Taylorsville Journal| June 2021

June 2021 | Vol. 8 Iss. 06

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ZONING CHANGE CLEARS THE WAY

FOR MASSIVE 647-UNIT APARTMENT COMPLEX ON CITY’S WEST SIDE

By Carl Fauver | c.faucer@mycityjournals.com

U

nanimous votes by both the planning commission and city council have cleared the way for the largest influx of rentable housing to come to the city, through a single project, in the 25-year history of Taylorsville.

However, it’s still anyone’s guess as to when existing structures on the property will be demolished, new construction will begin, or the first tenants will call “West Point” home.

“I am excited about what this will bring to the city,” Councilman Dan Armstrong said. “I have a young son and he and his fiancée have been looking for an apartment. It’s just a really tight market. This project will add much-needed housing to a notoriously blighted part of our city. It will be such a plus.”

The “blighted” area is 16.49 acres, on the southwest corner of 5400 South and Bangerter Highway. Locals know it as “the old Kmart” store (long empty), some smaller ‘strip mall’ shops (vacant) and a massive parking lot. For years, city council members have rejected various zoning change proposals, because they didn’t care for what developers wanted to do with the high-profile acreage. One wanted to construct storage units. Another wanted to sell used cars and trucks.

But now Salt Lake-based Thackeray Company instead plans to construct 647 apartment units, and at least 10,000 square feet of commercial space, while surrounding them with nearly a thousand parking stalls, some on two levels. This artist rendering shows how the north end of the proposed West Point Development will appear, along 5400 South, west of Bangerter Highway. (dwelldesignstudio.com) “This is going to be such a significant upgrade to Continued page 5

Local Postal Customer ECRWSS

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Google Fiber hi-speed internet coming to Taylorsville

Scan Here: Interactive online edition with more photos.

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Taylorville para-educator receives surprise scholarship

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Warriors advance in state playoffs

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Nearly 180 pounds of outdated, unwanted drugs gathered in Kearns

By Carl Fauver | c.fauver@mycityjournals.com

C

upboards and medicine cabinets are emptier in Kearns now, thanks to a successful National Prescription Drug Take Back Day event, hosted outside Harmons grocery store (4872 W. 6200 South).

“We had 92 cars drive through to drop off outdated and unneeded medications, and collected 178 pounds of prescription drugs,” said Hope United Community Church Pastor Josh Nielsen. “We had 35 volunteers help out and the event was a great success.”

In addition to his Pastor duties, Nielsen is also the public relations chairman for the Evidence2Success Kearns Community Coalition, a group of volunteers working to make their community safer and healthier.

“We held our first-every drug take back day last October and collected 71 pounds of drugs,” Nielsen said. “We are excited to see that number jump up so much this year.”

Drug Take Back Day operated for four hours and opened with a news conference.

“This is a very sad, sad situation our country is facing with prescription drug abuse,” Unified Police Kearns Precinct Chief Levi Hughes said during the media event.

“This epidemic our country is facing is horrific; it’s sad; it is terrifying. This is why the public needs to clear out their cabinets of the drugs they no longer use.”

Utah House District 38 Rep. Ashlee Matthews also briefly addressed the crowd. “(Drug abuse) prevention is needed to ensure healthy communities in our state,” she said. “Events like this are an important step to solving the public health crisis and keeping our kids safe.”

Several government agencies and volunteer groups helped make the drug take back day a success. Evidence2Success Kearns Community Coalition members teamed up with the Utah National Guard Counterdrug Task Force, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration and other state and local part-

Journals T H E

Hope United Community Church Pastor Josh Nielsen, Utah Army National Guard 2nd Lt. Jesse Hudson and Evidence2Success Kearns Community Coalition Chair Becky Guertler (L-R) were among the 35 volunteers who helped make National Prescription Drug Take Back Day a success in Kearns. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)

ners. Although it was a new event in Kearns, this was actually the 20th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. Utah Army National Guard 2nd Lt. Jesse Hudson is with his organization’s prevention group, called the “Utah Drug Demand Reduction and Outreach Program.”

“This program was created by the National Guard nationwide; but here in Utah, this is our first drug take back day,” Hudson explained. “In addition to helping set up this drug take back site here in Kearns, we also assisted with locations in Cedar City, St. George, Richfield, Price, Brigham City, Logan, Magna, American Fork, Castle Dale, Pleasant Grove, Blanding…a total of 15 sites. We have members of our Utah Army National Guard at 10 of them.”

According to the most recent statistics, 47% of teens report it is easy to get prescrip-

tion drugs from a parent’s medicine cabinet.

Some 29% of Utahns report throwing their unused or expired prescription meds in the trash, while 15% say they flushed them down the toilet, potentially harming the environment.

Nationally, more than 26 million people ages 12 or older misused prescription medications in 2018. These drugs included opioids, pain meds, sedatives and stimulants.

Among those who dropped off unneeded drugs at the take back event were Jennifer Mendoza and her 15-year-old son Evan, of Kearns.

“I heard about this on Facebook so we went through all of our cabinets,” she said.

“We had medications dating back to 2018 and even 2012. I didn’t know where to go with them, so this is great.”

Evidence2Success Kearns Community

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Coalition Chair Becky Guertler was pleased the take back event was so successful.

“When we did this last October, our group gathered more (unwanted prescription drugs) than any other coalition and I know we are doing much better today,” Guertler said, before the official count was in. “We have a really good partnership with the Utah Army National Guard. UPD (Unified Police Department) has also been great to work with.”

Kearns Metro Township Mayor Kelly Bush summed up her appreciation of the Kearns Evidence2Success Coalition, and groups like them, during her comments to the media.

“Local coalitions are dedicated to connecting and supporting people and organizations,” Mayor Bush said. “They strive to protect our community.” l

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Taylorsville City Journal

Continued from front page that area,” City Community Development Planner Mark McGrath said. “This property will be second-to-none in Taylorsville in terms of appearance and walkability.

UDOT’s construction of the Bangerter overpass (at 5400 South) has been a catalyst for this project. This (West Point Development) will improve the area even more. We hope to see a lot of higher quality projects going in, along 5400 South west of this property.”

Prior to the city council’s May 5 vote to approve the zoning change, some nearby residents voiced concerns about noise and traffic. But Armstrong is confident Thackeray Company will mitigate those issues.

“Nobody wants to see higher populations in their areas,” Armstrong said. “But the design of this project protects the privacy of people living to the south. The traffic (increase) should not create any problems for them either. The city will have to pay for water and sewer improvements. But we need a project like this, because of the property tax revenues it will generate.”

Before joining the Taylorsville City Council last year, to replace a departing council member, Anna Barbieri was the longest-tenured member of the city’s Planning Commission. She’s been aware of the issues facing this parcel of land for many years.

“This is a win-win-win for the prop-

erty owner, the developer and the city,” she said. “As a planning commissioner, I heard so many last-ditch proposals for that property. With the 2008 recession and the work on the Bangerter overpass, it was a tough piece of property to get right. But this development will be very walkable, with good parking and fast food nearby.”

She’s also in favor of the development because of who is behind it.

“Thackeray has an outstanding reputation,” Barbieri added. “They build what they say they are going to build. It will be such a nice place. I suspect many residents will work from home. We may end up with not nearly as much traffic as some people are concerned about.”

Before city council members voted, developer John Thackeray addressed them.

“I have been developing properties for 43 years,” he said. “Your administration and planning staff have been so good to work with. It’s great to get more eyes on projects, because it improves them. I appreciate their efforts. I think people will be pleased with the design we have come up with, together.”

Mark McGrath reports, there are about 20,000 housing units throughout Taylorsville, of which roughly 35% (7,000) are apartments. Therefore, this single project, with its 647 units, will grow the city’s pool of rental properties by nearly 10%.

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opment Summit Vista (on the other side of Bangerter Highway at 6200 South) has a much larger footprint and will eventually have more housing units than the West Point Development. But those are individually-owned units, reserved for older residents. Among rental apartments, available to residents of any age, this new complex will be the largest of its kind in Taylorsville.

During his presentation to the city council explaining the details of the proposed project, McGrath said the concept is even earning rave reviews from another Salt Lake Valley planning department.

“I received an email from Midvale City Planning Director Alex Murphy about this proposal,” McGrath told council members. “He wrote ‘Congratulations Taylorsville. That is a great project. Is there anything I can do to help?’ He said I could share this during the public comment period.”

Like Anna Barbieri, Taylorsville City Council Chairman Curt Cochran also once served on the city’s planning commission.

“There have been several wishes for that property over the years that really weren’t a great fit,” Cochran said. “But this plan looks very good.”

Councilman Ernest Burgess added, “I wish the developer of (my) home had taken as much care in the design and layout as these developers have.”

City officials do not expect people to start seeing demolition work at the site until at least 2022.

“They still have months and months of design work to get done,” McGrath concluded. “Even when that is completed, we’re experiencing a lot of building material cost issues – and construction material shortages. I would expect it to be next year before wrecking balls begin to swing. As far as we’re concerned, the sooner the better. But projects like this take time.”

McGrath said the next deadline for the West Point Development is December 1. Thackeray must finalize the purchase of the property by then, or the site specific (conditional use) zoning change will lapse.

The new zoning is conditional on Thackeray remaining the developer. Construction specifics also require Taylorsville Planning Department approval.

A small portion of the 16.49-acre site (1.28 acres) is actually owned by the city and now has a check cashing business located on it. “(The city) purchased that land during construction of the Bangerter overpass,” Councilman Armstrong explained. “We wanted to have more control over that corner and its future development. We paid about $2-million for it. It will be part of the sale when everything is finalized.” l

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June 2021 | Page 5

Senior center reopens, while the new online virtual center continues to thrive

By Carl Fauver | c.fauver@mycityjournals.com

F

or more than 13 months, Taylorsville Senior Center officials (4743 South Plymouth View Drive, about 1600 West) could not allow patrons inside their facility, thanks to the houseguest that just…won’t… leave – coronavirus. But don’t think for a minute, while the doors were locked, nothing was going on.

“We made about 150,000 wellness calls to our seniors, launched a virtual (on-line) senior center, handed out drive through meals and deep cleaned our centers,” said Salt Lake County Aging & Adult Services Communication Manager Afton January. “Staff inside our centers were busy every day. And now we are so glad to have people coming back in again.”

Salt Lake County operates 16 senior centers, including the one in Taylorsville. The city owns and maintains the building, while the county operates it. Taylorsville Senior Center Manager Lisa Butterfield has been in her position since January 2019. So, she had a little over a year with seniors coming in (January 2019 to March 2020), followed by a little more than a year with them locked out.

“It was tough; we missed the activity in the center,” Butterfield said. “We served our last meal in our cafeteria, pre-COVID, on March 13, 2020. We had no idea at that time, we would not serve our next inside lunch un-

til April 19, 2021. I was so excited to see our seniors return.”

The Taylorsville Senior Center is still operating under several restrictions, to help ensure patron safety. Pre-pandemic, it was common to serve lunch to 60 or more seniors.

Now, due to social distancing requirements, they are limited to serving 35.

“In the first week serving lunches again, we only had about 20 seniors each day,” Butterfield added. “If we get up to more than 35 wanting to come, we’ll create 2 different lunch times.”

The meals for all 16 Salt Lake County senior centers are prepared at the main county government center, on State Street and 2100 South. That’s also where the drive through meals are prepared. The transition – from serving in cafeterias to handing bagged lunches through car doors – was seamless.

“The very next day, after we shut down our center to indoor dining, we were handing out meals to people who drove through,” Butterfield explained. “It was only a week later when the earthquake hit (March 18, 2020). We handed out lunches that day too, even as inspectors were in our building looking for structural damage (finding nothing significant).”

Even though inside meals have now resumed, the Taylorsville Senior Center is con-

tinuing to also hand out drive through lunches, to patrons still uncomfortable going inside to dine with others.

“When we reopened, we set up a social hour from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., with lunch served from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.,” Butterfield said. “The other thing we re-established

that first week back (April 19 to 23) was bingo, at 2 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. That was my number one request of what our seniors wanted back as soon as possible. We purchased new bingo cards that can easily be sprayed and sanitized.”

About five months into the pandemic –

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Taylorsville City Journal

Knitting and crocheting are popular pastimes at the now reopened Taylorsville Senior Center. (Taylorsville Senior Center)

last August, as everyone was getting accustomed to Zoom meetings and online communities – Salt Lake County Aging & Adult Services launched it’s “Virtual Senior Center.” At the Taylorsville center, Program Coordinator Lara Kandolin is the point person.

“We had been talking about creating an online senior center before the pandemic; so, the lockdown just pushed us into doing it more quickly,” Kandolin said. “At our (Taylorsville) center, we have two yoga classes, one advanced and one ‘gentle.’ I send email reminders to our participants ahead of time.

Then during the classes, I do all the tech work, making sure everyone is connected properly. I also can see our participants to make sure they aren’t having any physical problems.”

Two other Salt Lake County senior centers are also originating yoga classes. Others are offering instructions for doing craft projects – some pre-videotaped, available online anytime, and others live.

“It’s been helping our seniors to have something to do at home and not go crazy,” Butterfield said. “We started handing

out craft supplies to about 20 people (in the same drive through line as the lunches); but it quickly grew to about 50 craft kits. We even delivered some to seniors in their homes. It was pretty amazing – it got off the ground so rapidly.”

The various craft kits include supplies for sewing, making greeting cards, crochet projects and other things.

“The virtual senior center has been hugely successful,” Kandolin added. “I have heard from other program coordinators and seniors. The reaction has all been overwhelmingly positive. I’m glad we’re going to continue it, even as more and more people are able to return to our in-house activities.”

Taylorsville Senior Center patrons are also returning to a spruced-up facility.

“While we were shutdown, Taylorsville City had crews in the center painting rooms and touching up paint throughout the building,” Butterfield added. “They also hired a professional team to come in and recover our two pool tables. And we did a very deep cleaning. We cleaned out all of the closets.

That’s where we found some of the materials for our craft kits.”

Hundreds of seniors also received their two coronavirus vaccination shots inside the Taylorsville center.

“We did four different COVID-19 vaccination clinics in January through March,” Butterfield explained. “Each clinic had about 300 people – so about 600 total people received both their shots here.”

Taylorsville Mayor Kristie Overson and City Council Chairman Curt Cochran are both thrilled to see life returning to the senior center.

“Our citizens who go there regularly need it so much; this is so exciting,” Overson said. “We have all been waiting and waiting for the senior center to be able to reopen. I am thrilled they are able to get together again.”

“It’s another sign the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter,” Cochran added. “Now that the majority of adults have been vaccinated, people are feeling safe again. I am happy the senior community has a place to go. I’ve been in contact with my senior constituents (during the pandemic) and they are starting to tell me, overall, they are feeling safer.”

As the Taylorsville Senior Center reopens, the biggest change patrons will have to get used to is the new requirement they phone in ahead of time to preregister for lunches and other activities.

“We have to keep careful track of the numbers of people coming in, so we are now requiring preregistrations,” Butterfield concluded. “We have to know ahead of time how many are coming for lunch, to play bingo or anything else.”

The number to call to preregister for any activities inside the Taylorsville Senior Center is 385-468-3370. You can also see more about what is being offered, at slco.org/taylorsville-senior-center l

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Google Fiber hi-speed internet coming to Taylorsville homes and businesses

By Carl Fauver | c.fauver@mycityjournals.com

R

ecent polls show, Taylorsville residents approve of the job their elected officials are doing. In fact, the city council and mayor’s approval ratings have been almost record-breaking.

However, despite these accolades, City Council Chairman Curt Cochran and his colleagues have also had a nagging thorn in their sides.

“Soon after I took office, a new city resident showed up at a council meeting to told us, ‘If I knew Taylorsville did not have hi-speed internet, I never would have moved here,’” Cochran recalled. “I can think of only a handful of meetings over the past two years when this topic did not come up. That’s why, this year, the mayor, city council and staff made this our No. 1 priority.”

Enter Google Fiber: Problem solved – although it will take some time (perhaps as much as two years) for the hi-speed internet service to be available to every Taylorsville resident.

“As Mayor, I know cutting-edge technology is essential to our community,” Mayor Kristie Overson said, in a special video announcing the new agreement. “We know this is important to our residents too. We have been listening and working – and now we are ready, and thrilled to announce a game

changing partnership. Google Fiber is coming to Taylorsville.”

You can view the entire 2:53 minute announcement on the Taylorsville website.

The announcement video – the brainchild of City Communication Director Kim Horiuchi – was quickly produced before the council approved the Google Fiber agreement, and debuted the morning after the unanimous vote. The night of the council vote, Google Fiber Utah Government & Community Affairs Manager Jacob Brace appeared before the council virtually, to answer questions.

“I want to credit the city for working so well with us to put this together,” Brace told the council. “What a team – your mayor, your city manager. We worked out all of the kinks to improve connectivity to improve health care, education and entertainment.”

Taylorsville becomes the sixth Utah city to enjoy the benefits of hi-speed Google Fiber. The service debuted in Provo 8 years ago. It has since been added into: Holladay, Millcreek, Salt Lake and South Salt Lake.

Taylorsville will be the first community on the westside of the Salt Lake Valley to get the service.

Two weeks after the announcement about Taylorsville getting Google Fiber, the

company made a similar announcement that Sandy City residents will receive it also.

As a couple of examples of what “hispeed internet” means, Google Fiber officials say residents will be able to download 25 songs through their service in one second, or a full-length HD movie in about 36 seconds.

Brace said work crews will begin to trench and lay fiber lines along major thoroughfares (4700 South, Redwood Road and 5400 South) in the next few months.

“I am confident our first Taylorsville customers will be able to connect to Google Fiber before the end of the year, or early next year,” he added. “We aren’t yet sure which area of the city will be the first to access it.”

In fact, Google Fiber officials admit, while some Taylorsville residents could enjoy hi-speed internet before the end of 2021, others are not likely to have it available in their neighborhoods or apartment complexes until 2023.

“The city could not be more excited, as we are whenever we can deliver high quality service at competitive rates,” City Manager John Taylor said. “We approached Google Fiber mid-year, last year. We talked with quite a few companies. Then we did our due diligence. They have a proven service record.”

Another thing endearing Google Fiber

to city officials is that – unlike many other potential hi-speed internet providers – they were not asking for money.

“One company wanted us to commit to a very hefty price to install infrastructure,” Cochran said. “That always bothered me. If they believe in their product, they should not have to ask for money.”

Google Fiber, instead, will pay the city a 2% licensing fee for each customer signing up for the service. City officials do not expect it to amount to a lot of money – but they all agree it is better than tax dollars moving in the other direction.

Google Fiber will now work closely with City Engineer Ben White to finalize installation plans.

“For some residents who are already happy with their internet service, this probably won’t mean much,” White said. “But lots of others will be jumping around like cheerleaders.”

And, although there is not much room for Overson and city council members to have their approval ratings go up any more, this announcement could boost them a point or two. At a minimum, it removes one particular thorn from their sides. l

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Taylorsville City Journal

School counselors encourage 1, 2, 4, or more years of college

By Hannah LaFond | h.lafond@mycityjournals.com

I

n recent years, fewer high school graduates have attended college, but high school counselors say there are still great opportunities outside of a four-year institution.

Recent numbers published by Education Week found a 6.8 % drop in Fall 2020 college enrollments from the previous years.

This significant jump is most likely a result of the pandemic. Many high school students have found it hard to keep up with coursework with online learning and other changes to their education. Family job losses and financial struggles have put additional roadblocks between students and college.

However, the decline in college enrollments is not a new trend. According to the National Student Clearinghouse, the rate of students enrolling in college has been slowly declining over the last decade.

There are several reasons students may be opting out of attending a traditional fouryear institute. Many can’t afford it and are discouraged by the prospect of student loan debt. Others don’t see formal schooling as a good fit. High school counselors are well aware of these challenges and hope to help students find a suitable path.

“Not everyone is cut out for the traditional four-year college experience, and there is no need for them to pursue that. There are plenty of great jobs available for students in

we are

Cottonwood High School students at 2018 graduation. (Courtesy of Granite School District)

skilled labor, IT, composites, etc. The rise of college tuition is getting out of hand, and students and parents see this,” Nathan Brannon, a counselor at Olympus High School, told the City Journals.

With that in mind, Brannon and other counselors throughout the Granite School District have been working to implement individualized career plans for each student.

While many students may not be interested in a traditional college, that doesn’t mean the

counselors can’t help them find a program that will suit their strengths and goals.

Brian Barnum, a counselor at Kearns High, explained why there’s been a state initiative to view any post-secondary education as an equally viable option, whether it’s a one, two, or four-year program.

“Recently, in the state of Utah, there has really been a huge push for students to see college as one, two, four, or more. With that, as counselors, we have had a bigger push for

students to get any post-secondary education that may benefit their future career goals rather than continuously pushing all students to go to a four-year school,” Barnum said. “A four-year school is not suited for everyone and for many students is not the best path to get students where they want to go.”

While a four-year degree is often seen as the most traditional route after high school, the counselors agreed that wasn’t the right choice for many students. That’s especially true when there are so many different trades and careers available.

“There are just so many options nowadays for students. We have students that will go to traditional college, we have internships, we have apprenticeships, we have students that want to go right into a career, and all of those are great,” said Sara Po’uha, counseling department chair at Taylorsville High School.

According to Po’uha, that’s why it’s so essential for them to meet with each student individually. That way, they can understand what’s important to them and cater their posthigh school planning to the student. Whether students want to get a certificate, do an apprenticeship program, go straight into a trade, or get a degree, the school counselors work to get them all the resources and information to make their goals a reality. l

YEARS

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TaylorsvilleJ ournal.com

June 2021 | Page 9

Taylorville para-educator receives surprise scholarship from WGU

By Hannah LaFond | h.lafond@mycityjournals.com

E 2021 EVENING S ERIES Amphitheater Parking: 495 East 5300 South Ticket Info: 801-264-2614 or www.murray.utah.gov June 4 ................................. Les Miserables, Movie Sing-Along June 5 ................................................... Murray Concert Band June 17-19, 21-23 ........................ Disney's The Little Mermaid June 26 ...................................................... Murray Symphony

LUNCH CONCERT SERIES * Tuesday at Noon in Murray Park Pavilion #5, FREE June 1 - BD Howes ...................................................... Acoustic June 8 - Vaudeville Nouveau ................................... 50's - 80's June 15 - Wasatch Jazz Syndicate ........................ Jazz Quartet June 22 - Riding Gravity .............................. Surf & Rockability

LIBRARY SUMMER SHORTS * Wednesday at 1 PM in Murray Park Pavilion #5, FREE

June 2 ............................................. Magic Show, Paul Brewer June 9 ........................................... Scales & Tails Animal Show June 16 ................................................................ Mad Science June 23 .......................................... DJ Juggling & Magic Show June 30 ......................................... Woody & Jessie, Characters

CHILDREN MATINEE SERIES * Thursday at 2 p.m. in Murray Park Pavilion #5, FREE

June 3 - Just Jumpin' .............................................. Jump Rope June 10 - Spiderman ...................................... Karate & Photos June 17 - Ballet Folklorico ................................... Las Americas June 24 - Ballet Center Utah, Inc .......................... Ballet Dance

FAMILY NIGHT S ERI ES Bring the Whole Family Young and Old! The 2nd Monday of every month at 7 p.m., FREE Murray Senior Recreation Center (#10 E 6150 S – 1/2 block west of State) June 14 – Pick'ee Out the Stingers .................. Bluegrass Music

STOP IN FOR STORIES * Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday at 11 a.m. in Murray Park White Gazebo, FREE Murray City Library sponsored Storytelling * Location may change This program has received funding support from residents of Salt Lake County, SL County Zoo, Arts and Parks (ZAP), Utah Division of Arts and Museums, and Museums & National Endowment for the Arts.

Page 10 | June 2021

lizabeth (Lizz) Ashby thought she was going about a typical workday when she walked into a classroom only to be greeted by applause from faculty, students, friends, and family. Washington Governors University was awarding her their Resiliency Grant, and they’d all gathered to celebrate.

Ashby has worked as a Special Education Para-Educator at Taylorsville Elementary School since the 2013-2014 school year.

For Ashby, the job was a great fit from the beginning, and after volunteering her first year, the school offered her the position to continue.

“The most amazing part is when you see the student finally gets something you’ve been working on and their excitement,” Ashby told the City Journals. “It’s like they’re thinking, ‘Oh wow, I know how to do this.

Can I go show the whole world?’”

While working in the classroom and helping students reach their full potential felt like a dream come true, Ashby started to realize her position as a para-educator wouldn’t be practical for her in the long term.

“I honestly never thought I could become a (special education) teacher,” Ashby said. “But, I really enjoyed working in the classroom and knew that if I wanted to do this long term, I needed more money so that I could move out of my mom’s house, have my own place, and get medical benefits.”

So, she applied and was accepted to a program at WGU to become a special education teacher. The problem was she wasn’t sure she’d have the funds to finish schooling.

But, Ashby started her classes and applied to as many scholarships as she was eligible for, praying one of them would come through.

Before notifying Ashby about the scholarship, WGU reached out to Taylorsville Elementary’s principal, Andrea McMillan.

They informed McMillan about the Resiliency Grant and asked if she thought Ashby was a good candidate for the funds. McMillan didn’t hesitate to confirm that the scholarship was well-deserved.

Ever since becoming the principal four years ago, McMillan said she’d seen Ashby’s constant dedication to her students. Working as a para-educator, Ashby assists the special education teacher. McMillan said that rather than simply following directions, Ashby has always impressed her by working along with the teacher to take on a more active role in her student’s progress.

“Lizz really wants the best for the students she works with. She wholeheartedly invests in their growth. Whether it’s personal growth or their academic growth.” McMillan said. “She dedicates her everything to these kids, and I see her being that as a teacher too.”

So, when it came time to recognize Ash-

Elizabeth Ashby with friends, family, and Taylorsville Faculty after receiving the Resiliency Grant. (Photo courtesy Andrea McMillan)

by for that hard work, McMillan was happy to make the arrangements for it to be a special moment.

At first, WGU suggested delivering the scholarship to Ashby during the same week as Taylorsville’s spring break. But, McMillan suggested they push it back to April 8, so there would be people at the school to celebrate with Ashby.

McMillan said she thought it was important that the students see Ashby receive the scholarship because it could show them the possibilities of attending college even if finances made that difficult.

“Since then, we’ve had a couple of classmates say things about how they now want to try to get a scholarship to go to college one day. I think that was kind of an inspirational thing for them,” McMillan said.

Not only did faculty and students get to be a part of the day, but McMillan also reached out to Ashby’s mother and Joann Sellers— a close friend and the first teacher Ashby worked with— and asked them to come to the school.

When the day arrived, they arranged everything to surprise Ashby, but there was a slight hiccup when the representative from WGU was running late. McMillan scrambled to keep Ashby in a different classroom so she wouldn’t see her mother or Sellers and have the surprise spoiled.

“It was a crazy, wild morning mostly because for me to be in the right location at the right time, they had to switch my schedule,”

Ashby said.

Once the representative arrived, they called Ashby into the room where unbeknownst to her students, faculty, her mother, and Sellers were all waiting.

Upon entering the room, Ashby said her first thought was, “Why are there so many adults here?” Then she saw Sellers and her mother and knew something must be going on.

One of Ashby’s students gave her a bouquet, and McMillan brought a card that all the faculty had signed to give to Ashby. Then Melissa Jensen, WGU Strategic Partnerships Manager, presented Ashby with the Resiliency Grant.

“There were tears starting to form, and I kept breathing and practicing my mindfulness techniques because I didn’t want to cry in front of a bunch of students and adults,” Ashby said.

Ashby sees the scholarship as an answer to her prayers. It makes it possible for her to finish her classes and become certified as a teacher to continue working with the students she loves. Ashby is particularly passionate about continuing in special education because she was in special education as a child.

“I don’t use the word dumb anymore, but at that age, I thought I was dumb. I want to help these kids not feel that,” Ashby said.

“That’s why I really like being a para because you work closely with the students. And as a teacher, I’ll just get to continue that working with the students and helping them.” l

Taylorsville City Journal

Metcalf returns home to the Utah Grizzlies

By Greg James | g.james@mycityjournals.com

Murray 2021

FUN DAYS SATURDAY, JULY 3rd ROTARY CLUB COMMUNITY BREAKFAST 6:30 - 10:00 am - Murray Park $6 Adults/$4 Child (12 and under) SUNRISE SERVICE 7 am - Murray Park Amphitheater Patriotic Address Sgt. First Class, Retired Layne Morris Music by Murray Concert Band CHALK ART CONTEST 6 am-2 pm 5K AND KIDS RACE Both races begin and end near Constitution Circle, Murray Park 8 am - 5 K Race, 9 am - Kids Race Ages 4-9 $20 early registration until June 18 $45 registration June 19-25 $10 for Kids Race by June 25 Register online at mcreg.com by June 25 - No day of registrations!

CO-ED DOUBLES OUTDOOR VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT 8 am- 5 pm - Softball Field in Murray Park $30 per team - Adults, Youth, Parent/Child Divisions Register online at mcreg.com by July 1 - No day of registrations!

Garrett Metcalf made his professional debut with the Utah Grizzlies. The Salt Lake native is glad he could make the Maverik Center his home for this short time. (Photo courtesy of Robert Church/Utah Grizzlies)

M

etcalf is a household name amongst Utah hockey fans. Garrett Metcalf has made the Utah Grizzlies his first stop in what he hopes is a long professional career.

“I was like two or three when I started skating,” Metcalf said. “Then I think my first organized games came when I was five or six. I started playing in the Salt Lake County lightning program until I was about 14 years old.”

His father Steve played on the Highland High School team and by his own admission was not very good so he turned his love of the game into more than 25 years of hockey refereeing. Many remember him as someone who gave his all to hockey.

“Steve trained me as an official,” current ECHL linesman Jim Mckenna said. “He was the top guy in the IHL (International Hockey League). I asked him for pointers and he was always willing to give, anything he did, he did with a love for hockey. He was willing to give back.”

Metcalf recalled memories of his dad refereeing.

“My brother and I grew up going to the games with our dad and I spent many years at the Maverik Center. It has now come full circle and for me to play my first year of pro hockey there is pretty special,” Metcalf said.

His hockey career started at home, on the driveway. “We had a net and my brother started taping pillows to my legs and gave me a helmet and glove. He told me to stand in front of the net,” he said. “One time in

TaylorsvilleJ ournal.com

Phoenix I ran across some equipment in a store. I begged my dad to buy them. I knew he would not pay full price, but it was on clearance. I told him they were on sale. He called my mom and they knew that I was never going back.”

He has logged lots of years on the ice to get to this point in his career.

“I spent a lot of summers early at the rink. My dad and I would get out to the oval (Kearns Olympic Oval). I would be on the ice at 4:45 in the morning before school. I did that multiple times a month.

I had the support of my parents to get me there and they took me all across the country.

I have been very blessed,” Metcalf said.

Metcalf was drafted by the National Hockey Leagues Anaheim Ducks in the sixth round of the 2015 amateur draft.

“It was a special moment to be drafted.

It is something I will cherish the rest of my life,” Metcalf said.

His player rights are still owned by the Ducks. He is under a professional tryout contract. Those contracts are short-term deals that generally only pay per diem. After his draft rights expire in August he can actively pursue a player contract and may end up in the American Hockey League or East Coast Hockey League.

He has enjoyed his time with the Grizzlies.

“It is very special to be at home. I moved away from home when I was 15 and have not spent more than five days at home since then, but we are cherishing this time we all have

PARADE 8:30 am - Begins at Fashion Place Mall - ends at Murray Park Grand Marshal, First Responders ACTIVITIES 10 am-4 pm - Car & Bike Show (behind swimming pool) 11 am-4 pm - Food Trucks & Game Booths 1 pm-2 pm - Bingo 12 pm-4 pm - Park Center Hours 12 pm-6 pm - Aquatic Center Hours

together. I have stayed in touch with friends.

It has been cool to have all of the support.

At games I see familiar faces in the crowd,” Metcalf said.

As a goalie he is competing for playing time with contracted players already on big league clubs.

In his first two games with the Grizzlies he went 2-0, saved 94% of the shots against him and had a sparkling 1.5 goals against average.

He has learned new things playing professional hockey and playing with the Grizzlies has been difficult at times.

“We have struggled to score goals, but the guys have worked hard. For my first taste of pro hockey I have seen some success from my work habits and playing with an unbelievable group that has been nothing but supportive,” he said.

The Grizzlies are scheduled to close the regular season June 5-7. At press time they stand in fourth place and could be in the ECHL playoffs. l

ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS Near Children’s Playground 11 am-2 pm - Games: Money Scramble, Balloon Toss 11 am-2 pm - Fishing Booth, Face Painting (minimal fee) 12:00 pm - Strider Bike Race 12:30 pm - Firemen Squirt (free) DAYTIME ENTERTAINMENT Murray Park Gazebo 10:30 am - Superheroes vs. Villains Characters 11:15 am - Puppet Show "The Dinosaur Egg" 12:00 pm - Arts in the Park Musical Reviews 12:30 pm - The Flashback Brothers, Classic Rock EVENING ENTERTAINMENT Murray Park Softball Field 8:30 pm – High Society Party Band (pictured below) 10 pm – Fireworks (leave personal fireworks at home)

June 2021 | Page 11

Taylorsville seventh grader receives national award for poem

By Hannah LaFond | h.lafond@mycityjournals.com

O

n May 3, a Taylorsville seventh-grader, Joshua Johnson, was surprised to win the National Award of Outstanding Interpretation in the National PTA’s Reflection program for his poem about the hardships he witnessed in 2020.

PTA Reflections are an art competition with over 300,000 contestants from Pre-K through 12th grade each year. Of these students, the PTA selects seven to receive national recognition, as Johnson did.

All the participants create original artwork around a selected theme. The 20202021 theme was “I matter because….”

With that topic in mind, Johnson created his poem, “The Voice In My Head.” Working after school each night, he created the first draft in a week. Then took another three weeks to refine the poem. According to Johnson, he wanted to make sure every word was the right one to capture the feeling he was expressing.

“I have been a distance learner this year because my sister was high risk, and my parents were worried she might get COVID. So it was tough being at home trying to learn on my own. I felt overwhelmed by all the things happening around me, things my friends were going through, and the things I saw on the news,” Johnson told the City Journals. “I wanted to write something that would help

me and others who read the poem feel hope.”

Throughout his poem, Johnson addresses lofty issues that would be hard for many adults to discuss. Stanza, by stanza, he tackles watching his family and the world facing the pandemic, earthquakes, wildfires, racial injustice, and financial instability.

While being honest about his anxiety during the turbulent year, Johnson manages to put a positive note at the end of each stanza. Instead of giving up, the “voice in his head” encourages him and the reader to keep going.

As he states beautifully at the end of the fifth stanza, “But the voice in my head boldly rebutes ‘I cannot, I will not, I won’t quit today!’ It whispers, ‘I matter because I have hope.’”

Although Johnson is just finishing seventh grade, he’s not new to poetry writing or even to PTA Reflections. He’s actually been entering poems in the competition since third grade, and while this is his first time winning nationally, he’s won at the state level four times.

Johnson credits his early interest in poetry to his love for reading and his third grade teacher, Mrs. Jennings. She encouraged his passion for writing and suggested that he enter in Reflections.

“She gave me the idea, and she gave me

Clearly, that passion has only grown, with more work probably expected from him in the future. Johnson loves using writing to express himself and process through difficult experiences like the ones he had during 2020.

“I like the imagery you can create with words in a poem. I love the sounds alliterations make, the visual picture a good metaphor creates, or the powerful connection repetition can have in a great poem,” Johnson said. “Reading is my favorite thing to do. I think poetry can be like small short stories, and since I am not great at painting or drawing, I thought I’d try to create art with words.”

While he’s received recognition for his poetry in the past, Johnson said he didn’t expect his poem to win nationally. The school invited him to read his poem to his English class on Monday May 3, but he didn’t know he would be presented with the award.

“I was completely caught off guard when I saw the mayor of Taylorsville, our Joshua Johnson is a seventh-grader and recipient county councilwoman, the superintendent, of the National Award of Outstanding Interprethe school board president, my principal, and tation in the National PTA’s Reflection program. a bunch of students and teachers there ready (Photos courtesy Joshua Johnson) to listen to the poem,” Johnson said. “After I a dictionary the summer before fourth grade read it and they announced I won first place to help me understand the words I was read- at nationals, I was stunned. I am still pinching ing in books several grade levels higher,” myself and wondering if it really happened!” l Johnson said.

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Page 12 | June 2021

Taylorsville City Journal

The Voice In My Head

By Joshua Johnson

My ears perk with pensiveness as my parents wrangle about pandemics.

My eyes ache from superfluous screen time spent salvaging my academics.

This perpetuator of panic shut down my school, my church, and my teams.

It shrank my social circles and attacked my sleep with unsettled dreams.

Being social feels so distant as we zoom around to connect.

While we mask our smileless faces and our true feelings reject.

The voices around me shout, “It doesn’t matter! Give up.You’re alone!”

But the voice in my head softly replies, “Keep going. Keep working. Persistence is brilliant.”

It whispers, “I matter because I am resilient.”

Flash forward a fortnight to foundations shaking.

Picture frames falling and ceiling lights quaking.

Panicked parents call my name as I dive under the table.

5.7 on the Richter scale. My nerves are rattled, my logic disabled.

My legs are an unsteady sailor stepping off from the sea.

My knees tremble from rippling aftershocks and I wonder when my limbs will be free.

The voices around me yell in my ear, “Be anxious. Be alarmed. Be filled with fear.”

But the voice in my head firmly declares, “Get up! Get moving. Get out from down there.”

It whispers, “I matter because I am courageous.”

My tear ducts are burning, my nostrils assailed.

Smokey tendrils slither where dirt trenches have failed. Across the mountainous skyline orange dangers appear, Leaping and hurling, consuming all that is near.

Ashy remnants of California and Colorado waft a warning, hissing “Beware”, While merging with the molecules of our own fiery despair.

The voices around me holler “Why should you care?” It isn’t your home that floats in the air!”

But the voice in my head is quick to respond, “Empathy and concern are how I reach higher.”

It whispers, “I matter because my choices inspire.”

Injustices exposed and dark narratives now spoken.

Shining light on an imperfect union where liberty is broken.

Cities rally together proclaiming, “Enough is enough!”

Peaceful protests permutate into ravenous riots, so rough.

While messages are spray painted and buildings are burned, Tear gas is deployed and police cars overturned.

The voices around me scream “Be divided. Be vicious. Be cruel.”

But the voice in my head rapidly refutes, “Be united. Show kindness in all that you do.”

It whispers, “I matter because I respect you.”

Jobs dissolve, like sidewalk chalk in a summertime rainstorm, creating blurry pictures of the future that lies ahead.

A deluge of bills and drought of paychecks cause parents to worry about keeping kids fed.

Stock prices decline, releasing a downpour of empty grocery shelves and pantry cupboards.

My palms go clammy and my heart aches from the things I’ve discovered.

Retirements, savings, and homes evaporate away, while people pile up in unemployment lines.

Street corners are claimed by calloused hands holding faded cardboard signs. The voices around me spout, “Why bother? Why try? It is pointless anyway!”.

But the voice in my head boldly rebutes “I cannot, I will not, I won’t quit today!”

It whispers, “I matter because I have hope.”

Through sadness and sickness, disease and dying.

Through anguish and anger, chaos and crying.

I focus on forward. I positively push on.

I know better days are coming, all these things will be gone.

The stronger the wind the more resilient the tree.

This is the person I choose to be.

I know this because of the voice in my head. l

TaylorsvilleJ ournal.com

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June 2021 | Page 13

The Ridge Golf Course hosts 6A girls state tournament

By Greg James | g.james@mycityjournals.com

T

he Ridge Golf Course is earning a reputation as a great place to play. The girls state tournament was held this year at the facility.

They hosted the 5A tournament in 2019 and the 6A girls this season.

“We have done such a good job they asked if we could do it again,” Ridge Tournament Director Brandon Ren said. “It has been great. We have always been a player development type course. We are a big proponent of development and girls’ golf.”

In 2019, Timpview High School won the 5A Utah High School Activities Association’s girls state title. Jamie Connell from Corner Canyon was the individual medalist. In 2020, the season was, of course, canceled, but they chose to return again this year.

It has served as the host course for Hunter, Kearns and Copper Hills high school teams for several years.

Hosting a big tournament at the facility is not a difficult task.

“We have been very efficient. In a nonCovid year we will have 60 to 100 tournaments.

Our staff is pretty dialed in and they are well trained,” Ren said. “We hold fundraiser style tournaments and many customer appreciation get-togethers.”

The 18-hole course averages about 6,700 yards from the longest tees and 3,400 from the shortest. It offers five choices of tee box loca-

At The Ridge hole No. 1 leaves the friendly confines of the club house and dog legs slightly to the left. Its majestic views of the Salt Lake Valley can hardly be matched. (Greg James/City Journals)Center)

tions. It was designed to accommodate a beginner and expert golfer.

“That is a big part of the appeal of this course,” Ren said.

The second hole is considered the most difficult. It is a 446-yard par 4 that has two strategically placed sand traps. The easiest hole can be No. 14. It is a reachable 414 yards.

“The course can be difficult, but still is accessible for a beginner,” Ren said.

The 6A girls found the course to be chal-

lenging.

Davis High School trailed Lone Peak by four strokes headed into the final day of competition. They made up the deficit on the final four holes. Corner Canyon finished second and Lone Peak third after a sudden death playoff.

Herriman junior Millie Terrion shot a combined two-day total of 144 to take home first place individual medalist honors. She had the only score in the tournament not over par.

Herriman finished fourth overall as a team.

Hunter High’s team finished 15th overall and Brenda Castillo was 24th. Cyprus’ Madalin Chandra missed the cut after the first day by one stroke.

The Gene Bates Design Group designed the course that was rebuilt in 2012 after the Mountain View Corridor was built to its west.

The designers wanted to truly cater to golfers of all abilities. They have also designed Old Mill, Riverbend and Soldier Hollow courses in the state.

The Hunter girls team has never advanced to the second day of the tournament. They thought it was a possibility playing on their home course this season.

“I thought we really had a chance,” Wolverine’s head coach Devon Cooper said.

Despite the state tournament loss, the Wolverines still smashed school records and won their third straight region title. Cooper attributes their success to the help of the staff at The Ridge.

They donated golf balls and practice time to invest in the team.

“She has built a good program,” Ren said.

“We love to work with her.”

Cooper developed a program two years ago to invite 23 girls to the team. Many were beginners, but her thought was introducing several to the game to develop interest in the sport.

Her team has exploded and they have won three straight region titles. l

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Taylorsville City Journal

City of Taylorsville Newsletter 2600 West Taylorsville Boulevard • 801-963-5400

MAYOR'S MESSAGE Dear Friends and Neighbors, It’s finally here. The beautiful new Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center, right next to City Hall, is now open and it exceeds our greatest expectations.

I had the chance to participate in a Ribbon Cutting with other elected officials and representatives of Salt Lake County this past Mayor Kristie S. Overson month and have peeked in on it over time to see how construction has been progressing.

We are so fortunate to have such a beautiful facility in our community, right at its center, in combination with Centennial Plaza that is now under construction. The plaza, which will tie the Arts Center and City Hall into one community-centric space, will be a wonderful gathering place for all to enjoy with its walkways, landscaping and public art, a kitchen, stage, restrooms, green space and arbors, and waterwall signage.

The campus is particularly lovely at night. I marveled at its beauty during a test performance, also held this past month, that featured performers from our own Arts Council.

What a magnificent job they did.

The Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center includes two performance spaces — the Main Stage Theatre with 400 seats and Studio 5400 with 200 seats — and the Centennial Room, a rehearsal and event space. Visual art also plays an important role with two prominent public art features and an art gallery in the lobby.

The venue is the culmination of years of study, planning, design and finally construction. Salt Lake County’s Arts & Culture Division will operate the Arts Center, along with its other performance venues including Abravanel Hall, Capitol Theatre, Eccles Theater, and the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center. Event booking is handled through ArtTix. We are fortunate to be a partner in this remarkable endeavor, after our proposal for a regional performing arts facility was selected in 2014 from among those submitted by municipalities in the mid-valley area. For our part, the City of Taylorsville is making a financial contribution toward the venue and has provided the land through a long-term ground lease.

It will be a home for both large and small local-arts productions as well as national and regional shows. We have long anticipated rolling out the red carpet and welcoming everyone to our city, so be sure to take in a show. I’ll see you there!

–Mayor Kristie S. Overson

WHAT’S INSIDE – JUNE 2021 Frequently Called Numbers, Page 2 Council Corner, Page 3 TVPD Update, Page 6 Heritage Remembrances, Page 7 Environment, Page 8

www.taylorsvilleut.gov

June 2021 Taylorsville Dayzz Birthday Bash is This Month

Taylorsville Dayzz is set for June 24, 25 and 26! This year's celebration will be a Birthday Bash to celebrate Taylorsville's 25th Anniversary.

It will be a full Taylorsville Dayzz, complete with parade, petting zoo, carnival rides, food booths, concerts and more. “There is so much to celebrate this year,” said Mayor Kristie Overson. “After the challenges we’ve weathered over the past year, we’re ready to get together as friends and neighbors and have some fun.

We hope everyone will join us for the party.”

It’s a Birthday Bash in commemoration of the city’s incorporation on July 1, 1996 — a quarter of a century ago and 100 years after Utah became a state.

To celebrate, the Utah symphony will perform on June 24 at 7 p.m., followed by a Movie in the Park, “The Croods: A New Age.” Fireworks are that Friday and Saturday, and plan on carnival rides and headliner entertainment all three nights, as well as the 5K race, Kids Fun Run and parade Saturday morning. See the full schedule and list of headliners on Pages 4 and 5 of this section. You can also read more about the 5K on Page 3.

As in past years, festivities will take place at Valley Regional Park, 5135 S. 2700 West.

“We look forward to reconnecting as a community and celebrating our 25th birthday together,” said Taylorsville Dayzz Committee Chair Jim Dunnigan. “You won’t want to miss it!”

PAGE 2

| www.taylorsvilleut.gov

Police Department

801-840-4000

City of Taylorsville Newsletter Youth Council Seniors Recognized for Service, Leadership The four graduating seniors who have served on the 2020-21 Youth Council were honored by Mayor Kristie Overson and the City Council at their meeting on May 19. “We extend our congratulations and sincere thanks,” Mayor Overson said. “They are incredible youth leaders who have contributed so much to our community.” They are:

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EVENTS JUNE 2021 June 2 & 16 – 6:30 p.m.

City Council Meeting @ City Hall and online. Watch a live-stream of the meeting on the city’s website, www.taylorsvilleut.gov

June 8 – 7 p.m. & June 22 – 6 p.m.

Planning Commission Meeting @ City Hall.

June 14 – all day Flag Day.

June 19 – 8 a.m. to noon

Annual Earth Day Collection @ Taylorsville High School, northwest parking lot. Please enter from 5400 South. See Page 8.

June 19 – 7 p.m.

A Night of Rock — Movies in the Park and live music by De Novo @ Taylorsville City Hall west lawn. Movie is School of Rock.

See Page 6.

June 24, 25 & 26

Taylorsville Dayzz @ Valley Regional Park. It’s a Birthday Bash!

See Pages 4 and 5 of this section for a full schedule of events.

Find our calendar of events every month on the city’s website, where you can also submit your own events for possible publication.

Go to www.taylorsvilleut.gov

Ryan Buhler — Ryan loves to run and play soccer. He has been playing competitive soccer for about 11 years. He was the cross-country captain during the fall, and his team came in 8th place overall in the region. He counts among his proudest accomplishments the opportunity to run cross country with his team at state this year. He also took seven AP classes, which he all enjoyed, and participated in student government at Taylorsville High with two of his friends.

He will be leaving in August to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Panama City. After he returns, Ryan will go to Southern Utah University for a couple of years to get his associate’s degree and to finish up pre-medical school. He will then attend the University of Utah to study radiology.

Merryim Loose — Merryim is currently serving as the school’s Dance Company Senior Director, and is the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) Taylorsville Chapter Activities Chair. She is a member of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts, National Society of High School Scholars, Taylorsville Youth Council, Allstate Dance Company, Taylorsville High School Dance Company, Taylorsville debate team, and Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID). Merryim has also accumulated 300-plus hours of community service.

She has been recognized with areas of distinction in English, citizenship, dance, FACS and world language. She has also been named an Outstanding Senior from Taylorsville High, as well as the Outstanding Senior Dancer by the State of Utah Dance Department, and is the first student to letter in dance at Taylorsville High in more than nine years. After graduating, Merryim will be attending Snow College with a Scholarship of Achievement and will be a member of the Snow Dance Ensemble.

Savannah Medico — Savannah has received academic scholarships from Southern Utah University, Utah State University, SLCC, and Dixie State University. She also received the Regents Scholarship, a scholarship from Chick-fil-A, and continues to apply for scholarships as they become available. She has received letter awards for academics, orchestra, choir, track, cross country, and FACS. Savannah has served on the Youth Council for two years and is currently serving as a Youth Ambassador.

She plans to work through the summer at Chick-fil-A in Taylorsville, and then leave to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the fall.

When she returns, she will continue to work at Chick fil-A during the summer of 2023. That fall, she will move to Cedar City to attend SUU. She has not made a final decision on what her major will be but Savannah is interested in psychology and sports therapy, as well as travel and hostess education.

Madeline VanWagenen — One of Maddie’s proudest achievements is earning her karate black belt in August 2014. She has served on the Taylorsville City Youth Council for all four years of high school, this year serving as the Youth Mayor and a Youth Ambassador.

Academically, Maddie has kept a 4.0-grade point average since the seventh grade.

This year, she received several honors from Taylorsville High School, including areas of distinction in five categories: mathematics, English, world languages, citizenship and academics. She is a scholastic honoree and will be graduating with the state seal of biliteracy in Spanish. In the fall, Maddie will attend the University of Utah, majoring in political science with an emphasis in international politics and minoring in Spanish. She received the Presidential Scholarship, and hopes to one day become a foreign service officer and work as a diplomat for the United States.

June 2021

COUNCIL CORNER

2600 West Taylorsville Boulevard • 801-963-5400 |

Taylorsville Celebrates 25th Birthday and Many Changes

By Council Member Curt Cochran Happy Birthday, Taylorsville! As you have probably heard, July 1 marks Taylorsville’s 25th year as a city.

While it is still a couple weeks away, Taylorsville Dayzz (June 24-26) will be right in front of the official date and will be loaded with birthday celebrations.

I am a big fan of history so I thought it would be fun to take a quick look back at where Taylorsville was in 1996 when we became a city. According to Wikipedia, in the 1980s, development of the regional retail center at the intersection at Redwood Road and 5400 South began, including Harmons, a Grand Central, Walmart, Shopko, HomeBase and the Family Center. Taylorsville, Bennion and Kearns continued rapid growth into the early 1990s.

Some people felt that the Salt Lake County Commission, which governed the area, was allowing too much growth too fast, especially apartment complexes. The first petitions/votes to become a city failed by a narrow margin. In 1995, voters approved the creation of a new city due in part to perceived rising costs of county services, law enforcement, lack of development, and the seemingly unlimited apartment developments.

Many Kearns residents were upset when Taylorsville's proposed boundary extended its western border to 4000 West, which was considered by residents in that area to be part of Kearns. But residents there approved Taylorsville's incorporation by a significant margin, (as they were given large tax breaks) and that is where the border remains.

After incorporation, there was a lively discussion about what the new city should be called; Midvalley City, Oquirrh City, Centennial, and Taylorsville-Bennion were all discussed. Eventually, Taylorsville was chosen, named after John Taylor, a former president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Taylorsville's nickname is “Utah’s Centennial City” because it officially came into existence 100 years after Utah became a state.

FUN FACTS I FOUND FROM 1996: • President Bill Clinton, with Al Gore as Vice President • Utah population 2.02 million. Taylorsville population 53,000 estimated.

• Average cost of a new home $118,200 • Median Household income $35,492 • Cost of a gallon of gas $1.22 • Minimum hourly wage $5.15 • Popular Toys – Anything Toy Story, Nintendo 64 launched, Sega Genesis • Technology – DVDs launched; Windows NT launched; Internet Explorer NT was the latest operating system, and first mammal (Dolly the sheep) was successfully cloned.

• Popular music – Spice Girls, Mariah Carey, Blur, Snoop Dogg, Madonna, Metallica, 2Pac • Popular movies – Independence Day, Twister, Mission: Impossible, Jerry Maquire, The Rock, The English Patient • Popular TV shows – Ally McBeal, The X-Files, Friends, Will and Grace, the Fresh Prince of Bel Aire

5K & Kids Run Promises Fun for Everyone The Taylorsville Dayzz 5K and Kids Run is set for Saturday, June 26, at Valley Regional Park. The 5K begins at 7 a.m. and the kids’ race begins at 7:45 a.m.

The annual event promises excitement for the whole family, with chip timing, swag bags and cool locally designed T-shirts and medals (T-shirts and medals included only if signed up by June 13 at midnight).

Don't forget our fun finish line with prize money for top finishers, raffles, music and tasty treats. This race is a great way to get out, get active, connect to your community and start off your day of Taylorsville Dayzz activities. For more information and to sign up, go to: www.taylorsvilleut.gov. Also, see the full Taylorsville Dayzz schedule of events on Pages 4 and 5 of this section.

Please note the new location for the 5K packet pick-up: • Thursday, June 24 from 4 p.m.-7 p.m., in front of Taylorsville City Hall by the flag poles.

• Friday, June 25 from noon-3 p.m., in front of Taylorsville City Hall by the flag poles.

We hope to see you there!

PAGE 3

LEFT TO RIGHT: Dan Armstrong (District 5), Curt Cochran, Chair (District 2), Meredith Harker (District 4), Anna Barbieri, Vice Chair (District 3), and Ernest Burgess (District 1)

• Sports – Dallas Cowboys won the Super Bowl; New York Yankees won the World Series, and Chicago Bulls won the NBA Championship. Utah Jazz won the Western Conference championship but lost the conference finals to Seattle.

Ella Baker, an American Civil Rights activist, said, “In order to see where we are going, we not only must remember where we have been, but we must understand where we have been.” My wife and I settled in Taylorsville in 1990. She grew up in Taylorsville.

While it is fun and important to remember, change is inevitable. Writer Robin Sharma said, “Change is hard at first, messy in the middle and gorgeous at the end.”

And that’s a good thing to keep in mind as Taylorsville changes over the next 25 years.

Taylorsville Student is One of Seven Recognized Nationally Bennion Jr. High seventh-grader Joshua Johnson of Taylorsville received the Outstanding Interpretation Award in the National PTA’s Reflections program.

Each year, more than 300,000 students in pre-K through 12th grade participate in the Reflections program, and just six other students nationwide along with Joshua received the top award this year. Joshua read his winning poem, titled “The Voice in My Head,” at the Taylorsville City Council meeting on May 5.

You can read his poem and watch his reading of it on the city’s website, www. taylorsvilleut.gov The Reflections program provides a venue for students to submit visual, performing and literary art based on a national theme. The student art program's 2020-21 theme was "I Matter Because ..."

In addition to Outstanding Interpretation Award winners, more than 200 students have been recognized with Awards of Excellence and Merit.

The Outstanding Interpretation Award recipients will each receive an $800 scholarship and their local PTA will be awarded $200. All national award recipients also receive a medallion and certificate and will be honored during the 2021 National PTA Virtual Convention & Expo.

PAGE 4

City of Taylorsville Newsletter

| www.taylorsvilleut.gov

4-11 pm Carnival Bonus Night (10 rides for $10)

7 am

5K Race

7:45 am

Kids Fun Run

9 am

Parade

9:30 pm Movie 'The Croods: A New Age'

11 am

Entertainment, Food & Craft Booths, Carnival, Pony Rides, Petting Zoo

4-11 pm Carnival Rides

7:30 pm

Celine Dion & Neil Diamond tribute

8:30 pm

Skydivers

10 pm

Fireworks Extravaganza!!

11 pm

Carnival Closes

7 pm

6 pm

Utah Symphony 1812 Overture with Cannons nnons

Taylorsville Orchestra

7:30 pm Elvis & Johnny Cash 7: 10 pm

Expanded Fireworks!!

Don't miss the 5K Race at 7 am and Kids Fun Run at 7:45 am on Saturday, June 26. Register and find the route maps and other info at

www.taylorsvilledayzz.com

Jim Dunnigan 801-840-1800

June 2021

2600 West Taylorsville Boulevard • 801-963-5400 |

June 24, 25, 26 y, Symphon h a t U !

7:00 pm Cannons h it w e r u t r k 1812 Ove in the Par ie v o M 9:30 pm ge' : A New A s d o o r C 'The

7:30 p m Joh nny C ash & Elvis – FREE!

7:30 pm Celine Dion & Neil Diamond tribute – FREE!

We need help with parking, stage, etc.

Go to Taylorsvilledayzz.com and click on the volunteer link, or call Jim Dunnigan at 801-840-1800

PAGE 5

PAGE 6

| www.taylorsvilleut.gov

City of Taylorsville Newsletter

Taylorsville Resident Says Officer Helped Turn Her Life Around Four years ago, Evilia Cardenas of Taylorsville was high on drugs and facing arrest for driving a stolen truck with a stolen gun in it. It turned out to be one of the best days of her life.

Cardenas says she had been running with gangs and doing drugs since she was a young girl. Her life was in turmoil and she knew she was at rock bottom.

Then, Taylorsville Unified Police Department Officer Dan Christensen pulled her over that day in 2017.

“He saved my life,” Cardenas says.

“There’s no other explanation to it. Yes, I made the choice to change but had he not taken me to jail that day, I would still be getting high.”

She ended up at the Utah State Prison, sentenced on felony-level charges. She took part in the prison’s Ex-Cell substance abuse treatment program and worked as a cook in the kitchen. After two years behind bars, she was released for good behavior.

Now, she credits the interaction with Officer Christensen four years ago, as well as the support of her parole officer and those working in the Ex-Cell program, with turning her life around. To say thank you, Cardenas visited Officer Christensen on April 7 at the Taylorsville police precinct. She brought him a mug with a message, “You can’t fix stupid but you can detain it,” and a T-shirt with another notation, “Not all heroes wear capes, some wear badges.”

Officer Christensen was surprised and touched by the gesture. He was working overtime on security detail at the Maverik Center when he was called into the precinct for the surprise visit with Cardenas. When asked if he remembered her, he said that her name didn’t ring a bell. “I’m like, ‘What did I do?” he said.

“I don’t remember a lot of details” of her arrest at Atherton and 4700 South, he said. “I remember I stopped her and I remember the car was stolen.”

But for Cardenas the incident was life changing. It put her on a better path and gave her a future.

“The biggest thing for her is that she changed her whole set of friends and met a new group of people,” Officer Christensen said.

“That experience with me she attributes as a change catalyst but at the end of the day, I had nothing to do with it. She is making the change.”

Cardenas is now working at an auto parts distribution center where she manages a team of other employees.

“I’m working my tail off,” she said. She’s also volunteering her time making hygiene kits, delivering food and engaging in community outreach for the homeless. “Now, I’m able to do positive things. It’s my turn to give back in a positive way,” she said.

Officer Christensen noted that like his colleagues, he has received cards and snacks in recognition of the police work he has done but he has never received a thank you from someone he has taken to jail for felonies. “I’ve never had someone say, ‘You were the fire that caused me to change my life.’”

The Project Management Team Wraps Up, TVPD Ready to Launch Monthly updates on the formation of the Taylorsville City Police Department will be provided through July 2021.

It is a pleasure to report that all personnel, necessary equipment, and fleet vehicles are in place with respect to the new police department launch of July 1.

On June 14, the officers and detectives will begin their orientation, which will include a review of policies, protocols and other training activities related to standards, expectations and required certifications. The formal swearing-in ceremony is set for June 21.

City staff members worked very hard to make this new department a reality – from multiple weekly coordination meetings, long hours (sometimes into the evenings), and behind the scenes ‘box checking’ to ensure nothing was left to chance. While the charter identified many of the elements essential for a successful transition, there were many finite action items that consumed much of a given day. Please visit the city’s website at www.taylorsvilleut.gov/services/tvpd/new-department-timeline for some of the details.

At this time, an after-action report is being compiled by the transition team for the city administration and Council. This report will contain the lessons learned over the course of the past year and highlight remaining items to be addressed in the coming months and years ahead – serving as both a historical reference document, as well as a blueprint for continued best practices within law enforcement.

Once again, we express gratitude to all who have labored with distinction in this transition process. Our appreciation to all our officers, past and present, who have and will now continue to serve – putting the needs of the community ahead of their own.

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June 2021

Taylorsville Bennion Heritage REMEMBRANCES

Have you ever thought about the Taylorsville Bennion Improvement District and how it all began? Stan Blake’s work offers some insight on its beginnings.

Blake was charged with the preservation and restoration of a piece of an old water line found at 4800 South in Taylorsville on property owned by Don Frame. Blake works well with his hands, and restored this antique water line. He brought it back to the Taylorsville Bennion Heritage Museum. Deluxe and professional in appearance, the line also includes a plaque with the following inscription: “A group of men drilled a big well on top of Bennion Hill (now known as the Redwood Memorial Cemetery). They wanted to get pressure and water flow down the hill using a wooden pipeline which was made out of Redwood. The pipe was wrapped with steel cords. This pipeline ran down to Redwood Road where it split in two lines, one running north, and the other running south. These lines ran into two underground cement tanks that had hand pumps on the top. The North Line ran to Bennion 64 District School, and the South Line ran to the West Jordan Bell Tower Elementary School.

This West Side Water System, eventually served Bennion, Taylorsville, and a large part of West Jordan.

In 1965, because of poor management, it was dissolved by West Jordan, and then the West Side Water District became the Taylorsville Bennion Improvement District.”

This section of one of the old water lines now resides in the Taylorsville Bennion Heritage Museum, thanks to Blake’s hard work. In the accompanying picture, Blake is pointing on a map at the museum to the location of the West Side Water System (WSWS).

Larry Brown, who as a youth worked on his stomach to fix the broken wooden pipe, was the son of Cloyd Brown. The elder Brown was called as the Superintendent of the West Side Water System. Rell Swensen was also on the board of the WSWS, and T. John Labrum served as president for a time, as well.

Today, the Taylorsville Bennion Improvement District (TBID) serves its residents through 11 wells, and contracts with the county wholesaler, Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District, for additional water needs. TBID currently maintains 189 miles of sewer lines and 229 miles of water lines.

2600 West Taylorsville Boulevard • 801-963-5400 |

PAGE 7

TAYLORSVILLE SENIOR CENTER 4743 S. Plymouth View Drive

Taylorsville Senior Center to Hold In-Person Activities You may have heard the good news! Salt Lake County Senior Centers have reopened as of April 19.

Taylorsville Senior Center, 4743 S. Plymouth View Drive, is transitioning to having in-person activities. Pre-registration is required for all in-person activities and a mask is required to enter the building.

The drive-thru lunches are being served from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and these meals are first come, first serve. In-person dining is held from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. and requires a reservation.

Please call 385-468-3370 to register for a class and/or make a lunch reservation.

All activities are subject to adjustments as regulations change. Please follow the Senior Center on Facebook and sign up for their email blast to receive current updates: www. slco.org/taylorsville-senior-center

Don’t Miss These Library Events The Taylorsville Library has planned several programs during the month of May. You’ll want to mark your calendar for these events: Summer Reading Challenge | Tails & Tales Tuesday, June 1 to Saturday, July 31 Tails and tales keeps you and your furry, fishy and feathered friends entertained this summer as you read, create, learn, play and connect your way to prizes and discounted activities. You can participate in the Summer Reading Challenge one of two ways: Pick up a reading record in person at a branch, or register online. Visit the library’s website for more details: thecountylibrary.org/summer

Virtual Adult Lecture | Dinosaurs of Utah Tuesday, June 15, 7 p.m.

You must register for this event to receive the link to the WebEx Virtual Lecture.

Register here: https://tinyurl.com/hsp3479j James Kirkland, State Paleontologist of Utah, will highlight his discoveries, including the Utahraptor. He has discovered, named and described numerous dinosaurs and other species.

Digital Activities Online activities are available for you to do at any time. Challenge yourself with digital escape rooms, STEM activities, and arts and crafts tutorials for kids, teens and adults. http://thecountylibrary.org/events/digital-activities Spotify The County Library has Spotify. Follow the library’s page for fun playlists. https://tinyurl.com/3j8vvcpk

ANNUAL COLLECTION DAY PAGE 8

| www.taylorsvilleut.gov

City of Taylorsville Newsletter

ANNUAL COLLECTION DAY

Gain Water Insights with Consumer Confidence Report

The purpose of the Consumer Confidence Report is to provide you with information on the quality of your drinking water. In addition to water quality the report also gives information on conservation resources, potential contamination sources, and where your water comes from.

Taylorsville-Bennion Improvement District distributes culinary water that meets all federal and state quality requirements.

The report can be found on the district’s website: https://tbid.org/ccr.html or you may contact TBID at 801-968-9081 and a copy will be mailed to your home.

If you have any questions, please contact the Taylorsville-Bennion Improvement District office at 801-968-9081.

JUNE WFWRD UPDATES NO GREEN WASTE IN BLUE RECYCLE CAN

NEW MOBILE APPLICATION FOR WFWRD CUSTOMERS

Please remember that grass clippings and other organic and yard waste never go in the blue recycle can. If these materials get collected, it will contaminate the entire recycle load in the collection truck.

If you have a lot of yard waste, consider a Green Waste can or a home composting program. More information about the WFWRD Green Waste Program can be found at https://wasatchfrontwaste.org/ green-waste-collection.

WFWRD has launched a free mobile app for its residents. It can be found by searching for “Wasatch Front Waste” on the Apple or Android app stores, and it is available in both English and Spanish. The app includes a “Recycle Right” lookup tool to find out if a material can be reused, recycled, composted or landfilled. It also provides a scheduling tool for residents to confirm their collection day, and it provides an option for customized reminders for pick-up days.

TRAILER RENTAL PROGRAM Spring is here, which means we think about spring cleaning. Wasatch Front Waste & Recycling District has both bulk trailers and green waste trailers that you can rent to help with your household clean-up tasks. These trailers are reserved on a first-come, firstserved basis. Rental fees, and other details, are available on the WFWRD website at https:// wasatchfrontwaste.org/trailer-rental. You can also reserve your trailer online, or call the district to make your reservation. Sign up early to ensure you get the trailer on the date you need.

Warriors advance in state playoffs

By Greg James | g.james@mycityjournals.com

T

aylorsville High School’s boys baseball team seized second place in Region 2 in their first season under its new head coach.

“This program has always been amazing,” said Warriors head coach Jentry Beckstead as he took the job last summer.

The Warriors finished the regular season with a 12-3 region record. Two of those losses were to region champion, West Jordan, and one at the hands of Cyprus.

The regular season earned them a No. 12 seed in the Utah High School Activities Association’s state playoffs.

The state tournament is being held with a new formula similar to that used by the NCAA. The first round teams play a best of three series to earn the right to advance to the second round. Eight teams automatically earned byes into that round.

Taylorsville played host to Herriman in the first round series. They swept them in two straight to advance to the second round against Riverton.

Taylorsville won game one against the Mustangs 5-4 building a 5-1 lead before Herriman battled back in the sixth inning.

Senior Devin Beckstead pitched 5 ⅔ innings allowing only five hits while striking out six. Junior Justin Morgan finished the final inning and a third to help secure the victory.

Morgan had two runs batted in as did Se-

Left: Devin Beckstead finished the season with a 6-1 record and a 4.06 earned run average. Right: Senior Marcus Herrera had five doubles and knocked in six runs this season for the Warriors. (Greg James/City Journals)

nior Andrew Cardenas.

In game two against the Mustangs the Warriors jumped out to a three run lead before allowing Herriman back into the game.

Herriman found themselves comfortably back in the game after scoring two runs in the top of the sixth, but Taylorsville scored six runs to increase their lead and cement a

9-6 victory.

Morgan allowed 12 hits and struck out six for the victory. Seniors Tanner Smith and Jakob Harrison both tripled to lead the Warriors offense.

The first round sweep saw Taylorsville match up with Riverton in the second round (after press deadline).

The Warriors finished the regular season on a high with 10 straight wins.

Morgan finished the season with 58 strikeouts, Beckstead had 59. Brody Muhlestien had a .452 batting average and two home runs, Smith hit .417 and Andrew Cardenas .415. Aiden Nebeker led the teams with 16 stolen bases. l

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June 2021 | Page 23

Taylorsville and Kearns represent at state track meet

By Greg James | g.james@mycityjournals.com

K

earns and Taylorsville High Schools will send a combined 12 individual athletes and six relay teams to the state track meet.

The Utah High School Activities Association state track meet is scheduled to be held Tuesday May 18 at Davis High School in Kaysville (after press deadline).

Kearns senior Jack Kelly qualified in three events, the 100 and 200 meter dashes and the long jump. He won the region title in both the 100 and 200.

The Cougars will also send Ana Lavaka in three field events, the shot put, discus and javelin. She placed second in the region in all three.

Junior JJ Talo has qualified in the discus and shot put. While Keishawn Dudley made it in the long jump. He jumped over 21 feet to win the region title.

Sophomore Sariah Glade ran a 1 minute 5 second 400 meters at region to qualify.

Kearns hurdlers round out its state team. Iosefa Toia’ivao and Shaiann Crossett have both qualified.

Toia’ivao won the region title in the

300.

Kearns has qualified four boys relay teams in the 100, 200 and 400 and the girls will run the 400 relay.

The boys 100 won the region title with a time of 43.26 seconds. The team consisted of Kelly, Dudley, Toia’ivao, Kaden Carrier, Keondre Polanco and Charles Henderson.

The Kearns boys finished third in Region 2 only 14 points behind Cyprus. Taylorsville finished fourth.

West Jordan took home the region title.

Kearns’ girls team placed fourth behind West Jordan, Cyprus and Hunter. Taylorsville finished fifth.

Taylorsville will send a team in the 100 boys and girls relays.

The Warriors have three high jumpers competing at state. Michaela and Savannah Medico both jumped 4’4” to advance to state. Roshawne Burge managed 5’10”.

Freshman Noah Tucker ran a 10:35 in the 3200 and placed third in region to qualify.

Jaydale Hansen placed third in the 300 hurdles at region for his place Abel Barcelon finished seventh in the boys 300 meter finals at the Region 2 track championships. (Photo courtesy of at state. l Kearns track and field)

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Salt Lake County marks 75 years of Parks and Recreation with tree planting

By Lindsey Baxter | l.baxter@mycityjournals.com

N

eighbors, elected officials, and community members joined together on a sunny day to kickoff a summer-long celebration at Evergreen Park May 14. Mayor of Salt Lake County, Jenny Wilson recognized Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation’s 75th birthday. Evergreen Park was chosen because it was the first in what is now over 100 park spaces across the valley managed by Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation. The acquisition of Evergreen Park 75 years ago on May 11, 1946 launched what has now grown into one of the largest parks, trails, recreation, and open space management organizations in the region. Evergreen Park, located at 2230 E. 3425 South, is a beloved jewel of the community that had many members in attendance reminiscing about their childhoods.

Wilson had fond memories of playing at Evergreen Park. She said, “I think the 75-year history of Parks and Recreation is to be noted. I have a particular love of this park because I remembered it from my childhood. I mentioned the pumpkin Cinderella-esque playground round item, and I remember when we came in here to update the park with the building of the community rec center, there was a lot of love for this park but also for that sculpture.”

Jeff Silvestrini, mayor of Millcreek, said, “The pumpkin is really beautiful, and it has a lot of memories for people that grew up in this park like Mayor Wilson, and for our kids who still play on it.”

Amy May, executive director of Tree Utah, explained that the collaboration between Ivory Homes, Tree Utah,

Salt Lake County Park and Recreation, and the county started in fall 2020 after a major windstorm. May said, “Ivory homes, to help the community address the loss of numerous trees, the replanting efforts began. We also actually planted a bunch of trees with the Jordan River Commission in Millcreek on the Jordan River this spring with students from major high schools as well.”

Silvestrini added, “I just think that this is a terrific public-private partnership that we have great private sponsors with Ivory and others and Tree Utah and the county. It’s really nice to see us working together on something that’s worthwhile that not only beautifies this park and replaces some of the trees that were taken by the…storm, but it helps with air quality, it helps with keeping our environment cooler, it helps with climate, it’s really important work.”

May said, “I was doing a walk-thru last week and noticed there wasn’t a single evergreen in Evergreen Park, and I wanted to make sure we planted evergreens.”

Silvestrini added, “It’s Evergreen Avenue, that’s where it got its name from.” Wilson said, “This is a great small park, and one of the jewels in the county park system. It’s just great to be here on the 75th anniversary in a great community, in a park that’s quite loved.”

Check slco.org/parks-recreation/ for a schedule of commemorative celebrations this summer. l Trees ready to be planted in Evergreen Park. (Lindsey Baxter/City Journals)

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June 2021 | Page 25

Dive into summer fun at Salt Lake County outdoor pools

By Heather Lawrence | h.lawrence@mycityjournals.com

I

f you needed another sign that things were returning to normal, here’s a good one: the Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation outdoor pools opened Memorial Day weekend! The pools are scattered throughout the county and will stay open through the summer.

The county advises patrons to check their website at www. slco.org for updates on COVID restrictions including mask requirements. In general, those who are fully vaccinated do not need to wear masks.

Most of the pools have fun features like lap lanes, leisure areas, zero-depth entry, ADA accessibility, kids play areas, diving boards, sunbathing areas or slides.

All have lifeguards on duty during operating hours.

Opening hours, times and prices differ slightly for each location, so it’s wise to call ahead.

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POOLS IN YOUR AREA • Crestwood Pool 1700 E. Siesta Dr. (7485 S.) 385-468-1683 • Draper Pool 657 E. Vestry Road 385-468-1995 • Liberty Park Pool 900 S. 650 East 385-468-1564 • Magna Pool 3270 S. 8400 West 385-468-1826 • Redwood Pool 3060 S. Lester St. (3100 S. Redwood Road) 385-468-1870 • SLC Sports Complex Pool 645 S. Guardsman Way 385-468-1925 • South County Pool 12765 S. 1125 West 385-468-1362 • Taylorsville Pool 4914 S. 2700 West 385-468-1740 • West Jordan Pool 8125 S. 2200 West 385-468.1941

Crestwood in Cottonwood Heights is one of nine Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation outdoor pools that opened Memorial Day weekend. (Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation)

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Taylorsville City Journal

City Journals Economic Overview

WHAT IS YOUR HOME WORTH?

Utah Employment Exceeds Pre-Pandemic Levels

By Robert Spendlove, Zions Bank Senior Economist

O

ne year after the economic recession caused by the coronavirus pandemic began, Utah’s economy has emerged as one of the strongest in the nation. Utah’s unemployment rate in April was 2.8%, down from 2.9% in March and nearly as low as it was before the pandemic.

Utah is now tied with South Dakota and Nebraska for the lowest unemployment in the nation.

Utah also has the second-highest job growth in the nation, ticking up 2.5% in the last 24 months. This is just behind Idaho’s job growth of 3.9% in the same time period. In fact, Utah and Idaho are the only two states that have added jobs in the last two years. Utah added 35,600 jobs over the past two years, with professional and business services (+15,700) leading the growth. Other sectors that saw notable gains were construction (+11,900); trade, transportation and utilities (+9,800); financial activities (+8,800); and manufacturing (+6,900).

However, the government (-10,500); leisure and hospitality (-7,600); and natural resources (-1,400) sectors have all lost jobs in the past 24 months.

While the strong job market and low unemployment are very positive for Utah, our state is once again struggling with a labor shortage. Simply put, there are not enough people in the Utah labor force to meet demand for workers. If this continues for too long, it could constrain potential economic growth, especially for smaller companies that must compete with larger employers for these workers.

Robert Spendlove is senior economist for Zions Bank, a division of Zions Bancorporation, N.A.

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There is great satisfaction in successfully providing for oneself and one’s family, but when someone falls upon hard times, shortterm government assistance can be helpful to get residents back on their feet. We must recognize, however, that government assistance shouldn’t be relied upon forever, and that helping people find jobs and contribute to their community is vital for them and the rest of us. We need the expertise and skills that our Salt Lake County residents have to offer.

In the midst of the pandemic, when joblessness was on the rise, the federal government took measures to subsidize state unemployment payments across the nation. This was intended to keep jobless individuals and families afloat during a time of economic uncertainty. While some states are still struggling, Utah is performing exceptionally well.

Our unemployment rates are among the lowest in the nation, and we are one of two states that actually had a net gain in jobs in 2020.

In fact, many businesses are struggling to find employees to fill their open positions as they reopen and strive to return to pre-pandemic levels of business. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many “Help Wanted” signs and advertisements before.

Because of the economic trajectory of

our state, Governor Spencer Cox recently discontinued Utah’s participation in those earlier mentioned federal unemployment subsidies. This was done, in part, to combat what are called “perverse incentives,” meaning incentives that attempt to solve a problem but actually prolong or worsen the problems they are meant to solve. In this case, federal unemployment subsidies were intended to help those who could not find employment, but by continuing these benefits in good economic times, we would be disincentivizing those who are unemployed from finding gainful employment in a strong job market. We want government to avoid perverse incentives, and instead encourage people to find a long-term path to success.

There are certainly extenuating circumstances that make it difficult for people to work, but for those who can work, please know that there are plenty of people hiring and you are most certainly wanted! If you are looking for a job, I encourage you to check out any number of job posting websites. You can visit the state’s employment website at jobs.utah.gov and see if there’s a good fit for you. Our workforce is better with you in it.

Our quality of life is better when we take an active role in contributing to our families, neighborhoods and communities.

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Before COVID, when the hubbie and I used to travel, I’d book us in places that provided breakfast, because I love me a good breakfast buffet.

At one hotel, the breakfast bar offered freshly squeezed grapefruit juice and I couldn’t resist. I don’t usually drink fruit juice because it has so much sugar, which is hilarious because I have no problem downing an entire box of Milk Duds.

Anyway. I poured myself a cup of beautiful, pink grapefruit juice and was walking back to our table when a herd of unruly children came dashing around the corner and crashed into me, spilling grapefruit juice all over my shirt and the floor.

I stood there dripping and waiting for an apology that never came. The monsters ran past me to fill their plates with bacon. I eyed them scornfully, poured more juice and put on my Hat of Judgement.

What kind of mother lets her kids douse perfect strangers with grapefruit juice? What heathen had failed to teach these kids manners?

I got back to my table and told my husband to move so I could take his seat because he had a better view of the dining room. I needed to see the parents of these miscreants and judge them accordingly.

If anyone can sip grapefruit juice with disdain, I can. I sipped and glared with ma-

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licious intent. Through narrowed eyes, I watched the kids eat all the bacon, touch all the bananas, grab several muffins and gallop back to their table, where their mom sat staring at her phone.

My judgement level increased. This neglectful mother didn’t realize her childish baboons were running amok; she had no idea they spilled juice all over me, and she was too involved in her social media and texting to be a good mother.

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They were animals. And I just sat there, so happy for the break from making dinner.

I’d been that mom I was judging. My daughters had often run amok. If I’d had a cell phone when my kids were little, I would have been on that phone all the damn time. I slowly removed my Hat of Judgement and reevaluated the current situation.

I turned to my husband and said, “It’s just juice. They’re just kids. She’s just a mom.”

He didn’t know what I was talking about, but he chewed his bacon, nodded, and said, “That’s good.”

Suddenly, I was teary-eyed and felt a camaraderie with this mother. She was in the trenches, doing her very best. Aren’t we all?

The more I practice dropping judgement, the easier my life is. It’s exhausting calling out everyone’s behavior. There are better ways to spend my time, like drinking fresh grapefruit juice and remembering when my kids were wild animals.

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FOR MASSIVE 647-UNIT APARTMENT COMPLEX ON CITY’S WEST SIDE

By Carl Fauver | c.faucer@mycityjournals.com

U

nanimous votes by both the planning commission and city council have cleared the way for the largest influx of rentable housing to come to the city, through a single project, in the 25-year history of Taylorsville.

However, it’s still anyone’s guess as to when existing structures on the property will be demolished, new construction will begin, or the first tenants will call “West Point” home.

“I am excited about what this will bring to the city,” Councilman Dan Armstrong said. “I have a young son and he and his fiancée have been looking for an apartment. It’s just a really tight market. This project will add much-needed housing to a notoriously blighted part of our city. It will be such a plus.”

The “blighted” area is 16.49 acres, on the southwest corner of 5400 South and Bangerter Highway. Locals know it as “the old Kmart” store (long empty), some smaller ‘strip mall’ shops (vacant) and a massive parking lot. For years, city council members have rejected various zoning change proposals, because they didn’t care for what developers wanted to do with the high-profile acreage. One wanted to construct storage units. Another wanted to sell used cars and trucks.

But now Salt Lake-based Thackeray Company instead plans to construct 647 apartment units, and at least 10,000 square feet of commercial space, while surrounding them with nearly a thousand parking stalls, some on two levels. This artist rendering shows how the north end of the proposed West Point Development will appear, along 5400 South, west of Bangerter Highway. (dwelldesignstudio.com) “This is going to be such a significant upgrade to Continued page 5

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