Sugar House Journal April 2017 by The City Journals

APRIL 2017 | Vol. 3 Iss. 04

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UNIFIED EFFORT,

fundraiser keeps art program alive at Highland Park By Travis Barton | travis@mycityjournals.com

Kesle Keele bids during the silent auction as people look through the options. All funds raised during the arts night event goes directly to the school’s arts programs. (Travis Barton/City Journals)

demographic comes out and participates. Kids, parents, grandparents. It’s a family affair so it’s exciting.” Keele not only won two salon gift cards in the silent auction, but her sons won two theme baskets. Prior to the basket raffle, Keele had jokingly talked about how some family will have two members win leading to incredulous reactions from the crowd. This year’s family turned out to be hers. Kerr has coordinated the event for seven of the 12 years now. Prior to her involvement, the night typically raised around $18,000. In 2016, it raised $35,000. At press deadline, the final tally raised this year had yet to be finalized. “What amazes me year after and year, and this year even more, is how much the community gets involved and comes together and supports our school,” Kerr said. And the annual event started as a garage sale

Local Postal Customer ECRWSS Scan Here: Interactive online edition with more photos.

13 years ago. Parent volunteer Nancy Meidell said a few parents learned there were plans to cut programs at the school so they banded together for a garage sale. The following year they did an arts night with a silent auction. “It was really great and successful but my kids were really bored,” Meidell said. “When kids come to a fair, they want to go home with something. I wanted to come up with inexpensive enough activities that it was affordable and kids went home with something in their pocket.” It’s been ﬁve years since Meidell had any children attending Highland Park, but she keeps coming back every year. “I want to be a participating person in my community, not because I just have kids here, but because I’m a member of the community. I want to keep it going,” she said. Meidell added she originally planned to live here a year and that was 30 years ago. It is a uniﬁed effort to support and keep

INSIDE

labyrinth of energy awaited those who attended the Highland Park Elementary 12th annual Arts Night fundraiser on March 17. Hundreds attended an event that raises thousands of dollars each year for the school’s arts programs. “I never could’ve imagined something like this,” said Principal Debora Cluff in her second year at the school. The night’s events included food, a Chick-Fil-A tent, a bake sale and craft tables associated with subjects like science, visual arts and music. Kids could make stamps with fruit and vegetables, straw rockets, harmonicas with Popsicle sticks or emoji magnets. Main attractions included the silent auction with artistic items made by each classroom— hand prints making up the American ﬂag or a jigsaw puzzle of the country. It also had plenty of community donated options such as tickets to theatres around the valley, restaurant and salon gift cards, headphones and portrait photography from a Riverton-based company. “Everything is bigger, everything is better and it’s all because of what the community brings in. The silent auction blows my mind, it’s local businesses, 300-plus donations that are amazing,” said event coordinator and parent volunteer Sonal Kerr. She bid on different items herself, most importantly her sons’ classroom items. “Everybody comes and has fun. There’s a little bit of something for everyone,” said Kerr, who has two kids at Highland Park. “It’s a fundraiser so we want to make money, but we also wanted it to be for everyone, you don’t have to have money to come and that was really important to us.” The night also saw each grade perform musical numbers and culminated in a rafﬂe where kids could win a themed basket made by each class. Themes included Star Wars, sports, summer, Nerf and BBQ grilling. “It’s a fun experience to have the whole community take part,” said Kesle Keele, whose been coming the past four years. “Every

the arts at Highland Park. Funds from the event are used for the music teacher, Tanner Dance program from the University of Utah, the visual art teacher and art supplies among other things. Cluff said it funded an opera put on by the school, but maybe most importantly, it helps the kids moving forward. The arts are integrated into the core curriculum which sees students dance and sing about whatever they’re learning. Fifth-graders learn the preamble to the nation’s constitution through song and dance. Fourth-graders learn about Utah studies in the same way. Students learn geography by dancing as a mountain or a river. Meidell said not everyone may be a visual or audio learner, but the different arts allow each student to learn at their pace. “It gives everyone the opportunity to learn differently and excel at their own level,” she said. Using the arts to teach the core curriculum is the most important thing. Kerr said it will help students “succeed as they move onto junior high, high school and college.” In a time when parents are afraid of their arts programs being cut, just as they were concerned 13 years ago, Highland Park Arts Night is trying to make sure it doesn’t happen there. “I think arts are as important as math or science or language arts. It inspires kids,” Keele said. 

The sixth grade performs a musical number at Highland Park Elementary on the school’s annual Arts Night. (Travis Barton/City Journals)

Children with rare disease enjoy Jazz game. . . . . Community council welcomes three new members. Building bridges with refugees . . . . . . . . . . . . National signing day for Highland’s Brady Reed . .

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LOCAL LIFE

PAGE 2 | APRIL 2017

SUGAR HOUSE JOURNAL

New bathrooms unveiled at Boys & Girls Club By Natalie Mollinet | natalie@mycityjournals.com The Sugar House City Journal is a monthly publication distributed directly to residents via the USPS as well as locations throughout Sugar House. For information about distribution please email circulation@mycityjournals. com or call our ofﬁces. Rack locations are also available on our website. For subscriptions please contact: circulation@mycityjournals.com The views and opinions expressed in display advertisements do not necessarily reﬂect or represent the views and opinions held by Loyal Perch Media or the City Journals. This publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the owner.

The Sugar House Team CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Bryan Scott bryan@mycityjournals.com EDITOR: Travis Barton travis@mycityjournals.com ADVERTISING: 801-254-5974 DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING: Ryan Casper ryan.casper@mycityjournals.com 801-671-2034 SALES ASSOCIATES: Melissa Worthen melissa@mycityjournals.com 801-897-5231 Steve Hession steve@mycityjournals.com 801-433-8051 Josh Ragsdale Josh.R@MyCityJournals.com 801-824-9854 CIRCULATION COORDINATOR: Brad Casper circulation@mycityjournals.com EDITORIAL & AD DESIGN: Tina Falk Ty Gorton Sugar House City Journal 9500 South 500 West, Suite 205 Sandy, UT 84070 Phone: 801 254 5974

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n March, The Boys & Girls Club in Sugar House received a $50,000 grant from Lowes as a part of the Renovation Across the Nation initiative. The club knew exactly what they wanted to do with that money—renovate the old bathrooms. The club in Sugar House takes in hundreds of kids at a time after school, and with those numbers growing, the need for bigger and nicer bathrooms was needed. “The kids are super excited, anything new is fun for kids and they’re excited to have something new and sparkly,” Amanda Ree Hughes, the director of development at the Boys & Girls Club said. “As a team we are excited to have clean and safe bathrooms. We want kids to have the best experience when they get here and want them to feel proud about their building including the bathrooms.” The Sugar House Boys & Girls Club location was one of the 50 clubs picked from around the country to receive the grant, and with the help of Lowes staff members, the bathrooms were complete and ready to unveil March 1. The Lowes’ team was more than happy to help with some of its own staff having been a part of the Boys & Girls Club community growing up. Lissa Gallego, the downtown manager at Lowes, said that she had around 10 members on the staff team that were more than willing to help because of their connection to the Boys & Girls Club, even if it wasn’t at the Sugar House location. None of the children were involved in building or the demolition of the bathrooms, but were more than curious as to what was going on. Gallego said that some would just watch and observe and many of the younger children had questions and wanted to know what they were doing. She said it was a lot of fun answering their questions and seeing their curiosity. “I hope they learned that their community cares about them,” Hughes said, “and that they

The kids were very excited to get their new bathrooms thanks to the Lowes team. (Natalie Molliinet\City Journals).

are important and people want to help them, and they see people doing good things for them that they’ll want to help too.” Lowes has been a big supporter of the Boys & Girls Club for 50 years and is always pushing to help the communities around them. One of their main focuses is to help schoolaged kids in grades K-12 with their education and community improvements. “We were really excited,” Hughes said about their selection in getting the renovations done. “We had to apply for what kind of project we were in need of, and this bathroom project has been on our wish list for years.” Hughes said not only do they have the Boys & Girls Club kids using the bathrooms,

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but the community also uses the building for Jr. Jazz and other sporting events. They said they wouldn’t have been able to do it without help from Lowes. The Boys & Girls Club has been part of Sugar House for many years and is currently celebrating their 50th year in the neighborhood. For them it was a perfect 50th anniversary gift not only for the staff but for the kids as well, and they hope to be a part of the community for more years to come. “We appreciate being in the Sugar House community,” Hughes said, “We’ve been serving here and we’re excited to be here for another 50.” 

APRIL 2017 | PAGE 3

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LOCAL LIFE

PAGE 4 | APRIL 2017

SUGAR HOUSE JOURNAL

Children with rare diseases enjoy Utah Jazz game By Natalie Mollinet | natalie@mycityjournals.com

he Utah Jazz have always worked on community involvement so it’s no surprise when they invited 30 children who have rare and undiagnosed diseases to help them out at their March 3 game. The Brown family of Sugar House has four children, three of whom have rare and undiagnosed diseases. Their 4-year-old son Oliver, who has a rare disease called prune belly syndrome, got the chance to stand with the Jazz as the national anthem was sung. “Oliver was so excited to be able to go to the Jazz game and spend time with dad,” Melanie Brown, Oliver’s mom said. “He enjoyed doing a ‘normal’ activity.” Prune belly syndrome is a rare genetic birth defect that affects about 1 in 40,000 births and of those babies, 97 percent are male. The syndrome is a congenital disorder of the urinary system that gets its name from a mass or wrinkled skin that is often present on the abdomen. “We have met with a couple of families with children with prune belly syndrome through social media,” Brown said. “Social media has been a lifesaver for me trying to connect to others who know what our journey is like.” Brown’s children also include 7-month-old

Children with rare and undiagnosed diseases got the chance to stand with the Utah Jazz during the national anthem. (Paul Asay/RUN).

Rachel, who has a rare disease called imperforate anus and their other son, Christopher, 2, who has an undiagnosed genetic syndrome and an undiagnosed metabolic syndrome. During the 2014-2015 NBA season, Gina Szajnuk, wife of Justin Zanik, the former assistant GM for the Utah Jazz, approached the Jazz to see if they were interested in honoring

children with rare and undiagnosed diseases during a NBA game. “I had a dream to have 30 kids on the court for the national anthem when I attended my very ﬁrst NBA Utah Jazz game,” Szajnuk said. “The Miller family and the Utah Jazz organization made my dream come true in 2015, 2016 and now 2017.” Szajnuk has three children of

her own who have undiagnosed diseases and she herself has one as well. Since then, ﬁve more NBA teams have joined RUN (Rare and Undiagnosed Network) including the Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, Milwaukee Bucks, Sacramento Kings and Washington Wizards. “My dream now is to eventually have all 30 NBA teams honor the rare and undiagnosed community,” Szajnuk said. “I’m grateful that the Utah Jazz chose to participate and help bring awareness to those with rare or undiagnosed conditions and diseases,” Brown said. “Oliver likes being treated as a regular kid, and what kid doesn’t want to enjoy a Jazz game with their dad?” Brown said that Oliver doesn’t know that he’s different from other kids. All he knows is that he has a special belly and that he needs to be careful that it doesn’t get hurt. The family hopes to be able to attend the national convention this year in Dallas where they can meet other families who have children with prune belly syndrome. “I am so grateful that my kids can have these opportunities,” Brown said. “It warms my heart to know that others would donate their time and tickets to allow us to be there.” For more on RUN, visit https:// rareundiagnosed.org. 

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LOCAL LIFE

M YSUGAR H OUSE JOURNAL.COM

APRIL 2017 | PAGE 5

Local artist makes instruments heard around the world By Natalie Mollinet | natalie@mycityjournals.com

rom a block of wood, John Paul Lucas creates violins, violas and occasionally a cello. Lucas or JP, as he is known to friends and clients, has been mastering his instrument-making skills since high school and has become one of the top in his field. Lucas grew up in Michigan where he was surrounded by the tools to build instruments thanks to his father’s love for classical music and wood work. At a young age, Lucas said he had a love for building and even at the age of 6, loved to build model airplanes. “I grew up in a creative family,” Lucas said, “and my dad had a love for wood working and I had access to his tools and machinery.” Lucas said that his father was an avid lover of classical music, and even though his father’s profession wasn’t in wood working, he was able to watch and work with him. He made his first violin at age 13 after spending his entire ninth-grade summer building it with the help of a book and from hanging around a violin maker in the area. “Throughout high school I was entering wood working competitions, building grandfather clocks, canoes and all kind of interesting things and always did well in competitions,” Lucas said. After building seven instruments during high school, and entering his other wooden crafts into competitions, Lucas found himself at a crossroads wondering if he should go into aeronautical engineering or violin making. His love for flying model airplanes was pulling at his heart strings, but in the end, he decided what he wanted to do was make string instruments. In 1987, Lucas applied for The Violin Making School of America, a world-renowned school in Salt Lake City. He was

John “JP” Lucas has been building violins since he was 13. (Natalie Mollinet/City Journals).

accepted and from there began his journey which would soon became a lifelong career. Even after graduating from the school, he became an instructor at the school, helping other students reach their goal of becoming professional violin makers. Today, Lucas’s violins, violas and cellos are made for performance majors, professionals as well as prestigious musicians around the world. One local cellist who beneﬁts from Lucas’s work is Steven Sharp Nelson, the cellist from The Piano Guys. Not only has Lucas made a cello for Nelson, but also a violin for Nelson’s wife

who has performed on stage with her husband. Lucas has already made one cello for Nelson, and has been commissioned to make another. Lucas said that many musicians say that playing his handmade instruments reminds them of driving a sports car. “It’s fantastic, one of the greatest compliments and greatest joys,” Lucas said, “because you’re an artist and now a top artist is using something you have created to build their careers. There’s times that they will say ‘you know, we’ve been looking for years for an instrument and yours matches with me. You just nailed it.’” Lucas said he is busy year round making violins and cellos for professionals and student performers looking for a right fit. All his business is done by word-of-mouth. He doesn’t run a website or make instruments in bulk, all his violins and cellos are made for the unique artist that will be playing them. “It takes years and years of hands-on experience and refining to get the consistency, and if there’s one thing to being a great violin maker, it’s consistency,” Lucas said. Even with over 30 years of violin making experience, Lucas still finds his time to do other things he loves including building and flying giant-scale radio controlled model aircrafts, riding his motorcycle, and hiking and backcountry skiing. Lucas said it took him a whole summer to make his first violin, and now it takes him around 120 hours to make one. He’s become one of the masters in his field and said he’ll continue to make musicial instruments until the day he dies. “We have several world-class violin makers here in Salt Lake City, which I respect highly,” Lucas said. “I enjoy the competition, it elevates the entire field, it inspires you and propels you. Violin making, in a sense, has been like my vehicle in life.” 

LOCAL LIFE

PAGE 6 | APRIL 2017

Carpe Di End

Gain peace of mind knowing everything is taken care of your way.

Faces and Places: April Edition By Natalie Mollinet | natalie@mycityjournals.com

PLACES

Crown Cleaning and Dyeing Company Building: Built in 1925, the building at 1987 South and 1100 East once stood as the Crown Cleaning and Dyeing Company, a locally owned business. In 2003, the building was added to the National Register as one of the six historic Sugar House sites. The building has been changed over the years but still stands as a representation of what Sugar House was and still is—an ideal place to have a business. Today it’s home to a furniture store called Details that sells home furnishings.

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The Genevieve & Alexander Curtis House: The Genevieve & Alexander Curtis House was built in 1921 by Alexander Curtis and sits at 1119 East and Westminster Avenue. The house was built for the Curtis family and then, between 1921 and 1951, divided into apartments. During those years, Genevieve and Alexander Curtis, who were inﬂuential people in the Salt Lake City community, lived in the home. Genevieve Curtis was the ﬁrst woman to serve on the Salt Lake City School District Board of Education and was a member of the PTA and other teacher organizations. She raised 11 children and was named Utah Mother of the Year in 1957. Her husband, Alexander Robertson Curtis, owned Curtis Coal Company and started the company with only a borrowed horse and secondhand wagon. He later became one of the most prominent businessman in Sugar House and helped in development of the area. The home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Utah.

FACES What’s your favorite place in the world and why?

Paige Tanner: Yellowstone National Park. Geysers, mud pots, bison, elk and bald eagles. There is no place with so much geothermal activity. I am a science nerd. I also worked there one season and met so many amazing people.

Ricky Carlson: Agnes Waters/Town of 1700 in Queensland, Australia. Nowhere else comes close. You can camp out for $7 a night in a thick subtropical rainforest only a 5-minute walk from the most beautiful beach I’ve ever been to. There are beaches and coves stretching for 20 miles up the coast, and the main beachhead is 6 straight miles of sand so clean it literally squeaks under your feet. There’s hikes and surﬁng and day cruises to the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef. And best of all, despite being a big tourist spot the local towns aren’t big enough to support a huge population so it’s never too crowded if you go in June/July, the Aussies think it’s too cold to swim so you basically get this little slice of heaven to yourself.

Lisa Morrise: My house, with my dog and my kids. Sometimes, but not always in that order. 

GOVERNMENT

M YSUGAR H OUSE JOURNAL.COM

APRIL 2017 | PAGE 7

Community council welcomes three new members By Kelly Cannon | kelly@mycityjournals.com

here are three new trustees of the Sugar House Community Council. The new members were approved during the March 1 meeting. All three members are from the Nibley Park area near or on Simpson Avenue. “I’ve been on the community council for close to eight years and we’ve never had representation from Nibley (Park),” said Trustee Sally Barraclough in introducing the new trustees. “This is going to be really terriﬁc.” New Trustee Dayna McKee has lived in her home off Green Street and Simpson Avenue for the past 13 years. McKee referenced the announcement of a homeless shelter being built on Simpson Avenue as being the reason she wanted to get involved in her community. The site plans have since been removed. “I was able to make really good friends with my neighbors through that and we’ve really been building a sense of community,” McKee said. “I think we have some skills that hopefully we can contribute to the council and use those skills to help the entire neighborhood in whatever way is possible.” One of the other new trustees was Shane

Chris Sveiven introduces himself to the Sugar House Community Council. Sveiven was one of three new trustees added to the council. (Kelly Cannon/City Journals)

Stroud who has lived in the neighborhood for a little over a year. Stroud said he also believed people have only gotten involved in the neighborhood after the homeless shelter was announced. “But one of the greatest beneﬁts of that

was to come to one of these meetings and see how involved everyone is,” Stroud said. “That’s really inspiring and that’s why I wanted to join the council. I think I have great neighbors and I think I want to be involved a little bit more.” The third of the new trustees was Chris

Sveiven who has lived in Sugar House for the past two years, both on Main Street and Simpson Avenue. “I’m fairly new to Utah but I absolutely love Sugar House. I feel we have a good team in our neighborhood,” Sveiven said. “It’s not really neighbors but friends and neighbors. I’m really looking to get involved and stay involved.” Svieven said with all the “craziness” that happened regarding the announced homeless shelter in Sugar House, he felt it was important for the neighborhood to have some representation. “I’m excited and I’m really excited to take a more active role in the community in this great Sugar House area,” Svieven said. Each of the new trustees will serve until April 2020 when their term expires. They can either re-enlist or allow someone else to take their spot. Contact information for the three new trustees and all trustees can be found at https:// sugarhousecouncil.org. 

PAGE 8 | APRIL 2017

GOVERNMENT

SUGAR HOUSE JOURNAL

Councilwoman Adams praises community after homeless shelter plan removed By Kelly Cannon | kelly@mycityjournals.com

alt Lake City Councilwoman Lisa Adams praised the Sugar House community for its diligence and work in helping to revoke a plan for a homeless shelter on Simpson Avenue. Adams spoke to the Sugar House Community Council during its monthly meeting on March 1 at Sprague Library. “I kept telling the Simpson (Avenue) neighbors that I wasn’t going to give up hope that things could change,” Adams said. Simpson Avenue was one of four locations chosen by Salt Lake City as a future site for a homeless shelter. This resulted in an uproar from neighbors in Sugar House. Salt Lake ofﬁcials announced on Feb. 28 they were backing out of the Sugar House site, citing the expense. Adams praised the Sugar House community for its involvement and its candor in opposing the homeless shelter. “I want to say that I don’t care what anyone else says. I feel like this community raised their voices. I would say they raised their voices 98 percent of the time respectfully. There were people who were great who said, ‘We will embrace this if it comes,’” Adams said “I really appreciated that side of it. There were also people who said ‘We don’t want it and here are the reasons why,’ and they were really sound reasons.”

Salt Lake City Councilwoman Lisa Adams addresses the Sugar House Community Council about the recent announcement that there will be no homeless shelter in Sugar House. (Kelly Cannon/City Journals)

Adams felt those who opposed the homeless shelter did so not out of feelings of “not in my back yard” but were driven by facts and provable reasons. “I really feel like it made a huge difference to have members of the community identify what the problems were with this decision and make the case. I think that at the end of the day, the facts won,” Adams said. “There really

wasn’t justiﬁcation for a shelter on Simpson (Avenue) and if it wasn’t going to be a family shelter, there was no way there was going to be support for it from anybody as far I know.” Adams also praised the members of her district for their politeness and respectfulness during debates and arguments about the homeless shelter plans. “I commend all of you for that. I also

appreciated that there were people who said, ‘I’m not happy about this but tell me about how I can make it work,’” Adams said. “I think that demonstrates that we have a pretty amazing community.” Moving forward this year, Adams said the Salt Lake City Council has identified priorities for the year. She said they renewed the two things that were also a focus last year. “First one was housing, having affordable housing and working towards that,” Adams said. “The second was dealing with the homeless issue and if you’ve delved into it at all, you know how complex it is and you know there isn’t just one, easy, straight fix for anybody. There are a lot of parts to this.” The other priority for the council will be streets and infrastructure. Entitled “Sidewalk to Sidewalk,” the council is working on figuring out a way to fund street repair so the city isn’t relying on the “crumbs” of capital improvement projects. “If that’s the way we do it, our streets will deteriorate and deteriorate and then they’ll do a little duct tape job and it’s not working,” Adams said. “We’ve delving into looking at bonding and different ways to have our streets in the kind of condition they need to be.” 

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GOVERNMENT

M YSUGAR H OUSE JOURNAL.COM

APRIL 2017 | PAGE 9

Developer discusses plans for old Shopko site By Kelly Cannon | kelly@mycityjournals.com

esidents can expect changes to the old Shopko location to happen soon. Developer Mark Isaac spoke with the Sugar House Community Council about what he plans to do to the abandoned store, located at 2290 S. 1300 East. The brief discussion took place during the council’s March meeting on March 1. “We own the nine and a half acre “Shopko” block,” Isaac said. “I was turned over the keys. They have now vacated the premise.” Isaac, who is the owners’ representative with Westport Capital Partners, said they submitted a demolition packet and demolition plan to Salt Lake City in March. “Obviously, it will take them a long time to process that but the plan is to demolish the Shopko in April. Obviously, we have a lot of site planning to do, a lot of work with you folks for approvals and we’ll obviously go through those steps,” Isaac said. “I don’t want vacant buildings and difficulties that we’ve had in Sugar House on the Granite Furniture block.” Isaac said he has had renderings and models made up of what he plans to do with the site but were unable to shown them due to some disagreements with adjacent neighbors who own the other half of the shopping center. “Anyway, just so you know, we’re working really hard to show you a lot and I think April will be a very valuable meeting for us to present what we think our plan is,” Isaac said. Isaac’s plan is to have two office buildings and a multifamily project. Isaac said he’d prefer it if there wasn’t multifamily in the site but it was the only way to get the 30 feet height in the office building since a similar trade is required by zoning

Salt Lake City Councilwoman Lisa Adams addresses the Sugar House Community Council about the recent announcement that there will be no homeless shelter in Sugar House. (Kelly Cannon/City Journals)

regulations. “We’re meeting zoning conditions,” Isaac said. “Everything we’re doing is within the confines of the central office zoning.” Isaac acknowledge it’s difficult to work as a developer in the city where he lives but he’s trying to accommodate the council and the neighbors. “We’re very cognoscente of how much you guys care about this place. I do too,” he said. “In April, I’m going to come in with

streetscapes and art.” The art in question will include a mural painted on the large wall on the back of the PayLess building that will be exposed once the Shopko building is torn down. “We’re programming art and architecture to beautify that entire area,” Isaac said. Sugar House Community Council Secretary Sally Barraclough asked Isaac if his plans fall within the zoning regulations for commercial areas or if he is going to ask the planning commission for any variances. Isaac said not only are they not going to ask for any variances, they going to go the opposite way. “We’re going to provide things that we think the community will support and appreciate that aren’t required. I could put a street and two sidewalks and just open asphalt and everyone in this room knows it will become a raceway. It isn’t going to be pedestrian friendly. It isn’t going to be bike friendly. And the one thing we don’t have in that block of Sugar House is pedestrian connectivity,” Isaac said. “Our idea is if it’s a nice ofﬁce environment, it has to be pedestrian safe. So, we’re looking at doing much more than is required.” Some members of the audience were concerned Isaac had already submitted plans for demolition to Salt Lake City before discussing it with the community council. Isaac said his whole purpose of being there was to let them know he was submitting the plans. “You’ll have ample time to see our plans before someone at the city lets me do anything. It takes a long time to get anything through that city,” he said. “So if I don’t submit things now, I’ll be building in the winter.” 

EDUCATION

PAGE 10 | APRIL 2017

SUGAR HOUSE JOURNAL

Valentine’s Day hearts take on new meaning By Natalie Mollinet | natalie@mycityjournals.com

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Pulley’s class ﬂash the U sign after the U’s basketball team help them with exercises. (Teacher/Amber Pulley).

hen people see a heart shape, they typically think of love, especially on Valentine’s Day. However, for Amber Pulley’s fifth-grade class, the heart not only symbolized love but life. With the help of the University of Utah’s women’s basketball team, the American Heart Association and some service projects, her class learned more about real hearts—and on the perfect, heart-filled day, February 14. To start the day, half of the class came in early to surprise their first-grade buddies with paper hearts (Heart Attacking) taped all over their computer labs and office doors. They left notes expressing their gratitude for the staff at Highland Park Elementary and their little buddies. “They enjoyed making the hearts with specific notes of appreciation to our secretarial staff,” Pulley said. “They loved sneaking around the hallway before school to do an act of service.” “Coming to school early and heart attacking was so fun,” Kaas Bloxham, one of Pulley’s students, said, “It was fun to see their reaction and see how excited the front office got after reading our cards.” After spreading love around the school, the students got to learn more about their actual hearts. Sarah Roundy with the American Heart Association talked with the students about how to keep their hearts healthy with good food and learning how to make those healthy choices daily. “The students read nutrition labels and learned how to take their heart rate,” Pulley said. According to the American Heart Association, when students learn good habits— exercising portion control, eating a balanced, healthy diet, and being aware of food labels— they perform better in school and on top of that they have better attendance and behave better.

After learning heart-healthy habits, it was time to learn what that food turns into: energy. The University of Utah’s women’s basketball team ran basketball drills with dribbling and shooting with them outside on the playground and taught them about good cardio for their hearts. Later the group went back inside to ask the team some questions about their health and the importance of education. “The players love the opportunity to come and work out with the kids and show them some basketball skills,” Pulley said. Pulley said that the players explained to the students how keeping up good grades is a big part of being on a team. Athletes in college and high school all needs to keep up their GPAs to maintain their positions on the team. “The kids were so excited when we got there and they were so energetic and excited to participate, which made it a lot of fun,” Malia Nawahine, a shooting guard for the U women’s basketball team, said. “It was fun do to some easy things and hard things on the court,” Dylan Johnson, another student of Pulley’s, said. “It was fun to have them work with us.” After students learned to take care of their physical hearts it was time for them to grow their hearts by doing acts of service. After they spread their love around the school, they did so at home. The students spent their last hours at school typing up thoughtful Valentine letters to their parents, expressing their love and ﬁnally exchanging their own Valentines to their classmates. “I’ve always like the idea of teaching the importance of the heart and all the way to make your heart healthy,” Pulley said, “and to include service opportunities, nutrition and exercise in the curriculum.” 

EDUCATION

M YSUGAR H OUSE JOURNAL.COM

APRIL 2017 | PAGE 11

Parents work to build bridges with students and refugees

Beverly Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program keeps art in schools

By Natalie Mollinet | natalie@mycityjournals.com

By Aspen Perry | a.perry@mycityjournals.com

Lisa McConkie and two of her kids help out with reading in Elaine Toronto’s ESL class. (Elaine Toronto/ESL Teacher).

oving into a new country can be an experience ﬁlled with both anxiety and curiosity. At Highland High, parents have started to reach out along with their students to the refugees at Highland High in the ESL classes, whether it’s through reading, tutoring or just playing games to build connections between students. “We’re a group of four moms who got together and knew there was possibly a need,” Mindi Rich, a mother of two Highland students said. “We really wanted to involve our kids and connect them more with people and kids that they wouldn’t normally connect with.” Rich said she decided to give the school a call to see what they could do and luckily for her and the other mothers, they met Elaine Toronto, the ESL teacher at Highland who found the right place for them. “I was thrilled to hear that moms in this community wanted to come in and support these kids,” Toronto said. “My students come with such a wide range of abilities, and from countries where the quality of education ranges from excellent to barely an educational structure.” Toronto has about 30 kids in her ESL class coming from Congo, Sudan, Somalia, Tanzania, Guatemala, El Salvador, Mexico, Venezuela and Thailand. Some of their parents were refugees from Burma or Myanmar and some of the kids were born in refugee camps. The mothers have been meeting with the refugee students almost every school day, and have been tutoring them. They are trying to ﬁnd ways to get their students involved since most times both the refugee students and Highland students are in class. They have started a lunchtime group called “The Exchange Club,” to share stories, food and culture. “Our eyes have really been open to how much need there is for connecting and not just learning,” Rich said. “The kids are eager to become good students and become integrated

into the system and get employment. They really want to learn.” For many of the refugee students it’s hard to get involved in school programs because their GPA’s don’t meet the requirements, and because of this they have a hard time meeting other students. While the mothers are there, they help them learn to read and tutor them in many basics so they can learn English and build their GPA. “They are very friendly towards them and polite,” Toronto said about how the students act with the teachers. “I now have mothers that are coming in for their second, third and fourth times and that’s getting better because my kids realize that there is a staying power with these moms.” Toronto said that a mother can work with a small group of students and help them with their pronunciation, listening, reading comprehension and writing. Having the one on one is helping them progress in their education but the greatest joy is seeing the mothers fall in love with the kids who are so appreciative of them. “What I’m most excited about is that these women are also planning activities to try to integrate my students with the regular Highland students,” Toronto said. “This is so important to cross that barrier of culture and overcome the implied fear of not being able to communicate with somebody who may not speak your language—on both sides.” “I think it’s groundbreaking what these women have been doing,” Toronto said. “I know my kids feel a lot more like they belong at Highland High and they are appreciated.” For information on helping refugee students, there’s a signup sheet at http://signup. com/go/khkvjo or contact Mindi Rich at melindarich94@gmail.com. Highland High also collects items that refugee students may need, including clothing, shoes, blankets, gift cards to Walmart for eyeglasses, toiletries and school supplies. Contact Christie Divver at Christie. divver@slcschools.org. 

espite consistent budget cuts in educational art programs, the walls of Nibley Park K-8 School are adorned with the imaginative creations of students. This is thanks to the Beverly Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program, a grant program created to help both bring back and keep art education in schools where funding for the arts was diminishing. Beverly Taylor Sorenson spent years lobbying to put the arts back in elementary schools, and in 2008, her hard work paid off when the Utah State Legislature funded BTSALP, bringing art education to schools with the intent to integrate art with the core curriculum to provide students another medium for concepts they are learning. Shawn Westrup, BTS arts specialist for Nibley Park and Whittier Elementary, does her best to incorporate what her kindergarten through fifth-grade students are learning in class with her art lessons. “When the younger grades are learning about seasons, I try to tie in art to reflect that,” Westrup said. Westrup described another concept she tied in when her fifth-grade students learned about the Civil War. She created a lesson plan around the face jugs freed slaves made. This lesson included the purpose of why freed slaves made face jugs, followed with the students creating their own face jugs out of clay. “I try to tie their classroom curriculum in whenever possible,” Westrup said. After spending the majority of her teaching years as a high school counselor, Westrup was a bit nervous to transition to elementary students. However, Westrup discovered she loves working with this age group. “I love it because they love doing art and they’re not afraid yet, and they love coming to art,” Westrup said. According to the BTSALP website, BTSALP is in 34 districts, 400 schools, and serves 300,000 students. In addition to visual art, BTSALP also has specialists in dance, music, and drama. It provides an important element to education since art-integrated instruction is shown to effectively increase student performance in all core curriculum subjects. “The Beverly Taylor Sorenson grant has helped bring art into elementary schools over the last several years and the number of specialists are growing,” said Sheryl Thorell, BTS arts specialist for Lincoln and Cottonwood Elementary schools. In addition to BTS arts specialists helping students understand lesson plans through art education, their role can also assist teachers in further covering lesson plans teachers may not have enough time to cover. “When I think about a lesson for each grade, I try to include the classroom teachers. Working

Fourth-grade students at Lincoln Elementary work on folk art for their art show on April 9. (Aspen Perry/ City Journals).

together…I can help with a science or social studies lesson that would not get as much time [in the classroom],” Thorell said. Much like Westrup’s experience teaching the elementary students at Nibley Park and Whittier, Thorell loves watching the way art can help students at Cottonwood and Lincoln Elementary schools connect with what they are learning in the classroom. “Many children are tactile learners and several children at Lincoln are just learning the English language, using art to connect and reinforce what they are learning in the classroom…builds conﬁdence and strengthens knowledge,” said Thorell. Many of the BTS arts specialists work in multiple schools and do not have designated art rooms, requiring them to load art supplies on a cart to bring to the classrooms. As Thorell explained, this poses a challenge since wellintegrated art lessons take a great deal of time to prepare, and when traveling between schools it is stressful to ensure all necessary supplies were packed. Regardless of the challenges she encounters, Thorell loves working with the students and wouldn’t change anything. “I love teaching art and even at the end of a very busy, tiring day, when I go home with paint and ink all over my clothes and on my hands, I am excited to do it all over again the next day,” Thorell said. 

PAGE 12 | APRIL 2017

SUGAR HOUSE JOURNAL

SPOTLIGHT

Legacy Village of Sugar House

Business Spotlights are a service offered to our advertisers to help them inform our readers about their businesses. For information on scheduling a Spotlight, please call us at 801-254-5974 or email us at ryan.casper@mycityjournals.com

e consider it an honor and a privilege to serve seniors who choose to make Legacy Village their home. We strive to make a heart-to-heart connection with our residents and customers. We call this connection, Personal Touch, which is essential to creating our culture as well as achieving our mission. Legacy Village of Sugar House offers a continuum of care—independent living, assisted living, and memory care to provide just the right amount of help for the various stages of life. Legacy Village is a unique senior living community in Utah. Our state-of-the-art, mid-rise community is located in the heart of Sugar House. Our urban setting offers numerous amenities and local favorite hotspots within walking distance such as: Sugar House Park, Hidden Hollow, Whole Foods, University of Utah Healthcare Clinic, Westminster College, UTA TRAX line, and many unique restaurants and shops. Features of the Legacy Village community include spacious, private, fully-functional studio, one- bedroom, and two-bedroom apartments—many with balconies and unmatched views of the Salt Lake valley. Common areas include a restaurant-style dining room, library and business center, ﬁtness centers, theater, outdoor patios, multi-purpose room, and private dining space. Our hospitality-based approach to services include a full-

service concierge desk, housekeeping, maintenance, recreation programming with a focus on fitness, lifelong learning with opportunities through a collaboration with the University of Utah’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, off-site outing opportunities and various adventures for ongoing fulfillment. Additional features for peace of mind include an emergency response system, transportation services, keyless entry access, security, on-site caregivers on call 24 hours per day, and more. Legacy Village of Sugar House Assisted Living and Memory Care is licensed as a Type II provider through the State of Utah Department of Health. Our caregivers include a registered nurse and certified nursing assistants licensed and certified by the state of Utah. Staff receive specialized training in dementia care as well as training specific to our community when hired, as well as ongoing training. Legacy Village of Sugar House is part of the Western States Lodging & Management family (WSLM). WSLM’s corporate office is in Taylorsville and was founded in 1997. WSLM is currently the largest provider in the state of Utah for assisted living. Legacy Village of Sugar House is an exciting opportunity for seniors interested in making life easier and engaging. 

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APRIL 2017 | PAGE 13

PAGE 14 | APRIL 2017

SPOTLIGHT

SUGAR HOUSE JOURNAL

Fairmont Aquatic Center

he Fairmont Aquatic Center opened in January 2002 and since then the programs within the facilities have developed to fit the needs of the community members. Among those changes include the recent additions of new float board fitness classes, water aerobics and birthday parties. Fairmont has also included some special classes, such as water walking, a class that utilizes the current channel in the leisure pool as resistance to help improve strength, balance, coordination and posture in a low-impact, social environment. Another class is tsunami fitness float board class, which provides a safe, fun and challenging workout designed to build core and joint stabilization, and improve overall fitness. Another part of Fairmont is creating employment opportunities, including exploring the long-term benefits of being a lifeguard or swim instructor. Bess Thompsons, the facility manager at Fairmont Aquatic Center, said, “We are also playing a part in a young adult’s life as a growing employee. The lifeguards learn lifesaving skills that will be with them long term, they learn how to be a part of a team, they also learn how to balance their work responsibilities with their homework or other family obligations.” “The swim instructors play a very important role in a child’s growing trust of self and helping a child understand what they can do safely in the water,” Thompsons continued. “As a swim

instructor there are always challenges, not all children will learn the same and teachers will need to explore different techniques to teach a skill. This skill of adaptation is a wonderful lifelong skill for people to possess. Plus, the kids will laugh at any silly joke!” “Our jobs are very unique, our role is to help people play and recreate safely,” Thompsons said. Fairmont Aquatic is open to anyone in the community, regardless if they are a resident of Salt Lake County. “We want everyone to come and safely enjoy the programs and amenities

we offer,” Thompsons said. One Fairmont regular praised the facility and programs on Facebook saying, “To keep my body in shape and stave off aging, I try to go to Fairmont Pool ﬁve days a week… I get so much more out of my pool walking since I joined the class. Every time I walk down the parking lot to the entrance, I say thanks to Salt Lake County for this invaluable resource, so well kept. I am also making new friends in my class. Sometimes that is difﬁcult after retirement.” Salt Lake County recreation offers free admission for those under two and for seniors over 80. The “Plus One” pass is a great option for anyone with a documented permanent disability to use at any of the Salt Lake County recreation facilities. Fairmont is one of 21 Salt Lake County Recreation centers. Fairmont Aquatic Center is located on 1044 E. Sugarmont Drive, on the northeast corner of Fairmont Park, at the end of the S-line in Sugarhouse. Starting April 4, there will no longer be open pool time on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, on Monday and Wednesday nights there will be open plunge and the water toys will be on from 4-8 p.m. Swim lessons on Monday and Wednesday will be mainly a higher level and will be in the lap pool. On Friday nights, the open plunge will run from 3-7 p.m. with the water toys on. To learn more, visit www.slco.org/fairmont.

APRIL 2017 | PAGE 15

M YSUGAR H OUSE JOURNAL.COM

NEWS FROM OUR ADVERTISERS

INDUSTRY

Larkin Mortuary

The last thing on your bucket list. Swimming with sharks. Lunching beneath the Eifel Tower. Seeing the Cubs win the World Series. Planning your own funeral. Hopefully you watched every at-bat with Bill Murray and can check the cubs off your bucket list. As for sharks and Paris, Bring your lunch to the square not to the shark cage and you’ll be fine. As for funeral planning, here’s a few suggestions. First, make it yours. That’s right, don’t die and let aunt Helen sing “Where Have All the Flowers Gone” accompanied by one of her friends on the new age harp. The only way to prevent that is to pre-plan. “We’ve had some people come in with some pretty crazy ideas,” says Spencer Larkin of Larkin Mortuary. “We’re fine if they want their casket painted fire engine red like their first car, or they want the whole congregation to sing the words to an Elton John song. What’s important for those left behind is the opportunity to celebrate all the characteristics of a friend or family member who made them laugh, love and cry. All those emotions are essential to preserving memories and celebrating life.” The only way to do that is to plan the service yourself. Think of it as the last thing on your bucket list. Second, plan it with your spouse only. You two started together, write the ending together without the distraction of keeping everybody in the family happy. Don’t feel guilty about not including them. They get to do their own someday. Third, Plan with somebody you can trust and let all the kids and friends know where the plans are. Larkin does a great job at this, no matter where you want to be buried or cremated or cryogenically frozen. They sit one-on-one with you and go over

every detail. The plan is digitally stored, backed-up and updated regularly so there is no chance of one data bit being lost. They offer different ﬁnancial plans so your kids don’t get stuck with the bill…unless that is part of your plan. “Most people don’t know all the details that go into a service until someone close to them passes,” Spencer says. “And over and over we hear them say: ‘I wish I could’ve enjoyed the days before the funeral but I was too caught up in planning and

worrying about offending someone in the family and how I was going to pay for things.’ When parents have a plan in place it’s the best parting gift they can give their children.” So take out your bucket list. Go straight to the bottom and add Pre Plan my funeral. When you check that one off you’ll feel a whole lot better knowing Helen will be singing at your brotherin-law’s funeral, not yours. 

www.larkinmortuary.com

Embracing Disability and Neurodivergence by Shamby Polychronis, Westminster Associate Professor of Education

Shamby Polychronis

Eight years ago, Brookes Donaldson had an idea. Rather than trying to act as though he did not have autism, perhaps he could help other students understand what it actually is. A student in the environmental studies program at Westminster College, Brookes tried desperately to follow rigid social structures in an attempt to fit in, or at the very least, to avoid standing out. He even transferred out of state for a year, hoping a change of culture would bring acceptance. After finding a similar experience, he embraced something that he learned while at Westminster: he needed to create the space he was looking for. Brookes transferred back to Westminster and came to me for help in creating an event to educate others about what it is like to have autism. The event has evolved over the years, shifting from awareness to inclusion, and has expanded into two full weeks of activities. One of the primary goals for this annual event has been to change the way people think about disability and neurodivergence (brain activity that varies from the ‘norm’). It is a common human reaction to look away, ignore and even make fun of others when they appear different from us. Even if well intended, such as when we are taught as children not to stare, these reactions are incredibly stigmatizing and isolating. Even for activists and allies, there is a need to continuously learn from those who live the experiences. For example, our first event was held to raise awareness for autism and we jumped on the “Light It Up Blue” train for the next couple of years. Although it was intended to support students with autism (and our flagship building looked amazing lit up blue), strong opposition grew within the autistic community as they called out the sponsor, Autism Speaks, for contributing to ableist policies and practices. We responded by focusing on more educational topics, partnering

with other clubs and organizations with similar missions of inclusion and switching out blue lights for multi-colored ones to symbolize the need for visibility. Westminster is committed to moving beyond awareness to a world that truly accepts, and even embraces, everyone regardless of difference. This year, Westminster is hosting events to highlight dyslexia, teaching with a growth mindset, the Disability Rights Movement, stigma reduction and inclusion. Westminster’s 2017 Disability and Neurodivergence Event Series will be held April 3 – 14. To ensure the success of this series, we have teamed up with Decoding Dyslexia Utah, Autism Council of Utah and Special Olympics of Utah. As one of our highlighted events, we are proud to bring Lydia X. Z. Brown to Westminster College on Thursday, April 13. Brown is an activist who holds many marginalized identities including autistic and multiply otherwise neurodivergent and disabled, queer, transracially and transnationally adopted person of color.

2017 Disability and Neurodivergence Series At Westminster College, April 3 – 14 The following campus events are free and open to the public. • April 6, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Bill and Vieve Gore School of Business –Gore Auditorium: “Parenting Dyslexic Children and Cultivating a Growth Mindset” • April 7, 10:30 a.m.-noon, Malouf 201: “Disability Rights in the New Political Climate” film screening and conversation. • April 13, 7 p.m., Bill and Vieve Gore School of Business –Gore Auditorium: Lecture by Lydia X.Z. Brown. For more information visit westminstercollege.edu/autism.

SPORTS

PAGE 16 | APRIL 2017

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SUGAR HOUSE JOURNAL

Highland football players pick colleges on national signing day By Koster Kennard | koster.k@mycityjournals.com

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enior football players from high schools throughout the country announced where they were going to play college football on Feb. 1. Three of these players played for Highland High School last year. Brady Reed after a football Defensive game. (Reed family) end Izzy Vaifoou committed to play for Utah State in Logan, Utah, wing running back Brady Reed committed to play for William Penn University in Oskaloosa, Iowa and defensive end Tevita Ahoafi-Noa committed to play for Snow College in Ephraim, Utah. One key to Utah State’s success in recruiting Vaifoou was Utah State’s defensive coordinator/ assistant head coach Frank Maile’s pursuit of Vaifoou early in his high school career, said Highland head coach Brody Benson. “I think that he developed a relationship early on with (Utah State’s) coaching staff. I think that they did a great job recruiting him. Where a lot of the other schools were maybe a bit late to get in on him,” said Benson. “Coach Maile from Utah State kind of saw something in him that he really liked and they pulled the trigger and they offered him early and really spent the better part of a year and a half developing that relationship.” Vaifoou is currently in the process of filling out the paperwork to serve an LDS mission. One thing that Vaifoou was looking for in a college was a program that would allow him to defer his scholarship while he served a mission. Utah State obliged. Another thing that attracted Vaifoou to Utah State was their core values including their respectfulness, especially their respectfulness toward women. “What I remember most from my official visit to Utah State is they made me feel welcome and comfortable,” Vaifoou said. In Utah State’s three-four system Vaifoou plans to transition to a rush linebacker position. “When you look at him, he still has a whole lot of growth potential,” Benson said. “So, I look at him he’s still kind of a puppy. I think that he’s going to have a chance to grow quite a bit. In the next two and a half years and then (I’m) very excited to see him up in Logan. Keep him close and see what he’s able to do.” Vaifoou has been a high character player while excelling on the field and in the classroom. Utah State’s location was also a factor in his decision. “The main reason I picked Utah State is because it’s not too far from home but far

enough that I won’t have my mom on my back all the time,” Vaifoou said. Running back Brady Reed was recruited by several schools including North Dakota State and Dixie State but ended up choosing William Penn University where they run the same offense as Highland High. “The nice thing about that is they run our offense—they run the triple option,” Benson said. “So I think Brady’s going to be able to go in there and really have a leg up as far as already knowing the offense and the terminology, which is going to help prepare him to possibly see the field a lot earlier than some other guys.” Reed said a few other Highland players chose to play there so there is something familiar to look forward too. But, at the same time, the university is different enough to give him a new experience. Reed’s academic prowess helped him find a school to play football at. “He graduated early so right now he’s just training, working (and) getting ready to go,” Benson said. “He’s done a nice job as far as the classroom is concerned to put him in a situation where he had some options as far as what he was able to do academically to help him with his athletic pursuits.” The biggest reason Reed chose William Penn? “They gave me a pretty good offer,” he said. “So they’re paying for my school and I get to do what I love to do.” Tevita Ahoafi-Noa wanted a place where he could grow, said Benson. “He signed at Snow based more on his academics than his athleticism right now,” Benson said. “He’s going to end up being a

non-qualifier and so he has to go the junior college route. Tevita had some issues and some struggles, but you know he’s finishing off a whole lot better than he started as far as his academics here at Highland. That I feel good about him moving on to Snow.” Ahoafi-Noa plans to play for Snow after returning home from his LDS mission. “Snow is a great resource for kids who maybe struggle academically or are kind of slow starters in the classroom,” Benson said. That’s what Snow is basically set up for—a lot of those kids to help get them acclimated to college life as far as their academics are concerned before going to a university.” Although he thinks Ahoafi-Noa’s academics held him back, Benson said he thinks Ahoafi-Noa’s future is bright. “Number one, I think he’ll be able to go down there and contribute as soon as he does go in after he serves his mission, but I think that his best football is still to be played. He had a very good year for us, was an explosive player and (I’m) just excited to see him further his academic and athletic dreams at Snow Junior College and then after he gets done there who knows where he’ll be.” Benson said the number of colleges recruiting in Utah is increasing. “I think you’re starting to see more kids from the state of Utah going on and playing, not only in the state but out of state as well and I just think number one, there’s real good kids in the state,” Benson said. “Number two, I think there’s great coaching, there’s great programs in this state and the schools recognize that and want to make sure they get in these schools and have a shot at these kids.” 

Brady Reed stands with his family after signing to play with William Penn University. (Reed family)

LOCAL LIFE

M YSUGAR H OUSE JOURNAL.COM

Locals support 5k run to reduce bullying By Alisha Soeken | alisha.s@mycityjournals.com

Chad and Kashlee Fraser with Ashton and Ayden Howick at the Race to Reduce Bullying 5k. (Alisha Soeken/City Journals)

lay is important. Theresa Dellomo, program and development associate of Playworks thinks it is not only important, but vital at school. “At recess children aren’t just being physically active, they are also learning incredible life lessons like how to work together and resolve conflicts,” she said. Playworks is a national nonprofit organization that serves more than 900 schools in 23 cities in the United States, reaching more than half a million students. “Playworks uses the power of play to transform children’s social and emotional health. We are changing school culture by leveraging the power of safe, fun and healthy play at school every day. We create a place for every kid on the playground to feel included, be active, and build valuable skills,” Dellomo said. The Playworks program has been proven to reduce bullying by an average of 43 percent. In an effort to continue that benefit, Playworks held its 6th annual Race to Reduce Bullying 5k and Fun Run. On March 11, 500 hundred runners, walkers, parents with strollers and volunteers came to Wheeler Historic Farm in Murray to raise money to stamp out bullying in Utah schools, Dellomo reported. That’s an effort teacher Melisa Lindholm appreciates. “Bullying is a problem in schools because students have a hard time learning when they don’t feel safe. If a child is worried about what will happen when they see the bully, then the child definitely isn’t thinking about what the

Natalivilla Gomez & Citlali Cardenas volunteer at the Race to Reduce Bullying. (Alisha Soeken/City Journals)

teacher is saying or how to do their assignments,” she said. Kearns High School student Natalivilla Gomez came to Playworks Fun Run and understands firsthand the need to stop bullying. “I think this run is great because I personally have experienced bullying. I wanted to sign up for this because it’s a good cause. No one likes bullying. I’ve gone through it and I know what it feels like. I want to put an end to it,” Gomez said. Citlali Cardenas agreed with Gomez. Cardenas and Gomez are friends and students at Kearns High. They held a sign at the starting line to cheer on runners. “We are excited to be here. We’re in a group called LIA, Latinos In Action, and this is part of our service. This is a really great cause because there has to be a stop to bullying,” Cardenas said. Chad and Kashlee Fraser agree. They came to run in the 5k with sons Ashton and Ayden Howick. “We are here to support the fight against bullying. We have five kids and have frequent talks about not being bullies and standing up for people who are bullied,” Kashlee said. “And it’s a beautiful day,” Chad added. “We wanted to get out with our family. It’s good that people get out and show their support.” Because of the support of Chad and his family, Cardenas, Gomez and hundreds of others, Playworks Race to Reduce Bullying raised nearly $10,000 and helped bring awareness of bullying prevention programs to the community. 

“At recess children aren’t just being physically active, they are also learning incredible life lessons like how to work together and resolve conﬂicts.”

APRIL 2017 | PAGE 17

PAGE 18 | APRIL 2017

SUGAR HOUSE JOURNAL NEWS FROM OUR ADVERTISERS

INDUSTRY

Desert Star Playhouse

MURRAY, UT, March, 2017 — Desert Star Playhouse, the theatre that’s built a reputation for producing laugh out loud, family-friendly musical comedies, continues its 2017 season with a comedic take on the birth of a superhero in “Captain American Fork: The Worst Avenger!” The show opens Thursday, March 23rd.

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“Captain American Fork: The Worst Avenger”

Captain American Fork isn’t the hero we want, but he is the hero we need! As the new superhero in town, his greatest aspiration is to join the Guardians of Utah Valley. But the fun and games are over (or just beginning?) when a new villain arrives on the scene! Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned and The Cougar is out for revenge when The Homemaker scores her engagement to Zion Man. With an attack on the Cultural Hall of Justice, The Captain and his new sidekick—Bingham, The Copper Minor—are put to the test! Are they in over their heads or can the Captain rise to the occasion and save the day as he ﬁghts for truth, justice, and the American Fork Way? Find out in our hilarious new show!

March 23 – June 3, 2017 Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 7pm Friday at 6pm and 8:30pm Saturday at 2:30pm, 6pm, and 8:30pm Some Saturday lunch matinées at 11:30am

Directed by Scott Holman and written by Ed Farnsworth, Captain American Fork runs from March 23 to June 3, 2017.

Tickets: Adults: $24.95 Children: $14.95 (Children 11 and under)

The evening also includes another of Desert Star’s signature musical olios following the show. The Spring Break Olio will feature some new and classic rock with a dash of beach fun and, as always, a hilarious Desert Star twist! Desert Star audiences can enjoy gourmet pizza, fresh wraps, burgers, scrumptious desserts, and other ﬁnger foods as well as a full selection of soft drinks and smoothies while they watch the show. Food is available from an á la carte menu and is served right at your table.

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FAI R M O N T A Q U AT I C C E N T E R

Tuesdays & Thursdays at 12:30 p.m.

Aquatics Job Fair

April 7 • 6-8 p.m. Games, Log Rolling, Interviews & More! DAILY SCHEDULES POSTED ON:

www.slco.org/recreation/fairmont

385-468-1540 • 1044 East Sugarmont Drirve (2225 South)

NEWS FROM OUR ADVERTISERS 4861 S. State Street, Murray, UT 84107

Call 801.266.2600 for reservations. For additional information, visit our website at www.DesertStarPlayhouse.com

ADVE RT I S E

Your Business With Us! Call 801.254.5974 Delivering City Journals Monthly to 13 Salt Lake Valley Cities

APRIL 2017 | PAGE 19

M YSUGAR H OUSE JOURNAL.COM

Life

Laughter AND

PERI KINDER

SUGARHOUSE

Far From the Madding Crowd

’ve never been socially dynamic, flitting from person to person at parties like a butterfly with a Mountain Dew addiction. In most social occasions, I’m standing under the exit sign, trying to catch my husband’s eye and pointing to my watch. My hubbie is a card-carrying extrovert who loves the thrill of the crowd. He talks to strangers, tells jokes in public and uses phrases like, “I’m just thinking out loud.” I’ve never used that sentence in my entire life. A recent personality assessment said my potential careers should include hermit, monk and/ or crazy cat lady, which isn’t a surprise. When I watched The Martian, I wondered why (besides the lack of oxygen, books and food) Matt Damon would ever want to return to Earth. I’m not anti-people, but as a loud-and-proud introvert, our overly stimulated society can, at times, be exhausting. Introverts get a bad rap. We’re considered bashful and insecure when actually we’re superobservant, intelligent and creative individuals. But still. Extroverts “help” me adjust to society by saying things like, “To feel confident, stand like Wonder Woman for two minutes every day.” I already feel confident. I would no sooner stand with my hands on my hips than I would stand with a pencil stuck up my nose. They suggest that introverts be team leaders to “boost self-esteem” without realizing that group

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My husband has learned that if I don’t have some alone time to recharge, I get . . . irritable. (He uses a different word, but I can’t put it in this column.) If I have two hours of uninterrupted alone time, it’s better than Christmas morning. I’ll plan which books to read. I stock up on really good chocolate. I’ll make sure my super-soft socks are clean. But if plans change and I lose that time? God help the world. Wrath is an understatement. I’m not saying introverts are right and extroverts are wrong, or vice versa. I’m saying the world needs both social butterﬂies and quietly introspective people who bring a sense of calm to an overworked culture. All I’m asking for is sincere connection and a spouse who is willing to leave the party early. 

“Iʼve been meaning to speak to you since fourth grade.”

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FENCING

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assignments can push an introvert so far into a closet, they’ll wind up in Narnia. But give me a task and send me to my room, and I can accomplish pretty much anything. Here’s how to make small talk with an introvert: don’t. Hell is an endless social mixer where I have to make small talk for eternity. But if you want to have a genuine conversation that doesn’t revolve around sports or weather, I’m all yours. Extroverts often mistake an introvert’s silence for shyness when we’re actually, what’s the word? Listening. In fact, we’re such good listeners, we often hear what’s NOT being said. Most introverts can read the emotional situation in the room, especially if there’s lots of standing with hands on hips. Things an introvert hates: surprise parties. Things an introvert never says: “I’ll be working the crowd,” “Everyone gather around,” “I can’t wait for the company party.” If I was forced to post a proﬁle on a dating site (which I’m not, dear), it would say, “Don’t bother contacting me. I’m not home. Well, I’m home, but I’m never going to talk to you.” I dream of living in a library with a fully-stocked gourmet kitchen, warm blankets and a trapdoor that opens under the welcome mat when someone rings the doorbell. My personal space is a 20-foot circumference from the end of my outstretched arms. If an introvert hugs you, they really like you.

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LAWN SERVICE

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5 Classes to Choose From (Select One) Tuesday, April 18 Day: 1:30 - 3:00pm Eve: 6:30 - 8:00pm

Wednesday, April 19 Thursday, April 20 Day: 1:30-3:00pm Day: 1:30 - 3:00pm Eve: 6:30 - 8:00pm

Refreshments will be served. This is an educational event. Classes are held at KTS Financial Group 7400 South Union Park Avenue 3rd Floor • Midvale

Preserve and keep more of the wealth you accumulate using tax free strategies to potentially reduce your income taxes and pass more of your wealth to your spouse or your children.

Space is limited.

KTS Financial Group is a licensed insurance agency. Our team has been serving the Wasatch Front with a combined 42 years of experience helping hundreds of clients protect and grow their savings.

24 HR RESERVATION LINE:

801-568-9292

You must be 55 or older to attend.