West Jordan Journal | January 2023

COLLEGE AND CAREER OPTIONS FUELED BY IN-DEPTH JATC COURSES

By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

West Jordan High student Nick Perez is currently working with a team of students to design and build a drone. They design the parts on the computer and then print them out on 3D printers and laser cutters and then solder the parts together. When complete, the drone will be evaluated by industry professionals who will send the top designs on to state competition.

Perez hopes his team’s drone does well in the Technology Student Association competition because he hopes to someday start his own drone company. He is gaining the necessary skills by taking advanced engineering classes at the Jordan Academy for Technology and Careers. He takes the bus from West Jordan High to the JATC for a half day of classes.

Competition projects are part of the curriculum at the JATC, which offers 27 classes in engineering, health sciences, information technology, skilled and technical sciences, teacher education and agriculture.

Bingham High senior Liberty Warner registered for classes at the JATC because of her interest in architecture.

“I wanted a real hands-on experience of what the career would be like, and this is more in-depth than the classes at Bingham,” Warner said.

She has been impressed with everything she has learned.

“What I like about this class is that you can see the full product,” she said. “After we've worked on the structure and the waterways and everything that goes into a building—you learn it all separately—but then eventually, at the end of the

Kole Tengberg, Alyssa Hoggan and Austin Wells work on a lab experiment at the JATC. (Jet Burnham/City Journals)

Derek D. Bohne CLU, CHFC

Jordan

Hundreds of teens who may have gone without gifts this holiday season got an early Christmas thanks to a caring community and the Jordan Education Foundation. The Foundation raised $75,000 to provide a holiday shopping spree for more than 500 students in need throughout Jordan School District at their annual “Christmas for Kids” event.

On Dec. 10, the students partnered with volunteer chaperones who took them shopping at Walmart in South Jordan for everything from clothes and boots to beds, comforters, warm coats, and more. Every student got to spend $150.00 on holiday gifts. Santa Claus was there to spread some holiday cheer along with firefighters, police, and city leaders. l

WEST JORDAN TEAM

The West Jordan City Journal is a monthly publication distributed directly to residents via the USPS as well as locations throughout West Jordan.

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Flu season is here and the doctors at Southpoint want to make sure that their patients avoid getting sick by receiving their annual flu shot. Call our office today to schedule a well visit for your child, and get a flu (or COVID) vaccine while you’re here!

Doctors: Kevin Lash, MD Brian Buchanan, MD Darin Bosworth, MD Alissa Packer, MD Michael Ellis, MD

Nurse Practitioners: Steve Ostergaard, NP Teresa McNaught, CPNP Laura Clyde, NP

Mental Health Team: Nate Ridge, PhD-PAC Kapono Barton, CSW

Registered Dietician: Melody Jones, RD

West Jordan 2022

Westland Elementary students perform a Broadway music review Mach. 24. (Jet Burnham/City Journals)

Disney Institute brought a One-Day Professional Development Course sponsored by ODP Business Solutions to West Jordan this summer. This was the first time in history for this class to be held in Utah. (Courtesy Disney Institute)

Boys practice ballet at En Pointe School. (Photo courtesy Rachael Ellis)

West Jordan High students rehearse for their upcoming production of “Footloose.” (Photo courtesy of Tony Akin)

Second graders at Mountain Shadows Elementary perform a Samoan slap dance, part of a musical journey around the world on Culture Night. (Jet Burnham/City Journals)

Natalie Sellers, Antelope Canyon Elementary’s Teacher of the Year. (Photo courtesy of JEF.)

Copper Hills 4x400 relay makes a successful exchange at the state unified track meet. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

A variety of activity booths allowed students and parents to learn about Chinese culture and traditions at the districtwide Chinese New Year celebration. (Photo courtesy of Jordan School District.)

Madison Jennings unleashes a pitch in the spring for the Copper Hills Grizzlies softball team. (City Journals)

Despite injuries, the West Jordan football team earned the eighth seed for the playoffs. (Photo by Pat McDonald)

Dr. Deborah Swensen, a beloved administrator at Hawthorn Academy, retired in June. (Photo courtesy of Halley Miranda.)

Enrique Sanchez, Intermountain State Director for the American Business Immigration Coalition, introduces the speakers for the press conference. The American Business Immigration Coalition partnered with the Salt Lake Chamber and Utah Farm Bureau Federation to educate the public about the need for immigration law changes to support local farming. (Image/ABIC)

An Antelope Canyon student races against an Oquirrh student during the 50-meter dash at Jordan School District’s Sports Day. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

In February, 50 students taking advanced history and government classes at West Jordan High School went on a five-day trip to Washington, D.C. Arranged by teachers, the trip was packed with educational experiences at monuments and museums. (Photo courtesy Crystal Coe)

Councilmember David Pack sings the “Star Spangled Banner” during the January swearing-in ceremony. (Erin Dixon/City Journals)

Local police and Jordan School District work together for not if, but when

By Rachel Aubrey | r.aubrey@mycityjournals.com

Columbine High School. Sandy Hook Elementary. Stoneman Douglas High School. Robb Elementary. St. Louis High School. We recognize these names not because of the stellar standardized testing scores or the outstanding sports seasons, but because at one time there was an active shooter on each of these campuses, and tragedy ensued.

According to the K-12 School Shooting Database, “Incidents are labeled as an ‘active shooter’ when the shooter killed and/or wounded victims, either targeted or random, within the school campus during a continuous episode of violence.”

The aforementioned list of schools are just the incidents that caught media attention, in large part, because of the number of casualties.

According to Everytown for Gun Safety Research*, “In 2022 there [were] at least 140 incidents of gunfire on school grounds, resulting in 46 deaths and 111 injuries nationally.”

*(At the time this article was written, data was up to date as of Nov. 4, 2022)

While there may be a lot of unanswered questions as a result of these horrific events, at a local level, there have come to be a lot of answers. These answers come in the form of police officer training, and school district collaboration and school compliance.

Police officer training

near those schools. Any call made by schools needing officer assistance will be dispatched to an SRO nearby. There are seven SROs within South Jordan City, including Anderson. These are sworn officers who have had at least a year of patrol experience.

If an active shooter situation were to occur on a school campus, the school resource officer is the first point of contact. Anderson said that if a 911 call was made by school staff, officers within South Jordan, who share radio frequency with neighboring cities Herriman and Riverton police departments, would respond with great numbers.

“If that level of extreme happens…there is an active shooter in the school…I guarantee that everyone and anyone is going to show up on that type of incident,” Anderson said.

While it is a comfort to know that in the event of an active shooter on campus all hands would be on deck, Anderson said that could cause a lot of chaos. The South Jordan Police actively train for mitigation of that chaos, or incident command.

Dunford did, however, express hesitancy on giving away too many details about the specific preparation the district has in place. However, on Oct. 11, 2022, during a weekly school board meeting, which is available to the public, Deputy Chief Ken Wallentine, along with Lieutenant Richard Bell, both of West Jordan Police Department, were invited to engage with the board about the unique and ongoing collaboration between the police and the district.

Early in the conversation, Wallentine highlighted a specific example of collaboration that is currently in place, the use of SAFE UT, an app created “through bipartisan legislation in response to Utah’s unacceptably high youth suicide rate,” according to the Huntsman Mental Health Institute. The app is monitored by the district as well as the police department for tips about potential threats to students, teachers and staff.

“I do have a deep and abiding commitment to the schools of our community,” Wallentine said. “That commitment is also to the collaborative effort [the police department] enjoy with our schools.”

All schools within Jordan School District require visitors to enter the campus through the main office located at the front entrance of the school. (Rachel Aubrey/City Journals)

open for the purposes of convenience.

School resource officer training was brought up during the board meeting as well, specifically active shooter training.

“I am confident law enforcement in Jordan School District is very well trained,” Dunford said.

Shauna Becker has been with the South Jordan City Police Department for approximately four years and has been a school resource officer for two of those years at Mountain Creek Middle School. Her decision to join law enforcement was largely prompted by the terrible events that occurred in February 2018 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. She said she was part of conversations after that incident that were, what she called, finger pointing conversations, focused on the could’ve, would’ve, should’ve.

Officer

“All of this negativity, and everyone pointing fingers, it made me realize we’re all a bunch of hypocrites,” Becker said.

Becker said that with all of the finger pointing going on, becoming a police officer was her effort to do something meaningful to protect those in her community. As a mother herself, she said that joining law enforcement has helped her to understand that there are other resource officers, on other school campuses, willing to ensure the safety of her own kids.

“And hopefully that gives another mother some peace of mind knowing that I’m at the school protecting her kiddos,” Becker said.

Sgt. Eric Anderson is over the school resource officers within South Jordan City. There are 15 public schools, including 10 elementary, three middle, and two high schools within the city limits. There are currently no SROs specifically assigned at the charter schools or the private schools within South Jordan, however South Jordan Police patrol the areas in and

In addition, South Jordan Police has specific training for school resource officers including Avoid, Deny, Defend, Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events, and single man building clearing. While the thought of being shot at could possibly keep them awake at night, officers like Anderson, who has been a police officer for more than 21 years, Becker, and countless others, know the risks and are willing to put their uniforms on to protect and serve.

“Even the officers that are not school resource officers themselves, there is not one officer within South Jordan that would not run head first into a school, if need be,” Becker said. “Not one of them would hesitate.”

At a district level, board member and First Vice President Bryce Dunford said in his six years on the board, he gets constant inquiries about safety, often from parents, wanting to know if their kids are safe at school. His message is that Jordan School District is taking all necessary measures, directly and indirectly, to work and partner with local law enforcement to ensure students are safe at school.

“I think parents would be very surprised to know how close that relationship is between the police departments and the school district,” Dunford said. “And everything they have asked us to do, we’ve done.”

Dunford said that when a report comes out about an active shooter on a school campus, such as Uvalde, Texas, Jordan School District personnel consume and examine every inch of it in an effort to ascertain how ready they are for when something similar happens closer to home.

“Safety has been the one thing where we [the board] have just been the most united,” Dunford said. “Very few people show any hesitance in doing something to make students safer.”

Wallentine made it a point in the meeting to emphasize that often, police do more than just enforce rules and laws. Sometimes the duties and responsibilities encompass emotional and mental needs as well as physical safety.

“We do our best to have our officers be seen as something other than the enforcer,” Wallentine said.

More than just a police officer, Becker is a familiar face in the school and a safe point of contact for students. She cracks jokes with the middle schoolers, or she will be on elementary campuses and may sit and color with the kids during a DARE activity. Those simple interactions, according to Becker, could be students’ very first interaction with law enforcement.

School compliance

Even if there were enough personnel and funding to allow for a SRO at every school campus, the district has found ways to allow for infrastructure to be more secure. Beginning in 2018, Bingham High School underwent major renovations including fresh paint, new HVAC, ADA approved ramps and elevators and a renovation of the main office entrance. These renovations continue to happen in phases.

According to Bingham High School Vice Principal Art Erickson, there are more than 40 possible entrances into Bingham. While these entrances are to remain locked from the outside during school hours, forcing all those who want to enter to come through the main office, it is entirely possible for a door to be propped

The tragedy in Ulvade, Texas started with a door. A door that had been propped open for a time, had been shut but not locked, thus allowing the shooter access to the school. Wallentine and the board acknowledged and addressed this in the board meeting with Emergency Operations Manager, Lance Everill, as a possible breakdown in safety protocol.

Also mentioned in the Oct. 11 meeting were whether or not alarms should be adopted for propped open doors. With approximately 2,500 students at Bingham, there are students and staff coming and going at all times of day.

“Because of the ability we have for students to access part of their school day curriculum outside of the just being on campus proper, there is a need to allow them to come and to go,” Erickson said.

Rather than alarms, Erickson said he would love to see more full-time hall monitors who are able to interact with the students and who monitor halls for things like propped open doors. Another concern for Bingham High were dead spots within the school, areas where radio signal strength was subpar. According to Erikson, those issues have been addressed at Bingham.

“In our world, in law enforcement, we always train for not if, but when,” Anderson said.

To access the Oct. 11 board meeting recording visit https://jordandistrict.org/board/ meetings/.

For more information and statistics about school shootings in the US visit https://k12ssdb. org/. Note: in July 2022, the K-12SSDB became an independent, nonpartisan research project that is not affiliated with any institution or agency. l

Salt Lake County Council approves funding for a temporary mental health receiving center

With a $2.5 million allocation from the American Rescue Plan Act, the Salt Lake County Council approved funding for a temporary mental health receiving center at the Huntsman Mental Health Institute (501 Chipeta Way).

As an alternative to jail or the emergency room, the temporary center will accept residents going through a mental health crisis, brought in by law enforcement. The center will focus on getting people the professional help they need.

“The current option is to take those who are experiencing a crisis to jail or an emergency room, which is costly, can take more of an officer’s time, and may not give those in crisis the long-term help they need,” said Ross Van Vranken, executive director of the HMHI. “We applaud the council and mayor’s foresight and commitment to mental health resources.”

Funds from the council will cover the cost of retrofitting and expanding an existing space at the HMHI. It will also cover 17 months of staffing to allow operations beginning in April 2023 until the construction of the Kem and Carolyn Gardner Mental Health Crisis Care Center is finished in fall 2024.

The new center is being built in South

Salt Lake and will be a place where people can go to stabilize and connect with vital mental health resources. The temporary location at HMHI will address those needs until the center opens. It will help alleviate the Salt Lake County Jail which houses a large population of people needing mental health services.

“The county is designated as the mental health authority by the state, and we operate the jail, so this is a good fit,” said Salt Lake County Councilwoman Aimee Winder Newton. “This investment will not only improve mental health outcomes but will save taxpayer dollars in the long run.”

As was proposed in Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson’s budget, the council will also approve an additional $1 million toward the construction of the Kem and Carolyn Gardner Mental Health Crisis Care Center.

“The $1 million donation was included in my proposed budget to go towards the construction of the permanent space,” Wilson said. “We are committed to getting this finished and appreciate all those who have partnered on this project.”

The $3.5 million commitment from the county is part of a public-private collaboration with the Larry H. and Gail Miller

Family Foundation, which has committed $3.5 million to the construction of Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Integrated Healing and Innovation Center, helping those in crisis. The integrated center will provide legal support services, case management, medical and dental support, and mental wellness counseling.

“In the time I’ve been on the council, I’ve never seen eight council members co-sponsor an agenda item,” said Salt Lake County Council Chair Laurie Stringham. “This shows the commitment of the Council to support mental health resources for our residents.” l

A temporary mental health receiving center, at the existing Huntsman Mental Health Institute, will allow law enforcement officers to bring people experiencing a mental health crisis to a safe place to receive professional help. (Photo courtesy of Huntsman Mental Health Institute)

Small Utah businesses come together at the Battlecreek Boutique

By Isa Alcaraz | i.alcaraz@my.cityjournals.com

A nother January has arrived, and the new year often brings a fresh start to goals, plans and, whether you like it or not, shopping. Even with the intensity of holiday shopping in the past for now, there is always another event to buy a gift for, peaking right around the corner. From birthdays to anniversaries, the different celebrations often create a pressure to give the perfect gift, and the task isn’t always easy.

But one possible solution for all the frustration: shop local.

Schmidt’s Greenhouse, a local business founded in 1911, hosted the Battlecreek Boutique to kick off the holiday season last month.

The three-day gift and craft show featured more than 80 locally owned small businesses with a wide variety of merchandise for sale. From sweet treats and trinkets, to art, books and more, the Battlecreek Boutique highlighted just how special small businesses are. Regardless of what they were selling, every vendor offered unique, fun and useful products.

The Battlecreek Boutique started in 1980 and was originally named after Battlecreek Canyon in Pleasant Grove. Throughout its history, the boutique’s messaging is greater than just buying things, it’s all about community.

“Local business impacts the community in every way possible,” said Julie Taggart, owner of the Battlecreek Boutique. “We are helping a family pay for piano lessons or participation in the rec baseball team.” Taggart, who has owned the boutique for seven years now, highlighted the types of people who own these small businesses, and how close to home they truly

are.

“My mom and grandma used to crochet dish towels and sell them at the Mormon Handicraft for years. We are moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas,” Taggart said. “We have vendors who sit at their sewing machine for hours making and preparing items to sell, grandpas who make wooden toys in the garages, dreaming of the kids who will play with their new trains.”

Putting together the Battlecreek Boutique each year requires a lot of preparation and collaboration. Taggart usually starts working on the Christmas show in June of each year, and spends months emailing vendors, state tax specialists and city and state business licensing offices. Then come the discussions deciding on a good variety of vendors who best represent the community.

“Our main goal is to have as many handcrafted/homemade products as possible,” she said. “We even offer small booths to youth entrepreneurs 14 years old and younger to participate.”

Trade shows like the Battlecreek Boutique also offer local businesses the opportunity to meet their customers and fellow shop owners face to face and allow for great relationships to build.

Kristen Verzello, who was at the December show with Usborne Books and More, enjoys the solidarity that comes from participating in the Battlecreek Boutique. “Doing boutiques and shows is hard work, so there is a true camaraderie between vendors that just can’t be described. They’re the only ones who truly appreciate all of the work you do,” she said.

Usborne Books & More is a division

of Educational Development Corporation, a children’s book publishing company, and distributes books through independent consultants. Verzello, who has been with Usborne Books for over a year now, reflected on how the stress that small businesses endure are things big box stores can’t relate to, simply because they don’t have to.

“There are many challenges having a small business, but the biggest for me right now is shipping,” Verzello said. “It’s impossible to compete with Amazon’s free shipping, and people have come to expect that from companies. It just isn’t feasible for small companies to offer that.”

And they shouldn’t, as the thing that sets small businesses apart is the care they put into their products. Every penny funds their passion to give the world something unique and make the lives of their customers a little bit better.

In a modern world where distance is the standard, the Battlecreek Boutique brings people together. “I love the faceto-face interaction I get at shows like Battlecreek Boutique. Most of my business is done online, so I don’t get the same type of feedback that I get in person. I love to see people’s faces when I show them a book!” Verzello said.

Another plus to shopping locally is the pride the owners take in every aspect of their business. For example, ONDA, a family-oriented towel company that was featured at the Battlecreek Boutique, takes their role as a business very seriously.

“It means accountability,” Gustavo Dalanhese, a representative for ONDA said. “We create our policies and make our decisions and if we make a mistake there

isn’t a faceless corporation to hide behind. We own it and address it.” This perspective is crucial in creating a mutually beneficial brand/customer relationship.

The Battlecreek Boutique not only creates positive vibes amongst small businesses and their customers, it’s also good for the businesses in improving their craft.

“Boutique trade shows create a platform for businesses to test and refine products, messaging, talking points, marketing and pricing,” Dalanhese said. “At these boutiques you get direct and immediate feedback and it’s critical to get better and grow.” l

The Battlecreek Boutique was brought to West Jordan seven years ago. (Isa Alcaraz/City Journals)

The Battlecreek Boutique hosts more than 80 locally owned small businesses each year. (Isa Alcaraz/ City Journals)

ONDA towels can be used at the beach, gym and on the go. (Isa Alcaraz/City Journals)

Peach and Bee Produce offers fresh honey and more from Utah farms. (Isa Alcaraz/City Journals)

Usborne Books and More features a variety of interactive books for kids. (Isa Alcaraz/City Journals)

Granger Medical Clinic was founded in 1954 with the philosophy that people shouldn’t have to travel outside of their community in order to find quality healthcare services. That’s why we are proud to offer family medicine and specialty care for the West Valley City area!

Granger offers exceptional healthcare for you and your family, with a lifetime commitment to quality, compassion, and respect. Our highly trained providers have the skills and expertise needed to provide you with a superior level of care. We are ready to partner with you to help you achieve optimal health!

Contact us at 801.965.3600 for more information or visit our website using the QR code or going to:

GRANGERMEDICAL.COM/LOCATIONS/FAIRBOURNE-STATION

Our specialties serving the West Valley City community:

• Audiology

• Ear, Nose, & Throat

• Endocrinology

• Family Medicine

• Gastroenterology

• General Surgery

• Internal Medicine

Exceptional Care. One Patient at a Time.

2965 W. 3500 S. West Valley City, UT | 84119

Granger Medical Clinic fue fundada en 1954 con la filosofía de que las personas no deberían tener que viajar fuera de su comunidad para poder encontrar servicios de atención médica de calidad. ¡Es por eso que estamos orgullosos de ofrecer medicina familiar y atención especializada para la zona de West Valley City!

Granger ofrece una atención médica excepcional para usted y su familia, con un compromiso de por vida hacia la calidad, la compasión y el respeto. Nuestros proveedores altamente capacitados tienen las habilidades y la experiencia necesarias para brindarle un nivel superior de atención. ¡Estamos listos para asociarnos con usted para ayudarle a que tenga una salud óptima!

Utah cities are becoming more food truck-friendly

By Sarah Morton Taggart | s.taggart@mycityjournals.com

The Salt Lake area isn’t usually thought of as a top food truck destination, but that might now change thanks to a new state law.

House Bill 146 became effective in May and restricts the ability of a city or county to require a separate business license if the food truck owner already has a valid license in another Utah community. In other words, it requires food truck owners to obtain a business license from just one city—not every single municipality or county they want to operate in. Communities around the state are gradually amending their codes to be in compliance.

Melissa Anderson from the Community Development Department presented related code amendments to the Sandy City Council on Oct. 25.

“In lieu of a Sandy City business license, mobile food business owners may submit a business license from another political subdivision in the state,” Anderson said. “The proposed amendments make it easier to operate a mobile food business in Sandy, consistent with a new state law.”

Among other changes, food truck owners will also not be required to disclose financial information or pay additional fees above the actual cost of processing the neighboring business license. The Planning Commission forwarded a positive recommendation, and the amendments were approved at the Sandy City Council meeting Nov. 15.

“The impact will be big,” said Taylor Harris, a founding partner and general manager of The Food Truck League, a network of gourmet food trucks in Utah. In addition to organizing events, the League works to promote, lobby and advocate for the industry.

Harris has been part of a four-year-long process begun by then-Sen. (now Lieutenant Governor) Deirdre Henderson and the Libertas

Institute to create a “food truck freedom” law to reduce regulations.

“Sen. Henderson brought everyone to the table,” Harris said. “What was happening was every city was doing a policy that made sense in isolation, but the compounding effects—the way we’re organized geographically in Utah— it was just killing trucks and stopping them from being able to run their businesses. So, we came up with a framework, we tried out a couple different things, and that’s evolved over the last several years and we’ve gotten to this place that’s really a happy home where it works for everybody.”

Harris said the original law has been tested and improved to the point where now it has become a model for other states.

A statement on the Libertas Institute’s website says that the new law is fair since other businesses, including catering companies, are not required to obtain licenses in each city in which they operate.

Though it will take time for every community to amend city codes to reflect the law like Sandy has, Harris believes it has already had a big impact in the day-to-day business of food truck owners and operators.

“Most of the cities we work with are working on it,” Harris said. “In practice they’re implementing it and working on formalizing it. I think for cities there’s this balance. They don’t want to lose control over protecting their public, and at the same time, they’re busy. They don’t want duplication any more than we do. They just want to make sure that everything is safe and taken care of, and I think this law addressed that concern.”

The Food Truck League held its first public event in May 2015 and has hosted events throughout the valley ever since, including Food Truck Mondays at Sandy Amphitheater

Park, 1245 E. 9400 South.

“We work with Sandy to do their event at the amphitheater,” Harris said. “It has been a great event, but this will make it easier to bring a wider variety of trucks in. Now we can pull from all the best trucks Utah has to offer, instead of just the best trucks registered in Sandy.”

The League counts over 300 distinct food trucks in its network. Harris recommends visiting the League’s site www.thefoodtruckleague.

com/food-trucks/trucks/ to find food trucks all year long.

“Anyone that knows restaurants knows that’s a hard business,” Harris said. “They don’t do it for money, they do it for love. So to give them tools to be more successful is really exciting. And this legislation allows the regulatory environment to help our creators get out there and not get shut down due to signing paper work over and over again.” l

A new city ordinance will make it easier for more food trucks to participate in events like Food Truck Mondays at Sandy’s Amphitheater Park. (Photos courtesy The Food Truck League)

New 55+ Community

Now

Building in South Jordan

Just south of Salt Lake Community College, Utah’s leading builder of active adult communities has begun construction of their newest development. Leisure Villas, known for their lifestyle-oriented neighborhoods, has broken ground on what is promising to be one of their more premiere locations.

55+ Community offers better living for retirees

While nobody likes to see another open field disappear to housing, it is nice to see that it will be constructed by a builder who has a strong reputation for not only building quality homes, but homes and communities that are attractive and fun.

Hearthstone Villas, located at 9550 S. 3400 W. has just opened its first building for sale. While supply and labor shortages threaten to slow construction, the builder is committed to doing all in their power to open four new homes for sale each month.

This long-anticipated community will soon have its community clubhouse under construction also, with its accompanying amenities, like a pool, theater, exercise room, billiards, library, community gathering areas. This community is also planning on installing two pickleball courts and some horseshoe pits in the next phase of construction. Needless to say, there will be plenty to do, and great people to do it with.

If you would like more information about this new community, you can speak with a representative by visiting the sales office on site, or by calling: 801-701-1147.

PROVENTION CELIAC DISEASE STUDY

This study is for adults 18 - 70 years, they must have a diagnosis of celiac disease. This study involves the use of a drug called PRV-015. PRV-015 is an antibody designed to block an immune system protein called interleukin 15 (IL-15). IL-15 is made in the small intestine and is one trigger that causes intestinal inflammation followed by death of the intestinal cells. In people with celiac disease, this immune response can be caused by eating gluten, in previous studies, PRV-015 has been shown to reduce inflammation in the intestine and improve the symptoms of celiac disease when used together with GFD (gluten-free diet).

GSK HPV EVE STUDY

This is a study for females 16- 26, The human papillomavirus (HPV) is a virus that commonly affects the skin and the soft tissues (mucous membranes) around the genital area. These infections are common in both men and women and are often transmitted through sexual intercourse or another skin-to-skin contact. Symptoms vary from rashes to warts in the hands, feet, face, and genital area. Some types of cancer, such as cervical cancer are linked to HPV infections. There are more than 100 variants, this study is looking at an investigational vaccine called HPV9, the main purpose of the study is to see whether the study vaccine is safe when given to women aged between 16 and 26 years, in a 3-dose vaccination scheme. In addition to this, the study will look at how safe the study vaccine is compared with an approved (already available for use) HPV vaccine called GARDASIL 9.

This study is for adults 18 and older, who haven’t already received a flu vaccine this year, This study aims to see if a new type of influenza vaccine, called quadrivalent influenza modRNA vaccine (qIRV), is well tolerated and can help the body produce antibodies that may help fight influenza. Hemagglutinin (HA) is a protein that is made by the influenza virus that is important in how the virus works. The influenza virus can mutate the form of HA it makes, which means each year different strains of the influenza virus, making different forms of HA, become widespread worldwide. Each year surveillance is conducted to predict what influenza strains are likely to be most common that year, and vaccines are then tailored to combat these.

Sarah Carlson, sole proprietor of The Story Cupboard, and her sister, started the company in 1994 in their parents' dining room. Carlson had been teaching English through a sister city program in Matsumoto, Japan, Salt Lake City’s sister city. “While in Japan I noticed the children loved American picture books. I had taught and arranged book fairs with them. After an adventure in Japan, we decided to share great kid’s books with kids, parents and schools here in the great Salt Lake area.”

Carlson’s two sisters, Cathy and Liz, were an integral part of starting the business. Later her sisters went off and did other things, leaving her the sole proprietor of The Story Cupboard. While working together, they had wonderful opportunities to bring national and local authors to do signings at schools. “We have made many wonderful friends in the schools and publishing world over a quarter century of book selling,” Carlson said.

The Story Cupboard held their first event in Japan. Carlson arranged to do book fairs with the schools she has been teaching at in Japan. The sisters had big ideas about the fair doing great, and it did do very well. It was also a learning experience. They shipped 60 boxes of books to Japan, but they didn’t sell everything. They didn’t anticipate that shipping the books back would quadruple the cost. They wondered what to do with all the books. They went around to different stores and offered the books at a lower rate, but that is not how business is done in Japan, they have relationships with their providers.

It was Christmas time and her sister had gone home. They had anticipated being done selling the books in 10 days. Carlson was in Osaka, Japan trying to figure out what to do. She was at a train station when she saw a Haagen-Dazs shop. She went in to cheer herself up. She started talking with a woman from

A great find: Books at The Story Cupboard

By Linda Steele | l.steele@mycityjournals.com

Brazil and mentioned what she was doing with the books. The woman told her about a company that sold things to America and Canada and that they were starting a line of books. The business was shut down for the holidays, but eventually Carlson was able to meet with Chuck from the company Foreign Buyers Club in Kobe, Japan. FBC said they would buy all the books. The company was also able to get cheaper shipping back to the U.S.

Both back home, the sisters decided to try doing bookfairs here. It was easier to do business in the U.S. because they understood how business is done here. They started calling schools and found out there were some other sisters that had been doing bookfairs here but were ready to be done with the business. The other sisters were excited to find people who could take over the bookfairs.

Carlson had been teaching English here at home for a few years when things started picking up with the bookfairs, providing enough to sustain Sarah and her sister. She ended up quitting her teaching job to work full time at The Story Cupboard.

The Story Cupboard goes into schools in West Jordan such as Bennion Elementary, Frost Elementary, North Star Academy, Mountain West Montessori. They do women’s businesses and partner with businesses that benefit schools. “It is important to my sisters and I to provide good quality books to schools and families. It is important to us to go through the books, read them and select books very carefully. We all love reading, and it is such a good adventure to lose yourself in a good book, it is so wonderful to be able to share that,” Carlson said.

The Story Cupboard does fundraisers and partners with businesses to benefit schools, and the bookfair impacts what books the libraries and classrooms have. Schools really like the fundraisers to benefit the schools for

the needs of the students. They are working on partnering with businesses that help benefit the schools, as well.

The Story Cupboard has a big event with Primary Children's Hospital where they give

out thousands of books to patients. Customers buy books at the event and the host earns a percentage of the sales.

For more information go to info.storycupboard.com. l

Sarah Carlson (second woman from the left) with her employees and local author Christian Heidecker (second from the right). (Photo courtesy of The Story Cupboard)

Sarah Carlson (R) with an employee at The Story Cupboard. (Photo courtesy of The Story Cupboard)

Sarah Carlson with her employees. (Photo courtesy of The Story Cupboard)

BECAUSE

Jordan Valley Medical Center has been delivering babies on the west side since 1983. As the only hospital on the west side with a Level III Newborn Intensive Care Unit, we provide the safest environment for our smallest patients.

business can market to over 250,000 homes and support the local community—all at the same time—with the City Journals. Our newspapers are the most widely read publications on the Wasatch Front. A current survey shows over 70% of homeowners read their City Journal.

WHERE THERE IS GRIEF, THERE IS GREAT LOVE Grief is an individual journey with a path as unique as each one of us. To o er support and hope, we provide various Grief Support Services for those who are mourning a recent or past loss.

Coaches weigh in on RPI system

By Greg James | g.james@mycityjournals.com

In 2019 the Utah High School Activities Association introduced the rating percentage index, a statistical system to compare and rank teams. The index establishes seeding for their state tournaments.

The purpose of the switch is to have the best teams meet in the final rounds of the playoffs.

“On balance, the RPI system is better than the old system,” Copper Hills Athletic Director Ben Morley said. “It has its flaws, and people will complain, but as long as everyone understands it was never meant to be a ranking system but rather a seeding system. It is working well in my opinion.”

Some people do not agree.

“More of your score (RPI) is out of your control than in it,” former Cottonwood head football coach Casey Miller said. “Region play by definition balances out. Your strength of schedule literally boils down to non-league games. Region games should matter. It makes me laugh, people in Utah thought the BCS screwed over Utah every year, they hated it. What have we done but created a BCS for high school. The irony makes me laugh.”

The rating is created by a formula from the team’s winning percentage, its opponent’s winning percentage and its opponent’s-opponent winning percentage. A less complicated series than it sounds. It takes into account the team's wins and losses and its opponent's strength of schedule. The system is similar to what the NCAA men's basketball committee has used to seed its basketball tournament since 1981.

This season Corner Canyon’s football team had a score of .7395, the No. 1 seed in the tournament. Taylorsville was the 26th seed with a .3008.

“For the most part, RPI doesn’t make a big difference to me,” Hunter boys soccer coach Brett Solberg said. “I am a big fan of the new playoff format. I like that more teams get a chance to participate in the playoffs.”

In the former system, only the top four teams in each region qualified for the final tournament.

Herriman’s boys soccer team finished fifth in Region 4 last spring with only three region wins. Prior to 2019, they would not have qualified to participate in the playoffs. Instead, they were the 18th seed; defeating Westlake, Corner Canyon, West, Farmington and Davis for an incredible underdog story to a state championship.

“I love a good underdog story and this new playoff bracket allows for that,” Solberg said.

In 6A football, 24 of the 26 teams qualified for the tournament. The glamour of making the tournament seems to be reduced.

“Going to the state tournament is a big deal for some of our schools,” Cyprus boys head basketball coach Tre Smith said. “Getting a higher ranking is something your program can strive for and have goals to achieve for the year.”

In its current format, the team's region

placement means nothing.

Some say exclusively using strength of schedule gives an advantage to better regions. Teams in the top regions benefit from playing each other in the regular season. Similar to a Facebook algorithm, their scores are elevated. In football, Region 2 has been labeled a lower tier and its top team (West) finished ninth in the final poll. Whereas Region 4 had three of the tournament’s top five teams.

“If you are going to make regions unimportant, just eliminate them and let the coaches schedule who they want,” Miller said. “I am an assistant at a school that did not make the playoff last year. I am telling our head coach to schedule the worst teams he can find in the preseason. We win and as the season continues, they keep losing. We get a small boost and end up 5-5. It doesn’t do us any favors to play good schools and lose.”

Scheduling can influence where your team finishes in the seeding process.

Hunter High School’s football team finished this season with a .3409 score. If they changed out the game against West Jordan and replaced it with a Corner Canyon game, despite an extreme chance of a loss to the Chargers, their score would have improved by almost one point. They would have moved up one seed in the state tournament.

Winning more often is the best way to raise your score, but a loss to a top team can also provide a boost.

“For Hunter, is losing to Corner Canyon by 100 better for their program or playing a close one against West Jordan? Winning games is better for your program than losing them. If you are a good team you will need to beat a Corner Canyon team at some point,” Miller said.

Some teams have changed who they

schedule to help them get a better RPI score.

“Teams definitely have to be more strategic in the way they schedule, but I don’t think there is one best way to do it,” Morley said. “It is about striking a balance between putting together a schedule that allows you to both win games and do it against the best competition possible.”

Copper Hills girls soccer team has steadily dropped in placement. In 2019 their preseason games were wins, but schedules changed and they began playing tougher opponents. The losses added up and their score dropped.

“It definitely changed my approach to scheduling,” Smith said. His Cyprus basketball team was scheduled to play Pleasant Grove, Bingham and Corner Canyon in this year’s preseason. “Playing against better teams helps our program down the road in the big dance.”

“We should just eliminate the regions,” Miller said. “If I want to schedule weak teams and go 9-1, that is fine. My teams will end up as a five seed, it doesn’t matter.”

Miller would like to see the UHSAA discuss the program with its coaches.

“There has never been any coach's input. I still think even with the seeding we end up with three Region 4 teams and an occasional Bingham or Farmington. It just causes complaining about seeding still,” Miller said.

Some coaches would like an unbiased human element to be introduced.

“Those that keep track of high school athletics should have some kind of say,” Smith said.

In the past, the preseason games were an opportunity for coaches to try new players or positioning to see how it would work in region games. Now those games count more than the region games, it's an up or down statistic for your RPI score.

“In soccer, because of RPI we cannot end in a tie,” Solberg said. “Some of our games have ended in long double overtimes or penalty kicks. With multiple games a week, that gives more opportunities to have an injury.”

The UHSAA announces its final RPI rankings in each sport after the final regular season games have been played. Its Facebook and Twitter pages unveil the final rankings and state tournament pairings are revealed. In the future, it could turn into an unveiling party or a YouTube-style release show. Strangely, they hide the numbers for two weeks before the final seedings are shared.

“Why do they do that, they have never said,” Miller said.

The final rankings can be big news for the players and teams.

“Yes, absolutely yes, our players, coaches, parents, fans, school administration and everyone else is paying attention to the RPI rankings,” Morley said. “It has added a new interest and intrigue to high school athletics.” l

Jalen Vigil pitched at Taylorsville in 2019, the last year of the old system used by the UHSAA. (Photo courtesy of Tim Peck photography)

The RPI has taken it on the shoulder just like this Copper Hills baseball player. It can leave a bruise but gets on base. (Photo courtesy Dave Reeder)

McCoy Langston averaged 13 points last season as his team finished sixth in the RPI. (Photo courtesy Dave Reeder)

December wrapped up the Salt Lake County annual budget process and there is great news for residents! The approved budget includes investments in open space funding, expanded mental health resources, and trails and active transportation projects.

My constituents have trusted me to judiciously use funds to perform essential functions for the community. I consider this one of my greatest responsibilities and I have committed to carefully scrutinize every dollar spent by the government. I used these principles to cast my vote for the 2023 budget.

This year the council allocated $2.5 million to fund a temporary mental health receiving center at the Huntsman Mental Health Institute (HMHI) beginning in April 2023. The Kem and Carolyn Gardner Mental Health Crisis Care Center, which is being built in South Salt Lake, is scheduled to be finished in Fall 2024. Mental health receiving centers allow law enforcement officers to bring those having a mental health crisis to a safe place where professional help is available. The County is designated as the mental health authority by the state and operates the jail, so this project is a good fit. I believe this investment will not only improve mental health outcomes but will save taxpayer dol-

Aimee Winder Newton Salt Lake County Councilwoman| District 3

lars in the long run.

The County Council also approved $85 million in funding for county deferred maintenance. Some of these projects have been put off for more than a decade and I believe it is fiscally prudent to invest dollars that will improve the efficiency and sustainability of county facilities.

The 2023 budget also included a property tax increase for the Salt Lake County libraries. The library fund is separate from the Salt Lake County line item on your taxes because Murray and Salt Lake City have their own library services and do not participate in the County library. This means we can’t use other Salt Lake County funds for the library. The library has not raised taxes in 10 years and in that time inflation has become a big factor in their budget. This increase

all, as well the constituents whom I represent in this role. I believe that it makes sense to invest in programs that will save taxpayer funds down the road, and ensure we provide good service and keep our facilities well

2022 Economic Trends Carry Over into New Year

By Robert Spendlove, Zions Bank Senior Economist

The last year brought both economic highs and lows, from soaring inflation to the lowest unemployment rate ever recorded in the Beehive State. For better and worse, we’ll see some of these economic currents carry over into 2023:

Recession fears linger. Recession fears loomed in most of 2022 as the Federal Reserve ramped up interest rates, consumer sentiment plunged, and the Gross Domestic Product contracted during the first half of the year. While the U.S. economy avoided a recession last year, thanks in part to robust consumer spending, the threat of recession persists. For one, the Treasury yield curve inverted, meaning that investors are willing to pay higher interest rates on short-term bonds than longer-term ones. Historically, this has been a warning signal that a recession could be on the way.

The labor market shines. The labor market was the star of the 2022 economy. As of August, all jobs lost in the pandemic were recovered. The unemployment rate is back down to 3.7% nationally, nearly as low as the pre-pandemic unemployment rate of 3.5%. Utah’s unemployment is nearly the lowest in the nation, measured at 2.2% in November. Yet, businesses are still struggling to find workers amid the Great Resignation

and shifting demographics. The labor force participation rate showed little net change in 2022, and the lack of available workers will carry into 2023.

Consumer sentiment remains historically low. Utahns and Americans expressed discontent in the economy in 2022. In the middle of last year, consumer sentiment fell to the lowest point recorded in the 70-year history of the University of Michigan’s Survey of Consumer Sentiment. The Kem C. Gardner Institute’s much newer Utah-specific index also sank to a new low last summer. While attitudes about the economy have improved slightly, ongoing inflation continues to erode consumer confidence. Consumer sentiment matters because attitudes about the economy drive behaviors like spending and investing, often acting as a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Global shocks roil markets. The economy has yet to fully emerge from the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic. Supply chain snarls and recent protests in China continue to disrupt markets and strangle growth, while the war with Russia and Ukraine further hindered pandemic recovery. These global distortions make understanding the economy difficult and bring ongoing uncertainty in 2023.

Historic interest rate hikes. The Federal Reserve boosted its benchmark interest rate, the federal funds rate, from zero to between 4.25% and 4.5% in 2022 — the highest rate in 15 years. The Fed has said it plans to continue tightening credit to tame inflation, with more rate hikes expected in 2023. Although the amount of expected rate increases will be dramatically lower than in 2022, the Fed is expected to maintain higher rates for a longer period.

Inflation persists. Inflation was one of the biggest economic stories of 2022, peaking at 9.1% in June 2022 — a lifetime high for people under 40. In the Mountain region, prices grew even faster, hitting double digits earlier this year. While inflation has slowed to 7.1% nationally and 8.3% in our region, it’s still being pressured by hot wage inflation and remains well above the Fed’s target rate of 2%. We’ll likely see more price cooling in 2023, but it will take some time to get inflation down to historical levels.

Overall, 2023 is expected to be a year of economic moderation. Inflation will slow as higher interest rates cool economic conditions. We’re already starting to see signs of price moderation in areas like construction, motor fuel and used cars. While we haven’t seen this yet, the labor market should begin

to soften as employers cut back on expansion plans in the next year. This process may be uncomfortable, but it is a necessary part of resetting an economy that has gone through many shocks over the past few years.

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

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quarter, we put it into a big project altogether.”

She is currently working on a project for a TSA architecture competition, designing an assisted living space as a virtual model and then as a physical model with fellow student Copper Hills High senior Buck Edenfield. Edenfield said competitions are his favorite part of JATC classes. He serves as vice president of the JATC TSA club; Warner is the president.

Industry professionals serve as judges to decide which projects will move on to competitions, which is very motivating, Warner said.

“It's the opportunity to compete with your work rather than just turn it in,” she said. “We'll be able to present to professionals, and so they'll be grading us. It motivates us to do better on our project so that if they are impressed, then they can refer us to a job.”

JATC students compete in several student association competitions. JATC South Campus CTE Coordinator Tami Clevenger said JATC students usually place in the top three at state and top 10 in nationals.

Last year, 25 JATC students went to TSA nationals, four went to SkillsUSA nationals and six went to HOSA nationals. JATC students swept the Nail Technician categories, placed first in Game Design and took top awards in Web Design at the SkillsUSA state competition. At the Educators Rising competition, they earned five first place spots at state and had three students finish in the top 10 at nationals. The JATC robotics team won TSA state and national competitions and a JATC student placed third in the nation for her FFA agriscience fair project.

In addition to the opportunity to compete, many students take JATC courses to prepare for college and careers.

“Every student has different needs and goals,” Clevenger said. “Some students take a program so they can work a higher paying or more flexible job while they put themselves through college after high school. Other students want to get a taste of what a career will be like, or they may have multiple career interests they want to explore.”

Riverton High senior Alyssa Hoggan loves science and wanted to see what it meant to be a scientist. Through JATC’s biotechnology and medical forensics classes, she discovered she enjoys the work. She said the classroom experiments are realistic, such as the lab in which she compared fibers found at a crime scene to solve a murder case. She feels confident she’ll be able to get a job in the industry out of high school while going to college.

Many students follow their passion to JATC courses. Riverton High senior Brooklyn Ashcraft loves plants—she has about 80 at home. She hopes to turn her passion into a career in the field of ecology, studying the relationship between plants and the environment. She took a few agricultural classes at Riverton High and then attended the JATC

for the more advanced and hands-on classes.

“Instead of sitting at a desk and listening to the teacher talk, you actually get to do hands-on learning,” Ashcraft said of her JATC courses.

Horticulture instructor Sydnee Roholt said students also learn the business side of the industry through real-world applications.

“We will do a lot of business concepts,” she said. “Whether students go into owning a landscaping business or a floral design as a hobby, they get real world experience.”

Students grow plants in the JATC greenhouse, selling poinsettias and cacti to the public each December and holding a flower sale in spring. They learn about pricing and marketing. Horticulture students take on responsibilities as manager, marketer or planter in the greenhouse, which Roholt said prepares them for employment.

“They're learning how to hold a job and how to present themselves and how to finish tasks in a given amount of time,” she said. “When they leave, they have job experience in a greenhouse.”

JATC classes also provide opportunities for students to make connections with professionals and industry representatives who are invited to be guest speakers for classes or judges for student competitions.

“We’ve had a lot of opportunities to go

and tour different facilities, we usually try to do a couple of field trips and then bring in professionals as much as possible,” engineering instructor Noelle Schick said. “We’re really trying to connect students to real world engineering as much as possible, so that what they’re learning in this class is directly applicable to what they would be doing when they go on to their future in engineering.”

She said as the engineering program and its reputation has grown, more companies are approaching her to arrange internships with students, including two engineering companies and a drone company.

Some students don’t have to wait until the end of their program to turn their skills into a job.

Once engineering pathway students complete a CAD class, they are qualified to work as drafters and get experience in the field and earn a good wage as they finish high school and attend college. Students taking biotechnology classes earn state certifications that help them qualify for jobs. Biotech instructor Mary Carlson said many of her former students have gone on to internships and jobs in fields such as chemistry and bioinformatics, and one student even got an internship in Australia.

Even JATC students who don’t pursue jobs in the field come away with employable

skills.

Schick said engineering students learn skills that make them more employable in any career, such as working with others on group projects, creative problem-solving, presentation skills and confidence.

“By the end of the class, I want to build their confidence in being able to solve any problem by knowing where to look for the resources and figuring out that they are capable of solving problems,” she said.

Schick left an engineering career to become a teacher.

“I really like engaging with the students,” she said. “And I think engineering is a really fascinating field of study because you get to learn about the world around you and how it works. So I love transferring that excitement about understanding how things work to the students and seeing them get excited to learn about it as well and apply what they’re learning about the world around them to make it better.”

In addition to being licensed teachers, many JATC faculty members have real-world experience in their subjects. South Campus Principal Sonja Burton-Juarez said this is what sets JATC classes apart from CTE classes offered at high schools.

“Really, the main difference is that most of our teachers come from industry occupa-

Students learn flower arranging, pricing and marketing in advanced horticulture classes at the JATC South Campus. (Jet Burnham/City Journals)

tions,” she said. “They have worked in a chosen profession, and they have chosen to come and teach our students. They want to share their real-life knowledge with our students.”

JATC’s faculty includes fire sciences instructors who work for Unified Fire Authority, hair and nail instructors who own their own salons and aviation teachers who are pilots. There are health science, criminal justice and engineering instructors who worked in the professional field before becoming teachers.

While some CTE courses are offered at high schools, JATC offers introductory and more advanced courses. For example, the introductory Engineering Principles class is offered at three Jordan District high schools with the same curriculum. However, JATC students have access to high tech equipment including laser cutters, and, thanks to generous parent donations, several 3D printers, including PLA, resin and (in the near future) carbon fiber printers for the 3D design assignments.

“They can create a product and then actually see it, from green models on their screen to an actual part,” engineering instructor Amber Saffen said.

The JATC offers advanced engineering pathways in aerospace and drones, architecture, civil engineering and construction, or robotics and electronics for students who want to get more technical knowledge in specific fields.

“Kids who come to the JATC, a lot of them have a very clear idea of what they want out of the experience and I really love facilitating that,” Saffen said. “They know what they want but they don’t always know how to get there, so I love being able to give them the resources and set them on the path and help them figure out the in between steps to get to where they want to go.”

Like a high school, JATC has student

leadership positions (called ambassadors) and school activities. Both campuses recently hosted a Halloween carnival and holiday activities such as turkey bowling and Christmas ornament decorating. The nails and hair design students demonstrate their skills with a fun Halloween-themed showcase in the fall and a fashion show in the spring. Landscape architect students design a haunted house in the fall.

JATC students are still able to be fully involved at their high schools. Edenfield said even though he spends much of his daily schedule at the JATC, he still has time to be

involved at Copper Hills High.

“I'm in mathematics club as an officer and I'm in chess club, as well,” he said.

The JATC programs continue to grow and add new classes. The biotechnology program expanded this year to include the medical forensic class, which has become one of the most popular courses at the JATC South Campus. The engineering program has quadrupled course offerings in the last two years for a total of 22 credits.

Students earn high school credits in science, CTE or elective requirements as well as college credits for JATC classes. Currently, 60% of JATC’s classes offer concurrent enrollment credits.

The JATC staff members and student ambassadors work with middle school and high school counselors to get the word out to students about what the JATC offers.

“It’s always a shame when we talk to

seniors and they're like, “Oh, I would have been in pharmacy tech if I would have known but I had no idea,’” North Campus CTE Coordinator Mandi Jensen said.

There will be a JATC open house held Jan. 26 from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the JATC North Campus, 9301 S. Wights Fort Road in West Jordan and at the JATC South Campus, 12723 S. Park Avenue in Riverton. Parents and students can check out the campuses, tour the classrooms and speak with the instructors.

Applications for all JATC courses for the 2023-24 school year will be given equal consideration when received between Jan. 3 and Feb. 28. Applications and more information can be found at www.jordantech.org.l

Nick Perez solders a motor for a drone he and his classmates are building for a student competition. (Jet Burnham/City Journals)

JATC student ambassadors give Sunset Ridge Middle School students a taste of what skills they can learn in JATC pharmacy classes. (Photo courtesy of Mandi Jensen.)

Students eat donuts off a string at the Halloween carnival at the JATC North Campus. (Photo courtesy of Mandi Jensen.)

Students digitally design a drone and then 3D print, laser cut or purchase the parts to build it. (Jet Burnham/City Journals)

Throughout the ages, there have been many important advances in mobility. Canes, walkers, rollators, and scooters were created to help people with mobility issues get around and retain their independence. Lately, however, there haven’t been any new improvements to these existing products or developments in this field Until now. Recently, an innovative design engineer who’s developed one of the world’s most popular products created a completely new breakthrough . . . a personal electric vehicle. It’s called the Zinger, and there is nothing out there quite like it.

“What my wife especially loves is it gives her back feelings of safety and independence which has given a real boost to her confidence and happiness! Thank You!”

–Kent C., California

The first thing you’ll notice about the Zinger is its unique look. It doesn’t look like a scooter. Its sleek, lightweight yet durable frame is made with aircraft grade aluminum so it weighs only 47.2 lbs. It features onetouch folding and unfolding – when folded it can be wheeled around like a suitcase and fits easily into a

The Zinger

backseat or trunk. Then, there are the steering levers. They enable the Zinger to move forward, backward, turn on a dime and even pull right up to a table or desk. With its compact yet powerful motor it can go up to 6 miles an hour and its rechargeable battery can go up to 8 miles on a single charge. With its low center of gravity and inflatable tires it can handle rugged terrain and is virtually tip-proof. Think about it, you can take your Zinger almost anywhere, so you don’t have to let mobility issues rule your life.

Why take our word for it? Call now, and find out how you can get a Zinger of your very own. Call now and

JORDAN SCHOOL DISTRICT - Public Notices

SPECIAL EDUCATION CHILD FIND

Every child is entitled to a public education regardless of disability. Children with disabilities may go without services because families are not fully aware of their options. If you know of a child, birth to age 22, who is not receiving any education services or feel that your child may be in need of special education services, please contact your local school or call the Special Education Department in Jordan School District at (801) 567-8176

SPECIAL EDUCATION RECORDS DESTRUCTION

On January 31, 2023, Jordan School District will destroy special education records of students born prior to September, 1995. Former special education students who are 27 years old may request their records from the school last attended; otherwise, the records will be destroyed.

CARSON SMITH SCHOLARSHIP

Public school students with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) may be eligible for a scholarship to attend a private school through the Carson Smith Scholarship program. Further information is available at https://www.schools.utah.gov/

From the people who brought you Syncrete, nepotistic construction contracts and the ThrU Turn fiasco intersection, comes a mind-boggling project guaranteed to be unnecessary and over budget: the Little Cottonwood Canyon gondola.

The Utah Department of Transportation isn’t known for its rational, effective projects. It spent years studying the LCC traffic situation before making the wrong decision, but at least they didn’t go with the Little Cottonwood zeppelin.

Color me unimpressed with UDOT. Take 5400 South. Please. I travel this road every day and I know UDOT doesn’t understand east-west travel. Going from my home in Kearns to the I-15 interchange in Murray includes nearly 20 stoplights along that 7-mile stretch and I usually hit every. single. one.

There was a legend that if you drove exactly 42.3 mph, under the light of a full moon, you could travel 5400 South without stopping at one red light. Not true.

I blame my road rage on UDOT.

So, let’s talk about the gondola. With UDOT approving the nearly $600 million project, it must have overwhelming support. Nope. Local mayors, residents, environmental groups, Bigfoot and county leaders don’t want this to happen. A majority of the tens

of thousands of public comments are against the gondola.

Just a hair short of sketchy, Snowbird quietly bought land that could (will) be used for the gondola station at the base of Little Cottonwood. When the time comes, Snowbird will sell or donate (ha-ha) that land to the state.

Hikers, fishermen, sightseers and climbers don’t want the gondola. They don’t want to ride the entire length of the gondola system if their destination isn’t a ski resort. I guess UDOT could add a base-jumping experience if you want to parachute out of the gondola halfway up the canyon. But it will probably have an extra fee.

Measuring 8 miles, it will be the longest gondola system in the world and includes nearly two dozen towers, averaging 185 feet high. That’s about 17 stories. UDOT said the towers will be placed up the canyon by helicopters, like they’ll gently rest on the forest

floor where tree roots will wind around the base to hold them down, becoming part of the natural landscape.

No. Each tower will have a huge concrete base, requiring boulders and trees to be demolished. Not only that, but construction could disrupt animal migration patterns, pollute the watershed and highlight UDOT’s decision-making legacy.

UDOT explored options like rideshare programs, electric buses and road tolls that are less invasive, especially when trying to solve a traffic problem that only happens a few days a year. But those alternatives aren’t expensive and ridiculous, so that was a “no” vote from UDOT.

When you factor inflation, the project’s cost will be about $72 gajillion, paid for with “mystery funding” which we all know usually means “taxpayer dollars” in some fash-

ion. Even if you’ve never skied a day in your life, your tax dollars will probably help pay for a system designed by ski resorts, for ski resorts.

We’ve riddled this country with aging infrastructure. Obsolete railways, cables, steel and wiring lie unused and rusting. When the gondola becomes outdated, our grandchildren’s grandchildren will be stuck with the awful towers standing forever in the sacred space of Little Cottonwood.

UDOT’s track record is abysmal. I remember when it spent $700,000 to remove the stupid ThrU Turn on 5400 South. UDOT said the intersection wasn’t a mistake, just unnecessary.

That could be UDOT’s tagline: Building unnecessary mistakes. l

Peri Kinder Life and Laughter