South Salt Lake Journal | June 2023

WOODROW WILSON’S CHRISTINE CHRISTENSEN NAMED 2023 ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.comm

WhenChristine Christensen took over as the principal at South Salt Lake’s Woodrow Wilson Elementary (2567 S. Main St.) in 2016, the school had a failing grade. Last year, under Christensen’s leadership, the school’s grade jumped up to a B. The school has gone from proficiency scores in the teens to scores in the 40s.

But that’s just one reason Christensen was chosen by the Utah Association of Elementary School Principals as the 2023 Elementary Principal of the Year.

Selected from nominees across the state, Christensen’s application highlighted the work done by the school to engage families, encourage leadership, create intervention systems and develop trauma-informed practices to help students who have suffered physical, mental or emotional ordeals.

“I think the most important thing any leader can do is surround themselves with people that are ready and willing to do the heavy lifting,” she said. “I think that the key is really bringing in my staff and sharing that leadership with them and helping them be part of the decision-making processes so that they have ownership.”

To help combat disruptions in the classroom, teachers created

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Woodrow Wilson Elementary’s principal Christine Christensen (holding flowers) was selected as the 2023 Elementary Principal of the Year by the Utah Association of Elementary School Principals. She’s been at the school since 2016. (Photo courtesy of Christine Christensen)

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Ribbon-cutting, tours, lunch and more!

SSL Starbucks workers seek to join labor union

By Zak Sonntag | z.sonntag@mycityjournals.com

Starbucks workers at the South Salt Lake store on State Street filed a formal petition for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in May, making the location the fourth in Utah to pursue collective bargaining, and one of over 300 nationwide.

“I decided to look into unionizing to bring back the Starbucks culture that I remember having when I first started in 2013. With my fellow partners I feel this has brought us closer and is aiming for a better working environment than we could get from Starbucks alone. To any partners that feel like they have little to no support from their leaders I recommend taking the action my partners have taken,” said shift supervisor Gregory Rylant.

The decision is the latest notch in the ramping battle between corporate and labor at the Seattle-based company, against which NLRB has issued 93 complaints covering 328 unfair labor practices since late 2021, according to a report by the Guardian.

The NLRB rulings appear to have embolden workers, as seen in May when baristas in Utah confronted Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan at a Verizon Wireless Shareholder meeting, of which Narasimhan is also a Board member. The confrontation, captured in a Starbucks Workers United TikTok video, shows an employee imploring Narasimhan to sign the Fair Election Principles, guidelines for honoring workers’ rights to “organize free from fear and intimidation.”

In the video Narasimhan appears to ignore the workers.

Amanda Merrill, union member and worker at the Fourth and Fourth Starbucks store in Salt Lake City, was one of the employees there to press the unions’ case.

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“Today, Laxman heard his baristas’ demands. We want our organizing rights respected, an end to illegal union-busting, and a fair contract,” Merrill said in a press release.

SSL location workers say joining the union will help promote worker dignity, company culture, employment stability and working conditions in an environment they say is increasingly stressful at the 2101 S. State St. store.

They believe joining the union will help fix issues like harassment, which baristas say have been ignored by upper-management.

“We’ve had a few different people that were bullies. One in particular who called people names and was generally very unpleasant towards other people in the store,” said Denelle Durling, 22, who has been with the company since 2022. “These concerns were brought up with our manager and our district manager but nothing was done about them. And that was very frustrating for everyone involved.”

Durling is confident the unionization effort will help improve store culture by giving workers a voice on issues like harassment mitigation. She’s also hopeful the union will bring an end to volatile scheduling where unpredictable shift-hours create problems for work/life balance, as well as chronic understaffing liable to put onerous demands on employees.

“It gets to the point on a daily basis where we’re super packed and we don’t have enough people on the floor. Stickers lined up, a line in the drive-thru, you have all these drinks to make but you’re only one person,” said Durling, who explained this makes it hard to treat customers warm and welcoming, one of the company policies.

“It’s really hard to do that when you’re stressed out of your mind because customers also want to have their drink made quickly and on time,” Durling said.

Representatives with Starbucks Workers United say their organizing efforts in recent years have led to a host of improvements for employees. Victories include the enablement of credit card tips, dress code concessions, seniority pay, as well as costof-living adjustment policies.

Responding to the NLRB violations, union supporters have accused corporate of an unduly aggressive “union busting” effort. Albeit, labor appears to be respond-

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ing in kind with one of the most rapidly expanding union campaigns of the 21st century, according to accounts in the Guardian.

“We are unionizing because we have gone too long without support and the partnership Starbucks claims to have with us. We are unionizing not just for ourselves, but for service workers everywhere who have been underpaid and underappreciated for too long,” said Rylant in a press release.

Workers at SSL Starbucks anticipate a vote in June. l

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A Starbucks in SSL has workers seeking to join a union. (Wikimedia)

Former teacher creates Educate and Rejuvenate event to provide educators with mental health, educational resources

By Morgan Olsen | m.olsen@mycityjournals.com

When Kelsey Sorenson finished her time as a full-time third-grade teacher, she recognized the resources teachers needed to thrive in their career. She started creating resources for teachers and substitute teachers and the Wife Teacher Mommy company was born.

“I started Wife Teacher Mommy in 2014 after I had my oldest son,” Sorenson said. “I didn’t want to teach full time anymore because I wanted to be home with him, so I picked up some substitute teaching. I realized that it was hard for teachers to write sub plans, but when I would run a classroom as a sub I could see that it would be good to have more. I started making sub plans for teachers to use and some that I could bring when I sub.”

When Sorenson started Wife Teacher Mommy, her goal was simply to help educators while making a little extra money on the side to help pay the bills.

“My first thought wasn’t to start a business, but it’s turned into that,” Sorenson said. “My goal was to make money to help cover our mortgage and now I have grown to have six employees. When I started it I just thought it was another little side thing to make some extra money but now it’s grown into so much more than that.”

When Covid hit in 2020, Sorenson knew she needed to rethink Wife Teacher Mommy since schools were shutting down.

“When Covid came we had to pivot and we digitized resources and made home-learning packets,” she said.

Wife Teacher Mommy is now a monthly membership available for subscription, which includes access to unlimited resources, workshops and printables for teachers and parents alike.

“As I started surveying our members, I realized they were struggling with lots that resources couldn’t solve,” Sorenson said. “They were burned out, didn’t have lots of time, and had a lot going on. They needed more support than what printables could give. We created other resources that address those issues like mental health, burnout and even workouts.”

Teachers experienced great changes during the Covid-19 pandemic, and Sorenson wanted to provide resources to help teachers get through those challenging times and beyond. A membership seemed like the best way to do that.

“Our goal is to help teachers feel a lighter burden,” she said. “We know they have so much going on in their lives. We know they need printables, but they can get those anywhere. We wanted to provide resources that can help them help them-

selves. During our first launch, we had about 300 members, and we’ve now grown to have 1,000 members.”

One way Sorenson found to help teachers in their mental health is to focus on life coaching.

“What differentiates us is that we have life coaching as well,” Sorenson said. “I’m a certified life coach and we have one other certified life coach on our team. We do weekly workshops where we focus on life coaching for our members. Teachers are always helping others and we want them to help them have that community and space to get the support and community that they need.”

For the second year in a row, Wife Teacher Mommy is hosting the Educate and Rejuvenate event June 27-28.

“Educate and Rejuvenate is a virtual conference for educators, parents or anyone who is interested,” Sorenson said. “The conference is full of live sessions, pre-recorded sessions, and resources that attendees will have access to for 10 days after the conference ends.”

This year’s conference will feature two keynote speakers: Joe Dombrowski and Kristina Kuzmic.

“We are especially excited for our keynote speakers for this event,” Sorenson said. “We know our attendees will love to hear what they have to say.”

The goal of Educate and Rejuvenate is to give teachers the resources they feel they need to become the best version of

themselves.

“We want them to feel that they can get whatever they need from the conference,” Sorenson said. “We cover so many topics and things they can learn about. We want them to learn about education and how they themselves can be rejuvenated. Teachers need to rejuvenate over the summer and then find out how they can make next year better. We’re helping them to learn things and get the coaching tools that we have to offer. After the conference, they can go into the next school year with a better mindset ready to handle challenges more than they were before they came to the event.”

In its inaugural year last summer, more than 3,000 tickets were sold to the event and attendees found it to be a valuable experience.

“This was such a great event with so many things to offer,” said attendee Alaina Wilson. “A big thank you to everyone who contributed both on our screens and behind the scenes. I feel like I have a lot of new teacher friends.”

Sorenson said one of her favorite things about the event is the community aspect among all participants.

“I love the community aspect of the Educate and Rejuvenate event,” she said. "I love when we all get to come together and talk to each other. It’s face-to-face virtually, but it’s such a great way to con-

nect. We’re connecting teachers all over the world. Even if you feel alone in your school there is somebody else out there that you could talk to about it. It really brings people together and that’s what I love about it.”

Ultimately, Sorenson believes it is important to come together as a community to support teachers.

“Thank a teacher,” Sorenson said. “They don’t necessarily need food or gifts for whatever, they just need appreciation. It’s often a thankless job.”

Sorenson hopes teachers will take advantage of the resources offered at the Educate and Rejuvenate event and realize that taking care of their mental health is important.

“We have teachers leaving the profession in droves because they are feeling burned out but most of them truly love teaching,” Sorenson said. “In Utah, our class sizes are pretty large, so when you consider all the teachers leaving that’ll make it harder for everybody. We want teachers who feel like they can handle all that teachers have to handle. We all need an educated society and the kids being taught.”

Those interested in registering for the Educate and Rejuvenate virtual conference can do so by going to educateandrejuvenate.com. l

The Wife Teacher Mommy team and hosts of the Educate and Rejuvenate virtual conference. (Kelsey Sorenson/Wife Teacher Mommy)

Kelsey Sorenson, founder of Wife Teacher Mommy and Educate and Rejuvenate virtual conference. (Kelsey Sorenson/Wife Teacher Mommy)

Fashion dreams: How Utah’s only fashion institute sets aspiring designers up for success

Salt Lake Community College’s Fashion Institute, the only one in the state of Utah, presented a student-led fashion show on April 22 at their South City Campus. The theme was “New Earth” and consisted of different fashion styles ranging from new age to gothic and even fairies and ballerinas. The event was free and open to the public, with the help of a grant the institute received from The Arts & Cultural Events (ACE), which promotes and honors artistic expression and educational opportunities to help build community relationships.

“What makes this show special, and even the program itself, is that it facilitates individual expression. It facilitates exposure to the creative process and the arts. Fashion is just another art form,” said Kim Kienow,

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

signer showcase and they did have to pause over Covid so last year we had our show at the South Town Arts Alliance space but we are doing them at the school from now on.”

Kienow committed to her first year being a teacher for the fashion class in 2022 and is now on her second year teaching. “I teach Runway Production and it’s a class that’s offered at SLCC and I am the one responsible for all of that, not the clothing and not the designers—they make their clothing and the designers take an apparel design class so they’re not my students. My students are the ones who produce the show,” Kienow said.

Along with many others, Kienow was ecstatic to see The Arts & Cultural Event grant come into full effect. “It was a really,

really big help,” Kienow said. “It covered the budget for the entire show and made it

to where we could pay models, so we could pay the makeup artists, which doesn’t normally happen; made it so that we could provide lunch for people and it made it so that we didn’t have to charge tickets. In the past, they have charged tickets so that they could make the money to be able to pay for the production and because of that grant it made it more open to the community.

Kienow is also thankful for the volunteers, including alumni, who came to help.

The fashion show was met with success as the runway came alive with an eclectic display of colors, fabrics, textures and styles. Students who put on the show, such as José Lerma, Molly Mortensen and Mathieu Quinlan created a wonderful sense of style before hundreds of community members.

Lerma, a South Salt Lake local, chose his creative collection to be inspired by the television sitcom, “Ugly Betty.”

“The reason why I was inspired by this is because when I came to SLCC I didn’t know what I was doing, and later on I just watched ‘Ugly Betty’ and then I realized that she works at a business company and so that was like her first experience and for me it probably had the same feelings so I was like, ‘You know what, we might have the same problem.’ I didn’t know anything about fashion when I first came here, so I felt that Betty and I were in the same position where she doesn’t know nothing but she’s smart and she learns about fashion. I didn’t know nothing about fashion but I wanted to get along with people. That is my style and my com-

munication,” Lerma said.

Lerma has big plans for the future where he hopes to one day have his own studio. Lerma’s advice: “Just be yourself, stand out, have new experiences, be smart enough. You gotta know what you’re doing, you gotta ask questions. Be out there.”

Another talented student, Molly Mortensen, dubbed her style “abalone,” in relation to the sea and beach life.

“I’ve always loved and been drawn to fashion. I have traveled a lot with my family growing up and was exposed to all types of art and fashion, so I think that was a big influence for me,” Mortensen said. “I interned in NYC and Paris these last two years and helped at New York Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week. So, I’ve been around that environment, but this was the first time being a designer and showing my work.

“It was definitely a long process. I have always loved the beach and beachwear, but also loved the utility/work wear because of its functionality and simple silhouettes. So, combining the two felt natural. Pulling a lot of early 2000’s beach vibes and modernizing it was how I went about my designs. My parents are big role models. They’re both in the design and art industries, so growing up with that lifestyle was really impactful.”

Like Lerma, Mortensen also has insightful plans to one day move up in the fashion world. “I’m hoping to work for one of my favorite companies as a designer and move up to a creative director role, eventually have my own brand but I just want to trav-

the SLCC fashion show production instructor. “It’s an annual event; it’s the senior de-

At the end of the show, designers (left to right) Mathieu Quinlan, José Lerma and Molly Mortensen and others bow before an applauding audience. (Jesse M. Gonzalez/City Journals)

el and live somewhere cool and design.” Mortensen looks up to companies such as Acne Studios, Stüssy, and Reese Cooper.

Mortensen is grateful for the fashion program, her colleagues and professors. “I want to make a name for myself in the industry and show that you don’t have to go to one of the top design schools in the world to design amazing things,” Mortensen said.

SLCC senior, Mathieu Quinlan, who was born in Wisconsin, but now lives in Salt Lake City where he lives out his fashion dreams, said his interest in the mode is nothing new.

“My interest in fashion was first sparked in my early high school years. Some of my friends and I started developing an awareness for fashion and style, and we were instantly hooked,” Quinlan said. “We found a lot of fun in personalizing our wardrobes and developing unique outfits to sport to school. Towards the end of high school, I was having trouble finding clothes that I felt coincided with my stylistic vision, so I started making my own.”

This concept had taken Quinlan into leading his own vogue exhibition and finishing his studies in fashion design and technical apparel.

“This was my first experience having my designs in a fashion show, though I’ve been a model for a few shows in the past.

I recall walking down the runway at one of said shows with the main thought in my mind being, ‘This is really cool, but I can’t wait until my clothes are the ones being walked,’” Quinlan said.

“The goal for my collection is to find the intersection between grimy streetwear, baggy cuts, and heavy hardware with tailoring, luxury, and class, all while presenting stylish ready-to-wear looks. I drew a lot of inspiration from gothic architecture, the 90’s punk scene, classic French tailoring, modern luxury wear, and the early silhouette experimentation of designers like Rick Owens and Peter Do. I think another large inspiration for me was my own personal style, which often exists in the middle of the Venn diagram between streetwear and eveningwear,” Quinlan said.

“I would also like to mention my mother and grandmother as role models. They were the first to teach me how to sew, and their knowledge, skill, and support have been invaluable,” Quinlan said.

Quinlan hopes to intern as a designer after graduation and work under established names in the industry before he plans on creating his own label. “I feel more confident in myself and my design capabilities and I’m incredibly excited for the future and what lies in store. I’d like to give a special thank you to all of my professors at SLCC and a congratulations to the other designers.” l

The show’s production instructor, Kim Kienow, welcomes and introduces the community to this year’s fashion show, “New Earth.” (Jesse M. Gonzalez/City Journals)

Historic Scott School’s Earth Day celebration soars high with raptor visit

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

TheHistoric Scott School had an Earth Day celebration on April 21 to remind everyone that beyond our home, our city, our county, state and country, we all share and reside here on Earth.

“The Historic Scott School Earth Day celebration was our after-school site’s opportunity to do community outreach to the local South Salt Lake community members,” said Liam Loveday, associate coordinator of the event. “Activities that were coupled with the Earth Day theme were planting perennial plants on the community center campus, rock painting and decorating the community garden that we plan on setting up this summer. The biggest hit at the event was definitely the HawkWatch International partners bringing a variety of live native Utah raptor birds to showcase.”

The celebration was also supplied with arts and crafts booths from the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, wool sculptures and figurines, and refreshments such as mango lassis and orange Popsicles.

Much of the event could not be done without Maisy Hayes, a center coordinator for Promise South Salt Lake, an out-ofschool-time program at the Historic Scott School. Hayes, who lives in South Salt Lake, originally started as a part-time staff member three years ago and now leads her own classes and events such as the Earth Day celebration.

“A big part of the reason why we wanted to do this was because we noticed that there was a high trend of negative attitude when it came to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) related fields,” Hayes said. “Kids didn’t have a positive relationship with STEM and there wasn’t a lot of growth for STEM careers, so we really wanted to find a new, engaging way for kids to take an interest in STEM while talking about Utah’s nature and environment.”

That is when HawkWatch International came aboard, a nonprofit organization set on restoring and caring for Utah’s birds of prey population. The Earth Day celebration made room for bird species such as the great horned owl, the golden eagle, hawks and the peregrine falcon. “The kids know the names of the birds and all the things the birds like and don’t like. It’s pretty cool,” Hayes said. “I was really interested in doing this because this is an area that hasn’t quite been tapped into for a community event. My kids are really excited. I’m hoping this will happen again next year and hopefully, we can have an even bigger event next year.”

Melissa Halvorsen, the education and outreach director of HawkWatch International, was a key player is setting up the event. “Most of our staff are scientists but we also have an education team. We have been partnering with Promise South Salt Lake for the past couple of weeks to come

and do outreach visits for the kids,” Halvorsen said. “We have done five visits total and each visit the goal is to bring a different bird. We have raptors that are non-releasable. Most of them have an injury or something that is wrong with them so that they can’t survive in the wild and we use them to do our outreach programs.”

For the celebration, the students got a chance to meet the different birds and to learn what makes each one unique while participating in various activities. “The kids got to bring their family members and their friends to the program and share what they learned with them. It was a really fun experience. We got to know the kids and to meet the parents and their families and see the kids become the teachers,” Halvorsen said.

“The birds that we have are birds that have went to a rehab center, so like a wildlife rehabilitator. If the vet feels that the birds were to be able to survive in the wild then they have to find a permanent home for them. We have permits from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and that’s really important because otherwise it’s not legal,” Halvorsen said. “What we have is these permits which allows us to use these birds specifically for education, so they’re all wild birds that were injured or unable to survive in the wild.”

“We made a request to the Salt Lake County Zoo, Arts & Parks program so we can expand on not just partnering with Promise South Salt Lake, but partnering with other community organizations as well so we can do these targeted repeat visits,” Halvorsen said. “My mission in education is to—we call it ‘closing the nature gap’—we recognize that there are some folks who, due to economic or physical limitations, can’t get out to where these wild raptors live very easily so we’re in a unique position where we can actually bring them to people.”

“We’re trying to find groups that have the need to have this experience when they can’t necessarily have it another way. We hope to partner not only with Promise South Salt Lake but with other community organizations that serve audiences that may have economic or physical challenges,” Halvorsen said.

HawkWatch International hopes such visits inspire young people to explore science.

“I think that to aid them with their first experience with a wild raptor, our goal is to give them some inspiration for possibilities for their future. They may not have seen themselves in the world of wildlife science or biology or ecology, but our goal is to help them see a potential future where they could be involved in science and that doesn’t necessarily mean be a scientist because they could be an educator like we are or they could be a graphic designer that does scientific illustrations but we want to give them exposure to more options and ideas,” Halvorsen said.

“Part of the reason why we study raptors at HawkWatch is because they are what we call indicator species. When we see changes in raptor population, it tells us that we see something problematic in the ecosystem they live in, and we have a lot of raptors in Salt Lake City and the ecosystem they live in is shared with us humans and oftentimes the things that are bad for raptors are bad for humans too,” Halvorsen said.

Finding common ground with all animals who reside in Utah, and even the rest of the world, is important.

“With the raptors we see problems with them first before we see those problems in humans, so I think Earth Day is important because it reminds us that we are all part of the same ecosystem. Just because we’re humans and live in buildings doesn’t mean that we are disconnected from the natural world that supports us and animals,” Halvorsen said. “So it’s good to remember that we need to take care of that space because it takes care of us.” l

Instructors from HawkWatch International present birds of prey to the classroom for education and enrichment. (Photo courtesy Maisy Hayes/mhayes@sslc.gov)

Thanks to the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, the children were able to indulge in their favorite artistic activities. (Photo courtesy Maisy Hayes/mhayes@sslc.gov)

Students in grades 9-12 are invited to apply for the FBI Teen Academy. If selected, teens will spend the day learning about crime scenes, evidence gathering and more. (Stock photo)

Wanted: High school students for the FBI Teen Academy

force, any student with an interest in the FBI, what it does, and how a relationship with the FBI can help their school, is encouraged to apply.

The FBI Teen Academy provides an opportunity for high school students to catch a glimpse behind the scenes of the FBI. Upon completion of the academy, high school students will have a greater understanding of the FBI’s mission and how it serves the citizens, community and nation.The program is not exclusive to students interested in criminal justice. All students will be evaluated based on their application (school activities and community involvement) and an essay to determine which students will be offered a seat in the class. None of the above elements will be the sole basis of evaluation on an application and the process should be taken seriously by all applicants.

During the academy, students will learn about how evidence and hazardous materials are collected at crime scenes, discover how FBI SWAT executes arrests, learn about crimes against children, explore cyber programs and get information about job opportunities and requirements.

Due to the vast diversity in the FBI work-

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“calm down” spaces for kids to destress and work through difficult emotions. Students are taught how to handle anger and frustration in an appropriate way so teachers can spend time educating the children without being distracted by behavioral issues.

Educators at Woodrow Wilson teach, and reinforce, the school’s six core values: Be accountable, determined, inclusive, confident, optimistic and resilient. There’s also a scholar’s creed that is recited each morning.

“The creed includes those values and how the kids can use the values to achieve their goals and to become leaders and to become excellent scholars,” Christensen said. “It’s a growth mindset. We’re not perfect. We’re not there yet, but we want to keep striving everyday to be better.”

Christensen, a West Jordan resident, has worked as a principal for 11 years. She also taught second, third and fourth grade in the Jordan School District and worked as a literacy

The application, release form, and a supporting essay must be received by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office by 5 p.m. on June 30. Incomplete and late applications will not be accepted. The application and more information can be found at www.fbi.gov/file-repository/ salt-lake-city-2023-teen-academy-application-05102023.pdf/view.l

and instructional coach.

As principal, Christensen heads the Woodrow Wilson leadership team which meets twice a month to set goals, create programming and work up plans to achieve goals. There are several other leadership teams at the school which allows every teacher to be on a team and contribute to leadership success.

Efficient planning is a priority at the school. Teachers use their time with students wisely to ensure learning is effective and benefits the students. Christensen is proud of the efforts made by the faculty and staff at Woodrow Wilson and knows those efforts have paid off for students, families and the South Salt Lake community.

Go for the vibes!

Kick o your summer with the Utah Arts Festival at Library Square from June 23-25. Enjoy a variety of activities including browsing and purchasing art, watching films, listening to live music, savoring delicious treats, and being inspired by local poets. With new experiences every year, make sure to bring your family and friends and soak in the festival vibes.

With a familiar name as new coach, Cottonwood softball fielded one of Utah’s youngest teams

Facing a dilemma, Cottonwood Athletic Director Greg Southwick knew he had to do something—fast.

Southwick decided to dig back into the treasure trove of former Cottonwood coaches and see if Natalie Wonnacott would make things happen as Colts head softball coach. She accepted.

“We’re young; we’re just trying to rebuild it,” explained Southwick of the need for a change. “Two years ago, we lost a lot of kids. We’re just trying to get it back on its feet after losing so many good kids that played so many years together.”

Last year saw a 1-16 season for a Cottonwood softball program in danger of folding. If it sounds familiar to the trajectory that the Cottonwood girls basketball team took downward after a longtime successful coach departed, you wouldn’t be wrong.

“It’s not going as fast, that’s for sure,” Southwick said. “That’s the pattern we’re in right now, but Natalie is doing a good job in getting other kids.

“She’s going out and finding other kids to play that haven’t played the sport before.”

Finding leaders

Sophomore Gretta Lewis squeezed the bottoms of her cleats into the red dirt, took a

By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

deep breath and swung. On a sunny day in St. George at the March Warm-Up Classic, Lewis hit an RBI, her first, in a 23-10 loss to Kanab on March 18.

It was the closest Cottonwood [0-10 Region 7, 0-18] came to winning as far as the scoreboard says. The Colts were actually ahead through four innings—until Kanab slammed home 15 runs to 10-run rule Cottonwood.

“They’ve been in quite a few ballgames,” Southwick said. “They just haven’t been able to pull it off towards the end of the game.”

All told, these Colts have been 10-run ruled in all but one of the games they’ve played.

That game was a classic, a 21-12 loss to Highland in which seven players drove in runs—the only time Cottonwood played all seven innings this season. True to form, Lewis again stepped up, delivering the game’s lone double while striking out two.

For Lewis, it had to have been a struggle but she accepted it; the sophomore walked out onto the rubber of that pitcher’s mound 14 times and threw 13 complete games for the Colts, this season.

“We’ve got one really good one [in Lewis], and then there’s one or two that could back her up [if need be],” added the Cottonwood AD.

There was no quit in these Colts, who with

Lewis had an ace who threw 23 strikeouts in 41 innings of action—who could brush you with a pitch [28 HBP] if you crowded the plate. Cottonwood also had senior Rian Reed, who threw in seven games when Lewis couldn’t go and had 10 strikeouts.

Reasons for optimism

Rebuilding with a familiar name as a coach is fine by Southwick. Although there are some differences with how the softball team is being constructed, the Cottonwood girls basketball team is a prime example of how one can work its way toward a region title by teaching an old [tennis] coach at the school new [basketball] tricks.

By the time Region 7 play started, Cottonwood was beginning to do good things in the dirt. The Colts manufactured a run in the top of the third inning off a Stansbury fielding error in a 16-1 loss, March 22.

April 11 at Cedar Valley, the opposing team got so angry at the Colts scoring twice in the second they smashed 21 runs in the bottom half of that inning, handing Cottonwood a 21-2 loss.

One of those runs at Cedar Valley was scored by Tialer Mounts, who is a freshman. Mounts also led the Colts with three doubles and 12 RBI—as did Reed, who had three and

11 and statistically, had her best season at Cottonwood in three years.

Reed closed out her time at Cottonwood with a two-run RBI against rival Hillcrest, May 4. The Colts lost 15-3 in five innings, the most runs they’d scored in any Region 7 game.

All told, something is building from the ground up. You can sense it around the program. It’s unfortunate that the Colts will lose Reed to graduation, but the future looks bright as can be.

Wonnacott’s daughter Zoey, who is a junior, had nine RBI and led Cottonwood in a number of fielding categories. Junior James Wilking had eight RBI—the best statistical season in three years for Wilking.

A freshman [Tialer Mounts] led the team in stolen bases, with eight. Two other freshmen [Lola Grover and Abigail Burton] batted in four and three runners. Two more pitchers are probably needed, said Southwick, especially with Reed graduating.

“But Natalie is looking for more pitching,” Southwick said. “We’ve got the right coach in place to do what we want to here. Even if this one [program and timeframe] is a little different, we’ve done it before.” l

Read, create and connect through county library summer reading program

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

Remember those lazy days of summer?

When there was nothing to do but stretch out on the hammock with a good book and read? Well, summer is coming and the Salt Lake County Library System wants to encourage kids to stretch out with a good book, to keep those reading skills fresh throughout the summer. But summer is for more than reading. And this year the summer reading challenge encourages much more than that.

The program runs June 1 to July 31, and it isn’t just for kids. “Everyone can participate and everyone can win,” said Paula Burgon, Youth Services librarian at the West Jordan Library. “Adult, teen or child, everyone loves a reward. And the best reward is a book.”

The theme for this year is All Together Now and focuses on bringing families, friends and community together to read, create, learn, play and connect. It is a library sponsored reading program, so of course there are prizes for reading, but the program also encourages other types of activities which can be logged toward redeeming a reward. Participants can reach out to a new friend (connect), try a new game (play), paint a picture for a neighbor (create), eat a food they’ve never tried before (learn), or even write a nice note to the mail carrier (connect). Ultimately, it’s about creating unity and kindness in the local commu-

nity.

To get the party started there will be a Summer Reading Kickoff at three different branch libraries: Daybreak, West Jordan and the newest library in the system, the Granite Library. Look for food trucks, live music and crafts varying from branch to branch, such as making kindness rocks, blowing monster bubbles and beading bracelets. The kickoff will be on June 2, from 5 to 8 p.m.

Often parents will challenge their children to curl up with a good book by logging their own reading time, so the reading program creates connection within the whole family. And everyone who participates gets a prize: a new book of their choosing.

Kids (and parents) can pick up materials at any branch library starting now. Or participants can simply create an account and start recording their activities and reading online. However, the reading and activity log will eventually need to be returned in person to a branch library to redeem the prize. Finishers will also be entered into a drawing for passes to one of several local fun spots like the aquarium, zoo, fun centers and museums.

Historically, the program has been very popular. According to Laura Renshaw, manager at the Millcreek Library, “Last year, systemwide we had about 17,000 kids who fin-

A MEDICAL HERO!

GILEAD

Treatment for COVID-19 for non-hospitalized people who have tested positive for and have symptoms of COVID. This is a 90-day study for ages 18-65. There are 10 visits total, 7 in person and 3 over the phone. You must also be willing to fill out a questionnaire from day 1 to day 29, and then for day 60 and 90.

CODAGENIX - CHILD RSV STUDY

This is a live vaccine for children ages 2-5 years old. This study is 8 months long, and there are 15 visits total. 10 of these are in-person visits and 5 are over the phone. 2 doses of nose drops are to be administered on day 1 and day 29. Only one child per household can participate, they must not be around children less than 6 months old, pregnant women or be in daycare. Must have been a fullterm birth of 36-42 weeks.

KAN-101-02 - CELIAC DISEASE

This study is for adults 18 - 70 years old who have a Celiac Disease diagnosis either by a positive Celiac serology or biopsy, and you must follow a gluten-free diet for 12 months. There are two parts to this study: Part A and Part B. What part you are assigned to will determine how long the study will be. Part A is 8 weeks with 4 weeks of screening, 7 days for treatment, 3 weeks of follow-up, and 3 IV doses. Part B is 58 weeks, 6 weeks of screening, 7 days for treatment, and 51 weeks of follow-up, also done in 3 IV doses.

ished and took home a free book. Plus there were 8,000 adults, 3,000 pre-readers and over 2,000 teens.”

The county library system consists of 18 branch libraries located from as far south as

Herriman, west to Magna and east to Millcreek. For more information, visit your local branch or visit online at www.slcolibrary.org/ summer-reading/srp. l

The colorful children’s section at the Millcreek Library is ready for early readers. (Ella Joy Olsen/City Journals)

EVENING SERIES

Season Tickets: $49 Adult, $45 Senior, $29 Child

Summer holiday poses a threat to children facing food insecurity

While many families are in the stages of solidifying summer plans, another portion of families are faced with a sobering reality—food insecurity.

By Lizzie Walje | l.walje@mycityjournals.com

Amphitheater Parking: 495 East 5300 South

Ticket Info: 801-264-2614 or www.murray.utah.gov

Amphitheater Parking: 495 East 5300 South

Ticket Information: 801-264-2614 or

www.murray.utah.gov/1959/Tickets

JUNE

June 3 Murray Concert Band

June 9-10, Disney’s High School Musical 12, 15-17

June 19 The Bonner Family with special guest David Archuleta

June 24 Murray Symphony Pops

JULY

July 7-8, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella 10, 13-15

July 21 Peter Breinholt

July 28-29, Seussical the Musical 31, Aug 3-5

AUGUST

Aug 12 “Music for the Soul” with Thurl Bailey, Vanessa Joy and Marvin Goldstein

Aug 18-19 A Celtic Summer’s Night

Aug 25 Ryan Shupe & the Rubberband

Aug 26 Jenny Oaks Baker & Family Four

SEPTEMBER

Sept 1 4 HIMS

Sept 9 Grupo Folklorico Sapichu & Karlysue y Los Trios Charros

This program has received funding support from residents of Salt Lake County, SL County Zoo, Arts & Parks (ZAP), Utah Division of Arts & Museums, Utah Department of Cultural & Community Engagement, Utah Humanities, and National Endowment for the Arts.

Generally speaking, most food banks and pantries across the nation experience a surge in donations during the fall and winter months. Unsurprisingly, many people feel compelled to donate during Thanksgiving and Christmastime, as these holidays center around the acts of giving and charity. It goes without saying that donations make an impact, regardless of when they are received. However, food banks and pantries need the most assistance and support during the summer months.

Why is summer a problematic season for those facing hunger? For starters, families struggling with food insecurity often rely on school breakfast and lunch programs to provide meals for their children. Suddenly, during the summer, parents find themselves having to provide additional meals, often times for multiple children. Not only is the demand for food higher, but the resources are lower due to decreased donations. This combination is devastating for those who already struggle to put food on the table.

Back in March, the Utah Food Bank held its inaugural “Feed Utah Day” where volunteers drove from house to house picking up bags of donations on the porches of those who participated. According to the Food Bank, this day couldn’t have come at a more crucial time as summer was approaching and critical governmental programs and safety nets are currently being cut or restructured.

“So many people a month from now will have an issue with food shortages that perhaps they never experienced. We have to be prepared,” said Utah Food Bank CEO Ginette Bott in March.

On top of the usual challenges that occur during summer break, families and individuals who rely on SNAP EBT benefits will see a decrease in their monthly allotment. This is happening due to the conclusion of a pandemic era relief package, that gave SNAP recipients extra food money.

Furthermore, it’s likely that many who have never previously struggled with food insecurity will be pushed to seek assistance this year. According to economists, the United States is on the precipice of a potential recession, which could have significant implications for Utahns and those across the nation. Already many people are seeing signs of trouble, with rising costs of food and major layoffs from businesses.

Here in Utah, lawmakers are in damage control mode as they attempt to increase the budget for various programs that would assist low-income families. Vocal among these politicians is Gov. Spencer Cox who addressed

media and onlookers during “Feed Utah Day.”

“We know that there are children hungry in our state. In fact, estimates say between one in nine and one in 10 children will miss a meal,” Cox said.

Cox further reiterated this point by prompting those present to think about hunger in terms of their own children, because oftentimes, those who are fortunate enough to not have to live paycheck to paycheck, don’t realize the size and scope of the problem.

“I want you to envision your child’s classroom. Say they’re in a class of 25, now imagine that three or four of the kids in that classroom are hungry…that is unacceptable,” Cox said.

The process of accepting help is not always easy, especially for families and individuals who have never before needed to rely on any sort of government programs or assistance. However, with staggering inflation, unprecedented cost of living, and a country on the verge of recession, many will find themselves needing care.

Over 500,000 people in Utah are facing some level of food insecurity. This is a stag-

gering statistic given our state only has an overall population of just 3.1 million. Food instability is commonplace, and the effects of hunger are devastating. Especially for our youngest residents who need proper nutrition to fuel their mental and physical development.

“Hunger is everywhere now, in every zip code, and with the lack of affordable housing, more and more people are living paycheck to paycheck and having to make tough choices to feed their families,” Bott said.

There are many programs available to help children and families get the meals they need.

If people are not sure how to locate resources, United Way has set up a phone directory, where one can receive assistance, including locations of food pantries in their immediate proximity. Call 211 during business hours for help. As always, the Utah Food Bank welcomes those who need provisions.

For those who wish to be of service, Bott said that the Utah Food Bank always welcomes donations of food, money or time. The Food Bank also facilitates group projects for those interested in making a difference during hunger’s invisible season. l

For children facing food insecurity, summer months are often the most difficult. (Utah Food Bank)

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

Investing in Our Future: Budgeting Beyond FY24

Annually, I present a tentative budget to the City Council for adoption. This collaborative effort brings the needs and priorities of our community to the forefront.

Let’s not forget to celebrate! This year we hit a big milestone as South Salt Lake is now 85 years strong! A community celebration is in the works for September. The future of our city is bright, join me as we Invest in People, Build Great Neighborhoods, and Celebrate South Salt Lake!

FY 2024 Budget Public Hearing

June 14, 7:30 pm

SSL City Hall, 220 Morris Ave City Council Room, 2nd Floor

Mayor Cherie Wood

I am pleased to report that our FY24 budget proposal includes many proactive steps for long-range planning and an eye on our city’s future. We are not only forecasting needs but we are keeping in mind the benefits these will bring to our community for years to come.

Our residents often share that safety is a top concern. We are now supported by our City Council, residents, and businesses to ensure that stable funding will continue to be available to support our Public Safety team. With our safety needs covered, we can now focus on other important operational and infrastructure needs.

It is time to replace old vehicles with significant maintenance needs, continue to make progress on our updated Public Works campus, save for future land acquisition, and invest in our equipment and staffing needs. We are now budgeting beyond FY24, we are budgeting for our future.

The city’s ability to provide quality services, programs, and amenities is dependent upon our ability to attract and retain excellent city staff members. Many simple, yet very basic needs for departments and divisions have often been postponed due to lack of funding. The FY24 Budget will better provide the necessary staffing for projected workloads and projects.

Capital Projects will bring the things our residents and businesses have been asking for. These include: LED street light replacements, a water conservation plan, sewer projects, stormwater improvements, additional bike lanes, and pedestrian safety improvements. Other asks in FY24 will go toward funding and safety upgrades at the Historic Scott School Community Center and our Animal Shelter.

Because of inflation, material costs, and supply chain issues, some of our FY23 projects were pushed forward. With the money still available, we will reallocate them in the proposed budget and see these projects to completion.

It is also important to call out that we seek grants to support many of our projects and programs. This tentative budget includes over $14 million in grants and $3.5 million specifically for our youth and their families through the Promise SSL program.

View the budget proposal at: www.sslc.gov

“Soul Food for SoSaLa!” Mayor Cherie Wood met with MURAL FEST ‘23 artist, Charity Hamidullah at her new mural “Soul Food” located at The Compound, 60 E Burton Ave, South Salt Lake. See more about the 6th annual MURAL FEST on page 7.

Public Meetings

For more info: www.sslc.gov

City Council

Wed, June 7, 7 p.m.

Wed, June 14, 7 p.m.

Planning Commission

Thu, June 1, 7 p.m.

Thu, June 15, 7 p.m.

Civilian Review Board

Mon, June 5, 6:30 p.m.

2023 SSL Municipal Election Notice

The City of South Salt Lake will hold a Municipal General Election on November 7, 2023.

The City Council has elected to use the Ranked Choice Voting method without a Primary Election. The candidate filing period is Tuesday, August 8, 2023, through Tuesday, August 15, 2023, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The candidate filing deadline is: Tuesday, August 15, 2023 at 5:00 p.m.

CITY COUNCIL CORNER

New Name, Same Great Center: South Salt Lake Community Center

Sharla Bynum, District 3

Most of us have heard the adage the more things change the more they stay the same. I find this especially true for the South Salt Lake Community Center, formerly the Columbus Community Center located at 2531 South 400 East. The majority of the City Council adopted by resolution a new name for one of our city’s most recognizable buildings based on survey feedback from residents. While the name is new its function and communal value are exactly the same. Housed in this beautiful and historic building are multigenerational offerings that appeal to all who call South Salt Lake home. This space is a true gem in our community with both indoor and outdoor activities and events.

SSL DOWNTOWN CONNECT

The South Salt Lake City Community Center includes our Recreation Department, the Salt Lake County Senior Center, Promise SSL programs such as the Best Buy Teen Tech Center, Hser Ner Moo Afterschool Program, and The CoOp. Lastly, our friends at Head Start Preschool are here too. The outdoor space includes Bickley Park with an all-abilities playground, a pickleball court, and a FitLot fitness course. The happenings at the South Salt Lake Community serve each of us in different ways. I encourage you to check out this beautiful space if you haven’t and get excited about the new offerings coming soon.

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

SSL DOWNTOWN CONNECT

VISION & IMPLEMENTATION

VISION & IMPLEMENTATION

VISION & IMPLEMENTATION

ENGAGE ONLINE

ENGAGE

This plan aims to better link the UTA Central Pointe and SSL Main Street TRAX and S Line Stations to the rest of Downtown with safe and engaging pedestrian and bike networks. As SSL Downtown continues to grow, this plan will establish a vision and implementation plan to align business, entertainment, and housing needs and interests, with the goal of ensuring the right mix for SSL Downtown.

ENGAGE ONLINE

Visit

Visit

TAKE

South Salt Lake City Council Action Report Summary

This plan aims to better link the UTA Central Pointe and SSL Main Street TRAX and S Line Stations to the rest of Downtown with safe and engaging pedestrian and bike networks. As SSL Downtown continues to grow, this plan will establish a vision and implementation plan to align business, entertainment, and housing needs and interests, with the goal of ensuring the right mix for SSL Downtown.

Resolution to rename a Cityowned building

5/10 Public Safety Service Fund Benefits

VISION & IMPLEMENTATION

Manager gave an update on Spring run-off. The City has filled 25,000 sandbags. 10,000 sandbags have been placed in at-risk areas. Call the Neighborhood Connect Line with questions 801 -464-6757.

Resolution of the Council renaming the City-owned building located at 2530 South 500 East from the Columbus Community Center to the South Salt Lake Community Center.

Work Meeting

Fire Chief Addison and Police Chief Carruth gave an overview on how the Public Safety Service Fund has aided in recruiting and retention goals for their departments since being implemented

Approved No further action needed

Information provided to the Council No further action needed

Public Safety

Ways the SSLPD Serves Victims of Hate Crimes

In March 2021, Utah Governor Spencer Cox signed a bill into law that strengthened the state’s hate crime law. The law clarifies that targeting someone based on their race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or disability is considered a hate crime and increases the penalties for such. This is an important step towards ensuring that victims of hate crimes receive the justice they deserve.

Law enforcement agencies have an obligation to enforce laws and ensure that perpetrators are held accountable. This means investigating hate crimes thoroughly and treating them with the seriousness they deserve. A publication by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, reads: “Public Safety and well-being cannot be attained without the community’s belief that their well-being is at the heart of all law enforcement activities.” A thoughtful approach to ensuring public safety while protecting individual rights and building community trust is critical.

Victim advocates also play a vital role in ensuring that hate crime victims receive the support and services they need. The SSL Police Advocates can help victims navigate the criminal justice system, connect with resources like counseling and legal assistance, and provide emotional support throughout the process.

Some of the services provided by victim advocates include:

• Crisis intervention: Advocates are available to speak with victims immediately after a hate crime occurs to provide emotional support and help them understand their rights and options.

• Safety planning: Advocates can help victims develop a safety plan to protect themselves and their families from further harm.

• Court advocacy: Advocates can accompany victims to court and provide emotional support throughout the criminal justice process.

• Referrals: Advocates can connect victims with other resources, such as counseling or legal assistance, to help them cope with the aftermath of the crime.

While the new hate crime law in Utah is a step in the right direction, SSLPD and our victim advocates are committed to ensuring that these laws are enforced and that victims receive the support they need. We must continue to work together to build a more just and equitable community for all.

Pamela Atkinson Resource Center Updates

With warmer weather finally here, there are some changes occurring at the Pamela Atkinson Resource Center (PARC). On May 1, the winter overflow officially ended which reduced occupancy from 400 to 300 men. There are 300 beds for the remaining residents. The additional 100 men were transported to the Wiegand Resource Center for day services and connected with case managers to find housing or any available shelter space.

With warming weather, it’s also likely that we’ll see more camping near the river and in sheltered locations. Urban camping is against state law and our mitigation funding is incumbent upon enforcing that law. So please help if you see a camping incident or someone who is homeless in distress. Residents can email Christine Simonette at csimonette@sslc.gov or report their concerns on the Homeless Strategies page: www.sslc. gov/245/Homeless-Strategies-Resources. You can simply leave your name, email address, phone number and the location of the concern. Our Homeless Resource Officers have been very responsive to these incidents so please take a few minutes and make a big difference.

Finally, the Homeless Strategies staff have applied for a 3-year grant to maintain a licensed clinical social worker at the shelter which has greatly reduced the calls public safety responds to. Sgt. Cody Coggle pulled some quick stats which showed that of 24 calls made to the Police Department over a 3-month period, our social worker was able to respond to 22. This reduced the need for police presence by 91%. The City will know the result of our grant proposal in the coming months.

The City is also looking at other positions to reduce the impact of the unsheltered on our community. One option is to create a new Licensed Clinical Social Worker role within the city to address unsheltered calls and crisis calls that don’t escalate to needing police presence.

South Salt Lake is dedicated to the health, safety, and welfare of all our residents. We invite the community to reach out to offer

ways to improve our approach and to keep people and property around the PARC safe. Your input, feedback, and participation are valuable.

Community Meetings

Join

Volunteer at the Pamela Atkinson Resource Center Want to get involved, donate, or find out more? Let’s point you toward these two at the Pamela Atkinson Resource Center.

Liam McMullin, Volunteer Coordinator, The Road Home 801-869-7254

lmcmullin@theroadhome.org

Natalia Delgado Paredes, Director, The Road Home 385-234-5783

ndelgado@theroadhome.org

June 7, 9-10 a.m.

In-Person

Délice Bakery & Café 2747 S State Street

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

PROMISE RECAP: 2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR

We’ve come to the end of our school year programming and are ramping up for our all-day summer programs. We wanted to give you a recap of the last school year. In many ways, it was a rebuilding year for Promise SSL. We saw COVID restrictions lifted, program enrollments began returning to pre-COVID levels, and we have gotten more excited as new employees have come to work with us. For the first summer since COVID began, every site will enter June fully staffed! Already this year, we’ve served nearly 900 young people across our sites. That’s 900 youth and their families whose lives have been positively impacted. We think that is worth celebrating!

This school year brought many great opportunities for our youth, their families, and our staff. Some highlights included:

• Our newest program, The Co-Op, focuses on supporting emerging adults in career advancement, financial empowerment, and digital literacy.

• In partnership with Mosaic Interfaith Ministries we opened our Resource Pantry hub at Historic Scott School that offers not only non-perishable, frozen, refrigerated, and fresh food but also a place to be connected to other resources.

• Members of our team traveled across the country to share our work and learn how we can continue to provide the best programs.

• We partnered with AT&T during NBA All-Stars Week to provide 100 free new laptops to community members.

• We opened 20 brand new positions to keep enhancing our programs and strengthening the SSL workforce.

• Utah Presents brought visiting artists and performers to Lincoln Elementary for some fun activities with youth from various programs.

• We hosted our first Promise Day of Service for our team to step outside of our traditional roles and help with other community needs.

• Moss Elementary youth worked hard on projects for the National History Day Competition.

• A new Theatre club was formed at Granite Park Junior High in partnership with Salt Lake Community College.

• Promise youth from Cottonwood competed in the Utah MESA (Math Engineering Science Achievement) competition and got 1st and 3rd in the state.

Our ‘Season of Sharing’ holiday service projects in partnership with the SSL Police Department helped us spread holiday cheer to families most in need in our community.

During 2022-23 several Promise SSL youth learned new skills including skateboarding and snowboarding

Community Development

Mural Fest 2023

MURAL FEST 2023 brought 10 incredible new murals to our downtown. Come stop by and enjoy them soon! To visit the 10 new murals (and the 43 from previous years, bringing our total to 53!) around town, download the MURAL FEST map at: themuralfest.com

1. Kiptoe @kiptoe1 Freeway Plaza, 2120 S 300 West

2. fatspatrol @fatspatrol

Wasatch Deli Provision, 225 W Crossroads Sq

3. Brooke Smart @brookesmartillustration Delvie’s Plastics, 133 W Haven Ave

4. Charity Hamidullah @creatingfreedomnow The Compound, 60 E Burton Ave

5. Anna Charney @annacharneyart Regency Apartments, 246 E on S Line Corridor

6. Cole Eisenhour @ljr3rd_ City Hall Generator, 220 East Morris Ave

7. Caro @caroznilsson

SSL City Hall Dog Park, 130 E Oakland Ave

8. Lizzie Wenger @zielizg House of Blinds/ Emissions Time, 2432 S State St

9. FEEBEE @feebee_n_jay

80 W Robert Ave

10. Denise Duong @lildfromokc Poor Yorick Studios, 126 W Crystal Ave

“The Extraordinary Elementals,” Kiptoe @kiptoe1, Freeway Plaza, 2120 S 300 West.

What’s Next? The Water Tower Neighborhood Plan

South Salt Lake is excited to create its first neighborhood plan since it’s official designation of the City’s 12 neighborhoods. The Department of Community and Economic Development is partnering with Master’s students in the University of Utah’s Department of City and Metropolitan Planning to create the plan, focusing first on the Water Tower neighborhood.

Situated around the eponymous landmark, the Water Tower neighborhood is a unique, mixeduse area located between State St and I-15 and 2700 S and I-80. Shaped by the vision and values of those who live in the neighborhood, the Water Tower Neighborhood Plan was completed in early April and will serve as a guide for growth and development in the area.

Caro’s mural is inside the new dog park at 130 Oakland Ave. Cole’s three-sided mural is in the parking lot at SSL City Hall, 220 Morris Ave.

By Brooke Smart

Grand Opening! Mountain American Credit Union is a new addition to South Salt Lake at 3028 S State Street.

The transformation of Downtown South Salt Lake kicks o as the One Burton project is underway. Found at 2360 S Main Street, with the new address: 1 Burton Avenue.

Best teen, preteen films showcased at Salt Lake County’s Youth Film Festival

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Eleven of Salt Lake County’s top youth filmmakers watched their films debut on the big screen with friends and family.

At an invitation-only event at the Megaplex at Valley Fair Mall, this year’s Salt Lake County Youth Film Festival student-winners came to the front of the auditorium, invited to speak and accept their prizes.

“Coming out of these heavier years with the pandemic and having to really push the film festival forward in a virtual format, the first thing I wanted to do was make sure that that our event was in-person,” said Abbey Summers, Salt Lake County health educator who oversaw the film festival. “And I thought what’s a better way to show these films for these young filmmakers than on the big screen?”

Sitting back, with provided concessions, the audience watched the short films ranging from breakfast ideas to inclusivity in sports.

All the films focused on the theme, “I advocate.”

“I wanted to have a strong theme. A big part of public health and what we do is, especially with youth, is trying to teach them about policy change and advocacy because these things are hugely instrumental in moving public health forward. Through the film festival,

we’ve allowed teens to create films around some of those topics that are important to them. With this year’s theme, we encouraged them to think about health topics that were important to them and how they could advocate for change or a way to make it better; or how

they could utilize resources in their community or in their schools to teach others. I feel the participants shined this year in showing us their advocacy and what is important to them,” she said about the fifth annual student film contest.

The films were judged by health educators, community health workers, youth services staff and others, they were ranked according to the contest rules in advocacy, originality, filmmaking elements, inclusivity and more, Summers said.

The winner of the Judge’s Choice award went to Sundance Canyon Academy senior Anthony Ashton for his film, “Resources;”

Best Advocate Award to Skyline High junior Anna Liu for her film, “I Advocate for Mental Health;”

Inclusivity Advocacy Winner to Highland High sophomore Kanye Saunders for “I Advocate for Inclusivity in Sports;” Best Original Film to Granger High senior James Ngyuen for his film “I Advocate for More Sleep;” Best Filmmaking Elements to Hillcrest

Depression rates in Utah remain high

Depression affects millions of people worldwide, and Utah is no exception. The state has some of the highest rates of depression in the country, with thousands of people struggling with it each year.

Utah is known for its focus on family, religion and community, so individuals in the state can often feel pressure to conform to social expectations. This can lead to feelings of isolation, especially for those who don’t fit the traditional mold. The state's conservative culture can also make it difficult to ask for help, as mental health is sometimes stigmatized.

“In Utah, there’s the aura of being a certain way, living to certain standards and an ongoing quest for perfection,” said Jason Corbridge, owner of NeuroHealth in South Jordan. “When you say you have an issue or you’re having a problem, that's almost taboo. No one wants to say they need help, or appear to be failing. Even when they’re not failing. Our suicide rate in Utah is one of the highest in the nation.”

To address the issue of depression and suicide, it is essential to raise awareness about the prevalence of mental health issues and reduce the stigma. This can be done through education and outreach programs and encouraging individuals to seek help. It is also important to provide access to mental health resources, counseling services and support groups, particularly in underserved communities.

Signs of depression include feeling little interest or pleasure in doing things, feeling hopeless or bad about yourself, feeling that you’re a failure or have let your family down or having thoughts of self-harm.

“The first thing to do is to speak up and talk about it,”

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

Corbridge said. “Get past the notion that you are the only one who feels that way, or that you shouldn't be discussing your feelings. If you’re not in the best mental position to make decisions on your own, all the more reason to reach out to friends or family, anyone in a position to think clearly and hear you out. Make others aware of your situation, and then look for professional help.”

In the February 2023 Kaiser Family Foundation analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau, Household Pulse Survey, 33% of adults in Utah reported symptoms of anxiety and/or depressive disorder (with women showing higher rates than men), compared to 32.3% of adults in the U.S. Often, people are struggling but feel they need to just push through it and not show weakness. But ignoring the situation doesn’t make it better. Many people deal with mental health challenges and there are lots of resources available to get help. If a loved one seems to be facing a mental health issue, initiate the conversation, even if it’s uncomfortable.

“Whether it’s a mom, a spouse, a brother or a friend, it doesn't matter. Talk about your feelings, and don’t make it worse by shying away from what you think will be an awkward conversation,” Corbridge said. “You'll be surprised at how supportive those around you can be. Additionally, if you’re having suicidal thoughts, reach out to the national hotline at 988 immediately.”

By raising awareness, reducing stigma, and improving access to resources, individuals can address this issue and build a healthier and more supportive future. l

High senior Abigail Slama-Catron for her film “Advocasee;” Best Theme Relevance to Corner Canyon freshman Maya Yrungaray for her film “3 Easy Breakfast Ideas;” First Runner-up to Sundance Canyon Academy freshman JD Martin for his film, “Temptations of Peer Pressure;” Group Advocacy Winner to Rowland Hall junior Eric Lu and Waterford School junior Shayan Pandit for their film, “Healthier and More Accessible School Lunches;” and Best Lower Division Winner to Salt Lake Arts Academy seventh-graders Aliya Saunders and Anna Peregrine for their film, “Living Life to the Fullest.”

The evening concluded with a private movie screening of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” as well.

“We wanted to make the event an opportunity to showcase their films and be really fun and family friendly,” Summers said. “I loved the films that were submitted this year.” l

Secondary students from across the Salt Lake Valley were honored at the fifth annual Salt Lake County health film festival. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Utah has some of the highest rates of depression in the country, with thousands of people struggling each year. To address the issue of depression and suicide, it is essential to raise awareness about the prevalence of mental health issues and reduce the stigma. (Stock photo)

Cottonwood boys track wins Region 7 title in relay, sets school record

By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

It has been a long year for the Cottonwood Colts boys track team. Injuries. Cancellations. Illness. But, they always had this “swag” that helped the 4x800 team win a Region 7 title, explained head coach Jason Baker.

“The day before Region the team hyped each other up during their run as they talked about setting the tone for all of region during that first race (4x800) to build up the entire track team,” Baker said.

“The day of Region, the boys both felt and acted confidently with each other (which they refer to as the swag).”

Baker added that he could see how with the first 800, or two laps around the track, the lead runner Skyler Limburg continued to widen the gap and was pulling away from the other teams.

“During the second leg, Tim Thompson threw a ‘hang-loose’ hand gesture to his coach at the first turn [of his 800] to signify he was feeling great, leading to a strong first widening of the gap for the team,” said the Cottonwood head coach.

Thompson gave the third Colts runner, Nathan Orbezua-Black, plenty of leeway, according to Baker. By the time Orbezua-Black finished his 800, the Colts weren’t just winning the race—they were dominating it, Baker said.

After anchor leg Seth Dunn touched the tape, he not only blazed around the track two times to help lift the Colts to their first-ever Region 7 title—this team set a school record in the process.

It’s a feat that was never accomplished easily, added Baker, and would never have been accomplished without all of the hard

work from both the boys and girls track teams.

“As a team, we have committed ourselves that no matter the conditions of the workout (weather, terrain, or how we feel); we run the times we set out for ourselves in practice; whatever we fail to reach, we fix it for the next interval,” Baker said.

It was a team victory regardless, added Baker, and it was their resiliency as a group that aligned with the team’s two core rules: Never Give Up and Never Leave a Colt Behind.

The hard work for most of this group began back in August, when they were running top times in cross-country, ranking highly in both Region 7 and in Utah. But the entire varsity boys squad got sick, said the coach, performing poorly at the Region 7 meet in the fall and did not qualify for state.

Again, poor health and minor injuries riddled the lineup for Cottonwood’s boys track team in the spring, said Baker. Finishes for the 4x800 team ranged from a 9:04 one week to an 8:32 the next. Even as the big region meet was approaching, several Colts again fell ill the week before, running it in a time of 8:55.41.

It makes the Colts’ school record time of 8:11.07 all the more impressive, if you ask Baker.

“Few were aware that during this race, three of the team members were once again sick…but still put themselves into the position of success that they had fought so hard for regardless of their situation,” Baker said.

For this team, the season is far from over. The Colts next competed at the 5A state track and field championships at BYU after press time. l

The 4x800 relay team won the region title. (Photo courtesy Jason Baker)

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Thirteen seniors made this season memorable for Cottonwood boys soccer

By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

Cottonwood

[6-9] boys soccer had quite a story to tell this season, but it was a story with an inspirational ending. To start with, they had 13 Colts who saw the first year of their high school careers canceled by COVID.

When Cottonwood head coach Brylee Harvest stood along the sidelines as an assistant to Dominic Militello, life was tough for these young Colts, he said.

“It was definitely hard to deal with the growing pains as we had six sophomores in the starting lineup, but they played an instrumental part in our only win that season [at East], breaking a two-year overall winless streak,” Harvest said.

During their junior year, the Colts honored their 2020 seniors by going 6-2 at home and having the last game ever in those jerseys end with a comeback overtime state playoff win against Timpview.

Harvest admitted that this season, he and the 13 boys-turned-men were disappointed with how the season turned out.

“We had six straight cancellations with the prolonged winter weather and found ourselves with the least amount of Region 7 games played by the halfway point [in April] compared to our counterparts,” said Harvest of his Colts that couldn’t catch a break—either from the injuries that forced many different lineups or the wet weather.

Life lessons

In these seniors’ final chapter, the Colts had just fallen at Timpanogos in the 5A firstround 4-0, hours after battling to a 0-0 stalemate at halftime.

It read like something from a Greek tragedy—except there were 13 faces from eight different countries who stood on the field. Some sat on the sidelines due to injuries they’d just aggravated.

They were Arefa Salih. Guido Rocha. Diego Balza-Lopez. Ashis Tamang. Yusuf Hussein. Jairo Licona-Vera. Ulises Alvarado-Morales. Oscar Serrano-Hernandez. Vesal Azmayandeh. Riyan Bakrim. Ben Barrowes. Talmage Winward. Josh Stettler.

They had just played nine games in three weeks, getting a three-day breather—but only between the conclusion of the regular season and the beginning of the state tournament. It was hardly enough recovery time for the Colts, let alone any other school, but it was the unthinkably bad card they were dealt.

The second-year head coach was proud of his kids regardless of this season’s outcome; you could feel it in the words that he was using though you could tell it stung.

“Some of them came to the U.S. as refugees and didn’t speak a single word of English,” said Harvest, whose Cottonwood team was inexplicably seeded No. 24 and had to travel to Timpanogos for a 5A first-round game. “These kids easily could’ve transferred to more established schools/programs in the area like many kids these days do and espe-

cially many in our boundaries do, but that’s just not in their DNA.

“They wanted to break a paradigm and prove that good things can indeed come from Cottonwood and they did that. These seniors earned everything in their time here and had fun with each other while doing it. I saw these 13 seniors grow most as people during this season than any other season in our time together. Sometimes people can get caught up so much with the destination that they forget the journey. I will never forget how far this group has come and look forward to how much further they will go. It’s been one of the most humbling experiences in my life to get the privilege to coach these kids.”

Looking back

There is of course a silver lining to the fact that the Colts had to jam half of their season into two weeks of play and thus forced their players into a slew of unnecessary injuries.

The Utah High School Athletics and Activities Association only gives out 24 spots in Class 5A—Cottonwood got the last spot.

How or why the Colts got the last No. 24 spot and a guaranteed extra state tournament game after tying No. 4 seed Hillcrest 2-2 and

narrowly losing to their crosstown rival 1-0 in the other contest, is just as baffling to Harvest as it was to Athletic Director Greg Southwick, who lobbied for all Utah schools to be included in this spring’s state tournaments due to the unique weather issues all had encountered.

The insistence of the UHSAA to stay the

course jammed another unnecessary game into an already congested schedule for Cottonwood, who after four games in one week in late April turned around and played another four the first eight days of May.

“While it may not have been the ending I would’ve liked for this 2023 senior class, what

Oscar Serrano-Hernandez takes a free kick as one of the 13 seniors on the team. (City Journals)

Vesal Azmayandeh was one of the 13 seniors on the team. (City Journals)

a ride that was and this is a class that will be remembered at Cottonwood for a very long time,” Harvest said. “Fifteen regular season wins, two playoff wins, broke a two year overall winless streak, broke a four year winless streak at home, six seniors received college scholarship offers, and countless future Colts got inspired from this 2023 class over the years. I’m so excited to see what they will do beyond high school and thank them from the bottom of my heart for their impact that they have had on this program.”

Looking back, the coach said one particular moment, the rematch against Cedar Valley at home on April 21, sticks out most.

“I really like to look at it as a turning point in our season,” said Harvest, who was the first to admit that his team got a bit complacent at times this season after last year’s success. “The first time we played, we lost 4-0 to them and really took several steps backwards in multiple areas. We had a lot of

starters injured heading into that rematch at home forcing us to play a lot of players out of position.

“It was pouring rain that day and we were just about to head into halftime deadlocked but we gave this really stupid goal away with 30 seconds left. I was hard on them in the locker room and got on them for their poor body language and mournful demeanor when it was only 1-0. In the second half, Cedar Valley did not break our half of the field and we scored two goals in the last 15 minutes of the game to get our first come-from-behind win of the season. From that point on, I saw more of that fighting spirit that allowed us to be competitive in every game.” l

Cottonwood girls golf: Junior Ciel

Budge was a force on front nine, but faded late at state

By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

For Cottonwood head coach Greg Southwick, the goal for this Colts girls golf team was to gain more experience at the 5A state tournament, and wait until next year.

“All we’re working on [as a team] is everybody trying to improve their scores with each tournament, measuring it by self-improvement,” said Coach Southwick before the tournament.

The ol’ coach might have said that— but junior Ciel Budge wasn’t having any of it at state.

Budge was that fiery co-captain and guard on the Colts Region 7 champion girls basketball team who could take an elbow to the ribcage one minute and be doing some sort of chicken dance on the sidelines the next, and she didn’t get the memo that Cottonwood’s time was not right now.

In fact, Budge was in contention in the first round after hitting for par on holes No. 3 and No. 8—in a tie for 28th place at just +10.

But, the junior faded along the back

half of the 18-hole course to miss the cut line for the second round of the 5A state tournament at Remuda, with a total score of 92 https://utpgajr.bluegolf.com/ bluegolf/utpgajr23/event/utpgajr2334/ contest/10/contestant/224/scorecard.htm.

Still and all, Budge birdied the 11th hole and hit for par on No. 15 to make a good run at state, and missed the second-round cut by just five strokes.

Her teammate sophomore Hailey Crowell was also in contention on the front nine at +47 and had one of the highlights of the first round at state when she birdied No. 7 at Remuda to sit in a tie for 62nd.

Like Budge though, Crowell faded along the back nine and finished the 5A state tournament with a total score of 97.

For both Colts golfers, they gave it all that they had at state and served notice that they’ll be here barring injury or something else, next year when Cottonwood is moved into 4A in all sports. l

Riyan Bakrim scores a penalty against Hillcrest. He was one of the 13 seniors on the team. (City Journals)

Top left: Senior Ben Barrowes hugs keeper Mazin Qader. Top right: Jairo Licona-Vera dribbles down field as one of the Colts’ 13 seniors. (City Journals)

Wheeler Farm prom brings students together for the first time

Students from Utah Connections Academy put on their best dresses and nicest suits to attend a prom on May 12 at Wheeler Farm (6351 S. 900 East) in Murray. Like other teens their age, they were excited to spend the night dancing and socializing. But unlike other high school students, these youth had never met in person before.

Utah Connections Academy is an online school for kids across the state in grades K-12, so while the students had interacted online, this was their first time meeting faceto-face.

Magna resident Autumn Garris, 19, is a senior at the academy where she has attended for nine years. She helped promote the prom by creating fliers and encouraging classmates to attend. Garris enjoyed getting dressed up to attend her first prom and making in-person connections.

“I don’t do a lot of school and community things so this is my only chance to interact with everyone,” she said. “I’ve never met them. I wanted to meet them. I’m actually extremely grateful. This is a big thing for me. I wanted to have a fun night with people I actually care about.”

For Ava Scow, 18, the school has been a great experience. She said with her ADHD and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, the online

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

academy eliminates distractions, bullying and high school drama. Scow wants to study ballet and education when she attends college and hopes to pursue a career as a professional ballet dancer.

Scow, a senior and Sandy resident, also served on the prom committee. She looked forward to bringing students together in a new way.

“It’s been a blast,” Scow said. “I’ve never met any of these kids before so it’s about making new friends and connections.”

Utah Connections Academy school counselor and prom coordinator Meggan Hansen was happy to have the prom back on the schedule. “With COVID the last two years, we haven’t done prom, so the students were really excited to get together and have that high school experience of prom.”

The academy’s mission is to maximize possibilities for its students who choose not to attend a traditional school. With flexible class schedules, specialized support for those with learning challenges and a supportive environment, Utah Connections Academy fills a void for students who need an alternative to in-person classes.

For more information, visit learn.connectionsacademy.com/utah.l

Students from Utah Connections Academy attend their school prom at Wheeler Farm in Murray. With the academy being an online school, students were able to meet each other for the first time. Back row (from left): Delilah Morrison, Austin Moore, Autumn Gericke, Sarahbeth Moore, Jamie Workman, Cameron Wadey. In front: Sam Abernathy. (Photo courtesy of Utah Connections Academy)

South Salt Lake’s Commonwealth Room opens its doors for Dawes, impressing music fans

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

Hundreds upon hundreds of excited fans arrived at the Commonwealth Room on April 20 to see a Los Angeles-based band with a massive and growing following: Dawes, consisting of bandmates Taylor Goldsmith, Griffin Goldsmith, Wylie Gelber and Lee Pardini. It was an eventful evening in South Salt Lake as the band played and guests enjoyed themselves to music and drinks before the stage.

“I like their music,” said Jimmy Hartman who had been listening to Dawes for the last two years, discovering the band on KRCL radio. “I just like style of music. I’ve never seen them in concert so I’m pretty excited to be here!” A frequent concert goer and a South Salt Lake local, Hartman has seen many bands pass through the valley, especially coming through the Commonwealth Room.

“I think I went to 44 concerts last year. I had season tickets to USANA, so I go to a lot of concerts,” said Hartman, who lives close enough to the venue that he finds an easy commute in simply riding his bike. He smokes a cigarette on the spacious back patio, waiting for one of his favorite bands to commandeer the stage. “We’ll see how they do; I’ve heard they’re really good in concert. I’ve heard they put on a really good show. I’m really excited to see them and listen to them.”

Musical sounds could be heard from the back of the stage, instruments tuning and the checking of sound systems. The Commonwealth Room has been a breeding ground for good music and passionate fans as many locals and newcomers alike embrace the jin-

gle-jangle, euphonious vibrations of sound to come together and enjoy what mostly everyone has a common interest in. A communal interest that bands understand and return to.

“I think a lot of bands come back to Salt Lake City because they sell out shows,” said Hartman. “Musicians like Isbell, Brandy Carlile—bands like that; they come back here even though there’s really nothing to do in the city. They come back because they sell out shows and that’s a huge selling point for bands, and that’s the difference between here and the State Room is this place holds twice as many people as the State Room does, and a lot of the times when they sell out the State they move it here so they can open the capacity up.”

“I really like this venue—I like the sound system in here. I think the sound system is really good. I think they have really good acoustics in this building,” said Hartman, still waiting for the band to come up to the stage. “They do what they want, and that’s what I like about bands like Dawes. They’re here because they love the music and they’re here to entertain.”

Waiting patiently, enjoying a beer, before Dawes steps onto the platform to compose their oeuvre is Josh Scheuerman, a local photographer and mural artist. “I’ve seen Dawes before, but also with Middle Brother and other bands. He’s [Taylor Goldsmith] a great singer- songwriter. I saw Lucero here [Commonwealth Room] last week, and Lucero is kind of in the same alternative country but like in the same vein as Wilco and Uncle Tupelo or bands I grew up on. They’re

still like carrying on the tradition in their own right but also in their own genre, so I’m a fan,” Scheuerman said.

“I’m also a liaison for the mural fest, so I’m a mural artist full-time who takes pictures on the side,” said Scheuerman, who has been a frequent listener of Dawes for roughly eight years. “A friend suggested them off their first album, and when they did a collab with the other bands, bands that I was familiar with, and it was then I became more of a fan. They’ve grown into their own field. They’re not beholden to anyone.”

“Utah has the youngest demographic in the entire country because there’s so many families with young kids here. So, we have the most youth here in the country so that is why shows sell out here because there are so many people here who are hungry for something but also willing to go out and see concerts,” Scheuerman said.

There were no opening or closing bands—it was solely Dawes, who was greeted with thunderous applause. One surprise was when Utah local Brandon Flowers showed up on the stage to play beside Dawes, which had the crowd enraptured.

Another attendee, South Salt Lake local Megan Meservy, who is part of a band herself—a collective Americana band called Chapter 38—came by to see a band she admires. “So, we’re here to see Dawes because I told my band, ‘We got to sing their song!’ It’s called ‘When My Time Comes’ and the reason I know this song is because my ex-boyfriend—bless his heart—and his best

friend…who later died…he was a heroin addict and he died in the vestibule of this bar we used to go to and every night they would go over and sing this song, ‘When My Time Comes’ and it’s their best song. Dawes is amazing,” Meservy said.

Meservy shows a video of her late friend singing “When My Time Comes” at an open mic performance from years back. “And then we did that song as a band,” Meservy said. “I love that they’re about heart. Tonight, I have seen all of my favorite local artists here at the Dawes show, coming here to see Dawes. They have good, solid lyrics—just good. They’re amazing.” l

The band Dawes stops in South Salt Lake on their 2023-24 tour, playing under the bright lights for their fans. (Jesse M. Gonzalez/City Journals)

The band Dawes resumes the show for their second and final set of the night. (Jesse M. Gonzalez/City Journals)

Dawes’ front man Taylor Goldsmith introduces his friend and idol Brandon Flowers from famed rock band The Killers, onto the stage for a surprise performance. (Jesse M. Gonzalez/City Journals)

Who loves getting their property tax statement each year? Yeah, me neither. In addition to fighting to keep your taxes low, I am also looking for more efficient ways to use the dollars we are given. But I often think about those who are on fixed incomes or who are struggling to make ends meet. When these people receive their property tax statement, it can be overwhelming. The Salt Lake County Council wants to ensure everyone receives information about potential property tax relief and has taken measures to better inform you.

Each July the Salt Lake County Auditor sends a Notice of Valuation to Salt Lake County property owners that includes information about the current assessed value of your home or business. This year you may notice new information that is included with this statement regarding tax relief programs for eligible residents.

In order to increase public awareness and recognize that eligible taxpayers would likely benefit from receiving earlier notice about these programs, the Salt Lake County Council recently approved funding to include an informational Tax Relief card with the annual Notice of Valuation statement. The hope is this notification will provide taxpayers enough notice to meet the Sept. 1 application deadline for these programs.

If you own and occupy a home or mobile home you may be eligible for property tax relief or deferment. A quick overview of the

Property Tax Relief

Aimee Winder Newton Salt Lake County Councilwoman| District 3

following eligibility screening may help see if you meet the initial requirements. Additional requirement for each specific program could apply:

• Age 66 or widowed with annual household income not exceeding $38,369. This amount includes social security, retirement plan distributions, etc.

• Age 65 or disabled with annual household income and assets not exceeding $38,369.

• Any age in extreme hardship with annual household income and assets not exceeding $38,369.

• Veteran or their surviving spouse with a service connected disability or long-term active duty outside of Utah.

• Person legally blind in both eyes or their surviving spouse.

• Age 75 prior to Jan. 1, 2024 and meet certain property valuation criteria.

The county treasurer is responsible for collecting taxes for over 70 different entities,

not just Salt Lake County. That means that your city/township, school district, water districts, and other entities show up on your property tax statement. Once we receive the tax funds, we distribute it to the different taxing entities.

The Salt Lake County Assessor oversees the assessment of your property value. Once your value is assessed, then the tax rate is applied to that amount. If you think your assessed value is incorrect, you can appeal it between Aug. 1 – Sept. 15. Just go to slco.org/tax-administration/how-to-file-an-appeal to see instructions.

For frequently asked questions and additional details regarding your Notice of Valuation statement please visit slco.org/property-tax/notice-of-valuation/

For additional information regarding tax relief programs in Salt Lake County please visit slco.org/treasurer/tax-relief/ or call 385-4688300.

I’m grateful we can give relief to those who need it, but I also firmly believe that the best way we can help all residents is to trim our budgets and then be as efficient as possible with the dollars we are given.

—David

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

—Anna D

“ The technician was prompt, worked quickly, and was very professional. They provided outstanding same day service.”

C

People say they wish they’d had their grandkids first, but you can’t appreciate the ease of grandchildren without first swimming through the shark-infested sewer that is parenthood. The sleepless nights, the face-wrinkling worry and the gut-clenching idea that you’ve messed your kids up forever is all forgotten when you become a grandparent.

Most Wednesdays, my four youngest grandkids come over after school to play games, make crafts, eat Popsicles and cause random chaos. At 11, 7, 6 and 2, they’re young enough to still find me entertaining, but they also expect me to die at any moment because, at 54, I’m unbelievably old.

The 7- and 6-year-old granddaughters team up immediately, take their usual blood oath (“I solemnly swear that I am up to no good”), then disappear for a while.

My 11-year-old grandson tries to teach me his newest Kung Fu moves while the 2-year-old crawls out the doggie door into the backyard.

As I practice my jabs and leg sweeps, and corral the 2yo back into the house, the 6yo and 7yo discuss how to creep into the attic through an opening in the pantry ceiling. They opt for Plan A which has them scaling pantry shelves to get into the crawl space. When I foil that idea, it’s back to the drawing board.

A second chance

Peri Kinder Life and Laughter

Now, the 2yo is missing. I send the girls to look outside and the grandson to hunt downstairs. Earlier, I’d closed my office door so she couldn’t get in, but I find her hiding under my desk, happily listening to us search for her.

While the 11yo beats me at Rack-O, I see the two girls mosey into the garage for Plan B. They look suspicious, so I follow and listen to them figure out how to carry the ladder into the pantry.

“Nope,” I say, as they jump 20 feet into the air.

“We’re just getting Popsicles,” one of them says. They scurry to the freezer and make a big show of picking out the perfect Popsicle before going back inside to resume planning.

The 2yo is missing. After a brief search, I find her sitting behind the recliner, eating Milk-Bones with our dog Jedi.

While the 11-year-old wins Yahtzee for

the third time in a row, I notice the two girls whispering on the couch. They’re on to Plan C: looking for materials to build a ladder since I foiled their earlier strategies. I get out the paints, rubber stamps and crayons and distract them with a craft project.

The 2yo is missing. I find her in the backyard, throwing Jedi’s balls down the window well. Jedi stares down at her favorite ball and looks at me like, “I guess you’re climbing into that spider-infested hole to get my squeaky ball.”

I gather everyone for dinner (only the 11yo eats) before realizing the 2yo is missing. I don’t have to look far. She’s in the hall, coloring the wall with a purple crayon. About this time, my husband gets home from

work to find me washing crayon off the wall.

“Why weren’t you watching her?” he asks, like I’d encouraged the toddler to create a lavender mural in the hall. I respond by pouring a tablespoon of antifreeze in his Diet Coke.

Although my Wednesday nights are a bit scattered, I’m in no rush for these kids to get older. I’ve learned how fast children grow up and I don’t want to waste a single minute with them. Even better, these evenings are a lifeline to my daughters who are swimming that shark-infested sewer of parenthood.