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February 2021 | Vol. 21 Iss. 02

FREE NEW INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE PROGRAM COMES TO JORDAN DISTRICT By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

new kind of diploma program will be available in Jordan School District next year. Any sophomore or junior interested in an academically rigorous, internationally faceted, well-rounded education is invited to apply now for the International Baccalaureate program at West Jordan High School for the 2021–2022 school year. “It will draw students that want a more well-rounded approach with service, extracurricular activity and creativity,” said WJHS assistant principal Jenicee Jacobsen, the administrator in charge of the IB program. The IB diploma is earned in addition to a high school diploma. To complete the program, students take classes from six groups of courses over two years. Classes are academically rigorous and earn college credit, similar to advanced placement and concurrent enrollment college courses. “Most of the IB courses are two years,” Jacobsen said. “But what they do in two years is not to double the amount of content. It’s actually to give more space and time to go into more depth and to explore that conceptual level and be able to really apply it.” IB requirements don’t all take place in the classroom. Students also complete an extensive

essay, service projects and extracurricular activity requirements. “It makes kids think more about their learning as something that’s not just books and grades and tests,” Jacobsen said. “It also rewards students and acknowledges what a lot of our students are already doing.” Some of the requirements can be fulfilled by the teams, clubs, community service and school activities students are already participating in. “Maybe they’re on a team, maybe they’re in a dance group, so why not acknowledge that that is scholarly and that it’s worthwhile and that it’s about their whole overall development toward adulthood?” Jacobsen said. Chandler Bishop, IB coordinator at WJHS, said the program opens minds and opportunities for students. “Because there is a focus on international mindedness, they have a better understanding and a better respect for cultures around the world,” Bishop said. Jacobsen said WJHS is a great home for the program in Jordan School District because students already benefit from the global diversity represented at the school. Students from anywhere in the Salt Lake Valley are invited to West Jordan High School to Continued page 5 receive a new kind of education. (Jet Burnham/City Journals)

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February 2021 | Page 3

West Jordan’s Valentine’s destinations By Alison Brimley | a.brimley@mycityjournals.com

hough some Valentine’s traditions might be off the table this year, West Jordan still offers many ways to celebrate the day of love. Show some love for your special someone (and for local businesses) this Valentine’s Day.

The Chocolate (9120 South Redwood Road)

West Jordan’s The Chocolate is where “Cake by Candlelight” will take place the evenings of Feb. 11 to 13 (from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday, and 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday). “It’s a really fun event with great ambiance,” said Becky Olsen, marketing director. With the lights turned down and the music on, you can enjoy some delicious desserts by candlelight. “All tables are socially distanced, and we take all the proper precautions,” Olsen said. No reservations are required, and children are welcome, so you can bring everyone you love with you. The cost is the price of the dessert you order; no entrance fee required. Flavors on offer for cake-by-the-slice include White Chocolate Raspberry (vanilla sponge cake with a fresh raspberry filling and white chocolate swiss meringue buttercream), Pink Velvet (pink velvety cake with vanilla flavor and a hint of lemon, layered with a vanilla buttercream with the same hint of lemon) and many more.

Attendees at Easely Art Studio (pre-pandemic) paint portraits of each other at a “Picasso Lovers”-themed date night.

Saturday, Feb. 13 at 5 p.m.: “Love is in the Stars” Saturday, Feb. 13 at 7 p.m.: “Star Wars Date Night” Sunday, Feb. 14 (all-day event): “Daddy-Daughter Valentines Painting” Sunday, Feb. 14 at 5 p.m.: “Picasso Lovers” Easely Art Studio (7211 Plaza Center Dr. Find more information or register for a #170) class at www.easelyartstudio.com. Easely Art Studio offers classes for all ages to learn how to paint, step by step. “Our Soulstice Day Spa (7138 South Plaza Date Night classes are extra special because Center Dr. #120) you paint with a partner and work together on In addition to standard couples massages, the finished piece, over two canvases,” said West Jordan’s Soulstice Day Spa offers severfounder and owner Jamie Youtz. Social dis- al Valentine’s seasonal services. “We are oftancing is enforced, and a limit is placed on fering rose pedicures, a rose quartz facial and total number of attendees. Events for the week a rose body scrub with massage,” said owner of Valentine’s include: Nicki Luck. Soulstice is taking steps to reduce Friday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m.: “Lanterns”

Journals

the spread of COVID-19 by requiring face If you’re looking for something a little masks, staggering appointments to limit those less conventional, take your date to Mystique in the waiting room and enhancing cleaning Dining and The Prestige: Parlour of Magprotocols. ic, which offers a magic show along with a five-course dinner and dessert (reservations Gardner Village (1100 West 7800 South) required). The event is limited to 30 guests, Gardner Village offers a host of romantic and the venue includes Plexiglass dividers. Or options for couples, including an old-fashioned visit A Great Escape, where couples, friends horse-drawn carriage ride. Their “Sweetheart or entire families can choose from one of four Package” includes chocolate-dipped straw- escape rooms that require groups to work toberries from Chocolate Covered Wagon, a gether, solving puzzles and riddles before time bouquet from Simply Flowers and a Dinner runs out. for Two special from Archibald’s Restaurant. And if you just want a photo-op, CamAdditional package options are also available. era Shy Photography will offer photos with a Valentine’s vendors within the village vintage Volkswagen bus throughout the month include The Chocolate Covered Wagon, Ar- of February. Or take your own photo in front chibald’s Restaurant, Simply Flowers and of the romantic backdrop of Gardner Village’s Rise Bakery—all of which offer selections Kissing Bridge. Masks are required for visiwithout a package. tors throughout Gardner Village. l

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“There’s always something that having diversity can provide for richer and more meaningful learning experiences for students,” Jacobsen said. “Those are the underpinnings of the IB program—to foster that cultural competency and understanding and to create a better citizenry. We’re just going to add that to what is already existing.” All types of students can be successful in the IB program, not just those who are academically focused. IB teacher Natalie Nielsen said it is a program in which second language learners can do well. The program emphasizes diversity and encourages students to take risks. IB lead counselor Helen Brown said the program will be a great resource to connect students of diverse backgrounds with opportunities to be more successful in their lives. “We know that all kids have skills,” Brown said. “This gives us a chance to tap into those kids who maybe don’t know they have this skill set and give them a chance to explore that and develop it. It’s really powerful.” Bishop said 80% of students who earn an IB diploma complete four years of college, compared to 40% of those who just earn a high school diploma. “What the statistics show is how incredibly prepared kids who come into the

IB program are for college,” he said. He also believes the program prepares students to have an impact on their neighborhoods and on the world. “Aside from academics, it makes them better people,” he said. While the IB classes are for juniors and seniors, every student at WJHS will still benefit from the curriculum. “We don’t want it to just be a program at WJHS school,” Jacobsen said. “We believe in the guiding philosophies of it, we believe in their approach to education, so we want to try and apply those broader ideas in every classroom.” All teachers at WJHS will be trained in the program’s Theory of Knowledge principles, learner profiles and characteristics of learning methods. “We have a great culture of teachers that love to collaborate together,” Jacobsen said. “They’re focused on kids; they’re focused on how they can help their students and this is just adding to that.” A Theory of Knowledge class will be taught to all sophomores in which they will learn about different learning approaches and discover which works best for them. “It will elevate every student to be a better learner,” Jacobsen said. See ib.jordandistrict.org for more information. l

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February 2021 | Page 5

Got an interest? There’s a workshop for that By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

est Hills Middle School has after-school activities to meet a range of interests. For students who crave an artistic outlet there’s an art workshop and a drama workshop. For students who have something to say, there is a songwriting and production workshop. Students can find activities to explore science (MESA), serve their community (National Junior Honors Society) or to play sports (various intramurals.) And for those who just want to play games with their friends, there are workshops (chess, Minecraft, Dungeons and Dragons) for that, too. “We're just trying to broaden the scope, hoping that there's at least one activity for every student that they feel they can participate in and belong to,” said Michael Draut, head of the WHMS extracurricular committee. Matthews Jones, math teacher and instructional coach, started a songwriting and production group this year to provide a resource most students don’t have access to. “I wish I had something like this when I was in middle school and had someone to show me the ropes when I was young so I could have started sooner,” he said. “And so, when my school's activities committee sent out an email asking if people had ideas for after-school activities, I knew it was time.” Jones provides general songwriting and production instruction and works individually with each student, answering questions and offering tips for their specific pieces. His songwriting background and experience recording music with several bands throughout his life gives students a real-world example of what they can achieve. “I want for all the students to be able to write the kind of music they want to, record it and share it with their friends and family—or even on their social media,” he said. During bimonthly workshops, students have access to equipment (microphones and keyboards). Jones teaches them how to use software to record and edit music on their Chromebooks. Art teacher Ashley Mackall, who runs the after-school art workshop, engages students in her workshop in using their creative skills to improve their school. She said when she first came to WHMS, she noticed something was missing. “I did not see much that was created by the students or art that was student-focused,” she said. “All designs and artwork was professional or hung in frames.” Art workshop students are currently designing and painting artwork to decorate the stools used in the art classrooms and will

Students hold a pose to create a frozen tableau in a fun drama activity. (Michael Draut/WHMS)

soon begin work on a temporary installation piece and a mural in the library. “The goal of the art workshop is to create art that betters the school and represents the current student population,” Mackall said. “I am hoping that this workshop gives students a connection to their school. I hope that they show their friends the art they create and are proud of their efforts.” For those who enjoy drama, Draut teaches improvisation games and acting skills in a drama workshop. “My plan was to have a variety of things that they don't have to feel like they have to come every week but a very loose, fun place to learn a few interactive games and skills,” Draut said. The after-school program has been popular with students. Activities are set up to be inclusive and have no prerequisites for participation.

“The goal for our after-school programs is to increase students’ connections and positive experiences within the school,” Mackall said. “If students are able to make a meaningful connection with an adult figure, their chances of academic and behavior-based success increase. With these activities, students are more likely to report that they feel like they belong and their academic, behavior and mental health tend to improve.” Some activities, such as intramurals, have been held until spring to accommodate COVID safety restrictions. All activities were put on hold in November when Gov. Gary Herbert announced restrictions to after-school activities through Thanksgiving. Draut said if the restrictions are extended, they will look into ways to offer the activities virtually or possibly try new activities that will work well virtually to ensure students are still able to participate.l

Stool art designed and painted by students in the after-school art workshop. (Ashley Mackall/WHMS)

Page 6 | February 2021

West Jordan City Journal

Religious Freedom Day declared in West Jordan By Erin Dixon | e.dixon@mycityjournals.com

an. 16, 1786, the first law in the United States to protect freedom of religion was passed. In 1992, National Religious Freedom Day was approved by the United States Congress. This day is celebrated on Jan. 16 each year. In January 2021, West Jordan passed its own resolution recognizing National Religious Freedom day, also on Jan. 16. Councilmembers Kayleen Whitelock and Zach Jacob co-presented the resolution. “This is a time when it’s needed, that it’s important that we recognize we can be different and still get along and be peaceful,” Whitelock said. “I think it’s a good step to take,” Jacob said. “Some of these really speak to me. ‘One’s religious identity should neither be an advantage or disadvantage under the law and should not affect your civil rights one way or the other.’” Councilmembers Kelvin Green and Chad Lamb were in support of religious freedom, but didn’t think the city needed to repeat what has already been said. “I spent 39 years, eight months, 14 days in the United States Army defending the constitution,” Green said. “But the constitution is

more than one civil right. My concern is how much does this distract from the city. Does this get the city involved in things we have zero control over because we don’t deal with religious freedom in the city. If we do, the city’s violating the First Amendment. Does that mean we’re going to need to have a freedom of the press day and an illegal search and seizure day?” He added at the end of his comment: “I’m not going to vote against this because someone is going to say, ‘You voted against religious freedom; you voted against the constitution.’” Lamb thought similarly. “I’m not against freedom of religion,” he said. “I think all of our council supports it. I think everyone in the city supports it. I just feel like we’re creating a holiday on the 16th of each year. How do we celebrate that? Is that the appropriate thing for the city to do?” Resident Grant Howarth brought the idea to Whitelock and has worked with many religious entities, vying for peace and cooperation. “We have to work with each other,” Howard said. “There has been violence, destruction of property and even killings over faith. This is a way to celebrate the differences that we have, celebrate that we do have

West Jordan has followed in federal and state footsteps in declaring Jan. 16 as Religious Freedom Day. (Pixabay)

freedom of religion in our country. We need others as we are all brothers and sisters, not reminders of that. We need to encourage and to fight as enemies just because of something take opportunities to remind others to look at different.” l

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February 2021 | Page 7

West Jordan budget discussion begins for 2021–2022 By Erin Dixon | e.dixon@mycityjournals.com

hough a budget is made once a year, the discussion and planning around it never stop. West Jordan operates on a fiscal year (FY) budget, which means the year runs from July 1 to the following June 30. Discussions for the FY 2021–2022 began in December 2020. Staff and council sat down (virtually, of course) and discussed priorities. Is there a property tax increase this year? The following are thoughts from the council about an inflationary 1% property tax increase, which would provide an additional $153,000 income for the city. The idea is that instead of raising taxes in a large portion every several years, a small but regular increase will make it more manageable to continue revenue to the city as well as make it more predictable for the residents. In the December meeting, West Jordan City Councilmember Kayleen Whitelock was not sure that the coming year is the right time to start a yearly inflationary raise. “I’m in favor but not this year,” she said. “We haven’t done it in the past, and this year when people are unemployed and

just coming out of this, hopefully coming out of this viral spin, I don’t think it’s a good year to initiate it.” Councilmember Zach Jacob said that an inflationary raise of 1% most likely won’t raise anyone’s bill but keep it the same. “The state law is to lower your taxes every year by default,” Jacob said. “We have to lower it every year unless we raise it. Every year the property value goes up ,the property tax rate goes down. It’s putting the brakes on the car going down the hill.” Councilmember Kelvin Green added that for most residents the payment may stay the same, but others will experience it differently. “Fundamentally, it seems like good policy except it seems that if the property value well exceeds inflationary rate it creates a hardship for a couple of sectors of society, [the elderly and renters or low-income],” Green said. General Fund In 2019, “the city spent a dollar for every dollar it brought in,” Danyse Steck, Administrative Services director said. Budget discussions began in December 2020. (Photo/Jonathan Natuik) This left little to put into the general reserve, a portion of money that can act like

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West Jordan City Journal

“HEY! WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT ANNUAL WELLNESS VISITS...”

Here is how West Jordan property taxes compare to other nearby cities. (Image/West Jordan City)

a savings account for the city. In December, Steck said, “The budget for [2020] was planned to be spent $2.7 million in the hole, and we’re going to end up in the deficit using reserves in the neighborhood of $3 million.” What brought the city into such a tight spot, that forced the government to lay off more than 20 employees, transfer money from the utility fund and use reserves to balance the new budget? “They were adding police officers, firefighters, a public works building, more capital projects and not identifying how they were going to pay for that,” Steck said. Of all the council members attending the December meeting, it was 100% consensus that the city needs to have 25% of its yearly expenditure in reserve, about $15 million. Currently reserves hover around $12 million or 19%. How long will it take for the city to get there? “We are very grateful for the government’s assistance during this health pandemic, leaving me $4.7 million of additional one-time money this year,” Steck said. “It is possible that we say we want to dedicate that one time money to just building those reserves.” The money left over is not government assistance money. Rather, city leaders spent money on things they didn’t anticipate and were reimbursed for those pandemic expenses. “That money is meant to pay for some of the PPE, some of the supplies and services we’ve already paid out of the general fund,” Steck said. “What that’s done is freed up other money to be allowed to build up reserves.” How easily is general fund money

WestJordanJournal .com

spent in future, if it is saved for now? General fund money is always available to the city to spend as needed or wanted. Whitelock was concerned that the current council may work to build up a reserve but that money could be easily spent with future councils. “I want the assurance through legislation that it’s going to stay that way,” she said. “I don’t want to see this council make all the hard choices and have a future council undo it and see the city in the same position we found ourselves last year.” Chief Administrative Officer Korban Lee responded, “There’s not anything you can do as a body today which would bind that future council that they couldn’t undo if they wanted to.” Councilmember Kelvin Green added his thoughts as well. “We could require—I think this would be a good idea—that any modification requires a public hearing,” he said. “Then the public has a chance to come in and ask why they are doing that.” Status on the community theater

There are two perspectives on the $6 million that is earmarked for the construction of the community arts theater. “[There’s] almost $6 million, that’s years worth of keeping our employees,” Worthen said. “I don’t want our money sitting. If you’re broke and you got to pay your bills, you don’t just leave a bunch of money sitting in a savings account.” Green said that on the flip side, “In this time where we come out of this COVID we’re going to need some things that make the city feel better. I’d be OK getting it started sooner rather than later if we can get some corporate sponsors, twist the county’s arm money and get some ZAP (Zoo, Arts and Parks) money. I don’t want to use that money for some other project because we did that when we sold a building, and using one-time money for ongoing expenses is never a good idea.” For more background on recent city budget activity see: www.westjordanjournal.com The budget for the coming fiscal year will not be final until the end of June. l

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February 2021 | Page 9

Copper Hills Madrigals accept challenge to perform virtually By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

opper Hills High School’s top performing Madrigals choir has been selected to perform at the Utah Music Educators Association Conference this month. Choir director Marc Taylor is thrilled with this invitation, an honor earned by the hard work and dedication of the last few years. “We got to the point where we’re consistently doing well in our festivals and achieving what we want to,” he said. “We’ve had several honors, and so now it’s time for me to shine in front of my colleagues.” Unfortunately, the achievement won’t be quite the experience he has always envisioned. Like everything else this year, the conference is being held virtually. So instead of performing live to music teachers from around the state, the Madrigals’ performance will be viewed through a pre-recorded video presentation. Taylor considered opting not to accept the invitation to perform and wait until his choir could perform in person another year. He also knew he could set his expectations low for this year—no other music teacher would blame him for simplifying his program because of pandemic precautions and challenges. “The question was, do I slap this together and call it good and have the sympathy of my colleagues saying it was good for having to do it during COVID?” Taylor said. “Or, do I still work my kids, have them put in the time and

the effort and teach them what they need to be taught to be excellent anyway, and come up with this great video product, with great sound, that I can share with my colleagues and be proud of? So we are going to be brave and put forth our best efforts in this recorded format, under less-than-ideal circumstances.” Taylor is determined to blow everyone away with a great performance, captured in a cinematic, expressive and visually interesting-to-watch audio-visual program. CHHS students from the advanced video broadcasting class filmed the choir’s performance video, using high-tech equipment, lighting, multiple cameras positioned at various angles and multiple takes. “These young adults amaze me more and more every day, and it’s quite the site to see them in action,” broadcasting instructor Scott Silver said of his students, whose skills are in great demand this year due to increased need of pre-recorded and live-streamed videos. The choir’s theme for the performance is “Love Will See Us Through,” so the pieces the students will sing for the 30-minute program are about the wellspring of love, passionate love, family love, divine love and transcendent love. “There’s kind of been a trend in the choral world that when you are a featured choir, you come up with thematic material,” he said. Even though the invitation to perform at the conference came during the summer,

The 2020-21 Copper Hills Madrigals will be performing for the Utah Music Educators Association Conference this month. (Photo courtesy of Marc Taylor.)

there was a chance the conference would be cancelled. When plans for a virtual conference were finally announced, it didn’t leave performers much time to prepare. The conference organizers asked that the recording be submitted two weeks before the conference, scheduled in early February. Fortunately, the Madrigals didn’t have their usual busy schedule of holiday performances—due to COVID—and could hold a lot of extra rehearsals. In early December Taylor said, “I’m just hoping that nothing goes wrong and we’ll be able to meet together with no more COVID shut-downs so we can have all these rehears-

als. We’ll be eating, drinking and singing songs about love for the next two months.” CHHS’s band, under the direction of John Matthews II, was also one of the several music groups invited to showcase their skills at the conference this year. Despite the challenges and limitations, Taylor is glad he decided to go ahead and participate in the conference. “I think it’s important for us to take a stand now and continue to prove to ourselves and the world that music can go on in spite of the pandemic,” he said. “We need it. The world needs it. And our souls need it.” l

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Page 10 | February 2021

West Jordan City Journal

Rookie Principal of the Year has a lot of experience By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

he Jordan Elementary Principals Association named Falcon Ridge Elementary Principal Theresa Christensen as Rookie of the Year. Colleagues describe her as flexible, inspirational, innovative, kind, patient, understanding, welcoming, a creative problem-solver, a good influence for children and a powerful example of a successful leader for young girls. “It’s not an easy time to become a principal, for sure,” said Terri Samowitz, a teacher at Falcon Ridge. “I think she’s handled it absolutely beautifully—like she had been doing this for years.” Although she is a new principal, Christensen brings a lot of experience to the job. She has worked as an assistant principal, a school teacher, a behavior specialist, a corporate trainer, a business accountant, a lacrosse coach and a mother of three. Christensen said she decided to leave her business career to become an educator because she could feel a kind of energy whenever she walked into a school building. “I want to be in the school with the teachers and the kids,” she said. “I’m not in the office very much, and when I do have to be in there to do paperwork, I’m antsy because I want to be out.” Samowitz has worked with five principals in the last seven years and has been very impressed with Christensen. “One of the reasons I nominated her was because I was absolutely amazed at her ability to connect with the teachers and with the students so quickly,” she said. “She gets out there in the hallways and out on the playgrounds and into classrooms and just makes sure she’s seen, which makes her very approachable. And to have an approachable administrator is a tremendous blessing for those of us who are just surviving the days.” Falcon Ridge teachers have become used to Christensen

popping into their classrooms to see how things are going and to offer any help. “She wants to help you in any way she possibly can,” administrative assistant Nancy Bateson said. “She’s been a support in what has been a very difficult year. Teachers are happier, even with all the frustrations of everything this year, because they feel that they’re heard and supported.” Christensen is grateful to It may be her first year as a prinhave “an amazing staff and an cipal but Theresa Christensen is no rookie. (Photo courtesy of incredible faculty.” Jordan School District) “They’ve made my transition to being a principal—especially in a pandemic year— so much easier,” Christensen said. “They all communicate and work well together, and that’s made a huge difference in being able to make some of the changes that I’ve made and some of the things that we’ve been able to do at the school.” Though first-year principals are warned not to make too many changes to school culture in their first year, Christensen has introduced new programs to create a positive culture at Falcon Ridge. “I felt strongly that the culture needs to be one of kindness,” she said. “So I created a kindness club, with students from each class who meet once a month and plan kindness challenges for the entire student body to do. It’s been fun to see them compete

against each other in ways to be kind.” Students also take pledges each month with the Golden Gate Club. Christensen also replaced traditional discipline methods with restorative justice practices, which she had success with as a behavior specialist. “It’s something that I feel very strongly about and knew that when it was time for me to have my own school that was something I was going to do,” she said. “We’ve just really tried to revamp the way that we approach the behaviors of the kids.” Like an academic skill, Christensen believes kids need to be taught behavior skills. Restorative practices focus on changing the behavior through instruction and through accountability instead of punishment. Samowitz said while another principal would have suspended two of her students who recently “got into a little bit of a tiff,” Christensen invited them to discuss the situation, recognize how it made everyone feel and decide how they could make things right. Christensen makes herself available to listen to concerns from teachers, students and parents with an open-door policy. Parents appreciate that Christensen is always willing to listen to their concerns. “We have always been very lucky with our principals, and Theresa is no exception,” PTA President Megan Wilding said. “The first thing I noticed about Theresa is she loves the students. This has been a hard year with COVID, and she is always looking for ways that the kids can still be kids and have a good, safe time at school.” l

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Principal Alger is at the heart of Heartland Elementary community By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

eartland Elementary is the center of the community and Principal Buddy Alger is at the center of the school. Alger was named Community Leader of the Year by the Jordan Elementary School Principal Association. “He’s only been here two years, but he knows all the kids, and he knows their stories,” sixth grade teacher Amelia Paasi said. “He truly takes the time to ultimately do what’s best for his community, whether that’s the community of the teachers, the students or the community of West Jordan. He not only lives in the community, but he represents the community in a way that I haven’t seen a principal do before.” Alger loves being part of the Heartland community. “Being the principal at Heartland feels like home to me—it just feels like it fits,” Alger said. “We’re not just a school that teaches reading and math. We’re a school that also provides for the diverse needs of the community.” Heartland is a uniquely diverse community—12 different languages are spoken by students and their families. “Being able to bring everybody together through communication and through excitement and trying to understand the different cultures and family members that are here has been awesome,” said Alger, who is fluent

in Spanish and is learning Arabic. Even though, due to public safety restrictions, the school cannot currently host adult education classes and family activities, it remains the hub of community activity. “Our school playground is probably one of the best places in the area for kids to come and play after school,” Alger said. “Families come in all weekend long. It’s busy with people having picnics in the field, and people playing on the playground and riding bikes on the blacktop that we definitely see ourselves as that community center.” When school transitioned to online learning last spring, Alger visited students in their homes to make sure they had basic necessities. He added internet hotspots around the school and made sure each student had access. “Our goal is to keep families engaged, and so we focus on that academic learning in the home environment,” Alger said. “We really try to focus on that collaboration between school and the community.” For Family Week in December, activity supplies were sent home so families could engage in their student’s learning by playing a card game, making cookies and reading a new book together. During January’s Kindness Week, students learned about ways to serve others, inside and outside of school.

A Heartland Elementary student joins Principal Buddy Alger on the Buddy Bench, which is used to teach students about caring for others and for their community. (Photo courtesy of Buddy Alger)

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Paasi said these activities can strengthen the relationship between home and school, which is important when kids often spend more time with teachers than with their hardworking parents. “It reminds the families of the importance of communication and how we work together—we’re the village that helps raise the kids, and we each have our own part,“ Paasi said. Alger is an involved principal, whether he’s welcoming students each morning, addressing student behaviors or encouraging academic growth. “I read a piece of writing from each kid in our school once a month and have conferences with our upper grade students to really push their writing,” Alger said. “As a principal, it is the coolest thing to watch that progression.” To further student growth, Alger rebranded the academic teaching standards into Promise Standards. “We broke all of those standards down and created a list of promises that we would make to kids and their families that each kid

would make it to mastery on that standard,” Alger said. “We promised kindergarteners that we wouldn’t let them leave until they knew all of their letters and sounds. In sixth grade, we promise you, that you will know how to solve a ratio equation.” First grade teacher Susan Call said there are nearly 72 standards for first graders to master. “A promise standard really whittles an overwhelming task down to some critically important skills my students need to master in order to make them second grade ready,” Call said. “We are laser-focused on our teaching. We know where we’re going ultimately and all the little steps to getting to that end. It helps me to know where my students are and what the next step is.” Paasi said framing the standards as promises to her students helps her take an individualized, personal approach for all 44 students she teaches. “I know them by name, and I know as much as I can about their families,” Paasi said. “I know about their wants and desires and their dislikes. And so it’s not just the

West Jordan City Journal

Principal Buddy Alger shows the Kindness Week bulletin board that encouraged students to be the “I” in kind. Students also painted rocks for a kindness garden outside and wrote thank you letters to spread kindness. (Photo courtesy of Buddy Alger)

math promise standard or the science promise standard that I take into consideration. It’s what I can do as a teacher to promise that I’ve done my all for them to be successful, so that they become what they want to become in their life.” Alger said the promise standards have strengthened the learning community. “It really has not only brought our teachers together as a community, but our students together as a community,” Alger said. “And

hopefully it’s going to bring the parents all the way in on the community, so that they can see the work that their students are doing and what they’re expected to do each year and that we can make those promises and fulfill those commitments to our community.” Alger takes every opportunity to recognize students for their academic achievements as well as rewarding their good behavior. So far this year, teachers and administrators have handed out more than 10,000 howlers

(the school currency that students earn for good behavior and good citizenship, which can be cashed in for prizes.) Alger also takes a positive approach to discipline, based on the 3 C’s: care for self, care for others and care for your community. When a student is sent to his office for discipline, Alger helps them work through the problem by identifying how their action was not caring for themselves, for others or for the community. “I help kids rebuild and restore our community that gets hurt when there’s a fight or bullies on campus, which makes the whole campus feel unsafe,” he said. “We really work to rebuild community in a lot of our discipline.” Alger hopes this approach instills in students the value of taking care of one’s community. “Many of our kids are multigenerational students from poverty, and learning those things about caring for yourself, others and community is a big piece of that,” he said. The 3 C’s are applied to academics, as well. Teachers help students care for self by doing their best work, care for others by providing meaningful feedback and care for the community by cleaning up after themselves. Alger is grateful for a wonderful staff who has willingly incorporated his ideas into their practices. He calls them The Heartland Miracle Network. “I think the biggest piece of being a principal is just enabling teachers to work their

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Principal Buddy Alger invited students to create this patchwork quilt which is made up of hearts they painted to represent their hopes for the school year and for their lives. (Photo courtesy of Buddy Alger)

magic because they’re incredible at what they do and we have the best at Heartland,” Alger said. “They’re the ones that really put their nose to the grindstone and get in with the kids, each and every day, to make sure that we fulfill that vision. They’re really my inspiration. I couldn’t do it without them.” Call said Alger is a supportive principal who is invested in his staff and students. “I think he has reinvigorated the Heartland family,” Call said. “He’s brought a lot of energy and can-do-it attitude to keep us moving forward.” l

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Cameras in the gym are for more than streaming your games By Greg James | g.james@mycityjournals.com

n unwanted side-effect of a worldwide pandemic: empty bleachers at sporting events because rules won’t allow fans. “It stinks,” a Cyprus wrestling fan and co-parent Jaylnn Merrill said. “We get one ticket, and some of the larger events don’t allow fans.” “It’s horrible,” Sara Harding said. “There are only like four of us cheering and clapping.” Schools across the state were forced to minimize interaction because of social-distancing rules. The large student sections and cheering parents had to be eliminated to reduce exposure. To increase opportunities for student-athlete interaction, schools have embarked on a previously tried feature of live streaming their events. “As long as the event is held in the main gym, we can stream it,” Cyprus Athletic Director Chaine Henson said. “We installed a camera, and it is super easy to stream from there.” YouTube and other streaming services have become the home to local high school sports. “This year, COVID and the restrictions on attendance were catalysts on stream becoming more mainstream,” Hudl Focus General Manager Greg Nelson said. “I find there is a broader community of students, alumni and community members that would like to connect with the activities. Our program has taken a huge step forward in that this year.”

If you see this camera in a high school gym, it is not the FBI spying on your life. It is a new tool to help coaches and live stream games. (Greg James/City Journals)

Hudl provides video review and performance analysis tools for sports teams and athletes at entry-level. “Our primary vision is to help coaches,” Nelson said. “They can record their own games and practices. The coach can start a recording from his phone during practice. When the drill is done, they can immediately review the drill they just did. It is a good teaching skill.” “It has been a great tool,” Cyprus boys head

coach Tre Smith said. “It is definitely worth the money.” The company has installed over 3,400 cameras in schools around the country, and to date, more than 205,000 games and practices have been recorded. “Our business has nearly doubled in the last few months,” Nelson said. The program has been used for more than just athletics, dance concerts and music perfor-

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mances. It has also opened up new opportunities for students interested in broadcasting. “As part of the streaming service preroll audio, static ads and play-by-play can be integrated,” Nelson said. “At some schools, the students have taken over. It is interesting to see how creative schools have gotten. I have seen computer classes take ownership of the broadcast. I have also seen it add revenue to the school through pregame ads.” Schools now have their own YouTube channels that carry the games. Depending on the camera location, it can run between $2,000 and $3,500 to have the system installed. “We knew that this year was going to be hard for school budgets,” Nelson said. “We began the ‘Return to Play’ program, an upgrade for our athletic department application. I think remote coaching and live streaming has never been more important.” Hudl plays a vital role in recruiting. An online presence for players and teams is an essential tool for student-athletes to gain opportunities on the next level. “College coaches can no longer travel as much, so evaluating players relies on video,” Nelson said. “The future of sports is ‘I am going to show up for practice and know that it is being recorded,’” l

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West Jordan City Journal

G O OD NE IG HBOR

NEWS

FEBRUARY 2021

Paid for by the City of West Jordan

M AYO R ’S M E S S AG E We’ve officially made it one month into the new year! February is a month that many associate with love because of Valentine’s Day. But there are many other recognizable holidays and observances that fall within its short 28-day duration. Since 1976, every United States President has officially designated February as Black History Month. Last year, your West Jordan City leaders signed Joint Resolution 20-01, which created a commission on diversity in our city. The commission will include input and recommendations from a variety of communities, to the City Council. We are always pushing to move our city forward, as the fourth largest in the state our residents have many different ethnicities and backgrounds, and that is what makes our city wonderful. If you’d like to be a part of this commission, contact us for an application: 801-269-5100 or keenan.price@ westjordan.utah.gov. Boy Scouts of America, one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, turns 111 this month. I continue to enjoy being a part of BSA for over 25 years. While President’s Day and Groundhog Day are some of the more noteworthy events that fall in February, I consider the 17th another important day of the month. That’s because it’s Random Acts of Kindness Day. This day doesn’t have greeting cards, it doesn’t mean banks are closed, but what it stands for may be much more meaningful. A random act of kindness is a non-premediated action designed to offer kindness toward the outside world. It’s an act that maybe you hadn’t planned to do just moments before you did it. West Jordan is home of the good neighbor, I know that acts of kindness are being done in our city daily. Although this specific day is dedicated to spreading kindness only, we don’t need to limit our frequency of doing good. I ask that you think of this event everyday by offering a helping hand to a neighbor on your block or maybe a complete stranger at the store. After all, just one small act of kindness can make someone’s day. Sincerely,

Mayor Dirk Burton

City of West Jordan Teaming up with American Red Cross for Quarterly Blood Drives There’s a critical need for blood. Those are the first words you read on the website for the American Red Cross. On average, the Red Cross holds 16,426 blood drives each month. All donations are tested for COVID-19 antibodies. “We can then not only inform that donor of the testing results that we’ve identified COVID-19 antibodies in their blood, but also use that product as convalescent plasma to help patients who are ill with COVID-19 in the hospital,” said Dr. Pampee Young, Chief Medical Officer at the American Red Cross. This year, the City of West Jordan will be hosting four blood drives with the American Red Cross on the following dates: • Monday, March 8, 2021 | 12 PM – 6 PM • Monday, June 14, 2021 | 12 PM – 6 PM • Monday, September 13, 2021 | 12 PM – 6 PM • Monday, December 6, 2021 | 12 PM – 6 PM All blood drives listed above will be held in the community room inside West Jordan City Hall: Community Room 8000 South Redwood Road West Jordan, UT 84088 Please call 1-800-RED-CROSS or visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter: West Jordan City to schedule an appointment or contact the West Jordan City Events Division at 801-569-5160. If you have any questions regarding your eligibility to donate blood, please call 1-866-236-3276. You can start the donation process by completing an online pre-donation health history questionnaire on the day of your appointment, please log in to www.redcrossblood.org/RapidPass.

Three Ways to Avoid Covid-19 Vaccine Scams SALT LAKE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT WARNS UTAHNS ABOUT NEW SCAMS The Covid-19 vaccine is being distributed in Utah – as that rollout continues, so do the potential scams. While vaccination details are getting worked out, here’s what you can be sure of: • You can’t pay to put your name on a list to get the vaccine. That’s a scam. • You can’t pay to get early access to the vaccine. That’s a scam. • Nobody legit will call about the vaccine and ask for your Social Security, bank account, or credit card number. That’s a scam. Ignore any vaccine offers that say differently, or ask for personal or financial information. Don’t become a victim – learn more at: ftc.gov/coronavirus/scams

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Boy Scouts of America Celebrates 111 Years, Urges West Jordan Youth to Join

Technology Upgrades in West Jordan Council Chambers

Did you know there are currently 193 youth and 47 adults registered in Scouts in West Jordan? Despite the organization going through many changes in just the past few years, it has been able to keep up on participation in our city. The Boy Scouts of America organization has been around for more than a century. In that time, it’s taught millions of American children life-saving lessons, and self-growth guidance. In its more than 100 years, it’s also made a lot of changes. In just the past few years the BSA has had to re-identify itself, take a look at its past and plan for the future. Robert Pieper is currently serving as the district chairman for the Oquirrh Mountains District, which includes all of the troops and packs in West Jordan. Pieper has tried to keep a foot in scouting since he was a young boy. When he had kids, he knew he wanted to bring scouting into their lives as well. “I saw the writing on the wall, I thought I better find a way to spend some good quality time with them,” said Pieper. “Scouting is a great way for parents to spend time doing meaningful things with their children.” West Jordan Mayor Dirk Burton was also a Boy Scout, and still supports the organization today. Mayor Burton explained that children gain experiences they can’t gain anywhere else. For him, one of the more memorable things he learned in scouts actually ended up saving his own son’s life. The City Council is introducing some new technology enhancements in the Council Chambers this year. The new teach will provide residents a new, improved, and modern system when participating during an electronic meeting. COVID-19 forced many organizations and groups to move their business online, and it’s no different for the city. Using Federal money allocated to municipalities from the CARES act, the city was able to add some technology enhancements to the Council Chambers. While the Council Chambers are not currently open for in-person attendance, the public can still participate and provide comments during the meetings in one of the following ways: • Join the Zoom webinar and make a public comment by clicking on the link found on the posted agendas (http://westjordan.utah.gov/agendas) • Watch the meeting on YouTube live at https://bit.ly/WestJordan (case sensitive)

Social Security Scam Alert “I lived in Missouri for 11 years and we lived by a lake. My son decided he wanted to swim across that lake, about halfway through he got tired and couldn’t make it any further,” said Mayor Burton. “I had to use those life-saving skills I learned years ago in scouts to rescue my son.” While children are taught very important survival skills, it doesn’t end there. Scouts are also taught how to work in a team and set goals in their lives. Pieper said he still uses the social skills he learned and applies them to his professional career nearly every day. “In all of our learning and teaching opportunities we have to follow a set of principles to understand or teach a concept; we explain, demonstrate, guide and empower,” explained Pieper. BSA is always looking for new members to join. You can visit: https://beascout. scouting.org/ to find troops or packs near you. For any West Jordan residents getting their eagle award, Mayor Burton said he’d love to be a guest at their court of honor. Reach out to mayor@westjordan.utah.gov or call 801-569-5100.

Another scam is making the rounds targeting innocent Utahns. If you’ve recently received a phone call from the “Social Security Administration” asking you to verify your Social Security Number, do NOT give them information. Hang up, call police because It’s a scam. If something seems fishy, go with your gut, it’s probably a scam. The Federal Trade Commission adds: • Your Social Security Number is not about to be suspended. You don’t have to verify your number to anyone who calls out of the blue. • SSA will NEVER call to threaten your benefits or as you to wire money, send cash, or purchase gift cards. • The real SSA phone number is 800-772-1213, remember, scammers are putting that number in their caller ID. If you are worried about what the caller says, hang up and call 800-772-1213 to speak to the REAL SSA. • NEVER give any part of your social security number, bank account information, or credit card number to anyone who contacts you. • If you wish to report a Social Security scam, visit www.ic3.gov.

GOOD NEIGHBOR NEWS: WEST JORDAN NEWSLETTER

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COUNCIL CORNER At the beginning of each year, the West Jordan City Council elects new leadership. The leadership helps set the agenda for each council meeting, runs the city council meeting, and frequently attend additional meetings as well. The Council would like to thank Council Member Chris McConnehey who led as Council Chair in 2020. He made significant changes to our meeting structure in order to accommodate alterations brought about by COVID-19. The council was quickly able to move to online Zoom Webinar meetings, provide a 24-hour comment line, and an email address to allow the public to remain engaged with their elected officials. West Jordan led the way in allowing public participation using the Webinar features of Zoom as early as April of 2020. The Council would like to welcome Council Member Zach Jacob as the Council Chair and Council Member Kelvin Green who will be continuing as Vice-Chair for 2021. Council Chair Jacob stated, “I look forward to serving our City and serving my colleagues as Council Chair this coming year. Several of us on the Council have a desire to return to Council Chambers as soon as realistically possible and interface with our citizens in person again when it is safe to do so.” Council Member Green said, “I am excited to support Zach Jacob as the new Chair this year and continuing supporting the Council in my role as Vice Chair and help move the City forward.” Council meetings are still generally held the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month. The Work Session begins at 5:30 pm and the regular session begins at 7:00 pm. Citizens may comment during the regular session by using the Zoom app on your cell phone or through a computer connection, or by calling in on your telephone. The Zoom Webinar information can be found on each City Council agenda posted on the website. To see what changes have been made to accommodate our citizens, (please see the new council upgrades article.) If you prefer to just listen or view the proceedings of our City Council meetings, please be aware that City Council meetings are streamed live on YouTube at https://bit.ly/WestJordan.

New Feature Film Written, Directed, Produced by West Jordan Resident LUCY SHIMMERS AND THE PRINCE OF PEACE Sometimes hope comes in small packages. Those are the words that help sum up the story of a new tear-jerking film, Lucy Shimmers and The Prince of Peace. The story surrounds an unlikely connection between a young girl and various other adults, but the most notable being a hardened criminal. West Jordan resident, Rob Diamond, wrote, produced, and directed the film. He explained what inspired this story, and how it almost didn’t come to be. “This film has elements of forgiveness, of second chances, but mostly it’s about giving,” said Diamond. “I had been searching for a story and last year, I woke up in the middle of the night after having a dream about it. I took some time and wrote the script, and it came together really quickly. I just kept feeling a sense of urgency. We got everything together, filmed, and we wrapped, and the next day the world shut down. Before March, I don’t think the film would have ever been made.” Diamond’s movie finished filming the day before the Coronavirus forced Utah lawmakers to temporarily shut down businesses and restaurants to the public. Being an acting teacher, Diamond was able to quickly nail down the actors he wanted to fill the roles – including the star of the show. Diamond’s 5-year-old granddaughter, who plays the lead role of Lucy in the film. “Scarlett was four when she did the film, she carries probably 90 percent of the movie. She had seen my movies on TV and told me

she wanted to be in one. So, I started writing scenes for her, just out of sheer fun and I noticed she had an incredible natural instinct,” said Diamond. This movie is Scarlett’s first big break as a lead actor, but this wasn’t Diamond’s first rodeo. Having directed many other films before, he knew exactly who he wanted for his movie. Today, Diamond said all the actors’ true identities were able to shine through on screen. “Vince is this really rugged, tough, handsome military guy but he scratched the surface,” explained Diamond. “Scarlet and him just instantly gravitated toward each other and that connection really came across on film.” When asked what Diamond wanted viewers to take away from his movie, his answer was simple: hope. “Through life’s journeys, the ups and downs, life is about giving, hope, and forgiveness,” said Diamond. “It’s a movie that people are watching again and again because it’s so timely with what the world is going through. There are so many different underlining messages, but the most important one is just hope. That it’s all going to be OK.” Diamond has been a resident of West Jordan for about 15 years. Originally from California, movie making is what brought him to the beehive state, and it is part of what keeps him here today. You can watch most of his films online, some even for free, including Lucy Shimmers and the Prince of Peace. Diamond is also a long-time acting teacher. If you’re interested in taking a class, Diamond said he’d be happy to take on new students. You can reach him by email: robdiamondfilms@gmail.com

GOOD NEIGHBOR NEWS: WEST JORDAN NEWSLETTER

PAID FOR BY THE CITY OF WEST JORDAN

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

F E B R UA RY

Crews are working to make the Jordan River Trail safer for families, pets. Crews have installed a new box culvert near 7360 South. They will remove the old bridge and create an asphalt walkway over the new box culvert. The only portion of the trail seeing closures near this area is the trailhead at 1087 West Primavera Way (7190 South). Users can still access the trail by the trailheads at either 7000 South or 7800 South.

GROUNDHOG DAY

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Join virtually on YouTube 6 p.m.

City Hall West Parking Lot 8000 S 1825 W 10 a.m. – Noon

Join virtually on YouTube 5:30 p.m.

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JA N UA RY

VALENTINE’S DAY

MLK JR. DAY

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CITY OFFICES CLOSED

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PRESIDENT’S DAY

PLANNING COMMISSION

CITY COUNCIL MEETING

CITY OFFICES CLOSED

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The City of West Jordan 8000 S. Redwood Rd., West Jordan, UT 84088 Join the conversation! (801) 569-5100 West Jordan – City Hall www.wjordan.com

Crews will then move over to 7900 South, 1100 West, where they will remove the existing bridge and replace it with a new pedestrian bridge. The project is expected to be complete Spring of 2021. Some closures will be in place due to deep excavations, moving equipment, staged materials, and construction activity.

F E B R UA RY

An Update on the Jordan River Trail Construction in West Jordan

West Jordan Police Dept. 8040 S. Redwood Rd. West Jordan, Utah 84088 801-256-2000 801-840-4000 Dispatch

For your and your family’s safety, please follow the guidelines indicated on project signs along the trail.

The UHSAA aligned its schools for possibly the last time By Greg James | g.james@mycityjournals.com

he Utah High School Activities Association made its biannual changes to school region alignments. The adopted proposals have been applauded and scrutinized. “Looks like Region 7 was picked by throwing darts on a map,” Derek Erickson, a concerned fan, commented after the alignment was announced. According to the Utah High School Activities Association’s constitution, the Board of Trustees has the responsibility and authority to classify its member schools and assign them to regions within the classification. This year may be the last year of regions as we know it. Considerations for alignment include fair competition, school enrollment, travel costs and natural rivalries. Region 7 has a 348-mile spread. Uintah High School in Vernal was placed in the 5A region with Cedar Valley, Cottonwood, Hillcrest, Payson, Stansbury and Tooele high schools. Making it one of the most scrutinized region placement divisions. “We can’t just look at the numbers of the school and say, ‘Hey, because you have 2,000 students you should play against other schools that have 2,000 students,” Juab School District board president Dale Whitlock said. “We need to look at the balance.” Hillcrest has over 2,100 students; Cottonwood and Uintah both have over 1,600 enrolled. “We are absolutely excited for realignment,” Hillcrest Athletic Director Scott Carrell said. “We have regions and the RPI (rating performance index used to seed teams at state tournaments), they don’t work together very well. When they started to put together the changes, we were put in a very competitive region in Utah County. We sat down with our coaches and asked for that to be changed. We knew that in order for us to build our programs we needed to be put with similar schools. They told us we would have to travel more, but we were OK with that.” The teams at Hillcrest realize there will be challenges. “We know that not everyone will be on board, but we are excited to be able to build our programs back up,” Carrell said. “We are looking at ways to have hotspots on buses to help with homework and more opportunities for distance learning.” Many other schools were also enthusiastic about their new placement. “We are excited about our new region,” Copper Hills Athletic Director Ben Morley said. “Mainly because of the proximity of the member schools and having West Jordan back in Region 3.” West Jordan and Copper Hills have a natural rivalry again in Region 3 and are located just 4 miles from each other. They have played 25 football games against each

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The UHSAA realignment is set for next season. Where is your favorite school? (Photo courtesy of dsandersonpics.com)

other, and Copper Hills has only won once, in 2013. It is not the only rival to be preserved in the current alignment; Hunter and Granger, Kearns and Taylorsville in Region 2; Herriman, Riverton, and Mountain Ridge now all reside in Region 3; Bountiful, Viewmont, and Woods Cross in Region 5; Olympus and Skyline in Region 6; and Alta and Jordan in Region 8. Roy administrators asked to be moved from Region 1, in northern Utah, to Region 2. They stated competitive balance as their reasoning. Roy last won a state championship in 2012 in softball. West High School won Region 2’s most recent title in 2019 in softball, but Granger has not been a state champion since 1979 in boys baseball. In the upcoming season, Region 2 will consist of Cyprus, Granger, Hunter, Kearns, Taylorsville, West and Roy. “I like our region,” new Taylorsville head football coach Chris Rosales said. “I just wish that winning a region championship meant more. With the new RPI, it has all changed.” The UHSAA Region 3 will consist of Bingham, Copper Hills, Herriman, Mountain Ridge, Riverton and West Jordan. Because of an increase in enrollment, Mountain Ridge was moved from 5A to 6A in all sports. Region 5 includes Bountiful, Woods Cross, Bonneville, Box Elder, Northridge, and Viewmont. Region 6 contains Brighton, East, Highland, Murray, Olympus, Skyline and Park City. Region 8 is comprised of two other Salt Lake County schools, including Jordan and Alta. “I think no regions in our alignment will be beneficial for every school in the

state of Utah,” Carrell said. “Then games could be scheduled against teams of like opponents, more participation is the ultimate goal. It would not work for every sport, but we need to make goals to improve.” UHSAA is exploring options for its re-

alignment in two years. Some of those ideas could include the adoptions of no regions allowing teams to make schedules of their choosing. l

SelectHealth to Grant Nonprofits Supporting Healthy Communities Submission window opens to submit for an award for community health improvement worth over $20,000. SALT LAKE CITY—Are you working to improve health in the community or build a strong community? If so, SelectHealth wants to help by recognizing twenty organizations with $3,000 and a marketing package worth $20,000 to further their cause. SelectHealth asks anyone who may qualify to apply. Submissions for the award are being accepted February 2, 2021 through February 28, 2021 or until 500 submissions is reached at selecthealthawards.org. A wide range of organizations have received the SelectHealth Awards since it was first introduced in 2008. Last year’s recipients represented a wide variety of causes including physical activity programs, crisis centers, recovery centers, and free medical services. “It is an honor to work with so many positive nonprofits throughout the state,” said SelectHealth Community Relations Manager Greg Reid. “Each year, we are inspired by the recipients and all they do to make our communities a better place to live.” In addition to offering a cash award, SelectHealth will develop marketing materials for each awardee including a promotional video to help promote their organization and cause. For more information and to apply, visit selecthealthawards.org.

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February 2021 | Page 19

Psych 101: What is gaslighting? By Cassie Goff | c.goff@mycityjournals.com

f you’ve tuned into the federal news at any point during the past four years, you’ve probably heard a phrase or two about President Donald Trump gaslighting America. Even though the term has been thrown about rather loosely at times, it seems to be becoming part of our common collective discourse. Personally, I wanted to make sure I really understood this term, and the research behind it, before evaluating the claims made about our current political climate. I’d like to take a moment to define and clarify gaslighting, discuss its prevalence, and illuminate potential harmful impacts. The term “gaslighting” has been used to describe abuse involving emotional and intellectual manipulation, most often recognizable through mind-manipulation strategies. Gaslighting often leads to a person questioning their sanity, perceptions of reality, and/or memories. Even though the term was recently popularized in politics, gaslighting has been well recognized within psychology research for decades. One of the first mentions of gaslighting was on June 21, 1969. Russell Barton and J.A. Whitehead published an article in “The Lancet” where they outlined two cases in which “there were definite plots to remove an unwanted and restricting relative by securing admissions to a mental hospital.” They compared this to the storyline of

a play titled “Gas Light” by Patrick Hamilton where a husband tries to get rid of his wife by driving her into a lunatic asylum. Dr. Paige Sweet attributes the common usage of the term to a story as well. In the 1944 film by George Cukor, “Gaslight,” a husband attempts to isolate his wife by making her believe she is insane. “His eponymous tactic is to dim and brighten the gaslights and then insist she is imagining it. (He) aims to undermine (her) sense of self and everyday life, to confuse and distort her reality such that she must accept his imposed reality in place of her own.” The term appeared minimally throughout the 1970s and 1980s, but eventually it began to recur in research as the focus on interpersonal relationships intensified. In 2007, Dr. Robin Stern published “The Gaslight Effect” focusing on how to identify manipulation in relationships. As might be apparent from the contextual history of the term, gaslighting is of importance in domestic violence research and intimate partner violence (IPV) literature. “Gaslighting is a conscious or unconscious form of psychological abuse that occurs when a perpetrator distorts information to confuse a victim, triggering the victim to doubt their memory and sanity,” defines Dr. Madeline Tormoen. In the popular conversation, confusion,

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distortion and anxiety are all recognizable as consequences of gaslighting. However, the potential impacts of gaslighting can quickly become more harmful and severe. Those being gaslit may start to question their own perceptions and lose trust in their own experience of reality. Tormoen described how gaslighting may often affect memory, contribute to emotional abuse and interpersonal abuse, lead to a victim undermining their sanity, and betrayal. “Gaslighting can also prevent domestic violence victims from accessing institutional resources that would help them escape the abuse. The very institutions set up to help victims can become part of the gaslighting process,” she described. In addition, gaslighting may contribute to double-binding and depersonalization, resulting in losing a sense of self, multiple perceptions of reality, and varied internal versions of reality. Gaslighting creates hostile social environments. Sweet and others have argued that gaslighting is not just a psychological tactic, but a sociological phenomenon as well. “When perpetrators mobilize gender-based stereotypes, structural inequalities, and institutional vulnerabilities against victims with whom they are in an intimate relation-

ship, gaslighting becomes not only effective, but devastating.” For domestic violence resources here in Utah, visit: the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition at www.udvc.org/; the statewide domestic violence info-line Linkline at 1-800-897-5465 (LINK); the Utah Department of Human Services at www.dcfs.utah. gov; the Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault at www.ucasa.org or 1-888-421-1100; or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE). l

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Vaccines started in January for older adults in long-term care By Heather Lawrence | h.lawrence@mycityjournals.com

lder adults in Utah residential facilities started the COVID-19 vaccination process in January. All Utahns age 70 and older are eligible to get the vaccine, but demand far outweighed supply and appointments quickly filled up. Care centers had an advantage because they partnered with pharmacies that brought the vaccine to them. “We chose to partner with Walgreens Pharmacy to administer the Pfizer vaccines. Three days were set aside for vaccinations. Jan. 7 was the first day of administration to all residents and staff,” said Derek White, senior vice president of Cascades Health, which runs Sandy Health and Rehab on 50 E. 9000 South. “The vaccine requires two doses 21 days apart, so subsequent dosing days are scheduled on Jan. 28 and Feb. 18. The process went smoothly, with a sore injection site being the most common complaint,” White said. In South Jordan, vaccinations started at Riverway Assisted Living on Jan. 8. Riverway is run by SAL Management Group, which also manages care centers in Sandy, West Jordan, Holladay, West Valley and

other Utah sites. They are all on the same vaccination schedule and also used Walgreens Pharmacy. For Riverway administrator Jim Scadlock, the vaccine is the light at the end of the tunnel that we’ve all been waiting for. “It’s all paying off. When we get to the 21 days after the second shot on Feb. 19, our building is going to be able to open up for visits with friends and family,” Scadlock said. “This won’t last forever—just a few more weeks, and it will start to feel normal around here. That’s what I really want people to know,” Scadlock said. Scadlock’s urgency to get the vaccine administered is personal. In November he urged families to be cautious about holiday get-togethers and shared that his own mother had recently passed away under lockdown conditions. “My mother lived in assisted living in Pleasant Grove. I had not seen her since March—eight months. In November, my sisters and I received a call from the hospice nurse telling us she wouldn’t last through the day and that we could come say goodbye.

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“An hour later, she quietly slipped away,” Scadlock said. The CDC reports the risk for severe illness and death from COVID-19 increases with age. Older adults are one of the most vulnerable populations, which is why residential care centers had access to the vaccine. But their ability to protect residents from the virus varies. Sandy Health and Rehab is a skilled nursing facility. They accept patients directly from hospital discharge. They have a generally sicker population and more residents coming and going. The rehab center is in the “red zone” on the Utah Department of Health’s dashboard for facilities with outbreaks reported on Jan. 19. Riverway is an assisted living and memory care residential facility. Their residents are generally healthier and more independent than at a skilled nursing facility. As of Jan. 18, Riverway reported in an email that one resident was infected with light symptoms and there were less than five infections in staff members. Months ago, Scadlock took the initiative to get Riverway certified as a lab so they could do their own rapid testing. He

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describes the rapid test as a swab in the nostril as opposed to the deep and uncomfortable “brain tickle” of the PCR tests. CLIA certification allowed Riverway to test after exposures and get results in 15 minutes. This limited quarantine times, during which residents would be restricted to their rooms for at least five days. Both facilities interviewed for this story said there were no adverse effects or reactions to the vaccine. The Pfizer vaccine does not contain weakened or inactivated strains of the virus. Instead, it uses mRNA to trigger an immune response and produce antibodies. Older adults who don’t live in facilities can find information about getting the vaccine on the Salt Lake County Health Department’s website, slco.org/health/ COVID-19/vaccine/. They are out of vaccines at the time of this writing, but people can sign up to be notified when appointments are available again. The Utah Health Department said that any side effects of getting the vaccine are far outweighed by the benefits of not getting COVID-19. l

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High school student-athletes undergo COVID-19 testing, change approaches to competitions By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

n swimming, the faster swimmers compete in the middle lanes. In basketball, traditionally, team captains shake hands with the opposing team and refs before the game and afterwards, players on both teams give each other a highfive. Wrestlers take the mats in multi-day competitions, but not anymore this season. Those, and many other norms, aren’t the case in high school sports this winter. As high school student-athletes and coaches follow the Utah High School Activities Association’s COVID-19 health and safety guidelines, winter sports have a new look—and likely spring may follow some of the same protocols, say local high school athletic directors. Throughout the state, the biggest change from fall sports to winter has been with restricting fans at indoor competitions and administering rapid COVID-19 every 14 days for student-athletes. It’s part of the UHSAA “Return to Play” guidelines after high school sports mostly took a two-week break in early November following former Gov. Gary Herbert’s mandate, said Sally Williams, Hillcrest High athletic director in Canyons School District. The “Return to Play” guidelines were issued in early December after the Utah School Superintendents Association and UHSAA worked with the Utah State Department of Health to provide protocols after the state health order suspended the start of the winter season. Those guidelines were updated, with new policies of “test to stay” and “test to play” that took effect Jan. 4, when schools resumed from winter break. These have included if individuals are exposed to COVID-19, they can end quarantine 10 days after the last time they were in contact with the person who tested positive if they don’t have symptoms or they can return after a negative COVID-19 test result. “We had to reschedule a bunch of games and give our teams time to prepare for the season; it was a bunch of shuffling for preseason and hard for both our boys and girls basketball teams as we have new head coaches in both programs and they had to put everything together, after delaying tryouts and early season preparations,” Williams said about the delayed winter season for her Midvale school. “But it still was probably good to get COVID numbers (of positive cases) down even though at that time, our school wasn’t high.” Even so, both Hillcrest programs have had coaches and/ or players test positive or be exposed to COVID-19, playing preseason basketball games with a skeleton team and both teams, canceling at least one game. Already numbers at tryouts were down, about half as many for the boys and barely enough student-athletes to fill three team rosters for the girls, Williams said, because of the impact of COVID-19 and that some online learners aren’t involved in sports this year. “We’re at about 85% in-person enrollment this year,” Williams said. “The good news is that with the vaccine coming, we hope our spring season will happen since last year, their seasons were canceled because of COVID.” Admission to the basketball games and wrestling matches are restricted to assigned seats for contact tracing purposes and with two tickets issued per athlete, with Hillcrest stating no children in attendance. Masks are required for patrons. Even athletes sit socially distanced from each other, totes by their chairs with their own water bottles and face masks. Student-athletes are allowed to take them off only

Page 22 | February 2021

Jordan High’s girls basketball team sits socially distanced on the sidelines with masks on when they aren’t playing following UHSAA winter sports guidelines. (Jason Long/Jordan High)

High school athletes like Hillcrest High’s basketball player Maddy Sluga undergo COVID-19 rapid testing every 14 days. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

during competition, Williams said. Swim meets’ admission is restricted by the facility; many schools practice and compete at county pools, which limit capacity at 50 people including both boys and girls swim teams, coaches and officials often exceed that number. So, 11 of the 13 Hillcrest meets were scheduled at non-county facilities. “We looked at swimming boys or girls or varsity and

JV separately, but that gets to be kind of a nightmare. They all swim together, so what happens with those other kids and how many days are they unable to practice if we do it that way,” Hillcrest head coach Ryan Thierbach said, adding that meets are livestreamed free for the Hillcrest community. Hillcrest swimmers also split the pool, so girls and boys teams have less interaction with one another to reduce possible spreading of COVID-19.

West Jordan City Journal

At Jordan High, in Sandy, athletic director Jason Long said the school’s swimmers aren’t as much impacted as other schools since they practice at private pools and when public pools are shut down, those schools that practice at them have no options and aren’t getting time in the water. They also are finding a way for parents to watch their swimmers. “We have invited some of our parents of seniors to be timers and judges so they can be there,” he said. The competitions in the gym are different without student sections or pep bands. “We aren’t pulling out all the bleachers in the gym as only two parents are allowed in to watch competitions,” Long said, adding that most sports are being livestreamed for families to watch with a subscription. At Jordan, staff members are continuing to take student-athletes’ temperatures and go through health symptom checks just as they did in the fall in addition to administering COVID-19 tests, usually 45 minutes before the school day begins. Not only does Long’s crew test student-athletes, coaches and managers, but also theatre and debate students since those activities fall under UHSAA. “We’re not relaxing on anything,” he said, admitting that the days get long, with early morning testing to games at night. “We’re all on the same page following UHSAA guidelines. It’s a lot of extra work from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. every single day, but

we’re hopeful our students can compete and showcase their talents—and that’s worth the work.” The push continues to wear masks for student-athletes, coaches, managers, trainers and athletic directors at practices, in huddles, team meetings, on the sideline and all the time, unless competing, he said. “We have assigned seats socially distanced on the bus, in the locker room, on the bench. We’ll be able to trace each athlete and with the guidelines, keep the spread low. We shouldn’t have to shut down this way,” Long said, adding that even basketball drills are kept in small groups and drill is spaced distantly for contact tracing purposes. “If drill does any kind of lifts, they’re to practice in small groups and sanitize their hands.” While the schools maintain the safety of its student-athletes and programs, referees fall under the UHSAA. “Many of our refs wear masks until the game starts, then they take it off so they can use their whistles. They put the mask back on when talking to the coach or scorekeeper,” Long said. In Jordan School District, Bingham Athletic Director Andee Bouwhuis said that instead of totes for the sideline seats, they have placed command strip hooks for masks and athletes keep their individual water bottles next to the chairs. “We wipe down the bench with cleansing towels—the seats are spread out and assigned,” she said. “In the pool, we follow the

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to cancel or reschedule competitions. The coaches are just hopeful we’ll have a season and the athletes are putting it into perspective that just one or two games or meets aren’t that critical. I’m hoping that when spring comes, we can have a full season. That would be amazing.” l

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This January, take action against radon By Mariden Williams | m.williams@mycityjournals.com

outh Jordan has joined the EPA in designating January as Radon Action Month. Most Utahans are aware of the dangers of radon, but taking steps to mitigate it and make your home safe again is another thing. Which is why this is Radon Action Month rather than merely Radon Awareness Month. Radon is a radioactive gas, found naturally in soil all over the United States. But just because it’s natural doesn’t mean that it is safe or good for you. It is the second most prominent cause of lung cancer—the deadliest cancer of all—in the US after smoking. According to the EPA, it is responsible for around 20,000 deaths every year. It readily seeps into houses, particularly basements. It is invisible and has no odor. You will never know whether your house has radon in it unless you test it, and levels can rise over time, particularly when the soil is disturbed by home renovations—which is why testing for it somewhat regularly is important. “The Utah Department of Environmental Quality is a good resource for basic radon information and why it’s a big deal. They also sell test kits. They have a very comprehensive program,” said South Jordan Communications Manager Rachael van Cleave. Four picocuries of radon per liter of air— or 4pCi/l, as the measurement is abbreviated—is the level at which the EPA recommends taking action. The World Health Organization is even stricter, and recommends taking action for anything higher than 2.7 pCi/l. No amount of radon is completely safe, the EPA explains; four pCi/l is just the minimum amount that most tests can reliably detect. The Utah Department of Environmental Quality periodically releases information on radon levels by zip code. South Jordan contains 3 zip codes; in 2019, 45% percent of homes in the zip code 84095 had radon levels above 4 pCi/l, as did 35.4% of homes in the zip code 84009. If you live in South Jordan, there’s a very significant chance that your home has a dangerous level of radon, which makes the city’s proclamation of Radon Ac-

tion Month particularly poignant. If you have dangerous radon levels in your house, how can you lower them? Most radon mitigation methods involve sealing up any cracks in the foundation that radon can get through, followed by venting the existing radon out through various means—simply plugging up cracks is not enough to restore a home to safe levels. One common method is active subslab suction, also called active subslab depressurization. This involves installing a system that collects the radon from beneath the building before it can enter, and vents it to the air above the home, where it is quickly diluted to a safe level. These systems generally consist of a plastic pipe connected to both the soil and a quiet, continuously-operating fan, which sucks the radon out. “Mitigation isn’t as expensive as you may think,” said radon-induced lung cancer survivor Jan Poulsen said on the Department of Environmental Quality’s website. “It can typically can be done for $1,500 or less. The cost of my lung cancer treatment to date is running upwards of $1.25 million, so mitigation is pretty cost-effective if you think about it.” According to the EPA, even homes with very high radon levels can be reduced to 4pCi/l 95% of the time, and efforts to reduce radon levels below 2pCi/l are effective 70% of the time. Even if you can’t get it below 2%, reducing your radon level still reduces your risk of cancer by a lot. The Department of Environmental Quality can direct you to reputable contractors for installing radon mitigation systems, and also sells radon tests for $10.95 each, which includes the laboratory costs of analyzing your sample. Radon tests are also sold at hardware stores such as Lowes, but don’t buy them there. Hardware store tests often lure you in with a low up-front price, but then won’t actually give you results until you pay a $60 lab fee. l

West Jordan City Journal

Round up of West Jordan, Copper Hills basketball By Travis Barton | travis.b@thecityjournals.com

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Apply today at workatjordan.org/apply Justhin Hurtado takes an inbound pass during a home game against Riverton. (Travis Barton/City Journals)

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The Jaguars are in their third season under head coach Mason Sawyer. After a 17-8 record a year ago that featured a Region 2 championship and quarterfinal loss to eventual state champion Fremont, West Jordan is in an uphill battle at the moment. As the team got region play underway at press time, the Jags had lost its opening two games to Hunter (60-54) and Kearns (54-48) before responding with a big win at Granger 62-29. Preseason saw West Jordan go 2-5 grabbing victories against Viewmont and Mountain Ridge while losing to future region rivals Herriman and Riverton as well as its city rival, Copper Hills. West Jordanâ€™s biggest difficulty may be on the offensive end as the team has only once scored more than 60 points, averaging 49 points per game while allowing almost 54. The Jags have time to turn it around as five of their remaining seven region games are at home.

Copper Hills boys basketball

At press time, Copper Hills was 7-3 with its three losses coming in a week span in mid-December. All three came against contenders Skyridge, Davis and Layton. Other than that week, the Grizzlies were spotless through 10 games featuring wins over West Jordan, Cyprus, Syracuse, Cedar City and Hillcrest in preseason while starting

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off with two victories over West and Riverton. The Region 3 contenders have a balanced offense with three players averaging double figures: senior Carson Butler (12 per game), junior Quincy Hills (11 per game) and junior McCoy Langston (10 per game).

West Jordan girls basketball

The Jaguars were 3-7 at press time having defeated West, Cedar Valley and region rival Granger. The team was 2-5 in preseason losing to pedigreed teams such as Herriman, Lone Peak and East. Multiple girls have chipped in on the scoring this season, but after 10 games Madison Anderson leads the team with almost 10 points per game.

Copper Hills girls basketball

Semifinalists a year ago, the Grizzlies entered the year with a new coach in Jake Timpson. The young team was 5-6 at press time, going 4-5 in preseason before splitting its first two region games. Copper Hills lost to contenders Fremont and Lone Peak as part of a tough preseason. And tipped off region with two lopsided games, a 66-23 victory over West and a 6938 loss to Riverton. The Grizzlies had five players averaging more than five points per game, but none averaging more than eight. l

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February 2021 | Page 25

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WestJordanJournal .com

February 2021 | Page 27

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

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

Rob Beck of Wealth Management CPAs in Murray has a simple but effective approach to help people plan for the future – he gets the experts in the same room. “I am a CPA who loves helping people build their wealth,” said Beck, who loves numbers, math and watching the economy. But he does not like watching his friends delay their retirement. And he does not love it when the government gets a portion of someone’s legacy that could have gone to loved ones or a favorite charity. “In 2008 the markets took a hit. I watched one of my mentors – an accomplished CPA – delay his retirement. I also watched my tax clients’ investments go down as their taxes went up. “I wondered what on earth was going on. How can you lose money and have to pay more in taxes?” Beck said. So he did something very simple – he asked his friends, who were financial planners and estate planning attorneys, what advice they were giving. “I realized each professional was independently giving good advice, but without all of the pieces of the puzzle, it was incomplete. We were focused on different things. I saw that many people often need all-encompassing financial advice, that includes

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not only financial planning, but a comprehensive tax strategy as well. So, I started Wealth Management CPAs, to bridge that gap” Beck said. Beck has a business motto: Be kind, be competent. The motto works. People who schedule a complimentary consultation with him at www. WealthCPAs.com often become loyal clients. “Call us at (801) CPA-HELP (801.272.4357) or email us at info@ WealthCPAs.com and we’ll look over your retirement plan for gaps,” Beck said. Beck enjoys talking to clients without watching the clock run. “We always offer two complimentary consultations to answer

questions. In these consultations, we’ve been able to help many people with their financial, tax, and estate plans. We take pride in our work.” A powerful video on Beck’s website www.WealthCPAs.com demonstrates how they helped a woman dramatically improve her plan. It is under the “Why Choose Us” tab and well worth four minutes of your time. “A woman came to us after her husband passed away. She had an IRA, money in the bank and a life insurance policy. “Her attorney created a family trust and told her to move the three assets into it. But her financial advisor told her to just name her family as beneficiaries. She was confused,” Beck said. Beck knew both experts were only looking at their pieces of the puzzle. The woman needed someone who would look at the whole picture. “With her original plan, we noticed as CPAs, that upon her death the IRS would receive $450,000! Yikes.” “We rearranged her exact same assets so that her family received $1.5 million. And the IRS? Well…they got ‘disinherited’,” Beck said. As a fiduciary, Beck is obligated to

make sure he gives his clients unbiased advice. His industry is heavily regulated, and he wants people to know when they call him at (801) CPA-HELP (801.272.4357), they will find a partner who cares about them, with the necessary skills to help set up a comprehensive plan for them. “I’ve learned that genuinely listening to people and helping them on their journey in life comes back to me in spades. When you have professionals working together as a team to build a coordinated comprehensive strategy, you will find the gaps and missing pieces in your plan. Let us help you do that,” Beck said. Advisory services are offered through Wealth Management CPAs, LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor in the state of Utah. Tax services offered through Wealth Management Tax Solutions, an affiliated company. Insurance products and services offered through Wealth Management Insurance Solutions, LLC, an affiliated company. Wealth Management CPAs, LLC, Wealth Management Tax Solutions and Wealth Management Insurance Solutions, LLC are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any government agency.

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Page 28 | February 2021

West Jordan City Journal

Vaccines expanded and administered to more Salt Lake County residents

Aimee Winder Newton Salt Lake County Council | District 3

Since COVID-19 vaccines were approved and rollout began for healthcare workers and teachers, we have all been a little more hopeful that the end of the pandemic is drawing near. A few weeks ago, vaccinations were expanded to Utahns 70 years of age or older. Vaccinations were prioritized in this manner by the State of Utah to provide protection to those on the front lines of fighting the pandemic and to reduce the number of fatalities among those most vulnerable to COVID-19. The State is making the determination on which groups will receive vaccinations, but they have recognized that counties and their local health departments are best equipped to carry out the actual vaccine administration. I was able to meet with Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson, Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson and health officials from both the county and state as we discussed the best way to vaccinate as many people as possible. The State of Utah is working hard to obtain more vaccines from the federal government and our county is dedicated to getting vaccines to residents as soon as we receive each batch. Your Salt Lake County Health Department has been hard at work preparing and executing the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine. In the national vetting of the vaccine, no steps were skipped to ensure its safety and efficacy. I have seen the vaccine administered at the Mountain America Expo Center and the process is orga-

nized and sanitary. As of Jan. 19, the Salt Lake County Health Department had administered 21,400 vaccines. As you are eligible to obtain the vaccine, I encourage you to do so. The faster you and those around you can get vaccinated, the better off we will all be. Here is some additional information that may be helpful: Hospital healthcare workers are being vaccinated by their employers. Long-term care facility healthcare workers are being vaccinated through their employers by Walgreens, CVS and Community Nursing Services. All other healthcare workers who live or work in Salt Lake County are being vaccinated by the Salt Lake County Health Department.

Teachers and other school staff will have their vaccines administered through their school district via Community Nursing Services (CNS), but information can be found at cnscares.org/covid19vaccine-educator Those 70 years of age or older can sign up to be notified of vaccination appointments at SaltLakeHealth.org (click “COVID” then click “Vaccine”) or can obtain more information by calling the Salt Lake County Health Department at (385) 468-7468. There is no cost to get vaccinated, regardless of whether you have health insurance or not. For general information regarding the rollout and groups able to receive the vaccine, visit: coronavirus.utah.gov/vaccine

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February 2021 | Page 29

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West Jordan City Journal

A lot on my plate

Life

Laughter AND

PERI KINDER

Fear sells, but why does the food industry use anxiety to sell products? I mean, if there’s one thing the seven billion people on this planet agree on, it’s that we need food. (And Baby Yoda is adorable. That’s universally accepted.) When COVID hit last spring, I heard we’d run out of beef by autumn. My husband lost his mind. Someone told me canned vegetables would be as valuable as gold, which is good because I’d rather wear a can of peas on a chain around my neck than have to eat them. Experts tell us food is plentiful and cheaper than ever before. Just the food left over from Las Vegas buffets could feed several Third World countries for generations. They’d all develop diabetes and heart disease, but they’d have plenty of food. And that’s the other fear; the idea that the food we eat, even broccoli and kale, has no nutritional value because the soil’s been depleted of nutrients and we’re consuming the dietary equivalent of Rice Krispies for each meal. So, we hear companies proclaiming to have discovered new, perfect foods. Not just foods— Super Foods (with a heartbreaking origin story). They ask questions like, Do you poop every day at noon? Are you often irritable? Well, you’re eating the wrong food! Social media is awash in these types of

ads. “Buy our product made of 300 superfoods found only in caves along the Ganges River!” “Learn the secret of Cleopatra’s radiant skin, Helen of Troy’s weight loss supplement and Queen Elizabeth’s longevity.” (Spoiler alert: it’s never having to clean your own toilet.) Companies tell us fans are “raving” about their green juice. False news. No one raves about green juice. The recipes have unknown ingredients like chlorella (a dried sea vegetable) and rhodiola, a cold-climate plant used by Vikings. Mmmmm. Yummy. (Sidenote: Vikings are dead. Did rhodiola kill them?) Mushrooms are the new meat. The reishi mushroom is called the Queen of the Mushrooms because…um…it has a crown? I guess psilocybin mushrooms would be King of the Mushrooms, or at least the laid-back, hippie

brother-in-law of the mushrooms. Pretend meat is also the new meat. Impossible Meat might be better for the planet, but with its soy, wheat and vegetable ingredients shaped and colored to look like chicken nuggets, it’s definitely not health food. And don’t think it’s safe to drink water. No, sir! You can’t drink tap water, bottled water, well water, river water, toilet water or any other water unless it’s gone through an expensive, artesian reverse osmosis process. I used to drink water out of the hose in my front yard. I’m sure I’ll die full of mercury, lead and chlorine. Spinach and romaine lettuce routinely try to kill us, and don’t get me started on GMO conspiracy theories. I don’t have that kind of time. Are apples still good for us? Can we eat corn without worrying about growing a third arm? Does everything have to be organic, farm-fresh and certified because according to Facebook, we’re all doomed! I know Americans don’t have the best diets but throw me a grass-fed bone. We’re assaulted on all sides and just trying not to dive headfirst into a bucket of chicken for a morning snack. Let’s drop the fear, food industry, and go back to promoting wellness as we wait to hear if Baby Yoda will be on the next season of “The Mandalorian.” Some things are more important than organic bananas.

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February 2021 | Page 31

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Advisory services are offered through Wealth Management CPAs, LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor in the state of Utah. Tax services offered through Wealth Management Tax Solutions, an affiliated company. Insurance products and services offered through Wealth Management Insurance Solutions, LLC, an affiliated company. Wealth Management CPAs, LLC, Wealth Management Tax Solutions and Wealth Management Insurance Solutions, LLC are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any government agency.

February 2021 | Vol. 21 Iss. 02

FREE NEW INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE PROGRAM COMES TO JORDAN DISTRICT By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

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