South Salt Lake Journal | December 2022

By Zak Sonntag | z.sonntag@mycityjournals.com

The City of South Salt Lake Police Department has a lot of guns—but not all of them belong to officers.

Through the course of evidence, the department acquires firearms that have been abandoned, found, or used in the com mission of a crime. Where applicable, SSLPD tries to return guns to owners, but in the course of the last few years the de partment has found itself with a slew of arms it doesn’t want.

“We just don’t have enough space to maintain and hold (guns) for an extended period of time. And this is a legal way that we are able to dispose of that property,” said Captain Dan ielle Croyle, public information officer with SSLPD.

South Salt Lake City Council voted in September to ap propriate stored guns for “public interest use” by giving them to Salt Lake Wholesale, a federally licensed firearms dealer who is allowed by Utah state law to resell or destroy firearms acquired from agencies throughout the state.

The practice enables functional guns to be put back in circulation, which helps meet the surging demand in a state which had 118,408 registered firearms in 2021, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), translating to a gun in around half of all Utah house holds, as corroborated in a recent Deseret News/Hinckley In stitute poll.

Should some guns remain off market?

Utah law prevents law enforcement agencies from sell ing or destroying firearms. They must instead dispose of guns through federally licensed entities, according to Croyle, who says the council’s vote allows the department to now offload around 100 guns collected over the past eight years.

For a licensed dealer like Salt Lake Wholesale, a local South Salt Lake for-profit

crime. (Wikimedia) Continued page 9

Comcast celebrates the launch of SheMoney’s Spend program

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

When ComcastRISE was launched to support women-owned small busi nesses, Comcast committed $1 billion to programs that would affect 50 million people. ComcastRISE, which stands for Representation, Investment, Strength and Empowerment, helps business owners get ac cess to tools and funding they need to thrive.

In early November, Comcast sponsored the opening of SheMoney’s Spend program, inviting conscious consumerism to support women+ business owners in their wealth cre ation journey.

SheMoney, a content platform dedicated to financial equity, is a sister brand to She Place, a network designed to help members build social capital through resource sharing and opportunities for worldwide collabora tion.

Madison Limansky, COO of ShePlace, worked in the fashion industry and produc tion for 17 years. After receiving a degree in gender studies from the University of Utah, it changed her perception of the fashion world and she revolutionized the way companies approach representation through media cam paigns.

Limansky joined forces with ShePlace founder Jacki Zehner to build a program that takes networking to a new level, with a focus on collaborative success.

“We believe that social capital is a cru cial ingredient to financial success. What we want to do at ShePlace is provide digital and in-person space where people can connect in a way that goes beyond industry and socio economic status,” Limansky said. “Research shows when looking at what makes a com munity vibrant for upward mobility, what’s most important is friendships that connects people across a socioeconomic spectrum.”

ShePlace is a network where individu als and groups can share opportunities and

challenges and have the opportunity to coor dinate efforts. Approximately 70% of SheP lace members are based in Utah, but the plat form includes women+ from 28 states and 13 countries. It encompasses nonbinary or gender fluid individuals and is intentionally inclusive of people that don’t identify on the binary spectrum.

The SheMoney brand gives women the ability to learn about and control financial re sources. While money can’t buy happiness, it can help provide resources like access to counseling services, fitness classes, network ing opportunities and more.

Through its custom framework called the 7 Money Moves, SheMoney delves into the actions a person can take with money. Whether it’s spending, saving, investing, pro tecting, giving, borrowing or earning, SheM oney offers women a chance to understand and control their financial security.

“If we can make a difference in a per son’s financial wellness, that has the potential to impact every area of their well-being,” Li mansky said. “If you can’t afford a therapist or live in a home with access to clean water or take time for a spiritual practice, money has the ability to impact all areas of your life.”

Spend is the first targeted focus of the SheMoney platform and brings together 70 small business owners across 10 categories, including business services, art, food, beauty and health. SheMoney hopes to inspire con scious spending and intentional support for women+ owned businesses and create social change.

“We started with Spend because it’s something everyone can participate in imme diately,” she said. “If we spent every dollar in a more intentional way to support women and people of color, that could make a huge impact in the financial landscape of Utah.”

Historically, Utah has been a difficult place for women economically but the Spend experiment could be the first step toward ad dressing change in a healthy, long-term way.

“We hope to be an aggregator of the resources readily available to business own ers,” Limansky said. “It’s about economic connectedness among the business owners and accessing resources like knowing which type of capital is most effective for your business, or understanding when is it time to grow and scale your business.

“Comcast not only provided a cash sponsorship for the launch event, they also provided a lot of photo and video coverage for this event. That was such an extraordinary gift and an asset to us as a small company just getting started.”

Visit sheplace.com and comcastrise.com for more information. l

SOUTH SALT LAKE TEAM

The South Salt Lake City Journal is a monthly publication distributed directly to residents via the USPS as well as locations throughout South Salr Lake.

For information about distribution please email brad.c@thecityjournals.com or call our offices. Rack locations are also available on our website. The views and opinions expressed in display ad vertisements do not necessarily reflect or repre sent the views and opinions held by Loyal Perch Media or the City Journals. This publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the owner. © 2019 Loyal Perch Media, Inc.

At a launch party in November, sponsored by Comcast, SheMoney launched its Spend program to support women+ business owners. (Photo courtesy of The Ahfuas)

Telemark skiing film tour makes a stop in Utah for a new generation of skiers

By Jesse M. Gonzalez | j.gonzalez@mycityjournals.com

With the winter ski season here, the city of South Salt Lake is eager to get the skiing community pumped up for some great runs down the slopes. And who is bet ter to help ignite that spark than CJ Coccia, the filmmaker behind Telemark Colorado, a recreational project consisting of a keen film crew who are on tour promoting their skiing documentaries.

They stopped by the Freeheel Life Shop on South West Temple Street on Oct. 21 to show their three short films: “Orange,” “Maybe Not,” and “That’s Life.”

The previous night, Coccia and his crew stopped by a local brewery to show their films, but to appease all audiences and age groups, they decided to visit a local ski shop to engage the younger generations of skiers. “We want to expose to them what it is and not what it was,” Coccia said. “We always split it up to make sure that we can get the kids involved as well.”

The films depict various backcountry ar eas and mountains to showcase free-heel ski ing and show what Telemark Colorado can do for the enthusiastic outdoor world.

Coccia, who is originally from Florida, found a passion for skiing and decided to move to Colorado to fulfill his fascinations and fervors with the sport.

“We film the different segments for the ’21-’22 seasons, and to edit them, I spent the whole summer working on them—very different styles, very different concepts and techniques, very different filming throughout all of them,” Coccia said.

Their tour started in Colorado and con tinues through the West. “Hitting Utah, Ida ho, Montana then Washington, then once I get back to Colorado, I’ll be flying out to Duluth, Minnesota for a show…Burlington, Vermont for a show,” Coccia said. “I hope to come back out here to do some bigger film projects.”

One enthusiastic member in the audi ence of the film showings, sitting next to his father in the front row, was 13-year-old Fynn Osmundson. “I have been skiing pretty much my whole life, and I switched to telemark skiing in the fifth grade. My dad’s done it his whole life,” said Osmundson, who is re ferring to the technical form of skiing which consists of creating downhill carving turns by pushing on the front foot while the back foot is used to keep balanced.

“It’s my first time seeing this film, but I saw the last one and it was really good,” Osmundson said. “I’m really excited.”

Coccia mentioned how he wanted to en gage with the younger generations of skiers,

“My favorite part about skiing is the en joyment of doing something you thought you couldn’t and then stomping it and realizing how easy it was,” Osmundson said. l

Adopt-A-Native-Elder is committed to the Navajo Nation

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

Covering 27,000 square miles, the Navajo Nation is home to more than 170,000 people identified as Navajo or Native American. It’s the largest Native American reservation in the country, with land in Utah, Arizona and New Mexico.

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

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

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

stay on their land.

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

“In order for them to age in place, in a traditional way like their elders and families have done, they really need support in the form of food and medical supplies and ev eryday necessities,” Robb said. “There’s not a system of elder care in place on the reserva tion for these traditional people. Part of that is because the elders live so remotely, they’ve never left the reservation. They speak only Navajo, they dress traditionally and practice traditional ceremonies.”

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

For the holidays, all the elders in the

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

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

to the reservation.

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

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

and Osmundson may be one to take the helm for further waves to come after him. Osmund son has big plans for this season in terms of getting out there on top of that mountain and continuing to level up his skill set.

Before the films begin, people trickle in through the front door of Freeheel Life Shop to speak to the film makers as well as some excited skiers. (Jesse M. Gonzalez/City Journals)

Through the Adopt-A-Native-Elder program, hundreds of elders from the Navajo Nation receive much-needed food, firewood and essentials.

Breaking the cycle of poverty through allyship

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

Although Utah’s poverty rate is one of the lowest in the nation, thousands of chil dren in the state grow up in intergenerational poverty. More than 70% of children growing up in IGP are under 10 years old, and wom en have much higher odds of struggling with poverty than men.

The cycle of IGP begins when a child is born in poverty. This has shown to create disadvantages at school and difficulty devel oping social skills. As the child grow into a teen and young adult, they struggle to find work and end up raising their own family in poverty. And the cycle continues.

But Circles Salt Lake (2530 S. 500 East) is a community for those in poverty to help break the cycle and give them tools to suc ceed by creating allyships that support indi viduals and families as they learn to lift them selves to a new life.

“People living in poverty don’t know the value of social capital,” said Michelle Craw ford, Circles Salt Lake executive director. “When someone’s in generational poverty, they were born into poverty, most likely ev eryone in their circle of influence is also in poverty, they don’t have the lens to get out of it.”

The Salt Lake chapter of the national program started in 2017 with two goals: help families break the chain of poverty and ad dress barriers that keep people stuck. People

who come to the program are called circle leaders because they are leading their fami lies in a better direction. Each circle leader is matched with an ally, a bridge between eco nomic classes.

Participants go through an initial 12week training and are asked to commit to a minimum of 18 months. Once a circle leader has increased their household income to at least 200% of the federal poverty level, Cir cles holds a big celebration.

“Our focus is to get them completely independent of government services,” Craw ford said. “We love Medicaid and Medicare and all they do to help our participants man age their situational poverty, but we don’t want them to stay there. We want them to be come independent of those services.”

Circle leaders are asked to attend weekly meetings, make progress toward an econom ic stability plan and become a leader in their community. Many circle leaders who com plete the program come back to be allies to new participants in the program.

An ally’s role is part mentor, cheerlead er, friend and bridge builder. Each ally is in vited to attend meetings on the first and third Thursday of each month and is asked to be a consistent support for those trying to break the cycle of IGP.

“What I’ve learned is that, sadly, many people in poverty are conditioned to think that’s all they’re worth. They grow up being told not to expect a better life,” Crawford said. “An ally can connect their circle leader with people in the community that can help

them work toward their dream.”

Living in poverty usually comes with layers of trauma including abuse, domestic violence and mental and emotional damage. So there’s more to breaking the cycle of IGP than an increase in salary. Circle leaders un dertake a massive mindset change that allows them to dream big and work toward a better future.

If a circle leader doesn’t graduate in 18 months, they can keep attending, as long as they’re participating. Nationally, the average for graduating from the Circles program is three years.

Not only do circle leaders come back to be allies, recently one was appointed to the Circles Salt Lake board of directors.

“It was important to us that we weren’t just talking about poverty, that we had some one who could contribute to that conversa tion,” Crawford said. “Having somebody who’d recently experienced poverty to be able to give us input on the decisions we make was critical.”

For more information about becoming a circle leader or ally, visit CirclesSaltLake. org.

Crawford has big goals for the upcom ing year, hoping to get 25-30 circle leaders enrolled in the program. Because each circle leader has two allies, Crawford is looking for 60 people in the community to become allies.

“I would love Utah to set the example of how a program gets participants independent of government services and breaking that cy cle of poverty,” Crawford said. l

Left: While their parents are learning how to break the cycle of poverty, children learn social skills, create art projects and make friends in the community.

Right: Each weekly meeting at Circles Salt Lake begins with a dinner. It’s a time for participants to come together as family before they get down to work. (Pho to courtesy of Michelle Crawford)

Ugandan refugee shares her story to help others

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

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

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

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

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

Her story of resilience and courage reflects the hard ships faced by women in Uganda who often experience sexual abuse, poverty and child marriage. Kuenihira hopes to break the cycle of poverty by creating opportunities for women to start and operate their own businesses.

unDEfeated provides education for underprivileged youth and women. Donations to the organization can send a person to high school or college. Over the sum mer, Kuenihira went to Uganda to meet with women in the community to create the most effective way to provide education, financial support and confidence.

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

Kuenihira plans to continue her education and will go back to school in the future, but right now she is spreading

business, the incentive to resell arms is clear, but it’s unclear what incentives exist to de stroy them, which raises philosophical ques tions about the ethics of certain instances of gun recirculation.

Croyle said there is a belief held by some public servants that particular guns should not be resold, like those used in the commis sion of a suicide or uniquely heinous crime.

“There are cases that are traumatic and sensitive. They’re heart wrenching, and in those cases we don’t want (firearms) back out there. So there are some things that widen our perspective about the question of how we dispose of property,” she said.

“What’s the benefit of (a licensed dealer) to destroy them when they don’t get some thing from it? We’re trying to balance all of these things and look at different avenues to be sure what we’re doing is in the law, and if

awareness through public speaking, her nonprofit platform and her memoir. She would like to collaborate with busi nesses that are invested in helping women gain a foothold in the corporate world.

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

there is a better best practice for how do we dispose of property,” Croyle said.

Jordan Mitchell, owner of Salt Lake Wholesale, did not comment directly on the recirculation of guns with dubious histories, but said that his business adheres rigorously to the law.

“It’s not like some guy walking around with a gun who wants to trade it in at a pawn shop,” Mitchell said, referring to his acquisi tion of arms from state agencies. “My ethics are to be 100% legal, and I go above and be yond to follow the actual laws and the spirit of the law in all cases.”

Mitchell is still waiting to receive SSL’s public interest use donation, and says he can not know how many will be resalable until after he examines them. In the case of illegal or unsellable guns—which could mean guns with destroyed serial numbers or that have been illegally altered, like those with sawed-

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

off barrels—he says Salt Lake Wholesale does not destroy them but instead contracts a separate entity if destruction is needed.

For law enforcement agencies across the region, Salt Lake Wholesale has become a go-to outlet not only for firearm disposal, but also for firearm and ammunition provisions.

“We do millions in dollars in sales to law enforcement because we are highly trained, highly professional, and we’re very serious about what we do,” said Mitchell, whose company holds exclusive contracts to pro vide Glock pistols to agencies throughout the state.

Crime Lab

In seeking to dispose of firearms, agen cies like SSLPD have also turned to the Utah Crime Lab, a division within the Utah De partment of Public Safety. The lab uses fire arms to conduct forensic research—in order

to analyze and compare ballistic trajectories, fire-casings, impact ratios and other aspects of firearm function which can then be used to help enforcement agencies connect dots in criminal investigations.

“We try to have as large of a variety of makes and models of firearms as we can in our reference collection in order to do our forensic analysis of casework,” said Jennifer McNair, chief forensic scientist at the Crime Lab.

Similar to law enforcement agencies, al beit, the lab is also limited by storage space and declines to dispose of most arms offered by law enforcement agencies.

“If you think about all the possible guns that are held in evidence with police depart ments throughout the entire state, it wouldn’t be possible for us to continually accept every gun an agency is trying to dispose of,” Mc Nair said. l

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

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

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

The businesses receiving the honor are: AlphaGraphics in South Ogden, Alzheimer's Association, Ana lytic Orange, Associated Builders and

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

Three Cottonwood student-athletes sign their National Letters of Intent

By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

At a special ceremony on Nov. 9, several student-athletes from Cottonwood High School sat at a table adorned with hats from several colleges and universities.

Eventually, after a bit of playful teasing with the audience, each picked the one that suited them best.

But what made them truly unique on this day was that they were three Cottonwood baseball players signing National Letters of Intent to play for and attend their respective schools and universities.

“When a student-athlete signs their Na tional Letter of Intent it means three things— that student-athlete has committed to one year at the university, the university is prom ising to provide an athletic scholarship for that year, and no other schools can continue to recruit that student-athlete,” said Granite School District communications and market ing coordinator Matt Sampson, in a release.

For one year, these three Cottonwood students will be locked into those commit ments he or she made. In the new age of NIL (name, image and likeness) in which any stu dent-athlete can profit from his or her name, image and likeness, anything can change for any student-athlete after that year is up.

For senior Jaxon Pfeil, he’ll be attending Salt Lake Community College to play base ball along with fellow senior Avery Doezie. With SLCC being a two-year school, Cotton wood athletic director Greg Southwick said “it’s more likely” Pfeil and Doezie will get opportunities to stay on at SLCC (former Colts head coach Jason Crawford is the de fensive coach there) beyond the one year and complete their two-year degrees.

For Colts senior Cameron Nielson, who will be attending the University of Utah on a baseball scholarship, it could be a different story for him.

The pitcher/infielder led Cottonwood to a Region 7 title last year and hopes to help his Colts gallop even further in 2023.

At Utah, Nielson will be following in the footsteps of several Colts baseball standouts. Current Cottonwood head coach Chris Shel ton, the Dunn brothers, and Hunter Heugly all played for the Utes over the past two de cades.

More recent examples of former Colts turned Utes were Zach Adams and Caleb Manuel. Finally, of course, there’s Christo pher Rowan Jr., who not only starred at Cot tonwood—or, The Wood as the kids like to call it—but also with the Utes, where in 2021 he hit .301.

Rowan’s story, however, will continue not at Utah in 2023 but at Coastal Carolina University, a program that was a national champion as recently as 2016.

For that is the story of this one-year scholarship commitment, here in the new age of NIL.

“You’d like to have to have a solid commitment of four years for these kids (from schools) so they can get their degree,” Southwick said. “But, I guess it’s a sign of the times, that with the transfer portal comes uncharted waters, and I do worry that these kids now aren’t always doing what’s best for their futures…but, you know, we’ll hope that they know what they’re doing when they do go into (transfer portal) and it does turn out OK.” l

Nature’s Virus Killer

Copper can stop a virus before it starts

By Priscilla Schnarr www.copperzap.com

Scientists have discovered a natural way to kill germs fast.

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

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

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

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

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

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

CopperZap® and put it on the market.

Soon hundreds of people had tried it. 99% said copper worked if they used it right away at the first sign of bad germs, like a tickle in the nose or a scratchy throat.

Users Say:

“It works! I love it!”

“I can’t believe how good my nose feels.”

“Is it supposed to work that fast?”

“One of the best presents ever.”

“Sixteen airline flights, not a sniffle!”

“Cold sores gone!”

“It saved me last holidays. The kids all got sick, but not me.”

As thousands more tried it, some found other things they could use it against, including: Colds, flu, new viruses and variants, sinus trouble, cold sores, canker sores, strep throat, nighttime stuffiness, morning congestion, nasal drip, skin infections, thrush, warts, styes, and ringworm.

Contractors Utah Chapter, Boncom, Bridge Source, Burnaby Velodrome Club (Canada), Cache Valley Bank, Catholic Community Services of Utah, City of Logan, City of St. George, Clozd, Creative Energies Solar, De partment of Government Operations (State of Utah), DPS Skis, Elase Spas, Evans Com panies, FUEL Marketing, Geneva Rock, Hippie Skin, HireVue, HYVE Homes, InGroup Hospitality/The Advenire, Autograph Collection, Intergalactic, Intermountain Precision Genomics, JPMorgan Chase, Ken Garff Automotive, KLAS Research, Leavitt Group, Leavitt Partners, Liiingo, Loveland Living Planet Aquarium, Mountain America Credit Union, Myriad Genetics, National In stitute of Medical Aesthetics, Outdoor Gear Exchange, Parr Brown Gee & Loveless, Pepsi-Cola, Prism Philosophy, Progressive Leasing, Real Salt Lake, Regence BlueC ross BlueShield of Utah, Ronald McDon ald House Charities Intermountain Area,

SelectHealth, Service Robotics Technolo gies, SirsiDynix, SnugZ USA, Spectrum Recruiting Solutions, St. George City, St. George Police Department, Stapley Pharma cy & Compounding, Sunpro, Sunroc, TechMoms, The Community Foundation of Utah, The Wayne Brown Institute, Usana Health Sciences, Utah Jump$tart Coalition, UWM Men's Shop, Vivint, Walker Edison, Wilson Electronics, World Trade Center Utah, WW Clyde and Xevant.

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

For more information, visit wliut. com.l

The EPA recommended hospitals use copper for touch surfaces like faucets and doorknobs. This cut the spread of MRSA and other illnesses by over half, and saved lives.

“I am shocked! My sinus cleared, no more headache, no more congestion.”

“Best sleep I’ve had in years!”

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

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

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

He hasn’t had a cold in 10 years.

After his first success with it, he asked relatives and friends to try it. They all said it worked, so he patented

The handle is curved and textured to increase contact.

Copper can kill germs picked up on fingers and hands after you touch things other people have touched.

Scientists placed millions of viruses on copper. “They started to die literally as soon as they touched it,” said Dr. Bill Keevil.

Tarnish does not reduce how well copper works, EPA tests showed.

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Robots to the rescue

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

On Dec. 10, about 100 high school stu dents from across the Salt Lake Valley will compete with their schools in the Robot Bucket Brigade, hosted by Academy of Math, Engineering and Science and Cottonwood High robotics teams.

“We can never know what the new offi cial FRC (FIRST robotics competition) game will be, so instead we look at the previous game,” said Douglas Hendricks, AMES ro botics coach and physics and engineering teacher. “We design our informal December game so that teams can fairly easily repur pose their robot from the previous FRC game to fit a slightly different set of circumstanc es. However, we always include a new ele ment too.”

The concept of this year is that a wildfire is raging, and robots are needed to help ex tinguish it. Pretending the balls are water, the robots can shoot balls directly at the fire or they can place buckets into a cargo bay that represent loads of fire retardant that will later be dispersed. Since fire retardant is a more ef fective fire suppressant than water is, placing a bucket on a peg will earn more points than will shooting balls at the ball targets, Hen dricks said.

The rules are simplified as well so rook ie teams can participate with “a very simple robot that can do nothing more than drive

around (without shooting or lifting anything) can still earn at least a few points,” he said.

At the same time, students learn the same skills they will need during the season, which kicks off in January. That includes mechanical design, mechanical fabrication, electrical design, electrical assembly, soft

ware development, and strategizing the best way to put it all together, with consideration of “the constraints they face and given the various ways points can be earned,” he said.

The preseason game not only prioritizes students commitment to their own team, it helps form and solidify bonds between teams

in the sense of FIRST’s “coopertition”—a cooperative competition between teams.

“There’s much more sharing of informa tion and ideas now than there had been before we started doing these preseason competi tions,” Hendricks said.l

PROVENTION CELIAC DISEASE STUDY

This study is for adults 18 - 70 years, they must have a diagnosis of celiac disease. This study involves the use of a drug called PRV-015. PRV-015 is an antibody designed to block an immune system protein called interleukin 15 (IL-15). IL-15 is made in the small intestine and is one trigger that causes intestinal inflammation followed by death of the intestinal cells. In people with celiac disease, this immune response can be caused by eating gluten, in previous studies, PRV-015 has been shown to reduce inflammation in the intestine and improve the symptoms of celiac disease when used together with GFD (gluten-free diet).

GSK HPV EVE STUDY

This is a study for females 16- 26, The human papillomavirus (HPV) is a virus that commonly affects the skin and the soft tissues (mucous membranes) around the genital area. These infections are common in both men and women and are often transmitted through sexual intercourse or another skin-to-skin contact. Symptoms vary from rashes to warts in the hands, feet, face, and genital area. Some types of can cer, such as cervical cancer are linked to HPV infections. There are more than 100 variants, this study is looking at an investigational vaccine called HPV9, the main purpose of the study is to see whether the study vaccine is safe when given to women aged between 16 and 26 years, in a 3-dose vaccination scheme. In addition to this, the study will look at how safe the study vaccine is compared with an approved (already available for use) HPV vaccine called GARDASIL 9.

This study is for adults 18 and older, who haven’t already received a flu vaccine this year, This study aims to see if a new type of influenza vaccine, called quadrivalent influenza modRNA vaccine (qIRV), is well toler ated and can help the body produce antibodies that may help fight influenza. Hemagglutinin (HA) is a protein that is made by the influenza virus that is important in how the virus works. The influenza virus can mutate the form of HA it makes, which means each year different strains of the influenza virus, making different forms of HA, become widespread worldwide. Each year surveillance is conducted to predict what influ enza strains are likely to be most common that year, and vaccines are then tailored to combat these.

AMES and Cottonwood High will host a high school robotics competition this December, similar to this one that was taken in 2019. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Cottonwood girls basketball is ready to gallop with four starters back along with a deep bench

By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

Coming off a 12-10 season in which they tied for second in Region 7, the Cottonwood Colts girls basketball team only lost three seniors to graduation.

Cottonwood also hosted its first 5A state playoff game in many years and had its first winning season since 2014.

“I anticipate them having a little better year than what they had last year,” said Cot tonwood athletic director Greg Southwick of the girls team after watching tryouts Nov. 9.

Experience is why there’s such opti mism at Cottonwood, added Southwick, who was a longtime high school basketball coach before he became an athletic director.

In the front court, the Colts return their leading scorer, forward Ali Tripp (16 points per game) and 6-foot-tall center Kennedy Covili, who was their leading rebounder. Both seniors will provide size and length to the squad.

With junior Alivia Hutton who was un mistakable last year in her pink dyed hair, and that other half of the Tripp sisters (sopho more Ashlyn) along with junior forward Avea VanDerBeek making up the backcourt, the Colts have shooters and defenders to com pete with anyone.

Cottonwood head coach Tess Soracco will have plenty of other options as well. Ju nior guard Ciel Budge and senior Rio Bar rowes along with junior forward Isabella Morris and one or two kids from the Colts

JV team replacing those graduated seniors will make it one to watch once Region 7 play starts.

To get them ready for the region, the Colts will face a daunting preseason sched ule. They will tip off November with two games against Class 6A opponents. First, at Granger on Nov. 22—then they will have their first home game against Mountain Ridge on Nov. 29.

Cottonwood will then travel to 5A Park City on Dec. 1, host 6A Taylorsville Dec. 5 and play at 5A Timpview Dec. 8.

After a one-week break for finals, the Colts will host two games against 3A Sum mit Academy (Dec. 15) and 6A Hunter (Dec. 20) before they hit the road for a three-day holiday tournament from Dec. 28-30.

After that, Cottonwood will open Re gion 7 play with a home game against Cedar Valley on Jan. 3, 2023 for a season that many hope will be even better than the last.

With a loaded lineup featuring their top returning scorer last year in senior forward Ali Tripp along with their third, fourth and fifth scoring options (Covili, VanDerBeek, and Hutton), you’ve got to think the Colts have a good shot to have a great year.

There will be a complete recap of the Colts’ first few games in November and early December in next month’s South Salt Lake Journal. l

Navigating Grief and the Holidays

By Kathie Supiano, PhD, LCSW

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kathie Supiano,

801-585-9522 healthcare.utah.edu/caring-connections

PhD, LCSW is an Associate Professor at the University of Utah College of Nursing and the Director of Caring Connections: A Hope and Comfort in Grief Program. Caring Connections is a not-for-profit program that offers clinician-facili tated grief support groups in Utah.

Cottonwood girls basketball head coach Tess Soracco returns plenty of firepower from last year. (File photo City Journals)

The Cottonwood Colts boys basketball team finished fourth in Region 7 play last year with a 7-5 record.

They went 15-9 overall, hosted their first state playoff game in 15 years and lost one of their leading scorers.

According to Cottonwood athletic direc tor Greg Southwick, he was told by Cotton wood head basketball coach Marc Miller that they want more.

“They are looking good; they’ll be one of the top 5A teams,” Southwick said. “I’ll be awfully surprised if they aren’t in the top 10 for most of the year.”

Junior Chris Cox returns and, at 10.4 points per game, was the Colts third option last year. Senior Aidan Oliphant (their top re bounder) is back as is three-point specialist senior Max Russo; the question will turn to who fills those other two starting spots.

Southwick said he likes senior Kirath Makhar at the point guard spot—and junior Jackson Price is going to get some minutes as well.

Others in the Cottonwood backcourt who could play a role and got minutes on last year’s team include junior Ryan Nielson— the kicker on the Colts football team who went viral after his fair catch-free kick at Jor dan—and sophomore Mason Tolley.

In the front court, the Colts will have

By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

in Cottonwood’s main gym Nov. 7-9.

The first game of the season for the Colts

will be a nonregion one, on the road, at 5A Mountain View on Nov. 28.

Then the Colts will play their next three preseason games at home against 6A Herri man Nov. 30, 5A Skyline on Dec. 6 and 5A

Brighton on Dec. 9.

After that it’s back on the road for more nonregion games at 6A Taylorsville (Dec. 13) and 5A Park City (Dec. 14) before the Colts come home to host crosstown rival Murray on Dec. 16.

Cottonwood will then take the holiday break off before returning to action for a fourday holiday tournament at which they’ll play four traditional basketball powers: 3A Judge Memorial Dec. 27, 6A Kearns Dec. 28, fol lowed by a game against 6A Riverton Dec. 29 and Dec. 30 against 6A Roy.

After that, it’s time for Region 7 action to begin as the Colts will travel to Cedar Val ley on Jan. 4, 2023 and will have their region home opener Jan. 6, 2023 against Stansbury.

It’s a brutal preseason schedule accord ing to the Cottonwood AD, but this team has all the pieces to make a serious run at a region title and at state.

“(Coach Miller said) if the kids will play their roles well and don’t get selfish, and play team basketball he thinks they’ll be a contender, and the expectations are high,” Southwick said.

There will be a full team preview and a recap of the Colts’ November and early De cember games in next month’s South Salt Lake Journal. l

junior Roman Caywood—along with some new kids who the Cottonwood AD said shined at the open tryouts that coach Miller held

The Colts student section will be back for the Cottonwood High boys basketball team this year. (City Journals)

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

By Holly Curby | hello@hollycurby.com

A

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

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

One of the local host sites, Risen Life Church in Holladay emphasized their shoe

box packing night during their annual Har vest Festival in October. Organizer Kristen Veth shared that the entire community was invited to bring their trick-or-treaters out for a fun evening of trunk-or-treating and then take part in the community service project inside while also warming up with a cup of hot chocolate. “Operation Christmas Child

really sets the stage for celebrating Christ mas each year—a simple gift that creates an amazing impact,” Veth said. “At this point we’ve collected 413 boxes. It is inspiring to see so many join together to make an impact in the lives of kids they will likely never meet.”

Ilona Penner was a recipient of an Op

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

Want to help make a positive impact in the lives of children around the world next year? Visit www.samaritanspurse.org/occ to learn more and find out dates. There you’ll learn tips for packing your own box in a shoe box or shoe box-sized plastic container, lo cate party packing events, find a list of drop off locations near you, or even be able to pack a shoebox online. Other ways to help include purchasing items to go into the box es for groups to assemble, donate online to wards shipping ($10 per box suggestion), or even serve as one of the 200,000 volunteers involved in collecting, shipping, and distrib uting shoebox gifts.

For more of Penner’s story check out Holly’s Highlights podcast Season 1 Ep isode 6 where Penner shares about her up bringing in Ukraine, her memories of receiv ing a shoebox while living in the Ukrainian orphanage, and even suggestions on how to pack your own shoebox for a child in need. Hear of her story of hope, the heart of giv ing, the gift of time, and how one simple act made her feel like she wasn't alone. Holly’s Highlights podcast is designed to encourage, inspire, and equip you to intentionally live your life full of purpose. Holly’s Highlights podcast is available at www.hollycurby.com or wherever you listen to podcasts including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spoti fy, Pandora, and even “Alexa, play Holly’s Highlights podcast.”l

people@thecityjournals com

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

Corey Thomas, District 2 801-755-8015 cthomas@sslc.gov

Sharla Bynum, District 3 801-803-4127 sbynum@sslc.gov

Portia Mila, District 4 801-792-0912 pmila@sslc.gov

L. Shane Siwik, District 5 801-548-7953 ssiwik@sslc.gov

Natalie Pinkney, At-Large 385-775-4980 npinkney@sslc.gov

Inspired by a campaign by the Semnani Family Foundation, in my ‘State of the City’ address, I challenged myself and residents to make a habit of an act of kindness in their neighborhood daily. As you may feel like the world is an unfriendly place, in 2022, I witnessed some extraordinary things happening around our community, which have touched my heart and given me hope for the future. I’m happy to report that I have noticed both small and not-so-small acts of kindness around South Salt Lake and wish to share.

After our Animal Services team rescued a dog who was found badly hurt, her back leg mangled and needing surgery, a petition was sent out via SSL Animal Services’ social media pages for financial help. In less than 24 hours, enough money was collected to not only perform this surgery but to fund several veterinary services for other animals in need of care. The 2022 post-pandemic pet return was real, as our numbers of dogs and cats met and often exceeded capacity at the shelter. For the many who have donated, volunteered, and adopted this year—thank you!

This spring, at the Fitts Park Community Garden, several community members, even those who weren’t planning to garden there, gave hours of their time. Using shovels and pickaxes, they helped to break up the top layer of heavily compacted soil, creating over 33 garden plots. Once complete, these plots were leased

to several residents, who went on to produce a tremendous first season of healthy, organic food.

How we support our homeless and unsheltered neighbors is quite possibly one of the biggest issues we face, in South Salt Lake, the state, and as a country. During the naming of the Pamela J. Atkinson Resource Center (PARC) in October, I had the opportunity to spend some time serving a meal to those individuals who live there. Talking with and learning more about the residents living inside the PARC made a huge impression, as I better realized that the stigma doesn’t match the perceptions society often holds. As a vulnerable population, many barriers can prevent one from finding housing. What I discovered was that many have jobs and are active in the process of acquiring a permanent residence. As each individual facing homelessness has unique issues, I believe it will take a tremendous effort from all sides to find a solution. Together we must seek progress in the continuum of care, fund additional resources, and stabilize housing, and my resolve is to do our part in making this happen.

As only a tiny portion of all the many positive things that happened this year, let me plead with you not to stop your kind acts. A thriving community is impossible to build without help from all those who truly care about the well-being of their neighbors. That’s why we are so fortunate that South Salt Lake is full of great people who serve and give back in countless ways. Thanks to the many who see a need, do what they can, pitch in, donate, and make South Salt Lake a wonderful place to live—sending wishes of peace and love to you and yours this holiday season!

Mayor Cherie Wood

All City Offices and Community Centers will be closed on Friday, Dec 23 and Monday, Dec 26, 2022

Public Meetings

For more info: www.sslc.gov

City Council

Wed, Dec 14, 7 p.m.

Planning Commission Thurs, Dec 1, 7 p.m.

Civilian Review Board Mon, Dec 5, 6:30 p.m.

Amy Jones, New Deputy City Attorney

Amy Jones was appointed as the new Deputy City Attorney for South Salt Lake in late October. She joined the legal team a little over a year ago. She finds everyone who works here to be welcoming, helpful, and motivated to make the City a great place to live, work and play. She is excited about the many projects happening in South Salt Lake and is eager to be part of making them successful.

Eliza Ungricht, New Deputy Community Development Director

Eliza Ungricht is a Millcreek native, and received her BS in Geography from the University of Utah and a Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning from The London School of Economics and Political Science.

She enjoys working with and helping the residents, businesses, and property owners that come into the Community Development office. In her free time, Eliza enjoys attending University of Utah sporting events, watching baseball, baking, reading, hiking, and traveling.

CITY COUNCIL CORNER

In search of a volunteer opportunity? Introducing GivePulse

Portia Mila, District 4

The gift of time is one of the most valuable things you can share. In 2023 South Salt Lake is introducing a new online tool called GivePulse that will help you find volunteer opportunities around South Salt Lake.

From planting trees to helping a senior learn basic computer skills, GivePulse allows you to explore the many volunteer events that may be of specific interest to you. Many of our city departments will be posting regularly, including

our Promise afterschool program, Animal Services, The Community Opportunity Center (Co-Op), Arts Council, and the Department of Neighborhoods. Whether you are interested in a one-time opportunity or taking on a weekly or monthly shift, GivePulse helps to keep track, by sending reminders and giving you the information you’ll need to get started. Please stay posted as this new volunteer management tool will be rolling out soon.

Note: Opinions expressed here may not be representative of all Members of the City Council.

Snow Removal in SSL

Winter is here and with it SNOW! While our Public Works Department is hard at work keeping the streets clear, here are a few things residents can do to help out.

Remove snow from sidewalks and parking lots

• The owners of businesses and residences are responsible for removing snow and ice from the sidewalks in front of their buildings and parking lots.

• Snow should be removed the same day it falls, or by 10 a.m. the next day if snow falls into the late evening.

• Keep snow out of the roads

• When shoveling your drive or walk, shovel the snow away from the road and onto your property.

• Clear the area by the road on the left side of your driveway, as this creates a good spot for plows to unload their snow.

• Be mindful when parking

• Parked vehicles impact snowplow operators. Avoid parking on any city street between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m.

• Remember that it is illegal to park on a street or in an alley for more than 72 hours consecutively, and to leave unlicensed/ unregistered vehicles, or detached trailers on the street.

What are our priorities when plowing?

Public Works has 12 drivers who are assigned to seven snow plow routes. Plows are dispatched when there is at least one inch of accumulation on the roadways. Plowing will continue until the streets are safe to drive on.

Priorities are as follows:

• Major collector streets serving emergency facilities with heavy traffic

• Subdivisions and streets serving schools, City offices, etc.

• All other city roads, including dead-ends and culs-de-sac

Christmas Tree Recycling Program

In January, SSL Public Works employees will pick up Christmas trees (natural trees only) at curbside at no cost.

Ace Disposal will also pick up trees during the second week of January (Jan 9th -12th) on your regularly scheduled garbage pickup day. The trees will be used in their composting program.

Public Safety

Tips to Stay Safe this Holiday Season

The holiday season is here and many in our community are helping by serving others. Please consider donating to local nonprofits and charitable organizations that need extra provisions such as donated food, clothing, financial support and basic care items. This year, the South Salt Lake Police and the generous support from the South Salt Lake Honorary Colonels helped provide complete Thanksgiving meals to over 80 families in our community. As always, it was a great and memorable experience. I’d like to share some crime prevention tips to better ensure that your possessions remain in your possession. Criminals can be sneaky but most often take action due to access and opportunity. Here are a few ways you can deter theft during the holidays.

• While shopping, do not carry multiple bags, even if you have to take multiple trips to your vehicle. Place packages and items in the trunk and properly secure them.

• If you carry a purse, do not leave it in a shopping cart unattended. It takes only a few seconds for someone to take your valuables and personal information.

• If you order online, use an address where someone will be home to retrieve the package(s), or a work address. The longer a package remains on the porch visible the more likely it will be stolen.

• Do not share vacation and travel plans on social media. Secure your home and garage while traveling. Share your activities once you’ve returned home.

• Do not drink or drive. Have a designated driver or utilize a cab or ride-share option.

Help keep your property and us all safe this holiday season.

Pamela Atkinson Resource Center:

During 2023 the South Salt Lake Police Department and The Road Home will be rolling out a Co-Responder Case Management pilot program.

South Salt Lake was awarded funding from the U.S. Department of Justice to design and implement a pilot project demonstrating the benefits of a case manager and crisis clinician co-responder to work alongside with our Homeless Resource Officers (HROs). Funding will provide a full-time case manager to work alongside the HROs along with additional funding for recovery services.

The project will focus on approximately 32 high-utilizers of police and emergency medical services (EMS) residing at the Pamela Atkinson Resource Center (PARC). The project’s goals are as follows:

• To reduce the length of stay at the PARC and assist in permanent housing.

• Reduce the number of police interactions and incarcerations.

• Divert individuals out of the criminal justice system and towards resources, while simultaneously accomplishing the above-listed goals.

• Divert mental health crisis calls to the case manager or resources within the PARC and away from police and EMS.

The hope is that this project will further reduce the impact of homelessness on the community of South Salt Lake and improve safety within the PARC while producing more positive outcomes for high-utilizers.

SAFETY FIRST: No Holiday Fires!

Message from SSLFD Chief Terry Addison

The South Salt Lake Fire Department would like to remind you about fire safety. The celebration of the season brings increased usage of electric lights, candles, space heaters, fireplaces, and Christmas trees. Our main goal is to eliminate all emergencies due to Holiday fires.

HOLIDAY LIGHTS

• Inspect lights each year for frayed wires, gaps in insulation, and broken or cracked sockets.

• Do not overload electrical outlets.

• Do not leave holiday lights on unattended.

• If you use holiday lights outside, make sure they are rated for outdoor use.

CHRISTMAS TREES

• The key to a safe Christmas tree starts at the sales lot. Try the “Tap Test”, lift the tree, and tap it on the ground. If any needles fall off, this tree is already too dry. Look for another tree.

• Keep your tree watered. Without daily watering, your Christmas tree could become highly flammable.

• Never use outside lights on your Christmas tree. These lights can produce enough heat to dry out your tree and increase the chance of fire.

• Turn the lights off when leaving your home and before going to bed.

CANDLES

• Keep candles at least 12 inches away from walls, curtains, trees, and decorations. Extinguish all candles when you leave the room or go to sleep.

• Never leave a child or a pet alone with a burning candle in the room.

• Make sure candles are in a stable, non-combustible holder.

FIREPLACES

• Have your chimney inspected annually and cleaned and repaired as needed.

• Always use a fireplace screen to prevent sparks from flying into the room.

• Allow ashes to cool completely before disposal.

• Store removed ashes in tightly covered metal containers, never in boxes or bags.

•

Portable Space Heaters

• Keep portable space heaters at least three feet away from walls, curtains, bedding, or other materials that may burn.

• Turn off portable space heaters when you leave the room. Never leave them on when you go to bed.

• Plug cords only into outlets with sufficient capacity and never into an extension cord.

The South Salt Lake Fire Department wishes you and your family a wonderful Holiday Season and a Happy New Year.

Community Meetings

Coffee with a Cop

Dec 7, 9-10 a.m.

In-Person Délice Bakery & Café 2747 S State Street

Businesses are encouraged to participate.

Dec 1, 5 p.m. Johnstone Supply 2940 S 300 West

Dec 1, 7 p.m. Find the virtual meeting link at www.sslc.gov

Text a Tip to SSLPD

You can now send anonymous text and web tips to the SSLPD. To send an anonymous text tip:

1. Text your tip to 274-637 (CRIMES).

2. Start your text message with the keyword: SSLPD

3. Within a minute, you will receive a text message with your alias. This confirms that your text message was received. The alias identifier is used by the officer to communicate with you, through text, regarding the tip you submitted.

4. Remember, the officer does not know your identity or location.

Message from SSLPD Chief Jack Carruth

Community Happenings

CELEBRATE SSL: South Gate Neighborhood

As we close out 2022 as the ‘Year of the Neighborhood’, we’re going to feature South Gate, which was not that long ago, farmland, and is now a mix of industrial space and older and new residential. Historically, the LDS church owned a farm on the north side of 2700 South. The ‘South Gate’ of that farm, faced south. At the time, there was an archway over the gate, and this was used to identify the area. Let’s talk about its history, landmarks, and things that make it great!

SSLPD David P. Romrell Public Safety Building

2835 S Main Street

A proclamation was given by Mayor Cherie Wood on November 24, 2019, dedicating the SSLPD building as the David P. Romrell Public Safety Building. Officer Romrell lost his life in the line of duty one year prior. Being a police department since 1939, Officer Romrell was the first officer fatality. Placing his name on this building is in recognition of his sacrifice for the City of South Salt Lake and is in memory of his honorable service.

Historic Buehner Brick & Block Company

Founded in 1948, the Buehner family immigrated to the United States from Germany. The Buehner Block Company manufactured concrete products, which were primarily foundation blocks for buildings and homes and used for sidewalks. These precast building block products were built in the yard and carried to construction sites by horse-drawn wagons, which were reported to be quite cumbersome and very heavy!

Dali Crêpes Catering & Cafe

2854 S W Temple Street www.dalicrepes.com

If you live in the Hawthorne Townhomes off West Temple or purchased a crepe during the last Craftoberfest, you’ve most definitely heard of Dali Crepes, and were awarded at this year’s State of the City as SSL’s Best Cafe. Dali (Dalibor) Blazic, the owner of Dali Crêpes, is originally from Serbia and emigrated to Utah in 2011. Missing his mother’s homemade crepes, he decided to make his own. Dali started up a catering business and then went brick and mortar opening his SSL cafe in July 2020. In Dail’s words, “Food makes people happy, and I love to be part of that happiness.” We are so glad Dali put down roots in SSL to share this crepe happiness!

BOUNDARIES: 1-15 east to State Street; 2700 South to the Mill Creek

City Council Districts: District 2, Corey Thomas, District 3, Sharla Bynum

OTHER SOUTH GATE BUSINESSES: Contempo Tile & Stone Train Shoppe

Stellar Wings Cafe On Main (Mediterranean cuisine) Ironhorse Motorcycle Works Harley-Davidson of SLC Bradshaw Design

CSL Plasma

DF Dance Studio

Town & Country Market

True Leaf Market

Wasatch Propane Mountain West Mothers’ Milk Bank

The Blockyard Industrial Complex

2800 S West Temple

The Blockyard Industrial Complex is a 66,000-square-foot office and flex warehouse space, that provides office and showroom space for the offices of the owner and additional space to lease. The historic Buehner Brick and Block Company was originally on the site, and because of this, its intended design was to replicate the look and feel of an early 20th-century factory.

Hawthorne Townhomes

2852 S West Temple

This relatively new community is comprised of 218 units divided between 56 buildings which amenities such as a community clubhouse, swimming pool, and retail space.

Season of Sharing

A Season of Sharing in SSL: Made Stronger By YOU

What’s the recipe for a strong neighborhood? A strong neighborhood is built and maintained by those who care about the success and wellbeing of those around them. We’ve listed a few ways you can get involved, and share your time, talents, or abilities with your neighbors. We also encourage you to give back and support those who do so much here. Happy Holidays!

Building strong neighborhoods starts by being a good neighbor.

• Show a neighbor you care. Especially those who are elderly, have a chronic illness, or those with special needs. Check in on them, offer to run an errand or help clear their leaves and snow.

• Clear a storm drain. Keep storm drains clear of ice, leaves and debris to prevent flooding and clean our waterways.

• Adopt a hydrant. Here’s a simple way to help your local firefighter. While shoveling walks this winter, clear the snow away from a hydrant on your street.

• Ask a question, save a life. During 2023, Promise SSL and Nami Utah will be offering Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) suicide prevention trainings which are free and open to anyone interested. Questions? Contact Edward at elopez@sslc.gov or 801-455-1729.

• Help out our furry friends. Volunteer or donate food and supplies to our Animal Shelter. Contact, jenica.laws@sslc.gov. See page 6 to learn about the SSL Animal Services Angel Paw Tree.

• Make your block a little brighter, and merrier! Is there a home in your neighborhood that is exceptionally merry and bright? We’d love to recognize them this holiday season. Please share details, including photos with us at connect@sslc.gov.

• Support the Little Free Libraries of SSL. Consider donating a book or two to one of our little free libraries.

o Fitts Park Community Garden Little Free Library 3065 S 400 East

Instagram: @fittspark_littlefreelibrary

o Columbus Center Little Free Library 2508 S 500 East (the pirate ship next to Bickley Park)

Building Strong Neighborhoods Involves Strong Civic Involvement

• Attend City meetings. Wherever your interest lies, attend City Council meetings or participate in meetings like Neighborhood Watch. Many are also held or broadcast online. The current City calendar of events can be found at sslc.gov

• A quick and easy way to impact local issues. Maybe you can’t attend City Council meetings or are apprehensive about speaking in public. We get it! Sometimes what you hear is different from what you and the community really think. Using this new statistically valid survey tool, Flash Vote results more accurately reflect the voice of South Salt Lake. Sign up at www.flashvote.com/sslc

• Host a donation drive. Food, school, hygiene, and household supplies can be donated to the Promise Community Resource Pantries, or to one of South Salt Lake’s several nonprofit partners.

• Love to celebrate? Then volunteer for our annual SSL Arts Council events like Mural Fest or Craftoberfest, or the city’s July 4th Parade. Have a unique skill set you would like to share? Email connect@sslc.gov.

The Community Opportunity Center (The Co-Op)

2530 S 500 East (Inside the Columbus Center) Mon-Fri, 8 am to 9 pm

Digital Inclusion has been at the forefront of thinking for South Salt Lake, as we know having quality access to the digital world promotes success for all who live here. Over the years, we have been thinking about ways to bring both digital inclusion and digital equity to our residents.

This year the Community Opportunity Center (Co-Op) has filled the former library space of the Columbus Community Center. This space will be a launchpad for people to invest in themselves. The Co-Op, as we call it, will offer co-working space and resources for Financial Empowerment, Digital Access, and supporting job and career growth and entrepreneurship. We are in search of volunteers if interested connect with The Co-Op supervisor, Abram Sherrod, at asherrod@sslc.gov.

We couldn’t be more excited about the Co-Op, which will function in several capacities, o ering art classes, tech access, nancial coaching, business support, and development. Be sure to drop by and visit, as the new Co-Op supervisor, Abram Sherrod, and his team are there to assist you.

SSL Arts Council: What’s Coming in 2023

Something unique and inspiring is happening in South Salt Lake. The South Salt Lake Arts Council and its associated community annual arts events (MURAL FEST and Craftoberfest) have a BIG something to do with it. But, that’s not all of who we are—or whom we serve. Uniting our community through the arts, every year we support local artists (and beyond) by seeking out and creating opportunities for them to showcase their craft. We believe that the arts opens the door for our community, providing them with close access to incredible art and artists—from our 45 murals on walls of our local Creative Industries Zone businesses to our public art classes!

Community Happenings

SL County Senior Center EVENTS FOR DECEMBER 2022

Art Classes every Weds at 10:00 am

LIVE Entertainment

“Clogging Grandmother” Weds, Dec. 7, 10:30 am “Children’s Choir” Friday, Dec. 9, 10:30 am

Holiday Event, Friday, Dec. 16

“Columbus Choir” 10:30 am Special Holiday Meal, 11:30 am Special Movie Theater, 12:00 pm

PRESENTATIONS

VA Benefits – Friday, Dec. 2, 10:30 am

Vital Aging (Mental Health Therapy) – Weds, Dec. 21, 10:30 am

Living Well with Chronic Pain, Jan. 5 – Feb 9, 9 am to 11:30 am Learn techniques for coping with the physical and psychological effects of chronic disease. Classes meet once a week for 6 weeks. To register call 385-468-3340.

Introducing 4 NEW Art Classes in 2023

• ART55+ - weekly art classes for adults age 55 (or better) led by local artist Laura Sharp Wilson. Wednesday mornings from 10:00-11:30 AM.

• Bad Dog Arts - art classes for adults ages 18+ held every Wednesday evening from 6:30-8:30 PM.

• January Class: Tangled Up In Color - Linda Rios leads another 4-week session of Zentangle exercises in vivid color.

• January Class: Fabric Collage - Ages 9 and up! Natalie Allsup-Edwards will help you transform simple scraps of upholstery and fabric into landscapes, cityscapes, seascapes, and more.

Classes will be held inside the Art Room of the Co-Op (2530 South 500 East). Materials will be provided. Sign up for the newsletter on sslarts.org for class schedule updates.

Salt Lake County Library Services to increase tax rate

By Zak Sonntag | z.sonntag@mycityjournals.com

Salt Lake County Library Services is set to bump its tax levy in 2023 in response to inflationary pressure, as well as address delayed maintenance while maintaining and ex panding offerings at its 18 branches.

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

Library officials say the increase is needed to offset in flationary pressure; the library services has seen a compound ed 30% increase in expenses since its last tax adjustment in 2012.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“There are about 9,000 library systems in North Ameri ca, and we're usually about number 13 or so,” Neal said.

According to Neal, the county system circulates 12 mil lion items—close to 80% of them physical items like books

and audiobooks and the remainder digital items like e-audio books.

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

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

states of CA, IN, PA and MI. Expires 12/31/22.

EXPIRES DECEMBER 31, 2022

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

Building community for displaced women

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

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

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

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

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

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

In 2009, Harnish gave up her job as a se nior microchip engineer and founded Women of the World, a nonprofit that helps displaced women gain self-reliance by giving them tools to navigate an unfamiliar society.

WoW works with refugees, asylum seek

ers and immigrants, helping them learn En glish, apply for jobs, go to college or even start a business. But the organization fills an even more important role, it helps women find a community.

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

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

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

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

communities.

The WoW model offers advocacy for immigration, housing, law issues and health matters. It customizes its programs for each individual, matching her needs with what she needs to succeed. Volunteers are always need ed at WoW to be mentors, drivers, interpreters, workshop teachers, yoga instructors, child caregivers and event facilitators. Monetary do nations are also accepted.

Gift cards are an important donation for the women who can use them to buy things for

themselves or their children. While the women appreciate the used clothes or shoes donated to help them, they like to purchase items that fit their personality and their bodies.

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

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

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

Utah cities are becoming more food truck-friendly

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

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

House Bill 146 became effective in May and restricts the ability of a city or county to require a separate business license if the food truck owner already has a valid license in anoth er Utah community. In other words, it requires food truck owners to obtain a business license from just one city—not every single municipal ity or county they want to operate in. Commu nities around the state are gradually amending their codes to be in compliance.

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

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

Among other changes, food truck owners will also not be required to disclose financial information or pay additional fees above the ac tual cost of processing the neighboring business license. The Planning Commission forwarded a positive recommendation, and the amendments

were approved at the Sandy City Council meet ing Nov. 15.

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

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

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

Harris said the original law has been tested and improved to the point where now it has be come a model for other states.

A statement on the Libertas Institute’s web site says that the new law is fair since other busi

nesses, including catering companies, are not required to obtain licenses in each city in which they operate.

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

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

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

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

The League counts over 300 distinct food

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

trucks in its network. Harris recommends visit ing the League’s site www.thefoodtruckleague. com/food-trucks/trucks/ to find food trucks all year long.

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

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

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@davisjournal.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The big cats at Lagoon came from a va riety of places. The Bengal tiger came from a municipal zoo in the Midwest that lost its funding. The mountain lions were being held illegally in a private home, confiscated by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and placed at Lagoon. The African lion was used

for a photo op as a cub. As the lion got older, the owners wanted to get rid of it and Lagoon took it in.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Former NBA coach hosts winter break basketball camp

By Catherine Garrett | c.garrett@mycityjournals.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

l

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

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

By Collette Hayes | c.hayes@mycityjournals.com

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

The New York Times bestselling au thor has called Utah home for the last sev eral years. He attended Cottonwood High School and is raising his family in the Hol laday area. While living here, Evans has kept a watchful eye over the abused, aban doned and neglected children of Utah by providing funds to build a safe haven for those children in need of love, protection and shelter. The Christmas Box House, named after Evans first book, “The Christ mas Box,” has provided shelter for over 136,000 children in need during the last two decades. In its infancy the Christmas Box House struggled to find community support and secure funding. After the sale of “The Christmas Box,” Evans came for ward with personal funding to take on the responsibility of trying to provide a safe place for those children in need.

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

Evans has more than 35 million copies of his books in print worldwide translated into more than 24 languages. His most re cent Christmas novel, “A Christmas Mem ory” is a heartfelt story about forgiveness, the power of hope and the true meaning of the holiday season.

“The first of December of last year, I came down with pneumonia. I have nev er been that sick in my life,” he said. “I stopped eating, and then I caught Covid on top of all of that. At the same time my

friend had what I had and died. He was the same age as I was. I started think ing, I might not make it through this. My wife Keri was terrified. During all of this, a book idea started coming to me. I was literally on my stomach starting to scrawl this book down on paper. I was so foggy headed at the time; I thought it probably was all pretty awful. Then in January, I fi nally began to get better, and I went back and read it and realized this was the most beautiful thing I had ever written. When I wrote the book, I couldn’t get through it without crying, because I deeply feel for the little boy and everything he had been through. The book is similar to a memoir. Most of it is based on my life. It is my absolute favorite book I’ve written since ‘The Christmas Box.’ It’s definitely a spe cial book.”

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

“My first feature film based on my book ‘The Noel Diary’ is coming up this year,” Evans said. “I’ve had seven televi sion movies produced based on my books, but this is my first feature film. My book ‘The Christmas Memory’ comes out on

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

Nov. 22 and two days later on Thanksgiv ing Day, ‘The Noel Diary’ will be released on Netflix. I’m very excited.”

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

“I started writing young adult science fiction just for fun,” Evans said. “People who knew me thought it was strange that I was writing sentimental things because they see me as more of a science fiction writer. Actually, both are part of my per sonality. I wanted to write a story about a boy who had Tourette syndrome. Both my son Michael and I have Tourettes, and I wrote it for him. I originally set Michael Vey in Holladay around Walker Lane but then decided to move the setting to Ida ho. There are still parts of Holladay in the book. I have a Michael Vey fan club

in Iran, and I have Skyped with students in Saudi Arabia where it was the most popular book in the school. Michael Vey books are also in Russia and South Korea. It’s amazing how books have the power to unite people.”

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

Throughout the ages, there have been many important advances in mobility. Canes, walkers, rollators, and scooters were created to help people with mobility issues get around and retain their independence. Lately, however, there haven’t been any new improvements to these existing products or developments in this field Until now. Recently, an innovative design engineer who’s developed one of the world’s most popular products created a completely new breakthrough . . . a personal electric vehicle. It’s called the Zinger, and there is nothing out there quite like it.

“What my wife especially loves is it gives her back feelings of safety and independence which has given a real boost to her confidence and happiness! Thank You!”

–Kent C., California

The first thing you’ll notice about the Zinger is its unique look. It doesn’t look like a scooter. Its sleek, lightweight yet durable frame is made with aircraft grade aluminum so it weighs only 47.2 lbs. It features onetouch folding and unfolding – when folded it can be wheeled around like a suitcase and fits easily into a

The Zinger folds to a mere 10 inches.

backseat or trunk. Then, there are the steering levers. They enable the Zinger to move forward, backward, turn on a dime and even pull right up to a table or desk. With its compact yet powerful motor it can go up to 6 miles an hour and its rechargeable battery can go up to 8 miles on a single charge. With its low center of gravity and inflatable tires it can handle rugged terrain and is virtually tip-proof. Think about it, you can take your Zinger almost anywhere, so you don’t have to let mobility issues rule your life.

Why take our word for it? Call now, and find out how you can get a Zinger of your very own. Call

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

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

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

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

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

song remix/mash-ups/covers. You’ll hear “Carol of the Bells” so often it becomes part of that nightmare where you’re run ning to get the last LEGO set but you’re wearing furry slippers and keep tripping over elves. And there’s so much jingling!

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

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

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

Obviously, it’s easy to get caught up in what’s going wrong with the holidays, without paying attention to the feeling

behind the scenes. When I sit with that emotion, it’s one of peace, generosity, kindness, forgiveness and love. Things Hallmark Christmas movies are always going on about.

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

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

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

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

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

Peri Kinder Life and Laughter