June 2020 | Vol. 6 Iss. 06
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PLANTING TREES
À LA SOCIAL DISTANCING STYLE By Drew Crawford | d.crawford@mycityjournals.com
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or many Utahns, one of the most challenging realities of the COVID-19 lockdown is balancing the demands of keeping their family safe at home, while also keeping their kids occupied with meaningful and engaging activities. Many previous events for family fun have been modified or canceled, but some exciting opportunities are available that follow the protocols of social distancing. On May 2, Friends of Fairmont planted 10 trees in Fairmont Park with the help of the nonprofit Tree Utah and some Sugar House families. “The idea for doing the trees came pre-COVID. We had said ‘OK, when it gets warmer, we’re going to do a planting,’” said Sarah Woolsey, the leader of Friends of Fairmont. “And then Amy May, the executive director of Tree Utah, she and I talked and we said, ‘Well, we have these trees, they’re waiting to be planted, could we find a way to work with the parks and the county and the city to have it be OK to do a planting?’” The group was able to drive a larger turnout than normal, and a total of eight families participated in the kid-friendly event. Each family stuck to their own tree, planting it in a plot of soil that had already been dug and moistened by the city. Additionally, there were guidelines in place to ensure sanitation; families were encouraged to wear masks and were required to bring water and their own tools. As a new resident of Utah, Emily Parker was impressed with the opportunity that the tree planting event gave her family to be active and teach them about nature despite the im-
Families participate in the event illustrate social distancing. (Photo courtesy Sarah Woolsey)
pacts of the virus. ing; they dug the hole for us,” Parker said. “It was super friendly and personable. It was weird, yes, “For my crew it was nice, like my dog came along and we because it was the first time going out and interacting with got to walk there, and my little family we got to interact, and it people after being inside for three weeks. It was very welcom- was fun. Even some girls came Continued page 5
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Without an announcement about fall sports, cross country athletes being coached virtually
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ith about 5,000 student-athletes and many supporters submitting a #LetUsPlay petition to hold spring sports, the Utah High School Activities Association on May 5 upheld their earlier decision in midApril not to hold a spring season in response to Utah’s social distancing mandate during the COVID-19 pandemic. As of press deadline, UHSAA has not made an announcement about fall high school activities and sports. Brighton High Principal Tom Sherwood, who serves on the UHSAA executive committee, said there is no timeline for a fall announcement. “We are hopeful, but we are in the ‘wait and see’ mode still,” he said on May 6. Once the spring sport decision was confirmed, and without direction about fall, many coaches who coach track in the spring can turn their focus to the upcoming fall cross country season — only virtually. “We can’t coach or even meet in-person right now, but we can communicate with our athletes,” said Jordan High cross country coach Greg Shaw. Shaw not only has a blog linked to the school website for his runners, but he emails them weekly and has the athletes report in their mileage so he can give them feedback. Some of the runners use the Strava app, where he and teammates can immediately see the runs and paces athletes are doing and support each other with comments and kudos. He also has reached out to area middle schools, asking for them to send out fliers to incoming freshmen about the team. On top of that, the second-year head coach is introducing a “Coach Challenge,” which includes a 40-day challenge including core, cardio, healthy eating and workouts. “My hope right now is to have a great start for the season, starting in June,” he said about his young team. “It’s hard not being together and without track, speed will be impacted, and we may need to do more this summer to be ready for the fall.” Riverton High cross country coach Chase Englestead said that if restrictions are lifted so training can be done in small groups, he likely will hold four practices per day for his 60- to 80-member team, meeting or running with all the individuals. In the meantime, he plans to post weekly workouts, track his runners with Strava, and hold Zoom meetings. “It’s important to communicate about what run they did, what time or pace it was, how they feel, so we can support these students in their goals and mindsets,” he said. “It’s hard to build the good relationships and culture of the team when we’re not practicing together. It’s invaluable for every single person. We want them to work hard, go through the process, be praised for that and carry over
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By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com to not just be better runners, but better people.” Englestead said that building the team also is more difficult without being amongst students as the best recruiters are the student-athletes themselves, where they become a social group, interact, support one another and find their passion. “I’m hoping when they come back, they’ll want to work hard, be more focused and motivated since they’ve missed this competitive environment,” he said. Corner Canyon coach Devin Moody is hoping that he can hold a cross country camp in July, but if not, the training will be more individual and self-motivated like he plans for in June. His workouts will include running, strength workouts with body-weight exercises and conditioning. He plans to communicate with his team via Instagram Live as well as monitor and give them feedback through Strava. “It’s a good way for the team to hear from teammates, feel their energy, rally behind each other’s training to support one another,” he said. “I’m hoping to find my team returning from this unique resilience challenge and having reflected on why they do the sport to find more enjoyment in it.” While Corner Canyon lost five seniors on the boys team that was nationally ranked, he said the team has depth so it’s “not a rebuilding year, but a refocusing year” and the team “should be really good.” He also said that the girls should be stronger this year, even with two seniors graduating. However, many coaches are uncertain what the fall season will look like and if it will happen, as health officials have stated one of the best ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is social distancing. Some are hopeful for a full season, while others say, even if it’s reduced to a matter of weeks, it’s doable. UHSAA also was considering adding in a divisional race, which would fall between region and state, but that, too, has yet to be determined. Herriman coach Jonathan Haag said that if there is to be a shorter season, he’d rethink the schedule and likely make August a training month instead of the traditional start of the season. “That would give time to make sure all our athletes are in shape and we can provide even more individualized workouts,” he said. “We can make it work, but those kids who are training on their own, will benefit more.” Haag is keeping in touch with his team through GroupMe and he and an assistant coach are talking to every team member about how they are doing “running or not.” “We want to know where they’re at, what their family support is like, how their motivation is, where they want to be next season,” he said. “There’s a good chance we can’t run
together, but we can help them reach those goals if we’re able to communicate.” Haag is asking athletes to run a time trial in place of getting times from track meets. Then, he can use that as a baseline and build speed, strength training, endurance workouts from those. He even hopes to have intersquad meets this summer to help runners get their best times and build confidence, if allowed by the UHSAA. “The biggest thing that hurts from not having a track season, apart from the seniors, is the confidence it gives our athletes. I feel pretty confident though if our kids stay working hard and are motivated, they’ll be in good shape and we’ll contend to be a top team.” Hillcrest High coach Scott Stucki also is having his athletes run time trials and speed workouts, just to see how fast they are, and for seniors, to see if they could run their personal bests. He also is supporting student-athletes to run road races, if they’ll be held this summer. Stucki doesn’t see being able to coach them personally until maybe after the traditional moratorium week of July 4. He regularly posts workouts and tracks their distances; some runners he communicates with regularly and knows their mileage, some have focused on year-end testing and have taken a break from running. Stucki expects his boys team to be good, better than last year if they dedicate themselves. Hillcrest girls team should improve over last
year, too, with six juniors returning. Stucki already has named two seniors as captains in anticipation of a season, although he isn’t sure what the UHSAA will decide. “I don’t know about the season. I haven’t even put together a schedule as meets aren’t sanctioned yet,” he said. Copper Hills coach Garth Rushforth also is hoping for “some kind of program” this fall as he’s been providing his squad workouts, including drills, such as lunges and body squats, that can be done at home without a weight room, and tracks his runners’ mileage on a Google document. He said it’s important for student-athletes to get their training in all summer to prevent injuries. “There’s a greater risk of injuries if we have a shorter season. For some kids, who are self-motivated and are dedicated to their training, they’ll have a good season, others who aren’t, not so good. We’d like to be as ready as we can be if the season happens,” he said, adding he hopes that a decision will be reached before June. Rushforth expects his girls team to be solid this season. The boys graduated some “very good seniors, but I have a junior and sophomores who show promise.” He is in charge of his region’s meet so he already scheduling a park for the race. “It’s hard since the parks aren’t sure if they’ll be open and we’re not sure if the season will happen,” Rushforth said. “We’ll cry a lot if there’s not (a season).”
Runners are packed in at the start of the 2016 high school cross country race, which brings uncertainty if fall sports will happen during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
June 2020 | Page 3
Parents become creative with drive-by parties during pandemic By Drew Crawford | d.crawford@mycityjournals.com
Drive-by parties are becoming popular due to social distancing. (Photo courtesy of Shelly Kaihuta)
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OVID-19 has inspired people around the world to come up with creative solutions to interact with each other that still adhere to social distancing guidelines. One of these ideas that has gained traction, the drive-by party, allows people to still celebrate their loved one’s birthday with friends and relatives while avoiding close and prolonged contact. Shelly Kaihatu wanted to make her daughter’s 18th birthday special after prom and graduation were canceled. Mary Clare Kaihatu had been unable to see her friends in weeks and her mom wanted to make sure that she would be able to celebrate in a memo-
Journals
rable way that would involve meaningful interaction with her friends. She had originally planned for a party over the video conference platform Zoom, but when she became aware of drive-by parties, she was inspired to throw one for Mary Clare. “My daughter was feeling isolated from her friends so I said, ‘Let’s just do the driveby, that way you can actually see faces,’” Shelly explained. Shelly was unsure of what to expect from Mary Clare’s party, but the turnout greatly exceeded her expectations and was an exciting change for her daughter who had been spending all of her time inside.
“We planned this drive-by party and pretty much invited everyone that we know—her friends as well as my friends. We did an Evite and then invited neighbors. We had one set of friends that rode their bikes up from Millcreek, we had neighbors walking by, and tons of people that drove down,” Shelly recounted, expressing how she was overwhelmed by the support. Shelly decorated her front porch with birthday posters and coned off the section in front of her house so that people could drive by slowly, and as each car took its turn passing by the house, Mary Clare would pass out candy from a table that held bags of goodies. All of the cars that passed in front of the house were decorated with birthday signs and celebratory messages. “At one point there was so many cars that people would circle back around as they would drive by. She just spent a few minutes talking to everyone, and everybody was asking her what she had done for the day,” her mom said. Shelly wanted the experience to be unforgettable for her daughter, and she was inspired by her friend Shana Kempton (full disclosure: the aunt of this reporter) who threw a similar kind of party for her daughter Mera’s 2-year birthday. “I wanted Mera to have that experience of a second birthday party and we just decided to send out an invitation for a drive-by, stroll by party, and that’s the party. We just tweaked it so it would be outside, but it was actually, I would say more fun because it involved the community instead of just a few of her friends and her parents,” Kempton said. “It was a whole group energy.” Kempton designed Elmo-themed cupcakes and put effort into how the set-up of the party would be arranged by creating a roped off 6-foot barrier with her family on one side
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and guests on the other. “We had speakers, a microphone and the guitar and instruments, because we love music, and that’s what we do is play music, and she just learned ‘Twinkle, twinkle little star,’ and so we kept practicing it. So that was the first thing: we came out here and had the music blasting and our neighbors down the street could hear it,” Kempton said. The hosts received positive feedback for their creative party planning. “As one of my friends said, ‘It’s so great to see your neighborhood and community come together to celebrate your sweet daughter’s birthday,’” Kempton said. “There’s something special about in the face of this virus, in the face of death, we’re still going to celebrate life and have joy in human interaction and celebrate each other’s milestones.” l
Drive-by parties are a new way to celebrate birthdays during social distancing. (Photo courtesy of Shelly Kaihuta)
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June 2020 | Page 5
What’s your legacy?
More traffic on local trails as residents seek escape By Joshua Wood | j.wood@mycityjournals.com
Runners have been able to connect online until they can race together in person again. (Photo courtesy of Mitt Stewart)
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alt Lake County’s trails have afforded residents a nearby escape from COVID-19 restrictions. While crowded routes have added waste and social distancing concerns, they have also helped grow community appreciation of local trails. Mitt Stewart and members of the Wasatch Trail Run Series still hold out hope for some form of in-person running events later in the summer. Meanwhile, they have taken their popular series online. Stewart has worked on developing an online feature that will enable people to find challenges and trail routes to run, log their times, and compete with others. “The whole reason for doing this is to offer people some connection while we’re not connected,” Stewart said. “We’ll be running virtual races.” To do that, people can look up the race route and take it on individually. They can then submit verification of their effort using their favorite fitness app. Stewart hopes to help people connect as a running and biking community while they maintain a safe distance. Keeping that distance has been a challenge with increased trail usage. “Any increase in trail or usage is anecdotal, but it is clear that our public spaces have been a place of refuge during this time,” said Clayton J. Scrivner of Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation. “Last month we launched our ‘Be Park Smart, Stay Apart’ campaign that is designed to educate users of
our public spaces on responsible use according to current health guidelines.” Stewart has noticed the increased traffic on the trails as well. While more people on the trails can create problems, it also gives people throughout the community a healthy outdoor activity. “A big reason to go out is to have solitude, so that’s been a bit of a buzzkill,” Stewart said. “On the flipside, it’s healthy and good for people.” Stewart likes the idea of people connecting by sharing their appreciation of local trails and their achievements on them. He also thinks measures could be taken to help vulnerable members of the community enjoy the trails. More signage at trailheads instructing people on trail etiquette and social distancing could help, he said. Stewart would also like to see special hours set aside for the elderly to enjoy trails without the crowds. Those crowds have plenty to enjoy, though. “Salt Lake County maintains over 100 miles of trails and pathways,” Scrivner said. “Jordan Parkway, Dimple Dell, Rose and Yellow Fork Canyons, Parley’s, and Utah and Salt Lake Canal trails are the most extensive.” While increased trail use has produced things like more garbage and animal waste bags left behind, it has also helped the community through unprecedented times. “People need to get out and exercise,” Stewart said. “It’s a great way to keep people motivated.” l
Sugar House City Journal
Lifesaving medication now becomes affordable, accessible By Cassie Goff | c.goff@mycityjournals.com
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pharmacy bill of $800 covering a onemonth supply of medication. That’s what sparked T1International Utah #insulin4all chapter leader Mindie Hooley to take action in her local community and state government. Hooley’s son, diagnosed with diabetes, needs insulin to survive. After being met with that $800 bill, Hooley went home to do some research. She came upon other stories like hers, as well as stories where people had died from not being able to afford their insulin. “I couldn’t believe we live in a country that has unaffordable lifesaving medications where people must ration insulin and even die from a lack of being able to afford medication,” Hooley said. “There’s been times when we had to choose between buying his insulin or buying food and paying our bills. We have lost our home and cars trying to keep him alive.” Three months after receiving the first $800 bill, Hooley’s son admitted to rationing his insulin “because he saw the financial struggles we were going though buying his insulin and other diabetic supplies, and he was trying to help with the financial cost,” Hooley said. While Hooley was researching, she found T1International; a nonprofit run by people with type 1 diabetes for people with type 1 diabetes. T1International supports local communities around the world by giving them the tools they need to stand up for their rights. Their aim is to ensure access to insulin and diabetes supplies becomes a reality for all. On Feb. 19, 2019, Hooley started the T1International Utah #insulin4all chapter. “People all over Utah have emailed me telling me how they have lost a loved one due to them not being able to afford insulin,” Hooley said. In June 2019, Utah #insulin4all media lead Stephanie Arceneaux came across Hooley asking for members to join the fight for affordable insulin. “As someone that has had T1D for 35 years and seen greater and greater amounts of money go toward purchasing insulin, I decided that I wanted to join that fight. I also felt compelled to do something after I began reading stories of my fellow T1Ds that were dying because they could not afford their insulin.” Administrative lead Jennifer Draney joined the T1International Utah chapter when there were 36 members. Draney became an advocate after her son was diagnosed at 16 years old. “Two years after my son’s diagnosis, I was diagnosed type 1 diabetes as well. The immune system didn’t care how old you are and T1D happens at any age.” In August 2019, Hooley reached out to her local representative, Rep. Norman K. Thurston expressing that there was a need for change in Utah’s diabetic community. “We were able to meet with him multi-
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Utah #insulin4all chapter rally for affordable insulin. (Photo courtesy of Mindie Hooley)
ple times and share our stories, our headaches and our concerns. Thurston listened, brainstormed ideas with us and worked incredibly hard. We met with Dr. (Joseph) Miner from the Utah Department of Health. That meeting was impactful because he was onboard for changing the current system,” Draney said. Soon, Thurston began drafting a bill to sponsor in the state legislature. He requested the Utah T1International chapter to be involved in drafting that bill. “As chapter leader, (Hooley) did all of the conversing with Rep. Thurston as to how a bill could be written and what should be included to help address the issues that had been discussed in that meeting,” Arceneaux said. “Rep. Thurston first sent me the draft before the bill even had a bill number,” Hooley said. “The bill was revised two times and each time I was able to see the bill changes before anyone else saw them. I was able to add my input and stress parts of the bill that I supported and also stressed to him that the uninsured needed to be covered as well.” That bill was introduced to the state legislature as H.B. (House Bill) 207 – Insulin Access Amendments. Throughout the session, members of the T1International Utah chapter were in attendance anytime there was discussion of the bill. “I went to the capitol several times with (Hooley) and other advocates in the chapter to lobby on behalf of H.B. 207,” Arceneaux said. “We met with several important members of the Utah House and then some of the Utah senators. Once, when I was leaving to go home, I even ran into U.S. Senator Mike
Lee and lobbied him.” “The next few weeks were full of us begging for support on our bill, writing everyone—I believe I wrote all 76 representatives plus the Governor. I know (Hooley) was working 12 hours a day on it,” Draney said. During the last week of the legislative session, “we learned that one of the senators was going to propose an amendment. A portion of the bill directed that pharmacists could prescribe insulin up to 90 days in an emergency situation. This amendment shortened that time frame to 30 days. We considered this an unfriendly amendment. That was a nerve-wracking day because we desperately wanted the bill to pass as it had been written in the final version by Rep. Thurston, yet we did not want to push any senators into opposing the bill altogether by demanding that they leave H.B. 207 as is. In the end, around 6 p.m., Rep. Thurston let us know that our lobbying had forced a compromise,” Arceneaux said. On March 10, the bill passed. “It still brings me to tears when I think back on the moment when the Utah senators voted unanimously to pass H.B. 207. It was an amazing feeling to know that, even if in just a small way, I was a part of helping those, like me and my husband, and now our son, in the future, that must have exogenous insulin in order to live,” Arceneaux said. “In the end it passed and now it’s effective seven months sooner than expected— June 1,” Draney said. H.B. 207 aims to create mechanisms to “increase Utahn’s access to affordable insulin.” The bill “creates an incentive for health
benefit plans to reduce the required copayments for insulin; directs the Insurance Department to conduct a study on insulin pricing; directs the Public Employees’ Benefit and Insurance Program to purchase insulin at discounted prices and to create a program that allows Utahns to purchase the discounted insulin; increases the number of days for which an insulin prescription can be refilled; and authorizes a pharmacist to refill an expired insulin prescription. “H.B. 207 would not exist if it were not for Mindie Hooley and her starting the local T1International chapter, Utah #insulin4all. It is because of her and that chapter that I became involved in the bill at all,” Arceneaux said. “I believe this bill will save many lives and it sets the bar for other states to follow. Our fight is far from over but this step was an amazing one,” Draney said. “Many wonderful and kind people have reached out to me in the last three months from all over the world. These complete strangers asked us to make a GoFundMe account because they feel that no American should have to go without lifesaving medication or supplies. Because of these nice people, we were able to buy a CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor) for my son that will save his life. My heart is overwhelmed with the amount of love that has been shown to my son,” Hooley said. “The diabetic community deserves the best and no one should lose a loved one because they can’t afford a lifesaving medication that has been around for 100 years,” she said. l
June 2020 | Page 7
Memorial Day is a time to remember
Aimee Winder Newton
Salt Lake County Council | District 3
As we celebrate Memorial Day each year, I give my thanks to those who serve in the military and their families, as well as condolences to those who have lost loved ones in service. It’s a beautiful time to honor them and the ultimate sacrifice that they have made. I often think of my friend, Jennie Taylor, who is now a widow. Her husband, North Ogden Mayor Brent Taylor, was a major in the US Army National Guard. He answered the call to serve his country in Afghanistan where he was killed, leaving Jennie and their seven children behind. Brent was a friend of mine through our public service experiences. Just before he was killed, he posted on Facebook about the people in Afghanistan being able to vote. He showed a photo of a long line of people waiting to do so. What a profound reminder of the liberties and freedoms we have been given here in the United States and why we have amazing people like Brent to help protect us and those freedoms. For those of you who are grieving as you remember your loved ones. I have a small understanding of the loss and grief that comes from saying goodbye. In 2011, my husband and I were hustling our kids to bed when I heard a knock at my front door. I opened the door to see my brother, Mike, and his wife, Karyn, standing on my porch. They came in the house and Mike told me how mom and dad were
driving down to St George, there was a bad storm and they were in a car accident, “Mom is dead and dad is in the hospital,” he muttered. I cried out, “But I still need a mom.” After visiting each of our siblings to deliver the news, and making the terrible call to tell my mom’s mother that her oldest daughter had passed, Mike and I drove down to St George to be with our dad. Wow – it was like I was punched in the gut. My mom was 57 years old and in great health. She had 11 grandchildren. It was a difficult first few years and I still think of her and miss her all the time. Three years after losing mom, I lost my youngest brother, Isaac. We miss mom and Isaac desperately. But there are interesting blessings that come from hard situations. We now have a bonus mom (that’s what we call our stepmom) and her two wonderful sons and their families who have joined our Winder family. Several years after Isaac’s death, his wife Candalyn was able to earn her masters degree and found a wonderful man to marry, Jason, who we’ve also welcomed into our family. They even had a new baby a few weeks ago. Our family gets together for an adult date night and family dinner with all the kids once per month. We sometimes can’t explain how we are all related in simple terms, but we love each other and provide support for each other. We all know loss and we find
ways to help each other. Though some days are hard, and we desperately miss the loved ones who have passed, we find ways to see the rainbows and silver linings of life. As a Salt Lake County Council member, I often see people who have difficulties in their life – health challenges, poverty, childhood trauma, mental health, homelessness and heartache. It’s hard to see so much sadness. Sometimes life doesn’t seem fair. I also get a chance to see the wonderful people in this community who serve others. People reaching out, often to complete strangers, to lighten their load, people who give of themselves so unselfishly. It is heartwarming to know there are so many good people out there. Thank you for all of you who serve and help your fellowmen. As I’ve mourned the loss of loved ones, and some days have been buried with overwhelming grief, I’ve found reprieve by looking outside myself and finding ways to serve. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” As we celebrate Memorial Day, I am grateful for our military men and women who serve so that we have the incredible freedoms that we do. I’m also grateful for my family members— and miss those who have passed on. May you have sweet experiences as you remember your loved ones and cherish happy memories
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Page 8 | June 2020
Sugar House City Journal
Dilworth Elementary students, staff adjust to soft closure By Jerilyn Langston Toro | j.toro@mycityjournals.com
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R U O Y Kindergartner Marshall with his parents. (Jerilyn Langston Toro/City Journals)
O
n May 11, Dilworth Elementary had their packet drop off for their kindergarten students. The event was called “We had a ball.” Since the soft closure of this school year, Dilworth teachers and faculty had to find creative ways to stay connected with parents and students but still follow recommended guidelines to slow the spread of this disease. “It’s amazing how well we handled the situation with such an abrupt stop,” said kindergarten teacher Jane Bergstedt. Bergstedt referred to not only the facility’s prompt response on how to handle the soft closure and keep everyone safe from the coronavirus, but she was amazed how fast her students and parents adapted to the change. During the packet pick up the teachers were able to briefly meet with their kindergarten
MyS ugar HouseJournal .com
students to go over any concerns they or their s food onate d r e parents may have. They wanted to also wish c calritger |rwritoer@mycityjournals.com their students to have a safe and fun summer Lo Beat W By local vacation. The Salt Lake School District provided learning packets for grades K-3. Also, for every two students in the home, one laptop has been provided to students in grades second through sixth. The packets provide a better learning experience for students who have not fully acquired the skills of how to navigate CANVAS, the program used to assign and submit school work. Kindergarten student Marshall stopped by with his parents to say thank you to his teacher and to drop off his packets. He was pretty excited to receive a beach ball to play with during the summer break and so far he is enjoying his first year in school. l
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June 2020 | Page 9
Stuck at home? Play a game By Greg James | g.james@mycityjournals.com
As the pandemic hit in March, game stores across the state saw an uptick in sales. (Greg James/City Journals)
C
heckmate!” “Uno!” “Do not pass go!”
Nowadays you are bound to hear those expressions around the tables of many a family cooped up in their homes during the quarantine. “Right before all of this Covid stuff we absolutely saw an uptick in sales,” said Game Night Games employee Tyler Lashlee. “We have been mostly curbside delivery recently and are not hosting events right now so lately it is hard to say.” Google trend searches for board games
are typically at their peak from mid-November to late December. In 2020, March through April saw equal search numbers. Board games, best board games and online board games topped the charts in Google searches. Utah has a higher proportion of queries on the subject than any other state. “We do lots of puzzles and play lots of games in general,” West Valley resident Brittany Kluge said. “Since coronavirus I’ve been teaching more board games to my kids. Specifically strategy games.” What are the most popular games? “Two-player games and puzzles are the most popular right now,” Lashlee said. “Ironically, Pandemic is a popular game right now. Online Dungeons & Dragons has also happened a lot. Lots of people play on Zoom calls now.” Personal connection might be a major reason for gaming popularity. “I think people are looking for a friend group,” Lashlee said. In a City Journals’ poll, 40% of those asked said they play games at least twice a week and 70% enjoy strategy games. What did they say are the most popular games they are playing right now? Here are the top five:
game that you attempt to attract a diverse collection of birds to your preserve. The winner is the one that scores the most points in four rounds of play. It is designed for one to five players. “My kids learned a lot about birds from playing it,” Kluge said. “We simultaneously had a nest in our backyard that we watched birds hatch from the eggs. It (the game) is hard to find right now. I think it is sold out everywhere.”
cations.
Escape puzzles
Ravensburger, a game company, has designed a new concept combining two favorite gamer pastimes. The puzzle is only the first step to the game. After it is assembled you most solve the clues to help you solve the mystery. “The first one we did we had to figure out how to keep the vampire in his coffin,” Wendy Wood said. “They are not easy and Dominion once the puzzle is together you have to figure A deck building game for two to four out the clues.” players, each player starts with the same deck Dungeons & Dragons “As the DM (Dungeon Master) here at and buys other cards as they can afford them. As players construct their deck they attempt our store, I have slowed down playing quite a to gain the most victory points before the bit (in the last few weeks), but I have several friends playing through Zoom or (Google) game ends. It was awarded the best new family Hangouts quite a bit,” Lashlee said. Made famous by “The Big Bang Thestrategy game by Game Magazine in 2010. Ticket to Ride ory,” role-playing games like Dungeons & A simple game to play for two to five Dragons have seen exponential growth in people. Players collect train cars and use recent years. Traveling exhibitions like Comthem to claim railway routes. The longer the ic-Con have helped expand their popularity. trains, the more points they can score. The The fantasy role-playing game was degame has a successful board version and on- signed in 1974. Players embark on imaginary line play is an option. adventures within a fantasy setting. “Trying to beat my friends online is beTraditional games like Monopoly and Wingspan coming my hobby,” Jill James said. Sorry were also mentioned in the survey. l Produced by Stonemaier Games, this The game has expanded with several game was released in March 2019. It’s a card versions including domestic and foreign lo-
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Sugar House City Journal
Interactive field trips through The Living Museum of Sugar House bring area to life By Drew Crawford | d.crawford@mycityjournals.com
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esidents of Sugar House recently got the exciting opportunity to participate in The Living Museum of Sugar House’s first interactive field trips series. An interactive field trip is an opportunity for community members and those interested in the city’s history to explore the town and discover architecture, art, locations and people, among other things. The first field trip took place May 3 to May 10 and presented an opportunity to explore the art exhibit “A Century of Ceramics” built by ceramicist Clayton Keyes at the Eccles House of Clay. Instructions given on the Facebook page invited participants to explore the exhibit at their own pace, read the information, and then share the experiences they had. Locals who went made sure to practice social distancing and posted their thoughts about the artwork on the Museum’s Instagram page. The second field trip was a scavenger hunt that explored the iconic Monument Plaza which was built in 1930 to commemorate Salt Lake’s efforts to manufacture beet sugar. Those who went were encouraged to look beyond the obvious and focus on the smaller details that they might not usually notice on a typical visit there. Items on the hunt included the sugar beet decorated storm drain covers, the Lincoln Highway signposts, and the granite slab that used to be outside of South East Furniture Company and was preserved by the direction of The Sugar House Community Council. Meggie Troili, the creator of the museum, is excited about different ways in which the museum can encourage participation. “Right now we’re just trying things out and we’re gauging the communities interaction with our Facebook. It seems like people understand what we’re doing,” Troili said. “The field trips I think are a way for the community to participate in the museum.” While the first two field trips were more open-ended in nature, the upcoming ones will give more tasks on how to engage with the history. “The next field trips are going to be more interactive. We’re going to ask people to go to Hidden Hollow and to activate their senses in a really cool way while they’re there, just explore it in a more meaningful way as opposed to just a passive way and be a part of it and the museum experience,” Troili said. “The more people know about the community, the more that they will care about it, take care of it, and participate in it.” While the museum has had a small conceptual beginning with its events it has a passionate vision behind it to grow into something prominent in the community. “If we can encourage people to care
MyS ugar HouseJournal .com
CENSUS 2020 BEGINS ONLINE MARCH 12, 2020 Ceramicist Clayton Keyes explaining how he made the artwork. (Photo courtesy Living Museum of Sugar House)
about Sugar House as much as some of the louder voices in Sugar House express that they do, then we all have the chance of being a stronger community together in the future,” Troili said. “Our hope is to actually create programming where we’re more involved with community future planning through the Sugar House Community Council and the chair of the arts and culture committee and so this museum can actually partner with them and ensure that the future of our community is vibrant and equitable and culturally rich,” Troili said. “Right now we’re just trying stuff out, and we’re trying to get the community just aware of us so that we can get there together.” The Living Museum of Sugar House originally started out as an abstract concept for Troili to put her skills of bringing together community, history and culture. The museum, which launched online in February, describes itself on its page as “an idea, a way of seeing, experiencing, and interacting with the neighborhood of Sugar House.” According to the page, the museum “is not housed in a building with operating hours and fees, instead, it is always open and always free, and you are a part of it. In other words, Sugar House is the museum. This Living Museum project is a community response to the shifts and changes in the neighborhood’s culture, identity, and urban landscape—the result of drastic redevelopment efforts.” To interact with and participate in the museum experience follow Living Museum of Sugar House on Instagram, or like it on Facebook. There you will be able to find information about the next field trips including
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Instagram posts for interactive field trips.
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June and July field trips that support local restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic. Any Sugar House restaurants that want to participate should contact Troili at meggie. troili@gmail.com. l
June 2020 | Page 11
Schools scramble to refund students for classes, sports participation, tours By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
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s in-person schools were dismissed abruptly under Gov. Gary Herbert’s “soft closure” order in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many school activities were canceled, from spring sports to academic tours. High school classes, which require fees such as woodworking and ceramics, now have classrooms of projects left in progress, uncertain when, if and how students will return to complete them. In the midst of all this, school districts and school administrators are in the process of refunding students’ fees. At Hillcrest High in Midvale, junior Abby Morrell had been looking forward to going to Washington, D.C. with the vocal ensemble, wind ensemble, and chamber orchestra for a festival. Her mother, Barbara Morrell, was asked last minute to be one of the 90-student group’s chaperones and just paid her tour fees two days before she got an email on March 12, saying that the trip scheduled for March 2630 was canceled and it was being looked into rescheduling or refunding. Twelve days later, Barbara emailed the school, inquiring about the $1,250 refund for both herself and her daughter. The next day, Principal Greg Leavitt emailed saying the school’s decision was to reschedule the trip next spring and so all the funds would roll over for that tour. No new tour dates were provided. The 21 seniors, chaperones of senior students, or those who weren’t planning to commit to the classes were to be refunded unless the fee was paid for out of fundraising. The latter would be donated to the music department. “The rest of us weren’t given the option of getting a full refund,” Barbara said. “I’d love to get the money back to pay something or be able to use it. Some people may want or need to free up those funds now.” Hillcrest vocal ensemble and chamber orchestra director RaNae Dalgleish said that the decision was made by administration after talking to parties involved, including WorldStrides that was hosting the festival where the groups would perform, be evaluated and participate in clinics given by notable musicians and professors. The tour also included vocal ensemble performing the national anthem at a flag-raising ceremony at Fort McHenry, giving a tribute at the Martin Luther King Memorial and singing at a local cathedral. The groups also would go sightseeing in the area. “It was unprecedented and ultimately, WorldStrides canceled the entire festival, which involved hundreds of tours or more,” Dalgleish said. “We had made the final tour payment days before. Our choices were to use the money on next spring’s tour at the same or a different location, but equivalent-priced tour, or get a refund and lose half the airfare,
Page 12 | June 2020
Seen here in 2018, Cottonwood High School students participated in their music tour in Los Angeles, however this year, the performing arts students weren’t able to travel to San Francisco after schools were put on “soft closure” during the COVID-19 pandemic and now students are awaiting refunds on tour fees. (Amber Tuckness/ Cottonwood High)
because the airline wasn’t given a full refund.” Dalgleish said that right now, the school will absorb the cost of the seniors, and hope to be reimbursed as new members in the groups pay to go on tour next year. She also said that while the tour is meant to celebrate and learn about music from other parts of the country, the absence of performing together also has had a powerful, bonding effect. “The kids are all in and they’ve learned not to take this for granted. They even got together, six feet apart, to sing in the lawn of one of the students as they were missing singing and performing together. I think when we come back, we’ll be stronger and ready to start again,” Dalgleish said. At Corner Canyon High in Draper, about 80 choir students were to participate in a festival in New York City. As of press deadline, negotiations were still being made with hotels to ensure students receive a full refund. The airlines reimbursed flights in vouchers and the two Broadway shows the group was to attend were reimbursed in full. The group also planned on seeing Little Italy, Chinatown, 9/11 Memorial and the Brooklyn Bridge. “Right now, we have $1,100 of the $1,250 or so back and we’re still negotiating the onenight deposit on the hotel,” Principal Darrell Jensen said. “We had a choice to roll over the funds, but we don’t know if we’ll travel next year or even what next year would be like, so we decided to make it a clean break.” Students who paid for the trip through fundraisers will have their funds be earmarked to the music department, he said. Jensen said that school officials are looking at all students’ accounts, including class fees, activity or participation fees, and fines, to determine the amount that may be refunded by early June. Canyons District Chief Financial Officer and Business Administrator Leon Wilcox said that he wasn’t aware of any of the five or six
trips approved for the remaining of the school year that were not in the process of reimbursement. He also said that Canyons School District does not take out travel insurance, but individuals or schools can do so. In an April 28 memo, Canyons School District outlined refunds to students, including that trips and tours should be worked with parents and teachers to determine the best method. The memo continued to state $15 of activity fees to high school seniors should be returned while other students would have their fees reduced the next school year by the same amount. Participation fees for all sports would be refunded, but spirit packs that students already received would not. Dances and banquets that weren’t held should have money returned, while classes, would be up to the discretion of the teacher on materials used to determine any refunds. And if driver’s ed was completed online, money would not be refunded, but rather a time to schedule driving instruction would be determined when restrictions have been lifted. At Brighton High, Principal Tom Sherwood said his performing arts groups planned to participate in the WorldStrides festival in Anaheim. Fortunately, the 150 students’ fees had been collected in the office, but not paid yet to the festival so he won’t have to be dealing with airlines, hotels and transportation to refund students’ money. Sherwood said that refund process as well as the collection of student checkedout items, such as textbooks, calculators, uniforms, musical instruments and Chromebooks, will take place in late May. Even Canyons School District’s community education classes were in the process of prorating refunds for students in various afterschool programs and community education courses for approximately 1,080 people, said Jose Rincon, head administrative assistant. Cottonwood High’s 130 members in choir, band, orchestra and jazz band were ex-
pecting full $750 refunds from their canceled San Francisco tour, that included a WorldStrides festival as well as “Hamilton” tickets and Alcatraz tour tickets that they had just purchased weeks prior to the tour cancellation. “San Francisco was an early hot spot for the coronavirus, so we were watching what was happening,” said band director Amber Tuckness. “If I canceled our trip, we wouldn’t receive refunds, but when Gov. Herbert made it official, then we could get the refunds.” However, students who fundraised, including seniors, will not be receiving refunds and instead, the money will be given to the music department, she said. Murray High Principal Scott Wihongi, who had just returned with the drill team in early March from New York City, said that the only trip that hadn’t happened at his school involved 15 students who were scheduled to go to San Francisco with the AP art history class in late April. “We’re getting a full refund from the hotel and tours, but we’re working with the airline and travel agency to see if we can get refunds for the flight instead of vouchers,” he said. “This was an opportunity for the students to see different art styles at museums, as a way to enhance what they’re learning.” He also was working with his staff in the process of refunding student-athletes’ fees, including the canceled tennis and baseball teams’ trip to St. George, and students’ partial class fees if materials weren’t used. School officials also were collecting textbooks, library books, some athletic uniforms, and seniors’ Chromebooks. “I think the programs and students will be fine heading into next year,” he said. “Right now, we prioritized and streamlined our teaching to get in the standards. The students got through three-fourths of the meat of everything and it’s how much time students focus on learning that will determine how much we’ll need to reteach and reinforce that material when we return.” l
Sugar House City Journal
Utah graduates showered with love in special Adopt a Utah Senior project By Stephanie Yrungaray | s.yrungaray@mycityjournals.com
Bingham senior Haley DelAndrae was adopted and her family adopted another senior as part of the Adopt A Utah Senior project. (Photo courtesy Kimmie DelAndrae)
H
igh school seniors across the Salt Lake valley are sharing a common experience they never anticipated…graduation during a pandemic. Although every school district is handling the end of the year differently, there is no doubt that the class of 2020 is not getting the graduation they dreamed of or deserve. One Utah mom is trying to soften the blow of unmet expectations through a project called Adopt a Utah Senior and teens across the valley and state are being recognized by strangers in a very special way. Monica Kennedy from Erda, Utah saw what her senior daughter Paige was experiencing and wanted to make a difference for all high school seniors. “I was really sad for my own senior,” Kennedy said. “I reached out to family and friends for ideas to get some excitement into this season because I can’t make up for the stuff she’s missed out on.” Modeling a Facebook group after a similar one in Alaska, Kennedy started the Adopt a Utah Senior project which has paired over 2,500 seniors with “adoptive” individuals and families. Parents or legal guardians share pictures and information about their high school graduates, and angel adopters offer to recognize the senior with cards and/or gifts. Once they are paired, the adopter is encour-
MyS ugar HouseJournal .com
aged to send or deliver something to the grad within two weeks. Kimmy DelAndrae posted about her daughter Haley who is graduating from Bingham High School. After reading posts from other parents she decided she wanted to adopt another senior. “I wish I could adopt every one of these kids,” DelAndrae said. “They are missing so much. I want to let them know that one, they are not alone and two, everyone is rooting for them. The whole thing just made my heart so happy.” Haley helped her mom pick out another senior and together they put together a gift basket for him. “It was a really fun experience to get one and to give one,” said Haley DelAndrae. Luke Vickery, a senior at Alta High School, was adopted by Shalysa Meier from West Valley City. Meier also adopted two other seniors. “Anytime I see a good thing it is a no-brainer to be a part of it,” Meier said. “Not only do I feel it impacted seniors on the receiving end, it brightened my spirits on my end. It gave me something to look forward to and a project I could do to spread kindness beyond my social circle.” “As seniors, it’s a bummer we don’t get
Shalysa Meier gave a personalized gift basket to Alta senior Luke Vickery as part of the Adopt A Utah Senior project. (Photo courtesy of Kourtney Vickery)
to experience the traditions that most people do,” Vickery said. “Everyone is trying to make a difference and [the Adopt a Senior Project] is a really cool way that people are doing something for our class to brighten our days. It’s really cool.” Luke’s mom Kourtney, said she can’t believe how generous people have been. “I love reading the kids’ stories and seeing the things they are involved in,” Kourtney Vickery said. “[The project] is giving people a chance to forget about what’s going on, all of the negative stuff in the world, and focus on other people. It is a bright spot I think.” Kennedy said she was overwhelmed at how quickly the Facebook group grew. Along with a team of eight other volunteers, she is spending many hours a day trying to make sure each senior is accounted for and matched to an individual or family. “There is a lot of work involved,” Kennedy said. “We watch for posts that come in, make sure they have correct information including their high school and make sure they are posted by a parent or legal guardian. We tag them so it is easier for people to find who hasn’t been adopted and answer a lot of questions.” Kennedy said the stories and pictures that come from the adoptions have been
heartwarming. “I love it when they find a common interest,” Kennedy said. “We will get emails with people who want to find someone who plays a certain sport or went to the high school they went to. We have people adopting from as far away as Alaska and Hawaii. It isn’t about getting stuff, it’s about cheering up the class of 2020.” Just like all good things, Adopt a Utah Senior must end. Kennedy said they will take their last senior on May 23 and allow 24 more hours for adoptions to be finalized. The following week they plan to allow gratitude posts. Kennedy isn’t worried about any of the graduates not being adopted because of all of the generosity she has seen so far. “Anytime we’ve gone on and said we need angels to take a referred senior we’ve had so much support,” Kennedy said. She is sad to see the project come to an end. “There has been so much love and random kindness,” Kennedy said. “It’s been so awesome to see smiles on these kids’ faces that have had so much taken away.” l
June 2020 | Page 13
Is Utah’s new high school playoff format working? By Justin Adams | justin.a@thecityjournals.com
T
his year, the Utah High School Activities Association changed the way it runs state tournaments. First, it began allowing all teams to participate in the state tournament. Second, it began seeding the tournament based on a formula, the Ratings Percentage Index, or RPI, rather than on how a team finished in its region. Why did UHSAA make these changes? Contrary to some Facebook commenters, it wasn’t for the purpose of giving every team a “participation trophy” in the form of a state tournament invite. The actual reason was to create a more competitive state tournament, as counterintuitive as that may seem. The question is, were they successful?
Unbalanced Regions
Prior to these changes, a team had to finish in the top four of their six-school region to make the state tournament. This meant that in certain deeper regions, a talented team with the potential to go far in the tournament wouldn’t even get a chance. On the flip side, the runner-up or even the winner of a weaker region might be bounced in the first round. Seeding the tournament based on region rankings sometimes led to anticlimactic tournaments in which the best two teams happened to meet in the quarter or semifinals, rather than the finals. The idea is that separating tournament qualification and seeding from region finish should ensure that the best teams make it into the tournament and are also seeded by how good they are, rather than geography. A perfect example of this would be this year’s Lone Peak boys basketball team. The Knights finished fifth in the very competitive Region 4 standings (only two games separated the second place team from the fifth place team). In previous years, they would have been left out of the playoffs. However, the RPI formula (which considers a team’s record, its strength of schedule and its opponents strength of schedule) rated them the 12th best team in the 6A classification. They turned out to be even better than that, as they made it all the way to the semifinals where they lost by two to the No. 1 seed Davis. The difference between being left out of the tournament completely and being a basket away from the championship game was a change in tournament rules. Similarly in 5A, Provo High’s boys basketball team finished second-to-last in its eight-team region. However, they made it to the quarterfinals of the state tournament where they also lost by just one basket to Farmington (who themselves lost by one basket to the eventual champions). While Provo and Lone Peak show how the new format can work well, they were the exceptions this year. The vast majority of teams who finished in the bottom of their region didn’t do much at their respective state tournaments.
Page 14 | June 2020
The average margin of victory in the state basketball tournament from the first round through semifinals. (Graphic by Justin Adams/City Journals)
In 5A football, the eight teams who finished in the bottom two of their regions went a combined 0-7 and were outscored by a combined total of 78 to 305 in the first round of the playoffs. The eighth team, Cottonwood High, declined their invitation to the playoffs after an 0-10 season in which they were outscored by a combined total of 579-13. Similarly in 5A girls soccer, the bottom two teams from each region all failed to advance past the first round and were outscored by a total of 2 to 38. These examples might lead some to question why weaker teams are being subjected to humiliating blowout losses for their final game of the season. One side effect of this change is that it makes region realignment a little easier. Under the previous rules, you wouldn’t want the six best schools to be in a region together, even if that’s what made the most sense geographically, because it would mean two of those six teams would be punished each year just for being in a better region. Now, UHSAA can form regions that make more sense geographically without having to worry as much about competitive repercussions.
Competitiveness
UHSAA Assistant Director Jon Oglesby told the Standard-Examiner before this year that “the goal of the RPI is to create a more competitive state tournament, which some coaches believe will be accomplished.” As previously noted, many of the lower-seeded teams experienced some pretty lopsided losses in the first rounds of state tournaments this year, but that’s bound to
happen in any tournament that seeds the best teams against the worst teams in the first round. But does the different seeding strategy result in more competitive games later on in the tournament? To try to answer that question, the City Journals looked at the scores of all the games in the boys and girls state basketball tournaments for both the 5A and 6A classifications comparing the average margin of victory (both by round and throughout the tournament as a whole) to last year’s tournament to see if there was a noticeable difference. On the boys side, there was almost no change at all. In 5A, the average margin of victory throughout the 2019 tournament was 10.7 points. In 2020, the exact same. At the 6A level, the average margin of victory actually increased from 12.5 to 12.7 points. However, there may be some evidence that the seeding resulted in better matchups toward the end of the tournaments. In 6A, the average margin of victory during the semifinal round dropped from 9.5 to 4 points, while in 5A, it dropped from 8 to 2 points. (Granted, this is a small sample size of just two games per classification. We will have to wait for future years to say whether or not the new system consistently produces more competitive games in the late stages of the state tournament.) On the girls side, there was a little more evidence of increased competitive balance throughout the competition. In 6A, the average margin of victory throughout the tournament dropped from 20.5 to 18.5 points, while 5A dropped from 15.1 to 12.2 points.
Quirks
The new playoff format has introduced a few quirks that may or may not have been anticipated by UHSAA. Lone Peak sanctions – This fall the Lone Peak football team had five of its wins vacated due to a sanction. Under previous rules, that would have meant they would likely miss the state tournament. But because every team goes to the tournament now, Lone Peak still got to go and got seeded as the 20th best team, even though they were in fact much better than that. That was bad news for their first round opponent, No. 13th-seeded Riverton. Through no fault of their own, Riverton had to play a much better team in the first round than they should have and subsequently lost 37-8. Region races – Many coaches have bemoaned the fact that winning one’s region doesn’t matter as much anymore. It’s not a guarantee that a region winner will be seeded higher by the RPI system than the region’s runner-up, which is critical when considering that first-round byes are awarded to the three to five highest-rated teams. Region rematches – The previous state tournament purposefully placed teams from the same region on opposite sides of the bracket. Now, with seeding being untied from region alignment, you get instances like the Timpanogos football team losing its regular season finale to region foe Timpview by a score of 52-23, only to then get matched up with them again in the first round of the state playoffs, losing by a similar score just one week later.
Sugar House City Journal
I was tested for COVID-19. It was a lot easier than I expected By Alison Brimley | a.brimley@mycityjournals.com
F
or a week, just as I was drifting off to sleep, my body seemed to forget how to breathe and I’d jolt awake, gasping. My husband suggested maybe I was developing sleep apnea. A friend said it sounded like asthma. I didn’t rule either of them out, but I also knew shortness of breath is one of the indicators of COVID-19. I didn’t have any other symptoms. Still, I wanted to rule it out while I sought other treatment. I decided to get tested. The morning of April 27, after a bad night’s sleep, I downloaded the app Healthy Together, which I’d seen friends mention on social media. I gave it basic information (my age and gender), and it asked me to identify my symptoms. Yes, I was experiencing “new or increased shortness of breath,” and yes, I felt short of breath while sitting or resting. The app said I needed to be tested for COVID-19. Since I’d indicated that I preferred to be treated in the Intermountain Healthcare System, and Intermountain performs telephone screenings, I was given a number to call before being approved for a test. I prepared to explain over the phone specifically what I was experiencing and justify why I wanted a test even though I was pretty sure it wasn’t COVID — but the Intermountain employee
didn’t ask me about any of that. Instead, we ran through the same list of symptoms the app had asked about. Yes, I did feel short of breath; no, I didn’t have fever, muscle aches, sore throat or diarrhea. After I gave my address, she told me the nearest testing facility was the Alta View InstaCare. She put my name on the list for testing that day, so I could have a drive-through test any time between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. My call ended at about 8:45 a.m., so I left for InstaCare right away. Signs in the parking lot pointed me in the direction of the drive-through testing site. I pulled into a numbered parking stall beneath a tent, where a posted sign gave me a number to call when I arrived. Over the phone, the employee confirmed my name, birth date, insurance information (though testing is free to all Utah residents, insured or not), and which stall I was in. Within minutes of hanging up, I saw a man in full protective gear at my window. This was the part I was nervous about: I’d heard the test was a nasal swab that went painfully deep. The tester asked me to look straight ahead with my head against my headrest. What followed was something like having my brain briefly dusted with a pipe cleaner; I forced myself not to sneeze or jerk away. It wasn’t terribly comfortable, but it
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
was quick — just a few seconds in each nostril. Less than 10 minutes after I had pulled into the parking lot, I was on my way home, a tickle in my nose but no residual pain. Between the telephone screener, the tester, and the information packet I’d been given in the Instacare parking lot, I was told I would either receive my test results via phone call in three to five, five to seven or five to 10 days. I was tested on April 27 (a Monday); one week later, I still hadn’t received a call. However, by Wednesday morning, I was able to see my lab results using Intermountain’s online MyHealth portal. As I expected, SARS-Cov-2 (more commonly known as the coronavirus) was “not detected.” My results had taken less than 48 hours. Happily, I have joined the ranks of the 95% of Utahns tested for COVID-19 whose test was negative. Given the horror stories of inadequate testing across the country, I was pleasantly surprised by how quick and hassle-free the process was for me personally. No longer are tests being restricted to those who have recently traveled to China or Italy, who have come in contact with a known infected person, or who appear in the emergency room in severe respiratory distress. I was fortunate to receive a test simply because I asked for one. Given that widespread avail-
The state of Utah ranks fifth in the nation for percentage of the population tested for COVID-19, one sign that made officials comfortable loosening restrictions as long as people take precautions like wearing masks in public places. (Photo by Engin Akyurt)
ability of testing will be a prerequisite for safely reopening our state and resuming normal life, this seems like a hopeful sign. l
Brickyard Bar
3000 Highland Drive
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“Bar food” is taking on an entirely new meaning at Brickyard Bar. Instead of “bar food” being a plate of nachos or fries that pairs well with a pitcher of beer at midnight, bar food here means made-from-scratch quality meals ordered throughout the day. Owner Adrienne Isbell knew she wanted food to be a staple at Brickyard Bar long before the grand opening. For over a year, she pursued the executive sous chef from Proper. Once she finally got him, he straightened the whole kitchen out and created an unique menu. “Everything is made in house if possible. We go out of our way to do it from scratch,” Isbell said. “The food hype has been for the burgers and wings.” Burgers are Kobe beef and are smoked inhouse. Some burger options are The Utah, The Classic, The Korean, and of course, The Brickyard, which consists of house-ground Kobe beef, fried onions, smoked gouda, bacon jam, bread and butter pickled jalapeños, arugula and bone marrow aioli. The wings, ribs, and chicken tenders are all Traeger-smoked with sauce options like buffalo, Korean BBQ, Texas BBQ, honey habanero, tikka masala and sweet chili. Don’t worry vegetarians and vegans,
MyS ugar HouseJournal .com
Brickyard Bar didn’t forget about you! Smoked cauliflower wings are on the menu, along with a white bean falafel burger available with cucumber, onion, cilantro, hummus and harissa tomato jam. Additional entrees that are only sold after 5 p.m. include Traeger-smoked Turkey Club, Pot Roast Poutine, Chili Dog Mac and Cheese, Spaghetti and Meatballs, and a 12 oz. smoked Prime Rib. On weekends from 10-2 p.m., brunch is served. One of the most unique brunch options is the Biscuits and Gravy Pizza. A house-made biscuit crust smothered with sausage gravy and topped with chopped bacon, cheddar, eggs and chives. Of course, Brickyard Bar can meet all the alcohol needs. “We have expanded our craft beer menu,” Isbell said. She is “going back to her roots with classic cocktails.” The Brickyard Manhattan is highly recommended with High West Double Rye Whiskey, sweet vermouth, sour cherry, orange bitters, and a Luxardo cherry garnish. . Brickyard Bar has space for everyone. The main bar provides a sports bar atmosphere, but without the noise. Sports enthusiasts can come watch the game, and patrons who didn’t realize
there was a game today can still spend time in the bar without being bombarded.. A garage door opens to a covered patio. Isbell is looking forward to utilizing the patio more as the weather gets warmer. The basement is a different space where live bands can play and karaoke will be held. In addition, the basement is reservable for private events. Brickyard Bar is located where the old Lumpy’s sports bar was. Isbell wants to make sure the legacy of Lumpy’s lives on within Brickyard Bar. As Lumpy’s was a sports bar, she makes sure to provide the atmosphere and opportunities for sports viewership. “People want to still watch sports here,” she said. Hanging on a wall of the main floor, between two television screens, is a signature from Lumpy’s — a shiny red bike. Not only does Brickyard Bar have great space and awesome food, it has unique and exciting events as well. Thursdays are game days with trivia, bingo, and comedy open-mic from 9-10 p.m. Friday nights are for karaoke. Local bands will play live music on Saturday nights and one specific local band will play every Monday night. “Mondays on Mars” will include Highway
on Mars, a bluegrass band, playing their own original music from 7-8 p.m. But from 8-10 p.m., they will host an open-mic jam session where people can request songs, sing with them for live-band karaoke, or bring their own instruments to jam with the band. Sunday mornings are reserved for Planks and Dranks. Planks occur first, with an hourlong yoga class beginning at 9 a.m. Dranks are available after, as attendees can enjoy mimosas. There is a $10 fee. All quality made-from-scratch menu items from Brickyard Bar are available to order to-go. Customers are welcome to use GrubHub, or call Brickyard Bar directly to place an order at: 801883-9845. To learn more visit their website at: www. thebrickyardbar.com. l
June 2020 | Page 15
Virtual County Library available as reopening takes shape By Joshua Wood | j.wood@mycityjournals.com
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esidents of Salt Lake County have gone without a lot of things over the past couple months. Some resources and services previously taken for granted have suddenly been dearly missed. One of those resources is the Salt Lake County Library system. Since midMarch, all 18 full-service physical branches have been closed. However, many of the library system’s services have been available online, and its staff members have worked to expand virtual offerings while the community stays at home. “Everything is online right now,” said Sara Neal, marketing and communications manager for Salt Lake County Library. “Limited staff is going into branches to do some prep work for opening the libraries.” In the meantime, and for the past several weeks, librarians have worked to make themselves more available online to the community. They started a daily online story time for kids on the library’s Facebook page each morning at 10:30. The library’s focus on children home from school has driven an expansion of online book offerings for kids of all ages. The County Library has developed programs like its Stay at Home Challenge encouraging people to do things like write a letter to a grandparent they can’t see in person. Kids were also challenged to read a short book in a half hour. “We wanted to help people fill some time and try to take their minds off things,” Neal said. Online offerings have expanded to in-
clude access to more books, magazines and movies. People can even get their library card by applying online. “Librarians are not at a desk right now, but they are still getting resources available to the community,” Neal said. The virtual Ask a Librarian service offers the kind of help that librarians typically offer when physical branches are open. People can ask their librarians online for help with research, writing a resume, or how to apply for unemployment. That type of online assistance will not go away when physical branches start to reopen. “We are working on how to serve members of the community who might be high risk,” Neal said. The County Library has worked with government officials to plan how to reopen safely. “We are working closely with the county and state,” said Cottonwood Heights Communications Manager Timothy Beery. “We have to take into account our needs and the needs of our neighbors.” As communities work toward reopening, the County Library has worked on how to keep patrons safe when libraries reopen. Everything from a safe curbside pickup program to properly cleaning materials as they come in has to be considered. “How do you monitor a 6-foot distance in a library?” Neal asked. “We are looking at what other urban libraries are doing to find what’s safest for the community.” l
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Salt Lake County Librarian Nancy Moos, and her husband, Philip Moos, associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Utah, demonstrate how to extract DNA from strawberries during a STEM Friday video for the library. (Photo courtesy of Salt Lake County Library)
Sugar House City Journal
Arches and ambivalence: My trip to Arches National Park on the brink of a pandemic
O
n a cold night in early spring, I stood with my three younger brothers on the banks of the Colorado River in Grand County, just outside Arches National Park. The water coursed beside a towering sandstone wall. Starlight poked dimly through cloud cover overhead, and a cold wind funneled down the river. We lifted our hoods to the chill, then turned off our flashlights and embraced the darkness. It was a little spooky. But the real scare was that we didn’t have a spot to camp. We’d planned on getting down early with time to nab a campsite, but I dragged my feet over nervousness with new developments in the spread of the coronavirus. This was back in early March, before Plexiglass dividers, and before social distancing became the single most uttered phrase in the American lexicon. My brothers insisted I was being dramatic. After all, they said, there’s only one confirmed case in the state. Finally, I gave in and agreed to go. Yet a feeling of deep unease hung over the trip like a thundercloud, and by the time we returned I’d begun to think about personal risk and social responsibility in new ways. We pulled into five different campgrounds along the river that night, and every campsite was taken. On one hand, it was consoling to know that others did not feel obliged to stay
By Zak Sonntag | z.sonntag@mycityjournals.com home, because it lent the impression that it was just another weekend in spring. But on the other hand, that meant we had to shack up in a very spartan motel. Checking in, the desk attendant casually mentioned that he was “feeling kind of sick. I think it’s just the regular flu, and they make me work anyway.” I wondered to myself, “Why would you even say that?” Then he gave us the room key, and it felt like he was handing over a pin-less grenade. I did not sleep well that night. Fortunately, worries have a way of dissolving in a place like Arches National Park, where ancient waters have chiseled the Entrada Sandstone into whimsically surreal shapes. Juniper trees and bladed yucca plants sprawled across the landscape. Boulder stacks and balancing rocks stood arrayed on the horizon like Kendama sticks. The beauty is enough to distract your mind from anything unpleasant, including a pressing pandemic. Yet even in a place like Arches, the COVID-crisis never strays too far from the mind. As we pulled into the parking lot of the trailhead for the Delicate Arch, we noticed something conspicuously absent: the crowds. But let me qualify that. Arches National Park averages 1.5 million visitors a year, and National Parks website explains that “Parking lots fre-
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quently overflow with cars during the busy season (March through October). Entrance station lines can stretch almost to the highway, causing long waits and testing visitors’ patience before they even cross the threshold.” Our patience was never tested. We pulled right into a spot. It was all very convenient, and yet it served as another reminder of the craziness unfolding across the globe. There were some jolly DSLR-toting tourists, but for a world-renowned destination, it was practically sparse. One of the distinct experiences of visiting any of Utah’s national parks is the sound of numerous foreign languages, an odd but enlivening polyphony that resounds through visitors centers. However, for the first time in many years of visiting Utah’s national parks, the music of foreign tongue was nil. It all felt a little too off. On my way up the trail, I couldn’t stop thinking that I’d made a mistake. It was irresponsible to come, I said, because I’d put myself and others at risk. But then Delicate Arch came into view, and it was suddenly quite difficult to feel regret. This arch is so iconic that you almost feel you know what to expect. After all, we’ve seen its image everywhere—especially in the six years since Utah launched the “Mighty 5” campaign. But I’m here to tell you that the pictures will never do
it justice. High, soft clouds blew across the horizon. Shafts of sun pierced down and swept across the arch, and the subtle hues of red rock shimmied in the changing light. Standing beneath the arch, the magnificent formation seemed incredibly bold and yet incredibly fragile. I wondered about all the foreign travelers who’d planned on visiting before the pandemic struck, and who might otherwise have been standing here beside me. Will they eventually make their way here? We anticipated staying a few nights in Grand County, but after a day at the park, we decided to call it an early trip and head home. Two weeks afterward the National Parks closed. It was around that time I learned Moab Regional Hospital has only 17 hospital beds and less than a handful of respirators. It crossed my mind that had an accident befallen me during my trip, I might have had to draw on some of those scarce medical resources, crowding out others in need at a time when large segments of society have been rendered extremely vulnerable by the menace of COVID-19. My visit to the park was genuinely incredible, and still I feel ambivalent. Arches begins a “phased re-opening” this month. Although, I don’t see myself returning soon. l
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June 2020 | Page 17
THOUGHTFUL GIFTS FOR THOUGHTFUL STUDENTS
by
CASSIE GOFF
Thoughtful gifts for thoughtful students Spring is the time for new beginnings… after graduations. During those events, you might overhear stories about someone’s parents buying them a new car for graduation, or someone’s rich relative flying them and their three closest friends to an island for a few weeks. Depending on how many people you know who are graduating, and how high the expectations have been set for you, buying gifts for grads can be expensive. Instead of spending more money, try one of these doit-yourself (DIY) gift ideas. One of the most common DIY graduation gifts are graduation leis, similar to those Polynesian garlands of flowers, but without the flowers. You’ll need a lot of plastic wrap for this one. Gather the things you wish to include in your lei. This may include snacksized candy bars, gift cards, rolled-up dollar bills, mints, etc. Be very careful as you lay out a long piece of plastic wrap. (Alternatively, you may choose to use smaller pieces of plastic wrap and tie all the pieces together at the end.) Place all your goodies out, side by side, leaving about 2 inches between each item, down one edge of the plastic wrap. Roll that plastic wrap over to trap the goodies in their new packaging. After you have wrapped all the items thoroughly, tie each of the spaces between goodies together. Alternatively, if you’re talented with origami, you
can fold dollar bills and tie them together to create a beautiful flower-resembling lei. If you, or your graduating human, really likes being cheesy (like me, I usually go so-cheesy I approach Gouda territory), you can make small graduation caps to put on almost anything you may think of. You’ll need a circular base, something resembling a lid of a jar or a bottlecap, some parchment paper, a button, and some string. Wrap the parchment paper around the circular base and glue or tape it down. Then, glue or tape a square-shaped piece of parchment paper on top of the circular base to create the top of the cap. Glue or tape (hot glue might work best for this part) a button to the middle of the top of the squareshaped parchment paper. Lastly, wrap the string, (which needs to be tied to create a circle, with cut segments of the string draped through the middle, and tied together to create a tassel) over the button. As mentioned, almost anything can be
capped. You might buy a small jar from your local Michael’s or Handy Dandy (my nickname for Hobby Lobby) and make the lid of the jar a graduation cap. Then you can fill the jar with candy, gift cards, anything your heart desires. You can do the same thing with a lightbulb and use a cheesy saying about how bright the graduate’s future is. You could put little graduation caps on a handful of different candies. You might even attach a cap to the lid of a drink tumbler and fill the tumbler with confetti and the aforementioned goodies. Lastly, you could stick a cap on the top of a money cake: a cake made out of rolled-up dollar bills placed in a circular shape.
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In a subtle attempt to calm me down, my husband enrolled me in a meditation course. I love meditation, in theory, and had a random practice that included meditating in bed, grocery store lines and during TV commercials, but I didn’t have an actual sitdown meditation practice. Now I do. Twice a day I sit for 20 minutes and watch the thoughts in my brain battle to the death. According to Instagram, nothing proves to the world how spiritual you are more than sitting for a long time in silence. The longer you sit, the better a person you are. Fact. So now I’m a super-spiritual Zen person. I make sure I talk about my meditation practice all the time. The more you talk about how you’ve merged with your inner self, the more interested people around you become. They could listen to you talk about your meditation practice for hours. You also need an expensive meditation cushion. Here’s a conversation I had with my husband, who just couldn’t understand the complexities of meditation. Husband: Can’t you just sit in a chair? Me: To be uber-spiritual, I need an $80 meditation cushion so I’m closer to Mother Earth. Husband: Why don’t you just sit on the floor? Me: Don’t be crass. I tried sitting on the ground to meditate. I was in San Luis Obispo at a conference, and I went to the beach early in the morning. I listened to the waves, communed with my inner being and radiated calm as I left the
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beach to go back to the hotel. As I ran up the trail from the beach, I tripped on a rock and fell face-first onto a wooden stair, nearly breaking my nose and spending the rest of the weekend with a bruised and swollen face. If I’d been sitting on a beautiful cushion instead of the ground, my inner being wouldn’t have been pissed off and try to kill me. Fact. Meditation in nature is supposed to be super-relaxing, but right when I close my eyes I feel an ant crawl across my foot and I have to look to make sure it isn’t a spider because then I have to jump up and scream. The only reason to meditate outside is so people can see you mediate and understand you’re a super-spiritual person. I’m teaching my puppy to mediate with me, hoping my calm energy will soothe her. After 10 minutes of getting her to settle down, I’ll place my hand on her back, syncing our breath and heart rate. Just as I create an intense connection to her heart chakra, she jumps in my lap to lick my face and ruins everything. She’ll never be as spiritual as me. Fact. People ask what I do when meditating. First, I sit quietly on my expensive cushion, noticing the thoughts running across my mind. I spend several minutes trying not to notice the thoughts running across my mind. I achieve two seconds of stillness before the thoughts start up again. Soon I become numb from the waist down. The more numb you feel, the more spiritual you are and the more disconnected from those pesky thoughts you become.
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Soon, I can’t feel my toes and my knees are screaming for help. But that just proves to the Universe that I’m dedicated to my meditation practice. Sometimes I fall asleep and jerk awake before I hit the floor. I expect I’ll achieve enlightenment any day now since I’m so good at meditating. If there’s one thing I excel at it’s doing absolutely nothing. Fact.
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June 2020 | Page 19
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