South Salt Lake Journals | March 2023

SMALL NEIGHBORHOOD TAKES ON BIG DEALERSHIP

By Zak Sonntag | z.sonntag@mycityjournals.com

InJune 2021, after a spate of rejections and outbids, newlyweds Talia Touboul Walker and Maxwell Walker finally purchased their first home, a panel exterior bungalow on an unassuming but neighborly Winslow Avenue in South Salt Lake.

Eagerly, the couple rolled up their sleeves and set about to improve the property—they built a fence to keep the dogs in, put up a greenhouse, eliminated interior walls and redid the floors—much with their own sweat equity.

But just as they’ve begun to feel settled and only 18 months after landing on Winslow, the Walkers find themselves butting heads with their powerful neighbor—Mark Miller Subaru—over a rezone that allows the dealership to expand operations at the State Street location.

“We love the identity and the spirit of Winslow, and we think it’s going to be snuffed out by blacktop,” said Maxwell Walker, who with his wife helped organize the “Save Winslow Ave.” community group.

The issue has called attention to a process that some residents have described as unfair, and set in relief the central challenge faced by maturing municipalities: how to strike the proper balance between residential and commercial growth.

“We don’t want to be a city of concrete, we want to be a city of grass and open spaces. Would love for (Mark Miller Subaru) to stay, but there comes a time for us to decide what the future of the city looks like, and I think for State Street that’s less car dealerships,” said Councilmember Natalie Pinkney, during a Jan. 25 public hearing.

Ultimatum?

The dealership, whose full-sized commercial activity and longtime presence lend political influence, said if the rezone was denied it would be forced to decamp for another city— and take its sizeable tax receipts along with it.

“For Mark Miller to continue to operate in this city, we have to do these things,” said Mark Lane, project manager representing the dealership during a Jan. 19 planning commission hearing.

Lane explained the expansion comes in response to policies handed down from Subaru corporate, which are requiring dealerships to inventory more vehicles.

“We’re not here to cause problems for people, we’re here to do what we can to stay in the city and continue being here. Their other options are to pack up and leave and go build a new dealership,” said Lane. “But

they don’t want to do that. They want to stay in South Salt Lake City. It’s a part of their heritage.”

The proposal, filed by subsidiary Katmark Partners, LLC, began as four separate co-related applications to rezone Winslow

Avenue and additional parcels on 200 East from Residential Multiple (RM) to Commercial Corridor and vacate a public easement on 200 East that existing developments have rendered unusable as a throughway.

Talia Touboul Walker identifies parcels purchased and razed by a nearby car dealership. (Zak Sonntag/City Journals)

Know Your Lemons highlights 12 symptoms of breast cancer to educate women and their doctors

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@davisjournal.com

Women have been taught to check for lumps when screening for breast cancer, but what most people don’t know is there are 12 symptoms that could be an indicator of breast cancer.

Utah resident Corrine Ellsworth-Beaumont, MFA, Ph.D., has made it her mission to educate women and girls to help them be informed when it comes to breast health. She created the nonprofit Know Your Lemons to help save lives and educate women around the world.

“People don’t know how to have the conversation,” she said. “We don’t talk about breasts and no one’s really challenged that. As we’re implementing the program in schools, we talk about every part of the body except breasts and there’s this implicit message that there’s nothing to know.”

Ellsworth-Beaumont said everyone should graduate from high school knowing the 12 signs of breast cancer that include skin sores, orange-peel skin, a sunken nipple or a dimple in the breast.

When a close friend died from breast cancer, Ellsworth-Beaumont was working as a professor in a business school in London. After her friend’s death, she left her job and put all her efforts into the Know Your Lemons nonprofit. She was stunned at the

lack of information about breast health, even in the medical community.

Her goal is to educate women in a way to help them get familiar with their own breasts. That includes understanding breast anatomy like milk ducts and lymph nodes and what a cancerous lump feels like. It’s often hard, like a lemon seed, and doesn’t move.

“We don’t talk about breast anatomy or how breasts change during menstrual cycles,” Ellsworth-Beaumont said. “When we’re told to self-exam and feel for a lump, we’re given no information about anatomy, we don’t understand about breast cycles, you don’t know what that lump feels like.”

She worries misinformation about breast screening will discourage women from scheduling mammograms and doing self-exams. Social media propagates the myth that mammograms are dangerous when the screening actually saves lives. Unfortunately, Utah has one of the lowest screen rates in the country, ranked 50 out of 52 (including Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico).

The Know Your Lemons main image details the 12 signs of breast cancer, displayed on lemons. She wants to get the poster and postcards in as many doctors’ offices, schools and women’s

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health centers as possible. Because the image is universally understood across languages and cultures, Ellsworth-Beaumont has partnered with health care systems around the world to bring the information to nearly 60 countries. She often has to explain that talking about breast health is not the same as sex education, or that high school girls are not too young for the information.

“Breasts are not sexual organs. Breasts reproduce nothing but we have linked those two things so concretely that people don’t think breast health is different from sexual health,” she said.

She’s heard numerous stories from women who saw the lemon images and recognized their own breast cancer symptoms. Young women, especially, have a hard time convincing their doctors to screen for cancer, thinking they’re not old enough for breast cancer. The image empowers women to be their own advocates and not back down.

The Know Your Lemons app is a breast health and period tracker but unlike other period tracking apps, this one doesn’t collect data. The app was funded by donations and grants and was named the best women’s health app in the world from The Webby

Awards. For more information, visit KnowYourLemons.org.

The foundation is also raising money to fund a $300,000 mammogram machine in the Bahamas by raffling a trip to the Bahamas. Visit the website for more information.

“It’s humbling to know I can help someone change their story,” said Ellsworth-Beaumont. “I don’t think it sinks most of the time, but once in a while I get a moment where I pause and reflect on what’s happening and that keeps me going. So many women have reached out saying the poster or the app helped them recognize the symptoms.” l

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This life-saving image, created by Utah resident and Know Your Lemons founder/CEO Corrine Ellsworth-Beaumont, has educated women around the world and saved countless lives from breast cancer. (Photo courtesy of Know Your Lemons)

NBA, State Farm collaborate to unveil new center at Lincoln Elementary

On Feb. 16, the NBA in collaboration with State Farm unveiled a new Learn and Play Center at Lincoln Elementary School, 450 E. 3700 South.

Over the last 18 years, the NBA has helped create more than 2,000 places where kids and families can live, learn or play in communities around the globe as part of its mission to unite and improve communities through the game of basketball.

The new Learn and Play Center at Lincoln Elementary includes a renovated STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) education space inclusive of new technology, books and other resources as well as enhancements to the school’s gymnasium with new hoops, equipment, lighting and updated flooring.

Lincoln Principal Milton Collins was surprised with his own bobcat (the school mascot) in the hallway as part of the festivities.

The assembly portion featured ESPN reporter Holly Rowe, former Jazz players Carlos Boozer and Thurl Bailey, current Jazz player Collin Sexton, South Salt Lake Mayor Cherie Wood and Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson.

Lincoln Elementary serves 450 students in grades K-5 in the Granite School District. The diverse group of students and families speak over 24 languages. Every classroom in grades K-5 has a one-to-one access to Chromebooks. l

The STEAM Center before and after the renovation. (Granite School District)

Principal Milton Collins was surprised with his own bobcat. (Granite School District)

The assembly portion featured ESPN reporter Holly Rowe, former Jazz players Carlos Boozer and Thurl Bailey, current Jazz player Collin Sexton, South Salt Lake Mayor Cherie Wood and Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson. (Granite School District)

On a Friday night in February, in the tavern room at SaltFire Brewing Company in South Salt Lake (2199 S. West Temple), locals clink pints of foam-topped ale in celebration of the weekend’s arrival.

“At the end of a long work week this feels right. Meeting friends, having a drink. I love trying strange new beers so it’s nice to see places like this coming around. The best part is it only took me four minutes to get here,” said SSL resident Cam Jorgensen, sliding pucks down a table shuffleboard while sipping a winter lager.

Jorgensen, who works in media sales, is amongst the city’s growing number of young professionals helping drive the area’s fledgling night life.

And they aren’t the only ones, as lately city leaders appear eager for the night life, too.

The South Salt Lake City Council in 2022 voted to increase liquor licenses in the downtown area, bringing the city’s total number of allowable bars and taverns to 14.

Although as officials see the move as a way to generate vibrancy downtown, the new permits—coveted items in a state with

Liquor licenses slow to attract applicants

By Zak Sonntag | z.sonntag@mycityjournals.com

tight license quotas—have failed to attract applicants, begging questions about the district’s appeal.

“I’d guess businesses would be excited to grab those (licenses). It surprises me no one has yet. I mean look how many people are here tonight—it’s crowded,” Jorgensen said. “West Temple has stuff going on, but I’d like to see it have more.”

Challenges of an industrial landscape

Despite statewide demand for liquor licenses, colloquially known as “golden tickets,” SSL’s new permits are limited to its downtown district, an industrial area populated by warehouses not designed for food and beverage retail.

“The biggest problem facing bars and restaurants coming into South Salt Lake is unless they're moving into a new building, which can be really expensive, they're having to retrofit what were basically industrial warehouses,” said Ryan Miller, owner of SaltFire Brewing.

“Having to bring those spaces up to new city codes requires a significant amount of capital investment,” Miller said, who cited pricey outlays for infrastructure

like septic systems, sand separators and landscaping, a process that took two years to complete.

Right around the corner is Apex Brewing, at 2285 S. Main, on the verge of opening its doors after a similarly protracted buildout delayed by unanticipated construction expenses, according to city officials familiar with the project. Can mom-and-pop business afford SSL?

This presents a challenge for the city if cost-prohibitive overhauls mean SSL is off the table for small business that lack capital.

Jonathan Weidenhamer, South Salt Lake’s Community and Economic Development director, emphasized the city’s desire for new local establishments to set up in SSL.

“I think as communities grow, small businesses are everything. Each of these places give an authentic and unique local place where real people and residents can congregate, get together. They create an area that builds character, builds fabric and builds community,” said Weidenhamer. Marketplace versus public planning

Weidenhamer says his department will play an important role in helping create community fabric, but he believes the new liquor licenses remain on ice primarily as a result of basic market demand.

“There’s a number of existing breweries in town and in that district,” he said. “As our new units come online they’ll start to absorb demand, which is a pretty long cycle but I think (licenses) will start to fulfill themselves just as the market demands.”

Although Miller, who transitioned from a career in IT to pursue his passion for brewing in 2016, thinks city leaders could do more to help entrepreneurs get a start in SSL

He said planning authorities were not especially collaborative during his 24-month retrofit process, and argues that current city code puts too much of the landscaping burden on upstart enterprises like SaltFire, who lease rather than own property.

“Restaurants might occupy 4,000 square feet of a 22,000-square-foot property, but now they have to put in landscaping in an industrial area that’s covered by concrete and asphalt,” Miller said, adding that some property owners are disinclined to replace parking lot space with landscaping to begin with, which makes the search for rentable space more challenging still.

“We lease a very small section of it and you're telling me I have to landscape something that isn't mine,” he said. “We were eventually able to make it happen only after a lot of hairpulling and teeth

pulling to figure things out with the city. It would have been much easier if somebody from the planning department was assisting in the process, not just being a gatekeeper saying no (when proposals didn’t meet code).”

Changing of the guard

Recent changes in the city’s bureaucratic lineup—including the new Economic Development Director Weidenhamer, who began with the city at the start of 2023—offers reason to believe that those who follow in SaltFire’s footsteps may find the process more agreeable.

Weidenhamer, who came to South Salt Lake after 23 years in planning and project management with Park City, where he worked with brewing and distilling industries in an effort to diversify the mountain town’s tourism economy, says he wants SSL to be proactively involved with its small business community.

“Instead of being reactive—‘Yes, no, you didn’t check the box, go back and do it again’—I intend to bring a proactive philosophy and approach to South Salt Lake immediately,” he said.

“I very much see that South Salt Lake's role in economic development is to bridge those gaps for local and small businesses who are either here and want to expand or who want to relocate here.”

Tough margins

Even as Weidenhamer says there may be opportunity to “tune up” the code to encourage a vibrant business district, he nonetheless believes that prevailing market forces are the most decisive factor in the city’s commercial makeup.

In some ways market trends bode well for the downtown district. As the area’s population continues to grow and residential development increases, the demand for services—like bars and restaurants—are likely to follow.

However, those same forces have increased the competition for land, driving the price of commercial parcels upward while pinching a food service industry already operating on thin margins, threatening to diminish business diversity and local ownership.

“If they have to charge 25 bucks for a plate of pasta or a hamburger, at what point are half the people who live in this community unable to afford that?” Weidenhamer said.

Jorgensen said after living through the lockdown he better appreciates gathering spaces like SaltFire.

“I realized during the pandemic why spaces like this are so valuable,” he said. “The fact that we have somewhere to go and not just sit at home watching Netflix, I don’t take that for granted.” l

South Salt Lake resident Cam Jorgensen takes a break between games of shuffleboard at SaltFire Brewing. (Zak Sonntag/City Journals)

At the end of a long work week this feels right. Meeting friends, having a drink. I love trying strange new beers so it’s nice to see places like this coming around. The best part is it only took me four minutes to get here.

Cam Jorgensen

Cottonwood High athletics moves to Class 4A, Region 10 in all sports

With the football program on life support, said Cottonwood Athletic Director Greg Southwick, the school petitioned for a move down from Class 5A to Class 4A.

“We were given a choice (by the Utah High Schools Athletics and Activities Association),” said Southwick. “The administration (at the school) decided if we could do that, it would be an awesome region for us.”

Several factors played into the decision, added Southwick.

The first, and perhaps most important, was that students attending Cottonwood’s prestigious AMES (Academy for Math, Engineering and Science) school but who were competing for athletics programs at other area schools were counting against the school’s overall enrollment.

“If they’re in our school, we’d like to have them participate for us,” said Southwick, who added that AMES students who played football at Kearns High, for example, did not help Cottonwood based on a sliding scale the UHSAA implements to determine which classification a school is placed in.

The second reason was that South -

By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

wick said Cottonwood has a high number of students receiving free and reduced lunch. Third, traveling to away games at schools in southern Utah and Uintah county may have added some stress and strain on the Granite School District’s budget for school buses and bus drivers.

But now that Cottonwood has been realigned into what will be Class 4A with Jordan as well as crosstown rivals Murray and Hillcrest, Stansbury, Tooele and Park City, that’s less strain on a budget and school bus drivers can get home earlier, said Southwick.

The Colts have been competitive in almost every sport since they’ve been moved into a new region within Class 5A, however, overall enrollment at Cottonwood High School is slightly down from the time it last realigned.

“It worked out good with the travel,” said the Cottonwood AD. “There won’t be any long trips; even the Park City and Tooele bus rides are about 45 minutes away.”

The new changes will go into effect at the beginning of the 2023-24 school year. l

The Colts and Spartans played a nonregion game last fall. Cottonwood and Murray will be back in the same region starting next year. (City Journals)

Cottonwood boys hoops lifts its first region title since 2006-07

It has been an uphill climb since Marc Miller was hired as Cottonwood boys head basketball coach four years ago. But every year has always been marked by steady improvement along the way.

This year, the Colts won their first outright region title in nearly two decades.

“Obviously we’re excited about it, it’s our first region championship in 16 years,” said Cottonwood Athletic Director Greg Southwick. “At 21-1 it’s a compliment to the kids and the coaches and all of the hard work they’re putting in.”

This year for Cottonwood (21-1, 11-0 Region 7 Class 5A) has marked the most successful for the boys basketball program since 2006-07. The Colts shared that region title with Olympus in what was then Class 4A.

Now look who’s going back to 4A—the same school that had current Cottonwood head football coach Donovan Malmrose on it.

That reunion with 4A will have to wait until the next school year, but Malmrose was a senior guard on that Cottonwood co-region champion team that gave Mountain Crest a scare at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Feb. 26, 2007.

The Colts’ new football coach was a senior, and drove the lane for a layup with only 12 seconds remaining—before the Colts

By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

The 2022-23 Cottonwood Colts basketball team by order of jersey number

is:

Ryan Nielson

Jackson Price

Chris Cox

Roman Israyelyan

Harkaran Makhar

Kirath Makhar

Mason Tolley

Max Russo

Kaelen Gray

Tengis Bayasgalan

Tommy Yates

Peter Oguama

Aiden Oliphant

Zeke Griffin

Jacek Budge

watched their dreams of a state basketball title fade on the other team’s ensuing possession.

Cottonwood certainly hopes that its fi nal season in Class 5A goes beyond that, in March at the 5A state tournament. The Colts are assured of a top seed and an automatic bye into the second round, one round further than Cottonwood went at state, last year.

With one win in the second round of the

•

pus of Weber State University for the quarter finals. Talk about coming full circle.

For now, the Colts, who have the best record in the state, will relish this region championship, according to Miller—though they know what lies ahead, potentially.

“We are pretty excited about competing

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in this year’s state tournament,” said Miller. “The team has played well and hopefully we can continue to play well as a team in the state tournament. Our players know how tough it is to win come state tournament time and there are a lot of teams this year that are capable of winning it all and we believe we are one of those teams.” l

Caleb Clark Chris Cox was a pivotal scorer for the region-winning Colts. (Travis Barton/City Journals)

Cottonwood High student honored for leadership, community service

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

High senior was recently honored for her leadership and service with the University of Utah Equity, Diversity and Inclusion’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Youth Leadership Award.

ACottonwood

Ivette Hernandez was one of 12 students across the state who was selected for the honor.

“I got an email that said I won an award; I was excited,” she said.

After Hernandez was nominated by a Salt Lake Community College employee, she and others wrote essays sharing their experiences, advice and actions they chose to love and support nonviolence when encountering intolerance or hate. It fit with the week’s theme, “Choose Love Over Hate.”

“It was easy to write because I just love serving. I wrote about how I’m serving my community with people who would normally be discriminated,” she said.

Hernandez detailed her service with people with special needs. She has partnered with a woman who has Down syndrome and since September, for a couple hours every week, they’ve spent time painting, dancing, playing bingo and doing other activities.

“I love to do this kind of service because I know this is a group that gets discriminated and bullied, but every week, I choose to show them patience, love, and acceptance,” she wrote in her essay.

She also volunteers monthly with the Utah Food Bank.

Her essay included how her family was discriminated against when they moved from California into their neighborhood.

“When I first moved to the area, we were the only Latino family and my house will always get TPed (toilet papered),” she said, adding that it stopped after they mounted a security camera on their house.

Hernandez also knew she could be discriminated at school.

“At middle school, there was a girl, and she asked the vice principal if he was discriminating against her because she was like Latina, and was told yes,” she said.

Her brother has been called discriminating names and “people have said hurtful things to me, have unfairly treated me, or have physically hit or pushed me,” she wrote in her essay. “Even then I cannot say that I hate them. I guess it is because I choose to feel more love for others over hate. I have been raised to be kind by serving and showing love.”

Hernandez wrote that “these incidents make me feel upset and sometimes at a loss of hope.” Yet, she reminds herself to “to stay positive and hope that a change of heart is always possible.”

Through it all, she has excelled. The National Honor Society member plans to study

pre-med in college with hopes of being a pediatrician.

“I just try to find the good side of people,” she said. “It helps to help other people.”

Hernandez has put herself in others’ shoes. When a new student arrived at Cottonwood, “she knew nothing of English so I offered to help translate for her in that class and we became really good friends.”

Her counselor, Amanda Calton, said Hernandez is inspiring.

“Ivette is bright, driven, and consistently challenged herself throughout high school by taking some of the most rigorous courses Cottonwood High offers,” she said. “AP (advanced placement), CE (concurrent enrollment) and honors classes were constants in her schedule; with a 3.8 GPA, Ivette excelled in these advanced classes and still was able to pursue outside interests beyond school.”

At the awards breakfast at the U’s alumni house, she was honored with a plaque and some swag in front of her parents. A week later, she received an acceptance letter from the U, welcoming her as a student.

This spring, she has a U of U clinic externship with her medical assisting class.

“I’m excited that I get to learn how to help make a difference,” she said. l

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Cottonwood High senior Ivette Hernandez recently was honored for her leadership and service with the Martin Luther King, Jr. Youth Leadership Award.

(Photo courtesy of Daysi Hernandez)

Planning Commission rejection

At a December 2022 planning commission hearing, board members voted unanimously to deny a recommendation, citing worries over business encroachment, the loss of residential real estate, and a practice of “spot zoning.”

“To me this is a classic example of ‘spot-zoning,’” said Planning Commission Board Member for District 1 Jeremy Carter. “It’s like a Pac Man thing: you take one bite, then you take the next bite. As a resident I’ve seen it. I understand that in 10 years you’re going to want two more lots, and three years after that you’re going to want two more lots again.”

Vacancy

On the heels of the commission’s vote, the city council on Jan. 25 voiced its own concern with the proposal, namely the applicant’s methods; they expressed indignation that the dealership purchased homes and let them sit vacant, taking housing stock offline then citing vacancy as a justification for rezone.

“We’ve seen this over and over again, where these dealerships buy these homes, they don’t use them, they get run-down, and then they come back and say if we turn it into a parking lot then at least there is not a run-down home on a property that we let get run-down. It makes no sense to reward them for their bad behavior,” said Shane Siwik, representative of District 5 and the Winslow Avenue neighborhood.

“Yes, we love the sales tax that car dealerships generate…but we can’t let any business strong- arm us into telling us what we’re going to do for them,” Siwik said.

Jeff Miller, general manager and CEO of Mark Miller Subaru, whose grandfather first opened the dealership, took umbrage at the comments and reminded the council of the company’s community credentials.

“At no point have we ever tried to strongarm South Salt Lake. We’ve been in this location since 1961,” Miller said. “We didn’t buy all these properties to just sit on them. Our company is a huge pillar of this community. We are the only benefit corporation car dealerships in the state. Our corporate culture is to…help our community first and foremost, and profit comes next after that.”

The business community came to Miller’s defense as well.

During the January commission meeting Gary Birdsall, president of the South Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce, said, “As far as their character, business acumen, and desire to do good in the community, no one’s better at doing that (than Subaru).”

Birdsall lauded the dealership’s participation in the Love Promise Organization, which donates to SSL through partnerships with organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters, Volunteers of America and Best Friends Animal Society.

Although the more pivotal contributions, perhaps, are those related to the company’s sales tax: city staff confirmed that the dealership is amongst the top five tax con-

tributors in a city where businesses make up close to 60% of the tax base—a fact that bears on the council’s decision.

“We have to remember, we recently all sat here and increased taxes. This business is providing a sales tax to us. If this business should leave we then have to throw it back onto the residents,” said at-large Councilmember Clarissa Williams.

‘Save Winslow Avenue’

To the residents in the Winslow Avenue neighborhood, however, the trade-offs of expanding the dealership are not justified.

“Ultimately, what I want to share is how much this street means to us. And what will happen if this does occur and we tear down homes to put up a parking lot,” said Talia Touboul Walker during a January public hearing.

“Look at how much this street has grown and changed. A lot of us here have put so much time and effort in our homes, literally investing tens of thousands of dollars to make them look better. If you look at the difference in the last two years and what it looks like from then to now, give us two more years and put those houses on the market and see what this will become. We can be one of the neighborhoods that supports downtown,” Talia Touboul Walker said.

Public testimony from Winslow area residents painted a picture of an excited young community diligently investing in their neighborhood—where neighbors barbeque together, share tools and lend helping hands— against a backdrop of car alarms and stadium lights they hope to keep to a minimum.

“You wouldn’t do this in your own neighborhood, right? So please don’t let this happen in ours,” said Matt Olsen, a Winslow resident.

The wider public response, too, stood against the rezone. Comments on the social media site Next Door resoundingly decried the proposal; and a petition against the rezone has accumulated a growing number of signatures.

Compromise

Following the passionate public hearings, city staff helped broker a compromise and the dealership brought an amended proposal in February that rezoned two parcels rather than four, including the non-conforming property used as a marketing office along with property abutting 200 South where a fourplex was razed.

The council voted unanimously in the decision to rezone the single parcel on Winslow, and six of seven members OK’d the rezone of the property on 200 East, with Siwik voting against.

The decision settles tensions for now and allows the dealership to move forward in a way it hopes will satisfy expectations from corporate.

The dealership still has the ability to apply for rezones in the future, albeit, and with the city’s growth set to continue the issue may be revisited again.

“As a city we have to say at what point does that encroachment stop,” Siwik said. l

Cherie Wood, Mayor 801-464-6757 mayor@sslc.gov

South Salt Lake City Council Members

LeAnne Huff, District 1 801-440-8510 lhuff@sslc.gov

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

Clarissa Williams, At-Large 505-879-2457 cwilliams@sslc.gov

City Offices

8 am to 5 pm 801-483-6000 220 East Morris Ave SSL, UT 84115

Animal Service 801-483-6024

Building Permits 801-483-6005

Business Licensing 801-483-6063

Code Enforcement 801-464-6757

Fire Administration 801-483-6043

Justice Court 801-483-6072

Police Admin 801-412-3606

Promise 801-483-6057

Public Works 801-483-6045

Recreation 801-412-3217

Utility Billing 801-483-6074

Emergencies 911

Police/Fire Dispatch 801-840-4000

www.sslc.gov

CITY NEWSLETTER March 2023

Celebrating Our She-roes in SSL

March is ‘Women’s History Month’, let’s talk about those women from South Salt Lake who are making an impact. The late African American poet Maya Angelou once said, “How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!” A hero should be celebrated without saying, but in my education and experience, few of the historical heroes that I learned about in my history books were women. For marginalized groups, like women, chipping away and breaking through the glass ceiling means being seen in educational settings, in professional careers, as

Joy Glad (she/her they/them)

Chair, SSL Civilian Review Board GSP, Utah Safety Council

When Joy was interviewing for a position on the CRB, she was asked why she wanted to be involved. Joy stated that as a long-time citizen, watching others help and care for her city, it was time to step forward and help her community continue to improve.

Joy noted how much the community has changed for the better during her years living in the city. She has seen the increase in parks (and pickleball courts), continuing efforts for infrastructure improvements, and the Promise program which helps youth in so many ways.

Now Joy is proud of her appointment to be on the CRB. Even with the steep learning curve, Joy is part of a team that is bridging the gap between the South Salt Lake Police Department (SSLPD) and the citizens and daily commuters. The CRB also strives to remain unbiased and transparent regarding policing in the city. Joy has found being on the CRB to be a rewarding and thoughtful venture.

In her spare time, Joy can be found jogging around town to be ready for mountain biking season, taking landscape photographs, and having laughs with her family, Max, Finley, and her dog Nova.

politicians, and playing an active role in the matters that impact our lives.

From city government, schools, and community partners, more than ever, women who carry a high level of expertise, professionalism, and compassion are bringing significant changes to our community. Take a moment to learn more about these five women ‘she-roes’ who are making noticeable strides in bringing a brighter future and inspiring others to do the same.

For March (and every month), let’s honor our local women with recognition including efforts to better support them, and provide a safe platform and a voice in our community. Let’s continue to tell the story that our city values everyone who resides, works and visits South Salt Lake.

Jenn Oxborrow Executive Director, Bike Utah

After growing up in Las Vegas and living on the East Coast for several years, Jenn moved to Utah nearly 20 years ago. In addition to having experience working with communitybased organizations and state and local government, Jenn has worked as a therapist in private practice serving individuals with a history of trauma and serious behavioral health disorders. As an Administrator for the Utah Department of Human Services, Jenn is also an active volunteer with the statewide Crisis Intervention Stress Management team, debriefing first responders after traumatic incidents.

Jenn now calls South Salt Lake her home where she shares a love of the outdoors with her partner, two children, and too many pets (and bikes!). She joined Bike Utah in 2021 as the Executive Director and is excited to get to work with a talented team who hosts over 20 mountain bike races and educates over 3500 students annually in cycling safety while building 1000 miles of bikeable pathways and lanes throughout Utah.

Mayor Cherie Wood

As I worked through some tough health issues a while back, biking became an essential part of my life to rebuild strength, stay connected to Utah’s trails and communities, and spend time with my family exploring this beautiful state. Bikes have brought empowerment, connection, health and wellness to my life in so many ways and I want to do all I can to ensure everyone in Utah can ride.

Public Meetings

For more info: www.sslc.gov

City Council

Wed, March 8, 7 p.m.

Wed, March 22, 7 p.m.

Planning Commission

Thu, March 2, 7 p.m.

Thu, March 16, 7 p.m.

Civilian Review Board

Mon, March 6, 6:30 p.m.

MAYOR’S MESSAGE CONTINUED

Kelli Meranda Director, Promise South Salt Lake

With a background in community recreation, she’s been working with Promise SSL since its start in 2011. Kelli now oversees 14 neighborhood community and afterschool centers serving our local youth and families.

City News

Ariel Andrus City Recorder, South Salt Lake

Starting in October 2016 as the Deputy City Recorder, last year Ariel Andrus was sworn in as the City Recorder for South Salt Lake. Her work includes attending and keeping records for all City Council, Planning Commission, and RDA meetings and taking on GRAMA requests, elections, special event requests, and purchasing.

Have a question or concern regarding South Salt Lake?

Reach out to the city via our Neighborhood Connect!

Utah 211 makes finding help easier. 211 was designed to help individuals and families get support to meet their basic needs when in crisis or facing difficult circumstances. From healthcare to food and utility assistance, know that 211 is the number to call.

In partnership with United Way of Salt Lake, 211 is accessible in multiple languages, confidential, and available 24/7. To learn more, visit 211utah.org.

Pet Waste and Our Waterways

Scoop the Poop, Every Time!

“I’ve had the pleasure of serving as the Promise SSL Director since January of 2018. In my time as Director, I have focused my energy on quality, safe and inclusive programming for our community. I’m committed to continue strengthening our network of strong programs that serve youth and adults and creating access to education and prevention services to meet different community needs. I have loved the time I’ve worked in SSL and value the diversity, passions and experiences of the residents and staff I’ve been fortunate to work with.”

Vini Joseph SSL Business Owner, IndieGo Coffee

‘Best of SSL 2022’ Best Coffee

Labeling the venue on the corner of 3300 South and 500 East as just a coffee shop wouldn’t do it justice. Owner, Vini Joseph moved to the U.S. back in 2007 from southern India with a dream to someday open up her own food business. Participating in the Spice Kitchen Incubator program, Vini and her son opened a hip little shop in the Granite Legacy Neighborhood, IndieGo Coffee in early 2022. At IndieGo they bake their Indian-influenced pastries such as chicken tikka and paneer, the best cinnamon rolls on the planet, pasta dishes, and of course, delicious coffee! Vini says, “South Salt Lake is an awesome booming community with lots of support from local city workers, especially from its fire, building, and licensing departments!”

Ariel says, “I’m very proud to be the City Recorder for South Salt Lake and I’m grateful to work closely with our elected officials. As a long-time resident of South Salt Lake, I can truly appreciate all the effort it takes to run a City and I’m so happy to be right in the middle of it all.”

Curbside

South Salt Lake City Council Action Report Summary

Full agendas, minutes, handouts, and video recorded meetings available at: www.sslc.gov/160/City-Council

2/8 Scholarship Application for Cottonwood High School

Promise Director, Kelli Meranda, talked about the scholarship program offered for SSL high school students that attend Cottonwood High.

2/8

Business: Ordinance to amend the South Salt Lake Zoning Map for five existing parcels

An Ordinance of the City Council to amend the SSL Zoning Map for five existing parcels located at 800 West Central Valley Road from Commercial Corridor to Flex.

No further action needed 2/8 Unfinished Business: Ordinance to amend the South Salt Lake Zoning Map for four parcels

An Ordinance of the City Council to amend the South Salt Lake Zoning Map for four parcels located at 130 East, 140 East, 148 East Winslow Avenue and 3549-3555 South 200 East from Residential Multiple to Commercial Corridor.

The Ordinances to rezone 130 East Winslow Avenue & the 3549-3555 South 200 East parcels from Residential Multiple to Commercial Corridor were approved. The applicant withdrew their applications for the 140 East & 148 East Winslow Avenue parcels.

Approved No further action needed

No further action needed 2/8 Public Hearing: Proposed amendments to the 2022-2023 Budget // Resolution amending the 2022-2023 Fiscal Year Budget

Public Safety

Make Your Move to SSLFD: Meet Fire Chief Addison!

While this month’s message isn’t exactly from Chief Terry Addison, it is about how someone from inside the South Salt Lake Fire Department feels about his level of leadership. If you are following the SSLFD on social media, you may have already read this message, and we liked it so much, we asked to include it. This message was created by Kody Thompson and who is both a Firefighter Engineer and Certified Fire Investigator for the SSLFD.

For those of you looking to make a move to SSLFD, let me tell you yet another reason you need to make the move. Meet Fire Chief Addison! Chief Addison is a fighter. Chief always has a plan and executes that plan till he is successful. Over the past few years, he has made huge changes to SSLFD. Let me tell you a few. (And this is the shortlist!)

• Chief Addison is a big supporter of mental health & fighting Firefighter cancer.

• Starting this summer, we will have a new fire apparatus fleet. E-642 E-41 E-43 and a new tiller that will be known as L-42. All these rigs will run a clean cab concept to help keep our people healthy.

• Chief is also working to update all 4 ambulances soon.

• Chief has also worked on updating all handheld radios, new batterypowered extrication tools, and new turnouts for all frontline staff.

• This last budget year Chief worked very hard to get our wages adjusted to make SSLFD one of the top-paid departments in the state of Utah. Chief has worked very hard with the Mayor & City Council to make this all happen. This could not be possible without the Mayor’s & City Council’s support. Working at SSLFD, you will be working for a Chief, Mayor, and City Council that will always have the best interest of its Fire Department.

A New Pilot Co-Responder Program to

SSLPD

South Salt Lake Police Department is committed to providing support and resources to assist at the Pamela Atkinson Resource Center (PARC). Being that there is a strong need for more involvement in providing adequate, timely, and accessible services for those in crisis, we applied for and received a microgrant to implement an innovative pilot program to bring in the support of a full-time caseworker.

Through this collaborative partnership, a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) was hired to assist with case management. The LCSW will work with high utilizers of emergency services in South Salt Lake. The population served will be adults (18+) experiencing homelessness with a co-occurring disorder (such as addiction, or mental health issues). The LCSW will also provide recovery support services, and wrap-around comprehensive services to help remove barriers to the individual’s recovery.

The purpose of this pilot program is to address homelessness and co-occurring disorders through the Critical Time Intervention (CTI) model. The CTI model was designed to engage the most vulnerable adults during transition periods. This model will be implemented so the individuals involved will be able to focus on recovery, psychiatric rehabilitation, and ongoing management when transitioning from a temporary shelter to a home. We will evaluate how this model implementation evolves, with the hopes that it will be a proven model to follow.

Message from SSLPD

Chief Jack Carruth

New PARC Clinical Co-Responder, Meet Katie Iverson

Coming in as a full-time Clinical Co-Responder employed by The Road Home, LCSW Katie Iverson takes on the most vulnerable of the vulnerable and often overlooked who reside at the Pamela Atkinson Resource Center (PARC). 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.

Katie’s background includes working 3 ½ years with families at Midvale Family Resource Center and then moving to single shelters including the Gail Miller Resource Center. She shares that there is an overwhelming need for those to deal with mental health issues they are experiencing, but it’s also been challenging to recruit new staff, as salaries are low, and jobs are very demanding.

With this new position, Katie is fully dedicated to a set caseload. As a Clinical Co-responder, Katie also works closely with the SSLPD Homeless Resource Officer (HRO) team. She says, “I had worked with them (HR0s) prior and respected them so much, the team embodies a lot of the same values that The Road Home holds, by taking a trauma-informed care approach, and knew I would have their support.” Their job is complex because it involves the safety of the community at large and the guests staying at PARC and trying to keep every individual in mind. “The gentlemen we work with have endured many hardships and have so many barriers working against them, and my job is to find out how I can

support them.” From getting them to the health clinic or connecting them to mental health resources, her job includes finding out what is needed, rather than relying on or having them call Emergency Medical Services or police. She says, “While the ultimate goal is to eliminate barriers so they can support themselves, first we need to get that person to the place where they can maintain that.”

“For the community, I would love people to volunteer in a way that involves engaging with our clients, as it is incredibly eye-opening to witness what they are up against. I would love for others to see how wonderful, friendly, and resilient our guests are.” Want to get involved, donate, or nd out more?

Community Meetings

Join us for a community conversation.

Coffee with a Cop

March 1, 9-10 a.m.

In-Person

Délice Bakery & Café 2747 S State Street

Business Watch

Businesses are encouraged to participate.

March 2, 5 p.m.

Crone’s Hollow 3834 South Main Street

Neighborhood Watch

Residents are encouraged to participate.

March 2, 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 SSLFD Chief Terry Addison

Community Centers

Free

The Community Opportunity Center (The Co-Op)

www.sslcoop.org

2530 S 500 East

Co-Op supervisor, Abram Sherrod: asherrod@sslc.gov or 801-464-6757

Mon-Thur, 9 am to 8 pm Fri 9 am - 6 pm

Central Park Community Center

2797 S 200 East Promise Liaison, Patrick Holman-Hart: pholman@sslc.gov or 801-386-4949

Historic Scott School Community Center

3280 S 540 East Promise Liaison, Maisy Hayes: mhayes@sslc.gov or 801-803-3632

Financial

Empowerment Classes at The Co-Op

Financial literacy is a continuous journey and we’re here to help you along the way. As the stages and situations in your life change so will your goals and financial needs. Thanks to our partnership with Mountain America Credit Union, we are able to offer free financial empowerment classes every fourth Tuesday of the month from 5:00 - 6:00 PM inside The CoOp. These classes can help you make important and informed decisions when it comes to your finances. Come learn about managing or reducing your debt, improving your credit, creating a budget, and building your savings. Questions? Connect with us at 385-454-3977

Utah Food Bank makes the Historic Scott School a Hub for Food

Did you know that not only do we have a community resource pantry at Historic Scott School, but right across the street at the County Library (Granite branch), they have the Kids Cafe program where youth 18 and under may receive a free meal each afternoon. Both of these programs are supported by the Utah Food Bank and we are excited to have these resources in our city to support anyone when they need it.

HSS Community Resource Pantry

3280 S 540 East

Mondays and Wednesdays: 8:00 am - 2:45 pm

Tuesdays and Thursdays: 8:00 am - 2:45 pm, 4:00 - 6:00 pm

Kids Cafe at the Granite Branch Library

3331 S 500 East

Monday - Saturday: 3:30 - 4:30 pm

SL County Senior Center EVENTS FOR MARCH 2023

Live Entertainment, 10:30 am

Friday, March 17 & 24

Weds, March 29

Exercise Classes

Enhance Fitness: Mon, Wed, & Fri, 9:30 am

Arthritis Exercise: Tues & Thurs, 9:30 am

U of U Exercise (Strength Training): Tues & Thurs, 10:30 am

Pickleball: Mon – Thurs, 11:30 – 2:30 pm

Line Dance: Fridays, 10:30 – 12:30 pm

Modified Yoga: Mon & Wed, 1:00 pm

Senior Ball Hosted by SSL Rec. Team

Friday, March 10, 3:00 – 5:00 pm

Holiday Meal

Birthday Special – Tues, March 7 (every 1st Tuesday of the month)

St. Patrick’s Day Special – Friday, March 17

Peanut Auction

Thurs, March 9, 10:30 am

Blood Pressure Checks with Fire Department

Weds, Mar 8, 9:15 am

Vital Aging Wellness

Discussions with a licensed therapist

Weds, March 15, 10:30 am

Special Movie Theater Day: Friday, March 17, 12:00 pm

Art Class with Laura Wilson in the Co-Op Weds, 10:00 am – 11:30 am

Columbus Center – 2531 S 400 East

Bridging the Digital Divide

As part of its national commitment to help bridge the digital divide, AT&T worked with Human-I-T to provide local organizations with a total of 325 laptops. The computers, courtesy of a donation from AT&T, were given to local students and families in need to help them participate in online learning and the digital world. The computer distribution kicked off AT&T’s participation and sponsorship of NBA All-Star week with NBA Legend and former Utah Jazz player, Boris Diaw, onsite to help distribute computers to recipient families.

Promise South Salt Lake along with Latinos in Action, Salt Lake Education Foundation, and Neighborhood House helped facilitate the distribution of computers to students and families. Providing students and families with computers will allow them to gain the access needed to thrive in this modern world. From completing homework to filling out job applications, they are connected to a greater possibility.

Building Healthy and Happy Communities

Youth in our Granite Park Junior High program participated in an enrichment activity with the University of Utah about building healthy and happy communities. They were put into small groups, where they used arts and crafts materials to build an ideal neighborhood. Their objective was to build a neighborhood that promotes the health and happiness of residents. They were asked to use their own knowledge and to think about what their friends, family members, and neighbors would want. Things they mentioned would make a happy and healthy neighborhood included: a dog park, a community kitchen, trees, shops, bike lanes, a shelter, a recreation center, a school, a library, a pool, and a free health clinic. We loved seeing their visions come to life and are excited for the future they have in mind.

Meet Caro Nilsson

As a Virginia native turned Salt Lake City local, Caro Nilsson is a multimedia artist whose paintings rely on slow wanderings on roads, trails, and pathways. Last year, Caro apprenticed with Thomas Turner at Mural Fest 2022. She says, “Murals ask the artist to listen deeply and observe patiently. They remind us of what community means.”

While it’s only March, the 6th annual Mural Fest is something to get excited about! We had a record number of applicants (almost 600!), which made the artist selection more challenging than ever. By May 13th, 11 new murals will be added to South Salt Lake’s Creative Industries Zone. During the MURAL FEST Meet & Greet, you can discover the murals and meet the artists on foot or on a bike.

MURAL FEST Artist Meet & Greet

Sat, May 13, 2023

Creative Industries Zone

Downtown South Salt Lake

Follow the FEST: themuralfest.com

IG and FB: @themuralfest

Follow all our mural artists on Instagram!

Anna Charney @annacharneyart

Beau @beau.graff

Brooke Smart @brookesmartillustration

Caro Nilsson @caroznilsson

Cole Eisenhour @ljr3rd_

DAAS @daas

Denise Duong @lildfromokc

fatspatrol @fatspatrol

FEEBEE @feebee_n_jay

Kiptoe @kiptoe1

Lizzie Wenger @zielizg

Community Happenings

Meet Lizzie Wenger

As a 21-year-old Salt Lake City native and dedicated Mural Fest goer, Mural Fest 2023 is giving Lizzie Wenger a chance to share her unique perspective on landscapes with the South Salt Lake community. Lizzie says, “Thank you for uplifting the Salt Lake City artist community and creating a platform of accessibility and opportunity within public art/ mural projects.”

Business and Development

Get in the Know: Community & Economic Development

The Community and Economic Development Department is responsible for ensuring our community builds and grows in ways that protect and better the health and welfare of our citizens and supports sustainable economic development. The Department consists of four divisions.

What divisions make up the Community and Economic Development Department?

Each division in the Community and Economic Development Department has a unique perspective

Building Division

The Building Department’s focus is the life safety of each person and structural stability for each structure in the City of South Salt Lake. We review the construction plans for building code compliance, issue building permits, and inspect the construction of each structure built in South Salt Lake.

Our inspectors also issue Stop Work Orders for those who build without obtaining the required building permits. To apply for a permit or to see FAQs visit us at sslc.gov.

also includes reviewing building permits and business licenses to ensure that proposals are permitted in their zone and meet design and site requirements.

Long-range planning focuses on helping the city map out how it wants to grow and change. This happens through a variety of avenues including the General Plan, zoning codes, street plans, small area plans, and regional collaboration projects. These documents are written, approved, and applied with the input of our residential and business stakeholders, the Planning Commission, City Council, and Mayor.

and role in our community’s development. They also collaborate with other departments including Engineering, Fire, Police, Code Enforcement and more. The four divisions that make up the department are:

• Economic Development Division

• Building Division

• Business Licensing Division

• Planning and Zoning Division

Read on for a brief overview of each division and keep an eye on this page throughout the year as we take a deeper dive into what the Community and Economic Development Department does.

Economic Development Division

The Economic Development Division oversees local economic development initiatives. The goal of the division is to enhance the quality of life in the city by growing South Salt Lake City’s tax base. We do this through supporting local businesses, removing artificial barriers to sustainable growth, and seeking opportunities to provide new high-paying jobs, while enriching the pool of goods and services provided within the community. The Economic Development Division seeks opportunities to invest in public infrastructure to encourage smart redevelopment that aligns with community goals and good design practices.

The Economic Development Division is also responsible for the City’s Affordable Housing Program, facilitates the City’s long-range Capital Facilities Planning, and directs large-scale City facility projects.

Business Licensing Division

The South Salt Lake Business License Division guides business owners through the process of starting or expanding a business in the City while building ongoing relationships to support businesses in our community.

This division also assists the public by ensuring businesses operating within South Salt Lake are properly licensed and are compliant with all applicable codes such as health, safety, and zoning requirements. This process includes coordinating license application reviews and approvals from all appropriate agencies.

In addition, the licensing team answers inquiries for existing licensees, follows up on the approval and issues business license certificates. Business licensing also handles any enforcement that needs to happen and follows up on written business complaints.

Planning and Zoning Division

The Planning and Zoning Division has two main areas of focus: short-range and long-range planning. Short-range planning involves working with developers and citizens on projects that involve planning applications to ensure that all projects are compliant with our municipal code. We also guide these applications through the planning process, which often includes going before the Planning Commission and sometimes before the City Council. Short-range planning

Where can you find us?

The Department of Community and Economic Development for South Salt Lake is located on the first floor of South Salt Lake City Hall at 220 E Morris Ave. Stop by during October or December to see our amazing holiday decorations!

South Salt Lake City Hall

220 Morris Ave, 1st Floor Monday - Friday, 8 am - 5 pm

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Cottonwood’s girls basketball team a ‘special group’ says head coach

There is definitely a pep in the girls steps these days.

Part of it comes from being one of the worst teams in the state of Utah not so long

By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

ago, according to Cottonwood girls basketball head coach Tess Soracco. Part of it is just a sense of pride from knowing how far you’ve come as a program and that your seniors are going to win at least a share of the Region 7 title after going 1-20 as freshmen.

“They are a special group of girls who are helping build a culture of winning, hard work, pride, dedication and heart. These girls are the heart and soul of this program, and I am incredibly proud to (have the opportunity) to coach them,” the coach said.

Playing against Payson in one of the Colts final games of the regular season Feb. 8 they cut out inbounds entry passes and went diving for loose balls. One girl wearing the No. 1 jersey was a foot shorter than the Payson player she was matched up against, but junior Ciel Budge, the team’s fifth leading scorer, went right at this tall tree anyhow, taking an elbow to the stomach in the process.

Trailing 29-27 at the break, you wouldn’t have even known Cottonwood was losing the game, because several players were dancing on the sidelines.

But when the third quarter got underway, it’s as if the players got replaced by five serious hoopers, their demeanors as steely as their head coach’s.

Yeah, Payson got the win—the only one the Colts allowed all year in Region 7 play.

But with that 53-48 decision over The Wood, Payson probably lost at least two layers of skin on the Colts’ home basketball floor and collected a few bruises, too.

During the game, Payson’s coach was constantly combing over what hair he had left on his head with his fingers. He’d already lost one game at home to this gritty, spirited Colts team, to begin with.

The Colts almost made it two when senior captain Ali Tripp, the team’s leading scorer, took over in the fourth quarter (gamehigh 14 points), but Payson hit a run-busting three pointer with 4:24 left that ended a 9-0 Cottonwood run and secured victory.

In the end, this singular Region 7 loss meant little in terms of Cottonwood lifting the trophy it rightfully earned. But don’t you dare tell the Colts, or little sister Ashlyn Tripp in a face mask (11 pts) that this game didn’t mean something; they fought all the way to the bitter end of that seesaw fourth quarter.

It’s a great sign, said coach Soracco, who with the sleeves rolled up on her trademark sweater blazer made City Journals promise we wouldn’t share that her Colts were going to be Region 7 champions regardless of the team’s outcome in their final game at Uintah, Feb. 17. (After press deadline, and besides, the Colts’ athletic director Greg Southwick who was driving three hours up from his

farm in Central Utah spilled the beans.)

“I’m sorry,” said the coach who is already a legend at Cottonwood although she has yet to realize it. “I haven’t been a basketball coach for very long.” l

Ali Tripp and the Cottonwood Colts won the Region 7 title. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Carley Caton and the Colts went 17-5 in the regular season. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Cottonwood students lend a hand to furry critters

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Cottonwood High student tbody officers and faculty had a rare opportunity earlier this winter.

Joining them at school were their pets— there at the kickoff assembly to support Cottonwood’s fundraising assembly for animal rescue organizations in Salt Lake City.

“We had a puppy walk where people brought their puppies and walked them across stage,” said student body officers’ adviser Tara Battista. “We supported Best Friends Animal Society and the Humane Society of Utah.”

Student body communications officer Talmage Winward fostered his cat, Violet.

“She’s tiny and precious, but pretty scared; I didn’t bring her in,” he said. “We had a wall where SBOs had pictures with their animals and put them on social media and our website to introduce our fundraiser, so I did that.”

The student leaders decided to support animal organizations because “a lot of us have little friends as pets and we thought it would be a cool way to help out animals. When students heard about it, and there’s a lot of students with strong connections to their animals, they were excited and jumped on board,” he said.

Throughout the weeks of their fundraiser, students held events and activities at lunchtimes and in the evenings or people could donate through Venmo or Apple Pay. Local businesses also earmarked a portion of their proceeds during spirit nights to support the Cottonwood students’ fundraiser.

“One thing that got a lot of people supporting us was our grilled cheese night. We made hundreds of grilled cheese sandwiches and sold meals to students in the span of two hours. We also sold them as a meal (with chips and a drink) to raise even more money. It’s always a favorite night, a huge hit, because everyone says they needed comfort food,” she said, adding that their pancake breakfast was another big seller.

Other favorites were purchasing a Candy Gram, where students could choose a cookie or candy cane to be delivered with a note to a classmate or teacher; a coin war where students donated loose change; and a fun run, that was supported by several sports teams. It was moved inside because of inclement weather.

“It actually was one of my favorite activities,” said Winward, who participated as part of the soccer team. “It was kind of a spur of the moment thing with the weather, but we mapped out a route that was a 5K. We ran around inside the school, in the hallways, and had members of our community running and several brought their dogs. It was just a really fun time running.”

Battista said the fundraiser has been a Cottonwood tradition.

In the past, Cottonwood High students have supported one another through donating to the school’s food pantry. They’ve also helped the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Christmas Box House and several homeless shelters. This year, they raised about $2,000 for the animal shelters.

“Last year, we collected money for fabric, and students tied about 350 blankets and donated those. That was meaningful because that they got to deliver an item that they could see was directly impacting somebody where with money, there’s sort of this removal of that they don’t physically get to see what happens,” she said. “For us, we have this balance where we encourage donations, but we understand there’s a lot of kids who benefit from the donations themselves. So, everyone can be involved in supporting and participating in activities and service like making the blankets.”

Winward said he got involved in student government because he loves being part of the activities and planning.

“I have a ton of pride for our school through sports and events and it seemed like a win-win for everyone and to me to help people feel the same way. Doing this has been a lot of fun and it’s doing a lot of good,” he said.

Battista said it’s a way students can look beyond the school walls.

“The students really want to give back

to a community that supported them in their events and initiatives. By reaching out to different organizations around the state each year, it gives them a chance to give back to people who have also supported them,” she said. “Part of their education is learning that we are in this together, and

they get a chance to give back to people who have maybe helped them. It builds this sense of empathy in the kids. When they stop to give back to the community, to help each other, to be a positive effect on somebody else, that really does something to the kids as well.” l

Cottonwood High students made and sold grilled cheese sandwiches as part of their winter fundraiser. (Tara Battista/Cottonwood High)

Cottonwood High student leader Carley Stephens and other students helped raise funds for the Best Friends Animal Society and Humane Society of Utah. (Tara Battista/Cottonwood High)

All-Star readers meet all-star mascots at Salt Lake County library event

By Heather Lawrence | h.lawrence@mycityjournals.com

The NBA All-Star events in Salt Lake were the perfect backdrop to celebrate All-Star readers in February. A winter reading event sponsored by the Salt Lake County Library kicked off Jan. 3. Readers who stayed engaged during the program were invited to meet the Jazz Bear and other NBA mascots Feb. 15 at the Viridian Center in West Jordan.

“We’re very fortunate to host the NBA All-Star Game in Salt Lake County and to be able to offer such a unique prize to our readers,” said County Library Program Manager Nyssa Fleig. “We hope offering a once-in-alifetime event like this will help create readers for life.”

The party kicked off just after 6 p.m. when the mascots came in, turned up the music and shot off their confetti cannons. All attendees got to enter through a balloon arch and then made their way to a decorated event room. Two big screen TVs showed NBA AllStar footage. Kids could play cornhole, or lifesize chess and connect four while they waited to meet mascots.

The event brought out families from all over the valley, like Salt Lake City’s Aimee Broadbent and her 9-year-old son Deklan.

“I like to read…just a bit,” Deklan said, with a joking twinkle in his eye.

“He loves it!” Broadbent said.

His favorite books? “I like scary stories.”

The All-Star Winter Reading wasn’t just about reading—it challenged kids to stay engaged during the winter with different activities and report their progress online.

“I did all the activities. I read, I played basketball, and I colored in every activity,” Deklan said.

Broadbent said they’d participated in and attended the event before. But with the All-Star game happening this weekend, there’s some

added excitement.

People had their choice of several mascots to meet, greet and get photos with, starting with Owlexander the library’s owl. Unified Police and the Salt Lake County Sheriff brought their mascots—a dog named Sgt. Siren and a horse named Sgt. Lightning.

Three NBA teams sent their mascots: the Miami Heat’s fireball Burnie, Clutch the bear of the Houston Rockets, and Blaze the Trail Cat of the Portland Trail Blazers. And from the NBA G League (minor league basketball), the SLC Stars were represented by the Jazz Bear’s cousin, Buster Bear.

But for loyal Utahns like the Waltons of

Taylorsville who had played Jr. Jazz and seen lots of Jazz games, meeting the Jazz Bear for the first time was the most exciting thing about the night.

“We participate in the library reading events all the time because the girls love to read,” said Melena Walton of her daughters Ella and Lila. “We did the library’s preschool class when they were younger and came to reading time and puppet shows.”

The girls, now 14 and 10, kept busy during the winter with skiing and Jr. Jazz basketball. They stayed engaged with the other winter challenge activities like being creative, getting outdoors and trying new things.

But they definitely made time to read— Ella in the Star Wars novels, and Lila the Half Upon a Time series. Of course they’ve made their way through the Harry Potter and Fablehaven series. And when it comes to how they read, they’re traditionalists.

“I like the feel of a book in my hands, not an e-reader. I like turning pages in a real book, it’s just different,” Lila said, and Ella agreed. l

Powered by the butterfly, Cottonwood swimming snags several individual titles at region

By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

It’s time.

The time when everything begins to coalesce inside the pool has arrived, a time when friend and foe gather to catch a glimpse of Cottonwood’s Next Great Swimmer.

There have been so many that it doesn’t take much to remember one. Rhyan White is, of course, the first to come to mind—because she was the first of a kind in Utah as well as at Cottonwood. An Olympic silver medalist. A national champion at Alabama.

You don’t really catch a glimpse until now at what Cottonwood is capable of—but that’s the way head coach Ron Lockwood likes it. He likes his Colts to be peaking come state championships time.

Part of this story is one of perseverance.

Girls

As a freshman, Adessa Talbot was this close to the wall—she finished eighth at state. As a sophomore last year at state, Talbot finished seventh—almost six seconds behind freshman Jade Garstang of Skyline— in the 100 butterfly. But Talbot has already had one of the top 10 finishes in all of Utah this year.

What’s more is Talbot got that done, winning that 100 butterfly race on Feb. 4 at the Region 7 Championships.

And when Talbot, now a junior, gets here (the 5A state championships, on Feb. 18 after press deadline) you’d be a fool to count her out of any medals.

Talbot, who moved here from New Jersey during middle school and joined the Wasatch Front Swim Market before enroll-

ing at Cottonwood, also won a region title in the 200 IM by 15 seconds over her nearest competitor.

But Talbot wasn’t the only Colts female to have tasted a Region 7 Championship. Junior Natty Alonso won the 100 free and 100 backstroke championships and teammate Caitlin Gonzaga got silver. Cottonwood also earned a gold and bronze medal as a team in the 200 medley relay and 400 free relay.

It sounds like a foregone conclusion that a Colt would splash through to the finish in first place. But the past two years have only seen heartache on the girls team once they reach state. This may be the year that Talbot and Alonso change that streak, according to Cottonwood Athletic Director Greg Southwick.

“We’re down just a little bit in swimming, in sort of a rebuilding phase again,” said Southwick. “But, it fluctuates every few years, and we understand that. We’ll have some kids compete and hopefully medal.”

Boys

On the boys side, the Colts have also been building slow. They also won some hardware as a team in the 200 medley relay and tied for bronze in the 200 free relay at the Region 7 Championships Feb. 4.

Individually, Bode Anders won a Region 7 title in the 100 butterfly and got silver in the 200 IM, while Collen Lokan won a region crown in the 100 backstroke and captured bronze in the 100 butterfly. l

Aimee Broadbent of Salt Lake brought her son Deklan to meet the mascots Feb. 15 as a reward for completing the winter reading challenge. (Heather Lawrence/City Journals)

Melena Walton of Taylorsville and her daughters Ella and Lila met the Jazz Bear for the first time. Ella and Lila didn’t find the reading challenge difficult—they love to read. (Heather Lawrence/City Journals)

When I was a kid, I worried about four things: my Halloween candy being stolen by siblings, missing a spelling word on a test, accidentally eating mayonnaise and nuclear war. In that order.

While those four things were the main cause of concern, I also worried about rainy days because stupid boys would throw earthworms down my shirt. I worried about wearing dresses to school because stupid boys would look up my skirt.

I worried about running out of books to read because I couldn’t imagine that apocalyptic scenario. I worried about earthquakes because we were constantly told The Big One would happen when we least suspected.

I guess I worried a lot, but I’m pretty sure our state legislators at the time didn’t give a rat’s behind about my mental health. In fact, children in the 1970s weren’t really considered people until they had a job and started paying taxes.

But now, our illustrious leaders say they are really concerned about the mental health of Utah’s youth, but only in select situations. There is talk to ban social media for kids under 16 because of the harmful impact it has on their mental wellness.

However, representatives don’t seem

A Mental Health Day

Peri Kinder Life and Laughter

society. Even though teens with access to these treatments have demonstrated better mental health.

This is a “problem” our leaders don’t have to “solve” because, hear me out, it isn’t a “problem.”

On a related note, I found it interesting Utah will still permit cisgender female teens to get breast implants. Because Utah.

Do you know what else affects a child’s mental health? The fear they’ll be shot at school. The fear that climate change will eliminate elephants and polar bears. The fear their overworked teachers will quit because public money has been siphoned off to private and home schools.

I won’t clump all our elected officials into this bunch of wackadoodles because there are many people working to help trans youth, create sensible gun laws and reduce the load of our poor public school teachers who get beat up each year during the legislative session.

milla introduced a bill that would legalize psilocybin in Utah under strict controls. Because this is Utah, this mushroom therapy bill will probably go down in hallucinogenic flames, but hopefully it gets the conversation started.

Another way to help our youth develop better mental health? Stop passing harmful bills. Start passing bills that help our children and grandchildren deal with the everyday pressures of living in this world that feels like it’s gone bananas.

I agree social media causes great harm to our teens through cyberbullying, shaming and creating a comparison mindset. But there are additional issues we could tackle to help our children sleep better at night.

concerned about the mental health of transgender youth since our state leaders banned gender-affirming care for minors. Even though suicide rates skyrocket for trans youth who often feel stigmatized in

I vote that each educator be given a 10-day trip to Hawaii, paid for by the record-breaking state liquor sales. Of which they’ve heartily contributed, I’m sure.

Speaking of addressing mental health, Senate Minority Leader Luz Esca -

I never had to worry about cyberbullying as a kid, although actual physical bullying was definitely a thing. I worried about being pushed off the monkey bars onto the hard concrete. I worried about kids laughing at my homemade polyester pantsuits.

What I worry about now is how to create an inclusive and safe environment for our youth. I also still worry about accidentally eating mayonnaise, and nuclear war. In that order. l