December 2018 | Vol. 5 Iss. 12
FREE
OFFICIALS CLEAN UP JORDAN RIVER TO DISCOURAGE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS By Carl Fauver | carlf@mycityjournals.com
A
large cleanup effort, which might normally cost some $600,000 to $700,000 over two to three months is now under way along a portion of the Jordan River that borders Taylorsville City’s eastern boundary. Russian Olives, tamarisk and other invasive plants continue to take over the banks of the river, from 3900 to 4800 South. City and county crews want to clear the area to encourage songbirds and birds of prey back into the area. But make no mistake about it, this 75- to 90-day effort is primarily about removing the homeless population — an ongoing challenge made even more difficult 16 months ago, with Salt Lake City’s “Operation Rio Grande.” “There are several reasons why we are starting the cleanup effort now; but there is no doubt it would not be as critical if it were not for the homeless population in the area,” said Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation Associate Division Director Wayne Johnson. “We will have 10 to 15 people working on site — probably into February — using heavy equipment to clear brush. We’ll be clearing 30 to 35 acres. The homeless tend to move along once they don’t have brush to camp under.” Before the county’s heavy equipment showed up last month, Taylorsville City officials also did their part. “The city pulled about 30 tons of garbage out of that area in October,” Johnson added. “We need that kind of junk out of the way in order for our equipment to most effectively remove the overgrowth. They did a good job of clearing it out of the way.” Then the week before the heavy equipment work began, police officers and county health department personnel provided people living in the brushy area information about how to get assistance and to warn them the equipment was on its way. “We don’t provide people living in that area with things like blankets, clothing or food,” said Unified Police Taylorsville Precinct Chief Tracy Wyant. “But we give them access to information and resources to help them get those kinds of things from the proper agencies. We don’t necessarily want to move these people. But for the health and safety of the rest of our residents, we can’t allow people to camp in there indefinitely.” Wyant said his agency is also acting at the request of business owners in the area who claim the homeless population is adversely impacting their bottom line. “Chief Wyant and I attended a meeting — along with Murray City government representatives — at the request of business
Salt Lake County crews are working this winter with heavy equipment to clear out heavy brush along the Jordan River in an effort to discourage homeless encampments. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)
owners in the area,” said Taylorsville Mayor Kristie Overson. “A Subway sandwich store recently closed there, with the homeless population cited as the No. 1 reason for a decline in business. Gas station and restaurant managers in the area have also noticed an increase in crime along with a decline in customers.” The brush clearing effort began at the Jordan River and 3900 South and is to continue to the south. Johnson said some of the acreage is privately owned, with negotiation required to allow county crews access to the area. “This kind of project is certainly politically charged, and we don’t want to do anything to make things more difficult for the homeless than they already are,” Overson said. “But there is no question this cleanup will make that area safer for our residents. That is always my top priority.” County heavy equipment crews have actually been doing
this kind of brush clearing work for about 10 years. “But certainly the demand has gotten worse since (Operation Rio Grande) displaced homeless residents who had been living in that part of Salt Lake City,” Johnson said. “Two years ago, and again last year, we cleared brush and overgrowth between 3300 South and 3900 South. But those projects were only about a third of the size of what we want to get done this year.” Construction is now under way on some new homeless shelters in the Salt Lake Valley. But don’t try telling Wyant that will solve Taylorsville City’s transient challenge. “I think it will be minimal relief at best when the new shelters are built,” Wyant said. “Many of these people simply choose to live this way. They know resources are available. But they elect to live this lifestyle.” l
Thank You to our Community Sponsors for supporting City Journals Local Postal Customer ECRWSS
Presort Std U.S. Postage PAID Ogden, UT Permit #190
gone digital. The world has gone digital.
Internet service has become essential for success.
That’s why we created Internet Essentials. Internet
Internet service has become essential for success. EssentialsSM is truly affordable home Internet, training That’s why we created Internet Essentials. Internet and computers foraffordable income-qualified families.training Essentials is truly home internet, and computers for income-qualified families. SM
Call 1-855-8-INTERNET
$9.95 /month Call 1-855-8-INTERNET InternetEssentials.com or visit No contract or visit InternetEssentials.com No hidden fees for qualifications and more information.
for qualifications and more information.
Discover all the best parts of working here. Join our team.
NOW HIRIN G
Text “mcdworksforme” to 36453 Mcdonalds.com/careers Choose your hours.
for McDona ld’s in Taylorsville & West Valle y
IE.Spectator Guide.AD.indd 1
2/8/18 12:10 PM
No, really. Just tell us the hours you’re free (and the hours you aren’t). We’ll work around your needs.
Pursue your education.
From high school completion to college tuition assistance, we can help you reach your dreams
Build your skills.
Wherever you are now, come here to build the job skills, people skills, and life skills that can take you further.
Delight our guests.
Our team gets to share delicious food, fun moments, and big smiles all day long. Come make happy happen!
Be you.
Around here, you can be who you are, become even more, and move toward your dreams — with a great team to back you up.
COMMITTED TO BEING AMERICA’S BEST FIRST JOB.™ Locations Now Hiring: • 11374 S River Heights Drive • 2002 W 12600 S • 5018 W 13400 S • 5434 W Daybreak Parkway
Page 2 |December 2018
MAKE UP TO $1100/HR Taylorsville City Journal
WE MAKE MATH MAKE SENSE! ÷ Open during winter break ∞ Affordable, professional & experienced math tutors + Get Homework help or test prep × From the basics to college curriculums
6357 S Redwood Rd Salt Lake City 84123
801-904-2584
This coupon offer good for
$25 off per month! (With 6 month commitment)
Serving Taylorsville, West Jordan, Midvale, Murray & West Valley
TaylorsvilleJ ournal .com
December 2018 | Page 3
Salt Lake Community College conducting active shooter response drills on multiple campuses By Carl Fauver | carlf@mycityjournals.com The TCJ is a monthly publication distributed directly to residents via the USPS as well as locations throughout Taylorsville. For information about distribution please email circulation@mycityjournals. com or call our offices. Rack locations are also available on our website. For subscriptions please contact: circulation@mycityjournals.com The views and opinions expressed in display advertisements do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions held by Loyal Perch Media or the City Journals. This publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the owner.
The Taylorsville Team CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Bryan Scott bryan@mycityjournals.com EDITOR: Travis Barton travis@mycityjounals.com ADVERTISING: 801-254-5974 DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING: Ryan Casper ryan.casper@mycityjournals.com 801-671-2034 ADVERTISTING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Melissa Worthen melissa@mycityjournals.com 801-897-5231 Tracy Langer Tracy.l@mycityjournals.com 385-557-1021 CIRCULATION COORDINATOR Brad Casper circulation@mycityjournals.com EDITORIAL & AD DESIGN: Ty Gorton Sierra Daggett Amanda Luker
Taylorsville City Journal 9500 South 500 West Suite 205 Sandy, UT 84070 Phone: 801 254 5974
Designed, Published & Distributed by
A
s armed gunmen continue to wreak havoc on college campuses nationwide, the schools and police and fire emergency responders are working to beef up their training in an effort to save as many lives as possible. At Salt Lake Community College’s primary Redwood Road campus in Taylorsville (4600 South), the school’s Emergency Manager Lisa Schwartz and her team are coordinating a series of training exercises at several SLCC campuses throughout the valley. It’s the type of work Schwartz has been doing since 2005, when she first volunteered — and was later hired — as the Emergency Response Coordinator for Taylorsville City. “I used to have a cubicle across from the mayor’s office at (Taylorsville) city hall,” Schwartz said. “As SLCC’s emergency manager now, I am doing my part to improve emergency response training because I am a mother with a daughter in high school and two college students. I also serve SLCC students, and with that comes my commitment to do all I can to provide them the same effort I would for my own children.” To that end, last spring the school hosted an active shooter emergency response training drill at their Taylorsville campus. More recently, a second drill was staged at SLCC’s Miller Campus (9750 South 300 West) this fall. SLCC Public Relations Director Joy Tlou says the primary purpose of the training is to introduce the newest emergency response technique to area police, fire and EMT responders, called “Rescue Task Force,” or RTF. “In past mass shooting events, police have gone in first and emergency medical responders have not entered a scene until the shooter was neutralized,” Tlou explained. “Sadly, in those few minutes, many victims have bled to death when faster response would have probably saved their lives. RTF is a technique designed to get medical care to shooting victims in one part of a building, even while the shooter is still active in another area.” Tlou said a Rescue Task Force typically
consists of three or four law enforcement officers, accompanied by about that many medical professionals. The technique requires law enforcement to secure part of a “hot” shooting zone, so EMTs can get aid to victims more quickly. “This is something completely new for fire and EMT responders,” Schwartz added. “They are not used to wearing bullet-proof vests and entering hot areas. In RTF response techniques, police go in first, secure the area enough so that it can be classified as ‘warm’ rather than ‘hot,’ and then emergency medical personnel follow behind them.” Schwartz said the medical personnel are not training to extract shooting victims at that point. Instead, they are deployed to apply tourniquets, press bandages and something called “chest seals.” Chest seals are typically made of heavy plastic, designed to seal the open chest wounds caused by a gunshot. Medical professionals say the seals stop air from being sucked into the chest cavity, which can often cause a lung collapse. Following these first two active shooter training exercises in Taylorsville and Sandy, a third will be staged next February at the SLCC South City Campus, with more likely to follow. Salt Lake Community College operates a total of 11 campuses throughout the Salt Lake Valley. Sgt. Nicholas Street, a Utah Highway Patrol public information officer, said his agency is glad to see Salt Lake Community College spearhead this effort to improve emergency response techniques. “SLCC has really put a good foot forward,” Street said. “We are all pleased to be working together to help keep students safe. When initial response teams can get into active shooter areas more quickly, more lives can be saved. SLCC is setting a trend that I hope colleges and universities throughout the state will follow. This is critical training.” Even higher up the UHP chain of command — in fact, up at the top link of that chain
Emergency response exercises, on Salt Lake Community College campuses, are scheduled to continue into next year. (Lisa Schwartz/Salt Lake Community College)
— new Utah Public Safety Commissioner Jess Anderson agrees. “Completely on their own, Salt Lake Community College has recognized an issue and devised a solution to the need for better active shooter emergency response training,” Anderson said. “I could not praise (SLCC administrators) more for addressing this problem. For them to step up and do this is phenomenal.” School officials say each training session costs about $1,500 to operate, primarily to feed participants. Police and fire trainees earn their normal departmental pay during the trainings. “After each training we have what are called ‘hot wash’ meetings,” Tlou said. “Essentially, these are debriefing sessions where all of the training participants can discuss what went right and what areas could be improved. The work is all intended to help save students’ lives.” l
Thank You
to our Community Sponsors for supporting City Journals
MISSION STATEMENT Our mission is to inform and entertain our community while promoting a strong local economy via relevant content presented across a synergetic network of print and digital media.
free l community l papers
Page 4 |December 2018
Taylorsville City Journal
Don’t let holiday activities break the bank! There’s lots of fun free events in the SLC area By Christy Jepson | christy@mycityjournals.com
T
he holidays are right around the corner and there are plenty of things to do in the Salt Lake Valley. Many of them are free. Here’s a list of activities that won’t put a dent in your budget and will provide fun for all. Herriman’s Night of Lights: Monday, Dec. 3 from 5-9 p.m. at City Hall and Crane Park (5355 W. Herriman Main St.). There will be a gingerbread contest, a visit with Santa, the tree lighting, a candy cane hunt, holiday crafts, food trucks, performances by Herriman Harmonyx and Herriman Orchestra, photo ops, and ice skating. There is a fee for ice skating (weather permitting), but everything else is free. Draper’s Candy Cane Hunt: Monday, Dec. 10 from 4-5 p.m. at the Draper Historic Park (12625 S. 900 East). This is a free family event sponsored by the Draper Parks and Recreation Department. Children ages 3-6 will hunt for thousands of candy canes that are scattered around the park and hidden in bushes and trees. Santa and Mrs. Claus will also arrive on a fire truck and will be available for photos under the gazebo. While you are in Draper, don’t forget to check out Draper’s Tree of Light (or sometimes called The Tree of Life), which is a big willow tree in the middle of Draper City Park (12500 S. 1300 East). This tree is decorated with more than 65,000 lights. Draper City first lit the tree for the Christmas season in 2008 and each year more lights have been added. The lights turn on at dusk and stay on until midnight everyday until New Years. This has become a popular holiday destination for people statewide. Gingerbread House Contest in South Jordan: Gingerbread houses will be on display in the Gale Center Auditorium (10300 S. Beckstead Lane) from Nov. 27-Dec. 6 for People’s Choice Award voting. The hours are Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Light the Night at the South Jordan City: On Friday, Dec. 7 from 6:30-8 p.m. at the South Jordan City Plaza at 1600 W. Towne Center Drive. There will be pictures with Santa, hot cocoa, gingerbread houses, the unveiling of the candy windows display featuring artists Jennifer Vesper and Krista Johansen. Visit Santa on Towne Center Drive in South Jordan: On Dec. 7 from 6:30-8 p.m., Dec. 8 from 3-5 p.m., Dec. 14 from 6-8 p.m., Dec. 15 from 3-5 p.m., Dec. 21 from 6-8 p.m., and Dec. 22 from 3-5 p.m. (1600 W. Towne Center Drive) Riverton’s Holly Days in the Park: On Nov. 26, 30 and Dec. 1 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
TaylorsvilleJ ournal .com
You are invited & dinner is on us!
Dinner Seminar
Learn more about Advanced Funeral Planning • Wills • Trusts • Burial Plots • Cremation
Seminar Dates: December 11th at 6:00 pm Two boys sit on the laps of Santa and Mrs. Claus during Holly Days at the Riverton City Park. (Photo credit Angie Meine)
at the Riverton City Park, large pavilion, 1452 W. 12600 South. This free family event includes: the arrival of Santa and Mrs. Claus on a fire engine, hot chocolate and warm buttery scones, and walking through the park reading from the giant-sized storybook pages of “T’was the Night Before Christmas.” There will also be vendor booths so visitors can get some holiday shopping done. Christmas Night of Music: This 3rd annual event will be on Dec. 15 from 6-8 p.m. at the Riverton High School auditorium and will be a night filled with a community choir of over 100 voices and a local orchestra. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Riverton High School is located at 12476 S. Silverwolf Way. This is a free event. Salt Lake City: If you are downtown celebrating the season be sure to drop by and look at Macy’s holiday candy window displays at City Creek Center. Also in Salt Lake City, on Dec. 17 is the 32nd Annual Christmas Carol Sing-Along at the Vivint Smart Home Arena. This free event will be filled with holiday music and fun. There will be musical numbers by the Bonner Family. This event starts at 7 p.m. Santa Is Coming to Town in West Jordan: On Thursday, Dec. 20 from 6-8 p.m. there will be a craft, a coloring station, story time with Mrs. Claus, hot cocoa and cookies, carolers, and a visit with Santa. Santa will be arriving at 6 p.m. sharp so don’t be late. This event will
be located in the City Hall Community Room at 8000 S. Redwood Road. Saturday with Santa: Christmas Around the World: On Saturday, Dec. 8 from 2 to 4 p.m. families can come visit with Santa, enjoy food tasting from places around the world, crafts and games and entertainment. This event is free and is sponsored by Taylorsville Preservation Committee and will be held at the Taylorsville Bennion Heritage Center, 1488 W. 4800 South in Murray. Back for the second year at The Shops at South Town in Sandy is Chistmas in the Wizarding World. Step into the world of a wintry Hogsmeade village that features unique merchandise from the “Fantastic Beasts” and “Harry Potter” films. It is free to walk through and will be opened from now until Jan. 21. Even though it is not free, there is another activity in Sandy that is inexpensive when it comes to ticket prices. The Dickens’ Christmas Festival at the Mountain America Exposition Center (9575 S. State Street) is produced and organized by Olde World Historical Council and claims to be a “unique and unusual entertainment and shopping experience.” From fortune tellers, to old English shops, the “real” Father Christmas, period costumes, street theater, puppet shows, a mini-production of “Scrooge” and visits from the Spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Future. Ticket prices are $3.50 for children and $5.50 for adults. l
Golden Corral West Valley 3399 West 3500 South
December 12th at 6:30 pm Famous Dave’s West Jordan 7273 S. Plaza Center Dr
December 13th at 6:00 pm Golden Corral Midvale 665 East 7200 South
No Obligation FREE Dinner Provided Please call to reserve your seat
Seating is Limited!
801-509-9798
Thanks for supporting us since 1950. Ask us about all your pre-planning needs. 4330 South Redwood Road Taylorsville, UT 84123
McDougalFuneralHomes.com
December 2018 | Page 5
‘Christmas Around the World’ celebration to include Santa, games, international foods By Carl Fauver | carlf@mycityjournals.com
A
seasonal Taylorsville event will be “supersized,” when the annual “Saturday with Santa” morphs into much, much more. The popular event has previously been hosted by just one committee. But this year, the Historic Preservation Committee is receiving assistance from two others. The newly retitled event is being called “Christmas Around the World.” “I took my kids to ‘Saturday with Santa’ last year — before I became a city council person — and it was fun but seemed to be a little short on things for children to do,” said first-year councilwoman Meredith Harker. “The kids all said ‘hi’ to Santa, and we enjoyed some cocoa, but it just seemed like the day could include more.” Soon after being sworn in as a council member, Harker was assigned to assist both the Historical Preservation and Parks and Recreation committees. She ran the idea by both committees of possibly growing “Saturday with Santa” into something more and received positive feedback. “Saturday with Santa is one of our most cherished traditions, so changing it took a little consideration,” said former Historic Preservation Committee Chairwoman Connie Taney. “But as we discussed ideas about making it different, we decided it sounded like something people would like. So, our committee got on board.”
Then somewhere in the mix, a third Taylorsville community volunteer committee jumped into the act as well. With another firstyear councilman, Curt Cochran, as their liaison, the city’s first new committee in several years approached the group to see how they could lend a hand as well. “This will be the first big event for the new Cultural Diversity Committee,” Cochran said. “They came in with a lot of big ideas. I know they are going to provide a variety of Latino foods and musical groups. The committee is looking forward to it.” Now the busy two-hour event from 2 to 4 p.m. On Saturday, Dec. 8 will include crafts for children to make and take home, games, several performing choirs, food common to many different countries and even a live Nativity scene visitors can join. “Families will take turns putting on Nativity costumes while adults narrate,” said new Historic Preservation Committee Chairwoman Susan Yadeskie. “They can pose for pictures. That, along with a couple of the games, will be outside on the Taylorsville-Bennion Heritage Museum lawn. We are hoping for good weather, but people should dress appropriately.” This summer Yadeskie became only the third chairperson the Historic Preservation Committee has had, since it was created in 2002. With her family ties to the historic home that now houses the heritage museum, Taney
has served as chairwoman most of those 16 years. But she chose to leave the position because other committee duties are beginning to create a big load. “We launched a museum Facebook page this year, and people have been sending me so many photographs,” Taney said. “And I also promised to write up the history of our Historic Preservation Committee. With all that going on, I talked Susan into becoming the chairperson.” In her first official committee report to the city council, Yadeskie said 2018 has been another successful year. “Our committee has grown dramatically this year, and people are working hard on it,” she told the council. “We received another $3,500 Zoo, Arts and Parks (ZAP) tax grant from the county. We always use these funds to pay for busses in the spring when school kids from all over Taylorsville come to tour the museum and have picnic lunches.” At that point, Harker (who is also an elementary school teacher) interjected, “It is always my kids’ favorite field trip of the year.” One of those new Historic Preservation Committee members is Wendy Cochran, the wife of city councilman Curt Cochran.
“I grew up along 4800 South and love the old homes on that street,” Wendy said. “I knew Connie (Taney) growing up, as well as the Jones family. I often played in that house. I like playing a part in preserving our history. I am really excited to assist with ‘Christmas Around the World’ to help bring our community together. There’s no place like home.” Yadeskie, Taney and Wendy Cochran are three of now 13 active Historic Preservation Committee members, a big jump from a year ago. They all agree that “Christmas Around the World” will be more extravagant than ever before, but Jolly Old St. Nick will still be the star of the show. “Santa Claus will be back in our dairy store next to the museum,” Taney said. “And we will still serve hot drinks. The traditions of ‘Saturday with Santa’ will live on. But all three committees hope the new things we are adding will prompt even more families to make this a part of their holiday tradition.” l
FREE Trial Lesson!
– Prepare for summer now with swim lessons in Salt Lake City, Taylorsville and Sandy – • Small Classes 4:1 • Ages 18 Months to Adult Lessons offered Monday-Saturday • Unique Learn to Swim Curriculum Register online or call for a free trial lesson today!
844-KID-SWIM www.SafeSplash.com Sugarhouse 1121 Ashton Avenue Salt Lake City, UT 84106 (inside 24 Hour Fitness®)
Page 6 |December 2018
Sandy 10365 South 1300 East Sandy, UT 84094 (inside 24 Hour Fitness®)
• Experienced Instructors • Indoor/Year-Round Lessons
Taylorsville 5766 South 1900 West Taylorsville, UT 84129
City Councilman Kurt Cochran and his wife Wendy will be among the volunteers busy Dec. 8 to make the new “Christmas Around the World” Santa visit a success. (Taylorsville Heritage Preservation Committee)
(inside 24 Hour Fitness®)
Taylorsville City Journal
The greatest season in Bruins soccer history By Greg James | gregj@mycityjournals.com
The womens soccer team at Salt Lake Community College finished their season ranked 11th overall in the country. (SLCC Bruins)
T
he Salt Lake Community College Bruins soccer teams both won conference championships. In only their third year of existence, they have grown into a powerhouses. “This year was absolutely unbelievable,” Bruins head coach Mark Davis said. “The women’s program ended the year ranked 11th in the country; the men are 14th. Generally, I feel pretty good about the year. I would have loved to win a national championship, but they cannot argue with our record and our accomplishments.” The men and women both clinched their titles the same day in Price against Utah State Eastern. On the bus trip home, the teams jubilation could not be contained. “The players support each other,” Davis said. “Clinching together was one of the greatest days in my coaching career. The bus celebration, going down Spanish Fork Canyon, I have never had so much fun in my life.” The Bruin women closed out their season with 13 wins, 2 losses and 2 ties. They only allowed six goals the entire season. Sophomore goalkeeper Makenna Eaves, from Pleasant Grove, recorded 11 shutouts. “We have a defensive mindset, a blue collar mentality,” Davis said. “We try to out-work the opposition and do whatever it takes on both teams.” Enoch Mushagalusa, a freshman from Denver, led the men with 27 goals. “We take our opportunities when they come,” Davis said. “I give Enoch a lot of credit, but our back line and team distribution. The boys created open space. This was our third season, the best season in program history. I give all the credit to the teams and staff; we worked very hard.”
TaylorsvilleJ ournal .com
Mushagalusa was named SWAC player of the year, and Eaves was the goaltender of the year. Davis was named men’s and women’s coach of the year. Both teams played their home matches at the Zions Bank Center in Herriman. “To have the opportunity to play in a professional environment over 10 matches was fantastic,” Davis said. “We trained there once a week also.” The team has a mixture of local high school student-athletes, national and international players. “We recruit the very, very best local girls and boys available,” Davis said. “Our staff is constantly searching the youth soccer associations, high schools and clubs. We want to find the best available. We also look internationally and have great pipelines around the country.” The SWAC had three men’s teams ranked the majority of the season. Snow, SLCC and College of Southern Nevada all spent time in the top ten this year. The women also had three teams ranked most of the year, Snow, SLCC and USU Eastern. “I feel I have one of the best coaching staffs in the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association),” Davis said. “The school has been very supportive. The men and women train and do study hall alternately. Both teams travel on the same bus. The Bruins soccer family is very strong.” In this the third season of existence, the men have won two Scenic West Athletic Conference championships. This was the first time for the women. The women advanced to and won the Region 18 championship with a 2-1 victory over Snow College. l
December 2018 | Page 7
After decadelong absence, Red Roof hotel brand returns to Utah and honors military veterans By Carl Fauver | carlf@mycityjournals.com
I
f you stopped 20 Taylorsville residents on the street to ask directions to the city’s only motel, you might just get 20 blank stares. But the president of the motel and hotel giant that just purchased that lone Taylorsville amenity says that is just fine, because people who choose extended stay properties almost always do so before they travel and don’t rely on freeway signage or word of mouth. “We are excited to be moving into the extended stay lodging market and are thrilled to have among our first new properties this one in the Salt Lake Valley,” Red Roof President Andy Alexander said, while visiting Taylorsville from the company’s international headquarters in Ohio. “Red Roof had a presence in Ogden from 2001 to 2007 but has not been in Utah since then. As we entered into this growing hospitality sector, this state was a top priority.” The Utah property is one of 50 Crossland Economy Studio motels Red Roof purchased in the multi-million-dollar deal. Often, an acquisition like this will be followed by layoffs or personnel changes. But not at the Taylorsville site. “We had nine employees, including myself, before the sale — and have the same nine people now,” local General Manager Sandra Cuevas said. “This change has been very positive. Our rooms have been upgraded, the rest of the property spruced up and our occupancy rate in increasing.” The three different room styles at the facility rent for $349 to $474 per week.
Page 8 |December 2018
Alexander was one of several Red Roof corporate executives to visit their new HomeTowne Studios by Red Roof® Salt Lake City-Mid Valley location (5683 South Redwood Road) just days ahead of Veterans Day, to honor vets and to formally cut the ribbon on the remodeled and rebranded Taylorsville property. “The company is spending $50 million refurbishing a number of newly purchased properties, including $800,000 at the Taylorsville location, during the launch of the new HomeTowne Studios by Red Roof sub-brand,” said spokeswoman Frances Ramos, while making her first-ever Utah visit, from Florida. “Red Roof now has nearly 600 properties in 42 states, Brazil and Japan, with Canada coming soon.” Other Red Roof executives descended upon the property for the open house from Pennsylvania, Texas and Indiana. Among them too was Vickie Lam, out of Indianapolis, herself a military vet. “I spent eight years in the military and have now been with Red Roof 14 years,” Lam said, during the open house. “I am proud to work for a company that makes it a priority to honor our military veterans.” Company President Alexander agrees. “Throughout our 45-year history, Red Roof has supported many different outreach programs for veterans,” Alexander said. “We were particularly pleased at this (Taylorsville ribbon cutting and open house) to support Operation Gratitude.
HomeTowne Studios by Red Roof executives visited their new Taylorsville property – from several states, last month – for a ribbon cutting ceremony. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)
We were involved in a couple of other veterans’ events here in Utah a few days earlier as well. This is definitely one of our most important traditions.” The company also has an ongoing tradition of offering discounted prices to active military members, veterans, retired military and their direct family members. According to the website operationgratitude. com, “Operation Gratitude seeks to lift the spirits and meet the evolving needs of the U.S. Military and First Responder communities, and to provide volunteer opportunities for Americans to express their appreciation to all who serve our nation.” The organization claims, “Each year Operation Gratitude sends 300,000-plus individually addressed care packages to soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and coast guardsmen deployed overseas, their children left behind, and to first responders,
new recruits, veterans, wounded heroes and other care givers.” Since it was founded in California 15 years ago, Operation Gratitude has been served by more than 25 million volunteer hours. Those people have hand written 8 million letters and assembled 13 million pounds of care packages. Operation Gratitude reports, 94 cents of every dollar it receives in donations goes directly to program services, while fundraising expenses are less than 2 percent. The HomeTowne Studios by Red Roof Salt Lake City-Mid Valley location actually first had a so-called “soft opening” in August. Corporate officials say Red Roof is also now actively investigating other potential properties in Utah to grow their footprint here even further. l
Taylorsville City Journal
Calling all angels: accepting donations for youth in need By Michelynne McGuire | m.mcguire@mycityjournals.com
S
alt Lake County Youth Services and ShelterKids are holding an annual giving opportunity called the Angel Tree campaign. They accept donated items for kids and young adults who have experienced neglect and abuse, are at-risk or homeless. Donations will be accepted at all the county library branches, except for Holladay and Riverton. The holidays are the season to be jolly, which is the message of hope this campaign hopes to bring with these contributions. The holidays especially can touch our hearts and inspire all to remember those in need of a helping hand. The Angel Tree campaign is a local nonprofit. They have teamed up with the Salt Lake County Library branches and will accept donations Dec. 1–15. According to Carolyn Hansen, the Salt Lake County Youth Services director, “The donations we receive go directly to clients we serve that are struggling during this holiday season. The generosity and support our county employees and community have shown over the past 13 years is appreciated,” said Hansen. Donations can also be brought directly to Salt Lake County Youth Services, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. up until Dec. 17. This is the third year Salt Lake County Library has participated in the donation drive, and according to Liz Sollis, the marketing and communications manager for Salt Lake County Library, “It is something that our patrons and community fully support.” In the past they’ve collected clothing, games, shoes and books. “Last year, the donations we collected helped thousands of Salt Lake youth who are recipients of support and resources from Salt Lake County Youth Services. The drive continues to uplift the community, our staff, and most importantly, Salt Lake County youths,” said Sollis. Salt Lake County Youth Services has been doing this for 13 years, and the recent teaming up with Salt Lake County Library over the past three years will hopefully bring more awareness. Noelle Reymond, a volunteer and outreach coordinator with Salt Lake County Youth Services, explained what the Angel Tree is. “The ornaments list items of need for the youth in our program. The community is encouraged to choose an ornament and purchase the item listed to donate to Youth Services. We then disseminate the donated items during the holidays and over the next year as needed within our programs,” said Reymond. There will be an Angel Tree decorated with ornaments at each participating library and there will be places to leave the donated items, as well.
TaylorsvilleJ ournal .com
(On right) Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams, Salt Lake County Youth Services staff including Carolyn Hansen, director (left) and ShelterKids board members. (Noelle Reymond/Salt Lake County Youth Services)
Maria Drummond, Salt Lake County Youth Services recreational therapist, shared a story shining light on how important these donation drives are. “We had a youth arrive to therapy wearing canvas shoes soaked by a walk through the deep snow outside. It was such a pleasure to be able to gift them a pair of good snow boots that would keep their feet warm and dry on their walk home that day and throughout the season,” said Drummond. And the giving continues past the holidays. “It’s because of the generous donations of the community each year that when a youth has a need, whether it be in December, March or November, we can meet that need,” said Drummond. ShelterKids supports Salt Lake County Youth Services throughout the year. They are always looking for volunteers to help with their programs. For more information, contact Noelle Reymond at nreymond@slco.org or (385) 486-4506. Donations can also be brought directly to Salt Lake County Youth Services: 177 W. Price Ave., Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. up until Dec. 17. For more information on what donations are needed or any general inquiries, please visit the following websites: Slco.org/youth/donations. www.shelterkids.org www.slco.org. l
December 2018 | Page 9
Salt Lake County’s 2019 Budget Makes Wise Investments with No Tax Increase
T
he most important function of the Salt Lake County Council is passing an annual budget to fund the myriad of important functions for our residents. Each fall, the Mayor presents his proposed budget to the council. Council members and staff take the subsequent weeks to look through the budget and make any important changes before adopting a final county budget. The final budget vote is scheduled for December 4th. My priority for every budget process is the same, and I ask the following questions of each expenditure or proposal we review: 1) Is this the proper role of county government? 2) Does this
invest in an area that will save taxpayer money in the long run? 3) Does this needlessly duplicate efforts already under way by another entity? 4) Is this the highest and best use of these dollars? This year, just as in 2018, I again made it clear during budget deliberations that I would not support a final budget that exceeded the total dollar amount proposed by the Mayor. The reason is that growth in spending, even if marginal on a year over year basis, contributes to the growth of government and eats into our fund balance (savings account). We must have a top threshold over which we won’t go in order to do our best to limit government growth while still
Meeting God | Meeting Friends | Meeting Needs
investing in important areas. It’s also important that we make wise investments in our county to preserve the quality of life our residents expect and deserve. That’s why I’m pleased this budget makes additional investments in our criminal justice system (through more prosecutors as well as resources for indigent defense) to keep our community safe. We’ve also set aside additional funding to fully open the Oxbow Jail to we have a place to house people who shouldn’t be on the streets. This year we also invested in additional trails and open space, and in our cultural amenities with things like the Midvalley Performing Arts Center. We know that our library system is
one of our county’s greatest treasures, and this year we are greenlighting a new library in the southwest part of the valley, a rebuild of the Kearns library, and a remodel of the Holladay library. I’m also very glad to say that we’ve done all this without a tax increase this year. Being wise stewards of public dollars and making smart investments in the future of Salt Lake County is vital. My goal is to always ensure that every taxpayer dollar we spend is used wisely, efficiently, and allocated through a transparent process. I’m excited for what 2019 has in store for Salt Lake County! l
If you’re reading this, so are your customers.
Services held Sunday at 10:30 am
Melissa Worthen
13 community newspapers serving 15 cities for over 27 years.
801-336-4138
Print and digital ad opportunities
Account Executive
Melissa@mycityjournals.com
Real and trackable results.
crosspointutah.com 5445 South 2700 West | Taylorsville | 801-200-3818
Page 10 |December 2018
WE’RE YOUR COMMUNITY CONNECTION.
Taylorsville City Journal
SPOTLIGHT
Famous Dave’s
7273 S, Plaza Center Dr, West Jordan, UT 84084
Business Spotlights are a service offered to our advertisers to help them inform our readers about their businesses. For information on scheduling a Spotlight, please call us at 801-254-5974 or email us at ryan.casper@mycityjournals.com
I
t’s no coincidence that Famous Dave’s has the word “famous” in its name. Established by Dave Andersen, it started as a quest for great smoked barbecue. Dave turned his garbage can into a smoker, perfected his recipes, won over 700 awards and started sharing it in his restaurants nationwide. Famous Dave’s in West Jordan is located at the south end of Jordan Landing, 7273 S. Plaza Center Drive. Frank Wood is the general manager there, and he knows that when you come in you’re not going to be disappointed. “We try to carry on Dave’s legacy with his original recipes. We still use his open pit barbecue style. And we bring it all to you in a comfortable space where you can enjoy your dining experience,” Wood said of his West Jordan restaurant. With holiday parties just around the corner, Famous Dave’s wants you to know that they are famous for their catering as well as their recipes. “We have a big on-site banquet room for parties of 50 or more, so if that’s something you’d like to do, call us and we’ll accommodate your group,” said Wood. For information on catering, call (801) 280-8844 ext. 1. Off-site catering is just as popular. “Really, we can cater any gathering of people who want good food. We do weddings, funeral meals and, of course, holiday parties. We can accommodate from 20 people to 10,000 people,” said Wood. Their catering menu is year-round and includes sandwiches, ribs, pork – any meat that’s on their menu. And then there are those sides: corn, mac & cheese, baked beans, potatoes in vari-
TaylorsvilleJ ournal .com
ous forms and other vegetables. “Our signature classic is The Ultimate Feast. We have it all the time, and it feeds four to six people. You get ribs, chicken, sides, six pieces of sweet corn and four cornbread muffins,” Wood said. There are also special holiday meals. “Our Christmas special runs through December. Customers can choose smoked ham or smoked turkey. All the food is already cooked so all you need to do is reheat it when you’re ready for your holiday meal,” said Wood. A full feast will feed six people. The price for just a ham is $54.99. The ham feast is $119.00 and the turkey feast is $109.00. Catering at Famous Dave’s can be as inclusive as you want it, depending on your budget. Customers can choose from simple pick-up, delivery and set up, or full service. In addition to the catering menus, Wood encourages people to stop by whenever the barbecue mood hits and check out their new menu. “We’ve kept the traditional favorites, and we still have our daily lunch specials from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., but we’ve added new things. For example, ask us about our burned butts,” Wood said. Ok. Tell us about your burned butts. Turns out the burned butts are a cut of pork with some special attention. “Burnt ends as they’re also called come from select portions of slow-smoked brisket. The juices mix with sugars as we caramelize the pork in a blackberry barbecue sauce. It’s served with candied sweet peppers, and it’s delicious,” Wood
said.
Full catering and menu information can be found at www. famousdaves.com, then search for the West Jordan location. l
December 2018 | Page 11
SPOTLIGHT
Desert Star Theater 4861 S. State Street, Murray, UT 84107
Business Spotlights are a service offered to our advertisers to help them inform our readers about their businesses. For information on scheduling a Spotlight, please call us at 801-254-5974 or email us at ryan.casper@mycityjournals.com
D
esert Star’s latest parody takes on the Christmas villain that everybody loves to hate! No, not the Grinch... The Grouch! This zany parody opens November 8th and it’s a hilarious musical melodrama for the whole family you don’t want to miss! This show, written by Ben Millet, with an update for 2018 and directed by Scott Holman, follows the story of the Whoville Orphan Sisters as they attempt to save their Christmas future, and presents, from the notorious Grouch. Also hot on the Grouch’s trail is the handsome huntsman, Hunter Hyrum Y, who blames the green goon for the loss of his arm. The team pursues the Grouch into the snowy mountains surrounding their town, only to encounter an even greater threat... one so dangerous, they just might need to join forces with the Grouch himself in order survive! Comedy, romance, and adventure are all on the docket for this delightful send up of the classic children’s story, as well as topical humor torn from today’s headlines. “How The Grouch Stole Christmas” runs November 8th through January 5th, 2019. The evening also includes one of Desert Star’s
Page 12 |December 2018
side-splitting musical olios, following the show. The “Swingin’ Christmas Olio” features hit holiday themed songs and merry, musical steps mixed with more of Desert Star’s signature comedy. Food is available from an á la carte menu and is served right at your table. The menu includes gourmet pizza, fresh wraps, appetizers, and scrumptious desserts. “How the Grouch Stole Christmas” Plays November 8th - January 5th, 2019 Check website for show times: www.DesertStarPlayhouse.com Tickets: Adults: $24.95-$28.95, Children: $14.95 (Children 11 and under) 4861 S. State Street, Murray, UT 84107 Call 801.266.2600 for reservations For additional information, visit our website at www.DesertStarPlayhouse.com l
Taylorsville City Journal
City of Taylorsville Newsletter 2600 West Taylorsville Boulevard • 801-963-5400
MAYOR'S MESSAGE Dear Friends and Neighbors, As the year winds down and we look forward to the holidays, I always become a bit reflective during this season. We have so much to be grateful for and are so fortunate to be part of a giving community of people who are working every day to help others. As Mayor, I see the good that is happening all around us. I see the selfless service and sacrifice. I see the small gestures that might Mayor go unnoticed as inconsequential but in reality are what truly matKristie S. Overson ter and make a difference. I am awed by the kindness, generosity, tolerance and good will of our community and the people who live here. I had the privilege to meet with veterans last month at the Senior Center, and thank them on Veterans Day for the service and sacrifice they have made to our community and country. I recognize that sacrifice each day as I walk past the beautiful bronze statues depicting veterans and their work that stand outside of City Hall. Not only do these statues make our city identifiable and unique, but they add such a reverence to the entrance of the city building. Those nine life-size bronze statues that were erected in 2011 and make up the Veterans Memorial at Taylorsville City Hall have special meaning to me. They are a reminder of what is important and help me to keep perspective. I watched, too, this past month as three of our firefighters were deployed to help battle the deadly fires in California. I am overwhelmed by their willingness to step into danger as they work to help others two states away, whom they don’t even know. Among the firefighters dispatched to the blaze were Battalion Chief Dusty Dern, who works out of Taylorsville’s Fire Station 118 and led the Northern Utah Task Force dispatched to the “Camp Fire.” Also sent were Capt. Ken Aldridge, from Taylorsville’s Fire Station 117, and Capt. Jason Kamp, a Taylorsville resident and current president of the Exchange Club who works out of Utah’s Brighton Fire Station (See story on Page 5). I am continually amazed at the level of commitment by our public safety officers – both those with the Unified Fire Authority and our Unified Police Department – who not only work to provide public safety but community involvement, as well. I see the volunteers, employees and property owners who have been giving up their time to clean up the banks of the Jordan River. The cleanup over the next couple of months along the river’s north border of our city will provide a lovely walkway where we can feel safe and comfortable. I see the service the youth in our community have initiated with their holiday project to collect items for the Golden Living Center. Scarves, socks, gloves, hats and candy for seniors living at the center can be given at donation boxes at City Hall, the Taylorsville Library and Taylorsville High School. I see the significant donations in time and money given to our Taylorsville Food Pantry to ensure the holidays are also good for those in need. I honor and recognize all of these efforts and the many, many more not mentioned. I am so appreciative of the contributions, both big and small, that citizens, employees, volunteers, businesses and even visitors make to our Taylorsville home. Yes, it truly is a season of giving and thanks. Thank you to everyone! –Mayor Kristie S. Overson
WHAT’S INSIDE – December 2018 Frequently Called Numbers, Page 2 Council Corner, Page 3 Public Safety, Page 5 Heritage Remembrances, Page 6 Taylorsville People, Page 7 Environment, Page 8
www.taylorsvilleut.gov
December 2018 Taylorsville Food Pantry is Grateful for Help
The Taylorsville Food Pantry relies almost exclusively on donations to provide for those in need so when a check is given or food is dropped off, the pantry’s managers jump for joy. It means they can give more food away and no one will go hungry. Each month, the pantry provides food to about 1,200 people, and for Thanksgiving they gave away around 80 gift bags including a turkey, stuffing, cans of olives and green beans and pumpkin and cranberry, cream of chicken soup, sweet potatoes and rice. “It took eight volunteers only 26 minutes to put together the bags,” said Sue Lane, warehouse manager. “Everyone pitched in.” Thanks to a generous donation of $2,000 from Coldwell Banker, the pantry was able to purchase the turkeys to give away. Representatives from the Coldwell Banker Foundation
FOOD PANTRY CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 Gift bags of food to hand out for the holidays were prepared by volunteers.
Coldwell Banker representatives present a check to Tri City Food Bank, the nonprofit that operates the Taylorsville Food Pantry, and its board president Morris Pratt (pictured at right).
Taylorsville is Ready for the Holidays Taylorsville City Hall is decked out in lights. Thousands of green, white and red lights were strung just before Thanksgiving to get City Hall ready for the December holidays. It took a couple of days for city workers to string the lights, including the large Christmas trees out front, snowflakes on light poles and strings of lights along the roofline. Preparations also have been made inside of City Hall. Most notable, look for a large gift-wrapped open box in the lobby where members of the Taylorsville Youth Council are collecting donations for the Golden Living Center (See more on Page 6). As a service project for the holidays, the youth are gathering scarves, socks, gloves, hats and candy for seniors living at the center. In addition to City Hall, donation boxes are located at the Taylorsville Library and in the office at Taylorsville High School. Donations at boxes are being accepted through Dec. 14. Your generosity is greatly appreciated by both the Youth Council and Golden Living Center.
Emergency
2600 West Taylorsville Blvd 801 -963-5400 | www.taylorsvilleut.gov PAGE 2 ǁǁǁ͘ƚĂLJůŽƌƐǀŝůůĞƵƚ͘ŐŽǀ Emergency 911 Unified Police Department Dispatch 801Ͳ743Ͳ7000 (Non-Emergencies) 801Ͳ743Ͳ7200 Fire Department 1Ͳ800Ͳ222Ͳ1222 Poison Control Center ϴϬϭ ŶŝŵĂů ŽŶƚƌŽů ^ŚĞůƚĞƌ Ͳϵϲϱ ͲϱϴϬϬ ŶŝŵĂů ŽŶƚƌŽů ŌĞƌ ,ŽƵƌƐ ŝƐƉĂƚĐŚ ϴϬϭ Ͳ ϴϰϬ Ͳ ϰϬϬϬ ƵŝůĚŝŶŐ /ŶƐƉĞĐƟŽŶ ϴϬϭ Ͳ ϵϱϱ Ͳ ϮϬϯϬ of Commerce) ϴϬϭ Ͳ ϵϳϳ Ͳ ϴϳϱϱ ŚĂŵďĞƌ tĞƐƚ (Chamber ϯϴϱ Ͳ ϰϲϴ Ͳ ϵϳϲϴ 'ĂŶŐ dŝƉ >ŝŶĞ 'ĂƌďĂŐĞͬZĞĐLJĐůĞͬ'ƌĞĞŶtĂƐƚĞ WŝĐŬ ͲƵƉ ϯϴϱ Ͳ ϰϲϴ Ͳ ϲϯϮϱ (Wasatch Front Waste & Recycling)
Frequently Called Numbers
'ƌĂŶŝƚĞ ^ĐŚŽŽů ŝƐƚƌŝĐƚ ,ĞĂůƚŚ ĞƉĂƌƚŵĞŶƚ ,ŝŐŚǁĂLJ ŽŶĚŝƟŽŶƐ ;from cell phone) WĂƌŬ ZĞƐĞƌǀĂƟŽŶƐ (Salt Lake County) WƵďůŝĐ tŽƌŬƐ YƵĞƐƚĂƌ ZŽĐŬLJ DŽƵŶƚĂŝŶ WŽǁĞƌ ^Ăůƚ >ĂŬĞ ŽƵŶƚLJ ZĞĐLJĐůŝŶŐͬ>ĂŶĚĮůů dĂLJůŽƌƐǀŝůůĞ Ͳ ĞŶŶŝŽŶ /ŵƉ͘ ŝƐƚƌŝĐƚ dĂLJůŽƌƐǀŝůůĞ &ŽŽĚ WĂŶƚƌLJ dĂLJůŽƌƐǀŝůůĞ ^ĞŶŝŽƌ ĞŶƚĞƌ dĂLJůŽƌƐǀŝůůĞ EĞŝŐŚďŽƌŚŽŽĚ ŽŵƉůŝĂŶĐĞ dĂLJůŽƌƐǀŝůůĞ :ƵƐƟĐĞ ŽƵƌƚ dĂLJůŽƌƐǀŝůůĞ >ŝďƌĂƌLJ dĂLJůŽƌƐǀŝůůĞ ZĞĐƌĞĂƟŽŶ ĞŶƚĞƌ ^ǁŝŵŵŝŶŐ WŽŽů ;DĞŵŽƌŝĂů ĂLJ ƚŽ >ĂďŽƌ ĂLJͿ dĂLJůŽƌƐǀŝůůĞ Ͳ ĞŶŶŝŽŶ ,ĞƌŝƚĂŐĞ ĞŶƚĞƌ h Kd ZĞŐŝŽŶ Ϯ hƚĂŚ dƌĂŶƐŝƚ ƵƚŚŽƌŝƚLJ ;hd Ϳ
City of Taylorsville Newsletter New Sign Markers are Coming to Taylorsville New signs are in place at Vista Park, 5150 S. 1950 West, and T. John Labrum Memorial Park, 6041 S. Jordan Canal Rd. The signs are part of the plan, approved by the City Council, to bring a complete and unified system of public signage to the city. They are designed as a way to help orient and welcome visitors to the parks, while also providing a cohesive “look and feel” to the city’s public spaces. The signs were precast by Dura-Crete Inc. and installed by city employees. The prison’s Utah Correctional Industries made the metal sign plates that will include park identifiers and other wording to provide information and help with wayfinding.
ϯϴϱ Ͳϲϰϲ ͲϱϬϬϬ ϯϴϱ Ͳ ϰϲϴ Ͳ ϰϭϬϬ
ϱϭϭ ϯϴϱ Ͳϰϲϴ ͲϳϮϳϱ ϯϴϱ Ͳϰϲϴ ͲϲϭϬϭ ϴϬϭ Ͳ ϯϮϰ Ͳ ϱϬϬϬ ϴϴϴ ͲϮϮϭ ͲϳϬϳϬ ϴϬϭ Ͳϵϳϰ ͲϲϵϮϬ ϴϬϭ Ͳϵϲϴ ͲϵϬϴϭ ϴϬϭ Ͳϴϭϱ ͲϬϬϬϯ ϴϬϭ Ͳ Ϯϵϯ Ͳ ϴϯϰϬ ϴϬϭ Ͳ ϵϱϱ Ͳ ϮϬϭϯ ϴϬϭ Ͳ ϵϲϯ Ͳ ϬϮϲϴ ϴϬϭ Ͳ ϵϰϯ Ͳϰϲϯϲ ϯϴϱ Ͳϰϲϴ ͲϭϳϯϮ ϴϬϭ Ͳϵϲϳ ͲϱϬϬϲ ϴϬϭ ͲϮϴϭ ͲϬϲϯϭ ϴϬϭ Ͳϵϳϱ ͲϰϵϬϬ ϴϬϭ Ͳϳϰϯ ͲϯϴϴϮ
UPCOMING Taylorsville Events Dec. 5 & Dec. 12 – 6:30 p.m. City Council Meeting @ City Hall Dec. 11, 7 p.m. Planning Commission Meeting @ City Hall Dec. 7 – 7:30 p.m. Taylorsville/Salt Lake Community College Symphony Orchestra Holiday Concert @ Bennion Junior High, 6055 S. 2700 West
Dec. 8 – 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday with Santa: Christmas around the World @ Taylorsville-Bennion Heritage Museum, 1488 W. 4800 South. (See Page 7). Dec. 25 – All day Christmas (City Offices closed; City Hall closes at noon on Christmas Eve) Jan. 1 – All day New Year’s Day (City Offices closed; City Hall closes at noon on New Year’s Eve)
December 2018
COUNCIL CORNER
2600 West Taylorsville Boulevard • 801-963-5400 |
2018 Brings Economic Development Success across the City Over the last several years, the City has been working to revitalize and rejuvenate many areas across the community. Just a few of those: • Regal Movie Theater at the Crossroads of Taylorsville. • The repurposing of the old RC Willey Furniture space. • Summit Vista Senior Community on the formerly vacant property on Bangerter and 6200 South. • The MidValley Performing Arts Center which will be breaking ground in the very near future at City Hall.
Left to right: Curt Cochran (District 2). Ernest Burgess (District 1). Dan Armstrong, Vice Chair (District 5). Meredith Harker (District 4). Brad Christopherson, Chair (District 3)
PAGE 3
• The Utah State University Satellite Campus in Sorenson Research Park. • Numerous restaurants and other new businesses.
The 5400 South and Bangerter Interchange is Open
The interchange at 5400 South and Bangerter is complete. There will be intermittent lane and shoulder closures through the end of the year as crews work to finish all elements of the project but the bulk of the work is finished. Drivers are advised to remain alert in the work zone and follow all signs, including lane closures and traffic shifts. Crews will continue work on Bangerter Highway and 5400 South, and in the neighborhood streets through the end of the year to complete all elements and final clean-up of the project. Work includes completion of the drainage, final grading, curb and gutter replacements, lighting repairs, fencing and final landscaping. The Utah Department of Transportation advises that construction activities are ongoing day and night. Residents, businesses and drivers should be aware of trucks entering and exiting the work zone. Continue to expect noise, dust, vibration and nighttime construction lighting. Pedestrians should use caution when crossing intersections that are under construction. Be aware that pedestrian routes may change as work progresses. Use alternate routes where possible and adhere to sidewalk and crosswalk closures.
We have come a long way in a short period of time, but we recognize the ongoing needs for further improvements. So we continue working with partners, developers, property owners and brokers to bring new opportunities to Taylorsville. We look forward to the continued success in these and other projects in the months and years ahead, especially as we work in concert with Mayor Overson and city administrators to implement our 20/20 Vision for the year 2020 and beyond. The City Council wishes you and your family Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!
Midvalley Connector Bus Project Report Ready for Review
The Draft Environmental Study Report for the Midvalley Connector Bus Rapid Transit project is available for review. Taylorsville City—in coordination with Murray City, West Valley City, Utah Transit Authority, Utah Department of Transportation, Salt Lake Community College, Salt Lake County, and Wasatch Front Regional Council—is preparing the Environmental Study Report and design for the new bus rapid transit (BRT) facility from Murray Central Station to the SLCC Redwood Campus in Taylorsville to the West Valley Central Station. In general, the project would provide direct transit connection from FrontRunner and TRAX to local and regional destinations in and between Murray, Taylorsville and West Valley. Bus rapid transit is a high-quality transit system that delivers fast, comfortable, and cost-effective transit service. BRT has faster, more frequent bus service; larger capacity buses; the addition of dedicated, bus-only lanes; and iconic stations with improved user amenities like off-board fare collection, real-time messaging, lighting and benches. There are several BRT projects across Utah, including the 3500 MAX line and the most recent project that is currently under construction—the Provo-Orem Transit Improvement Project. To view the Draft Environmental Study Report for the Midvalley Connector Bus Rapid Transit project, visit www.midvalleyconnector.com.
PAGE 4
| www.taylorsvilleut.gov
Cultural Diversity Committee Chair Honored by County, State Carlos Moreno, chair of the Taylorsville Cultural Diversity Committee, was recently honored by both the Salt Lake County Mayor’s Office and the Utah Attorney General with separate awards. Moreno’s human rights activism in the Salt Lake area, state of Utah and abroad was recognized on Oct. 8 by the Salt Lake County Mayor's Office of Diversity & Inclusion, which awarded him the Salt Lake County Hero Award. “Carlos has been a builder of communities, collaborating to create programs by providing resources and food through the Venezuelan American Association of Utah,” Emma Houston, director of the Salt Lake County office, wrote in a letter announcing the award. In congratulating Moreno, Taylorsville City Council Member Curt Cochran read the letter of recognition at a recent City Council meeting. In addition, the Utah Attorney General’s Office recognized Moreno on Oct. 23 with its Community Support Award for his international human rights activism and support to the Venezuelan community.
City of Taylorsville Newsletter FOOD PANTRY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 presented a large check to the pantry’s Board President Morris Pratt at the City Council’s meeting on Nov. 14. The pantry also received sizable donations from Cutler Enterprises, which gave $1,500, and The Crossroads of Taylorsville, which contributed $1,000. “I don’t think people realize that while we receive a CDBG grant from Taylorsville City, we cannot purchase food with it,” said the pantry’s database manager Tiffany Diaz. The grant money must only be used for equipment or appliances like refrigerators. Of course, the pantry is grateful for those funds and relies on them but it makes private donations critical for food.
Ken Flitton waits for a delivery at the Taylorsville Food Pantry.
Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams honors Carlos Moreno for his activism.
Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes extends his congratulations.
Disfruta del Comité de Diversidad Cultural Si te gusta pasar un rato agradable y divertido. Participa e involúcrate en nuestras actividades culturales de la ciudad. El Comité de Diversidad Cultural, te invita a participar y asistir a nuestras reuniones los segundo jueves de cada mes a las 7 p.m., en las oficinas de la Alcaldía de Taylorsville. Si tienes preguntas contáctanos a este correo: tvilleculdiverscommittee@gmail.com o Christine Gonzales, 801-688-7358 Te esperamos! If you would like to have fun and get involved in our city cultural activities, the Taylorsville Cultural Diversity Committee invites all those who are interested in promoting cultural activities to join its committee by contacting tvilleculdiverscommittee@gmail.com or Christine Gonzales, 801-688-7358. You can also come and meet with the group every second Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at Taylorsville City Hall. See you there!
For Christmas, the pantry is seeking donations of hams, canned corn, mandarin oranges, boxes of scalloped potatoes, small bags of sugar and brown sugar, sweet potatoes and olives. The pantry stocks its shelves with donations from the Utah Food Bank, which sends two deliveries a month, as well as contributions from churches and private donations from individuals and businesses. “Many of (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’) wards and stakes do food drives and people privately donate,” Lane said. To receive food at the Taylorsville Food Pantry, one must be a Taylorsville resident (most neighboring communities also have pantry-like services where their residents can receive food) and fall within income guidelines. The maximum monthly income for a family of four, for example, is $3,075. The Taylorsville Food Pantry was started in a trailer park in 2003 and moved to its current location, at 4475 South Plymouth View Drive, after the city provided space. Lane became involved after volunteering at the Golden Living Center. Diaz said she began volunteering at the pantry several years ago as a part of rehab. They are joined by donor and volunteer, Susan Winslow, who said she began volunteering at the pantry after retirement, and delivery assistant Ken Flitton, who said he began working there at the suggestion of his city council member. “We have a lot of fun together,” Lane said. “We’re always laughing, and we’re happy to help.” The Taylorsville Food Pantry provides two days of food per visit, and visits are limited to four times per month. It is open on Mondays from 1 to 3 p.m., Wednesdays, 4 to 6 p.m. and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to noon.
Ken Flitton, Sue Lane, Susan Winslow and Tiffany Diaz (left to right) work together at the Taylorsville Food Pantry.
December 2018
2600 West Taylorsville Boulevard • 801-963-5400 |
PAGE 5
Taylorsville Firefighters Deployed to California Three firefighters with Taylorsville ties were among those deployed to help fight the deadly fires in California this past month. They were called to assist crews in northern California in battling the massive “Camp Fire,” which had burned 130,000 acres, destroyed 7,600 homes and resulted in more than 50 fatalities. The northern Utah team was led by Battalion Chief Dusty Dern of Battalion 13, who has extensive wildland experience and is based out of Taylorsville’s Fire Station 118. Capt. Ken Aldridge, from Taylorsville’s Fire Station 117 and a part of the Unified Fire Authority (UFA) Heavy Rescue program, also was sent. In addition, Capt. Jason Kamp, a Taylorsville resident and current president of the Exchange Club, was deployed. He works out of the Brighton Fire Station. The California Office of Emergency Services initiated a request for 100 Engines and 20 Strike Teams or Task Forces to assist with the Camp Fire in northern California. Utah’s participation was coordinated by the UFA Emergency Management Division and Utah Department of Public Safety. In all, Utah sent almost 100 firefighters, comprising four Task Forces each made up of about 20-25 firefighters, as well as multiple engines, vehicles and other equipment. Dern led Task Force 1 made up of fire agencies from northern Utah, while Aldridge was that team’s Task Force
Firefighters gather in front of Taylorsville’s Fire Station 117 on Redwood Road.
Capt. Ken Aldridge
Capt. Jason Kamp
Third-graders Pledge to Be Drug Free Third-graders at Calvin Smith Elementary School received a couple of visitors for their recent Red Ribbon Week. Unified Police Department Taylorsville Precinct Chief Tracy Wyant and Det. Scott Lloyd dropped by to mark the week, which encourages students to remain drug-free. Taylorsville City Council Member Meredith Harker teaches one of the third-grade classes at the school. The Red Ribbon campaign, first started in 1985, aims to mobilize communities in educating youth about the dangers of drugs and alcohol and encourages participation in drug prevention activities. The campaign is observed annually in October in the United States.
Battalion Chief Dusty Dern
Leader Trainee. The northern Utah team also took three Type 1 engines with 12 personnel, two Type III engines with eight personnel and a Type VI engine with four personnel. Making up the three other Task Forces were dozens of firefighters from across Utah, who brought additional engines and equipment. Dern joined UFA in 2002, while both Aldridge and Kamp began work for the agency in 1999. The firefighters were deployed on Nov. 11 and scheduled to return Nov. 21, pending outcomes and needs within the state. More than 5,000 firefighters from both California and out of state were battling the fires.
Police Set Up DUI Checkpoint in Taylorsville A recent DUI Checkpoint conducted in Taylorsville by Unified Police Department officers resulted in 10 DUI arrests, including two involving alcohol and eight for drugs. Overall, UPD Precinct Chief Tracy Wyant said the checkpoint was a success and well worth the effort. In addition to the 35 UPD officers who participated, the Utah Highway Patrol sent two troopers and the state’s office of Adult Probation & Parole had one official on hand. More than two dozen citations were issued and 570 vehicles were stopped at the checkpoint, which was conducted Oct. 26 at 3900 South and 1200 West. Fifty-six stops required further investigation, and one occupied stolen vehicle was recovered. The checkpoint was conducted from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. in an effort to promote safe driving. “It’s our hope that Utah drivers will make safe, alternative plans to prevent impaired driving,” Chief Wyant said.
PAGE 6
| www.taylorsvilleut.gov
Taylorsville Bennion Heritage REMEMBRANCES By Taylorsville Historic Committee Member Mike Spencer George was here. George Mitton Spencer was born in Lincolnshire, England on Sept. 19, 1838, and three short years later, his father passed away. In 1851, his mother Eliza Smith Spencer brought George along with his younger brother William to Taylorsville, Utah, to practice their new religion. George was 12 years old when his mother married Joseph Harker the “Grand Daddy” of Taylorsville pioneers. George learned the value of hard work as he worked with his stepfather Joseph. They had to build a new community out of sagebrush and parched earth. They often walked the river bottoms to find thistle and other plants to eat until they could grow their crops. George and Joseph were the first to start digging the Mill Race to divert Jordan River water to dry land. Soon the other early pioneer families came to help — the Bennions, the Mackays and the Butterfields. George was there to meet and work alongside most of the other pioneer families who moved “Over Jordan” to Taylorsville — the Mantles, the Pixtons, the Bringhursts, the Barkers, the Frames and many more. From his mother, George acquired a good education, and it is no surprise that he became an educator. He taught the early pioneer children in their homes and later in the “Old Rock School House.” He was a teacher and superintendent of the Sunday School. So, they got their religious instruction from him on Sundays. Many of the early Taylorsville pioneer children can credit their education to George Spencer. George (pictured at various ages with this article) became a hardworking farmer and raised top quality Rambouillet sheep. He married Angeline Bennion, the third child of John Bennion. She was the first child born in winter quarters and came to the valley in 1847 as a baby. Together, they built their farm at 658 W. 4800 South, across the road from the Bennions and the Harkers. He owned farm land on 1175 West and on Redwood Road where Taylorsville High School is now located. George wore many other “hats.” He served as Justice of the Peace, in the Territorial Legislature and in 1880, he served a mission for his church in England. He served on the Granite Stake High Council. He fought in the Black Hawk Indian War. He was the father of 10 children. He and Angeline raised six of them to maturity. In turn, five of them became educators. Succeeding generations have become educators including college professors. To many of the Bennion children, he was known as “Uncle George.” George was killed by a shaft of lightning on Aug. 19, 1907, while driving a load of hay from the farm on Redwood Road. I never knew my great-grandfather but I always felt he watched me grow up. His picture hung in my room on the same farm that he established. Yes, George was here and because he was, so was I.
City of Taylorsville Newsletter
TAYLORSVILLE SENIOR CENTER December Brings Gifts, Birthdays, Crafts and More at the Senior Center Here are the upcoming events this month at the Senior Center: • Holiday Boutique: Now through Friday, Dec. 7. Come find something nice for yourself or a friend for the holidays. The center’s Senior Attic thrift store has much to offer and proceeds go back to the center. • Community Action HEAT Program Presentation: Monday, Dec. 3 at 11 a.m. • Birthday Tuesday Entertainment: Tuesday, Dec. 4 at 11 a.m. Entertainer Soren Green. • December Holiday Meal: Tuesday, Dec.11 at 11 a.m. Entertainment and Meal. Sign-up by Tuesday, Dec. 4. • Winter Wonderland Craft: Thursday, Dec. 13 at 10:30 a.m. • Pinecrest Dental Presentation: Monday, Dec. 17 at 11 a.m. • Noon-Year Party: Monday, Dec. 31 at 11:50 a.m. Drop by the center at 4743 Plymouth View Drive, or call 385-468-3371 for details.
December 2018
2600 West Taylorsville Boulevard • 801-963-5400 |
Arts Council Opens Holiday Season with “Winter Wonderettes”
This year’s performance of “Winter Wonderettes" was, well, pretty wonderful. Sponsored by the Taylorsville Arts Council, the musical was performed Nov. 29, 30 and Dec. 1 at the Senior Center. The play takes place at the annual Harper’s Hardware Holiday Party. When Santa turns up missing, the girls use their talent and creative ingenuity to save the party. This musical featured great four-part harmony ‘60s versions of classics such as “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” and “Jingle Bell Rock.” The energetic, glittering show also boasted four fantastic women, including: Betty Jean played by Rachel Bates, Missy played by Tiffany Boyle, Suzy played by Kim Motteshard, Cindy Lou played by Maren Ambercrobie. Production staff for the Taylorsville performance included Director Wendy Dahl-Smedshammer, Music Director Steve Broschinsky, Choreographer Tiffany Boyle and Producer Susan Holman. Congratulations to all for a job well done!
PAGE 7
Earn an Entry Level Ham Radio License Are you interested in ham radio? Do you want to get a license to operate? Ham radio, also known as Amateur Radio, is not your typical method for communication. Rather than relying on manmade networks like the Internet or telephone wires, ham radio utilizes the power of radio waves. Using a small radio, and possibly a few accessories, you can talk to folks in your neighborhood or around the world. You don’t need to be a science/ electronics nerd to get into ham radio, ordinary people like you can get licensed to operate a ham radio every day. Ham Radio is great if: 1. You are interested in helping out with community public service events. Ham radio is used on a regular basis to assist with public service events in communities around the world. Some of the events you can assist with would include parades, charity bicycle rides, marathons and other community-oriented services. 2. You’re a Boy Scout. Ham Radio can help you earn your Radio Merit Badge! Boy Scouts even have their own ham radio day every year, called JOTA, where boy scouts get to operate ham radio. 3. You want to be prepared for natural disasters. Because ham radio doesn’t rely on the Internet or cell phone networks, it is very reliable, especially when said networks go down during natural disasters. When Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005, the area went off the grid. But not ham radio. Volunteers
helped out from the ham community, using ham radio to communicate when nothing else worked. 4. You just want to have some fun. Talk to interesting people from all sorts of different backgrounds. Talk to astronauts on the International Space Station. Bounce radio waves off the ionosphere (part of the sky) to contact people from other countries all around the globe (usually requires the 2nd level of licensing). Bounce radio signals off the moon! Consider taking this two weekend course, taught by ham radio licensed operators, which prepares you for the Technician level license class offered by the FCC. This is for the entry-level license but it provides you with everything you need to participate in the activities listed above. The class schedule is: Friday, Jan. 18 from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 19 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 25 from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. with the license test following the class The cost for this class is $40, which includes the Technician class License Manual and the license test fee. The class will be held at Taylorsville City Hall, 2600 W. Taylorsville Blvd. Pre-registration is highly suggested so that materials will be available for students on the first day of class. For more information email mickey@utahsag.org
CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD December 8 - 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Taylorsville-Bennion Heritage Museum 1488 West 4800 South
afts & r C s ’ ren ional t Child a n r s, Inte e m a G s Treat gers – n i S t Gues s Choir A special thank you to Taylorsville City!
Come join us for fun, hot chocolate, wassail and more!
Sponsored by the Taylorsville Preservation Committee with the support of Parks and Recreation & Cultural Diversity Committees
PAGE 8
| www.taylorsvilleut.gov
City of Taylorsville Newsletter
‘Tis The Season to Insulate Faucets and Pipes Cold and freezing weather is upon us and your plumbing may not like it. Pipes can freeze and burst causing some of the most expensive repairs in a home. So let's go over some of the basics to make sure you have them covered. INSULATE EXPOSED PIPING If you have any exposed water or drain piping in uninsulated spaces such as in a crawlspace, attic, outside walls, etc., make sure to insulate them. Ideally, you should wrap them with electrical heating tape first, and then insulate them. EXTERIOR FAUCETS Also commonly known as hose bibs, exterior faucets should be checked for leakage. Remember to disconnect your garden hoses from the outside faucets and drain the hose to prevent damage. REMINDER: If your property is going to be unoccupied for several months, consider shutting off the water supply valve inside the home. If a leak were to occur without occupancy, the damage could be very expensive. In addition, the Taylorsville -Bennion Improvement District is holding a Public Budget Hearing on Wednesday, Dec. 19 at 2 p.m. at the District office, 1800 W. 4700 South.
Missing a Utility Box Cover? Do you have a damaged or missing utility box cover in front of your house or in your neighborhood? Send a picture and the address to Neighborhood_Compliance@taylorsvilleut.gov. If you can’t send an email, call Kary with Neighborhood Compliance at 801-955-2053. Give her the address and she will assist with the repair or replacement.
WFWRD UPDATES GREEN WASTE COLLECTION The last pickup date for green waste collection in 2018 for Taylorsville will be Thursday, Dec. 6. The Wasatch Front Waste & Recycling District reminds residents to not place the green cans out on the curb after that date. They will not be picked up nor emptied. Next year’s Green Waste Collection program for Taylorsville will resume Thursday, March 21. =====================================
FACEBOOK/TWITTER As the cold, winter months approach, the Wasatch Front Waste & Recycling District cautions about bad weather affecting its ability to provide timely service to your neighborhood. The District’s Facebook and Twitter pages are the best way for residents and customers to find out if there could be a delay in service due to weather or traffic complications. Please follow WFWRD to stay apprised of these issues, and to receive waste and recycling tips.
TaylorsvilleJ ournal .com
December 2018 | Page 21
Birds of a feather work together By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com
W
orking with seemingly random items rescued from the recycling bin or brought from home, teams of students created a freestanding turkey for Bennion Elementary’s annual Turkey Build-off. Teams, consisting of a mix of third- and fifth-graders, used milk jugs, cereal boxes, duct tape, balloons, sticks, balloons, Styrofoam,
a coconut, pipe cleaners, and lots and lots of feathers to create a variety of turkeys sitting, standing—even one playing basketball. Teachers said the activity was just for fun but also provided a great opportunity for students to apply their Leader In Me skills such as “begin with the end in mind” and “synergize” to complete the project in less than an hour. l
Winter driving safety: Snow falls and you slow down
T
he long line at the local auto body shop isn’t just for oil changes, it’s for winter tires too. With temperatures dropping and leaves soon to follow, it’s time for a refresher course on safe winter driving. 1) Know the conditions Technology affords us the privilege of knowing road conditions before ever leaving the house. Utah Department of Transportation has more than 2,200 traffic cameras or sensors which gives visuals and data on all major UDOT roads. Drivers can then adjust their routes or schedules according to the heaviness of traffic making for less congestion and less risk for accidents. The UDOT app means you can see all those cameras from your phone. Twitter feeds also provide alerts about traffic situations throughout the state, including roads up the canyon. Unified Police have a canyon alerts Twitter page for to update traffic in Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons as well as tire requirements and road closures. 2) Prepare the car Make sure the car is prepared for the road conditions, first with good tires. Snow tires give greater tread for better traction. If only two new tires are placed on the car, make sure to put them in the rear. With the falling snow, it’s necessary to have quality wiper blades that ensures clear views rather than leaving water streaks across windshield impairing your ability to drive. The wiper
Page 22 |December 2018
fluid reservoir also needs to be replenished before the first snows hit. Snow and ice should be completely removed from the windows, headlights and taillights prior to driving to ensure visibility. If your car is parked outside overnight, place towels over the windows. This keeps the windows from icing over. A system should be in place to check everything in your car such as the battery power and your cooling system. Antifreeze helps the vehicle withstand the freezing temperatures. The vehicle should also be stocked with safety items in the case of an emergency. The Utah Department of Public Safety suggests on its website to have jumper cables, a tow rope and small shovel in case the car gets stuck, reflectors or flares to make sure your car is visible to others driving, flashlight and batteries, extra winter clothes, first-aid kit, battery or solar powered radio, sleeping bag, fresh water and non-perishable food, paper towels and hand warmers. 3) Control the vehicle Keeping the car under control requires some safe driving tips. The most obvious: drive slow. Despite our impatience or urgency to get to the desired location, slow driving is the safest driving. Staying under the speed limit, which is meant for ideal conditions, becomes even more important when traveling over snow, ice, standing water or slush. In drivers education courses, prospective
drivers learn about the rule for distance between your car and the one in front of you. Driving 60 mph? Stay six car lengths back. 70 mph? Seven car lengths back. This distance should be increased even more during wet conditions to allow the car time and space to stop without rear ending the vehicle in front. All movements should be gradual rather than sudden. This means avoiding sharp turns, accelerating slowly and braking softly. Though you may have four-wheel drive or even all-wheel drive, this does not give license to drive recklessly in winter conditions. This means staying off cruise control as well. The need for seat belts increases tenfold during the winter. With car seats, place coats or blankets around the children after strapping them in. Coats can limit the effectiveness of a car seat. Stay alert. Deer become more active after storms. Black ice causes many crashes and that ice typically looks like wet spots. If skidding does take place, steer in the direction the back of the car is going and ease off the gas. Remember to keep the gas tank at least halfway full, it will keep the gas tank from freezing and if you get stuck in a traffic jam, you may need as much gas as possible. 4) Time For those of you who struggle with punctuality, this becomes paramount. Giving yourself plenty of time to reach your destination means you won’t rush, decreasing the chances of a crash. l
Taylorsville City Journal
THANK YOU Taylorsville for supporting me in my service on the Granite School District Board of Education these past 15 months. It has been an honor to advocate, on your behalf, for our students, our schools, and our community. My logo is symbolic of the positive ripple effect education has had in my own life and the difference educators make in the lives of students past, present, and future – one quality interaction at a time. To all those who selflessly serve every day, in every capacity, within the Granite School District, THANK YOU!
Regardless of how you voted, THANK YOU.
“
THANK YOU for voting, for serving, and for making a difference.
Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections once a year, but when you volunteer you vote everyday about the kind of community you want to live in. –Unknown
Paid for by Carrie Soderstrom Johnson
TaylorsvilleJ ournal .com
December 2018 | Page 23
Are letter grades failing students? Parents give the grade to report cards By Julie Slama | julie@mycityjournals.com
I
t may be a positive experience when little Gabriella or Alex brings home a report card from elementary school informing parents they’ve mastered or are progressing to meet a standard in the core curriculum — all without the traditional letter grade. But parents say that may not be the answer for high school students. “So far, my kids have been spared the drama of the standard-based report cards,” Bingham High PTA vice president Jodee Packer said. “With my kids applying to colleges, random proficiencies compared to letter grades don’t make sense. Everyone knows that a 4.0 GPA (gradepoint average) means all As.” Packer, who lives in Jordan School District, also points out to compete in high school athletics, GPAs are checked to allow students to compete, and to change it “complicates the system unnecessarily.” “It’s a system we all know. How do we check grades if we’re all doing proficiency-based report cards?” she said. Nationally, the trend is exploring standard-based report cards as educators say letter grade report cards diminish students’ interest in learning and result in them thinking about how well they’re doing rather than be engaged in what they’re doing, said education expert Alfie Kohn, author of “Punished by Rewards” and “Schooling Beyond Measure.” “The research quite clearly shows that kids who are graded — and have been encouraged to try to improve their grades — tend to lose interest in the learning itself, avoid challenging tasks whenever possible (in order to maximize the chance of getting an A), and think less deeply than kids who aren’t graded,” Kohn told the National Education Association in 2015. “The problem isn’t with how we grade, nor is it limited to students who do especially well or poorly in school; it’s inherent to grading. That’s why the best teachers and schools replace grades (and grade-like reports) with narrative reports — qualitative accounts of student performance — or, better yet, conferences with students and parents.” Locally, school districts are taking a closer look at transitioning to or have already made the change to standard-based report cards to complement their parent-teacher conferences. Granite School District, Salt Lake City-area’s largest district, began reviewing the standard-based grading more than eight years ago and has been making the transition, tweaking it along the way, said Assistant Superintendent Linda Mariotti. Four years ago, 18 teachers tested the new system. Last spring, 400 Granite District teachers used proficiency-based grading. This fall, 1,200 of the 4,000 teachers in the district were on board, mostly in the elementaries, she said. “Any time something is new, it can be overwhelming because change is hard,” Mariotti said. “But proficiency-based grading empowers our students. It supports student learning and we
Page 24 |December 2018
want to do what’s right for our students.” She, along with other educators, inform parents in town meetings about what the district calls proficiency-based grading, which she said is a synonym for standard-based grading. “I may be one of the oldest in the room and grading hasn’t changed since I was in grade school, but we need to let you know how well your student is learning at that moment in time and we can do that with proficiency-based grading where a letter grade can’t do that,” Mariotti told parents recently at town meeting held at Cottonwood High. “The PBG report card will show where students are struggling and how you can help them and with what. It allows teachers to evaluate the assessments and know where to reteach. It eliminates grade inflation and extra credit not based on course work. Our report cards now will have value where the traditional letter grade report cards haven’t been making the grade when it comes to measuring student progress and achievement.” In traditional grading, Mariotti said letter grades report the number of points earned on assignments in a subject but it doesn’t reveal what the student has learned. Proficiency-based grading, she said, offers better feedback by evaluating how well the student has met measurable standards. Through the PBG or standards-based grading, students will receive a score based on assessments put into an algorithm. The latest assessment will carry the most weight as students are expected to know the subject better, she said. “This will ensure that we are being consistent and that the students will be learning the standards,” Mariotti said about the assessments that can be retaken during that school year. “With PBG, students are given multiple opportunities to demonstrate proficiency in multiple ways — they can write it, build it, dance it, say it, paint it, say it in another language — any way they can articulate they know it.” That one to four score will be what is shown on report cards for elementary-grade children, but Granite secondary students currently will have that converted into letter grades as well. “Nationwide, colleges are placing less emphasis on GPAs and more on ACT (college standardized tests) and the courses students are enrolled in, but we realize it is a bigger system out there so right now, we’re continuing to provide both the score and letter grade. USHAA (Utah High School Activities Association) also has student-athletes eligibility on GPA so that’s another reason to provide both. But we know letter grades can be subjective and may not really be reflective of what students are learning and PBL eliminates that,” she said. However, the transition frustrates some parents. Sheri Wade’s children have some classes that are graded on a PBG system and some that are not — she thinks. “My daughter’s math class is straight forward,” she said about the eighth-grade honors
Granite School District Assistant Superintendent Linda Mariotti discusses the transition to proficiency-based report cards at Cottonwood High School. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
class at Bennion Junior High. “If the student gets a one, then we know the student needs improvement and in what area. If there’s a four, then we know the student has exceeded the expectations.” What confuses Wade is a science class. “I’ve been told that if a student receives 40 percent on a quiz, that it can’t be retaken and that assignments and labs are part of the grade where I’ve been told that with PBG it’s not graded so it’s hard to understand what is going on,” she said after the parent meeting at Cottonwood High. Earlier, Mariotti said that homework is not scored. “Homework is independent practice. Teachers demonstrate and talk about a skill, then they do it together with students and then ask students to do it on their own either in class or at home. Teachers provide students feedback, but not in terms of grades or scores, but rather to see them do well and improve,” she said. “There also is no extra credit. The scores are based on proficiencies’ assessments. It’s a new mindset that we’re needing to shift.” Cottonwood School Community Council member and parent Robyn Ivins then questions the motivation for homework. “I really like the proficiency-based grading and I’m grateful for them trying to make a difference, but it’s confusing to students and parents with how assessments really work and if homework and extra credit are really not part of the grade,” she said. “I feel like all the teachers who have switched to PBG are on the same program, but they aren’t.” For example, Ivins said her daughter, who she thought was in a PBG math class, just had her homework graded and was told that the teacher informed her that homework needed to
be completed if any student wanted to retake tests that term. Even the change of mindset may prove difficult, Ivins said. “If teachers tell them they’re not grading homework, the majority of high school students won’t do it. It’s hard for them to be motivated to do it just for the sake of learning. It’s hard for students to suddenly be told they don’t have to get a certain grade. It goes against everything they’ve been told from first grade that they need to have certain grades so they can be ready for college and receive scholarships,” she said. Ivins also expressed concerns with the new grading system for refugee students and those with disabilities. Mariotti gave the example if a parent has a sixth-grader and she is reading on a third-grade level, the teacher is still to teach the sixth-grade standards. “The IEP (the student’s individualized learning plan) will be able to show and help her with different ways she may be able to demonstrate her learning and trying to meet the proficiencies, which she may or may not get to, but she may get to a concept or objective level,” she said. “The same is true with an English learner, where a state test helps identify her understanding level and from there, she can demonstrate the learning.” Many parents wanted a concrete date the district will completely transition to PBG. Mariotti said there isn’t “a drop dead date,” but encourages teachers to shift when they’re comfortable. “Already this is rolling over on its own, just snowballing. I know it’s frustrating to parents we don’t have a specific date, but we want teachers to embrace it, not resist it,” she said, but added that in two years, she expects most teachers and
Taylorsville City Journal
schools to be on board with PBG for Granite’s 67,900 students. The transition also is occurring in nearby Jordan School District, that educates students in the southwest part of the Salt Lake Valley. Jordan School District Administrator of Middle Schools Michael Anderson said that he’s “excited to give more meaning to our grading system. It’s part of the trend to get to the heart of school and learning and education.” While he said that middle school and high school levels haven’t changed their letter grades, with SBG, they are able to provide an “accurate reflection of what students know and are able to do.” “With standard-based grading, extra credit, effort or not getting work down isn’t the focus; it’s assessments,” he said. “We’re changing report cards from a grading game to a learning game.” He said that the assessments will reveal what standards students miss and will help teachers determine if the question was poor or if it’s an area that needs to be retaught. He said that homework is used for students to practice what is taught to be ready to take the assessments. “Kids can retake assessments, but only after homework is done, so they have a chance to learn the material,” he said. “The four, three, two, one score with proficiencies will show if
students know or can show proficiency and can demonstrate and apply it. This will give more meaning to the A to F letter grade on current report cards and allow the student to know why they may have a B in a class and know he or she needs to show proficiencies in certain standards to improve. Standard-based grading empowers the students to know where they are learning and what gaps they have.” Anderson said that since letter grades are “universal” with colleges worldwide, Jordan has remained with letters, but “has put more meaning into those letters” at the high school level. Elementary students are on the numeral system. “Our teachers and administrators have worked their guts out for better education and standards of learning for our kids,” he said. “Standard-based grading takes the guess work out of report cards.” Oquirrh Elementary PTA President Beth LeFevre appreciates that. “The report cards are trying to explain it more and there’s no guessing that one assignment can bring down a grade,” she said. “It gives parents a better idea of what a child needs to work on, but I’d still like to see more explanation with the scores and see the percentage of where they’re at. If I don’t understand something, or want more detail, I don’t wait for the school to contact me. I just go to the teacher.”
Both Granite and Jordan districts have online report cards so students and parents can review students’ learning — as does Murray School District. Murray School District students receive the common letter grades. “All Murray City School District schools use a traditional letter grade report card that measures completion,” said Scott Bushnell, Murray District assistant superintendent. “The MCSD report card is issued quarterly and gives a snapshot of a student’s academic, citizenship and attendance status at that time.” However, Murray District educators have looked into the pros and cons of standard-based grading. “We are focusing by grade levels and subject areas, across schools, working on agreement of standards and levels of proficiency. We are currently working within the traditional grading format and communicating with students and parents on how a student is performing. In English/language arts, math and science, we have begun to monitor the progress of students with respect to grade-level standards. This progress monitoring has been beneficial in helping students and parents understand standards mastery. This process began in elementary schools and is now being used in secondary schools as well,” he said.
Now is the time to elevate your career.
WLI’s new Career Development Series is perfect for committed mid to upperlevel employees ready to move up.
January 2019 - August 2019 Once a month, 11am - 2pm • Join like-minded women and learn career skills from highly qualified experts. • Gain insight from several of Utah’s leading companies. • Graduate with a digital portfolio to add to your resume.
Canyons School District made the transition to SBG with elementary schools in 2013-14 and tweaking it with parent and teacher input for the following school year. “We feel parents have a better understanding of their child’s progress with our report card reflecting ‘mastered’ or ‘not yet mastered’ a standard rather than passing or failing,” Canyons spokeswoman Kirsten Stewart said. “The idea is not to penalize the student, but to learn the material and retake the tests to demonstrate the mastery of the standard. One of the benefits of standards-based grading is it helps to convey that mistakes can be made and not getting 100 percent is part of the learning process.” While the standard-based grading system is in place in elementary schools, Stewart said there is discussion about placing it in the secondary schools although “there is no established deadline.” “It doesn’t have to be a score, but the letter grade can be based on those standards,” she said, adding teachers have more than 90 hours annually of instructional training to help assess student learning and achievement. “We feel standard-based grading is a nice balance to communicate to parents that their child is learning and learning skills that they will use through their lives.” l
LOOKING FOR PART-TIME WORK? WANT FLEXIBLE HOURS WITH HOLIDAYS AND WEEKENDS OFF?
Granite School District is hiring Kitchen Managers, Nutrition Service Workers, and Nutrition Worker Substitutes! Applicants must have: High school diploma or equivalent, background check, and be willing to obtain a food handler’s permit. • • • •
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner positions available! 15 to 40 Hours per week with Flexible scheduling! Hiring at over 100 schools within the district. Pay starts at $11.89 per hour.
Applications are now accepted.
LEARN MORE AND APPLY: www.WLIUT.com/CDS TaylorsvilleJ ournal .com
Call Us: (385) 646-4321
www.graniteschools.org/ nutritionservices/jobs December 2018 | Page 25
State Department of Public Safety headquarters in Taylorsville welcomes new commissioner By Carl Fauver | carlf@mycityjournals.com
O
ne of his earliest memories as a young boy growing up in Delta, Utah, is of a “different sounding” telephone ring. New Utah Commissioner of Public Safety Jess Anderson said that “funny” ring was possibly the first thing to inspire him to dedicate his life to public service and emergency response. “My dad served for several years on the volunteer fire department in Delta,” Anderson said. “This was before cell phones and pagers. Back then, they hooked up our phone so it had a different ring when it was a fire call. So, I associate that distinctive ring with my dad hurrying to the phone and then racing off to fight fires. I guess that is the first thing that taught me how critical it is for people to be willing to act quickly in an emergency to help others.” Last summer, when 31-year law enforcement professional Keith Squires tendered his resignation as DPS commissioner, Gov. Gary Herbert also acted quickly in tabbing Anderson to assume the post. “Jess Anderson is a respected leader in our law enforcement community, and I have immense trust and faith in him,” Herbert said. “I look forward to working with him, and I believe he will make wise decisions when it comes to public safety.” For Anderson, the move to the state Public Safety Department headquarters in Taylorsville (4501 South 2700 Wesst) is a kind of “coming home” in his law enforcement career. “I was attending Utah Valley State College (now Utah Valley University) back in 1999 when I knew I wanted to pursue a law enforcement career,” Anderson said. “So, I decided to start in on my police academy training. I did not have a job yet, so I had to self-fund it. Back then, the academy was held out of this same (Taylorsville DPS headquarters) building. “I am familiar with this area,” Anderson said. “I remember jogging the streets around
Page 26 |December 2018
here while attending the academy. So, coming back here feels a little like home. It’s a great place. People are so friendly. So many of them have dropped off goodies or just stopped by to say ‘hi.’ It feels a little like coming home.” The Police Officer Standards and Practice (POST) academy has since moved to Sandy. Anderson said he has observed much bigger changes in Utah law enforcement over those past 19 years as well. “We used to have hundreds of people show up for officer candidate testing — many, many more than we could ever hire,” Anderson said. “It was very competitive to become a police officer. But now, due to changes in retirement benefits and some of the negative police coverage in the media, we often don’t even get enough people testing for the number of positions we have available.” However, despite that trend, Anderson also added, the number of Utah Highway Patrol troopers has grown by more than 10 percent in just the past year, from 425 to 475. “We have hired 103 new troopers this year alone,” he said. “About half of those were due to attrition, while the other half are new positions.” Nearly all of that growth, Anderson said, is due to the UHP’s ongoing assistance in downtown Salt Lake policing as a part of Operation Rio Grande. “I was a [Utah Highway Patrol] major and assistant superintendent when the governor asked us to assist Salt Lake Police (August 2017) with Operation Rio Grande,” Anderson said. “We assigned 84 UHP troopers to assist in cleaning up the area for the first three weeks. We still maintain 50 to 55 officers there each week. Six to eight troopers are visible in the area at any given time.” And Anderson said it has worked. “It’s a complete night and day difference
New Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Jess Anderson has come full circle, returning to the same Taylorsville site where he attended the police officer training academy a generation ago. (Utah Department of Public Safety)
now,” he said. “You no longer see drug needles strewn around on the ground. People are starting to take their families back into the area. It has been largely successful, and we are committed to keeping lawlessness out of that area.” As DPS commissioner, Anderson oversees the UHP, State Bureau of Investigation, State Crime Lab, Statewide Information and Analysis Center, Bureau of Criminal Identification, State Fire Marshal’s Office, Division of Emergency Management, Peace Officer Standards and Training, Driver License Division and Highway Safety Division. Utah DPS provides statewide public safety services and employs more than 1,500 employees. The 1994 Delta High School graduate
earned a bachelor’s degree a few years after being hired by the Utah Highway Patrol in February 2000. Anderson also earned a master’s degree at Weber State University two years ago. Anderson and his wife have three girls and two boys, ages 5 to 18, and make their home in Eagle Mountain. “I am so grateful for the support our Department of Public Safety receives,” Anderson said. “The legislature and local governments are very positive to work with. I have not come across the anti-police sentiments we sometimes see in other parts of the country. I credit that to the good people of Utah and the values we live by. Taking this job is the honor of a lifetime.” l
Taylorsville City Journal
World Cup short track speed skating inspires young athletes
T
he World Cup of short track speed skating slid into the Utah Olympic Oval. As the athletes sped around the ice, future Olympic hopefuls stood on the sidelines watching and learning from the best. “It is really cool to see these very good skaters,” Will Valentine, a volunteer at the event said. Valentine is a 17-year-old local long track speed skater. He sat wide-eyed on the sidelines watching the speed and technique of the World Cup participants. He was working as an on-track volunteer, a member of a crew of 10 other local skaters. His job is to repair the ice and replace the turn markers, sometimes during competition. “That is what is great about this,” Utah Olympic Park Sports Director Derek Parra said. “Some of these athletes were once on the pads (volunteers). They have come up through the ranks and are now winning on the world scene. I am a lucky guy to be able to come here every day.” The Utah Olympic Oval was built as part of the Salt Lake 2002 Winter Olympics. Utah has the only stand-alone Olympic facilities still in operation. (Calgary facilities belong to the college, which still operates them.) “I think this facility is a bright beacon,” Parra said. “I cannot imagine growing up here and having this in my backyard— to have a world-class facility with world-class events. It
By Greg James | gregj@mycityjournals.com gives these kids a chance to look outside the box and see what they could be in the future.” The International Skating Union World Cup held Nov. 9–11 at the Oval had athletes from 27 countries. The event was the second on the World Cup schedule. “This is incredible,” Parra said. “The Olympics are coming back. The Utah Olympic Legacy board has seen the vision of what we need to do to keep this facility alive but also share them with the public. We have youth hockey, curling for the adults and public skating. It makes it possible for anyone to get into the door and share the ice with Olympians and future Olympians.” The World Cup event showcased some of the fastest skaters in the world. American Maamey Biney advanced to the semifinals in the women’s 1500. The 18-year-old took up short track skating in 2006 when her figure skating coach told her she was going too fast. She has recently moved to Salt Lake to be closer to her training home. “I am really happy and excited to be skating here on our ice,” Biney said. She qualified for the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang and said she hopes to prepare to skate in the Olympics again. “I am going to work harder so that next time I can be on a podium,” Biney said. “If that is in China (2022) or wherever the Olympics are in eight years.”
U.S. speed skater Aaron Tran competed in the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics as a member of the 5000m relay team and finished fifth. He recently competed at the short track World Cup event held the Utah Olympic Oval. (Greg James/ City Journals)
The facility is open to residents for recreational use as well as the international events. Valentine trains with his local teammates six days a week. As a student at the Winter Sports School in Park City he said, “I hope to one day to be skating in events like this.”
“There are people that don’t want to skate they just come to the Oval to watch the skating,” Parra said. “The Olympic spirit is great. We are excited to do everything we can every day to pass on the values to the youth and adults.” l
We will list your property for 4% total! That is 1.5% listing side only, call today for details.
ol Españ Việt s o m Habla ôi nói tiếng t i Chúng o Bosansk im r Govo
Hiring agents! Thinking of selling?
David A. Brunet Vera / Branch Broker Realtypath International 5665 S Redwood Rd Ste 3 • Taylorsville Utah
801-636-3028
Hablo nuestro idioma!
4.0% includes MLS, professional photos, open houses, negotiating, etc. We do it all for less! Full service brokerage, more tha 18 years of experience in Real Estate, licensed since 2000.
Looking to Purchase?
We love helping clients find their dream home, and would love to help you! Home warranty up to $500 included when you purchase your home with us.
TaylorsvilleJ ournal .com
December 2018 | Page 27
“To Strengthen and Promote the Shared Interests of the Business Community”
STEM makes big impact without big noise By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com
Representing the Business Voice in West Valley City, Taylorsville & Kearns Areas Contact Information: Barbara S. Riddle, CMP
CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE
801-977-8755 barbara@chamberwest.org
The Why of ChamberWest CATALYST for business growth CONVENER of leads and influencers CHAMPION for a stronger community
UPCOMING EVENTS December 4 – Women in Business Holiday Event December 5 - ChamberWest Business Connections December 6 – Legislative Affairs Committee December 13 – Leadership Institute Session December 14 – Casual Friday Lunch
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO REGISTER FOR AN EVENT, CALL: 801-977-8755 or visit www.ChamberWest.com
OptumCare Network of Utah Ribbon Cutting 4071 South 4000 West – West Valley City
To invest in your organization and community, invest in ChamberWest!
ChamberWest Welcomes: • • • • •
OptumCare Network of Utah Jordan River Commission Community Options Live Strategies Group Wasatch Pizza
• • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Esperanza Elementary Jamba Juice Department of Workforce Services SelectHealth Exodus Healthcare Network Aspire Home Health and Hospice Golden Corral Bank of American Fork Smith’s DDI Vantage E.T. Technologies, Inc. Hexcel Corporation Red Tail Acquisitions, LLC Workers Compensation Fund
Renewing Members:
Stonehaven Dental Ribbon Cutting 4577 South 4000 West – West Valley City
Thank You to our Community Investment Members
Page 28 |December 2018
Twelve-year-old Chase Taylor loves the hands-on activities provided to introduce Utah students to STEM industry jobs. (Jet Burnham/City Journals)
T
housands of local students got their hands on science, technology, engineering and math activities at STEM Fest, held Oct. 24–25. The Mountain America Expo Center was buzzing with excitement and electricity (literally). But the swarming crowds and sudden loud noises are not so fun for some sensory-sensitive students such as Keri Jones’ daughter. “This is not something we would typically ever do because she typically doesn’t have interest in things that make noise or are quick movements,” said Jones, whose 9-year-old daughter is sensitive to crowds. Jones brought her daughter to a special sensory-sensitive STEM Fest session for students with special needs, which was held between the morning field trips and family night. The two-hour block of time was quieter, with fewer people and no background music or loud exhibits. “We’re providing children with special needs and their families the same experience, the same access,” said Katherine Kireiev, STEM communications manager at the Governor’s Office of Economic Development. “It’s almost like a VIP, carte blanche to have a very private, intimate hands-on experience with these industry partners.” Jones was surprised when her daughter, who is not usually interested in science, had fun exploring the booths of more than 100 industry representatives engaging children in STEM-related jobs skills activities. “Because we can come here and it can be consolidated into a quieter spot, it’s working well,” she said. Exhibitors made minor modifications to their activities to engage a more-sensitive audience. “They’ll say there’s going to be a loud noise,” said Alyssa Tribe, mother of a special needs child. “They’re warning me ahead of time because my son is sensitive to noises.” Paul Brewer performed his regular science magic show at a lower volume for the special afternoon performance. “We try to take out loud noises like popping balloons and things that might startle,” said Brewer, who said the kids didn’t have to worry about being able to help on stage. “They
want to be just like the other kids—they want to be chosen to come up and have fun.” Crowds normally keep 12-year-old Sam Thackeray away from these types of festivals even though he loves science. During the sensory-sensitive time slot, he was able to participate in all the experiments and visit all the booths without the extra stimulation of masses of people talking loudly and pressing in. “He’s had more time to explore without all the extra stimulation,” said his mother, Cheryl Johnson. Chase Taylor, another 12-year-old, doesn’t mind crowds but he has trouble waiting in lines because of his ADHD. “If he was to have to stand in line, he would get antsy,” said his mother, Chandi Taylor. “He wouldn’t have as much fun.” Camille Press, communications specialist for S-Power, hoped the kids had a good experience at her booth and the event overall. She believes that making a positive connection with industry role models will help kids have a more positive view of STEM careers. “These fifth-graders are going to be in college soon; we’re going to need them when they’re done,” said Press. “It starts with STEM Fest—it starts with a seed.” Kireiev said STEM Fest is a part of priming Utah’s future workers to help achieve Gov. Gary Herbert’s goal of filling 40,000 high paying, local economy jobs. The festival experience exposed them to real-life application of subjects they may already be interested in and introduced them to job opportunities they didn’t know existed, she said. “We are trying to prepare them and provide them foundations from which they can spring into great careers,” she said. “The earlier the exposure, the better.” Kireiev said a variety of skills and abilities are necessary to meet the needs of STEM industries and that many STEM jobs require the laser-focus that comes naturally to those with autism. “We want to highlight the accessibility of STEM opportunities,” she said. “That’s what STEM is really about. There is no limit to what any single person can do.” l
Taylorsville City Journal
Responsibilities are handed over to student council By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com
POSTPONE YOUR HEADSTONE
Dont Text & Drive
You’ve got to hand it to the student council at Vista Elementary-- they have a great charity drive planned for their community. (BreAnna Echols/Vista Elementary)
W
hen Diane Phillips became the new principal at Vista Elementary this year, she was impressed with the work the student council was doing and was surprised they had never had any training. “We’ve never had the funds to send them anywhere,” said BreAnna Echols, one of the council advisers. Phillips allocated money from the school fundraiser to pay for the 14 sixth-graders on the council to attend a Leadership Conference at BYU on Oct. 15. “It was very informative and successful and a great way for kids to build leadership skills,” said Phillips, who said the students returned with renewed enthusiasm and new ideas for the school. The council is applying what they have learned as they fulfill their responsibilities. “The school really is student-led,” said Echols. “They enjoy being treated like adults and making the decisions, and it means a lot to them.” Student council members are responsible for conducting school tours for visitors and coordinating assemblies, which includes introducing the presenter, setting up the sound system, managing students’ behavior during the assembly and cleaning up afterward. Council members manage other responsibilities by delegating. Any student can apply for a “school job” to help set up chairs before assemblies or to be a tour guide for school visitors or new students. “The more people we can train to be leaders, the better, so we give them all
TaylorsvilleJ ournal .com
opportunities,” said Echols. “We try very much to be student directed, and we feel like it’s a learning process.” Council member Ariana enjoys contributing to the success of her school. “I get to help around the school and improve the school for the other students to have an amazing year,” she said. The council crafted a mission statement that reflects their enthusiasm to serve their school. They identified their focus on responsibility, respect and safety, and acknowledged they are role models with a responsibility to befriend everyone. “I think the best thing is being able to help people make the school a better place,” said council member, Ellason. “Even though there are a lot of sacrifices we have to make, it’s definitely worth it because we can make other peoples’ lives better.” Sacrifices include giving up lunch and recess for meetings, which are entirely led by the students. “We sit in there as advisers but they are leading the meeting,” said Echols, one of three advisers. Advisers debrief with the council to help them improve their leadership skills. Rachel, council president, said they have learned they are more efficient when everyone takes turns to talk and listen to each other. “Because we’ve had this experience, we know how to work on a team with other people and how to communicate with people, which will make the whole rest of our life easier,” Rachel said.
What is the council working on now? The council’s next project will improve the lives of their community. The sixth-graders researched possible projects for their annual charity drive and presented the options to class representatives. “We remind them that they are just representing their school—they’re not the school voice,” said Echols. “We want them, as much as possible, to take the choice to the student representatives so they can talk to classes and figure out exactly what the school wants to do.” The student body chose the Super Bowl of Caring for their charity. Students will be collecting food to stock local mobile food pantries such as the one that visits Vista each month. “When the kids found out that this collected food would go to kids just like them in our own communities who needed it, it was impactful,” said Echols. Starting in January, there will be two collection barrels in the front office, one for each team competing in the Super Bowl. Donors will choose which team they are cheering for and add their donations to that barrel. The community is invited to donate non-perishable foods, especially those high in protein. Phillips said it is a great program that everyone can participate in and feel good about helping others, even if their contribution seems small. “You can bring one can of soup and know that you’ve contributed to the Super Bowl of Caring,” she said. l
Nearly 330,000 injuries occur each year from accidents caused by texting while driving. 1 out of every 4 car accidents in the United States is caused by texting and driving. PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
Helping Families Heal for Over 130 years
LarkinMortuary.com December 2018 | Page 29
T
by
CASSIE GOFF
Tempting The Grinch
he animated film by Illumination “The Grinch” starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Cameron Seely recently premiered on Nov. 9. During opening weekend, it made $66 million dollars. The popularly known version of “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” by Dr. Seuss was published on Oct. 12, 1957. It began as a 32-line illustrated poem titled “The Hoobub and The Grinch” and was originally published in May of 1955 in Redbook magazine. The book version was released in December of 1957 by Random House. Since then, the book has held the attention of young readers for decades. If you’re unfamiliar with the story, here’s a quick rundown. In the little town of Who¬ville, all of the Whos who live there love Christmas. The Grinch lives north of Whoville and, not being a Who, hates Christmas. As the holiday approaches, the Whos get antsier, creating all sorts of smells and noises, including a song they all sing together on Christmas Eve. As The Grinch radiates of hatred on that night, he comes up with an idea. He will steal Christmas. He disguises himself as Santy Claus and sleds into Whoville where he steals all the Christmas things. As he is stealing Christmas in the middle of the night, a Who child, Little Cindy-Lou Who questions him about
stealing the family’s Christmas tree. He feeds her a lie and moves on with his night. On Christmas morning, well…I won’t spoil it for you. In the story, The Grinch steals everything relating to Christmas, even though Dr. Seuss mentions a few very specific things on The Grinch’s list: pop guns, bicycles, roller skates, drums, checkerboards, tricycles, popcorn, plums, pudding, roast beef, ribbons, packages, boxes, bags, and even the tree. If you don’t want to tempt The Grinch this holiday season, maybe it’s worth not having all of the above-mentioned items easily accessible. We’re in good shape with the first item on this list. Pop guns will probably be unavailable for purchase in many stores. Instead of buying an entirely new bicycle, tricycle, or roller skates, maybe it would be worthwhile to provide a gift card for the app related to the dockless electric rental scooters littering the streets of downtown Salt Lake. I haven’t used one myself, but from what I understand, you pay through an app on your phone and the scooter will run for as long as you pay for. Instead of buying a drum kit, which can run anywhere from $200 to upwards of $600 or more, maybe gift some drumsticks and lessons; or the Rock Band video game provided a gaming console has
Cannot be combined with any other offer. Expires 12/31/18.
1366 West 7800 South • West Jordan, UT 84088
801-566-5844
WasatchMedicalSupply.com
Mention this ad and we will pay of your bill! (bills over $500)
$50
28 West 700 South • Salt Lake City, UT 84101
801.363.440 rickwarnerbodyshop.com
Page 30 |December 2018
bags, I’ll buy a wholesale pack, because spending $2 to $10 per bag is madness. For ribbons and packages, I recommend buying wholesale as well. Hit up your local craft or party store and buy a few spools of ribbon which you can use multiple times. Balloon ribbon makes for surprisingly fancy present wrapping ribbon. Finally, the tree. I’m exceptionally biased. There’s nothing better than the smell of fresh pine from a live tree throughout the season. I would have saved a few hundred dollars by now if I had invested in a fake tree, but some things are just worth it. l
Readers like you keep us printing!
10% OFF ANY 1 ITEM
been previously purchased. Checkers isn’t the popular game it used to be. Instead of spending $15 to $300 (I’m surprised too) on checkerboards, pick up a few packs of cards for less than $10. Not only are cards less expensive, there are unlimited variations of games that can be played. I’m not so sure checkers can say the same. For popcorn, just don’t. Who wants kernels in their teeth? Or to string popped popcorn? Unless that’s crucial to family tradition, please don’t partake. Also, plums and pudding. I’ve never incorporated those into festivities myself, so I don’t personally understand the appeal. However, I do know that my home is flooded with cookies and other homemade treats gifted from neighbors and family members. If you’re like me and have a swarm of goodies anyway, don’t buy plums and puddings either. Along the same thread (no, not the popcorn one), is roast beef. Does anyone still do roast beef for Christmas? It must be a Who thing. For ribbons, packages, boxes, and bags: keep it simple. Let’s start with boxes and bags. I’m sure a good portion of us will be doing online shopping this year. Keep the boxes from those orders. Personally, I keep boxes from online orders all year long so I can re-purpose them for gift giving. If I need to use
Buy One Get One 1/2 Off Cannot be combined with other offers. Expires 12/31/18.
801-280-4099
7251 Plaza Center Drive (Next to Famous Dave's)
www.SpudToddos.com
Have a 12oz coffee on us! limit 1 per customer with coupon
4879 South Redwood Rd Taylorsville, UT 84123 801-288-9898 www.hiddenpeakscoffee.com
Be part of YOUR COMMUNITY NEWS by donating to City Journals today! Name:
Phone:
Address: City:
State:
One Time Donation: $
Monthly Donation: $
Credit Card Number:
Zip:
Ex Date:
Send to City Journals at 9500 South 500 West Suite 205 | Sandy, Utah | 84070 For security reasons, if you would rather contact City Journals directly, call (385)557-1010 or email accounting@mycityjournals.com
WE’RE YOUR COMMUNITY CONNECTION.
Taylorsville City Journal
Life and Laughter—Dance of the Sugar Plum Peri
Life
Laughter AND
by
PERI KINDER
Taylorsville
I
never remember having visions of sugarplums dancing in my head, mostly because I didn’t know what a sugarplum was (but it sounds like something I’d eat). What I do remember is having visions of Christmas cookies piled on every possible surface in our kitchen as mom baked herself into a holiday frenzy. Around the middle of December, mom would cart home bags and bags of ingredients for her annual Christmas cookie bake-a-rama, preparing to make the treats she only made once a year. My siblings and I would “help” her unload bags of chocolate, sugar, cream and spices until she yelled at us to go watch TV. When mom donned her apron, adopted a determined expression and started grabbing bowls, that’s when I knew Christmas was really coming. We also knew to stay out of her way, which meant we had to be creative when it came to sneaking bits of cookie dough, scoops of frosting and pieces of pecans. During the ‘70s, sugar consumption wasn’t regulated, it was even encouraged! We ate so much sugar on a daily basis, our teeth were in a constant state of vibration. But at Christmas?! Our sugar levels reached critical mass to the point we peed sugar cubes. I’d eat cookies for
dinner, have a stomachache all night, and only be able to eat four bowls of Cap’n Crunch for breakfast. Each of us had our sugary Christmas cookie favorites, and mom made every single one. Mine were the cherry cookies; buttery sugar cookie dough baked around a maraschino cherry. My sisters loved the pineapple tarts cooked to a golden brown, and gingerbread men, decorated with frosting and Red Hot candies. We all loved the delicate spritz cookies, made with mom’s electric press, and the chocolate mousse balls (which we never got tired of saying). Once the baking was done, and the powdered sugar settled underfoot, mom would pile the cookies on sturdy paper plates and send us out in the snow to deliver the goodies to our neighbors. We roamed the neighborhood, passing other children delivering treats to nearby homes, and wave to each other because this was one chore we didn’t mind. More holiday treats came in the form of grandma’s raisin pudding with rum sauce that she’d warm up in an aluminum can on the stove, and pies she kept hidden in the back bedroom under dishtowels because she couldn’t trust us not to stick our finger in them. We’d decorate sugar cookies at
PROFESSIONALS
Value HELP WANTED
Now Hiring for part time positions in our
Food Service Department
Pay starts at $11.60 per hour. Call 385-646-4321or go to www.graniteschools.org/foodservices/jobs
Safe Tubs
Safe Step Walk-In Tub
#1 Selling Walk-in Tub in North America. BBB Accredited. Arthritis Foundation Commendation. Therapeutic Jets. MicroSoothe Air Therapy System Less than 4 Inch Step-In. Wide Door. Anti-Slip Floors. American Made. Call 844-476-9737 for up to $1500 Off.
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS INSTALL & REMOVAL
PLACE AN AD: Call
801-254-5974
AIR DUCT CLEANING
801-244-3542 FREE ESTIMATES
TaylorsvilleJ ournal .com
20 Styles to Choose from Non-Water, Water & Bubble Bouncers Complete Set Up and Take Down Other Rentals: Tables, Chairs, Canopies
Call Amanda: 385-299-3383
www.bounce-crazy-llc.business.site
OMAHA STEAKS
FENCING
AJ Fencing
20+ Years Experience Licensed and Insured All types of Fencing Installs and Repairs Free Estimates
801.471.9688 DISH TV
ENJOY 100% guaranteed, delivered 10 Vents * 1 Return * 1 Main to-the-door Omaha Steaks! SAVE 75% DISH TV. $59.99 For 190 Channels. $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, PLUS get 4 more Burgers & 4 more Only $49 Kielbasa FREE! Order The Family GourSmart HD DVR Included, Free Voice Additional vents priced separately met Buffet - ONLY $49.99. Call 1-855Remote. Some restrictions apply. 752-2308 mention code 51689JCF or TheApexCleanAir.com Call 1-877-334-3683 801-618-4649 visit www.omahasteaks.com/love40
VEHICLES WANTED
DENTAL INSURANCE
We’ll buy your non-running, wrecked or broken car, truck or van.
DENTAL INSURANCE. Call Physicians Mutual Insurance Company for details. NOT just a discount plan, REAL coverage for 350 procedures. 855-385-6690
Gumby’s Auto Parts (801) 506-6098
TREE SERVICES
INTERMOUNTAIN TREE EXPERTS
Removals . Trimming . Pruning Licensed and Insured / 15 Yrs Experience
“It’s worth your time to call!”
or http://www.dental50plus.com/225 Ad# 6118
801-244-3542
PALLETS
ROOFING
Windows and Doors
Free pick up of your broken pallets.
801-449-9875
Call Today!
$650 OFF any reroof over 2,000 sq. ft.
Buy - Sale - Repair
Your lights or ours Licensed and Insured
Bounce Houses Bounce Crazy Party Rentals
school, suck on candy canes during church, snack on boxes of Whitman’s chocolates (which I never really liked, but ate anyway), decorate (and eat) graham cracker houses, and visit our friends’ houses to sample their sweet delicacies. I don’t know how any of us got through the season without losing all our teeth and developing diabetes. Then, on Christmas Eve, we’d sort through all the desserts to find the perfect cookies to leave for Santa Claus. We’d select the ones with the most frosting and
801-707-7260
All types of roofs
FREE ESTIMATES
Ace Windows and Doors 14 Years Experience, Licensed & Insured Free Estimates Senior Discounts Saturday Install Available
Call Lee 801-214-4532
sprinkles, the best shape and the least burnt in the hope our cookie selection would earn us amazing presents from the big man himself. Christmas morning meant chocolate-covered peanuts, pancakes with syrup and stockings full of orange sticks, nuts and ribbon candy. That night, we’d nestle, all snug in our beds, gently twitching as sugar ran through our veins, not dreaming of sugarplums, but already counting the days until next Christmas in all its sugary glory. l
GARAGE DOORS
A PLUS GARAGE DOORS
Service Available 24/7 Certified Experts 100% Warrantied
801-260-2030
CONCRETE SERVICE Concrete Pouring & Flatwork, Epoxy, Acid Stain, Repair, Curbing
Free Estimates. Easy Scheduling. Call/Text
(385)309-2872 www.utahsurfacesolutions.com
FLAT ROOF SPECIALISTS
OLYMPUS ROOFING
801.887.7663 SERVING WASATCH FRONT SINCE 1973
PEST CONTROL MANTIS PEST CONTROL Your Utah Pest Solution Expert 7 yrs Residential and Commercial Experience Eco Friendly - Kid & Pet Safe
Garret Nunnelley 801-244-3542
December 2018 | Page 31
How can I save lives? Have you been told you have an antibody?
NEW DONORS Bring this coupon in for a
$20 BONUS on your second donation Coupon good for the GRIFOLS Biomat in Taylorsville.
Expires 12/31/2018
Did you know it takes 1,200 plasma donations to supply a Hemophiliac with a year’s supply of medication? There are approximately 400 families here in Utah with one or more family members suffering from a rare blood disorder. Your plasma donations help to save lives right here in Utah.
GRIFOLS Biomat in Taylorsville 2520 W. 4700 So., Space 1 Bldg. A Taylorsville, UT 84129 (801) 965-9160
Hours of operation for Monday – Thursday : 6:30am-7:00pm | Friday: 6:30am – 6:30pm | Saturday: 7:00am – 3:00pm
SUNDAY 8:00AM - NOON
www.grifolsplasma.com