Sugar House Journal March 2019

March 2019 | Vol. 5 Iss. 03

FREE

WESTMINSTER DEDICATES SHOW TO DOMESTIC ABUSE VICTIMS,

raises money for Rape Recovery Center

By Cami Mondeaux | c.mondeaux@mycityjournals.com

“

My vagina’s angry,” voices rang out. “It’s pissed off. My vagina’s furious and it needs to talk.”

Not the ordinary dialogue you’d hear in a play, but then again, The Vagina Monologues isn’t the average play. It is one meant to shatter taboos and teach audiences not to be ashamed of their bodies.

Westminster College held their 20th annual Vagina Monologues in the Jewett Center for Performing Arts Vieve Gore Concert Hall Feb. 7-9 to raise money for the Rape Recovery Center.

The Vagina Monologues, written by Eve Ensler, “is all about empowerment and using your voice,” said Emma Thompson, a junior at Westminster College majoring in technical theatre. “[It’s about] giving a voice to people that maybe don’t feel like they can talk about these things.”

Thompson is the director of The Vagina Monologues at Westminster College and the president of V-Day club on campus. She has been involved with the production since her first year at Westminster and said she has seen the event grow during the past few years.

This year, Westminster saw a record number of people audition to be in the show, Thompson said.

Westminster chose the Rape Recovery Center as its charity to donate money, giving 90 percent of its proceeds to the center and the other 10 percent to the national V-Day’s spotlight charity for incarcerated women.

Westminster dedicated its show to Lauren McCluskey, a University of Utah student who died in October 2018 as a victim of domestic abuse.

Vagina Monologues and V-Day The Vagina Monologues was written by Eve Ensler, a Tony Award-winning playwright, in 1994 based on dozens of interviews she conducted with women. The play has been translated in over 48 languages and performed in more than 140 countries, according to vday.org.

The play addresses issues such as women’s sexuality and the social stigmas around rape and abuse, according to vday. org.

“The Vagina Monologues shattered taboos,” the website states.

Valentine’s Day 1998, Ensler and a group of women in New York City established V-Day, a nonprofit organization demanding the end of violence toward women and girls.

V-Day is a global movement that “grew out of the untold stories of women” and is dedicated to bringing attention and funds to end violence such as harassment, rape, female genital

Reilly Cronyn, Daisy Sherman and Aspen Romrell perform the monologue “Wear and Say” at The Vagina Monologues held at Westminster College Feb. 7-9. They discuss what their vagina would wear and say if it could, aiming to normalize talking about their body parts.

(Photo courtesy Cam Welch)

mutilation, incest, battery and sex slavery, according to vday. org.

Once a year in February, Ensler allows groups to perform The Vagina Monologues to raise money and awareness for anti-violence groups, educating their audiences on the reality of violence against women.

Over 5,800 V-Day events take place annually across the nation, according to vday.org.

These performances began 21 years ago in 1998 and Westminster began performing them on campus in 1999, making 2019 their 20-year anniversary.

Westminster jumped on the bandwagon early, said Westminster’s director Emma Thompson. Every year, the script generally stays the same but can change to address new issues.

At Westminster, Thompson encourages her performers to submit original pieces to be considered. She said she does this to replace some pieces she finds outdated and to include pieces that talk about issues that should be addressed.

These pieces include monologues that are more inclusive toward those who identify outside the gender binary.

“I also realized that there weirdly isn’t a piece about periods,” Thompson said. “So, this year we have an original piece about periods.”

One of the most important aspects of The Vagina Monologues that Westminster’s V-Day club wants the audience to realize is that although these subjects have traditionally been considered taboo, they can and should be talked about.

“Many women or female-identifying people or people with vaginas don’t feel like they can talk about their vaginas,” Thompson said. “Even though it’s like, so important to them.

It’s a big part of [their] life and a big part of who [they] are.”

Rape Recovery Center The Rape Recovery Center is a nonprofit organization located on 1300 East, down the street from Westminster College.

The center aims to help victims Continued on page 4...

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of sexual assault and eliminate it altogether.

They provide services such as personal advocacy, short- and long-term counseling and a variety of different therapy and support groups.

“First and foremost, we help those targeted by sexual violence,” said Megan Asadian, outreach coordinator at the Rape Recovery Center. “[We help] anyone who identifies with being raped or sexually assaulted. We are open to all primary and secondary victims of sexual assault and empower those who are going through the recovery process.”

The center began in 1974 as a local rape awareness program and opened as the Salt Lake Rape Crisis Center, a private nonprofit.

Program volunteers went to local emergency rooms to support admitted rape and sexual assault survivors.

They renamed to the Rape Recovery Center in 1995 and had already established a 24-hour crisis line and a “Code R” which provides immediate service to sexual violence victims.

Westminster and the center have a longterm partnership, Asadian said. The college raises money for the Rape Recovery Center through multiple events on campus, including The Vagina Monologues and their annual Mx. Westminster pageant held on Feb. 5.

“We really appreciate The Vagina Monologues because it’s really central and focused on people coming forward and speaking about difficult things,” Asadian said. “It’s an element of empowerment.”

Westminster dedicates show to Lauren McCluskey In October 2018, Lauren McCluskey, a University of Utah student athlete was shot and killed by her ex-boyfriend. She died a victim of domestic violence.

Westminster dedicated their 20th anniversary of The Vagina Monologues to McCluskey and all victims of domestic abuse.

They performed a skit in honor of her memory, reciting the op-ed letter Jill McCluskey, Lauren’s mom, wrote to The Salt Lake Tribune.

“This organization fatally failed her,” Jill McCluskey wrote. “What will it take for them to treat women’s concerns seriously and with urgency when they complain about harassment, peeking through their windows, extortion and impersonating a police officer?”

The death of Lauren McCluskey shook the Salt Lake community, said Emma Thompson, V-Day club president at Westminster.

“It didn’t seem right to do the show without talking about it,” Thompson said.

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A new twist on an ancient practice: Yoga and Beer encourages new yogis to try

By Cami Mondeaux | c.mondeaux@mycityjournals.com

Jenny Willden stretches in tree pose while drinking beer during the Yoga and Beer event at The Gateway. Yoga and Beer is an inclusive event incorporating optional beer drinking to make yoga less intimidating for beginning yogis. (Photo courtesy The Gateway Instagram page, @shopthegateway)

A

collaboration between The Gateway, Salt Lake Power Yoga and Wasatch Brewery brings a unique yoga experience to Salt Lake—practicing yoga poses while incorporating (optional) beer holding and drinking.

The event, Yoga and Beer, happens every Wednesday at 6 p.m. at The Gateway at 12 S. 400 West in Salt Lake, next to the Grand Hall.

In early 2018, Wasatch Brewery was approached by The Gateway with the op-

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portunity for an event combining beer with yoga. The popularity has grown from initially 70 people per class to larger classes nearing 200.

“We knew that we wanted to add a little fun twist to our free yoga class...so we added beer!” wrote Jackie Briggs, marketing director for The Gateway, in an email.

“It was a hit and we’re now going on our second season.”

Yoga and Beer is open to yogis of all levels and leaves the beer drinking optional. The yoga is free with the beers costing $5 and mat rentals available for $2, according to The Gateway’s website.

“It’s a fun event that gets people who normally might be intimidated to try yoga to give it a shot in a fun and non-judgmental way,” wrote Greg Galloway, co-owner of Salt Lake Power Yoga, in an email. “It draws more men out then we typically see at most yoga classes or events.”

Instructors lead power flow yoga, encouraging attendees to come out of their comfort zones and realize yoga isn’t as daunting as they thought.

“This event is meant to bring people together while having fun,” Galloway wrote. “From these events we have had people come and give our studio a try and realize yoga in a studio is not as intimidat-

ing as they thought and [encourage] them to continue their yoga practice.”

While attendees can consume beer, The Gateway encourages safety and responsible consumption and transportation.

On Dec. 30, 2018 Utah enacted the strictest DUI law in the country, limiting the blood alcohol content to .05 percent, according to an article by CNN. While some may be concerned that this would affect the turnout of Yoga and Beer, The Gateway said it hasn’t decreased attendance.

“The class is about an hour long and many who take the class live around the area and walk or take another form of public transit,” Briggs wrote. “We want to make sure everyone is always enjoying themselves responsibly and, as a fitness class, we encourage people to walk, bike or scoot to the class.”

Overall, the purpose of Yoga and Beer is to provide a safe space where yoga experts and yoga beginners alike can come together for a good time without intimidation or fear of being judged.

“The Salt Lake Power Yoga instructors do a fantastic job making sure all are welcome and the space at The Gateway has a fun pop of color,” Briggs wrote. “All mixed together, it makes for a really unique and special time.” l

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Sugar House City Journal

Local brownie shop aims to create sweet community gathering spot

By Cami Mondeaux | c.mondeaux@mycityjournals.com

Several flavors of homemade brownies are available at Brownies! Brownies! Brownies! located at 1751 S. 1100 East. Browniesx3 aims to create a unique hang-out spot while donating 1 percent of their profits to a local nonprofit organization. (Cami Mondeaux/City Journals)

T

hanks to the ingenuity of owner Molly Kohrman, people with a sweet tooth and a compassionate heart can indulge both at her shop Brownies! Brownies! Brownies! (Also known as Browniesx3).

Kohrman said her shop’s mission is threefold: specialize in one delicious treat (brownies), provide neighbors with a cozy place to hang out and, lastly, give back to the community by donating a percentage of the profits to a local organization.

Browniesx3 opened in late 2018 after Kohrman left her job in suicide prevention with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Opening her own business was something she always wanted to do, she said, and so she pushed herself to do it.

MyS ugar HouseJournal .com

“I found myself thinking, ‘What am I waiting for?’” Kohrman said. “I thought, ‘This is what I really want to do, I need to give it a try.’”

Kohrman had dreamed of opening her own business for 10 years and attended multiple culinary schools to learn how. She attended a culinary school in Washington, D.C. and the Park City Culinary Institute in Utah when she finally decided that food was a serious interest.

Kohrman said she waited until she perfected her brownie recipe and then chose a location she loved.

The shop is located at 1751 S. 1100 East in the heart of Sugar House. Kohrman said she loves the neighborhood and its walkability.

It is also down the road from Westminster College, a private liberal arts school on 1300 East. Students say they enjoy visiting the shop because of the fun atmosphere, yummy treats and late-night hours. They also appreciate that there are gluten-free and vegan options.

“We’re a pretty cozy shop,” said CK Padayao, a Westminster College student and employee at Browniesx3. “We have couches and right [outside] there’s a fire pit and string lights on top.”

Padayao said he enjoys working there because he hardly runs into rude customers and it’s “super laid-back.”

“We’re open pretty late,” Padayao said.

“We’re the place to go to if you have a midnight craving.”

Browniesx3 is open Tuesday-Thursday from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday-Saturday from noon to midnight.

Kohrman developed all the brownie recipes and bakes them daily. However, although her life has become all about brownies, she said her innate nature of social services never left.

“When I decided to move out of that field [suicide prevention], I thought, ‘There’s got to be a way I can still support these causes and people that I care about,” Kohrman said.

Browniesx3 donates 1 percent of their profits to a local nonprofit organization. Their first nonprofit is Spice Kitchen Incubator, a program that provides commercial kitchen space and business expertise to refugees and other disadvantaged individuals.

Kohrman learned about Spice Kitchen while she was attending culinary school in Utah, during a workshop with their organization.

“They really support the local food community,” Kohrman said. “So, as our very first

charity I wanted to choose something that kind of represented what our business cared about.”

Every year, the shop will choose a different nonprofit to donate their proceeds to.

At the center of Browniesx3, is the sense of community they bring to the area.

With comfortable seating areas indoors and outdoors, Kohrman said she dreams of it becoming a place people can meet and enjoy the sweetness of freshly-baked brownies.

In the spring and summer, she imagines live music and food trucks – anything that will create a unique hang-out spot.

“The hope is that this place will become a community gathering spot,” Kohrman said.

“So that people in the neighborhood will have somewhere to go.” l

Molly Kohrman, owner of Browniesx3, said she wants to create a community gathering space where neighbors can relax and hang out. A cozy couch helps.

(Cami Mondeaux/City Journals)

March 2019 | Page 7

‘Helping everyone, in every way’ message of State of Black Community Town Hall

By Jennifer J. Johnson | j.johnson@mycityjournals.comt

Panelists and members of the Sigma Omicron Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority contributed to “The State of the Black Community Town Hall,” part of February’s Black History Month. (Jennifer J. Johnson/City Journals)

A

legislator received a standing ovation for her HJR8 bill to strike references to slavery in Utah’s constitution.

Utah’s Black Chamber celebrated 10 years in operation and saw founder James Jackson III on the cover of Utah Business magazine.

And “Utah’s Original Jazzman Steve McQueen” celebrated his 100th birthday in multiple tributes along the Wasatch.

February 2019 was, indeed, a stunning month for Utah commemoration of Black History Month. The focus provided an excellent platform for the University of Utah’s edgy “State of the Black Community Town Hall,” co-sponsored by the The Sigma Omicron Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and the Salt Lake City Mayor’s Office.

The panel discussion at the University featured five public servants, five prepared questions, and lively discussion, both during and after the event, guided by Jasmine Robinson, University of Utah senior and vice president of The Sigma Omicron Chapter.

Panelists included state legislators Joel Briscoe and Sandra Hollins, Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski, Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson, and Salt Lake City Board of Education member Nate Salazar.

Affordable housing, equal access to education, law enforcement cultural sensitivity, education funding, and leadership advocacy were all discussed as part of the town hall.

Interestingly, although linked to Black History Month and billed as the State of the Black Community Town Hall, the phrases “black” or “African American” rarely were mentioned, with the themes discussed spanning under-served populations, be they persons of color or of disability.

Numerous dignitaries, including politicians, university representatives, and multiple media were in attendance at the event that Robinson indicated was for “anyone and everyone.” The diverse, multicultural, engaged

Page 8 | March 2019

audience responded numerous times throughout the evening with outbursts of applause and with questions, pushing the event past the scheduled time.

Doing the right thing Citywide, blacks comprise 3.5 percent of the population. Countywide, blacks represent 2.1 percent of the overall population. Statewide, the number is smaller, with blacks comprising just 1.4 percent of the population.

The point of the town hall event? The importance of recognizing, honoring, and advocating unique needs of unique populations.

Throughout the evening, multiple panelists used the phrase “do the right thing.”

According to moderator Robinson, “Doing one thing and assuming that it works? That is not an answer.”

“Doing the right thing? The way that I like to think of it as supporting all members of the community, all members of the society, being open to listen and learn in all capacities,” she noted in an interview with the City

Journals. “[It’s] not just helping yourself, or the group you are a part of, or a specific corner of society, but helping everyone. Helping everyone, in every way.”

Issue #1: Affordable, countywide housing “There are cities in this county that don’t have affordable housing plans,” expressed Utah Congressman Joel Briscoe, representing District 25, covering Salt Lake and parts of South Salt Lake and Sugar House. Briscoe sees Salt Lake County as being short as many as 60,000 affordable housing units.

Salt Lake City alone acknowledges a current 7,500 gap in the availability of low-income housing units. Mayor Biskupski touted progress on her “Growing SLC” housing plan, unveiled in August 2018. A key component of the plan is the city’s Community Land Trust program, where homeowners enjoy lower monthly payments and are able to see increased investment through home improvements. The city owns the land, but the home-

owner and future homeowners would own just the home. Another key component? The city’s “Handyman” service to help seniors and other needy homeowners maintain their homes.

New Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson (See other story “SLCO Mayor”) noted the county does not have regulatory ability over cities, but does have a “toolbox” of ways to encourage “developers to do the right thing with housing.” Key is Tax Increment Financing (TIF) – ways of providing developers with dollar subsidies for building affordable housing or other programs in line with county needs.

Issue #2: Equal access to education “The School-to-Prison Pipeline.”

It is a chilling phrase, a chilling concept, and an infinitely more chilling reality, wherein children of color, male children, and children with disabilities are shown to be over-disciplined, which statistically heightens school drop-out and where children are funneled out of public schools and into the juvenile and criminal justice systems. It is a national trend, as well as a statewide and countywide concern.

The solution? School districts are seeking to maintain safe learning environments while reducing the use of school discipline. Rep. Sandra Hollins, who serves the west side of Salt Lake all the way to Bountiful in House District 23, noted her 2016 HB460 legislation has helped redefine the role of police officers in schools, provided cultural training for police and others in schools dealing with children with disabilities.

Also key? “Parents need to be vigilant,” noted Rep. Hollins, who introduced the slavery-striking language bill.

Biskupski indicated Salt Lake City is “working in tandem” to implement Hollins’ bill.

“One of the reasons I ran [for mayor] was the Prison-to-Pipeline Study,” Biskups-

University of Utah senior Jasmine Robinson moderated the town hall panel, featuring Rep. Joel Briscoe, Board of Education member Nate Salazar, Rep. Sandra Hollins, Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski, and Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson. (Jennifer J. Johnson/City Journals)

Sugar House City Journal

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Affordable housing, equal access to education, law enforcement cultural sensitivity, education funding and leadership advocacy were all discussed, as part of the town hall. (Jennifer J. Johnson/City Journals)

ki recalled, sharing how shocked she was to learn of this problem in Salt Lake, “the most progressive area in the state.” The Mayor indicated trainings with law enforcement have eliminated a preponderance of “implicit bias” incidents, where assumptions of guilt are made by racial or other profiling, from more than 500 per year to fewer than 60.

The Mayor also stressed the importance on busting the Prison-to-Pipeline through after-school programs. The audience burst into applause when Biskupski spoke about Salt Lake City’s Youth City program.

“A lot of families have been pushed out of Salt Lake, because it is too expensive,” explained Nate Salazar, who became the newest member of the Salt Lake School Board in January, and serves his day job as Associate Director of Community Empowerment in the Salt Lake Mayor’s Office. He is currently the only minority on the board for a district where more than half of the students are minorities.

Salazar noted that west side Salt Lake City families in communities like Glendale and Poplar Grove seek education opportunities at Salt Lake’s East High School, but do not have transportation to afford them the same flexible schedule other students have to attend after-school activities. The audience

again applauded when Biskupski indicated the city’s amping up the 900 South bus route to offer more evening east-to-west routes.

Issue #3: Law enforcement cultural sensitivity “Listening, learning, leading” is how Biskupski depicted the Salt Lake police department. Healing communities and improving dialogue are Biskupski’s priorities. Creating a better law-enforcement team and its better interfacing with the Human Rights Commission has happened under the leadership of Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown, she said.

“Chief Brown has taken a communicative policing model to heart.” The results have been nothing short of astounding, with crime results at a five-year low. A big part of the process includes having police focus on getting to really know the neighborhoods they serve.”

“What I vow to do is a best-practices process,” said Salt Lake County Mayor Wilson.

Wilson is banking on seeing improved results through implementation of a new data analysis program to be able to make better decisions in law enforcement and the justice system across 18 different jurisdictions in the County.

Issue #4: K-12 education funding This past fall, Utah voters resoundingly voted down — with just 35 percent in support

and 65 percent voting no — raising motor fuel tax and use the revenue to offset money being taken from the General Fund — from education and to transportation.

“Where do we find $63 million?” was Briscoe’s question, in terms of how to significantly improve education in the state.

Briscoe critiqued Utah’s relying on Utah’s K-12 education funding formula. He believes the “Weighted Pupil Unit” (WPU), which forms the foundation of Utah’s public education spending, only covers inflation costs, not growth. WPU covers “vertical” aspects of education, versus more granular considerations, such as costs for English as a Second Language (ESL) and other culturally-relevant programs.

Issue #5: Stewardship for community impact Perhaps the most provocative question to the panel was how each panelist chooses to leverage their position of political power to make a difference.

“I try to bring a voice to those who don’t have a voice,” said Hollins.

Hollins challenged the audience to make sure their voices are spoken and heard, even amid disappointment and frustration with political processes or a seeming lack of impact.

“Don’t walk away from a battlefield because you lost one fight. We cannot give up.

I need you on the battlefield to push the state

forward.”

“Together, we are creating a city for everyone,” Biskupski observed. Key to doing so, she said, is vigorously going after barriers to equity and opportunity.

Salazar shared his pride in being a role model as a person of color.

“Folks who are marginalized can be left out,” he noted. “I use my voice, my experience, my position on the school board and in the Mayor’s office.”

Salazar said he has “taken heat” for what some consider to be nothing more than “window dressing” — a minority being placed in a position to assuage concerns of political correctness, but not have any real power. “[I am] not just window dressing. I have an opportunity to change stereotypes,” he said.

“I will do whatever I can to bend the arc of justice,” Briscoe shared, acknowledging that he is a privileged, white male, but one who feels compelled to seek justice for all populations, particularly those “who don’t look like me.”

How to understand these issues: Consider reading “Affordable Housing Assessment 2017” distributed by Utah Workforce Services for the state of Utah. jobs.utah.gov/housing/publications/documents/affordablehousingreport.pdf l

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Breathe Utah’s Executive Director Deborah Burney-Sigman, Ph.D (right) and teacher Molly Lewis (left) show a visual demo that mimics SLC’s dire air situation. (Amy Green/City Journals)

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passionate group of individuals, all wanting better air quality in the Salt Lake valley, gathered on Feb. 10 at The Front Climbing Club (1470 S 400 West) with a purpose —to climb for clean air and raise funds for Breathe Utah. It has become an annual gathering for this cause.

Breathe Utah is an organization with the mission to improve air quality through education and action. They work to propose better environmental policies and rely on good partnerships to make changes happen.

The brains behind the climbing event are Executive Director at Breathe Utah, Deborah Burney-Sigman, Ph.D. and Jared Campbell, a Salt Lake City local and world-class athlete, who started this series of clean air events.

Everyone who purchased a ticket got to climb until they “peeled” (that means to climb until one peels off the wall).

Some climbed hundreds of routes over eight hours straight.

Climbers know that even just a few hours at the bouldering gym is a committed workout.

One person who came to watch the climbers and support the cause was Joey Cauceglia. He has been going to the University of Utah for the last five years and wears a mask commuting to campus on his bike. It’s a way to minimize the irritated cough he gets for a few hours after cycling. Cauceglia works at the University’s biology department and takes the train on yellow and red air days.

“If you want to talk about human impact, there’s so much more to talk about than just seas warming and rising. We can talk about landfills, human impact, the smog in SLC —you can see it. We don’t need to argue about whether climate change happens. We can just agree that humans are making an impact on our environment. It seems like it’s become a distraction for the public, whether or not the earth is warming because of the human use of fossil fuels,” Cauceglia said.

The climbers and those in attendance hold Utah’s environment dear and are concerned about the valley’s winter inversions and air pollution. Breathe Utah volunteer and school teacher Molly Lewis was there with a visual demo.

“Density is a huge concept in winter air quality. The cold air near the ground compacts and becomes more dense. That air gets polluted and doesn’t want to go anywhere. The pollution gets trapped in that dense layer. There’s no natural mixing of the warm air above and the cold air below,” Lewis explained.

In short, we pollute the cold air that stays nearest to us.

Lewis added, “The particulate matter that is most concerning, is teeny tiny like 1/30th the width of a human hair.

When you breathe it in, it goes deep into your lungs, across the barrier into your circulatory system. It causes inflammation. It’s toxic.”

Those who climbed to fight toxicity got tokens for a free dinner and a beer on the house, provided by Red Rock Brewing Co. and Lucky Slice Pizza.

The event had a finale of awards for participants who completed the most routes and for the previous day’s runners who took laps up and down Grandeur Peak at RUFA (Running Up For Air), a connected event.

A raffle was held featuring items from vendors including Black Diamond, Evolv, Petzl, Patagonia, Lululemon and more. All of these companies are eager to help with air quality consciousness.

To watch for this event follow frontslc.com.

To donate and get clean air ideas for action visit www. breatheutah.org. l

Climbers at The Front Climbing Club take rock wall laps to climb up for clean air, an annual fundraising event supporting Breathe Utah. (Amy Green/City Journals)

Sugar House City Journal

Utah Housing Gap Coalition raises awareness about housing affordability

By Justin Adams | justin.a@thecityjournals.com

The Utah Housing Gap Coalition is trying to find solutions for the state’s “housing crisis,” but it goes beyond just high-density developments like Daybreak, seen here.

(Justin Adams/City Journals)

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ne of the hottest topics in Utah and this year’s legislative session is that of growth. Utah is expected to double its population by 2050 and the question is: where are all those people going to live? That’s the question that the Housing Gap Coalition is trying to answer.

The coalition, which was formed last year by the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce, wants residents, government leaders and developers to start thinking now about how to handle Utah’s population growth.

“We’re trying to get ahead of it,” said Abby Osborne, the vice president of public policy and government relations for the chamber of commerce.

If Utah kicks the can down the road, she said, the state may be forced to take more radical approaches to accommodating rapid growth — something she sees happening across the country.

Just last year, Minneapolis voted to abolish its single-family residential zone, which would “allow residential structures with up to three dwelling units — like duplexes and triplexes — in every neighborhood,” according to the New York Times.

Or consider the case of California, where the state government is suing a city government for “failing to allow enough new homebuilding to accommodate a growing population,” according to the LA Times.

Instead, the coalition is advocating for a more balanced approach to improving housing affordability.

Local housing policies In Utah, municipal governments control what types of buildings are built and where.

While some cities may be open to increasing the overall supply of homes by allowing “high-density” projects within their boundaries, many other cities are not.

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Last year, the coalition leadership visited the city council meetings of cities along the Wasatch Front, both educating and getting feedback about the issue.

“It was fairly successful. We got pretty good reception from most of the cities,” said Osborne.

Now with the Utah state legislative session under way, the coalition has moved its focus to Capitol Hill.

On Feb. 8, a group of about 70 coalition members gathered at the capitol to lobby their senators to support a series of bills aimed at improving housing affordability.

One such bill is SB 34, sponsored

by Sen. Jacob Anderegg, R-Lehi. The bill (whose fate wasn’t known at the time of deadline for this article) would require municipal governments to adopt certain policies designed to increase housing affordability in order to be eligible to receive money from the

state’s Transportation Investment Fund. The bill would also appropriate $20 million to the Olene Walker Housing Loan Fund.

One of the coalition members that participated in the lobbying effort was Chris Sloan, a past-president of the Utah Association of Realtors and a former chairman of the Tooele County Chamber of Commerce. He said housing affordability is a “sizable problem that affects all of us.”

Education campaign While getting elected officials on board with combatting the housing gap is important for the coalition, getting the public on board is perhaps even more important.

Draper Mayor Troy Walker called high density development a “four-letter word” when the coalition visited the Draper City Council.

There are cases up and down the Wasatch Front of mayors and city council-

ors facing the wrath of their constituents for having approved a “high-density” development. From the Olympia Hills development in the south-west portion of the valley that was halted by then-Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams because of fierce community backlash, to the Holladay Quarter project that fell apart after the Utah Supreme Court ruled in favor of community organizers that opposed it, the biggest obstacle to increasing the housing supply is most often residents themselves.

To change public perception about the issue, the coalition has launched a public education campaign consisting of billboards, radio ads, social media posts and appearances on local network morning shows.

Osborne said she’s already seen changes in certain communities’ perception of high-density development. “We’re getting people thinking a little differently than they were before. And that’s all we can really do,” she said.

Construction labor force Another impediment to increasing the housing supply is that construction companies simply can’t keep up with the demand because of a lack of skilled workers in the construction industry.

Sen. Daniel Thatcher, who represents parts of Salt Lake and Tooele County, said that encouraging more young people to enter trade professions out of high school is the most important thing that can be done to improve housing affordability.

“The AFL-CIO is the answer to the construction and trades labor shortage,” he said. “Republicans are traditionally against unions, but they really have some great apprenticeship programs. You get pay and benefits from day one, and four years later you’ll have the skills you need to be a freelance electrician, make $80,000 a year and have no college debt.”

The Utah AFL-CIO website lists a number of apprenticeship programs in trades such as roofing, plumbing, masonry and cement and electrical work.

Part of the coalition’s education campaign includes letting soon-to-be high school graduates know that they can enroll in such apprenticeship programs as an alternative to college. After a recent event in the Ogden School District, Osborne said that about 500 students expressed interest in the idea.

Through these efforts, the Housing Gap Coalition is hopeful that Utah can avoid the big drastic moves taken by the likes of California and Minneapolis.

“There’s many things causing the problem, so there’s a lot of different approaches to it,” said Osborne. l

The Utah Housing Gap Coalition is actively lobbying Utah legislators during this session to support bills that would help improve housing affordability. (Justin Adams/City Journals)

March 2019 | Page 11

Women’s Leadership Institute encourages Utah women to ‘Step Up and Run’

By Jennifer J. Johnson | j.johnson@mycityjournals.com

The Women’s Leadership Institute honored the efforts of 43 Utah women who completed its 2018 six-month Political Development Series Feb. 7 at the State Capitol. (Jennifer J. Johnson/City Journals)

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Make a difference in your community by stepping up and running for office.”

That is the straightforward pitch of Utah’s Women’s Leadership Institute (WLI), an innovative organization whose class of more than 40 women politicians and public servants graduated last month. This year’s class was honored Feb. 7 at the Capitol on the floor of the Utah Senate and House of Representatives.

This new cohort of women becomes a leadership force of more than 160 women who have completed the six-month, bipartisan training, covering everything from campaign finance to canvassing. Five of Utah’s mayors, (including Provo City’s first female mayor), two county commissioners, and multiple city council members are among the graduates.

‘Cultural Urgency’ for governing differently The WLI Political Development Series, which has been running since 2015, now, more than ever has “cultural urgency,” said Patricia Jones, WLI chief executive officer.

This cultural urgency can be seen on topics such as education funding, an issue of particular concern to women.

The 2016 New York Times article “Women Actually Do Govern Differently” articulates this point. “Women govern differently than men do in some important ways.

They tend to be more collaborative and bipartisan [and] push for far more policies meant to support women, children, [and] social welfare.” But these bills are also more likely to die, largely because of gender bias, research shows. Women in Congress sponsor and co-sponsor more bills than men do, and bring nine percent more federal money to their districts, according to a study in the “American Journal of Political Science.”

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A 2018 “Political Science Research and Methods” study of more than 150,000 public bills introduced to the national legislature between 1973 and 2014 found that women were significantly more likely than men to sponsor bills in areas like civil rights, health and education. Men were more likely to sponsor bills in agriculture, energy and macroeconomics.

“I think that we were actually ahead of our time with encouraging women to run for office,” observed Jones.

Jones, who served 14 years in the Utah Senate and House of Representatives, was herself ahead of her time and now has helped mentor some of the women comprising Utah’s legislature, which has more women than ever before.

While serving in the legislature, Jones’s sponsorship of funding to teach Utah high school students about personal finance is an example of what WLI does well – help women learn how to advance their unique, passionate perspectives through politics.

(Thanks to Jones’ successful program, Utah is the only state in the United States credited by Yahoo Finance in 2018 as receiving an “A+” for preparing students with financial literacy.)

The Women’s Legislative Network of the National Conference of State Legislatures reports that in 2019 women comprise 28.5 percent of all state legislators nationwide, an increase of 25.3 percent, and the most women elected at one time. Utah’s current legislature is 24 percent female – with 25 of 104 lawmakers being women.

According to 2017 research by the Utah Women & Leadership Project, 24.1 percent of all council members in Utah municipalities are female.

Stepping up to run and to encourage “These women are committed to run

for office. Or at the very least make a difference in their communities,” Jones explained.

Jones went on to describe this year’s class as an extremely diverse group comprised of single moms, women of color, and women with disabilities. “These are women who represent our state and are willing to step up and run.”

“Stepping up” is not just for women, Jones is quick to point out.

Men mentoring women is part of WLI’s ElevateHER Challenge. “We encourage men and women to mentor each other and also to encourage women they know to run for office,” said Jones.

Jones makes the pitch personal, actionable. “If you have a co-worker, neighbor, or family member who would be great — reach out and encourage them. Just like every other piece of advancement, supportive men are a critical component of women who run and end up winning in political office.

“Helping women and men understand the value of gender diversity in business and politics has really become a critical piece of what we do. Not because it’s the ‘nice’ thing to do, but because it’s what can bring a return on investment rapidly. We need women’s voices and we need them at every level.”

Women leaders: A gubernatorial mandate Utah Lieutenant Governor Spencer J. Cox has served on the board of directors for WLI the past five years. He joined WLI CEO Jones in presenting this year’s class with certificates of accomplishment at the Capitol.

The City Journals asked the lieutenant governor how he sees his role – and that of the Governor – in helping Utah women engage and be enabled to make a difference in Utah politics.

“Women need to know that they are

needed at the highest levels. The Governor and I are committed to speaking up on this as often as we can,” he said.

Cox says he is familiar with dozens of women who have completed the training series. “I’m proud that many have gone on to run for office and earn leadership roles in business. This training provides them with skills and resources to make those leaps forward, and the opportunity to meet other strong women with the same drive and passion to make a difference.”

Cox observed that, historically, Utah’s legislature “has not very many women.”

“I am happy to see that changing — even though it is perhaps still changing too slowly,” he said. The new WLI graduates, he says, “represent what Utah has to offer by way of outstanding public leaders in years to come. I am encouraged by their desire to serve. They are prepared, and committed, to improving their world and our great state, and we are proud of their efforts.”

How to step up There is already a waiting list for WLI’s 2019 training, which is scheduled to start September 2019. Interested women can join the list at www.wliut.com/pds. The 2018 cost was $179 for the six, three-hour sessions, which all included lunch. Sessions were alternatingly held at the Salt Lake Chamber and at Silicon Slopes, with live streaming available for those not able to attend in person.

In addition to the Women’s Leadership Institute, Salt Lake Valley women might consider the national She Should Run organization (www.sheshouldrun.org/. Real Women Run (www.ywcautah.org/real-women-run) is a local YWCA program tailored for women more in the beginnings of political interests and often collaborates with WLI. l

Sugar House City Journal

You were just in a car accident, now what?

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nless you’re one of the few anomalies in the world, we’ve all been in an accident. We’ve experienced that sickening feeling when your car makes unwanted contact with another vehicle. We’re frustrated and disheartened.

While we may want to crawl into a hole, we can’t. There are things to do and we’ve given you 10 to be aware of (in no particular order).

1. Have an emergency kit in your car. While this step comes before the accident occurs, it’s essential to be prepared.

Whatever you kit entails, make sure it has a first-aid kit, flashlight, reflective triangles and a small (and simple) camera in case there’s been damage to your phone. We’re typically frustrated or frazzled after an accident and not inclined to rational thinking. Being prepared limits the possibility of forgetfulness.

2. Take a deep breath. Accidents are traumatic experiences. Taking a breath will shift focus from what just happened to what needs to be done next.

3. Get a status check on everyone in the car. Check with each passenger to see if they are OK. Have someone call 911 immediately if someone is injured or unresponsive.

4. Move to a safe location. Most insurance companies recommend relocating the vehicle to the sidewalk or shoulder of the road as soon as possible after the accident. If

MyS ugar HouseJournal .com

the damage to the car is minor, this should be relatively easy. But if there are major injuries or questions about the safety of the car, leave it where it is, even if its blocking traffic.

5. Increase your visibility. Turn on your hazard lights and set out your attention items from the emergency kit—flares, orange cones, reflective triangles, etc. One accident should not lead to another. Take precaution to ensure other drivers on the road remain safe.

6. Stay calm. It is very easy to lose your temper in this situation, it’s human nature. Keeping your cool will keep the situation from getting worse. If it wasn’t your fault, it’s easy to want to let your emotions loose on the other driver. This will cloud your judgment and may lead to something that does not help the situation. You still need to exchange information.

7. Exchange insurance information.

This is imperative. If you are to file a claim on your car, you will need the other driver’s information. Most likely, after an accident you are feeling jumpy or stressed. It means when you try to write down their information your handwriting will look like ancient hieroglyphics and, unless you are a cryptographer, will be unable to read it later. We live in the 21st century, take a photo of their information and take photos of the damage done to both cars.

8. Don’t admit guilt. Every insurance

company will tell you to do this. Even if you are at fault and it was you to blame. This could drive your premium up or even lead to you being sued. Let the police and insurance companies determine this.

9. Call the police. While some minor accidents don’t require a report to be filed, it’s up to the discretion of the drivers in the accident to call the police. Law enforcement can take statements, get information on injuries and property damage. Be sure to ask for a copy of the accident report. If there is a dispute, the officer will be an important testimony.

10. See a doctor. Depending on the in-

juries suffered or not, it is easy to skip this.

A large financial situation has just happened with the car accident, you don’t want another one by seeing the doctor and jacking up your health costs. It’s important to consider it, or possibly speak with one. Adrenaline can be pumping after the accident and one might not notice the amount of whiplash to your neck.

Symptoms can take 24 hours to appear. The warning signs include neck pain, stiffness, loss of motion in the neck, headaches, fatigue, dizziness and pain in the shoulders or upper back. It can be better to be safe than sorry. l

March 2019 | Page 13

Get your Irish on: The St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Siamsi celebration and beyond

By Jennifer J. Johnson | j.johnson@mycityjournals.com

For one year’s parade with the theme “Green Energy,” the Clark Family envisioned a car powered by three types of power: shamrock power, love, and Guinness beer. (Sean Clark/Clark Family Floats, Utah Hibernian Society)

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or many of us across the valley, St. Patrick’s Day is our chance to get our Irish on.

Or, at least some green.

City Journals wanted to take a deeper dive. What are the possibilities for St. Patrick’s Day in Salt Lake Valley, arguably not a major Irish town along the lines of Boston or Chicago? What does it mean to be Irish in Salt Lake on St. Patrick’s Day? Consider this our guide to living it up with one of the best holiday celebrations in the state to figuring out how to celebrate around home, and even explore spirituality with an iconic St. Patrick’s Day symbol.

I say ‘Irish,’ you say ‘Hibernian?’

For the past 41 years, St. Patrick’s Day in the valley has been pretty much synonymous with Salt Lake City’s storied St. Patrick’s Day parade.

This sense of history definitely imbues this year’s parade: The Utah Hibernian Society, hosts of the parade, have chosen a rich aspect of Utah history for its theme, the 150th anniversary of the Golden Spike.

By way of definition, “Hibernian” means an Irish native or anything having to do with Ireland or the Irish.

And the Golden Spike? That is also known as “The Last Spike” or the spike that joined the rails of the First Transcontinental Railroad across the United States connecting the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads in 1869. Irish immigrants made a significant contribution to building the railroad, hence this year’s sub-theme – “Joining of the Rails; 1,776 Miles to Home.”

Parade and Siamsa: family traditions, philanthropy as well as fun The Salt Lake City St. Patrick’s Day Parade and its after-parade Siamsa (pronounced “Shinsa” meaning celebration) at the Gateway is close to home for this year’s Hibernian President and Parade Chair Meghan Welsh-Gibson.

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Welsh-Gibson is a second-generation president of the Utah Hibernian Society, following in her father’s footsteps. Last year she introduced a new route for the parade and also instilled a new tradition, where proceeds of the parade go to benefit a charitable organization.

Last year, longtime parade supporters the Shriners Children’s Hospital were the beneficiaries. This year, the Fisher House Foundation at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital, “much like the Ronald McDonald House, but for veterans and military families,” is the recipient. Welsh-Gibson indicates that a member of the Fisher House will

serve as the grand marshal for this year’s parade.

While the parade was early in collecting applications at press time, Welsh-Gibson did indicate that Irish reporter Brónagh Tumulty from Channel 2 will be carrying the Irish flag along the parade route, and dedicated parade fans can expect enduring favorite entries and new participants embodying the sesquicentennial Golden Spike theme.

The parade starts at 10 a.m. at 500 South and 200 East. The Siamsa after-party takes place at the Gateway.

The festival features Irish dancers, musicians, food, drink, and “lots of vendors selling Irish things,” said Welsh-Gibson.

“Such a fun, fun afternoon.”

The parade route and float-prep site: one family’s second home Some people elect to “summer” in a location other than their primary home.

Salt Lake City’s Clark family doesn’t summer. They “spring.” And their destination location is not a fancy vacation resort, but rather, a junkyard.

It is very much a working spring. Prepping the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade float almost becomes a time-share, during the months leading up to the event. For the past 40 years, the Clark family and friends dedicate anywhere from 60-200 hours, spanning several months, preparing for the parade. Float-making has become second nature, and takes place at their second home — a friend’s junkyard. There they build

each year’s float, and then take part in the St. Patrick’s Day practice event, and then finally gear up for actual show time – parade day along the route.

Sean Clark, an Avenues resident living in the house he grew up in, is Vice President of Special Projects at Vista Staffing during his day job. And for his role on the parade committee for the Hibernian Society? He has a 134-slide chronicle of his family’s engagement in the parade over the past 40 years. His grandfather was grand marshal of the parade in 1984. Sean was carried along the parade route as a two year old.

To Sean Clark and family, the parade is a way of life, a tradition and happens to be his favorite topic to talk about. Clark even has a FaceBook page, “Clark’s St. Patty’s Float.”

Through rain, snow and even Darth Vader: epic floats of the Clark clan Over the years, Clark has been part of epic floats.

There were the 1984 and 2017 floats, which made their way down the parade route in tumultuous rain and snow, respectively.

Then there have been first-place entries, floats featuring Gaelic superheroes (Fionn mac Cumhaill, pronounced Finn McCool), religious saints (St. Patrick driving snakes from Ireland), and Irish green-energy cars (powered by kegs of Guinness).

There was even the one year Clark was not able to physically be in Salt Lake City for the parade. That did not stop him. In 2016, he and a friend used Apple iPhones

Utah Hibernian Society President Meghan Welsh Gibson with husband Jaret Gibson and children get their green on at the 40th annual Salt Lake City St. Patrick’s Day Parade. (Meghan Welsh Gibson/Utah Hibernian Society)

Sugar House City Journal

ity to Ireland. One of the main emblems of the day, the shamrock, is an elegant symbol of the Christian Trinity. The three-leafed shamrock, then, represents, to Irish, God the Father, Jesus Christ the son, and the Holy Ghost.

Being Irish in Utah, according to Smith, means to “usually be Catholic” and to be part of “a tight community.”

Episode 3:17 was the realization of Salt Lake City resident Sean Clark’s lifelong dream to blend “Star Wars” with St. Patrick’s Day. (Sean Clark/Clark Family Floats, Utah Hibernian Society)

and Facetime technology so that he was able to live-stream his singing of the Irish national anthem (in Gaelic) along the parade route, watching the reactions of delighted spectators as he cooed the lyrics into a mic from sunny San Diego.

The blizzard float of 2018 epitomized the parade theme, “When Irish Eyes are Smiling.” Clark built a faux wooden piano, powered by an electric keyboard. “My 8-year-old played his first piano recital, in a moving vehicle, in a blizzard, in front of a few thousand people,” he recalled.

Episode 3:17: the good side of the dark side All Clark’s creations are epic. However, 2017 forces its way to the top. It was then Clark realized a lifelong dream: uniting St. Patrick’s Day with “Star Wars.”

The Clark family won the best family float for the float depicting “Episode 3:17, The Irish Immigrate to a Galaxy, Far, Far

Away.” Clark himself portrayed Han Solo, to his friend’s Darth Vader, who had been cracking down on illegal immigration. Han Solo convinced Vader that Irish were good, worthy people and converted Vader to the dark side – the dark beer side, that is.

As the parade advanced along the parade route, Darth Vader emerged from behind a curtain, “The Zion Curtain,” and the group presented their skit, right in front of the judge’s stand, securing the best family float honors.

‘Our Holiest Day’ Irishwoman Connie Smith lives in Sugar House with a Scottish spouse and three dogs. To her and her household, St. Patrick’s Day is “our holiest day.” Smith’s day job is being an associate broker and realtor at Constance Smith Realtor, but she is also a chaplain.

Smith explained the spiritual side of St. Patrick’s Day. St. Patrick brought Christian-

Episode 3:17 was the realization of Salt Lake City resident Sean Clark’s (a.k.a. “Han Solo”) lifelong dream to blend “Star Wars” with St. Patrick’s Day. (Sean Clark/Clark Family Floats, Utah Hibernian Society)

The Color Guard ensemble traditionally leads the 100-plus entries for Salt Lake City’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade. (Grace McDonough)

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It also, perhaps stereotypically, means being lucky, very lucky.

“To be Irish in Utah is to be very lucky!

Irish can laugh and cry at the same time. We wear hearts on our sleeve. All of us, whether fourth-generation or second-generation like me, we long for our Irish roots.”

“All of us consider ourselves Irish American, not American Irish, and we all have a very deep tie to the Old Country,” she explained.

The parade and beyond For Smith, celebrating St. Patrick’s Day is all about family and friends. For Smith and husband Alan Cunningham they attend the parade, go to the after-party and then go for a pint. “We always go to one of the bars – Sugar House’s Fiddler’s Elbow, Central City’s Piper’s Down, or downtown’s Green Pig.” “I always go to the parade,” said Smith, who is a proud product of the Catholic school system. Smith, who grew up in Holladay, attended St. Ann’s for K-8th, and then Judge Memorial for high school. “I run into all my friends from high school, even from grade school in the parade. If we don’t see each other any other time, we will see each other at the parade.”

Like the “master float-building” Clark family, Smith views St. Patrick’s Day as a family day. “We always toast my father and my grandmother, who are no longer with us.”

How to celebrate at home: DIY St. Patrick’s Day from Utah pros Love the parade but are not able to make it to downtown? Or to one of the other venues?

The Hibernians interviewed here have some DIY tips.

For most (except Irish Protestants or “Orange Men” who wear orange), celebrating St. Patrick’s Day starts with the color green.

The look Utah’s family-owned Zurchers, with six stores in the Salt Lake Valley and online shopping, offer relatively inexpensive and zany St. Patrick’s Day attire and decorations.

Millcreek’s venerable Costume Closet takes elegance up a notch and also has zany aplenty.

The nine Deseret Industries thrift stores across the valley already organize clothing items by color, making St. Patrick’s Day scouting a snap.

Nail salons all across the valley do custom-nail creations, or bottled polish and face

paint from a grocery store can even one-up the pro stylists for the creative DIY’er.

The goodies Food is always a big element for any St. Patrick’s Day celebration.

Smith always makes traditional Irish dishes, including Irish soda bread, paired with corned beef and cabbage.

Locally, downtown’s longstanding Mrs. Backer’s Pastry Shop prides itself in its Irish soda bread, which it offers only during the “green” season.

On the infinitely less authentic, but easy side? Salt Lake’s Banbury Cross offers green doughnuts, and even McDonald’s offers shamrock shakes.

Irish eyes are watching Film is also a celebratory that helps commemorate the day.

“There are 1,001 amazing Irish movies,” exclaimed Hibernian President Welsh-Gibson.

And all the ones recommended are available through the Salt Lake City Library and Salt Lake County Library systems, for checkout. Reserve your St. Patty CDs early.

Some of the recommends include: “The Quiet Man,” a 1952 film with John Wayne as an Irishman returning to his native country. “In the Name of the Father” is a drama-thriller with political overtones starring Daniel-Day Lewis. Welsh-Gibson recommends “Michael Collins,” another politically-themed film with Liam Neeson in the title role.

For chaplain-realtor Smith, watching the film “Waking Ned Devine” on St. Patrick’s Day is akin to the tradition many have of watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” at Christmas. “We watch it every St. Patrick’s Day,” she said of the 1998 Indie film which looks at twisted luck.

But, if you can, get out and enjoy the parade — in person or virtually.

Parade-professional Clark encourages those not able to go to the parade to try to “be there” virtually by having a family member or friend broadcast it live to them via “Facetime,” the way he joined the parade from San Diego.

However, he is convinced once you feel the contagious energy of the parade’s “wild atmosphere,” you are going to insist on heading downtown. “You are going to look at that, and say, ‘Oh my gosh! Why aren’t I down there?’”

Clark says Irish music is “a great way to feel connected to Irish culture.”

His favorite way to celebrate? “Smile at people, say hello, and wish them a happy St. Patrick’s Day,” he said. “Irish people like to live up to the stereotype of being a friendly, family people. It’s the biggest day for bars, but… it is so fun for families!”l

March 2019 | Page 15

Elevating women in the workplace

By Aspen Perry | a.perry@mycityjournals.com

Utah GirlsTACKLE FOOTBALL

Registration for Spring League open now!

This football league is the first of its kind and we invite all girls (4th-12th grade) to join. www.UtahGirlsTackleFootball.com

A packed auditorium during the May 2018 ElevateHER panel. (Nicole Carpenter/WLI)

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t a time when Utah’s business industry has a poor showing for gender pay equality, in addition to record low numbers of women in executive roles, many wonder: Can Utah elevate its business practices?

Five years ago, the Women’s Leadership Institute (WLI) created the ElevateHER challenge, in an effort to encourage Utah companies to do better, while fostering a collaborative environment, in lieu of blame.

“It’s not a blame or shame game,” said Pat Jones, CEO of WLI. “Men [are] important in addressing this and finding solutions to maximizing our talent pool,” she continued.

When a Utah company accepts the ElevateHER challenge, they agree to evaluate the role women hold within their organization. This serves as a means to both increase the number of women in leadership, as well as retain existing talent.

Companies are also encouraged to both monitor and identify gender pay inequity within their organization—a practice Jones said has resulted in salary bumps for men, as well as women.

Jones explained the idea is to provide companies with a toolbox, which will increase their ability to attract and retain talent.

Thus far, almost 200 companies have taken part in the ElevateHER challenge, according to the list of companies on WLI’s website, with the number increasing every year.

Of those companies, The Salt Lake Chamber, went from participating in the ElevateHER challenge to inviting WLI to collaborate on an awareness campaign. The gender wage gap campaign was launched in December of 2018, and is designed to offer

Page 16 | March 2019

both education and solutions on ways companies can close the gender wage gap.

According to the information from the campaign, Utah ranks 50th in the nation for gender pay inequity, which the Salt Lake Chamber and WLI argue are not just bad for local business, but can also deter quality companies from moving their businesses to Utah.

Materials made available by Salt Lake Chamber and WLI provide real-time examples and current practices of companies who are succeeding in this realm, in addition to highlighting various ways women are often viewed differently in the workplace.

In spite of the disparity in treatment for males and females, Jones feels it’s important both parties understand the complimentary differences they both bring to the table.

“Men are absolutely advocates and allies of women and working with us,” Jones said.

In addition to the ElevateHER challenge, WLI runs other programs including a

Career Development Series (CDS), designed to help women maximize their career potential. CDS meets once a month, over an eightmonth period, and includes workshops and conferences for $995, which are geared toward women in mid- to upper-level careers.

“We try to keep cost down, but quality very high,” Jones said, of the various programs offered.

WLI is also in the process of wrapping up its fourth year running a Political Development Series. For political development training, participants are required to only buy lunch, since WLI did not want any women to not participate due to financial reasons.

“I didn’t want women to not take [the class], and not run for office, because they couldn’t afford it,” Jones said.

Jones attributes WLI’s ability to keep costs down to the support of the local business community and their sponsorship of the multitude of programs offered.

“Frankly, they’re wanting to increase the number of the women they hire,” Jones said, as she explained why companies take such an active role with WLI. While Utah is far from holding a great spot on the national scale of equality in the office, the number of programs in place to help Utah businesses mend their ways suggests prospects may be looking up. l

FOOTBALL IS WHAT WE DO.

Recipients of the ElevateHER medal challenge. (Nicole Carpenter/WLI)

Sugar House City Journal

March is Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month

Who will bee the Utah spelling champion?

By Amy Green | a.green@mycityjournals.com

By Heather Lawrence | heather.lawrence@thecityjournals.com

Savannah enjoys picking out and sharing dandelions—her favorite flower. (Amy Green/City Journals)

D

onning a green ribbon isn’t just for St. Patrick’s Day. This March, wearing a green ribbon represents a show of support for Celebral Palsy Awareness Month.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a neurological disorder that affects movement, motor skills and muscle tone. CP is caused by brain damage that happens in utero, during labor and delivery, or soon after birth.

Adam Hunninghake, a doctor of physical medicine and rehabilitation explained, “There is a spectrum of how cerebral palsy can affect someone from very mild impairment to having spasticity in their limbs and having difficulty communicating.” There is no reversing or curing it.

Jana Murray is a long-time resident of both Sandy and Herriman. She has a 24-yearold daughter Savannah, who was born with cerebral palsy. Murray has much experience keeping a child with cerebral palsy active, socialized and involved. There are rarely, if any, breaks. Savannah’s care is ongoing.

Murray remembers a disappointing day taking Savannah to a public pool. Savannah needed to wear floaties (inflatable armbands) in order to swim safely, as the motor control area of her brain does not operate fully. The pool attendees would not allow Savannah to be an adult-sized person in the pool with floaties on. Only children were allowed to wear them, they insisted. There was no ex-

MyS ugar HouseJournal .com

ception made to allow Savannah to enjoy the water because of this policy. Murray knows there’s room for improvement, with facilities making accommodations for handicapped individuals. A few realistic safety measures can help everyone participate.

Hunninghake said, “For all people, and that includes people with cerebral palsy, movement is vital. It’s what keeps us healthy.

It’s what allows us independence. It lets us do things that give us quality of life.”

Murray offers advice on being a support for those with special needs. She is also a strong advocate for the caregivers.

“It can be uncomfortable to watch people with cerebral palsy move, interact and even eat. They can drool. They can be (what you might consider) inappropriate as far as a personal bubble space. They are human beings who deserve kindness. They do not always understand personal space,” Murray said.

Caregivers know this and work closely to help their children with CP. “It’s okay to be uncomfortable,” Murray said. “If they are in your space, just be kind. They have needs, too. It’s not an easy thing for anyone.”

A caregiver might not accept everyone’s offer of help, because a person with special needs might require a professional for many situations. But asking a caregiver how to help is best. Just being friendly and inclusive is what Murray suggested most.

“I have a mom friend whose son has severe, severe CP. She would put stickers of race cars on her son’s wheelchair, just so that people would talk to him. I don’t know how much of that interaction the boy really understood, but it meant the world to his mother when people interacted with her son,” Murray said.

Another friend of Savannah’s gave her a dog-walking job, so that Savannah could have an active, more grown-up type of experience she craves.

March is a good time to talk about interacting with those with special needs. Saying hello, giving a high five and general inclusiveness are good ways to start. Invite a person with a disability to participate in an activity. The goal is to acknowledge and treat special needs people as one would a typical friend.

The City Journals welcomes thoughts on helping to raise awareness, acceptance and opportunities for community members with unique challenges. Follow on social media www.facebook.com/thecityjournals/ to share or comment on this story. l

Photo courtesy of Bryan Scott/City Journals

O

n Saturday, March 23 students from Davis, Weber, Utah and Salt Lake Counties will gather to compete in the Scripps-authorized Regional Spelling Bee. As the official sponsor, we at The City Journals are especially excited.

Bryan Scott is the Creative Director at The City Journals and said it’s one of his favorite days. “We’ve been sponsoring this event since 2015, so this is our fifth year. These kids are amazing. They are the one-percenters,” Scott said.

The Regional Spelling Bee is a qualifier for the National Spelling Bee, which will be held in Washington, D.C. the week of May 26-31.

“The winner represents our area of Utah. The champion of our round and one of their parents will get an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. The Bee is aired on ESPN. They also see the National Zoo and Washington, D.C. monuments and sites,” said Scott.

This year, there are 106 schools participating in the Northern Utah Region qualifying round. Each school can send two champions. Home-schooled students are also eligible to participate. All students need to register by March 3.

“When you take into account the kids who participate on a school level, we estimate that 30,000 kids are participating in Utah this year. Scripps states that they have over 11 million students who participated last year throughout the nation,” said Scott.

Official rules state that students in third through fifth grade are eligible to

participate. Previous local champions are welcome.

Scott said he’s looking forward to the Regional Bee, which will start promptly at 9 a.m., Saturday, March 23 at Hillcrest Jr. High, 178 E. 5300 South in Murray. “It is one of my favorite days of the year. We wake up early on a Saturday and spend most of the day with these kids. It’s fun getting to know them,” Scott said.

In a 2018 interview with Mary Dickson of KUED’s “Contact,” Scott mentioned the importance of spelling in today’s workforce. “I spoke to a gentleman the other day who hires coders. So here’s a tech industry… where you take a good speller, and they can code twice as fast as someone who can’t spell very well,” Scott said.

The City Journals partners with several sponsors who donate their financial support. A gala was held Jan. 25 at Noah’s Event Venue to thank those partners.

They include: Comcast Internet Essentials, Sam’s Club, Layton Construction, Noah’s Event Venue, Jordan Education Foundation, Smith’s Food and Drug, Ulrich Realtors’ Joe Olschewski, APEX Clean Air, Mélange Beverages, Ledgestone Home Design, Canyons School District, Ruby Snap Cookies, Texas Roadhouse and the Murray City School District.

“We could not do this without partners who provide us considerable financial support,” said Scott. l

March 2019 | Page 17

Highland wrestling places eighth in divisionals, sends five to state

By Josh McFadden | josh@mycityjournals.com

Highland’s Jonah Gaye competes with an opponent from a match earlier this season. (Photo courtesy of Ted Sierer)

T

he high school wrestling season is a long one—starting in November and extending into February. It begins with rigorous practices and workouts, followed by a slew of tournaments and duel meets.

The biggest tests come at the beginning of February with the divisional and state meets.

The Highland Rams competed with other Class 5A teams at the divisonals on Feb.

2, held at West High School. The top eight wrestlers in each weight class earned a place at the state meet, Feb. 13–14 at Utah Valley University.

Highland competed in Division B with 11 other squads and finished in eighth place with 102 total points, just ahead of East, which had 99, and a good distance behind sixth-place Jordan, which ended up with 161.

The Rams had five representatives se-

cure a spot at state. The top competitors for Highland were Colin Sierer and Paul Clark.

Sierer, son of head coach Ted Sierer, was runner-up in the 106-pound class, while Clark was the No.2 finisher at 182 pounds.

“This set them up with pretty good seeds going into the state tournament,” Ted Sierer said. “They wrestled well throughout the tournament and showed some of the best wrestling they have done throughout the season.”

Three other Rams made it to state. Isaiah Gonzalez finished in fourth place in the 126-pound weight class. Taten Sykes punched his ticket to state by placing sixth at 160 pounds. Eli Curtis was Highland’s final qualifier, doing just enough to get in, as he placed eighth in the 106-pound class to join teammate Colin Sierer. Jonah Gaye was ninth place in his group, meaning he was an alternate at state.

“I thought we wrestled well at the divisional tournament,” Ted Sierer said. “It is a tough tournament because it is half of the teams in the 5A classification. It’s basically a mini-state tournament.”

Ted Sierer has high hopes for his son and for Clark. Both did well all season, and could last deep into the state rounds, he said.

“I look forward to seeing how well Colin and Paul do at state,” he said. “They both

have a great chance to place really high. If they can wrestle to the best of their abilities, the sky is the limit for them. They will both have some difficult matches, but I feel that they can both rise to the occasion.”

Ted Sierer said the biggest surprise at the divisional tournament was Curtis. Though he wrestles in the smallest weight class of 106 pounds, he weighs 88 pounds and overcame some challenges to reach state.

“He is basically wrestling people 20 pounds heavier than him,” he said. “I wasn’t counting on him to be one of the ones who would be going to state. He beat the kids he needed to beat to make it in. I am excited for him.”

A few days before state began, Ted Sierer reflected on his goals and hopes for the tournament. He said he wanted to see at least four of the five qualifiers place. He knows this won’t be an easy feat. His competitors have been through a lot physically and mentally during the season. Still, he’s impressed with everyone’s resolve to do their best and put a memorable cap on the season.

“The wrestlers are tired at this point in the season, but they are excited to get out on the mat again and finish strong,” he said.

“They continue to have great attitudes and come out ready to battle each time they step on the mat.” l

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Page 18 | March 2019

Sugar House City Journal

Highland boys basketball earns playoff berth

By Josh McFadden | josh@mycityjournals.com

Highland’s Chris Rich (No. 33 in the dark jersey) drives to the basket along the baseline in action earlier this season. (Photo courtesy of James Boyce)

E

ntering the final week of the boys basketball season, there were three teams contending for two playoff sports from Region 6.

The Highland Rams were one of these squads.

At our press time, the Rams finished up region with a 4-6 record, tied with Murray for the third seed. Highland lost the tiebreaker dropping to the fourth seed and matching up with Bountiful, the Region 5 champ (after our deadline). Olympus (10-0) and East (8-2) had

already sewn up the top seeds in the region, with Skyline staying home from the playoffs, Feb. 25 through March 2 at Weber State University.

It’s been an up-and-down season for the Rams, who went 7-5 in non-region play.

Highland had a pair of blowout league wins over West (61-41 and 64-38) and a narrow victory over Murray, 56-53 on Jan. 29, proving it could win both types of games.

Even in defeat, Highland has given opponents all they could handle. In both meetings with second-place East, the Rams took the Leopards down to the wire.

On Jan. 11, Highland held East to just 43 points but could only manage 38 of its own in a five-point loss.

On Feb. 1, in the rematch, the two teams had more offensive production and played an even closer game. The Rams trailed 51-43 after three quarters and nearly came back to upset the favorite Leopards. Highland outscored East 18-12 in the fourth quarter but fell just short in a 63-61 loss. Christian Rich and Liki Makaui each had 19 points, and Jackson Hawes added 14 points and four rebounds.

The Rams were an impressive 15 of 17 from the foul line.

Highland also gave Olympus its closest test in region play in the past two seasons.

On Feb. 5, the Rams put a big scare into the defending Class 5A champs, going toe to toe with the Titans in an 85-79 overtime loss on the road. What was more impressive about the effort was the fact that Olympus had toyed with Highland in the teams’ earlier meeting, 79-42 on Jan. 15. This time around, Highland took a 37-35 halftime lead and held a narrow 55-54 advantage heading into the fourth quarter. The two teams combined for 39 points over the final six minutes, and it took an extra

session to decide the result.

Olympus was too much in overtime, outlasting Highland thanks to an 11-5 run. One of the biggest reasons the Rams couldn’t quite pull off the stunning victory was because Olympus made 27 free throws to just five for Highland. Four Rams scored in double figures in the game. Rich led the way with 19 points, while Makaui contributed 17 points and six assists. Hawes had 10 points and eight rebounds, and Nate Warr had 10 points, four rebounds and four assists.

Highland’s final two games were critical.

The Rams played at Skyline Feb. 15 where they emerged victorious 73-63. But ended the regular season Feb. 19 at home against Murray with a heartbreaking 66-63 loss. In previous meetings, Highland lost to Skyline 64-56 and defeated Murray 56-53. Highland sealed a playoff spot, something the program has accomplished every season this century.

The Rams’ fortunes will likely rest heavily on the play of Rich and Makaui, who have been the team’s scoring leaders all season at 16 points and 12 points per game, respectively.

Hawes has a 9.5 scoring average, while Warr and Bronson Olevao each score around six points an outing. All four players are seniors, so Highland has some big shoes to fill next season. l

Paying for College – Five Tips from an Expert

By Joshua Montavon, Director of Financial Aid at Westminster College A student’s decision about where to attend college is both exciting and overwhelming. Excitement can quickly turn to anxiety as families crunch budget numbers to determine how to pay for school. Knowing a few key terms and what questions to ask make all the difference when making an informed college choice. Here are a few recommendations I consistently make to families to ensure they are taking advantage of all the different financial aid options available.

1. Complete a FAFSA Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) during a student’s senior year. As indicated in the name,

the FAFSA is a free application that a student and parent complete together that helps determine eligibility for federal grant and loan money. The FAFSA opens on October 1 for the following school year. Families can send that information to as many as ten schools initially by adding each college’s school code. That application is sent to each school providing the necessary information to calculate both institutional and federal aid eligibility. Even if you believe your family may not be eligible, the FAFSA is free and may consider you for other forms of aid you may not even know exist.

2. Review Award Letters Students accepted to a college will receive a financial aid offer in the form of a financial aid award letter. That award letter provides the family with a breakdown of estimated costs and financial assistance that the student may be eligible to receive. These award letters are a tool for families to review those differences in both cost as well as aid eligibility between schools.

3. Understand Grant and Scholarship Options Each college will offer applicants a combination of grants, scholarships, and loan options available.

Qualified applicants may receive merit scholarships based on high school performance or other factors along with need-based aid. Need-based aid is often calculated from information on the FAFSA. Both merit and need-based aid amounts will vary significantly from school to school.

Grants and scholarships are the most sought after aid sources as they do not need to be repaid.

Unlike merit and need-based aid, eligibility

MyS ugar HouseJournal .com

for Federal Pell Grant and Federal Stafford Loans are fairly consistent between schools. Those amounts are determined by the federal government through the FAFSA rather than institutional criteria.

4. Invest in Your Education Most families fear student loans. When borrowed responsibly, student loans are a great resource to make college affordable and an investment in the student’s future. That being said, it’s important to understand the terms and conditions of those loans. Federal Stafford Loans, generally separated into subsidized and unsubsidized loans, do not have to be repaid until six months after graduation. Those loans are generally repaid as monthly payments over ten years. Subsidized loans will not gain interest while the student is attending. Unsubsidized loans will gain interest during the student’s program.

Understanding the amounts offered on the financial aid award letter is the primary way to determine college affordability. Since each college’s costs and aid opportunities vary so greatly, it’s important to view the document in its entirety. The net cost after applying grants, scholarships, and loans will help bring the affordability picture into focus.

5. Ask Any and All Questions Do not be afraid to ask questions. If something you have read or received doesn’t make sense, ask. Understanding the financial aid process and the associated commitments will alleviate most of the affordability anxiety so the student can concentrate on academic success and personal growth.

March 2019 | Page 19

Rams swim solid times at state meet

By Josh McFadden | josh@mycityjournals.com

Olivia White swims the 100-yard backstroke at the 5A state meet in Provo. (Photo courtesy Cindy Nordstrom)

U

nlike most high school sports, the state championships of swimming involve just about every team in a given classification—all at the same time and place.

The Class 5A state meet took place at Brigham Young University. The event was so big that it was held over two days, Feb. 8 and 9. Teams from Class 6A joined 5A schools at the venue.

Among 20 other 5A participants, the Highland girls finished in 14th place, while

the boys wound up in the 11th spot. The girls tallied 62 points, and the boys accumulated 79, just eight away from cracking the top 10. It’s the same spot the girls attained last season; the boys improved one slot, going up from 12th a year ago.

The girls 200-yard medley relay team placed ninth in the event, swimming the race in 1:57.16. Senior Arden Tesch, senior Katarina Schilling, senior Kara Ngu and junior Annie Murdock teamed up to beat

out seven other opponents. In the 400 freestyle relay, Murdock combined efforts with freshman Olivia Dunn, freshman Kate Murdock and Tesch to finish 12th with a time of 3:57.72.

Individually, Tesch had an excellent showing in the 200 free. She placed fourth with a time of 1:58.18, four seconds behind the champion and earned the Rams 15 points.

She was also fifth in the 500 free, swimming the long race in 5:16.45 and getting 14 points

for her team. She was just two seconds behind the fourth-place swimmer and six seconds ahead of the fifth-place finisher.

In the 100 breaststroke, Schilling qualified for the finals and picked up three points by finishing 14th with a time of 1:13.10.

The boys also placed ninth in the 200 medley relay. Junior Michael Wallis, senior Dylan Davis, junior Nicholas Pembroke and junior Seth Hatch swam the relay in 1:43.57, just 0.92 seconds behind the team in front of them. The Rams were also ninth in the 400 free relay on the boys’ side. Davis led off, followed by Pembroke, Wallis and junior Zak Peterson. Together, they finished the race in 3:24.04 and got 18 points for Highland.

Peterson placed 10th in the 200 free, swimming it in 1:49.29, less than a second behind the ninth-place competitor. He was also ninth in the 500 free with a time of 5:04.80, shaving a second off his preliminary time.

Meanwhile, Wallis produced the top boys individual performance by swimming the challenging 100 butterfly in 53.70 seconds, good enough for fourth place and 15 points. l

Play-in game victory secures spot at state for Highland girls basketball

By Josh McFadden | josh@mycityjournals.com

I

Kaija Glasker drives around her opponent during a game this season. (Justin Adams/City Journals)

Page 20 | March 2019

n Region 6 girls basketball, the Highland Rams and Skyline Eagles battled for the final playoff spot for a good part of the year. So, it’s fitting that the two teams met at the end of the regular season to decide which squad would move on to state.

But once wasn’t enough.

Thanks to Highland’s thrilling regular-season-ending victory over Skyline in double overtime on Feb. 12, 57-55, the two rivals finished the region campaign tied for fourth place in Region 6 with a 3-7 mark. It was Highland’s second-straight win following a losing streak of seven games. In the victory over the Eagles, Highland’s Olivia Beckstead had a game-high 20 points, including six three-pointers. She also recorded four steals and was part of a Ram defense that limited Skyline to just four points in the fourth quarter and four points in the second overtime. Chelsey Cowburn and Kaija Glasker each added 13 in the critical victory. Glasker also cleaned the boards with nine rebounds.

Because Skyline defeated Highland in the teams’ earlier victory, the squads met three days later for a play-in game to determine which school would advance to the state tournament. The game, played at West High School, was a defensive struggle. It also featured a late Highland comeback that led to a

38-32 for the Rams and a ticket to the playoffs.

Highland’s defensive effort carried over from the second half of the previous game, as it limited Skyline to four points in the first quarter. Highland led by five heading into the second quarter, but Skyline founds its groove and outscored Highland 23-15 over the next 12 minutes of game time.

The Rams had some ground to make up as the fourth quarter began, trailing 27-24.

That’s when the offense and defense both stepped up at the right time, sending Highland to the state tournament for the sixth straight season. Highland outscored Skyline 14-5 in the fourth quarter to secure a 38-32 victory.

Bri Neeleman led the Rams with 11 points.

She was the only Highland player to score in double figures, though Cowburn and Glasker each had nine points. Highland managed 10 field goals (the same number as Skyline), but the team hit 18 of 23 free throws.

These two wins over Skyline matched the Rams up with Box Elder in a first-round state tournament game Feb. 19 at Salt Lake Community College where they fell 23-36. Box Elder won Region 5 and entered the playoffs with an overall record of 16-6. The Eagles were 10-12 overall during the regular season. l

Sugar House City Journal

Newly-minted County Mayor Jenny Wilson talks about staff, strategies and her favorite words

By Jennifer J. Johnson | j.johnson@mycityjournals.com

A political centrist, new Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson pairs the eastside political leanings of liberal policy advisor Weston Clark (shown here) with those of conservative southwest policy advisor Ryan Perry (not pictured). (Jennifer J. Johnson/City Journals)

W

e have all heard of the “Great American Dream.”

But what about the “Great Salt Lake County Dream?”

The Great Salt Lake County Dream is the vision of newly-minted Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson.

Democrat Wilson was sworn in as Mayor of Salt Lake County Jan. 29, after winning a four-candidate special-election runoff by central committee members of the Salt Lake County Democratic Party. The special election mechanism was invoked to fill the county mayoral spot vacated by Ben McAdams as he went to Washington, D.C., having defeated Republican Mia Love.

Wilson is slated to complete the last two years of McAdams’ original term, and then plans to campaign to reclaim the seat in 2020.

Most recently, she lost the U.S. Senate race to Republican Mitt Romney in the same election advancing McAdams.

Unpacking ‘The Salt Lake County Dream’ The term “Great American Dream” was coined in 1931 by Pulitzer Prize-winning author James Truslow Adams. It is a dream “in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement… [It is] a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.”

The Great Salt Lake County Dream, à la Wilson, includes ensuring the public good in terms of air quality, housing access and affordability, and the delicate balance of growth management. Wilson strives for a diversified economy, and seeks to “preserve that with an expanding population.”

“A lot of people have been left behind,” she observed.

MyS ugar HouseJournal .com

And, in her point of view, more Salt Lake County citizens are now being left behind, from Medicaid-expansion movement by first the Utah Legislature, and then Utah Governor Gary Herbert.

Just days after she met with City Journals, the Mayor had one of her dream-like priorities firmly quashed – her support of Utah’s Medicaid expansion, a program she indicated as being the “best for our county” in “giving people the healthcare they deserve.”

In the November 2018 election, 53 percent of Utahns voted to expand the state’s coverage of medical coverage for the poor via the citizen-initiated Proposition 3. Concerned with ensuring “compassion and frugality,” the Republican Legislature drafted a services-limiting bill to supersede the citizen initiative, which was signed into law early last month by Herbert, closed all hope of the people’s mandate.

Nonetheless, Wilson—a Harvard- and University of Utah-educated, second-generation of a Salt Lake County political dynasty (her father, Ted Wilson, was a three-termwinning mayor of Salt Lake City)—is firmly committed to helping realize the Salt Lake County version of the American Dream, and says she has a 30-, 60- and 90-day plan to make it happen for the nearly 1.5 million citizens of the county.

Wilson’s first 30 days Wilson told City Journals that the first few months in office is, in great part, about building relationships with senior leadership and employees. It is also about stabilization.

Wilson already has two senior policy advisors named to her staff. Immediately exhibiting centrism at the outset of her first term, Wilson has flanked herself with senior policy advisors Weston Clark and Ryan Perry.

Clark lives in Salt Lake City’s Eastside Harvard-Yale neighborhood. He is an openly gay, decorated former Chair of the Salt Lake County Democrats. Clark previously advised

Wilson in her capacity as Salt Lake County Councilwoman.

Perry calls Southwest-valley’s Riverton home and has held statewide responsibilities in Utah’s Republican Party. Perry has deep experience in policy and administrative roles and a long-term role in the county. He received recent notoriety as part of an ancillary probe of the “BonusGate” controversy involving the Unified Fire Authority and thenchief Michael Jensen, who still serves as a member of the Salt Lake County Council.

Having the bipartisan team of Perry and Clark seems to echo the tenor the previous mayor, McAdams, set. McAdams hired community outreach personnel who had previously staffed multiple Republican administrations, here in Utah and elsewhere.

For the key role of communications director, Wilson has tapped out-of-area broadcast veteran Chloe Morroni who recently relocated to Salt Lake a few months ago.

Communications is critical for the Wilson administration. During the run-off campaign for mayor, one of Wilson’s opponents touted her own unique communications skills in “telling Salt Lake County’s story.” Wilson seems to have taken that to heart, promoting the big-picture “dream” and hiring veteran Edwin R. Murrow and Emmy award-winning broadcaster Morroni.

To tell and sell “Salt Lake County’s Story,” Morroni will look to leverage the Mayor’s deep knowledge of county programs, gained from Wilson’s having served 10 years as an “At-Large” member of the Salt Lake County Council. This experience has been further informed by what she tells City Journals are “hundreds of conversations” gleaned while going door-to-door on the campaign trail, prior to being elected mayor.

Wilson’s 60-90 Days After putting a staff in place, Wilson wants to work swiftly to keep the county from being “a little scattered” with certain initiatives such as air quality policy.

Wilson vows to explore creative solutions to help control the cost of housing in the county, real-world solutions to improving our air quality, and managing growth in a way that enhances economic development while maintaining a high quality of life. Growth, she feels, must balance with environmental justice and be driven by community-based economic development.

Wilson feels the need to learn from the stalled Olympia Hills high-density housing project, which sailed through the county council 7-1, only to be vetoed by then-Mayor McAdams, amid profound citizen complaint.

“We missed as a community,” she reflects. “We used a traditional process, but missed by failing to communicate the overall, long-term picture.”

That “picture?” What was missing was clear communication to residents of “a decades-long commitment to infrastructure.”

Referred to as “another Daybreak,” the math was simple: 9,000 acres, 900 units. Approval was anything but simple, with the Salt Lake County Council (including then-Councilwoman Wilson) approving, but Southwest Valley mayors uniting to oppose, Herriman citizens being outraged, and then-Mayor McAdams ultimately vetoing. McAdams’ veto sent the project back to the drawing board in terms of zoning and any future projects.

Projects, Wilson believes, need the tandem tools of “benchmarks” and “best practices.” A big believer in data capture and sharing, Wilson wants to “enrich Salt Lake County’s partnerships with each municipality and township in our boundaries to help ensure our respective services are coordinated and efficient.”

With Brighton now incorporating as a city, thereby joining Salt Lake County, Wilson now oversees coordination matters of 18 different cities. Seeking to get “every local community and every mayor on board,” Wilson wants to establish “Best Practices Advisory Teams” and to “be that connector” between cities.

Wilson also expressed the need to prioritize transportation solutions for access to the canyons.

The Snowmaggeddon Hiccup Any 30-, 60-, or 90-day plan may not have anticipated the “Snowmaggedon” of Feb. 6, 2019.

On that day, numerous school districts, city, and private businesses were closed due to persistent snowfall the evening before, the early morning, and throughout the day.

This happening one week after assuming the role, gave Wilson an early insight into what it’s like to be the Salt Lake County Mayor, where, even to a veteran public servant like Wilson, the work can be daunting.

“A lot of assignments, a lot of work, a lot of decisions on a daily basis,” she recounts of her freshman mayor experience.

By 7:30 a.m. on Feb. 6, within 20 minutes of receiving briefings and having discussions, Wilson made the call to shut down most county operations. She indicated being proud of county-wide snow service running smoothly that day, as well as life-critical programs such as Meals on Wheels being executed without problem, amid sometimes ferocious storming.

She says she is awed by the “power of the county and how critical our services are,” adding, “I had the chance to see this in action, very quickly.” l

March 2019 | Page 21

Delicious Deals

A

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re you looking for deals on Utah restaurants? Or maybe you’re trying to find a new favorite restaurant? We’ve got you covered! If you check out our website, we update our restaurant deals weekly to keep you up to date on the best local food deals. Here are some of the frequent highlights.

For breakfast deals, you could always visit the regulars like IHOP and Village Inn. Or, you could try Pig & A Jelly Jar in Salt Lake, or the famous Belgian Waffle and Omelet Inn in Midvale.

Are you needing that raw energy to get you through the day? Check out Chopfuku Sushi Bar in Taylorsville, Blue Marlin in Sandy, or Itto Sushi in downtown Salt Lake.

If you’re invoking your inner carnivore this weekend there’s Tokyo Steakhouse & Asian Fusion in Lehi, Tony Burgers or Ruby River Steak House in Salt Lake City.

Eating at home all the time can get boring, just like American food. If your taste buds are craving a vacation, try any of the following restaurants to trick your taste buds into believing they are out of town.

Instead of taking a 13+ hour flight to Asia, visit Chow Time Buffet in West Valley or Lanikai Grill in South Jordan.

If the ideal vacation destination is Europe, visit The Gallery Grill in Sugarhouse for Russian and European Cuisine.

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Personally, my taste buds have been craving Thai food, so I’ll be visiting District Thai Lao in Orem, and Sala Thai Kitchen in Salt Lake.

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close to home, there’s always pizza! Papa Johns, Domino’s, Papa Murphy’s, Little Caesars and Pizza Hut always have great rotating deals.

I promote supporting local businesses through, so for pizza we’d recommend trying Este Pizzeria in Sugarhouse, MidiCi Neapolitan Pizza in Salt Lake City, The Junction Pizzeria in Midvale, Big Daddy’s Pizza in South Salt Lake, David’s Pizza in Kaysville, Francesco’s in Taylorsville, Wild Mushroom Pizza in Salt Lake, Big Apple Pizza in Salt Lake, The Pizza Runner in Ogden, or Pizza Factory in Lindon, Spanish Fork, Syracuse and Provo.

Lastly, don’t forget that International Women’s Day is this month (March 8). So, ladies, if you need a place to eat, preferably without the munchkins, Bout Time Pub and Grub in Layton, Scoffy’s Social Pub in Midvale, Tailgaters Grill in Ogden, Christopher’s Prime Tavern or Grill in Salt Lake City should be your destination!

These deals, and more (including The Pie Pizzeria and Leatherby’s) can always be found on the Entertainment app. For more information about the Entertainment Happenings book and app, please visit our website: coupons4utah.com, or follow us on social media: @coupons4utah, on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram. l

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Page 22 | March 2019

Sugar House City Journal

Life and Laughter—Humor Writing for Dummies

I

’m sometimes asked how I consistently come up with funny column ideas. I laugh breezily, toss my hair and say, “It’s so easy. I sit down to write and it just pours out of me like warm chocolate syrup.” Of course, that’s a blatant lie. Writing’s like pulling out my own molars.

I don’t consistently write funny. I often write pure garbage; you just don’t get to see it.

And sometimes what I think is hilarious, isn’t received well at all. (Offending topics include gluten, dentists, graffiti and child labor.)

I look at the funny side of life. It’s much happier there. But sitting down to write can be excruciating. Sometimes an idea just works.

Other times (most of the time), the path from brain to published column is fraught with mind traps and self-doubt. My writing process goes like this: Deadline: I’ve just submitted my hilarious column to the editor. I vow to work on my next one right away!

Three weeks later: I’ve written no column. I have no ideas. All is darkness. I’ve used all my funny lines. I’ll never write again.

Four days before deadline: I need to write something!

Two days before deadline (at 2 a.m.): I just thought of something funny!

Day of deadline: Complete column. Send it to editor. Vow to work on the next column immediately.

Repeat for 15 years.

There are lots of ways to get funny inspiration.

Get out of bed. Humans are insane, and

Life

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by observing them you’ll get tons of humor writing ideas. Watch people at the mall. Watch people at church. Watch people in stressful situations. Eavesdrop. Read the headlines. Comic gold!

Exaggerate. Hyperbole is a humor writer’s greatest tool in the known (and unknown) universe. You didn’t just fall down the stairs, you slipped on a sock and bounced down the stairs, hitting each step with your elbow, head and hip twice before falling to the next step.

It took 15 minutes to reach the bottom of the stairs.

Read humor. David Sedaris, Mark Twain, Nora Ephron and Tina Fey, are some of my favorites. The idea is not to plagiarize their writing (illegal) but to study the flow of humor (totally legal). What words make you laugh? (Shenanigans, bloviate, canoodle.)

What phrases make you burn with jealousy that you didn’t think of them first? (Most of them.)

Find the serious. Somber people almost write comedy for you. When you run into someone who’s all “Harrumph, harrumph.

I’m an important grown up” you’ve struck a comedic motherlode. Look back on all the stuffy authority figures in your life; could be your parents, could be your algebra teacher or your precocious cousin who graduated from high school at 8 years old. People who take themselves seriously are super easy to satirize and/or lampoon. (Thank you, Prez Trump.)

Do things that make you laugh. It’s hard to write comedy when you’re crying into your big pillow every afternoon. Go to funny

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movies, hang out with funny people, try standup, tell knock-knock jokes at work until your co-workers poison your tea. Laugh out loud.

Snort. Giggle. Guffaw.

Write. If you don’t put your arse in a chair and write, your humor writing career will never take off. Write something every day. Compose a funny book or movie review.

Write a description of your grandpa’s Edsel.

Describe how to make dinner while holding a toddler.

Then one day, when someone asks you how you come up with such funny ideas, you can toss your hair and say, “It just drips out of me like melted butter.” Well, don’t say that.

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WESTMINSTER DEDICATES SHOW TO DOMESTIC ABUSE VICTIMS,

raises money for Rape Recovery Center

By Cami Mondeaux | c.mondeaux@mycityjournals.com

“

My vagina’s angry,” voices rang out. “It’s pissed off. My vagina’s furious and it needs to talk.”

Not the ordinary dialogue you’d hear in a play, but then again, The Vagina Monologues isn’t the average play. It is one meant to shatter taboos and teach audiences not to be ashamed of their bodies.

Westminster College held their 20th annual Vagina Monologues in the Jewett Center for Performing Arts Vieve Gore Concert Hall Feb. 7-9 to raise money for the Rape Recovery Center.

The Vagina Monologues, written by Eve Ensler, “is all about empowerment and using your voice,” said Emma Thompson, a junior at Westminster College majoring in technical theatre. “[It’s about] giving a voice to people that maybe don’t feel like they can talk about these things.”

Thompson is the director of The Vagina Monologues at Westminster College and the president of V-Day club on campus. She has been involved with the production since her first year at Westminster and said she has seen the event grow during the past few years.

This year, Westminster saw a record number of people audition to be in the show, Thompson said.

Westminster chose the Rape Recovery Center as its charity to donate money, giving 90 percent of its proceeds to the center and the other 10 percent to the national V-Day’s spotlight charity for incarcerated women.

Westminster dedicated its show to Lauren McCluskey, a University of Utah student who died in October 2018 as a victim of domestic abuse.

Vagina Monologues and V-Day The Vagina Monologues was written by Eve Ensler, a Tony Award-winning playwright, in 1994 based on dozens of interviews she conducted with women. The play has been translated in over 48 languages and performed in more than 140 countries, according to vday.org.

The play addresses issues such as women’s sexuality and the social stigmas around rape and abuse, according to vday. org.

“The Vagina Monologues shattered taboos,” the website states.

Valentine’s Day 1998, Ensler and a group of women in New York City established V-Day, a nonprofit organization demanding the end of violence toward women and girls.

V-Day is a global movement that “grew out of the untold stories of women” and is dedicated to bringing attention and funds to end violence such as harassment, rape, female genital

Reilly Cronyn, Daisy Sherman and Aspen Romrell perform the monologue “Wear and Say” at The Vagina Monologues held at Westminster College Feb. 7-9. They discuss what their vagina would wear and say if it could, aiming to normalize talking about their body parts.

(Photo courtesy Cam Welch)

mutilation, incest, battery and sex slavery, according to vday. org.

Once a year in February, Ensler allows groups to perform The Vagina Monologues to raise money and awareness for anti-violence groups, educating their audiences on the reality of violence against women.

Over 5,800 V-Day events take place annually across the nation, according to vday.org.

These performances began 21 years ago in 1998 and Westminster began performing them on campus in 1999, making 2019 their 20-year anniversary.

Westminster jumped on the bandwagon early, said Westminster’s director Emma Thompson. Every year, the script generally stays the same but can change to address new issues.

At Westminster, Thompson encourages her performers to submit original pieces to be considered. She said she does this to replace some pieces she finds outdated and to include pieces that talk about issues that should be addressed.

These pieces include monologues that are more inclusive toward those who identify outside the gender binary.

“I also realized that there weirdly isn’t a piece about periods,” Thompson said. “So, this year we have an original piece about periods.”

One of the most important aspects of The Vagina Monologues that Westminster’s V-Day club wants the audience to realize is that although these subjects have traditionally been considered taboo, they can and should be talked about.

“Many women or female-identifying people or people with vaginas don’t feel like they can talk about their vaginas,” Thompson said. “Even though it’s like, so important to them.

It’s a big part of [their] life and a big part of who [they] are.”

Rape Recovery Center The Rape Recovery Center is a nonprofit organization located on 1300 East, down the street from Westminster College.

The center aims to help victims Continued on page 4...

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