West Jordan Journal | October 2022

By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

Westland Elementary is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a Homecoming Celebration Nov. 10, 5 p.m.-6:30 p.m. at the school, located at 2925 W. 7180 South.

Past students, staff and community members are invited to attend the event, which will feature food, fun and a visit from the school mascot, Waldo the Wildcat.

In preparation for a presentation and a trivia quiz to be held that night, community members and past students and staff members are invited to share their memories and stories of Westland through a questionnaire on the school website, through email at crystal.whitehead@jordandistrict.org or by phone at 801-565-7508.

Students and parents will have the opportunity to catch up with many past teachers and some of the nine past admin istrators who will be in attendance.

Westland Administrative Assistant Crystal Whitehead said it will be a fun evening of reminiscing.

“We’ve had so many generations at our school,” she said. “We’ve had teachers that have taught students who are now parents, and now they’re teaching their kids.”

Current Westland students are learning about the year the school was built with fun facts about 1972 during Throwback Thursday morning announcements.

At 50 years old, Westland is not the oldest school build ing in Jordan School District. The oldest buildings are in West Jordan and the oldest is Westvale, at 59 years old. Terra Linda will turn 50 next year and Majestic is 47 years old. The Jor dan Board of Education is working to address the age of these

Westland Elementary is celebrating its 50th anniversary. (Photo courtesy of Crystal Whitehead.)

Local church looking to do good in community

By Linda Steele | l.steele@mycityjournals.com

Mountain Vista United Methodist Church helps many in need. The church sup ports those in the community by participating in various charitable and outreach programs.

Mountain Vista collects non-perishable food for the Crossroads Urban Center Food Pantry which helps thousands of people each month. Mountain Vista UMC donated 1,957 pounds of food to Crossroads for the Golden Celery Contest. They are grateful for the help of those who attended in July. Mountain Vis ta UMC won an award for food donations to Crossroads Urban Center.

The INN Between is a hospice to help provide medical respite and end of life care for those who are experiencing homelessness. The INN Between helps individualsrecuper ate from illness, serious injury or surgery. They have state licensed hospice agencies to help homeless who are in need of life-saving medical treatment.

The Mountain Vista Outreach program made and donated 280 sandwiches in July for

St. Vincent De Paul. They are grateful to all the trustees and volunteers for all the mainte nance work they do.

“Mountain Vista United Methodist Church is an outreaching congregation, they love to help other people,” said Raedell Eli zondo, Office Manager for Mountain Vista UMC.

Project Linus Program gets together ev ery Wednesday afternoon to tie, quilt and cro chet quilts for infants to teens. The blankets are given to individuals experiencing any sort of trauma as a source of comfort. Some chil dren have kept their blankets from infancy to adulthood. The blankets are blessed by Pastor Phil Rogers of Mountain Vista United Meth odist Church.

Jean Ann Nohavec started the Linus quilting group. She made a quilt years ago for an auction. “The auction was a lot of fun, and one of the ladies knew about the Li nus group,” Nohavec said. This is when she decided to start a Linus quilting group for Mountain Vista UMC. “It means a lot to the kids for comfort. Some children keep their blankets until they are 16,” she said.

This group can quilt the top and crochet the edges of a 54” X 60” quilt in one day. They get donated fabric from people they know and from yard sales. The quilts are donated to hospitals, fire departments, police, military families, national disasters, summer camps for special needs children, individuals in need and many social services organizations.

“Intermountain Foundation gratefully acknowledges your gifts in kind. Your gifts will directly impact our patients and commu nities and further our mission to help people live the healthiest lives possible. Thanks for being a part of our donor family.” said David L. Flood, Riverton Hospital.

“Thank you so much for your generous donation. Your kindness has helped in our

efforts to provide new parents in need with essential items for their babies. The work and caring of the Linus volunteers is always received with love.” said Millie Martensen, project coordinator Salt Lake Country Chap ter - Project Linus.

Every year in September and March the Outreach program at Mountain Vista UMC hosts a blood drive with the Salt Lake American Red Cross. This is another way that MountainVista UMC helps those in need.

Mountain Vista UMC offers many activ ities; Bible Studies, Building Projects, Sports Ministries of Golf and Bowling, Emmaus Re union Groups, Quilting, Youth Group, Vaca tion Bible School, Camp Serving Crossroads Urban Center, Committee of Religious Com munities, Family Promise, St. Vincent De Paul Dining Hall and the United Methodist Committee on Relief. Mountain Vista UMC is proud to host Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts, Open AA and FA meetings.

Mountain Vista UMC is helping with item drop offs for “Make a Change 4 Refu gees, Catholic Community Services.” You can contact Office Administrator Raedell Elizondo at office@mtnvistaumc.org for more information. You can also go to https:// ccsutah.org for more information.

Nov. 4 and 5 there will be a boutique. On Dec. 3 there will be a homemade cookie sale to help support the church ministries. l

The Mountain Vista United Methodist Church invites anyone who wants to donate or participate in helping others. Go to www. mtnvistaumc.org or contact Office Adminis trators Raedell Elizondo, Jane Tago and Lin da Kreib at office@mtnvistaumc.org or call 801-280-4148 Mountain Vista United Meth odist Church is located at 8931 S. 3200 W. West Jordan, Utah 84088

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Vista Linus Group Quilters (Courtesy Jane Tago)

Mountain Vista collects food. (Courtesy Jane Tago)

Creating conversations between first re sponders and mental health providers could change the way behavioral health crisis calls are handled. Midvale’s Highland Ridge Hospital (7309 S. 180 West) is an inpatient psychiatric hospital and mental health treatment center, try ing to facilitate those conversations.

This summer, Highland Ridge hosted a barbecue to celebrate first responders in the community and show appreciation for what they do. The hospital’s team also used the opportu nity to offer education, assistance and resources when dealing with people struggling with men tal health, substance abuse or psychiatric issues.

“We thought it would be nice if we in cluded all PD and first responders and let them know we’re grateful for them. We know there’s a lot going on with mental health,” said Kristina Larsen, Highland Ridge business development specialist. “They told us what they’re seeing out there and what a day in the life looks like, and things that would help them.”

During the event, the Highland Ridge team spoke with individuals who shared experiences they have had on the job, allowing the staff to gain a greater understanding of the challenges first responders face each day. Among the at tendees were the West Jordan Fire Department, West Jordan EMS, and Salt Lake City Gold Cross EMS.

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

Highland Ridge offers free assessments to anyone who comes to the facility, whether they come in on their own or are brought in by first responders.

“It doesn’t matter if they have insurance or not, they get a level of care where we assess them and decide what they need, whether that’s inpatient or outpatient services,” Larsen said. “We understand the first responders are busy and we want to see what we can do to make them a little more successful.”

A Metro Mental Health Unit run by the Unified Police Department has ongoing training and conversations with officers about mental health resources and procedures. The concept is growing as other police departments in the Salt Lake Valley have come on board. Officers are specifically trained to handle mental health calls and follow-up with case management.

“They host a monthly roundtable and we’re able to talk about what’s currently going on, what resources are there, what free resources are there and what can we do,” Larsen said. “It’s a great way to get together and talk about what we can do to help each other.”

With the success of the barbecue, High land Ridge Hospital plans to hold future events and will extend invitations to even more police departments and first responder teams. For in formation about Highland Ridge, visit Highlan

dRidgeHospital.com.

“It was a pleasure for Highland Ridge Hospital to host a barbecue for all of our first responders. We appreciate and acknowledge the vital work they do serving and protecting our communities,” said Highland Ridge Hospi

tal CEO Jim Hess. “We are also grateful for the way they partner with us in serving individuals struggling with mental health challenges. We are proud to work side by side with all first respond ers and applaud the selfless service they provide each and every day.” l

o C tober 2022 | Page W5 est J ordan J ournal . C om Highland Ridge Hospital connects with first responders to address mental health

Highland Ridge Hospital held a free barbecue for first responders in Salt Lake County to thank them for their service and offer assistance with mental health crisis calls. (Courtesy of Kristina Larsen)

buildings as well as the dwindling enrollment numbers in the area.

Current discussion centers around closing West Jordan El ementary, which is 40 years old. While not the oldest school building, its design will not outlast the older buildings. WJE was built with relocatable classrooms on metal trailer frames, which have begun to deteriorate. With student and staff safe ty as their top priority, the Jordan District Board of Education has decided the building has future safety concerns sufficient to consider closing the school at the end of this school year.

Board members are considering options for the fate of West Jordan Elementary and its 458 students, and has whittled down ten initial options to three:

1- Close WJE and redistribute students to neighboring schools.

2- Rebuild WJE. Students would be split and moved to neighboring schools for two years during construction. A differ ent elementary school in the area would likely be closed.

3- Close WJE, redistribute students into other nearby schools, and invest in updates for those schools.

Community members are rallying to save their school, much like parents and teachers did to save Majestic Elementary from closure in 2020.

Rob and Kristin Bolke live across the street from WJE. Two of their children attend the school and another will be a kindergartener next year. They started a Facebook page, Save West Jordan Elementary, as a forum to share information and encourage involvement to save the school.

“I wanted to try to find solutions, to get people’s input and get some solutions to the school board,” Rob Bolke said.

The group, which has more than 300 members, organized to deliver fliers to 1,300 homes in the area at three different times in the past few months, encouraging residents to attend meetings and to show support for a rebuild.

“We would love people to get involved and voice their concern and care about their community, because even though they don’t have kids at their elementary school, it’s important to their neighbors,” Bolke said. “We’ve had all sorts of people get involved that don’t have kids at the school, because they see how important that school is to attracting families to our neighborhoods.”

Those who have become involved want to keep WJE open because they like having a school located within their neigh borhood with a small, close-knit student body (currently 458 students.)

“West Jordan is a community school,” Bolke said. “A lot of the employees, the service people, are part of our neighborhood and so there is really a sense of community, where everyone knows our kids.”

Jordan District Board of Education member Jen Atwood, who represents the school, said the board is aware of the com munity members’ concerns, having received calls, texts, emails and letters from community members.

“All of our communities love their school (this is always our hope as a board and district), which makes having conversa tions like closures emotional and difficult, to say the very least,” said Atwood, who served as a PTA president and also previous ly worked at the school.

To ensure community members are involved in the pro cess, the board is hosting a series of town hall meetings to pro vide accurate information, clear up misconceptions and answer questions.

At the Sept. 20 town hall meeting, one of the community members’ top concerns was that if WJE, which is nestled with in a neighborhood with safe walking routes, were closed, their children would have to walk to schools farther away and on busier, unsafe streets. The board assured residents that their top priority is student safety and were confident safe walking routes could be identified.

Several community members questioned the board’s data supporting their justifications for closure as well as their da ta-gathering methods with regards to the proposed reconstruc tion costs. Many voiced concern that the decision was being made too hastily and that their community’s needs have been neglected for years.

Some people left the meeting frustrated by the lack of spe cific details about the proposed options, while others felt grate ful to have had an opportunity to express their concerns directly to the board.

“A lot of people got to voice their opinions,” said a com munity member. “I feel like they finally got to be heard, espe cially those who feel like nobody’s listening to us.”

Board and facilities committee members are taking into consideration current and future enrollment numbers, budget, availability of school programs offered in the area, safe walking routes, the amount of disruption to students’ learning and com munity opinion, as well as overall district needs, as they make their decision about WJE.

“The board is working very hard to gather all information that is needed for us to make a decision, not only for this com munity but for the district as a whole,” Atwood said.

While the schools in the east quadrant of West Jordan have low enrollment numbers and older buildings, the growth in the west area of West Jordan will necessitate a new elementary to be built in about four years and a new middle school in about six years.

Another town hall meeting to discuss WJE is scheduled for Oct. 12 at 6 p.m. at the school. The final decision about WJE will be made during the General Session Board Meeting Nov. 29. l

A timeline of West Jordan area elementary school construction

1967 Westvale

1972 Westland

1973 Terra Linda

1975 Majestic

1979 Oquirrh (rebuilt in 1996 due to fire)

1980 Riverside

1982 West Jordan Elementary

1984 Columbia (rebuilt in 2004)

1987 Heartland (rebuilt in 2008)

1998 Mountain Shadows

1998 Jordan Hills

1999 Hayden Peak

2004 Copper Canyon

2004 Oakcrest

2011 Fox Hollow

2020 Antelope Canyon

Jordan District Board of Education Representative Jen Atwood addresses community members’ concerns about the future of West Jordan Elementary at a town hall meeting on Sept. 20. (Jet Burnham/City Journals)

A note about sales tax revenue in West Jordan

By Erin Dixon | e.dixon@mycityjournals.com

nflation is ballooning everywhere; even West Jordan City is feeling the bloat.

In a sales tax revenue report to the city council in late August, Danyce Steck, Finance Director, relayed some tough news.

“While we saw 1% (May) or 5% (June) growth, we actually would consider that a decrease in sales tax be cause there was a 10% inflation factor,” Steck said.

The higher percentage means that West Jordan res idents are spending more, but the inflation percentage means they are getting less for their money because of inflation.

“Consumers are actually spending more dollars but receiving less goods or services,” Steck said. “It also tells me that we are seeing some consumer confidence waning since sales are not increasing at or above inflation.”

In an interview with City Journals, Steck gave an ex ample to illustrate the problem. “Last June you bought 25 apples for $25.00 ($1 each). This June, you spent $26.25 (5% more) but were only able to buy 23 apples (10% price increase). Yes, there was an increase in sales but there was a decrease in product sold.”

The city, in turn, is also being charged more for their purchases, which puts a strain on the budget.

“We are also having to spend more for less. Both la bor and product costs (such as asphalt and fuel) are out pacing revenue increases,” Steck said.

Inflation and product costs are hard to predict, so the incoming/outgoing costs on the budget were best guesses. Budgets are always a bit of a guessing game, but with the

rapid changes, this year is even less predictable.

“My comments to the council were cautionary,” Steck said. “We prepared for inflation in the budget as much as possible…. We are continuing to monitor the budget for stresses due to inflation.” l

Unexpected inflation changes not only how residents spend, but the city, too. (Pixabay)

“Consumers are actually spending more dollars but receiving less goods or ser vices,” Steck said. “It also tells me that we are seeing some consumer confidence waning since sales are not increasing at or above inflation.”

Danyce Steck

Got a minute to improve your child’s academic skills? Westvale Elementary is building a video library of Tip of the Week videos to help parents help their children. The short clips feature school staff members sharing tips on a variety of topics, including the importance of a dai ly routine, games that develop pre-reading skills, activities that encourage curiosity, games for typing practice, etc.

“It's a quick little one to two minute video of something easy that parents can learn to do that can help their kids,” assis tant principal David Hullinger said.

One video showed parents a few games they can play while driving in the car which will help their kids become bet ter readers. The games which instruction al coaches Karen Walter and Connie Roe demonstrated in their video clip help build phonemic awareness, one of the skills kids need to learn to read.

“Our focus right now is so much on those foundational skills, and phonemic awareness is one of them that is a huge in dicator of future reading success,” Walter said. “We just wanted to have it out there for parents to access.

The two coaches actually played the game, with Roe playing the role of a child

Got a minute? Check out the tip of the week

By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

and Walter playing the role of the parent.

“It was something to help parents vi sualize what it is they could be doing with their kids and how easy it was without having to have a lot of materials, just in the car,” Roe said. “You can do it anytime. You don't even have to think about it. Just make it playful and fun for the kids.”

Kristy Fuller, whose two children at tend Westvale, thought the video clip was a great way to help parents support their children’s reading skills development.

“Usually the only opportunity is at lit eracy nights and they send home games, but parents have to come to get those things,” she said.

A quick video reaches more parents, in an easily accessible format, said Walter, and is easier than sending home a packet of games that parents have to remember how to do at home.

“Parents love their kids, they want to do what’s best, but they don’t always know how and this is a great way to get that out there,” Walter said. “It's a quick little one minute. You've got your phone and you can click on it. Anybody has a minute that they can watch a video. That one minute can be powerful.”

Each week throughout the year, a new

tip will be shared by a faculty member in a short and engaging video. It will be post ed on Westvale Elementary’s Facebook and Instagram pages and embedded in the school’s digital newsletter. Staff members will choose the topic they want to present.

“We're going to let teachers speak to something that they're passionate about,” Hullinger said.

Hullinger films and edits the seg ments, using the skills he gained from his experience working as a radio DJ and the audio visual skills class he took in high school. It’s something he successfully im plemented at a previous school with the goal to support parents who want to help their children but may not know how.

He said some parents never had a good experience with their own education and this approach doesn’t judge parents for what they aren’t doing but meets them where they are and gives them tools.

“Everybody's doing the best that they know how to, but sometimes we have to build their capacity to do that,” Hullinger said. l

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Literacy coaches Connie Roe and Karen Walter role play a literacy game parents can play with their kids while driving in the car. (screenshot of video)

Westvale tip of the week videos highlight resources for parents, such as a game to help kids strengthen their typing skills. (screenshot of video)

Nature’s Virus Killer

By Priscilla Schnarr www.copperzap.com

Scientists have discovered a natural way to kill germs fast.

Now thousands of people are using it against viruses and bacteria that cause illness.

Colds and many other illnesses start when viruses get in your nose and multiply. If you don’t stop them early, they spread and cause misery.

Hundreds of studies confirm copper kills viruses and bacteria almost instantly just by touch.

That’s why ancient Greeks and Egyptians used copper to purify water and heal wounds. They didn’t know about viruses and bacteria, but now we do.

“The antimicrobial activity of copper is well established.”

National Institutes of Health.

Scientists say copper’s high conductance disrupts the electrical balance in a microbe cell and destroys it in seconds.

CopperZap® and put it on the market.

Soon hundreds of people had tried it. 99% said copper worked if they used it right away at the first sign of bad germs, like a tickle in the nose or a scratchy throat.

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The kids all got sick, but not me.”

The EPA recommended hospitals use copper for touch surfaces like faucets and doorknobs. This cut the spread of MRSA and other illnesses by over half, and saved lives.

“I am shocked! My sinus cleared, no more headache, no more congestion.”

“Best sleep I’ve had in years!”

The strong scientific evidence gave inventor Doug Cornell an idea. He made a smooth copper probe with a tip to fit in the bottom of the nostril, where viruses collect.

When he felt a tickle in his nose like a cold about to start, he rubbed the copper gently in his nose for 60 seconds.

“It worked!” he exclaimed. “The cold never happened. I used to get 2-3 bad colds every year. Now I use my device whenever I feel a sign I am about to get sick.”

He hasn’t had a cold in 10 years.

After his first success with it, he asked relatives and friends to try it. They all said it worked, so he patented

As thousands more tried it, some found other things they could use it against, including: Colds, flu, new viruses and variants, sinus trouble, cold sores, canker sores, strep throat, nighttime stuffiness, morning congestion, nasal drip, skin infections, thrush, warts, styes, and ringworm.

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Copper Hills begins a new era on the volleyball court

By Greg James | g.james@mycityjournals.com

The introduction of the 2022 Cooper Hills

volleyball team includes several new fac es in important roles. Its new coach and the growth of players with little varsity experience could land them in familiar territory.

“I feel like this team has been fun so far,” freshman outside hitter Isa Taylor said. “I really try to get my emotions right and use everything we practice into my game.”

Taylor is only one of the new faces of the Grizzlies program. Their new head coach, Ky lie Bussell, is trying to lead the team back to the state playoffs' final day. A place the team has been in two straight seasons.

“This season has been good,” Bussell said. “It has been a learning experience for a lot of us. We have had to learn how to play to gether. We have not played together much until now. We have several JV players getting varsi ty experience. They are doing a good job.”

Bussell takes on the role of the Grizzlies head coach after Silver Fonua left after eight seasons with the team. Last year they lost only two games on their way to a number one rank ing and finished fourth in the state playoff. The season before, they finished second.

“It is a lot of pressure to take over for Silver, but I think some teams might overlook us. That gives us the opportunity to take some steps forward,” Bussell said.

Bussell has been on the Grizzly staff for three seasons. She also was an assistant coach at Bingham High School for five years. She graduated in 2010 from Century High School in Pocatello, Idaho, where she played volley ball and basketball. She attended BYU and is a math teacher at Copper Hills.

Two returning players from last year’s fourth-place team fill spots in the roster.

Mya Laufiso is the team's captain. She started the year as an outside hitter, but they have decided that libero fits her leadership and playing experience better. Senior Anya Hatch

is the other with experience. She is also a tal ented wrestler.

“She (Laufiso) is a leader on this team. She has helped us with our ball control and gives us more control at the net,” Bussell said.

Taylor and Hallee Ediger have become new outside hitters. Taylor Ediger is a fresh man and Hallee Ediger a sophomore. Coming into the season neither had played much varsity volleyball, but both have stepped in and played well.

“They are young but they are pulling their weight for us. They work really hard at practice and have the possibility to be very successful,” Bussell said.

Both of their young outside hitters hover around 28% hitting percentage, 30% is consid ered very good. The hitting statistic considers players' kills and errors. The youthfulness is exhibited on the court.

“I like making friends with the other teams and my teammates. This team is very well connected and we love playing in front of the big crowds,” Taylor Ediger said.

In its first region match of the season, a large crowd of over 200 watched as the Griz zles topped West Jordan 3-1. The Grizzlies pulled away by scoring 8 straight points in the final set. The Jaguars could not recover. Taylor Ediger had several well-hit balls that intimidat ed the Jaguar defense.

Copper Hills competes in the UHSAA Region 3 against Bingham, West Jordan, Mountain Ridge, Herriman, and Riverton. All six teams in the region started the season in the RPI top 12.

“We have a very tough region. It is going to be a battle the whole time. No one will go un defeated. It will be fun,” Bussell said. “I think this is a good group of girls and they work hard. That is going to make us tough against these teams. We will work hard.” l

The Grizzlies have several new faces on the volleyball court this season, hoping to get back to its familiar place on top. (Greg James/City Journals)

Double, double toil and trouble for witches of yesteryear

By Annabelle Larsen | a.larsen@mycityjournals.com

What’s a witch? Throughout human history, the defini tion has changed. Witches have been defined as peo ple casting spells or calling upon spirits for help, or to bring about change. Many witches were seen as pagans doing the devil’s work. Others were known as simple natural healers and called wise women. Mostly, this choice of profession or life was simply misunderstood and societal fear took over.

The prosecution of witches took hold in Europe during the mid-1400s when many people confessed, often under torture, to a variety of witch-like behaviors. Within the next century witch hunts were common, and most of the accused were executed by burning at the stake or hanging. Women, who were single, widowed, and those who lived on the margins of society, were the usual targets. Between the years 1500-1660 there were about 80,000 suspected witches that were put to death in Europe; 80% of them were women. Germany had the highest witchcraft execution rate while Ireland had the lowest.

What started this witch hunt and the witch hysteria that followed was in part caused by the publication of a book “Malleus Maleficarum,” which was written by a German Catholic clergyman in 1486. The book usually translates as “The Hammer of Witches,” and was essentially a guide on how to identify, hunt and interrogate witches. The book labeled witchcraft as heresy, and became the authority for Protestants and Catholics at the time trying to flush out witches living among them.

Although the witch hunt was far larger in Europe than it was in the Americas, most Americans are familiar with the Salem Witch Trials more so than what happened in Eu

WHERE THERE IS GRIEF, THERE IS GREAT LOVE

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rope. The New World, at the time, had fallen under many hardships and trials including a war between the French and British, a smallpox epidemic, and the ongoing fear of attacks from Native American tribes. The tense atmosphere was ripe for finding scapegoats, and these tensions are one of the reasons historians suspect led to the Salem Witch Trials of 1692-93 in Massachusetts.

The witch trials initially began when 9-year-old Eliza beth Parris and 11-year-old Abigail Williams began suffer ing from fits, body contortions, uncontrollable screaming, and odd behavior. As more young women began to exhibit symptoms, hysteria ensued. Three women were accused of witchcraft as an explanation to this problem. The three women were Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne and Tituba In dian, an enslaved woman owned by Parris's father. Tituba eventually confessed to being a witch, but she then began accusing others of using black magic on June 10, 1692. Bridget Bishop became the first accused witch to be put to death during the Salem Witch Trials. Between 1626 and 1730 there were around 150 people who were accused of witchcraft and 18 were put to death. While women were the main victims, there were six men who were also convicted and executed during this time.

Massachusetts wasn't the only state in the Thirteen Colonies to be obsessed with witches and witch hunting; it also spread throughout the rest of the colonies, but it was most prevalent here. Historians speculate that much of the hysteria and the reasons for the fits, body contortions, and uncontrollable screaming first displayed by the two girls could possibly be from a poisonous fungus, found in the

eastern U.S., that causes spasms and delusions.

So as people go about this year’s Halloween season and make-believe (or real) witches are safely out and about, it’s interesting to remember a time when this wasn’t so. l

LEADING THE WAY

An artist’s rendition of the trial of a suspected witch. (Courtesy of History.com)

County Council should be helping people in

not waging

Suzanne Harrison is a doctor at Riverton Hospital and represents Sandy and Draper in the state legislature. She has devoted her life to helping our community and has always put progress and fiscal responsibility above politics and partisanship.

• Supports well funded Police for safe neighborhoods

• Received the prestigious "Taxpayer Advocate" award from the Utah Taxpayers Association in recognition of efforts to avoid tax increases and improve efficiency

• Believes in bipartisanship in working with Democrat and Republican colleagues

• Widely recognized as a trustworthy, dedicated and hard working public servant

• Baseball coach and Boy Scout leader

• Graduate of The University of Utah...go Utes!

• Married to JoLynn Turner and are parents of 4 children with 9 grandchildren

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Teachers are changing your child’s grades: Standards-based grading will soon replace letter-based grades

By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

Standards Based Grading

Parents can no longer expect their children to earn straight A’s because the letter grade system is being phased out in Jordan District schools.

“Around the country, there's a shift in how we grade students and it's really looking at the standard and their progress towards mas tery, rather than a percentage that gives you a grade,” said Todd Theobald, administrator on special assignment in the Teaching and Learn ing Department at Jordan District. “It reflects the shift that has already taken place in in struction, of really focusing on standards in a very deep way, not just learning and grading and telling people how much homework they turned in and just this general percentage on the test, but really digging into what is that skill asking for.”

Letter-based grades are being replaced with standards-based grading, which uses a 1–4 scale to identify a student’s progress to ward proficiency in a skill.

While SBG has been implemented at the secondary school level, the change-over is in the early stages at the elementary level in Jor dan District. Six elementary schools are pilot ing SBG this year: Oak Leaf, Mountain Shad ows and Riverside in West Jordan; Bastian in Herriman; and Jordan Ridge and Daybreak Elementary in South Jordan. Participants meet frequently to troubleshoot and to share ideas about implementation.

“This is a true pilot where there's a lot of feedback going back and forth between the dis trict and the schools,” Riverside Principal Dr. Mike Trimmell said.

The pilot schools spent years laying a lot of groundwork to be able to support the new grading system. Several other schools have ad opted some aspects of SBG and will be ready for full implementation next year. Theobald expects every elementary school to be changed over to SBG in the next several years.

Parent buy-in

Theobald said it is often difficult to make a change to an education system because par ents have expectations for their child’s school experience based on their own, but education is moving forward and parents’ support is need ed.

“The biggest push is helping parents un derstand that we're really helping them see where students are relative to these specific skills and trying to get away from that histori cal context of what a grade means,” Theobald said. “And that's a big challenge. It's really hard for everyone that has a stake in education to move away from what an A has meant for hun dreds of years.”

Pilot school administrators and teachers have invested time and resources to educate parents about the benefits of SBG through newsletters, Back to School nights and infor

mative videos.

“We want them to be our partners and we don't want there to be any misunderstanding or misconception, so we'll work with them,” Theobald said. “We're just going to help them ease into it so that we do the best thing for kids and it's always best when we have parents on board.”

What do grades mean?

The biggest hurdle has been changing peoples’ mindset of what a grade is. Theobald said the problem with letter grades is they don’t necessarily reflect what a student knows. They reflect that an assignment was turned in, but the complexity of the assignment can vary from teacher to teacher and what the student actually learned from it is not accurately mea sured.

On the SBG scale, students receive a number grade.

1- below proficient

2- approaching proficient 3- proficient

4- highly proficient

The goal is for students to earn a 3 for each grade level standard by the end of the year, which means the student is independent ly proficient in the skills needed to progress to the next grade. Parents must adjust to seeing 1s and 2s on their child’s early progress reports, said Trimmell.

“At eight weeks into school, most children should be at around a 2,” he said. “This is a year long standard. They're right where they're supposed to be at this point in the school year.”

With the SBG grading system, parents and students can access accurate data of how their student is doing at any time. Pilot schools are using an adapted format on Skyward to re cord students’ progress. Teachers also compile an “evidence of learning” folder, portfolio or data notebook for each child containing their most recent schoolwork and assessments.

Students at Oak Leaf and Riverside take their data notebooks home once a month so parents can see their work and a current list of skills within a standard, called a learning scale or vision for growth, which their child has passed off or is working on.

“In the data notebook, they will see the actual assessments themselves so they can see where their child is at and can see what they're missing really, really clearly,” Riverside teach er Lydia Theobald said.

At Oak Leaf Elementary, Principal Ronna Hoffman said students will lead parent teacher conferences, using their data notebooks as evi dence for their grades.

“The child will be able to explain to the parents, ‘Here's where I am and this is why and this is what I need to do for my next step,’” she said. “It's going to empower our students, which is the most important thing.”

Parent teacher conferences will be held at

midterm, to provide an opportunity for parents and teachers to discuss a student’s progress toward mastery and how they can help them continue to improve over the following weeks before a report card is generated.

“The intention is to keep those parent teacher conferences really focused on that cel ebration of progress and talking about where they are in the journey and what can we do to support this kid,” Todd Theobald said. “We want to give really accurate information to parents so that they know how their kids are doing relative to the standards that we selected. These are really important skills that they need to be successful in the coming years of their ed ucation. And even though that may come with a little bit of a pain point for parents, because they want their kids to be at the top of the scale, we just want to make sure that it represents a real, accurate measure of how they're doing. So then from there, we can pinpoint instruction and really make sure that we're meeting the needs of all these kids.”

Instead of quarterly report cards, SBG schools will generate two report cards each year, one at the end of each semester. The re port cards will be more accurate, reflecting a student’s most recent scores, Hoffman said.

“It's not a bunch of grades that you've av eraged over the grading period,” she said. “It is, as of right now, this is where your child is. And so kids who take longer but get it in the end, they don't have those lower grades that we're averaging in. If they've got it, they’ve got it.”

Students who have learned the skill and are ready for the next step earn a 4.

“The majority of kids should fall within the three to one,” Theobald said. “The four is really for those kids who, for maybe one sub ject or one standard, are exceeding the stan dard. We need to design our curriculum to sup port a kid that's already totally mastered that skill and provide the next step, that enrichment, that push for these kids that are already there.”

He said parents need to abandon the idea that their kids should never get anything less than an A or the top of the scale.

“We just need them to look at where their child is at, celebrate the growth that they've made, and then keep moving forward,” he said. “And that's what our teachers are committed to.”

Teacher buy-in

Hoffman, who has been on the district’s report card committee for years, has been a proponent of the transition to SBG. She had already started implementing aspects of SBG when she was principal at Riverside Elemen tary, so the staff was prepared to participate in the pilot.

As the principal at Oak Leaf Elementary, which opened this fall, Hoffman had the op portunity to select her staff from among teach ers who were open to working with the new

grading system.

“I needed teachers who were on board to do standards-based grading, which is a differ ent mindset than what we've done before and so there's a lot of work involved in that. I hired people who have that mindset because it really is the best for kids,” she said.

Transitioning to a new grading system has meant a lot of work for teachers.

“These teachers are really dedicated to breaking down those standards and skills, mapping out that learning journey, using good ssessment that’ll pinpoint exactly where the kid is at, and then being able to apply the right intervention or instruction to move them to the next step and then the next step and the next step,” Theobald said. He said feedback from teachers is that they are seeing benefits that justify the extra work and that they are feeling more professional and empowered with more confidence

Lydia Theobald, who teaches second grade (and is not related to Todd Theobald), started her teaching career at Riverside Ele mentary three years ago, when they were just beginning to transition to SBG. She said break ing down standards for SBG learning scales helped her focus her lesson plans to more ef fectively teach the standards. Her grade level team of teachers collaborated to establish what students need to do to progress from a 1 to a 2 and a 2 to a 3, so that grading is consistent no matter which teacher a child has.

She likes SBG because it makes the learn ing growth clear to parents, students and teach ers. She said it empowers students and is better for their self-esteem.

“Students are learning at the rate that they’re learning and we’re excited for them— there’s no pressure to be anywhere,” she said. “It feels like it’s kind of taking the shame out of it, where they’re not trying to get to the highest grade or to get all the points they can get. They see their growth on a continuum and they’re excited about making progress.”

She said even if a student is scoring below proficiency, because the standards are broken down into small steps, they are still able to track growth.

“We’re trying to express to students that it’s about growth, it’s about learning, it’s not about ‘you have to be here,’” Trimmell said. “Wherever you started, we want to see growth, a year’s worth of growth or more.”

Todd Theobald believes SBG is what is best for students, teachers and parents.

“We’re going to raise our achievement scores,” he said. “We’re going to have kids that are better prepared for middle school, high school and then college. It can be really amaz ing. It’s slow and steady work, but we’re com mitted to it.” l

League of Women Voters dedicated to educating, registering voters

M any voters have paged through a booklet of candidates and chances are, it came from the League of Women Voters. Perhaps a great number of voters also signed up to vote with the help of one of the League’s volunteers.

“The League of Women Voters has been around for more than 100 years; we came into being around women's suf frage when the founders of the League of Women Voters fought hard to get women the right to vote,” said Shauna Bona, Salt Lake County’s chapter president. “We take the rights and the need of all people to vote very seriously. Our biggest issue is access to the vote. We want to educate voters, register voters and motivate voters. Our mission is really about empowering voters and defending democracy.”

While those early suffragists paved the way for women today to vote, Bona said that their mission isn’t over.

“We look at issues and study them, and it can be a local study or a state study or a national study. Then we lay the informa tion out for our members, and we discuss it in small groups until we reach consensus on the issues, if this is a good issue for us to support. We do have positions around having a clean, healthy environment to live in and to raise children and definitely we think women should be in the Consti tution with the Equal Rights Amendment. When we do take a stance, we really work hard to help educate the public and our lawmakers in hopes of really doing things that are right by the people,” Bona said.

She also pointed out that while their main message is to empower voters to make a better democracy, the League isn’t restricted to women members.

“We’ve had men in the League for decades. In fact, we were going to change our name to not be the League of Wom en Voters, but the problem was that if we would have let go of the name of League of Women Voters, that we would have lost our history,” Bona said. “We have mem bers of every sexual orientation, of every background. What’s important is that we have this history to our nonpartisan com mitment of voting rights.”

Among the issues the local chapter has reviewed are voting by mail, health care, census and immigration.

“Our members hold an annual meet ing, and they say, for example, ‘Hey, we think that we should study abortion.’ So, we did a study recently about abortion laws and it wasn't taking a stand particu larly, but it was a study just to understand the abortion laws in Utah. Sometimes those studies are to educate our members and then, they come up with their own per sonal opinions on it. Sometimes the study is a consensus study, when we're really

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

trying to come up with a position. We're cautious and we're careful. We really want to make sure that we're not making rash positions, but have our positions based on study,” she said.

While more than 300 local members gather annually, smaller groups study the issues monthly. “We also have our com mittees, such as the voting committee, and those committees might meet weekly be cause we have so much work we do. We work to register voters; they go out to ed ucate voters. In the past, we have taught high schoolers about the importance of voters and register them; we have gone to naturalization ceremonies and helped them register as new citizens,” Bona said.

Currently, they’re updating Vote411 (vote411.org), a personalized voting web site, which after entering a residential ad dress, voters can explore their candidates’ information, learn about upcoming elec tions and how to register and find out poll ing locations. The site covers local, state and national election information.

For example, currently the website states that voters need to be registered by Oct. 28 for the next general election on Nov. 8.

“We have groups of people, men and women, all over the country, including here in Salt Lake, formulating questions for our candidates for every race and ev ery election,” she said. “It’s one of the only places that candidates can answer these questions. We do not edit what they write. It’s completely nonpartisan. There's no ‘gotcha’ questions. Every candidate has the opportunity in their own words to an swer questions. You can pick a question and put the candidates’ views side by side to compare their answers. They can put in YouTube videos so it’s educating voters and it’s completely fair to the candidates. It’s really just to inform the voters.”

The League of Women Voters also sponsors debates or candidate forums “so that voters can hear from the candidates,” Bona added.

As part of League, some members called Observer Corps attend local city meetings.

“Our goal is that we have a League of Women Voters observer at every city council meeting, at the racial equity and policing commission meeting and at the planning meetings just to hear what's go ing on and to take notes and report back to our members what is happening because local government is incredibly important,” she said. “Oftentimes, people are busy in their lives and things get overlooked so our Observer Corps is doing that work for us. We’ve done a lot of great things like finding out ranked choice voting and about the gravel pit in the canyon and letting

people know when the council was going to be discussing issues and encouraging people to contact their council members. Our Observer Corps believes in transpar ency and accessible government, so we go and find out what they’re doing and report back so our members can follow their own conscience and reach out to their leaders and let them know what they think.”

Many issues are shared on their web site and in their weekly email briefings.

Education is an issue “what our mem bers are passionate about,” Bona said. “We cover every single school board race and make sure that we’ve researched it

and have good questions to ask the candi date. We cover the school board races and make sure all citizens are educated about the issues, particularly in K-12 education in Utah. There are serious issues related to inclusion, issues related to all kinds of things in education. We’re focusing on ed ucating to make sure people know who the different candidates are on the local school boards, what’s motivating them, why they’re running and what their intentions are. That is incredibly important right now. We’re not saying, vote for this candidate or that candidate. We believe in empow ering voters. We ask questions. We have

Salt Lake League of Women Voter Services Director Helen Moser registers a new citizen at a naturaliza tion ceremony Aug. 25 at Bryce Canyon National Park. (Photo courtesy of Peter Densmore/National Park Service)

Norma Wills, the natural resources director for the League of Women Voters of Utah, volunteered at the recent Salt Lake festival at 9th and 9th to register voters. (Shauna Bona/League of Women Voters)

Margie McCloy, a Salt Lake League of Women Vot ers member and volunteer, talks to the community about the League and the importance of voting. (Shauna Bona/League of Women Voters)

Election officials address claims of mail-in voter fraud

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

Following widespread allegations of voter fraud after the 2020 presidential election, Salt Lake County election offi cials want residents to know the mail-inballot system is safe and secure.

During a voting rights discussion, hosted by the League of Women Voters, panelists addressed voting concerns and invited the public to be involved with the process.

Salt Lake County Clerk Sherrie Sw ensen has been administering county elec tions for 32 years. She said her office is dedicated to ensuring elections are run efficiently and smoothly, and that every eligible vote is counted.

“I’m so glad we have a vote-by-mail system in Salt Lake and the State of Utah,” she said. “It has been a wonderful system. It’s served the voters so well.”

Since 2016, all elections in Utah have been conducted by mail, with ballot dropoff boxes and Election Day voting booths available as alternate options. During the 2020 presidential election, Salt Lake County had a 90.1% voter turnout, with 498,000 residents voting by mail, 100,000 more active registered voters than the 2016 election.

Residents were encouraged to vote by mail in 2020 because of COVID, but mis information spread that the voting system had been compromised. Swensen said al legations of voter fraud in the county are absolutely not true.

“We heard people could print ballots in their living room, foreign countries could print ballots and insert them into our system, but they would never make it through our system,” she said. “Every sin gle ballot that is sent to a voter is correlat ed to a record of an active registered voter with a unique nine-digit number.”

During the last legislative session,

candidates answer those questions, and the voters read those and how they decide who is the best to represent them and their options. It doesn’t matter to us how they vote. It’s not our business. We just want them to be educated and to vote.”

She said voting is critical.

“Our entire system is predicated on an educated populace exercising the right to vote. We pick our leaders, our leaders don’t pick the voters, and the better edu cated and inspired and energized our vot ing and voting populace is, the better a country our democratic republic will be,” she said.

Lori Jones, a former longtime educa tor, said educated voting is critical to elec tions, including the local school board.

“Voters need to review candidates’

Rep. Phil Lyman (R-Blanding) tried to pass a bill that would dismantle the state’s mail-in voting process, claiming the sys tem was vulnerable to fraud. The bill failed but election officials are worried a similar proposal will come up again.

“It is a secure system, we have total confidence in it,” Swensen said. “It is dis heartening to me to hear all this rhetoric about the vote-by-mail system not being safe and secure. I really believe that it’s an attempt to suppress voter turnout.”

She invites voters to attend tours of ballot centers to witness the transparent and secure process, and to address misin formation and false claims.

“We love to conduct tours and we have done so many tours, I can’t even count them all. Everyone walks away feel ing very confident. They are impressed af ter they come to see it in person,” Swensen said. “It’s best when processing ballots so you can actually see what’s happening when it’s being done.”

Deputy Director of Elections for the State of Utah Shelly Jackson said elec tion officials are constantly culling lists to make sure voter information is accurate and up-to-date. Several security elements are in place to stop voter fraud, including signature verification and unique voter IDs on every ballot.

Ballots are not mailed to every person in the state, only voters who are actively registered receive a mail-in ballot. For in formation about the election process, visit slco.org/clerk/elections.

“I love that people are now paying at tention to elections,” Jackson said. “I love that people are wanting to come see our logic and accuracy tests. When I worked at the county we would beg people to come, we would beg city recorders to come, we’d beg friends and family to come. I don’t

think I ever had anyone come.”

Nathaniel Brown, 24th Navajo Nation council person, and Nikila Venugopal, di rector of campaigns for the ACLU of Utah, expressed concerns that bills like Lyman’s proposal would disenfranchise thousands of voters.

In 1962, Utah was the last state in the country to give Native Americans voting rights. Brown said members of the Navajo Nation still face obstacles to voting, in cluding remoteness and language barriers. Doing away with the mail-in ballot system would further restrict voting access to this population.

“I think we need to remove the clas sism mentality and think about who we are at the soul level,” Brown said.

Venugopal said sometimes the voteby-mail system isn’t feasible, like for vot

ers with disabilities who need to sign a ballot when their signature could change over time. She said the ACLU is working to create greater access for voters with disabilities and works with the disability law center to make continued changes to the process. She’s also keeping an eye out for legislation that could suppress the vote throughout the state, like Lyman’s bill in February 2022.

“Claims of voter fraud are rooted in trying to stoke fear, and our elections are in fact secure. But maybe there are areas of improvement,” Venugopal said. “This bill essentially would have gutted our voteby-mail system and really caused a disen franchisement crisis in our state if it had passed.” l

platforms, then they can make educat ed decisions about who wants to support schools and make them better,” she said.

While her longtime passion has been education, Jones, who recently joined the League of Women Voters, said she has concerns about redistricting and environ mental issues, both of which Bona said are hot topics right now.

“I joined the League because I read that they filed a lawsuit against the legisla ture about gerrymandering of the congres sional districts, which I was furious about, and I’m also really interested in trying to do things to make sure that the Great Salt Lake doesn’t die because that would be a huge disaster for our children. I'm an advocate for children and a lot of people blow off the Great Salt Lake because they

don’t realize everything that it does. I just thought, ‘OK, I don't have a right to com plain unless I volunteer’ so I’m taking a look to learn more about these issues,” she said.

After attending a couple meetings, Jones plans to get more involved.

“I like how the League gets people involved in nonpartisan politics and how they also take an active role in what’s go ing on in the state. The great thing about it is you don’t have to run for office to have to see if you can have an impact on something and you can get involved in as little or as much as you want. They’ve got a climate group that’s looking at problems with water in Utah. They have a legislative group that goes to the legislative sessions to find out what they’re doing, and they

have an observer group who are trained to be an observer at city meetings and report back what's going on,” she said.

Bona’s involvement with the League started after the 2016 election.

“I wanted to get involved with educat ing voters and helping voters understand the importance of going to the ballot in an informed way,” she said. “I saw what the League was doing and that they were em powering voters and registering people to vote, not asking them how they were going to vote, but just making sure that they were informed citizens who did vote. To me, that felt like a way of making the world a better place.” l

Utah’s mail-in voting system has been in place since 2016, and Salt Lake County’s election officials say the process is secure and accessible. (Stock photo)

Angel’s Hands offers financial help for children with rare diseases

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

When Mark Kristensen’s son Matt was 4 years old, he was diagnosed with mucopolysaccharidosis, a rare genetic dis ease. They were told he would probably not make it to his 12th birthday.

Not only did Matt celebrate his 12th birthday, but he lived another four years before he passed away in 2002. His life in spired the creation of the Angel’s Hands Foundation, an organi zation that is now his legacy.

“It started with 10 families that had a child with MPS in Utah,” Kristensen said. “Our mission has evolved over the years to improve the quality of life for individuals with rare or undiag nosed medical conditions.”

Because they understand the financial implications of hav ing a child with a rare disease, Kristensen and his wife Roxann started Angel’s Hands to help families pay for things insurance wouldn’t cover like therapy equipment, specialty strollers and bikes, travel expenses for medical purposes and deductibles or coinsurance payments.

“Utah’s medical community is fabulous but when you’re working with these rare diseases you might have to travel to Bos ton or Dallas and no insurance will pay for the travel and lodging and meals when you do that,” Kristensen said. “Anything that could improve the quality of life for families, we’ll consider as sisting with.”

Kristensen said Matt influenced many people throughout his short life. He was the unofficial No. 1 fan/mascot for the Utah Grizzlies ice hockey team and dyed his hair green during the team’s season. He also ran the smoke machine with the Grizzlies’ mascot, Grizzbee.

Matt wanted Kristensen to read him every Grizzlies article in the newspaper so he could talk about the team’s season at the games.

In the 20 years since Matt’s death, Angel’s Hands has helped hundreds of families. Kristensen considers it a paying forward for the wonderful people who helped his son.

“He was so social that people didn’t know what his cog nitive limitations were,” Kristensen said. “He was loved by ev erybody and had a charisma that not every kid has, but a lot of special needs kids do. I call it the ‘It Factor’ where people just want to know them and befriend them. He was one of those.”

The organization founded for their son has allowed the Kris tensens to offer assistance to other families like theirs. Angel’s Hands will help pay for home or van modifications, track systems that allow parents to move older children around the house, ther apy hot tubs and specialty camps.

“Let us pay for the things we can pay for and you take your money and enhance the quality of your life by taking a family vacation,” he said. “Back when we were dealing with my son, we would spend that money on medical bills instead of taking a vacation. There are families that won’t ask for help because pride is a powerful thing.”

Angel’s Hands receives a lot of community support. Friends and families have organized motorcycle rides, hockey and golf tournaments, and car shows to help raise money and the Friend Raiser Gala on Nov. 13 at the Viridian Event Center (8030 S. 1830 West) in West Jordan brings in lots of financial resources.

Local high schools have also held fundraising events for the group with students from Herriman High, Mountain Ridge and

Bingham High donating tens of thousands of dollars.

“We are very blessed with great people who support us,” Kristensen said. “The money is secondary. We’ll make good use of the money, but the fact that young people are doing service for others, that just melts my heart.”

The nonprofit is a 100% volunteer organization with 95% of donations going to families. To learn more, visit AngelsHands. org. l

DAMAGE

“ The technician was prompt, worked quickly, and was very professional. They provided outstanding same day service.

“ Robert and Mark were great! We had pipes burst at night and they were right there to help us get the water shut off and to help us get all the water out and dried. They were both professional, communication was great and they were thorough.I would recommend them to anyone! ”

The easiest way to restore your home... the best way to restore your life.

Bri (left) enjoys one of the many activities Angel’s Hands organizes for children and their families. (Courtesy of Angel’s Hands Founda tion)

Years OF TRUST

Taking Care

At a time when emotions are tender, receiving guidance by someone who has been around and understands your needs can help you find the perfect service.

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.

Helping Families Heal for Over 135 years

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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: 801-653-1291.

Needs Beyond Medicine reduces financial stress for cancer patients

Acancer diagnosis brings up so much un certainty. Along with the emotional and physical fears of possible surgery and treat ment, cancer takes a financial toll on patients as well. Many patients miss work and people in rural areas might have to travel to get the chemotherapy or radiation procedures they need.

That’s where Needs Beyond Medicine steps in. The organization was founded by Philip Brown in 2006, and expanded to a 501(c)(3) in 2009. It offers living expense grants to cancer patients who need help pay ing for food, bills and transportation. The goal is to alleviate some of the stress that accompanies a cancer diagnosis.

“I don’t think people realize the toll [cancer] takes, along with everything else you’re dealing with in your life,” Brown said. “We help current cancer patients with non-medical costs. That includes transporta tion, groceries, rent or anything considered non-medical. We also do education out reach.”

A longtime advocate for cancer educa tion, early detection and care, Brown has his own connection to the disease. His mother passed away in 1996 after an 18-month-long battle with ovarian cancer. His mission is to raise awareness about cancer screenings in

the hope more lives can be saved.

The concept for Needs Beyond Med icine started when Brown was going to school to earn his bachelor’s degree. He got an internship working with doctors, nurses and social workers who created a task force to help cancer patients. Brown eventually took it over and has helped nearly 2,000 peo ple with the nonprofit’s relief program.

Because the group is not aligned with any specific hospital or provider, people across the state are eligible for its services. Patients are usually referred to Needs Be yond Medicine by a social worker who knows what the individual is going through.

“We’re Utah-based and cover the whole state. I think people don’t realize we help a lot of people in the rural towns who have to travel a few hours a day to get treatment,” Brown said. “We can work with all the can cer programs in the state, which is unique, so we’re able to help all the patients.”

On Friday, Nov. 4, Needs Beyond Med icine will hold its annual canSURVIVE gala at the Cottonwood Country Club (1780 Lakewood Drive) in Holladay, from 5-9:30 p.m. The fundraising event lets cancer survi vors tell their stories and helps raise money for the organization with a raffle and silent auction. All proceeds go to help Utah cancer

patients with living expenses.

Needs Beyond Medicine helps an av erage of 15 people each month as they go through their cancer journey. For informa tion about sponsoring the canSURVIVE gala or to donate items for the raffle and silent auction, email Brown at info@needsbeyond medicine.org. To learn more about the relief

program, visit needsbeyondmedicine.org.

“It’s shocking that each year we’ve done this, we’ve made a profit. Even the first one, which is kind of mind-boggling. I’ve been told if you’re making money, you should keep doing what you’re doing,” Brown said.

“It’s a public event and we just accept dona tions at the door.” l

My Platform:

1. End plea deals for repeat violent offenders.

2. Reforge our relationship with law enforcement.

3. Prioritize victims' voices.

DEMAND JUSTICE!

Daniellle Ahn believes in delivering justice and giving a voice back to victims by ending plea deals with repeat violent offenders. Daniele Ahn will deliver justice and get tough AHN crime!

Reasons why I am running?

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

I will not tolerate domestic violence and will ensure victim's rights are protected.

HOMICIDES These have recently increased 46% in Salt Lake County (see link, slide 7). This must be turned around!

Time to get tough A da4da.com

SEXUAL ASSAULTS

As DA I will prioitize the prompt screening of sexual assault cases and will coordinate survivor peer networks to guide victims and survivors through the criminal justice system.

DE-PROSECUTION POLICIES

I reject the adoption of de-prosecution policies as they are stronly correlated with increased homicide rates.

o C tober 2022 | Page W21 est J ordan J ournal . C om By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

Heidi Jo Taylor (left) and Annette Page are cancer survivors who volunteer with Needs Beyond Medicine, a nonprofit that helps cancer patients with living expenses and provides education about early cancer screening. (Courtesy of Chad Hurst)

and two-story

offers stunning

the Wasatch Mountains.

adult

seekers.

entry-level to skilled workers

USA Wheelchair Football League to highlight amazing athletes

Move United is the largest grassroots adaptive sports pro gram in the world. Based in Maryland, the nonprofit part nered with the National Football League and the Bob Woodruff Foundation to create the USA Wheelchair Football League, the first-of-its-kind league for adults with disabilities.

Working with Salt Lake County, the league will host a wheelchair football tournament Oct. 22-23 at the Salt Palace Convention Center (100 S. West Temple St.) with nine teams, 20 games and dozens of athletes. Games will be held on three fields from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. Admission is free.

“We use adaptive sports to push what’s possible for peo ple with disabilities and show all the ways that people with dis abilities can integrate into society, just like everyone else,” said Karalyn Stott, Move United senior program manager. “We’re excited to be coming to Salt Lake to spotlight all of our athletes and highlight the amazing things they’re able to do on the foot ball field.”

Salt Lake County adaptive recreation manager Taylor Smith has been an official with the league since they announced the program in May 2020. As the only female official, she’s worked at tournaments in Tampa and Chicago, and is excited to help bring the USA Wheelchair Football League to Utah.

“The NFL and the Bob Woodruff Foundation donated funds to make this program start happening for those veterans who wanted to stay competitive and continue doing things they love, even after they were injured,” Smith said. “[Being an of ficial] is stressful but it’s really fun and amazing. These guys try so hard and they really want to be there. You can’t ask for anything more of people who just want to play.”

Many athletes participating in the tournament are military

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

veterans, excited to participate in a team sport. This event high lights the athleticism of the sport which is competitive and fastpaced.

“So many of them lost that team feeling when they were injured overseas so they’re excited to feel that brotherhood and family again,” Stott said. “Others played the sport as a kid and got injured and now get to get back to a sport that they didn’t think they’d be able to play again.”

The wheelchair football tournament is one of the ways Salt Lake County is bringing adaptive sport programs to the state. Other adaptive recreation opportunities offered through the county attract people from all over Utah, and even Idaho and Wyoming, to take part in the athletic events.

With the popularity of pickleball, the county just an nounced an adaptive pickleball program that will run from Oct. 29-Nov. 19 at the Copperview Recreation Center (8446 Harri son St.) in Midvale.

The six-week program includes 90 minutes of instruc tional-based practice along with scrimmages and matches. For more information, visit slco.org/adaptive.

“This will be a new sport that we’re bringing in,” Smith said. “We haven’t done adaptive or wheelchair pickleball in the past. It will be our first one and we’re really excited about it because most of the population have really gotten involved in pickleball and we want to bring it that to the adaptive world.”

Salt Lake County has offered its para programs for 20 years and Smith said no one else in county recreation is offer ing adaptive programs, although several private companies do wheelchair sports.

The county has two groups, one for intellectual disabili

ties and one for physical disabilities because sports are played differently based on the population. Adaptive sports are open to all ages, but most wheelchair programs are geared to ages 5-15.

“It’s available for anyone who is open to playing, we’ll bring them in with open arms,” Smith said. “I think sports is valuable to anyone in the world. You learn communication skills, learn how to calm yourself down, you’re learning how to work hard and persevere through challenges in your life, so I think sports are vital in how you’re dealing with everyday sit uations.” l

Members of the USA Wheelchair Football League will compete at the Salt Palace Convention Center Oct. 22-23. (Photos courtesy of Move United)

West Jordan City contemplates ranked choice voting

By Erin Dixon | e.dixon@mycityjournals.com

P reparations for the 2023 city elections have begun.

A few years ago the Utah State Legis lature launched a pilot program for cities to test Ranked Choice Voting. Every city is required to decide by April of every voting year whether they will use RCV.

In late August, the West Jordan City Council debated whether to use the new voting system in next year's election.

“Right now, a final decision hasn’t been made for future elections in West Jor dan regarding Ranked Choice Voting,” Ma rie Magers, Public Information Manager, said. “It was presented to Council during a work session by our city recorder to give them an idea of a timeline if they choose to go in that direction, which wouldn’t be until the next municipal election. RCV is a decision made by the legislative body and would not be on the ballot.”

In her presentation, Tangee Sloan, West Jordan City Recorder, said, “West Jordan has opted out of RCV in 2019 and 2021. If we opt in [next year], I would like to start doing some voter education.”

Bluffdale, Cottonwood Heights, Drap er, Midvale, Millcreek, Riverton, Salt Lake City, Sandy and South Salt Lake had RCV for their 2021 elections.

Sloan was told by some of these cities

that “cost was underestimated,” “they had a lot of voter confusion,” and Sandy had “4,000 exhausted ballots.” (An exhausted ballot means they did not rank all the can didates on the ballot, they only voted for a few specific candidates.)

She said Draper had some positive ex periences with the voting method. “They had shorter campaign time, no primary election and some residents loved it.”

If the City Council decides to use RCV, the City Recorder, Sloan, will be in charge of public education. Some of the ideas are: updates to the city website, fly ers at events, host town halls and seminars and post on social media.

The Utah Ranked Choice Voting site outlines the basic process: “Instead of choosing ONE candidate, ranked choice voting allows voters to rank all candidates according to their preference (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.). In each round of ranked choice voting, the candidate with the lowest num ber of votes is eliminated. When a voter's number one choice is eliminated, their sec ond choice is included in the count for the second round. This process continues until the final round.” l

Voting requires the voter to put their ideal candidates in order from first preferred, to last preferred. (Image/Sandy City)

In Salt Lake County our top priority is to keep you and your family safe. That's why over 70 percent of our general fund budget is allocated to criminal justice as we oper ate the jail, handle prosecution and indigent defense, run behavioral health programs and fund the sheriff's public safety bureau. One of our challenges has been a shortage of offi cers to work in the jail, and I know many of our cities are struggling to hire enough po lice officers for their communities. The past few years have been tough for our men and women in blue, and morale has taken a hit. That's why public safety has been a huge fo cus for me as I serve on the council.

Last fall the Sheriff’s office was faced with a very small pool of new recruits and public safety agencies across the valley were competing for officers. In order to support effective recruiting, we must fund competi tive wages and benefits which is why I voted to support the Sheriff's compensation re quest providing a structural pay adjustment for all Sworn Correction and Public Safety Officers.

The county jail houses around 2,000 inmates and operates its own healthcare sys tem. Inmate medical needs range from basic general care to specialized treatment includ ing dental and mental health, which the jail is constitutionally mandated to provide. In addition to seeing a shortage of sworn po

lice officers, we are also seeing a shortage of healthcare workers. This spring the County Council voted to increase the pay rate for medical staff at the jail. In addition, I led ef forts to add a $5,000 hiring bonus for med ical staff who remain working at the jail for two years.

Staffing shortages contribute to in creased wait times when officers are booking an individual into jail. As law enforcement agencies across the valley face their own recruitment and retention efforts it is my priority to focus on reducing this wait time so officers are back out on the street quickly, keeping your neighborhoods and their fel low officers safer.

As we look at ways to better improve public safety, I believe investment in Mobile Crisis Outreach Teams (MCOT) is critical. MCOT teams work alongside our police when mental health crises arise. The team

is made up of highly trained licensed men tal health clinicians and certified peer sup port specialists. Right now, we only have about half the number of teams necessary to help our officers and the public. I am on the State’s Behavioral Health Crisis Response Commission, and we are pushing for addi tional state funding to fully operate these MCOT teams.

Addressing staff shortages requires bold and steady leadership. I maintain my commitment to you that every vote I cast as a county council member comes after thought ful consideration of how it will impact the county overall, as well the constituents whom I represent in this role. I am commit ted to safe neighborhoods by focusing my at tention on the county’s public safety efforts.

There are lots of people in this world who scare me, like toddlers, Christian nationalists and the barista who always compliments my shirt, even when I’m wearing a blood-stained hoodie.

But dentists! Dentists are a higher level of fear. I'm sure they get tired of being compared to the sadistic den tist in “Little Shop of Horrors” but if the tooth fits…

My dentophobia is rooted in an experience when I was 5 where many of the details are still slumbering in my subconscious, waiting to burst when I’m least expecting it. The only thing I remember was the dentist was not my friend.

Peri Kinder Life and Laughter

I start ed dreading my annual checkup.

Mom would write our dentist’s name on the bathroom mirror in red lipstick, so she’d remember to schedule the appointment. But every time she wrote it, I’d take a wet washcloth and wipe it off. I’m sure she never noticed the smeared lipstick or the dripping-wet mirror.

It’s like pulling teeth

is a privilege.

My rational mind knows all those things, but I’ve never left a dentist’s office thinking, “Hmmm. That wasn’t too bad.”

I recently had my first root canal, which didn’t ease my fears. At all. I was upfront with the endodontist and told him I didn’t like him very much.

“I understand,” he said.

“No, really. I loathe you,” I said.

“Yeah, I get that a lot.”

We went from there. He offered me nitrous oxide be cause if I’m going to be root-canaled, I’d rather be float ing somewhere near Venus. After I was nice and drifty, he told me I’d feel a little pinch as he numbed my mouth. Then he proceeded to nail my face to the chair while the nurse handed him a Black & Decker drill. He laughed ma niacally, donned a hockey mask ala Jason Voorhees and started excavating my back teeth.

At least, that’s how I remember it.

After the root canal, I had to make an appointment with my dentist to put a crown on my tooth. I called the receptionist who said I could schedule time on Sept. 12 at 2:30 a.m. or wait until June 2023. Typical.

and walk in that office.”

I stuck my tongue out at myself and went to get my crown. Not a cool crown like a Dutch sapphire tiara but a porcelain crown that I’m afraid to chew with. I’m pretty sure my dentist has a hook for a hand and he proceeded to stab my gums repeatedly, probably just for the fun of it. And then it was over. For now.

Now that I’m older, I should be braver, right? I should be grateful I don’t have a medieval dentist who also works as the village butcher, barber and blacksmith. I’m lucky I’m not Tom Hanks in “Castaway” when he uses an ice skate to knock out his abscessed molar. Modern dentistry

I don’t know why I’m still terrified of all things den tal. The smell of a dentist’s office makes my stomach roll. The sound of a drill makes my jaw clench, which makes it really hard to work on my teeth. When it was time for my crown appointment, I sat in my car for a good 15 minutes, giving myself a pep talk.

“You’ve got this,” I said. “You’re a big girl.”

WEST JORDAN

“Nope. I’m going to Starbucks,” I responded. “No, you’re not. You’re going to act like an adult

I’d rather face a zillion zombies, a multitude of mum mies, a van full of vampires or a ton of toddlers before seeing the dentist again. He’s the scariest monster I know.

“Dozens of doctors told me that there was nothing more that they could do to expect to be in a wheel chair. I went from the top 1% in the army Special Forces to being in so much pain that I could not tie my shoe or hold my new daughter. I did physical therapy and pain killers for years, but nothing worked. Finally, I went to Dr. Smith and I improved exactly as he told me I would. I couldn’t believe it! My wife cried, “I have my husband back.”

Matthew