggle, and a moment or two with no worries.”

Where to get some puppy love

Utah Pet Partners collaborates with about 100 volunteer teams (pet and owner). Teams are often deployed to Primary Children’s Hospital and other hospitals around the state, local veterans homes, and memory care and assisted living facilities. At times they are summoned for crisis response and suicide prevention at mental health facilities.

There is empirical evidence that therapy animals reduce anxiety, improve healing time, and increase motivation for accomplishing difficult tasks (among many other positive outcomes). “Dekker knows just when people need to feel supported and when they need to be leaned into,” said Whitney Stewart, Pet Partners human volunteer, and owner of Dekker, a black standard poodle. “He doesn’t shy away.”

Therapy animals are frequent visitors to elementary schools, where their presence has proven benefits on emergent readers. When a child has someone to read out loud to, someone who will endlessly listen and not judge as they sound out words, they are willing to try harder and read longer, improving comprehension, test scores, and most importantly the love of reading.

One local volunteer team, Rumble (and his human companion Megan Stewart), have weekly visits at Brookhaven Elementary, where the fourth-grade class has named themselves Rumble’s Readers and eagerly look forward to his attention.

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

Teams typically visit for about an hour to 90 minutes. There is no charge for a visit, as the organization is donation and volunteer based. However, for-profit companies will be asked for a donation. The visits are not intended for entertainment or novelty, they are therapeutic.

Purrrrfect Partner - Qualifications of a Volunteer team

About 90% of therapy animals are dogs, but many animals are eligible to volunteer in a pet team varying from cats to birds to llamas (no wild or exotic animals like iguanas).

“There is a handler course and an in-person evaluation each team must pass,” said Melany Hillstead, executive director of Utah Pet Partners. “We need to know how the pet will respond if they are hugged, or petted by people with limited mobility, and how they will respond in a stressful situation or in a crowd.”

The national Pet Partners organization provides the teams with professional handler training, support and mentoring, careful team assessment, and they have a commitment to animal welfare. Once the team passes the tests and a health examination, and becomes a registered Pet Partner team, they will be available for visits. Insurance is provided and the location of the visit is vetted for safety of the volunteers.

Treats for good behavior

The best reward for volunteering with Utah Pet Partners is the pleasure of helping others and in sharing the love of a good animal. But the organization also provides an annual volunteer appreciation picnic. This year it was held at Wheeler Farm and included dinner, a prize drawing, and games and treats for the pets. A doggone good time was had by all.

To inquire about a Pet Partner visit or to volunteer, visit utahpetpartners.org l

Dekker and his human companion Whitney Stewart visit the Arizona College of Nursing campus in Murray during exam week. (Ella Joy Olsen/City Journals)

Volunteer teams frolic at the volunteer appreciation picnic at Wheeler Farm. (Photo Utah Pet Partners)

These puppy eyes make everything less stressful. Moses is a Utah Pet Partners volunteer. (Photo Utah Pet Partners)

Solution to misbehavior is sensory stimulation

At Advantage Arts Academy, a free arts integration charter school in Herriman, staff members respond to student misbehavior with an untraditional method—they send the student to play.

“Most kids who have extraordinary behavior issues are dysregulated,” AAA Special Education Director Jennifer Evans said. “Their proprioceptive systems are out of whack and there they are overstimulated. If you don't flesh out these systems, then what you're doing all day long is you're putting out fires. If they are emotionally dysregulated, they're not even in your classroom. They're off volcanoing in the hallway or in the administrator's office.”

To address students’ sensory needs, Evans implemented two systems at AAA: Sensory Pathway and Sensory Lunch.

The Sensory Pathway is an obstacle course with a series of physical exercises that provide proprioceptive input to kids’ vestibular systems and calms their anxiety and frustration.

Evans said when students are able to move their bodies and get the sensory input they need, they can regulate their emotions, and are able to spend more time learning in the classroom.

“You'd have to see it to believe it,” Evans said. “They just feel so much better and they can go back to class and focus until they get their next break. And then there's no volcano going, which is what I call it. So it's like heading up the mountain to the explosion, and we head it off before we get up to the top.”

Jennifer Jolly’s 9-year-old son, who struggles with undiagnosed ADHD and emotional issues, participates regularly in the Sensory Pathway.

“Our son has taken advantage of this as a way to escape when he feels overwhelmed or out of control of his body,” Jolly said. “This has often led to a very successful return to a classroom instead of being sent home for aggressive behaviors.”

Evans works with teachers and parents to identify patterns in a student’s behavior, which could be triggered by anxiety, overstimulation, hunger or strong emotions, and schedules a visit to the Sensory Pathway before the time of day they tend to act up.

First-grade teacher Addison Bowcutt said it has “saved her life” as a teacher.

“I had a lot of students last year that really needed some sort of sensory stimulation,” she said. “Had they not had the chance to get it out, it would've been a complete disaster. While in the Sensory Room, they would complete an obstacle course, jump on a trampoline, or whatever else they needed at the time to just fulfill their sensory needs. Anytime a student would come back from the Sensory Room, it was like they could take a breath of air as a relief, and they were ready to learn again. Rather than hyperfocusing on their overstimulation, they could actually focus on the task at hand.”

The other program which has made a huge difference for overstimulated students is Sensory Lunch, which is an alternative location for lunch, held in a small room, with fewer people, less noise and dimmed lights.

“The lunchroom is a very loud, chaotic place for a student,” third-grade teacher Annie Rose said. “There are lots of kids and they have to make choices. I get stressed going in there sometimes because there's so much going on.”

Last year, she had a student who was agitated every day after lunch.

By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

“They would have such a hard time coming down to do math right after lunch, that it caused a behavior problem almost every day, so I'd have to calm them down and it was a whole process,” she said.

When Sensory Lunch was implemented midyear, select students were invited to eat their lunches in the less stimulating environment.

“The sensory lunchtime allows for a less chaotic experience, where eating is encouraged with a small amount of friends and then a break period to be physical without all the stimulation of a playground recess,” Jolly said. “This has worked very well for our son so far, as we have had fewer phone calls from the school to come and get him during this particularly hard time of day.”

Melissa Tryon said the school’s systematic approach to addressing her extremely shy son’s behavior has been a game changer. At the beginning of last year, he didn’t want to go to school and he wouldn’t interact with the other kids. He would call several times throughout the day asking to come home.

Once he began participating in the Sensory Lunch and Sensory Pathway, his school experience changed.

“By the end of the year, he was happy to go to school every day, eating lunch with the kids in the lunchroom again and playing soccer with others at recess,” Tryon said. “He would come home with fun stories every day and was in much better spirits overall.”

AAA Principal Kelly Simonsen said students and parents are much happier because of the way behaviors are being addressed at school.

“We’re not labeling behaviors as proof of negative

worth of a student, but we’re helping students understand this behavior happens when you feel dysregulated and here's how we're going to help you calm yourself, here's some things that you can do,” Simonsen said. “We’re helping students understand their own behavior and their own brains.”

She said it has been a relief to parents who’ve been told for years that their child had a behavior problem.

“We're saying we recognize that your student has this need and here's how we're going to help to meet it, and you just see a lot of parents feel validated,” Simonsen said.

Jolly's son previously disliked school but now loves it.

“He knows now he has options instead of being labeled the ‘hard’ kid or the ‘problem’ child,” she said. “He loves being in school and has a few friends. We have had so much respect for some of the teachers at AAA who are willing to, not only accept, but to favor these strategies and systems.”

Bowcutt said changing the mindset of seeing “naughty” students as kids who are overstimulated, has made a huge difference in her class.

“I saved myself a lot of phone calls, emails and visits to the office because these kids got a chance to help themselves,” she said. “Overall, it has created a better learning environment for the school as a whole.” l

Participating in physical activities helps students regulate their emotions and improves their behavior. (Kelly Simonsen/AAA)

Students who spend time doing physical activities in the Sensory Pathway return to class ready to learn. (Kelly Simonsen/AAA)

Wasatch Wanderers presented with the Governor’s Spirit of Service Award

Adison Smith thought she was being scammed when she got the email from the governor’s office. But when they reached out a second time, Smith realized the email was legit and her nonprofit was being honored with the Governor’s Spirit of Service Award.

Smith is the president of Wasatch Wanderers, an animal rescue organization that has saved nearly 1,000 abandoned or injured domestic waterfowl and exotic animals since it was founded in September 2021. The award recognizes the group’s efforts to rescue animals and educate the public.

“The Spirit of Service winners are amazing examples of why Utah leads the nation in volunteerism and service,” said Gov. Spencer Cox. “I am honored to pay them tribute and recognize the good they are doing in our great state.”

Wasatch Wanderers was selected from hundreds of nominations submitted to the governor’s office this year. Smith and co-founder Kade Tyler attended the ceremony at the Utah State Capitol in July. She hopes the recognition will bring more attention to their cause.

“We’re asking the public to share this important message that not only is it illegal to abandon animals, but it’s also extremely cruel,” Smith said.

The group’s focus is on saving waterfowl and animals that aren’t considered typical pets including ducks, geese, pigs, turtles, goats, hamsters and guinea pigs. Wasatch Wanderers make it their goal to show just how valuable these animals really are.

During the last two years, Smith said she’s seen a change of mindset as people learn the dangers of abandoning domestic wildlife. Parents have told her they stopped releasing

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

ducks, geese, turtles and fish into public lakes and streams after hearing the Wasatch Wanderers message.

Cities have also reached out to the organization to help rescue animals in their waterways. Smith would like to get more cities on board with the idea of rescue instead of euthanization.

“The choice of euthanizing all of those animals over and over and over again every single year isn't making a difference,” Smith said. “They continue to have the same amount of people buying the animals and abandoning them. And if they don't understand that, they're not getting the point.”

As Wasatch Wanderers grows in visibility, it needs more foster homes, people willing to adopt animals and more donations to keep the effort going. The goal is to one day purchase property to have a rescue facility where people can drop-off or adopt animals. For more information, or to see a list of animals available for adoption, visit WasatchWanderers.org and follow its social media pages.

Smith is optimistic that change is possible and is pleased with the progress they’ve made in the last two years. She’s had parents tell her they had no idea it was illegal to abandon geese or ducks in the wild. They didn’t know it was a danger to the animals and the environment.

“In the animal community, change takes forever, so seeing this change means everything,” Smith said. “One of my favorite things to do, when we teach an educational group, is to watch the parents’ faces of the children we’re teaching. They're just totally floored. So it’s neat to watch and it’s big. Hopefully, with the parents hearing it too, we could possibly change traditions or choices for generations to come.”l

Adison Smith (right) president of Wasatch Wanderers, and cofounder Kade Tyler, received the Governor’s Spirit of Service Award for their work in rescuing abandoned or injured domestic waterfowl and exotic pets. (Photo courtesy of Adison Smith)

Next, students identify solutions for their business or service and learn how to pitch their product. They match up with a mentor. That mentor gives them feedback on their business, she said.

“We also have guest speakers. For example, we had one guy come and talk about branding. Afterward, I asked the class, ‘How can you use branding in your business? What changes can you make?’” Call said.

After the students have their business or service and a business plan, they pitch those at the Miners Tank and the judges — superintendent, assistant superintendent, principal, Jordan Education Foundation members and others — declare a winner “in terms of how viable these businesses are, how committed the kids seem, how much work they’ve done and if they’re moving forward,” Call said.

Then, the students have an option, Call said.

“I ask them, ‘Do you want to dissolve the business you’ve been working on? Do you want to join one of the other businesses? Do you want to just start something new?’” she said, adding that they have several weeks before the end of the term when they give a presentation.

At that showcase, “the district has agreed to pay for the licensing fees if the companies want to go forward,” Call said.

While each high school operates its program differently, at Bingham “Andrea (Call) jumped in with both feet and offered it first semester, partnering with the Jordan Education Foundation who helped find mentors to work with students and that is an important part of this school’s program,” Poulsen said.

She pointed out that Bingham’s program aligns with the Academy’s goals of readying students for the process of creating a business, building professional relationships with the community and preparing students to present a public presentation, requesting funding and support for their business.

Call said she uses the building of the business as a framework.

“When a mentor comes into the class and talks about what it is to start a business, it gives the students a frame of reference because when people say, ‘start a business,’ they don’t really know what that is unless they’ve tried to do it,” she said. “Many of our mentors have come through the Jordan Education Foundation. Mike Haynes, the president, has the vision and has connections in the valley to help our students. These mentors who

come through the Foundation have that tie to Jordan District; they’re invested in the schools and students and want to be role models. Anne Gold, with the Foundation, talks about how the Foundation has a motto of ‘time, talent and treasure.’ I feel this program really fits into that kind of spirit of giving; people really like to influence high school students.”

Mentors range from printing press owners to those working in cybersecurity. There have been patent lawyers to Silicon Slopes speakers.

The students match with mentors by “doing a quick, soft pitch about their idea, then we look at who may have the expertise who will be a good match,” Call said.

She said that through the class, students are gaining a connection to the community.

“The biggest thing is making connections with people. If you look at all the data about teenagers right now that’s the No. 1 thing that they’re all missing. I want my students to have a relationship with another adult who believes in them, who encourages them and may, when they’re looking for an internship or job, write them a letter of recommendation.”

That student-adult relationship has already paid off in students’ growth. Through the encouragement of the mentor, Poulsen noticed one student gained enough confidence to speak and present the concept, crediting that mentor’s nurturing and dedication helping the student practice.

“The mentor made the student feel comfortable and valued. That’s a huge difference they’re bringing to these students,” she said. “Many of the mentors have sponsored our students to create and produce a prototype.”

Call invites professionals to speak to her students.

“We also have guest speakers who share with the students about their entrepreneurship story. They may give some advice, answer any questions that the kids have and usually they leave their contact information. So, if a kid has a particular problem, they can reach out and those speakers may be able to help them,” she said. “Students learn starting a business requires an incredible amount of energy and bravery, but they can absolutely do it. They’re learning things not going your way is just part of it. Every single person who comes in my classroom talks about how they failed miserably, but they just kept going. That grit is a good thing they can learn. They’re also learning communication, public speaking skills and working as a team. That’s one thing that we remind

them of — ‘You’re not doing this by yourself.’ We ask them if they have all the skills and the answers so they’re needing to work together to design logos, do market research, come up with solutions. Even if they end up not being an entrepreneur, they’re going to use those skills, or keep that mindset in any job they have.”

Those mentors help guide students on their business ideas from Dock Hero or Sink Leak, a device that “is like a collar that goes under your sink to detect if water is leaking, and if it detects water, it sends a text message,” Call said. Another was Creature Teacher, where a stuffed animal is matched with a book that helps students learn bedtime routines before cuddling up with a stuffed animal.

“Those kids actually had a partnership with Minky Couture. They were using Minky scraps to make the animals,” Call said.

Students also created service businesses, such as developing an app that puts tutors together with students, and at the same time, gathers data for the school identifying what assistance students need and in which class unit.

Wagstaff said those professionals helped him with his business, Boats Hero.

He continues to work on the business plan with his mentor, entrepreneur Matt Cohen. Already Wagstaff has plans to sell the Dock Hero product online as well as to boating retailers and perhaps, also make them available to state governments that use boats. He estimates a package of two would cost about $500.

“Right now, I want to keep working on the business and growing multiple products,” Wagstaff said. “I’ve put in a lot of time outside of class time, but I was able to meet some of these people from the class, which has been great. My mentor, Matt, I talk to about once every week. He taught me a lot about marketing and how to take my ideas and put them into reality.”

Being part of Bingham’s class has helped Wagstaff decide to pursue a business law degree.

“I’ve learned a lot, but the biggest thing is the mentors coming in and being willing to help us. They’ve been great and so has Ms. Call. She’s been my cheerleader. I spend a lot of time chatting to her about this, and she’s always encouraging me to move forward,” he said. “The best thing is just the network I’ve built. I feel comfortable talking to successful people and asking them questions. It’s great to just connect with these people and thanks to this class, I have that opportunity to do that as a high school student.”

Former superintendent supports BYU-Pathway online global education program

Former

Jordan School District

Superintendent Patrice Johnson is on a mission – literally and figuratively – into some uncharted waters.

In July, she and her husband, John, were called upon to serve as the first fulltime senior missionary chaplains assigned to BYU-Pathway Worldwide, a conduit to provide education to online students.

Johnson, who has more than 40 years of experience working in the education field, and her husband, who spent 35 years in financial planning for those who served in the military, were given their specific roles for their Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ mission the day before they started.

“We knew we were assigned to the Salt Lake headquarters mission, but we didn’t know what we were doing until their need and the skills that we came with just came together,” Johnson said.

The first part of their mission is to interview BYU-Pathway nonmember applicants to give them their ecclesiastical endorsements.

“BYU-Pathway is church sponsored, so students need ecclesiastical endorsements. Non-LDS members’ names are forwarded to us, then we contact them and do an ecclesiastical endorsement interview, which entails their commitment to follow the honor code because that’s the kind of atmosphere we want students to be educated in, whether it’s online or in person,” she said. “We ask them some questions, and they commit to us that ‘yes, that this is the experience I want to have.’ After our endorsement, we forward the application to admissions. Once they’re admitted, they just begin the program like any other college student in the world.”

Johnson said that in their first few weeks they had done five interviews and had at least 60 waiting.

“We heard each term can get up to 5,000 nonmembers to be interviewed,” she said.

Students can apply, free of charge, through PathwayConnect and no college entrance exam is needed; Sept. 6 is the last day to complete an application for fall term.

BYU-Pathway offers seven bachelor’s degrees, eight associate degrees and 28 certificate programs. Degrees are awarded by BYU-Idaho and Ensign College, sister institutions in the church’s educational system, while BYU-Pathway provides resources and support to help online students.

Since beginning with 50 students in 2009, it has grown to serve more than 60,000 students in more than 180 countries.

“During COVID, people learned they can do things online that they previously hadn’t been able to so there has been more surge recently. Innovation really took off and it was visionary. BYU-Idaho and Ensign College both provide the curriculum so BYU-Pathway is the vehicle for delivering the online education and it affects more peo-

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

ple around the world,” she said, adding that BYU-Pathway is less expensive than many higher education programs, costing about $80 per credit in the United States, plus, students are guaranteed a tuition discount. “I see the vision of BYU-Pathway. They’re building your certificate and your degree so that you can have internships and be hired by these companies who are creating jobs in line with the education. The degrees that are being offered are the ones that are needed throughout the world and the jobs are open now.”

The Johnsons videoconference internationally through WhatsApp.

“This morning, we had an interview from a nice young man in Nigeria. His mom introduced him and his brothers and sisters. He just had a real desire to be educated in

an environment where it’s pure in heart. He wanted to have an education to lift his future family above the poverty line. This afternoon, we have one from Ghana and another from Côte d’Ivoire,” she said, adding that thus far, all the applicants have spoken English.

Their candidates, who are traditional and nontraditional students, also come from the United States. BYU-Pathway’s largest presence is in Utah where 9,100 students enrolled in 2022, she said.

A second part of their church mission is to write guidelines about the future process of ecclesiastical endorsements.

“We revisit them in a year, and that’s where the other part of our mission comes in. When we’re not doing these endorsement calls we are writing the guidelines on how to

scale this. With more and more people coming in as nonmembers, we need to think creatively about how to have enough chaplains to handle the workload. There could be one million students enrolled in online education through BYU-Pathway and a third of them could be nonmembers, so how can we have enough chaplains? At this point, I don’t know how, but I know it’s possible and miraculous things happen and I’m sure that our minds will be enlightened. We pray about how we might be able to solve this and other things, and then miraculously, people always show up that have the tools and skills to match what is needed,” Johnson said. “This is just a miraculous mission for us. We couldn’t have asked for anything more perfect. I marvel at it every day.”

Former Jordan School District Superintendent Patrice Johnson, together with her husband John, are serving as the first full-time senior missionary chaplains for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints assigned to BYU-Pathway Worldwide. (Photo courtesy of Patrice Johnson)

“To care for those who once cared for us is one of the highest honors.”

—Tia Walker, author of “The Inspired Caregiver”

Caregiving is hard work. Often unpaid. Often seemingly unappreciated by the one receiving care. And sometimes caregivers are the ones who need care.

In a CNN “Ted Talk,” Alexandra Drane, the co-founder of Rebel Health, and the Wellness Expert for Prudential said, “Forty-three percent of Americans are currently in the role of unpaid caregiver. And 70% of these caregivers have a mental health impact from it—anxiety, depression, substance abuse or suicidal thoughts. Worrying about the ones we love is normal, because we care. And sometimes it seems like there is no help for the caregiver.”

But in Salt Lake County, there is.

Salt Lake County Aging & Adult Services has a remarkable array of services available for caregivers. Accessing resources is easy. Look online at slco.org/ aging-adult-services/caregiver-support/. Or call 385-468-3200.

A care support coordinator will respond to the unique caregiving situation, assess the individual needs, and direct the caregiver to services available. Maybe a caregiver could use a hand in providing meals, or securing a ride to a doctor. It might be in finding help with insurance paperwork or in learning behavior techniques to help calm a loved one.

One of the many programs available, one that has received a 2023 award from the National Association of Counties (NACo), is the Caregiver Talking Points Program. It was created using years of frontline caregiver experience and knowledge, and in honestly assessing the struggles faced while caregiving. The purpose of the program is to care for the caregiver, so they are better skilled at improving their own daily lives and managing their routine of caregiving.

These talking points can be used in a support group setting (in-person or virtual), or one-on-one with a case manager, or even as a worksheet to be completed at home.

“The simple act of caring is heroic.”

—Edward Albert, American actor

The Caregiver Talking Points were created for non-professional caregivers: children, spouses, and friends. Givers who need a bite-sized education moment. Caregivers who may be part of the sandwich generation, caring for parents and their own children at the same time. Caregivers who are still working and are trying to get over the hurdle directly in front of them, before considering the next.

Or as Kathy Nelson, training special -

Care for those who are caregivers

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

ist with Salt Lake County Aging & Adult Services and the primary author of the Caregiver Talking Points, said, “Imagine yourself looking at a charcuterie board and knowing you can simply take a few items off the board and then stop. You got what you needed and savored every bite. Now imagine your parent making you eat every crumb on your plate before you can get up from the table.

“A caregiver should not be required to sit through a six-part education series just to learn the one skill they need from chapter three, paragraph seven. If you want the buffet, and you have the time, please attend a longer program—those programs also have great value. But if you are a tired, burned-out caregiver you might need something more flexible—a bite-sized approach like the Caregiver Talking Points.”

“It is not the load that breaks you down. It’s the way you carry it.” — Lena Horne, American dancer, actress, singer and civil rights activist

There are 25 Caregiver Talking Points covering a wide variety of care management subjects and skills needed by family, friends, and other caregivers as they journey through the continuum of care, from the first stages of caregiving to the very end.

Some talking points topics are: Setting Boundaries, Calming Behaviors, Arranging Care at Home, or Building Resilience. Here is a snippet from the Building Resilience talking point:

It is easy to drain energy and damage your ability to be resilient. Reviewing your current behaviors can show you why your resilience is depleted and provide ideas on how to rebuild your energy reserve. Here is an example:

• Energy draining behavior—I do not set good boundaries with mom. I do everything she wants right when she calls. I feel overwhelmed and I dread hearing the phone ring.

• Energy building behavior—I will put a notepad by mom’s phone. When she calls, I will have her write down what she needs. I will set aside Mondays and Thursdays from 6 to 8 p.m. to help her.

Which of your current behaviors is draining energy and damaging your ability to be resilient?

Feedback regarding the program has been positive. This quote is from online feedback to Aging & Adult Services, “I didn't realize until I sat down with the worksheet and really thought about it what behaviors were irritating and causing me stress. Once I identified an energy draining behavior of my loved one, I wrote down how I could answer her constant questions differently and to

my amazement, I calmed down and she calmed down. Hooray!!”

And another, “There is so much useful and important information in these workshops that I don't even know where to start. The Arranging Care at Home worksheet was full of details to help me when I'm in a crisis mode and trying to work and take care of my immediate family. If I can't think clearly, I know I can call SLCo Aging and get some help there. These sessions have opened my eyes to see things and learn things I would never have known. They have relieved my stress so much!”

The Caregiver Talking Points program was one of the silver linings that came about during Covid-19. Trainers and

case managers couldn’t go directly into homes, so they got creative and started teaching coping skills and talking points online. The program is fully funded by the county and is free and easily accessible to all caregivers and caregiving partners via no-cost PDF links.

Salt Lake County Aging & Adult Services is staffed by 250 employees and just over 2,400 volunteers. Visit slco.org/aging-adult-services/caregiver-support/.

“This getting old is getting old.” — Helen Romney Reese, former Murray resident, care receiver and reporter’s grandma l

Caregiver Talking Points creator and trainer, Kathy Nelson, coaches case managers on how to utilize the award-winning program. (Kathy Nelson)

Utah Water Savers incentivizes homeowners to create waterwise landscapes

By Genevieve Vahl | g.vahl@mycityjournals.com

We’veall seen the waste of water. A sprinkler gushes water onto the concrete. The delicate rays of water to be dispersed evenly across the grass jumbled into a mass of unfettered drench reaching nothing but the hot concrete to evaporate into thin air. In arid Utah, that’s a problem.

“Approximately two-thirds of drinking water in Utah is used to water lawns and landscapes,” according to Utah State University’s extension Center for Water-Efficient Landscaping. “Much of this water is being applied inefficiently, either due to sprinkler system design flaws or because sprinklers are running too long.”

A unified approach to saving water

In May of this year, a program called Utah Water Savers, the nation’s first statewide landscape incentive program, rolled out, working to eliminate wasteful moments exactly like this. The Division of Water Resources has partnered with Central Utah, Jordan Valley, Washington County and Weber Basin Water Conservancy Districts to develop the program that gives rebates to qualified homeowners in municipalities that have adopted water efficiency standards, of up to $3 per square foot when they replace their grass with water efficient, or waterwise, landscaping.

The most recent legislative session allocated a one-time $5 million and an ongoing $3 million to the program, on top of the $5 million one-time allocation in 2022. “This means that the amount of money available to help homeowners reduce (they don’t have to entirely eliminate all lawn) have increased threefold,” said Cynthia Bee, the public information officer for the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District and one of the creators of the localscapes method.

These state funds are available to those living in municipalities that have adopted water efficiency standards for new construction—52 cities have already done so—and will be matched in areas served by Central Utah, Jordan Valley, Washington County and Weber Basin water conservancy districts. Cities will be added as landscape ordinances are updated to meet state requirements. “New construction will operate within some limits on how much lawn area they can have and how water is applied,” Bee said. “The incentives are intended to help those with existing landscapes who choose to convert them to the new standards, to do so more affordably.”

“I think having our new growth come in as waterwise as possible is going to make a significant difference because the water and the landscape decisions we make today impact our water use decisions for decades to come,” said Candace Hasenyager, director of the Utah Division of Water Resources.

“Every planning decision, every land use decision, is a water use decision,” Bee

said.

The team concocting the program involved experts from across the spectrum of industries, including horticulturists, maintenance staff, landscape construction, water experts, collaborating to create tangible, efficient solutions to the ongoing reckoning with drought, water shortages and rising populations in the West. “The last couple of years of drought has shown us that we need to do better and that we’re willing to do better,” Hasenyager said.

“Rather than trying to go through each funding source and municipality separately and make it really awkward, we built all of that calculating into the Utah Water Savers site,” Bee said. “Instead of each individual agency doing their own thing in their own program, we’ve all banned together in one unified approach.”

The localscapes method

Current homeowners can “flip their strip” or convert their yard entirely using the Utah Water Savers Program localscapes method, created specifically for Utah.

“Localscapes is an approach to landscaping that shows how to get landscapes that fit, rather than fight, our climate,” Bee said. They include waterwise plants, trees

and shrubs local to Utah with different creative landscaping solutions to fill yards with purposeful activities and zones, ultimately looking to remove nonfunctional grass. “There are parts of your landscape where the only time you’re there is when you’re pushing the lawn mower,” Bee said. Localscaping promotes looking at those nonfunctional turf areas and reevaluating what it could be used for.

“In places where there’s an active purpose for it, we want to be able to keep it, which means you can keep up to 35% lawn,” Bee said.

But where there is no active recreation point—the kids outgrew the playset, the park strip is not walked on—and with a minimum of 200 square feet, localscapes can “integrate water and land use planning,” to better serve the climate and the homeowner. “Changing out these different specialty zones becomes really easy over time and it makes the yard far simpler to manage,” Bee said.

“We want water efficient plants, but water efficient plants are only a plant with potential if you don't change how you're delivering water to that plant,” Bee said. Also no water is saved if the sprinkler system is inefficient. “In a localscape, we control that

water, only providing water to the plants that we’re intentionally planting. We’re disadvantaging the weeds and you’re seeing fewer of them,” Bee said.

To realistically get homeowners to convert their lawns into thriving localscapes, Utah Water Savers requires free classes, both in person or online, to teach how to apply localscapes correctly, within the water efficiency standards, giving tools on how to do it yourself. Hired out landscapers can also be used, depending on the homeowners’ budget. “We’re trying to provide a full slate of tools to help them accomplish the outcome,” Bee said.

To apply, go to utahwatersavers.com, enter your water provider or register for an account and you can see what type of rebates you qualify for in your municipality. For example, the process of submitting a landscape plan to be approved, completing the project within one year and maintaining the new landscape for a minimum of three years are common parameters.

“The key is you need to apply before you start,” Bee said. “We do not rebate retroactively, so don’t tear out anything until you’re approved in the program.”

Homeowners’ experiences

In the months since its launch, some homeowners talked about what is working and not working.

Draper homeowner Nancy Bromfield and her husband flipped their strip, side yards and front and backyards, removing 7,500 square feet of grass across the whole property. Because of their flagstone walkway in the back, they did not qualify for the rebate back there. “But we didn’t care. We still did it because we knew we wanted to save water and we knew it was the right thing to do,” she said.

Now between the front and back, their property has 2,500 square feet of grass. “We overseeded our water hogging grass with white Dutch clover,” a localscapes plant type, Bromfield said. They also added 40 tons of rock around their property amongst the waterwise plants. “Having these beautiful pollinator friendly, waterwise plants have brought us different varieties of bumble bees and hummingbirds and moths. It’s just amazing.”

When they bought their home in July 2013, the previous owners were using 115,000 gallons of water a month, making a bill of $147, with a winter consumption of 60,000 gallons. After implementing their localscape via Utah Water Savers in July of 2023 they have gotten their water consumption down to 13,000 gallons, over a 100,000 gallon difference. In addition to the water cuts, their lawn care efforts have been cut drastically too. “It used to take us 46 minutes to cut the grass, now it takes seven minutes, front and back,” Bromfield said.

Waterwise plants dispersed within Nancy Bromfield’s front rock beds. (Nancy Bromfield)

They were once quoted $20,000 to $30,000 to redo their yard because of its sheer size. But with the localscape approach, their project cost about $4,000 with a rebate check of just over $1,000. “The rebate was about 25% of what we spent, but only 40% of what we did was rebate eligible,” Bromfield said.

To help find the right waterwise plants for her full-sun-all-day property, Bromfield attended localscape university classes, the required classes in person—which she found especially helpful—visited ConservationGardenPark.org/plants, as well as used the localscapes YouTube channel.

For others like Elizabeth Sweat and her husband, who are a part of a homeowners association in Draper, the online classes proved trivial, but they found visiting the Jordan Valley Water’s Conservation Garden Park much more helpful in their project vision. “They had all different stations and

you could learn and look at examples and I grabbed brochures. That was more educational than anything,” Sweat said. Although the couple did the work themselves, they found the process more expensive than expected. “Once manufacturers and rock companies saw that the state was paying, they jacked up their prices,” Sweat said.

They also had to make several runs to the county dump to dispose of their 90 square feet of sod they removed per project requirements, tacking on unexpected expenses. Bromfield left her ripped up sod out for free for the taking, and about three quarters of it was gone by the end of the day. The rest they had to take to the dump. “Unfortunately,” she said.

Both homeowners did most of the work themselves and both found it difficult to get an initial inspection because of increased demand. But once someone did finally make it to their properties, it was a five to 10 minute

review.

Ultimately, both homeowners would recommend the program to others. “I would recommend it if you want to flip your strip, but if you’re trying to make some money on it, it won’t,” Sweat said.

“I would definitely recommend it. It’s really weird how I didn’t like gardening and now I have my plants and I really enjoy taking care of them,” Bromfield said. “It’s really cool the world that it opened up for me that I had no idea of.”

Time for a change

“Doing a small project is a great place to start. You don’t have to commit your whole landscape. Commit your park strip, your side yard,” Bee said. “Test everything out that we’re teaching and verify for yourself before you obligate yourself to do more.”

Since the launch, there have been over 2,500 applications across the state and another 460 flip your strip applications. “That’s

almost 3,000 applications, which is pretty amazing,” Hasenyager said. In Washington County alone, just over 600,000 square feet of grass has already been removed, according to Hasenyager.

“We’re in a change window, we have to change, that’s non-negotiable,” Bee said. “What we’re figuring out is how do we do it in a way that is the most orderly and accomplishable for people.”

“Not only is there more water in our reservoirs and groundwater, less is evaporated that completely leaves the system. There’s more that goes into our lakes and streams including the Great Salt Lake,” Hasenyager said. “I think there’s a really good incentive for people to do it. Not only for those that are here today and making our current water supply more resilient, but also those that might be here tomorrow.”l

After a strenuous summer, Bingham girls soccer aims for results

To get back to basics, prospective members of the Bingham girls soccer team held a preseason ID camp that began as soon as the past school year ended.

Then they attended two-a-days through June and July. And on days on which camp wasn’t being held, each of Bingham’s prospective players worked out at home, doing drills designed for this coming season.

This two-monthslong process concluded with team tryouts at the end of July.

There was very little time for rest; the Miners played their first game of the season on Aug. 3, no more than seven days after tryouts ended.

Under head coach Tennille Vance, the Miners tend to open the season by playing some of the toughest teams they can get on the schedule.

This year was no different, as they played three teams to open the 2023-24 season that made the playoffs last season. The first two [Pleasant Grove, Aug. 3 and Alta, Aug. 8] ended in losses decided in the second half.

By the time the Miners played Olympus on Aug. 10, they fell into an early 4-0 hole at the half.

True to form, however, were the lessons they learned on their way back up for air. In the second half at Ron Thorne Stadium, the Miners scored three goals before fading late to last year’s 5A quarterfinalists Olympus.

But that lesson carried over into the next game when Bingham would welcome Farmington, the team that ousted them in the 6A second round last year.

The Miners looked ready; they’d absorbed hard lessons in the hot and humid summer months, showing up at 6 a.m. when nobody else was-- voluntarily doing what amounted to two-a-days for two months.

It’s what stories are made for, right? The opportunity to avenge the taste of a bitter de-

By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

feat. What better way to have that opportunity than to get it at home for the Miners, who ended last season with a 9-9 record.

But Farmington would not go easy. The game ended deadlocked 1-1 at the end of regulation, demanding that both teams play an extra period on Aug. 12.

In overtime, the Miners would finally get over the hump, getting a goal from junior Alexi Ames to give herself her first goal and Bingham its first win of the season.

For the Miners, who have now concluded the preseason, they’ve been led by senior Journey Heward who’s scored three goals, and Al-

exa Shelley [two goals], who’s a senior as well.

Senior Avery Cowan leads the team with two assists. By the time you read this, the Miners will be thick in the middle of their Region 2 schedule, which now loses West Jordan but includes both Corner Canyon and the Real Salt Lake Academy. l

With a name like Sudbury, it’s got to be good for Bingham football

By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

The last name Sudbury is as synonymous with Bingham football as math is fun.

Okay, that last part might be a matter of opinion, but not to Bingham head coach Eric Jones—he’s a math teacher.

For Carson Sudbury though, being a Miner is a source of great pride and so when problems arise on the field, he tends to solve them.

When Sudbury played baseball as a freshman, he hit .667 for the Miners’ JV team, earning four at-bats on the varsity squad during that Covid year.

As a sophomore, Sudbury turned his focus to football and worked his way into Bingham’s varsity team, turning heads by rushing nine times for 97 yards and a touchdown at Copper Hills in 2021.

By the time Sudbury was a junior, it was go time.

With new offensive coordinator Fred Fernandes at the controls, the coaching legend found a number of ways to get the speedy, shifty Sudbury the ball.

All told, Sudbury rushed 137 times for 758 yards and 16 touchdowns and had 590 yards receiving to go with 4 TD grabs in 2022, helping to lead the Miners to their first region title in several years.

According to Jones, the 5-foot-10-inch, 180-pound Sudbury is deserving of this special nod.

Sudbury grew up following the Miners, and according to his head coach, was voted by his coaches and teammates to be a team captain.

What’s more, said the coach, is that if Sudbury was asked if he’d transfer, it was something that he never gave a second thought—his allegiance lies with Bingham.

“I’m sure he was courted—but he stuck with us,” Jones said.

In an era when student-athletes are liable to transfer to another school when they reach a certain level, Sudbury is a true original, a player who was named to the 6A All-

State second team last year.

The senior running back has one offer so far, and it comes from Carroll College, a school of math and engineering in Helena, Montana that is a NAIA national power in football. BYU has shown some interest in Sudbury as well.

Other offers are expected to come in late for Sudbury, who according to Jones is a “funny kid, great person and an excellent student-athlete.”

Last week during the Miners 27-7 loss at Lone Peak, the senior team captain caught a 5-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring for Bingham. It was a tough night for Sudbury though, as he left the game near the midway point after suffering an injury.

Sudbury’s TD would be the only points of the game for the Miners, as the senior team captain tried to run out the pain on the sidelines and return in the second half, but wasn’t able.

“He’ll miss one to two weeks, they [Bingham athletic trainers] said,” Jones said of his senior leader.

By the time you read this though, chances are pretty good that Sudbury will be back in the lineup. l

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

Plan Ahead

Community east-west trail finally complete after 30 years

After 30 years and piecing together both funding and physical sections, the final leg of the 8-mile, east-west Parley’s Trail has been completed with a bridge on 900 West over the Jordan River, to be celebrated with an opening ceremony next month.

Headed by Parley’s Rails, Trails and Tunnels (PRATT) Coalition, the completion of the bridge over 900 West and the Jordan River completes Parley’s Trail connecting the west part of the valley to the East Bench. Construction on the section began in May and recently culminated this August.

“One of my favorite things about this section of trail was the influence PRATT had with common sense and vision,” said Juan Arce-Larreta, the chairperson of PRATT Coalition.

Six years ago, the coalition looked at this zone of the trail, finding it dead ended at a newly renovated 900 West. “It became this six-lane interchange, an on-and-off ramp where cars were now going 45 and accelerating to get onto the freeway, or decelerating coming off these high-speed main roads,” Arce-Larreta said. “So when we met there, we agreed we can’t expect or ask people to cross here, it’s just not safe.”

There were ideas of diverting the trail traffic to a safer crossing point down the way. But realistically the members knew asking that of riding cyclists and pedestrians was futile. “When you build a trail that comes to a main road, if you don’t have it going straight across, they’re not going to do it and you set yourself up for failure and create a dangerous situation,” Arce-Larreta said.

Thus the team ideated a bridge to solve the problem. The bridge brought the project from a $1.5 million to a $6.5-million project. “But do you do it right or do you just do it? I believe you do it correctly, you don’t do it in a hasty way,” Arce-Larreta said. “Let’s do it the right way, and that would be building a bridge.”

A look back at the Sugar House tunnel

A similar problem arose back in the ’90s at 1300 East in the heart of Sugar House. The road was too busy, too dangerous of an ask for bikers and pedestrians to cross the main vein through the tightly packed, urbanized area. In 1992, Salt Lake City adopted an Open Space Master Plan, ideating the concept of an off-road bicycle pedestrian corridor connecting Hidden Hollow to Sugar House Park, ultimately connecting Parley’s Canyon to the Jordan River Parkway.

In 1998, Kids Organized to Protect the Environment (KOPE) of Beacon Heights Elementary launched a problem-solving campaign to brainstorm ways to cross 1300 East between Sugar House Park and Hidden Hollow, finding that a tunnel would be the best solution.

By Genevieve Vahl | g.vahl@mycityjournals.com

“Kids are expected to be thinking outside the box,” said Lynne Olson, a former board member of PRATT Coalition. “When you allow young people to be a part of the solution planning, they come up with some pretty creative ideas, which, given enough thought, can be implemented into a truly remarkable product. And that’s what happened here.” The Draw at Sugar House was born.

In 1999, the University of Utah Department of Civil Engineering’s Community Transportation Team confirmed a tunnel would be the safest crossing, at the site of the historic Utah Central Railway. “It would cost less than an aerial bridge and would create fewer hazards to pedestrians than a traffic light and crosswalk,” Olson said. The PRATT Coalition was then formed in 2000.

In 2002, The National Endowment for the Arts New Public Works Initiative awarded Salt Lake City Planning Division money to host a juried competition to design the pedestrian crossing. “The winning design by local landscape architect Steven Gilbert and famed environmental artist Patricia Johanson was chosen for its careful attention to the cultural and ecological history of the place and its potential to enhance the transportation corridor,” Olson said. An artist’s vision and design

Johanson is an internationally known environmental artist who combines engineering, sculpture, landscaping, flood control, wildlife habitat and an outdoor classroom into her designs that work within the

environment in which they are set, taking inspiration from the land and natural ecological patterns of the area. “We need to envision and implement shared landscapes that collaborate with nature, rather than build more infrastructure demonstrating power and control,” Johanson wrote for the publication “Humans and Nature.” “By incorporating functional infrastructure within the living world, engineering can become more resilient, inclusive and continuously creative, harnessing and preserving the biological processes on which we all depend.”

The design, coined Sego Lily Plaza at the Draw, is both artistic and functional, including a major sculptural element only visible in its entirety aerially, in the shape of a Sego Lily, the Utah state flower, for its significance in the survival of early pioneers to avoid starvation by eating the flowers’ bulbs, per Native American recommendation.

In the case of a 100-year flood, the installation directs water overtopping the Parley’s Creek detention pond in Sugar House Park to collect in the basin that is the Sego Lily to then flow under the eight-lane highway draining into Parley’s Creek in Hidden Hollow. The 1300 East road is a certified dam, but even with this year's unprecedented snowmelt that flooded Sugar House Park, the water didn’t even make it to the Lily diversion mechanism, remaining in the well-designed basin of the pond with 1300 East damming it. The three petals function as the dam’s armature. The north petal rises

30 feet to counter waves to prevent erosion from under the road if a major flood were to happen. The east petal is striated with irrigation channels with seven veins representing the seven creeks that flow into the Great Salt Lake Valley. The south petal has winding pathways to get up to 1300 East.

“It is a major piece of water-control and transportation infrastructure, incorporating Parley’s Trail, which links the Bonneville Shoreline Trail to the Provo-Jordan River Parkway,” Johanson wrote. “This would be the first flood control system in America that has not only been designed as a work of art, but also accommodates many layers of functionality, from safe highway crossings to trails, wildlife corridors, educational programs and tourist magnet,” Olson said.

On the west end of the tunnel is a sculpted floodwall, faux “slot canyon” built featuring hoodoos representing Echo Canyon which was a “natural conduit through the mountains, used for thousands of years by wildlife and Native Americans migrating between the Rockies and the Great Basin,” Johanson wrote of the functional sculpture that features water catchment basins and habitat ledges for native plants and animals. Echo Canyon was the final leg for early pioneers before crossing the Weber River and scaling the Wasatch Mountains. “Johanson’s land art floods the imagination with memories, symbols and feelings of the men and women who walked the same path over 100 years ago, as well as reminding us of the forces of nature we do our best to nego-

An aerial view of Patricia Johanson’s environmental art in Sugar House Park working both functionally as a water diversion mechanism and artful installation. (Adam Isaac Hiscock/Wikimedia Commons)

tiate with,” Olson said.

The term “draw” “was used by Utah’s earliest settlers to describe the sunken riparian corridors that carried water off the Wasatch Mountains, most of which have now been filled,” according to Johanson. It is a low area, sloping down in one direction only and sloping upward in three others. “I never design until I have discovered the meaning of the place,” Johanson wrote. “Each place has a unique set of conditions and we need an intimate understanding of what it has been, is now and will become in the future, in order to create a design that is more than a willful act.”

Connecting communities with the trail

“It was cost prohibitive to do the trail all at once,” Arce-Larreta said about Parley’s Trail. So the trail has been piecemealed together for the past 30 or so years as funding has been raised for each new section. “Say the first phase of the trail we completed may have cost $2 million and a comparable section of the trail is now costing $6 million. Inflation costs increasingly went up,” Arce-Larreta said. “Every time we would come to another phase, it was another major fundraising effort and campaign.”

As it was for the Sego Lily Plaza and the Draw, Olson said. “But it was because there was such a coalition of people intent on making this work for as many communities as possible that made it a bit easier to get funding,” Olson said. Johanson’s project got funding primarily from the federal government, the second largest donors being the state and the county with some private donations.

“There were a lot of people in the public who didn’t think putting money into some artistic elements in the underpass was

A recycling refresher: What, where and how

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

a good use of funds,” Arce-Larreta said. “But people love it now. It’s an amazing amenity in the community and people still don’t know about it.”

Parley’s Trail helps connect communities across the valley. “This is bridging the gap, connecting community,” Arce-Larreta said. “It’s connecting a lot of cities. People are going to be able to go from the East Bench to the west side in a relatively safe way. When they get to the Jordan River Parkway, we broke down this last barrier between 900 West and the Jordan River. The use of the trail should go way up as people discover it more and more.”

Even though the trail is officially complete, work on it still remains. “We’re not turning our back on the trail at this point, we’ll continue to improve it. Now we can add a bench here, or events there,” Arce-Larreta said. “The community needs to continue to be involved in not just the trail, but in their local community park and their local sidewalk and storm drains to make the community a better place.”

Now with this community amenity in place, Arce-Larreta encourages people to continue thinking big, about what else could better the Salt Lake communities we are all a part of. “If people see an opportunity to bring amenities to their community like the Parley’s Trail, they should not be intimidated about accomplishing their vision,” Arce-Larreta said. “They might be surprised to find that with a little time and effort and commitment to the project, just what they’ll be able to accomplish.”

The opening will be held in September to celebrate the decades of work to put Parley’s Trail together. l

Thepizza box is empty, but gooey cheese bits stick to the corners. Susan Reese, a Murray resident, heads for her blue recycle bin because, as she claims, “Cardboard is recyclable.”

But is it?

“We usually recommend people rip off the top of the pizza box to recycle, and put the greasy bottom in the trash,” McKenna Tupa’i, the sustainability coordinator for Wasatch Front Waste and Recycling, said on the City Cast podcast. “Because paper items soaked in food waste can’t be recycled.”

But what if you don’t? Does one cheesy pizza box ruin a whole blue bin’s worth of recycling?

It does not. “This is a common myth,” continued Tupa’i. “Only the items that have directly touched the food waste, and typically only paper products that absorb, would have to be trashed.”

Plastic and glass containers with a little food left in them, as long as it’s not drippy, will be rinsed and recycled. And don’t bother soaking off those labels, they’re fine.

So what can you recycle?

Plastic: things like detergent tubs, soda bottles, plastic Starbucks cups, and those plastic berry/greens containers. Basically, plastic types 1 through 7. No plastic bags or liners of any sort because they gum up the machine.

Household metals: soda cans, empty aerosol and tin cans.

Paper: cardboard, junk mail, newspaper, cereal and other boxes. No shredded paper because it gums up the machine. Unfortunately, no paper with waxy coating (like almond milk containers) or paper envelopes lined with plastic.

Hard to recycle items: some things are harder to recycle than others. Some items, like batteries and remote controls, contain hazardous materials that require special handling. But there are options. Here’s an example or two:

mattresses at Spring Back Utah; electronics at Best Buy; plastic bags and packaging at WinCo, Walmart and Smith’s.

You can find a handy and comprehensive list at wasatchfrontwaste.org/about/faqs or slco.org/recycle/hard-to-recycle-items/.

Glass: glass isn’t lumped in with blue bin recycling items for the safety of the handlers, however it’s infinitely recyclable, so you should try to recycle it. Most Salt Lake Valley residents can sign up for a glass recycling container (start-up cost of $45 and additional $8/month fee), or take glass bottles to one of many locations valley wide. For a map, see utah.momentumrecycling.com/recycling-services-homes/#dropoff.

What happens to the materials in the blue bin once they leave your home?

The specific recycler who processes your household items depends on your address, but your local MRF (Material Recovery Facility), collects, sorts and bales like-recyclable items. Bales of aluminum or plastic or paper are sold and transferred to one of many processing sites across North America. From there the materials are turned into pellets and resold to be remolded into fresh aluminum, glass, steel, paper or plastic consumer items.

Sometimes it seems like we only recycle to make ourselves feel better about our consumption, so are there actual benefits to recycling?

Of course employing reusable items, like ceramic plates from your cupboard or cloth napkins is the best, but recycling reduces the landfill and it also creates jobs. Most importantly it saves energy and natural resources, as the virgin materials do not have to be mined for manufacturing in the first place. “If you recycle just one glass bottle it saves enough energy to light a 100-watt bulb for four hours, power a computer for 30 minutes, or a television for 20 minutes,” Tupa’i said. “So it’s worth it.” l

Headed west on Parley’s Trail at 1300 East, riders emerge out of the tunnel along a faux slot canyon wall representing Echo Canyon where the pioneers made their final stretch into the Salt Lake Valley. (An Errant Knight/Wikimedia Commons)

Bins lined curbside on garbage day. Brown is yard waste, blue is recycling, green is headed for the landfill. (Ella Joy Olsen/City Journals)

Dazzling the skies: Drone light shows take flight

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

During the Cottonwood Heights Butlerville Days celebration, a merging of lights and technology took center stage in the night sky. Residents gathered to watch a mesmerizing drone show, where art and innovation collide.

Cottonwood Heights Culture Manager Ann Eatchel added the drone show to this year’s celebration after meeting with Open Sky, a drone light show company. She wanted to bring a new element to the annual celebration and offer an alternative to fireworks.

Not quite breaking with tradition, Eatchel scheduled the drone show for Friday night and the regular fireworks show for Saturday. There was mixed reaction from residents for both shows.

“Some people left the drone show saying that was the coolest thing ever…It didn’t have the loud noises that can scare pets and it doesn’t leave the smoke and pollution a fireworks show does,” Eatchel said. “And then I had people say no, I’m a fireworks person. I gotta have the booms, gotta have the sparkles. So it totally went both ways.”

Cities across Salt Lake County are choosing drone shows over fireworks for celebrations. Salt Lake City held a drone show for its Fourth of July event and the city of South Jordan teamed with LiveDAYBREAK to bring a drone show to city residents.

Nate Mortensen, Open Sky CEO, said demand for drone shows has increased significantly. Last year, the company did about 30 shows, but now they’re doing that many each month. He says comparing drone shows to fireworks is an apples to oranges situation. While drones can’t replicate the pop and sizzle of fireworks, the show provides cities with the ability to person-

alize the production and tell a story.

“We customize and change the show to match the theme of each event that we fly and use this as a storytelling opportunity as opposed to just entertainment,” Mortensen said. “If you can imagine staring at the sky and seeing shooting stars or meteors crossing the sky, it happens so quick, but you really remember that experience. A drone show is 10 to 13 minutes of choreographed shooting stars that you're watching in the sky.”

A customized drone show’s cost can be equivalent to a fireworks show, usually starting around $15,000, based on the

number of drones used. Most city shows average 150 drones but Open Sky has created shows using hundreds of drones at a six-figure cost.

Proponents of drone shows say drones are better for the environment and safer for residents than traditional fireworks. But while a fireworks show can last up to 30 minutes, a drone show lasts about half that time.

Each drone costs thousands of dollars and battery life lasts about 14 minutes. Mortensen has found that’s a great length of time to keep the audience engaged without losing their attention.

The Cottonwood Heights event featured 150 drones with music and was customized to include the city’s logo and the logo of two event sponsors. If she has her way, Eatchel would love to offer both a drone and fireworks show at next year’s Butlerville Days.

“I have a whole plan if the council wants to move forward,” she said. “But I’m here to do what the council wants, what the Butlerville Days committee wants and what the public wants.”

As drone technology evolves, Mortensen expects the Open Sky shows to bring more creativity, choreography and customization to his clients. He’s excited to see what comes next and he challenges everyone to get out to see a drone show in person.

“Watching [a drone show] online is a great way to see it. But it’s much different in person when you see the size and the scale of these formations that are hundreds of feet wide and hundreds of feet tall. It’s really something to behold,” he said. “The most common takeaway we hear from people after a show is they didn't know what to expect….It just exceeds their expectations when they finally see one in person.” l

Cottonwood Heights residents enjoyed the city’s first drone show during Butlerville Days, as more cities explore drone show options. (Photo courtesy of Cottonwood Heights)

In a repurposed region, Bingham girls tennis looks to veteran players

By Brian Shaw

WithCorner Canyon back in the lineup in a new Class 6A Region 2, the Bingham girls tennis team might have some work cut out for it.

To get ready for a new region that includes all of the usual suspects minus West Jordan, the Miners hosted Stansbury for a nonleague match on Aug. 9, winning 4-1. According to Bingham head coach Mark Smith, it was good to get out some nerves and play.

“To be expected, the girls had to fight through some first-match jitters in order to get the win,” Smith said.

The Miners appear to have some heavy hitters, however, in each and every category this season.

Senior Megan Burton is already off to a good start for Bingham, having won her first match of the season in three sets, 4-6, 6-2 and 6-1.

Junior Zaida Meurer was playing in her first-ever varsity match. But she handled the

pressure quite well, winning 6-0 and 6-1.

The Miners have junior Emaline Roberts back for another go, and she too won in straight sets, 6-1 and 6-0.

In doubles, the Miners are welcoming back several duos.

“The seasoned 1st doubles pair of Maddi Mabey and Katie Smith won the first set 6-2 but struggled a bit in the 2nd set losing 5-7,” Smith said. “The senior pair found themselves down 0-2 in the 3rd set before regaining some of their last season form to win 6 straight games to win the set 6-2.”

As ever, the Miners girls team positions can and will change as the season goes on.

For Smith, first matches can be tricky as evidenced by the lone loss the Miners suffered against Stansbury in 2nd doubles, but he said he was proud of the team as a whole.

“It was a good first match for the girls, giving them some much needed match play as they tune up their skills for the regular season. Congratulations Miners!” l

Jordan School District welcomes one of its largest classes of new teachers

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Please

Understanding Grief: Caring for Yourself, Caring for Others

Thursday, September 14, 2023

6:45–8pm

Larkin Sunset Gardens Mortuary 1950 East Dimple Dell Road, Sandy, Utah

SPEAKER

William G. (Bill) Hoy, PH.D., FT

Author • Educator • Grief Counselor • Chaplain

Bereavement is not about “recovery,” but rather, about finding renewed life. The basic task for a bereaved person is to learn to live in a radically–changed world that no longer includes the physical relationship with our loved one. In this practical, community workshop, Dr. Bill Hoy will help bereaved people and those who care for them understand the practical steps to take charge of their grief and live again, even in the aftermath of incredible sorrow. For those in attendance who are curious about how to help, there will be ample ideas for the practical things to say and do (as well as to not say and do!).

During the workshop, we’ll find answers together to questions like:

• What simple actions can I take now to get my life back on track?

• Is what I’m feeling and seeing normal?

• How do I deal with well–meaning friends and their unwanted advice?

• The holidays are coming; what in the world are we going to do without them?

Before about 450 new teachers walked to a high school drumline beat amongst potted flowers near a green carpet to the entrance of new teacher conference with a theme, “Come Grow With Us,” they were cheered by student cheerleaders, faculty, principals, administrators and given high-5s by school mascots. “We are welcoming one

of the largest classes of brand-new teachers to Jordan School District with a big celebration event,” district spokeswoman Sandra Riesgraf said. “We cannot remember a time when we have had this many new teachers starting.” The new educators who are teaching this fall come from 20 states and eight countries. l

Last month, I watched the neighborhood kids trudge back to school. Hunched under the weight of heavy backpacks, the little Quasimodos marched into the school year carrying a 300-page summer homework packet, an associate’s degree they earned at math camp, 750 colored pencils, scissors, an emotional support stuffed animal, cleaning products, a mass spectrometer, a non-BPA bento box and some allergen-free crackers.

When I attended elementary school in the 1900s, we didn’t use backpacks. They hadn’t been invented. It was too cumbersome to drag our handcart to school, so we carried our math, history, language, science, reading and social studies books home in our arms every night.

Most kids didn’t fail because they didn’t understand the homework, they failed because they were too weak to carry 50 pounds of textbooks.

Parents and educators set the bar for us at “extremely low” and we were lucky to hit that. One of my biggest challenges came in fourth grade when I started the school year wearing homemade avocado-green culottes. And it got worse. My Bionic Woman lunchbox had an unreliable latch, so I spent lunchtime worrying my PB&J would fall onto the floor and

Getting Schooled

Peri Kinder

Life and Laughter

everyone would laugh.

Not sure if I learned anything that year.

The motto at the elementary school near my home is “Academically smart, character strong.” I don’t think my school had a motto, unless it was “Sit down and shut up.” It wasn’t that our teachers didn’t care, they just thought “quiet reading time” or “rest your heads on your desks” was the best way to spend the majority of our day.

But that first day of school was always exciting. New school supplies had to be arranged carefully in my desk, including a brand new cardboard pencil box with a built-in pencil sharpener that was never sharp enough to create a point. It just mangled the top of my pencils, leaving a broken lead I kept pushing back into place.

And, of course, there had to be space

for my colorful hoppy taw, for hopscotch, and a bag of cat’s-eyes so I could shoot marbles at recess. Not real cat’s eyes. I’m not that old.

My grandson is in sixth grade, taking classes like flight science, robotics and computer engineering. When I was in sixth grade, we wrapped eggs in styrofoam and threw them off the school roof.

#Science

Luckily for today’s hard-working students, they get vacation days all the time. They’re off for Burning Man and Mardi Gras and Oktoberfest and (ironically) International Literacy Day. In the 1970s, we had Christmas Day off and a half-day for Thanksgiving. We didn’t even miss school for being sick. We just took our pneumonia-filled lungs to class and hoped we didn’t die during recess.

I’m not saying elementary school was better in the 20th century. It wasn’t. Not at all. If we could eat with a spoon in kindergarten, we would be at the top of the class. Kids who knew the difference between a letter and a number were named class president. Our role models were Bugs Bunny and the Muppets, so we were trained early in sarcasm.

Kids are so much smarter now than we ever were. I’m amazed at what my grandkids learn. I have a 7-year-old granddaughter learning Spanish and a 6-year-old granddaughter building LEGO robots. When I was their age, my biggest challenge was learning cat’s cradle. I guess the content in those heavy backpacks is paying off.

“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